News

Last year’s “Sound of Freedom” made a splash at the box-office appealing to conspiracy theorists and religious groups and convincing audiences that watching it was a morally righteous action taken against those perpetuating the horrors of human trafficking.

“City of Dreams,” from producer-turned writer-director Mohit Ramchandani, seeks to repeat the formula. The “must-see” account this time comes from the perspective of non-verbal 15-year-old Jesús (Ari López) from the state of Puebla in central Mexico. With the promise that he’ll partake in a soccer camp, a cartel-backed trafficker (actor Francisco Denis in an embarrassingly awful part) convinces his father to let him go alone. Instead, the boy is held against his will inside a dark, windowless Los Angeles home that functions as clandestine clothing manufacturing operation. Throughout the ordeal, Jesús holds on to his dream of playing in a packed stadium, which materializes on screen as shiny dreamlike sequences.

Mexico’s Yalitza Aparicio, Oscar nominated for her career-launching turn in Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” and Infinity Hill, producers of the Oscar-nominated Argentine drama “Argentina 1985,” have boarded sweatshop thriller “City of Dreams” (previously titled “Dreamer”) as executive producers.

The drama features a stellar cast that includes Golden Globe nominee Diego Calva (“Babylon”), Chile’s Alfredo Castro (“From Afar”), Mexico’s Paulina Gaitán (“Narcos”) and Jason Patric (“The Lost Boys”).

The directorial feature debut of helmer-scribe Mohit Ramchandani, “City of Dreams” is produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Mandoki (“Innocent Voices), Jon Graham (“The Vault”) and Kyle Stroud (“In Full Bloom”).

Drama will have its world premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival where it closes the event on Sunday, March 5.

Inspired by the 1995 El Monte California sweatshop raid, “…Dreams” follows a young Mexican boy who aspires to become a soccer star. His dreams are upended when he’s smuggled across the...

by Nathaniel R

The Hole In The Fence

Mexico has chosen their Oscar submission finalist list. We'd do a whole huge post on it but we suspect by the time we did they'd have named their winner and despite divisive reviews thus far we suspect they won't be able to resist sending Iñarritu again. As it stands now they're looking at three films we've already reviewed here at Tfe: Alejandro G Iñarritu's Bardo (False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths), Lorenz Vigas' very dark father/son drama The Box, and Joaquin del Paso's allegorical summer camp drama The Hole in the Fence. The other two they're looking at are the sexual drama Nudo Mixteco by Angeles Cruz and the thriller Presencias by Luis Mandoki. Among those filmmakers Inarritu and Mandoki (Innocent Voices) have represented Mexico before while Vigas's debut film, the gay drama From Afar, was sent to represent Venezuela in its year.

Virtual meetings, panels and networking to take place September 12-13.

New projects from producers and production companies behind The Father, Born To Be Blue, Mustang and I’m No Longer Here are among the roster at the virtual 16th Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (iff) set to run from September 12-13.

The two-day co-financing and co-production market, which will run online due to the pandemic, serves international and Canadian producers developing mostly English-language projects and takes place in association with Toronto International Film Festival.

Sessions encompass one-on-one producer and executive meetings with 42 executives in attendance including new companies like Voltage Pictures,...

Fans of Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” have spent nearly three years wondering how leading actress Yalitza Aparicio would follow-up the three-time Oscar winning drama. Aparicio was a schoolteacher plucked from obscurity to star in “Roma,” which resulted in her becoming the first Mexican woman to be Oscar nominated for Best Actress in 14 years and the first Indigenous woman in history. Aparicio has not acted in a second film until now. As reported by Mexican publication El Universal, production on Aparicio’s second feature kicked off this week in Tlalpujahua in central Mexico.

Aparicio is starring in “Presences,” a horror film from “Innocent Voices” director Luis Mandoki. Damián Alcázar, best known for performances in “Hell” and “Herod’s Law,” is also starring in the movie, which is filming under strict coronavirus safety guidelines. According to El Universal: “The film tells the story of a man who loses his wife and goes...

