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Sleep Token performed at Germany’s sister festivals Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring over the weekend, marking their first shows of 2025. The gigs featured the live debuts of four songs from the mysterious UK band’s new album, Even in Arcadia, as well as a new elaborate stage production.

At Rock Im Park on Saturday (June 7th) in Nuremberg, Sleep Token unveiled an impressive stage design, consisting of a large multi-tiered castle with a waterfall, along with new masks.

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The band played a 16-song set, featuring the first-ever live performances of Even in Arcadia tracks “Look to Winward,” “Emergence,” “Caramel,” and “Damocles,” along with six tunes from their breakout 2023 album Take Me Back to Eden.

On Sunday (June 8th), Sleep Token played a slightly shorter 14-song set at Rock Am Ring in Nürburg, cutting out two songs from Take Me Back to Eden.

Sleep Token — the mysterious UK band that has seen its popularity rise exponentially over the past few years — have unveiled their fourth studio album, Even in Arcadia, which is available to stream below.

Since breaking through with their previous album, 2023’s Take Me Back to Eden, Sleep Token have become a worldwide sensation. The masked band recently sold out its entire upcoming fall North American arena tour.

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In advance of today’s release of Even in Arcadia, Sleep Token issued three singles — “Emergence,” “Caramel,” and “Damocles” — which have all dominated the rock charts. Now, the band has unveiled a visualizer for the album’s title track.

The sold-out North American tour will kick off September 16th in Duluth, Georgia, and run through an October 11th show in Los Angeles, hitting Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Denver, and other cities along the way.

Stream Even in Arcadia,...

Sleep Token have unleashed “Damocles” as the final single leading up to the release of their new album, Even in Arcadia, set to arrive on May 9th.

The mysterious UK act has seen its following grow exponentially over the past few years, so much so that the band’s recently announced fall US arena tour is completely sold out.

Get Sleep Token Tickets Here

The melodic “Damocles” follows previous singles “Emergence” and “Caramel.” While both of those songs get heavy at times, “Damocles” remains pretty mellow throughout, with singer Vessel’s emotive vocals taking the spotlight.

“Emergence” and “Caramel” have both hit No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, with the latter replacing the former at the top spot — making Sleep Token only the third band to have one song replace another atop that tally.

In addition to the headlining dates, Sleep Token will also play the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville,...

Sleep Token have unveiled the song “Caramel” as the second single from their upcoming album, Even in Arcadia, set for release on May 9th.

“Caramel” follows the album’s first single, “Emergence,” which topped the Hot Hard Rock chart and hit No. 1 on iTunes, as well as cracked the overall Billboard 100 chart.

Get Sleep Token Tickets Here

The new song is pretty stripped down for the first two minutes, allowing lead singer Vessel’s vocals to take center stage. A hint of heaviness comes at the two-minute mark, before a jarring breakdown occurs three-and-a-half minutes into the track.

The mysterious UK band has been rolling out a clever marketing campaign for Even in Arcadia, enlisting meteorologist Chris Michaels of Wral TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, to offer cryptic hints about the LP. The weatherman detailed his involvement with the band in a new Instagram post (see below).

Sleep Token will...

Director Matty Brown’s psychological drama, The Sand Castle, offers a harrowing look at the crude reality of armed conflicts around the world—how the greed of warmongers affects the lives of generations to come—leaving children rootless and without identity. The poignant tone of the movie is amplified by the choice of narrative treatment, as the beautiful, imaginative perspective of a child guides viewers through the story, the horrors of reality continue to reveal themselves through occasional cracks in the imagination, until the final moments of the movie bring out the agonizing truth. The four members of the family, and their actions, are presented through an intermingling of layers of reality and imagination. It was a daunting task to pull off, given the unique demands of the script. Additionally, there are subtle allusions to real-world events, which the actors needed to convey without committing to anything specific. Thankfully, the...

Mubi has added additional territories on Rebecca LenkiewIcz’s directorial debut Hot Milk, selected today for its world premiere in Competition at the Berlinale.

Mubi will now release the film in Germany, Austria and India. The distributor had previously acquired rights for UK-Ireland, Italy, Latin America and Turkey.

HanWay Films handles international sales on the film, with deals already in place for iFC Films in North America; Metropolitan Films in France; Caramel and Karma in Spain; The Searchers in Benelux; Nos in Portugal; Scanbox in Scandinavia; M2 in Eastern Europe; Front Row in the Middle East; Shaw in Singapore; and...

On Monday November 18 2024, Outd broadcasts McMillan!

