News

The London-born US actor on having Richard Attenborough as a mentor, why she loves starring in horror films, and hanging out with the Killers on the set of The Oc

What was it like working with Richard Attenborough in Closing the Ring, Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill? Also why the obsession with horror films? MrSOBaldrick

Richard I loved because he was like a mentor to me. He’s probably single-handedly done more for my career than anyone else. Just taking me under his wing, putting me in Rada, especially coming off the back of my crazy run on television. I couldn’t tell you how he found me. I don’t think he ever really told me.

Cinematographer Roger Pratt, whose work included the original Batman movie starring Michael Keaton, has passed away. He was 77 years od.

Per Variety, Pratt's passing was announced by the British Society of Cinematographers with a message the stated, "It is with deepest sadness that we learn of the passing of Roger Pratt Bsc (1947-2024)." The included death year suggests Pratt died before the start of the month, but it wasn't stated exactly when, nor was there any information provided about the cause.

Born in 1947, Pratt enrolled in the London Film School in the 1960s. He picked up a job as a clapper loader for Chippenham Films in the United Kingdom to get his foot further into the door. It was then when he met filmmaker Terry Gilliam, with whom he'd later collaborate on the feature films Brazil, The Fisher King, and 12 Monkeys. Gilliam shared with the British Society of...

Oscar-nominated British cinematographer Roger Pratt has died, aged 77.

The British Society of Cinematographers, of which Pratt had been a member since 1986, confirmed the death and said Pratt had been suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Leicester in 1947, Pratt attended the London Film School in the late sixties and got his first credit as camera assistant on director Mike Leigh’s 1971 film Bleak Moments. He would later serve as cinematographer on Leigh’s 1983 TV film Meantime and 1988 feature High Hopes.

Working as clapper loader on Monty Python And The Holy Grail in 1975 began Pratt’s relationship with Terry Gilliam,...

Oscar-nominated British cinematographer Roger Pratt has died, aged 77.

The British Society of Cinematographers, of which Pratt had been a member since 1986, confirmed the death and said Pratt had been suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Leicester in 1947, Pratt attended the London Film School in the late sixties and got his first credit as camera assistant on director Mike Leigh’s 1971 film Bleak Moments. He would later serve as cinematographer on Leigh’s 1983 TV film Meantime and 1988 feature High Hopes.

Working as clapper loader on Monty Python And The Holy Grail in 1975 began Pratt’s relationship with Terry Gilliam,...

Roger Pratt, an Oscar-nominated British cinematographer who worked on two Harry Potter films and with such top directors as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Kenneth Branagh, Mike Leigh, Lasse Hallström, Neil Jordan, Wolfgang Petersen and Richard Attenborough, has died. He was 77.

The British Society of Cinematographers said he died in late 2024 but did not provide an exact date or a cause.

Pratt earned an Academy Award nom for Jordan’s The End of the Affair (1999) and also lensed the filmmaker’s Mona Lisa (1986) and 2000 short Not I. His dozens of credits include Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005); Burton’s Batman (1989); Leigh’s High Hopes (1988); Gilliam’s Brazil (1985), The Fisher King (1991) and 12 Monkeys (1995); Branagh’s Frankenstein (1994); and Hallström’s Chocolat (2000); and Petersen’s Troy (2004).

Pratt also was the go-to lenser for the late two-time Oscar winner Attenborough on several films including...

The 1996 American film The Craft has an excellent cast which has gone on to feature in a multitude of movies and TV shows since its release. The Craft follows four outcast teen girls with supernatural abilities who come together to form a coven and take revenge on the people who have wronged them. The film did surprisingly well at the box office, grossing over $50 million against its $15 million budget, and it has since become a cult classic. Though it did not win any major awards, the film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was a hit with audiences.

Part of the reason for The Craft's continued interest is its outstanding cast. The film's four stars, Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True, carry the load, but the rest of the film's actors put in solid performances as well. The Craft is also one of the scariest...

Where to Watch Powered by Mischa Barton's departure from The O.C. marked a significant turning point in her career, but her recent participation in a Neighbours reboot suggests she may consider returning to a potential O.C. reboot if given the opportunity. After leaving The O.C., Barton pursued roles in independent films and appeared as herself on reality television shows such as Dancing with the Stars and The Hills: New Beginnings. While Barton has only had a few acting roles in recent years, she is set to appear in the series Neighbours and has upcoming projects in the horror and fantasy genres, though there is no official news about a return to The O.C. universe.