This year, the motion picture academy made history by inviting an equal number of women and men to join. In all, 842 film professionals were invited to become part of the organization that hands out the Oscars. Compare this intake to the totals of the previous five years: a record 928 in 2018; 774 in 2017; 683 in 2016; 322 in 2015; and 271 in 2014.

While Academy Awards nominees are automatically eligible for consideration, the rest of the candidates must go through a fairly cumbersome process. A candidate must meet certain branch specific requirements before even being eligible.

For example, actors must “have a minimum of three theatrical feature film credits, in all of which the roles played were scripted roles, one of which was released in the past five years, and all of which are of a caliber that reflect the high standards of the Academy.” For writers, directors and producers they need have just two of these credits.

In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.

People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.

In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.

Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...

In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.

People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.

In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.

Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...

Half of the 842 new members invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are women, the group announced on Monday.

The organization behind the Oscars also disclosed that 29% of the new invitees are people of color. Should those people accept, and they almost universally do, the Academy will have doubled the percentage of nonwhite people in their ranks in four years.

In 2015, people of color accounted for only 8% of the Academy body. In 2019, it stands at 16%, the Academy reported. As it stands, the Academy counts 8,946 active members, with 8,733 eligible to vote on the Oscars. The total membership including retired members is 9,794. This year’s number falls short of 2018’s record of 928 invitations.

New members in this round include “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu, actors Winston Duke and Gemma Chan, and screenwriters Ritesh Batra (“Photograph”), Chinonye Chukwu (“Clemency”), Park Young-soo (“Detective Dee”) and Ryo Sakaguchi (“Ant-Man and the Wasp...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 842 new members in their annual effort to bring in new blood to the organization that hands out the Oscars. This is down from the 928 members invited last year, but 50% of this year’s number are women, inching closer to the goal of creating an even playing field between female and male members. It marks an 7% increase in female members from 2015 to an overall 32% of the entire organization.

A total of 29% of the new class revealed Monday are people of color, marking an 8% increase in that statistic since 2015. Among the new invitees, 21 are already Oscar winners and 82 are past Oscar nominees.

New members among the acting branch include recent Best Song winner Lady Gaga, who is also being invited to the music branch; Sterling K. Brown; Claire Foy; and actors ranging in age from 23-year-old Spider-Man Tom Holland to the (shamefully) never-nominated legendary French star,...

Isa of the day is a continuing series of profiles of very special international sales agents. Shoreline Entertainment, one of the longest running independent film production companies and international sales agencies, has expanded its management arm to foster Latin American and women driven projects. You can see its Cannes lineup here.

The company was founded in 1992 by CEO and film producer Morris Ruskin whose production “Glengarry Glen Ross” launched him into the top level of indie producers. Shoreline’s Latin American Division for Management and Production is meeting with great success in repping over 25 directors, writers, actors, DPs and more.

Two interviews here, one with Alex Flores, the head of the division and the other with Diana Elizabeth Torres, a California based actress and writer illuminate their strategy and mission.

Alex and Morris’s friendship dates back 20 years, and their professional relationship flourished with films “Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School” starring Robert Carlyle,...

Latin American filmmakers have done well in the Oscar race over the last three years: Awards have gone to two Mexican directors, while films from Colombia and Chile have landed nominations. Meanwhile, revered auteurs from these region have maintained their positions on the world stage, and American-based Latino filmmakers and actors have become outspoken advocates for the need of inclusion and opportunity. But many others receive far less attention even as they toil away on the sidelines to make sure these artists receive the attention they deserve.

The unsung heroes of Latin American cinema’s success work in film journalism, distribution companies, film-oriented nonprofits, festivals, and even major studios. Behind the scenes, Latinos are paving the way for filmmakers and others who are fighting to be heard, seen, and understood. This crowd of influencers includes U.S Latinos, Latin Americans and Hispanics, all of whom are represented in the following overview.

Now in its fourth edition, the International Project Discovery Forum (Ipdf), Los Angeles Greek Film Festival’s Industry Section and development workshop will present six impressive new projects by filmmakers from the Balkans and the Middle­ East region.