Rifle Season Family Trip Topped Off With Caramel Dumplings Season 12 Episode 9 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “McMillan” titled “Rifle Season Family Trip Topped Off With Caramel Dumplings” promises to be a delightful mix of adventure and family bonding. Set in the beautiful backdrop of McMillan Outfitting, this episode captures the excitement of a family trip during rifle season.

In this episode, Tom’s mom takes center stage as she shares a special recipe that is sure to catch the attention of everyone. The recipe for caramel dumplings adds a sweet touch to the outdoor adventure, making it a highlight of the trip. Viewers can expect to see how the family comes together to create these tasty treats, bringing a sense of warmth and togetherness to the experience.

As the family navigates the excitement of the trip, the stunning landscapes and thrilling moments in...

It’s a momentous Cannes for Cairo-based film professionals Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab as they mark the 15th anniversary of the creation of marketing and distribution company Mad Solutions and the 10th anniversary of spin-off the Arab Cinema Center (Acc).

Under these banners, the pair have been at the forefront of promoting Arab cinema internationally and played a part in growing its prominence on the world stage.

Acc kicks off its 10th Cannes program on Friday with a panel entitled “The Arab New Wave: The Actors” on the market’s Plage des Palmes venue.

Speakers on the panel will include iconic Egyptian actress Yousra, Mbc Studios Saudi Arabia General Manager Zeinab Abu Alsamh, top Lebanese TV presenter Raya Abi Rashed, Egyptian superstar Ahmed Malek and Yagoub Alfarhan, star of Saudi Arabia’s first film in Official Selection Norah as well as casting director Cassandra Han.

The swanky location and...

The Cannes Film Festival has named the eight members of its main Competition jury who will join previously announced president Greta Gerwig in deciding the Palme d’Or and other key prizes at 77th edition running from May 14 to 25.

They are Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, U.S. actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter J.A. Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and French actor and producer Omar Sy.

The wife and long-time collaborator of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, screenwriter and photographer Ceylan co-wrote 2014 Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep and also took co-writing credits on Cannes selected films Three Monkeys (Best Director Prize 2008), Once upon a time in Anatolia (Grand Prix 2011), The Wild Pear Tree (2018) and About Dry Grasses (2023).

Ceylan also appeared as an actress and took art director credits on her husband’s early films...

French mini-major Pathé has acquired Les Films des Tournelles, the production company founded by Anne-Dominique Toussaint whose recent credits include Louis Garrel’s Cesar-winning “The Innocent.”

Besides Garrel, Les Films des Tournelles has worked with a flurry of auteurs on some of their most successful films, including Riad Sattouf’s “The French Kissers,” which won the Cesar for best first film in 2010; Nadine Labaki’s “Caramel”; Emanuele Crialese’s “Respiro”; Valeria Golino’s “Miele”; and Mona Achache’s “The Hedgehog.” “The Innocent” won two prizes at last year’s Cesar Awards and screened at Cannes on the 75th anniversary of the festival.

Toussaint has also worked with Philippe Le Guay and Emmanuel Carrère. Toussaint, whose career spans over three decades, has produced 27 films so far, including iconic French movies such as Martine Dugowson’s “Mina Tannenbaum.”

As part of the deal, Pathé is acquiring Films des Tournelles’ full library while...

Freida Pinto took a break from her jury duties at the Red Sea Film Festival to talk to Variety about her career and her hopes for the future.

The Indian actor shot to world fame for her starring role in Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) and remains committed to the breadth of cinema. “I’ve always looked at cinema globally,” she tells Variety. “After ‘Slumdog,’ I could have easily played all the Indian roles, the girlfriends and sidekicks, or just gone and done something only in India.”

Instead, she sought out challenging roles, often playing non-Indian characters such as Iranian or Arab women, for example a Palestinian girl in “Miral,” a choice that she recognizes is now controversial.

“I know it’s not okay these days, because the world has opened up and there’s so much talent,” Pinto says. “But — and I don’t mean this in a pompous...

The Toronto International Film Festival kicked off its TIFF Visionaries talks, one-on-one discussions with leading figures in international cinema, with Nadine Labaki, the acclaimed Lebanese director of Caramel, Where Do We Go Now? and Capernaum. The Hollywood Reporter is the media partner of the TIFF Visionaries series.

Born in a small village in Lebanon in 1974, Labaki grew up during the country’s civil war — “which robbed me of my childhood” — where movies were her only escape. “The highlight of my day was the moment we had power so that we could watch a film,” she said, speaking onstage at the Glenn Gould Studio at the CBC headquarters in Toronto. “Very early on, I knew I wanted to become a filmmaker, to create stories that can allow me to escape my reality.”

In a wide-ranging talk, Labaki traced her career path, first through directing advertising and music videos — “where I learned...