The popularity of Mischa Barton's character Marissa Cooper on The O.C. raises the question of what happened to her after the show. Barton skyrocketed to fame as one of the lead protagonists in the 2003 teen drama,...

Exclusive: Deadline has the first exclusive track from Jeff Danna’s score for Julia, which is set for release tomorrow via Watertower Music.

HBO Max’s eight episode comedy series is inspired by Julia Child’s (Sarah Lancashire) extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef, which pioneered the modern cooking show. Through Julia’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history—the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution. At its heart, the show is a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic.

One of Danna’s main challenges in his work here was to develop a theme that could speak to both the culinary icon’s spirit, and the series’ “brilliant and warm showcase” of her early years on television.

ABC announced this season's Dancing with the Stars cast live on Good Morning America. The hit series returned for Season 22 With a Live Premiere on Monday, March 21, 8:00-10:01 p.m. The celebrity cast of Dancing with the Stars are slipping into their ballroom shoes and getting ready for their first dance with a lineup of celebrity dancers that includes a multi-platinum selling recording artist, a Peabody Award winner, a Ufc fighter, and Super Bowl 50's Mvp, just to name a few.

As announced this morning, the celebrities with their professional partners heading to the ballroom this season (in alphabetical order) are: Mischa Barton with Artem Chigvintsev. Antonio Brown with Sharna Burgess. Nyle Dimarco with Peta Murgatroyd. Kim Fields with Sasha Farber. Doug Flutie with Karina Smirnoff. Marla Maples with Tony Dovolani. Von Miller with Witney Carson. Wanya Morris with Lindsay Arnold. Geraldo Rivera with Edyta Sliwinska. Jodie Sweetin with Keo Motsepe.

Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur features an original score by Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna and Emmy-nominated composer Jeff Danna. The soundtrack is available today.

The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo (voice of Raymond Ochoa) makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

Directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream (“Cars 2”), Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters on Nov. 25, 2015.

Mychael Danna is an Academy Award-winning film composer recognized for his evocative blending of non-western traditions with orchestral and electronic music. Among his body...

Who would've thought that the Dad from "Malcolm In The Middle" would be a convincing drug kingpin in "Breaking Bad"? And look at the doubters that are now convinced about Rachel McAdams' ability to play a tough, damaged cop on "True Detective." Not only has the current golden age of television given us great programming, it has also allowed more than a few actors the chance to shine in the kind of roles they wouldn't normally get at the movies. So don't scoff at this next piece of news. Read More: The Best And Worst Of 'House Of Cards' Season 3 Neve Campbell is joining the fourth season of Netflix's "House Of Cards," and of course, her role isn't being revealed just yet, but she will be a series regular. While the actress jumped to fame thanks to the "Scream" films and TV show "Party Of Five," she...

For his Arrow directing debut (airing Wednesday at 8/7c on The CW), Everwood alum/Rookie Blue star Gregory Smith was handed no ordinary episode.

The hour features not only the return of Ra’s al Ghul and the unveiling of Ray Palmer’s A.T.O.M. suit, but also “a final twist” that executive producer Marc Guggenheim predicts fans will be “talking about for a long time.”

RelatedThe Flash Enlists Walking Dead Alum Emily Kinney as Atom Foe/Anti-Felicity

So how did Smith react upon learning that he would be helming the pivotal installment?

“When I read [the script], I was incredibly excited,...

Richard Attenborough, the acclaimed British actor and director who made the Oscar-winning epic Gandhi, died on Sunday at the age of 90. His son shared the news with the BBC, which reports that Attenborough had been in poor health for many years.

British Prime Minister David Cameron praised the beloved filmmaker in a Tweet on Sunday afternoon. "His acting in 'Brighton Rock' was brilliant, his directing of 'Gandhi' was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema."

Attenborough was born in 1923 in Cambridge, England...

Oscar and BAFTA award-winning actor, director and producer starred in Brighton Rock and Jurassic Park.

Richard Attenborough has died aged 90, his son has confirmed to the BBC.

As an actor, Lord Attenborough will best be remembered for his roles in Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, Miracle On 34th Street and Jurassic Park.

He made his professional stage debut aged 18 and went on to accumulate nearly 80 credits acting on film.