Ipdf Director A​raceli Lemos,​ in talking about this year’s selections remarks,"For this edition,we chose projects which are bold, diverse and thought­provoking. We are excited to meet all the filmmakers in person and work with them."

The 20​16 Ipdf projects a​re from both new and established filmmakers. They are A​lexis Alexiou'​s (“Wednesday 4:45”) third feature project "As Long As You Bleed." V​assilis Katsoupis ​and producer G​iorgos Karnavas ​present "Inside," ​​Katsoupis'debut fiction feature. His documentary “​My Friends Larry Gus” i​s s​creening o​n F​riday, June 3rd.​Karnavas is a prominent Greek producer, whose previous work “The Eternal Paraskevas of Antonis Paraskevas” and “Boy Eating Bird’s Food” were worldwide festival favorites and screened in past editions of Lagff.

Sol Goodman,​an American producer with projects in the Middle East and NorthAfrica, will present "The Taste of Apples is Red," ​a S​yrian ​film by E​hab Tarabieh.​

Three debut features will also be pitched: from T​urkey,​ N​azlı Elif Durlu and​and her producer A​nna ­Maria Aslanoglu ​present​

"Zuhal." ​From G​reece's ​H​arris Raftogiannis,​comes "The River," ​​and Serbia’​s S​tefan Malešević​ will offer up​ "Usud."​

A f​our­ member jury​ of entertainment professionals will decide the winning project after hearing the final pitches on Sunday, June 5th. The 2016 Ipdf J​ury member s​are producer at Gunpowder & Sky, David Harris,​ R​ebecca Katz ​from the Creative Producing Initiative of the Sundance Institute; Participant Media’s​ Ioanna Varikos, a​nd producer and co­founder of Extraordinary Renditions, K​elly Thomas ​(“Spa Night”).

The ​winners​of the competition will ​receive ​the ​Aegean Award ​and a ​scholarship ​to attend the ​Mfi Script2Pitch​ Workshops ​during the ​Orpheus Award Ceremony on Closing Night, June 5th.

Before the Jury pitch​, each filmmaker will receive ​group training a​nd ​one­-on-­one meetings​with a diverse group of professionals sharing expertise in financing, directing, writing, producing, marketing and distribution. This year's ​experts​ include​: K Street Pictures' president​ Charles Agron​; writer/producer David Ariniello ​(“Arcadia Lost”), acclaimed director and cinematographer ​Steven Bernstein ​(“Decoding Annie Parker”), co­founder of L.A.­based La Panda Productions ​Pau Brunet​, director of creative initiatives for technology leader Bittorrent ​Missy Laney​, film festival programmer and strategist Kathleen McInnis, ​manager for the feature film program’s international work at Sundance Institute Matthew Takata,​ and writer/Producer of the award­-winning “Innocent Voices” (Voces Inocentes), Oscar Torres.

"We strive to change and grow every year, looking at what is happening in the independent film world around us, and pair our filmmakers with the best experts that can help them. Not only with these projects but for their careers as independent filmmakers," adds Ipdf Producer​Giulia Caruso.

The ​Ipdf Industry Events, free​ and open ​to the public​, take place on Saturday, June 4.

At 12:30 p.m. the ​Writing for Diversity in TV ​panel will take place. During this group session esteemed television writers, and personalities discuss and share their experiences, challenges and efforts to promote diversity on TV – both within the writer’s room and the characters they create. Panelists are; writers ​Aida Croal ​("Luke Cage"), ​Julia Fontana ​("Lucifer"), ​Maikiko James​ from the newly launched Women In Film's Women Writing Lab, musician/ writer ​Our Lady J ​("​Transparent")​, producer Benoni Tagoe ​(​"Awkward Black Girl"​) and director/ producer ​Greg Yaitanes ​(​"Banshee," "House M.D."​).

At 3:00 p.m. ​How a Director Finds Her Characters ​presented by writer/director ​Athina Tsangari​. Tsangari, one of the principal instigators of the New Greek Wave, offers a unique Masterclass on directing. Her latest award­winning feature "Chevalier" is screening at the festival on Thursday, June 2. The masterclass will be moderated by film critic ​Carlos Aguilar, who has written for outlets such as Indiewire, MovieMaker Magazine, and Variety Latino.