Orange Studio is launching several French projects at the Cannes Film Market, including Simon Bouisson’s “Drone,” a thriller produced by Haut et Court (“The Night of the 12th”), and “Miss Violet,” a period drama directed by Eric Besnard (“Delicious”) and starring Alexandra Lamy (“Rolling to You”).

Bouisson, who is directing “Drone,” previously penned and directed the short-format series “Stalk” which was hit on France Televisions’ youth-centered service and has been optioned for a remake in the U.S. The thriller stars Marion Barbeau, the dancer-turned-actor who broke through in Cedric Klapisch’s “Rise,” as well as Eugénie Derouand (“Paris Police”), Cédric Kahn (“November”) and Stefan Crepon (“Peter Von Kant”)

“Drone” follows Emilie who has freshly arrived in Paris to study architecture. At night, to make ends meet, she works as a cam-girl, something which she keeps to herself. One evening, a mysterious drone appears at her apartment window. From then on,...

The 5 Seconds of Summer Show, the tenth anniversary celebration that the pop-rock band hosted at the close of 2021, was part career-spanning concert film and part Saturday Night Live skit poking fun at their decade-long evolution. It featured a recreation of the video for one of their earliest releases — 2012’s “Gotta Get Out” — alongside their biggest hits, like “Youngblood” and “She Looks So Perfect,” and a funeral for their faded black skinny jeans. But the one thing that has never changed about 5Sos is their commitment to delivering an unrelenting live show.

There were hearts aflame both nights that Colombian popetón star Karol G played New York City as part of her trip Love Tour — literally. The Colombian singer, who recently kicked off her second headlining tour across North America, took the stage at Madison Square Garden on Sept. 13, marking her debut show at the hallowed venue, and then went on to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Sept. 15. Both shows started with flames igniting the upper rungs of the heart-shaped stage and the audience cheering “Bi-cho-ta!” The woman of the hour appeared...

Puerto Rican singer Ozuna stepped out in a shiny silver jacket and moved through clouds of blue-tinted smoke that rose from the Latin Grammys stage during a performance that included his uptempo track “Del Mar.” He transitioned to “Señor Juez” as the background turned from a dim blue to rose red and Antony Santos took his place alongside him. Their performance was a dramatic one as they passionately sang their bachata track.

Ozuna is nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards this year: His song “Caramelo” was up for Best Reggaeton...

Anne-Dominique Toussaint, a Belgian-born revered yet discreet film producer based in Paris, has uncovered and championed many promising filmmakers through her company Les Films des Tournelles. And the best is yet to come.

Since launching her company 32 years ago, Toussaint, who is known for her spot-on artistic taste and elegant demeanor, has nurtured long-term relationships with talent such as Nadine Labaki (“Caramel”), Riad Sattouf (“The French Kissers”), Louis Garrel (“Les deux amis”) and Philippe Le Guay (“The Cost of Living”). She produced their debuts and kept up with them, giving them the necessary freedom to deliver original movies that found an international audience.

Always on the lookout for stimulating challenges, Toussaint is now getting ready to produce the feature debut of one of France’s best-known actors, Emmanuelle Devos (“Read My Lips”).

Devos’ project “On the Road Again” is an ambitious 1913-set movie headlined by two female protagonists, which will be played by Anais Demoustier,...

Nadine Labaki, the Lebanese actress and filmmaker who landed an Oscar nomination as director of 2018’s record-smashing feature Capernaum, has been cast in the upcoming Arabic language remake of hit Italian drama Perfect Strangers.

Labaki joins an impressive lineup of Arabic stars, including Mona Zaki (30 Years Ago, Scheherazade: Tell Me A Story, Escaping Tel Aviv), Adel Karam (The Insult, Caramel, Netflix’s Live From Beirut), Eyad Nassar (The Looming Tower, Sons of Rizk 2, The Blue Elephant 2), Diamand Bou Abboud (The Insult, The Sculptor, The Fixer) and Lebanese legend, actor screen and playwright George Khabbaz (Under the Bombs, Ghadi, and co-writer of Capernaum).

First announced in late 2018, the Perfect ...

Nadine Labaki, the Lebanese actress and filmmaker who landed an Oscar nomination as director of 2018’s record-smashing feature Capernaum, has been cast in the upcoming Arabic language remake of hit Italian drama Perfect Strangers.

Labaki joins an impressive lineup of Arabic stars, including Mona Zaki (30 Years Ago, Scheherazade: Tell Me A Story, Escaping Tel Aviv), Adel Karam (The Insult, Caramel, Netflix’s Live From Beirut), Eyad Nassar (The Looming Tower, Sons of Rizk 2, The Blue Elephant 2), Diamand Bou Abboud (The Insult, The Sculptor, The Fixer) and Lebanese legend, actor screen and playwright George Khabbaz (Under the Bombs, Ghadi, and co-writer of Capernaum).