As a film director and producer, he won two Oscars for Gandhi in 1983.

He directed 12 movies, starting with Oh! What A Lovely War in 1969, going on to make A Bridge Too Far (1977), Chaplin (1992) and Shadowlands (1993). His final film as a director was Closing The Ring in 2007.

British Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute on Twitter and said: “His acting in “Brighton Rock” was brilliant, his directing of “Gandhi” was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema.”

He leaves wife Sheila Sim, to whom he...

David Attenborough in unforgettable form as Pinkie in Brighton Rock.

The actor, director and producer Richard Attenborough died today at that age of 90, after a 60 year career including such classics as Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place and Jurassic Park. His final work was Closing The Ring, which he directed and produced in 2007.

Attenborough won two Oscars and a Golden Globe for directing and producing Gandhi in 1982. Known to his friends (which included most people in the British Film Industry) simply as 'Dickie', he also worked extensively for good causes, especially Unicef. He was widely praised for his wok in 1993 was made a baron, but he was most proud of a tribute made by Pinewood Studios, which named a stage after him.

"His acting in Brighton Rock was brilliant, his directing of Gandhi was stunning," said Prime Minister David Cameron in a tribute to the star.

It is understood that Attenborough had been.

Brighton Rock, The Sand Pebbles, The Great Escape. A giant of the cinema world has passed away.

Lord Richard Attenborough, the Oscar winning director/producer of Gandhi (1982), died on Sunday according to BBC News. “His son told the BBC that Lord Attenborough died at lunchtime.”

According to the BAFTA biography:

His directorial debut was a screen version of the hit musical Oh! What A Lovely War (1969) and later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972) and A Bridge Too Far (1977). He won two BAFTAs and two Oscars in 1982 for producing and directing the historical epic, Gandhi, his life’s ambition. He received a BAFTA Fellowship in 1983.

His other films as director and producer include Chaplin (1992) and Shadowlands (1993). Both films starred Anthony Hopkins, who appeared in another three films for Attenborough. He also directed the screen version of musical A Chorus Line (1985) and the apartheid drama Cry Freedom (1987). He was nominated...

Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor Richard Attenborough, who delighted cinema audiences across some six decades, has died, according to his son. He was 90 years old. According to the BBC, Attenborough had been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years, and he had been bound to a wheelchair following a fall six years ago. Attenborough began his career in front of the camera, drawing raves for work in films like John Boulting's "Brighton Rock" in 1947, John Sturges' "The Great Escape" and Robert Wise's "The Sand Pebbles" opposite Steve McQueen, as well as Richard Fleischer's Oscar-nominated "Doctor Dolittle" opposite Rex Harrison. He transitioned to directing with ease with the Golden Globe-winning "Oh! What a Lovely War" in 1969 and developed a keen interest in history and biopics with his work. More accolades came for the Winston Churchill early years tale "Young Winston" in 1972, star-studded World...

Music Composed by: Jeff Danna

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Format: Digital Download

Number of Discs: n/a (19 tracks, approx. 43 minutes)

Label: Lakeshore Records

Overview:

Lakeshore Records will release the Continuum – Original Television Soundtrack Season One digitally on August 6, 2013. The album features the original music, composed by Jeff Danna (Silent Hill: Revelation, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus), for the first season of the beloved science fiction show.

“I encouraged a partially-orchestral approach to the series,” said Danna. “The world that Simon has created for Continuum is not a small or safe place and calls for music that is as cinematic as Simon’s vision of his characters and stories. The orchestra is the musical-partner for a story like this, and it is a large part of the soundscape of Continuum.”

Born in Canada to a musical family, Jeff Danna has created scores for a long and varied list of films. His...

Sir Ben Kingsley and Lord Puttnam among those to honour the veteran British actor-director at the launch of a young filmmakers fund created in his name.

The Lord Attenborough Nfts Charitable fund aims to raise £1m ($1.55m) over two years to “enable talented young people to achieve their ambition as successful filmmakers through world class educational experiences”.

It will go towards offering more film-making scholarships to young people from different backgrounds and improving teaching facilities at the Nfts.

The gala dinner, which was hosted by Stephen Fry at Old Billingsgate in London last night (June 11), was introduced by Lord Attenborough’s son, theatre director Michael Attenborough, in place of his father, who was unable to attend.