"Every year we are amazed at the variety and quality of projects that filmmakers submit for consideration to Ipdf. It's a complicated selection process, and we always struggle to let some great projects go. To best serve the participants and their projects, we select only six films from the hundreds we receive each year.," notes Lemos.

For more information on the Ipdf projects and filmmakers go to http://lagff.org/festival/international­project­discovery­forum

The International Project Discovery Forum is the industry program of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival

The International Project Discovery Forum is a Los Angeles pioneer in the promotion of international independent film development and co­production. Utilizing the innumerable resources that exist in Los Angeles, the festival aims to create a bridge between two very different worlds – the American Independent Film and the Greek/Balkan Independent Film.

They look for films that have an original approach, made by independent producers and filmmakers that have a unique voice. The stage of development of the selected projects varies from inspiring and promising scripts in an early stage, which they want to nurture through their journey, to more advanced projects in the financing stage that they connect with producers, distributors, sales agents and programmers that can actively support the film. The festival wants to create a circle of collaborators who share the same vision – a network of creative professionals from Greece, the Balkans and the Us that share the same idea of how they want to make films.

Besides their open call for entries, they look for projects in other industry forums in the Balkan region such as Thessaloniki Iff’s Crossroads, Sofia Meetings, Mfi Script Workshop.

The Forum includes a development lab only for Ipdf selected Filmmakers and a series of roundtables that are free and open to the public.

The goal is not only to promote Greek and Balkan filmmakers by helping strong, local stories with international appeal get told, but they also want to create an occasion for a true and lively exchange between European and American cinema. The forum provide a venue where dialogue is encouraged and creative collaborations are formed...

Josh Duhamel is a lifeline for a troubled teen in the trailer for Bravetown.

Stoker and X-Men: Days of Future Past star Lucas Till has the lead role in Bravetown as musically-gifted teen Josh Harvest, who is forced into counselling in the wake of hard times.

Josh has to face up to his troubled past in order to explore his passion for music and find love with a local girl (Katrina Norman).

Tom Everett Scott, Laura Dern and Maria Bello all have supporting roles as the adults whose lives are impacted by Josh on his journey of self-discovery.

This will be the feature film directorial debut for Daniel Duran, who is bringing Innocent Voices writer Oscar Orlando Torres's screenplay to life.

Bravetown opens on May 8 in the Us. A UK release is yet to be set.

Fantastic Fest 2015 will include the second edition of the international co-production market Fantastic Market | Mercado Fantastico, and this year 15 projects have been selected. Read on for the full list!

The Fantastic Market | Mercado Fantastico runs September 18-20 in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest lead programmer Rodney Perkins and festival director Kristen Bell are heading up the effort. For more info on all of the below projects, visit FantasticFest.com/Projects.

Canana - the Mexican production outlet helmed by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz - is co-producing the market alongside filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network. Cristina Garza, Vice President of Mundial, Canana's sales joint venture with Im Global, is sourcing projects from the region.

"The public response to this year's call for submissions was astounding," says market director Perkins. "The 15 selected projects represent a diverse mix of talent from the United States and abroad. We are extremely...

Blending live action and CGI, the long-delayed Banking on Mr Toad to look at author Kenneth Grahame's relationship with his wife, his autistic son and his writing

Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody is attached to star in Banking on Mr Toad, a biopic that looks at The Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame's relationship with his wife, his autistic son, and his writing.

The biopic, which will blend live action and CGI, has been delayed numerous times due to pre-production issues and cast changes.

British actor Brian Blessed is set to play Grahame's best friend, the eccentric William Furnivall.

Brody said of the role: "I was moved to tears by this compelling tale of a father's love for his child, and how the obstacles in life sometimes provide the spark of creativity to conquer them. This beautiful script has the power to remind us of our humanity and...

Exclusive: Oscar-winner attached to star in and produce live-action and CGI Kenneth Grahame biopic, Banking on Mr Toad.

Adrien Brody is newly attached to star in and produce a biopic of Kenneth Grahame, the creator of renowned children’s tale Wind in the Willows.

For full production details visit

Banking on Mr Toad

Long-gestating biopic Banking on Mr Toad will chart Grahame’s relationship with his wife Elspeth and young son Alastair - who was plagued by a number of health problems - and the birth of his iconic, best-selling fiction The Wind in the Willows, which he wrote while holding the position of secretary at the Bank of England.

UK actor Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon) is attached to play Grahame’s best friend, the colourful William Furnivall.

Brody said of the role: “I was moved to tears by this compelling tale of a father’s love for his child, and how the...

Here is the trailer for Maya Entertainment Film, Mancora. The film is set to open in theaters March 20, 2009. Directed by Ricardo de Montreuil From the director of La Mujer De Mi Hermano (My Brother’S Wife), and the writer of Voces Inocentes (Innocent Voices) comes MÁNCORA, a tender and pulsating road-trip drama that delicately traces the shifting emotional boundaries between three disconnected souls. MÁNCORA introduces us to Santiago, a 21-year old from Lima who is haunted by his father’s recent and unexpected suicide. Suffocating in the chill of a grey Lima winter, Santiago decides to take refuge in MÁNCORA, a beach [...]...

Guillermo Del Toro has come on board to executive produce Jorge Olguin's horror film The Call of the Sea. The film, which marks Chilean helmer Olguin's third feature, stars Leonor Varela (Innocent Voices) and Santiago Cabrera (Empire). Chile Films is financing. Penned by Olguin, Call of the Sea is based on a legend about a ghost ship that navigates the cold waters of a mysterious Chilean island in search of the souls of local fisherman. The story centers on a marine biologist (Varela) who discovers that many of the legends are related to her family's past.

BB Entertainment Marketing has acquired North American rights to Luis Mandoki's Innocent Voices, BB CEO Ben Barbosa said Monday. The film, which will be released in major markets nationwide Sept. 23, will be distributed by Slowhand Cinema Releasing under the BB Entertainment banner. Produced by Lawrence Bender Prods. and Alatvista Films, Innocent Voices won the Golden Space Needle Award as best film at the 2005 Seattle International Film Festival.

Lions Gate Films International, the international theatrical arm of Lions Gate Entertainment, has announced multiple sales on Luis Mandoki's Voces Inocentes (Innocent Voices), which had its European premiere at the Kinderfilmfest section of the Berlin International Film Festival. Lions Gate International president Nick Meyer and LGFI co-president Sergei Yershov said sales included Metropolitan in France, Solo Film in Germany, Content Film in the United Kingdom, New Select in Japan and Nordisk in Scandinavia. 20th Century Fox had earlier acquired rights for Latin America from the producers, Altavista Films. The film is based on the experiences of co-screenwriter Oscar Torres as an 11-year-old child who suddenly becomes the "man of the house" after his father abandons the family during the Salvadoran civil war.

MEXICO CITY -- Indie film Temporada de Patos (Duck Season) and war picture Voces Inocentes (Innocent Voices) emerged as this year's front-runners for Mexico's top movie prize, capturing 12 and 10 Ariel nominations, respectively. The two films, plus Jose Buil's thriller Manos Libres, will contend for best picture and director honors at the 47th Ariel Awards, which will take place March 29 at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts. The relatively unknown Manos Libres, which is yet to be released commercially, racked up nine nominations.

MEXICO CITY -- The Mexican film academy has selected Luis Mandoki's Voces Inocentes (Innocent Voices) as its foreign-language submission for the 77th Academy Awards, while indie picture Temporada de Patos (Duck Season) will contend for a Goya nomination in Spain. Innocent Voices, an Altavista Films-Lawrence Bender production, tells the story of a boy growing up in war-torn El Salvador in the 1980s. Twentieth Century Fox will distribute the film in Mexico; Lions Gate is handling stateside distribution. The project marks helmer Mandoki's return to Spanish-language filmmaking after he worked in Hollywood for about 17 years. Among his English-language movies are Angel Eyes and Message in a Bottle. Innocent Voices will hit screens here in January, said distributor Fox Mexico.