Michael Attenborough said: “It was thanks to a Leverhulme scholarship to Rada at the age of 17, that my father was able to go on to enjoy a career that included acting in, producing and directing more than 70 Oscar and BAFTA winning...

Stephen Amell is playing a Queen. Oliver Queen, to be precise, in the new CW action series Arrow. And while initial jokes about the character’s name may be juvenile, viewers will see in the pilot episode that this is not a kid’s comic book series. (Be warned, the Queen jokes are going to be coming much too easily.)

Based on the popular DC Comics character, Amell plays a billionaire playboy who had been written off as dead but returns very much alive with not only a jaw-dropping torso but with mystery shrouding what happened on the island where he had been living for five years. What we do know is that instead of all-night clubbing and partying he once indulged in, Queen is now focused on fighting crime (some possibly within his own family) and, bow and arrow in hand, dons a costume to become Arrow.

Arrow kicks...

Colin Morgan, star of BBC1's Merlin, will be bringing his special brand of magic to the Queen's Film Theatre (Qft) in Belfast to open the Takeover Film Weekend on Friday, November 18.

The weekend begins with the Northern Ireland premiere of Parked. It stars Armagh-born Colin, who will introduce and discuss the film. 

A story of friendship, hope and perseverance, Parked tells the story of how a proud man (Colm Meaney) living in his car is inspired by a young addict (Morgan) to become a better person. 

Marion Campbell, Qft Education Officer, said:"Takeover Film participants from local community groups have worked together under the guidance of creative industry professionals over the past three months to learn skills in cinema programming, graphic design, event management and film-making. 

"We are really proud of the programme they have put together, which encompasses a wide range of film genres and includes a Northern Ireland premiere,...

Canadian actor Stephen Amell, British actor Aiden Turner and Australian actor Liam McIntyre have emerged as the three main candidates to replace outgoing leading man Andy Whitfield in Starz' "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" series reports Deadline.

Whitfield had to drop out of the ancient Roman gladiator-themed cable series in order to receive further treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma which it was previously announced that he had managed to recover from.

Starz apparently had been heavily weighing up its options and ultimately have decided to recast the role for the second season. Last month "Prison Break" star Wentworh Miller apparently expressed interest, however that deal never seemed to materialise.

All three candidates are being flown to New Zealand for screen tests and to meet with the show's cast and crew with the final decision expected as early as the end of this week.

29-year-old Amell has mostly popped up in guest star...

Chicago – Samuel L. Jackson is an A-list actor stuck in the persona of a B-movie crowd-pleaser. His preference for schlock has made it difficult for viewers to take him seriously in roles that aren’t intended to be quoted by fanboys at Comic-Con. When his formidable interrogator in “Unthinkable” declares, “What I have to do, Agent Brody, is…unthinkable,” the line hits the exact wrong note of credibility-killing cheese that has marred Jackson’s career.

Of course, Jackson cannot be solely blamed for the multitude of flaws in the direct-to-video thriller “Unthinkable.” Director Gregor Jordan (“The Informers”) and screenwriter Peter Woodward (“Closing the Ring”) continue their slump into forgettable mediocrity by squandering a powerful and topical premise that has been tackled in a variety of recent pictures (the most memorable being “The Dark Knight”). It asks the obvious question of how a war on terror can be won without America...

Homecoming (DVD)Paramount Home ENTERTAINMENT2009/Rated R/88 Minsnow Available – List Price: $22.98They say actors find enjoyment in playing villains and watching TV star Mischa Barton play the crazed ex of a High School star quarterback, there's no doubt that she's enjoying herself. Despite her real life troubles, Barton is no pretty face who lucked out and landed a hit TV series. The girl can act. Making an impression as the young specter who reveals to Haley Joel Osment evidence of how she perished in The Sixth Sense, Barton worked her way through small indie films, before landing the role of a lifetime as Marissa Cooper on The O.C. Once she decided to exit that show, it wasn't long before viewership declined, proving she was its driving force. After working with Sir Richard Attenborough on the WWII drama Closing the Ring, Barton embraced her British roots by perfecting her acting skills...

Actress Mischa Barton is facing a lawsuit from her landlord over allegations she owes $21,000 in unpaid rent on her New York apartment. In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, January 21, lawyers for property company M.R.A. Realities Inc. claim the former "The O.C." star has ignored continued requests to pay rent for the last three months.

The star rented out the $7,000 -a-month pad in the Big Apple's trendy Tribeca neighborhood on a one-year lease in September 2009. She had planned to stay in the city while filming her now defunct TV show "The Beautiful Life: Tbl". The series was axed the same month. The landlords are seeking the outstanding rent as well as legal fees.

Mischa Barton has starred in several movies such as "The Sixth Sense", "Notting Hill", "St Trinians". Then, in 2007, the 23-year-old British actress appeared in "Closing the Ring" and "Virgin Territory". Recently, she also starred in "Don't Fade Away...

In all the excitement over all the other year- and decade-end lists, we almost overlooked Mr. Skin's ever-popular ranking of the best nude scenes bestowed upon us in 2009.

Previous winners have included Salma Hayek in 2006 ("Ask the Dust"), Marisa Tomei in 2007 ("Before the Devil Knows You're Dead") and Mischa Barton ("Closing the Ring") and Lizzy Caplan ("True Blood") in 2008 for their film and television work, respectively.

This year, the list has been combined once again and shortened to a mere Top 10. At the top of list, Susan Sarandon's daughter Eva Amurri for her turn as a college student/stripper on Showtime's "Californication," beating out Jessica Biel's feature film turn in "Powder Blue."

Two other TV performances were noted, Anna Paquin for HBO's "True Blood" (her second time to appear on the list) as well as Alanna Ubach on HBO's "Hung."

Not surprisingly, you still have to head to...

Having on-screen lesbian kiss for several times, Mischa Barton finds herself more comfortable kissing girls than boys. "It's so much easier to kiss another girl," the actress shared as quoted by Hollyscoop. "You're so much more relaxed filming and you can have a laugh. It can get a bit tense with a guy."

The former star of TV series "The O.C." furthermore shared her confusion on why people still consider her lesbian lip-locking a big deal. "I don't know why that keeps coming up," the 23-year-old beauty opened up. "It doesn't annoy me that much."

Mischa was seen having her first girl-on-girl kiss in ABC's TV series "Once and Again", where she shares kiss with Evan Rachel Wood's Jessie Sammler. Then in "The O.C.", she once again had lesbian lip-locking when her character Marissa Cooper develops a relationship with Olivia Wilde's Alex Kelly.

The Sonja Stone of the...

Former The O.C. star Mischa Barton looks set to be returning to TV screens - the actress is reportedly in talks to join the cast of Ugly Betty.

Barton left the hit teen series in 2006 and went on to land a handful of film roles including 2007's Closing the Ring and the upcoming Assassination of a High School President with Bruce Willis.

But Barton looks ready to return to her TV roots with a five-episode guest appearance in the fashion sitcom, following in the footsteps of stars including Lindsay Lohan, Victoria Beckham and Naomi Campbell - who have all appeared on the programme.

A source tells British newspaper The London Paper, "Mischa's career is at a standstill, so this might be great for her. It's not a done deal yet, but talks continue."...

For all the bashing Mischa Barton has endured this year, it’s about time she received an award. MrSkin.com has named Mischa’s nude scene in last year’s movie Closing The Ring the best one of the year. You may be unfamiliar with the Richard Attenborough film, since it was only released in the UK. Mischa beat out Sophie Monk in Sex + Death, Anna Faris in House Bunny, and even Angelina Jolie in Wanted. For the full list of Mr. Skin’s Top 20 Celebrity Nude Scenes of 2008, click here. He even throws in 20 TV scenes...

Mischa Barton's nude scene in British moviemaker Richard Attenborough's romance drama Closing The Ring has been named the flesh-flashing clip of the year.

Barton's big reveal beat Aussie model/actress' Sophie Monk's nude scene in Sex + Death 101.

Heather Graham's bare-all moment in Adrift in Manhattan rounds out the top three on blogger MrSkin.com's sexy list.

But none of the films land on the blogger's all-time top 20 list, which is topped by Phoebe Cates' swimming pool scene in Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

Also making the 2008 list are newlywed Asia Argento (The Last Mistress), Neve Campbell (I Really Hate My Job) and Anna Faris (The House Bunny).

City Of Ember Rated PG For mild peril and some thematic elements. Release Date: October 10, 2008 Closing The Ring Rated R For brief sexuality, nudity and violent images. Release Date: Tba High School Musical 3: Senior Year Rated G Release Date: October 24, 2008 Repo! The Genetic Opera Rated R For strong bloody violence and gore, language, some drug and sexual content. Release Date: November 7, 2008 River Queen Rated R For violent and sexual content. Release Date: 2005 film with upcoming DVD release You can always stay up-to-date on all the latest updates to our database right here.

The following feature-length motion pictures have been reviewed and rated by the Classification and Rating Administration pursuant to the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program. Each of the designated ratings is defined as follows under the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program.

G -- General Audiences. All ages admitted.

PG -- Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG -13 --Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

R -- Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Nc-17 -- No One 17 And Under Admitted

Film Distributor ReasonRating 1. Anacondas

World Wide Spe Acquisitions, Inc.

Rated for violence.R 2. Antarctica

Regent Releasing L.L.C.

Rated for strong sexual content including graphic dialogue, nudity and language.

R

3. Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest

Genius Products

Rated for thematic material, some mild action and peril.

PG 4 Catch Your Mind

Blossom Pictures, L.L.C.

Rated for thematic material involving teens,...

LONDON -- U.K. and Irish rights to Richard Attenborough's Closing the Ring have been snapped up by the Works U.K. Distribution, the company said Monday.

The Works struck the deal for an undisclosed amount with ContentFilm International and plans to roll it out in theaters here Dec. 28.

Attenborough's movie is billed as a love story and intertwines a tale set in the present and in World War II about an American woman's Irish romance.

The film stars Oscar winners Shirley MacLaine and Brenda Fricker along with Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Neve Campbell and Pete Postlethwaite.

Ring is bankrolled by the Bank of Ireland, the U.K. Film Council, SCION, NFTC and ContentFilm and is produced by Jo Gilbert and Attenborough. Martin Katz is co-producing.

The Works also said that it has appointed Mervyn Andrews to head up its Irish distribution ambitions, with Ring set to be the first release for the outfit.

An industry veteran of almost 50 years, Andrews' experience includes stints at Polygram as head of Irish distribution and more recently as head of sales at Redbus and Lionsgate.

Related story: Three at fest headed to IFC

Related story: Christie's digital gets screen billing

TORONTO -- The Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled its most American-friendly lineup in years, capped off with new titles from Renny Harlin, Paul Schrader and Robin Swicord.

Toronto boasts no official competition. But the Hollywood contingent booked for the twice-nightly gala screenings at Roy Thomson Hall looks set to turn the high-profile venue into an industry shindig.

Among the six new gala titles are Harlin's "Cleaner", a Sony Pictures Entertainment thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson as a cop-turned-crime scene cleaner; the Richard Attenborough-directed love story "Closing the Ring", starring Shirley MacLaine, Mischa Barton and Neve Campbell; and Schrader's "The Walker", a ThinkFilm release starring Woody Harrelson and Lauren Bacall that comes to Toronto by way of Berlin, Cannes and Sydney.

Also joining the Roy Thomson Hall party are two Sony Pictures Classics releases: Kenneth Branagh's Michael Caine-Jude Law starrer "Sleuth", which first bowed in Venice, and Swicord's "The Jane Austen Book Club", starring Jimmy Smits, Amy Brenneman and Maria Bello. Also booked for a gala is French director Alain Corneau's "Le Deuxieme Souffle", starring Daniel Auteuil and Monica Bellucci.

Those titles join such earlier Roy Thomson Hall entries as Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe", Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream", Tony Gilroy's "Michael Clayton", Gavin Hood's "Rendition", Terry George's "Reservation Road" and Aristomenis Tsirbas' "Terra".

Toronto, which in recent years has stepped up efforts to make its festival more Hollywood friendly, also has included 28 U.S.-produced films in its 50-strong Special Presentations sidebar.

The latest Special Presentations titles include the Michael Moore documentary "Captain Mike Across America", Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," Melisa Wallack and Bernie Goldmann's "Bill", Gillian Armstrong's "Death Defying Acts" and Jason Reitman's "Juno", the follow-up to "Thank You for Smoking", which was a Toronto festival breakout hit two years ago.

Also joining today are the latest works from Jonathan Demme, Alison Eastwood, Brian De Palma, Thomas McCarthy and Anand Tucker.

Toronto will unspool 352 films between Sept. 6 and 15 -- 261 features and 91 shorts. The lineup includes 101 world premieres and 108 North American premieres, many of which will bow in Venice before jumping the pond to Toronto. In addition, 71 of the films are directorial debuts.

The festival lineup promises a strong French contingent, including a dozen titles arriving in Toronto with U.S. distribution deals in hand.

High-profile French titles looking for U.S. distribution include Amos Gitai's "Disengagement", Claude Chabrol's "La Fille Coupee En Deux", which will bow in Venice, and Eric Rohmer's "Les Amours D'Astreet et De Celadon," another North American premiere by way of Venice.

John Kochman, executive director of Unifrance USA, said the strong French presence in Toronto is due primarily to festival co-directors Piers Handling and Noah Cowan remaining "unreconstructed Francophiles" eager to program French titles in their event.

Other new titles announced Wednesday include Wayne Wang's "The Princess of Nebraska" and "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers," both portraits of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. Wang will bring the two indie titles films to the festival's Masters program.

Toronto added eight more documentaries to its Real to Reel section, including films by Paul Crowder and Murray Lerner, Olga Konskaya and Andrea Nekrasov, Julian Schnabel, Ran Tal, Philippe Kholy and Grant Gee.

In addition, the previously announced "Body of War", co-directed by Ellen Spiro and talk show legend Phil Donahue, will see its premiere accompanied by a live performance by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who wrote original songs for the Iraq documentary.

The festival has its usual complement of films about war and political protest that, according to festival co-director Noah Cowan, reflect a "seriousness of purpose and a real sense of drive to tell political stories."

"In many ways, the body of films recalls the American independent movie of the 1970s," he added.

American auteur films including Alan Ball's "Nothing Is Private", a drama about sexual politics and bigotry set against the backdrop of the 1991 Gulf War, De Palma's war drama "Redacted" and Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" reflect anti-war "provocation," Cowan said.

Toronto's lineup also includes a surprising number of crime-themed dramas, including Alexi Tan's "Blood Brothers", a drama about three friends taking on a life of big-city crime; Comeau's fugitive drama "Le Deuxieme Souffle"; Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," a thriller about a botched robbery; Brad Furman's "The Take", about the aftermath of an armored car heist; and Ira Sachs' "Married Life", a drama about a husband who kills his wife to spare her the shame of divorce.

Cowan said that the crime-themed movies this year recall the '70s-era vigilante movies that coincided with Vietnam.

"When the U.S. is faced with wars that are frustrating in their inability to be totally understood, that comes out in their films," Toronto's top programr said.

"Just as the 1970s, there's films that reflect paranoia about government and police corruption and which come from a frustration and rage about what's happening in the world," he added.

Other Toronto highlights announced Wednesday include talks by President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, an update on Bill Maher and Larry Charles' anti-religion documentary and a briefing on the ongoing crisis in Darfur courtesy of International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo and Don Cheadle.

Toronto is set to open Sept. 6 with Jeremy Podeswa's "Fugitive Pieces" and close 10 days later with another Canadian film, Paolo Barzman's "Emotional Arithmetic".

A complete list of titles screening at Toronto follows:



Galas:

"Across the Universe", Julie Taymor, U.S.

"L'Age Des Tenebres", Denys Arcand, Canada

"Blood Brothers", Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong

"Caramel", Nadine Labaki, Lebanon/France

"Cassandra's Dream", Woody Allen, Britain

"Cleaner", Renny Harlin, U.S.

Everwood star Gregory Smith has joined the cast of Closing the Ring, a romantic drama being directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Christopher Plummer and Shirley MacLaine. The story, written by Peter Woodward, is set in motion when an American B-17 crashes near Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a dying gunner asks a local to return his ring to his girlfriend in the U.S. Half a century later, a man finds the ring, learns its history and tracks down the girlfriend.

AMSTERDAM -- Dutch independent distributor A-Film went on a spending spree during the recently wrapped Berlin International Film Festival, adding more than 20 titles to its catalog. A-Film snapped up rights to festival honorees The Road to Guantanamo from the U.K., Germany's Requiem, Iran's Off Side and Danish entry A Soap. Other A-Film pickups include Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution, Water, Closing the Ring, Mother of Mine, Lost Treasure, Little Red Flowers, Cut Sleeves Boy, House of Sands, Nina's Heavenly Delight, Shortbus, Surburban Mayhem, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Twelve and Holding, A Battle of Witz, TV Junkie, Dave Chapelle's Block Party and Quinceanera. Titles will be released this year by A-Film and its arthouse-oriented affiliate 1 More Film.