First announced in late 2018, the Perfect Strangers...

Netflix, as it ramps up Middle East operations, has announced two initiatives to reach out to Lebanon’s film and TV community: an emergency fund providing grants to below-the-line crew facing economic hardship, and a “Made in Lebanon” package of films playing on the giant streamer.

The $500,000 relief fund set up by Netflix in collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (Afac) will be open for applications starting next week. It will provide financial support in the form of individual grants worth $2,000 per grant, a sum that, especially given Lebanon’s current economic constraints, is worth plenty more locally than it would be in the U.S.

From Oct. 26 until Nov. 9, below-the-line crew, craftspeople, and freelancers in the Lebanese film and television industry can apply for the fund by filling out an online application form. They must provide supporting documentation including a list of the five most recent projects they worked on,...

Less than two months after Beirut was blasted by one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, director Nadine Labaki has taken to the streets of the Lebanese capital with her camera.

“I don’t know where it’s going to lead, or if it will ever lead anywhere,” says Labaki, whose latest film, the Oscar-nominated “Capernaum,” shed light on Beirut’s preexisting desperation. But as teams of volunteers clear rubble, feed survivors and try to rebuild — and the country’s “corrupt” government, Labaki points out, does the bare minimum — Lebanon’s most prominent filmmaker isn’t staying idle.

The only positive development since Aug. 4, when 2,750 tons of neglected ammonium nitrate detonated in the city’s port, leaving 190 dead, more than 6,500 injured and roughly 300,000 homeless, is that civil society and volunteers, many of whom are young Lebanese, have been working ceaselessly.

The fact that a network of unpaid workers “got...

In the past few months during quarantine, we’ve seen filmmakers creating a number of different short-form projects and self-releasing them on their own channels. Now, the biggest project yet is arriving from Netflix as they’ve teamed with nearly 20 filmmakers who each made their own new short. They will now be released next week as part of the anthology film Homemade.

Featuring films by Pablo Larraín and Kristen Stewart (who will team together for their next film) as well as Ana Lily Amirpour, Antonio Campos, Rachel Morrison, Naomi Kawase, David Mackenzie, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Paolo Sorrentino, and more, it’s an eclectic batch of work from all over the world.

“For once in our careers, this wasn’t about money, agencies, lawyers or the Hollywood structure,” producer Juan de Dios Larrain tells Variety. “This was a simple idea of [conveying] one message in five to seven minutes, and the idea was...

Cannes’ Un Certain Regard jury president Nadine Labaki announced Thursday that she is working on a documentary about the making of her jury prize-winning “Capernaum” from last year. At a Variety-Kering Women in Motion talk at the Majestic Hotel, she also admitted she wouldn’t turn down the chance to direct a Hollywood superhero film.

Her 2018 Cannes entry has become an unexpected phenomenon in China, where it is currently still third at the box office even after more than two weeks in theaters and has so far grossed over $44 million.

“It’s a big surprise for me,” she said of its success, but said the film had likely resonated because of its universal themes and the fact that her actors had really lived through the circumstances they re-created onscreen — making it an unusually visceral viewing experience.

She wouldn’t have been able to elicit the same performances if her own...

Cannes Un Certain Regard jury president Nadine Labaki as she appeared in her film Caramel Photo: Unifrance Nadine Labaki, who was garlanded with praise and prizes for her third feature Capernaum, nominated in the Oscars and the Golden Globes as well as the recipient of the jury prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, will be back on the Croisette this year as president of the Un Certain Regard jury.

The Lebanese director, actress and screenwriter, succeeds Benicio Del Toro in the role. Her three feature films all bowed at the Cannes film Festival. She has the distinction of being the first Arab female filmmaker to be nominated for an Oscar.

Nadine Labaki, Un Certain Regard jury president Photo: Fares Sokhn After the Festival announced her participation in the 72nd edition today she said: "I remember back when I used to come to Cannes as a film student, I...

Directors of this year’s foreign-language Oscar nominees felt compelled to tell tales of universal themes.

Capernaum Lebanon

The Oscar race has fueled the ongoing protest against the industry’s sidelining of woman directors, serving up no female-helmed films in the best picture or director categories. That leaves Lebanon’s Nadine Labaki as the only distaff director nominated for a narrative feature film this year. “Capernaum,” a sprawling, dirt-on-the-lens labor of love about refugee children surviving on the mean streets of Beirut, is the most emotionally abrasive contender in the category. Centered on a destitute 12-year-old Syrian boy suing his parents for giving him life, it left many hardened critics weeping in the aisles at Cannes, where it duly won the Jury Prize. Variety’s Jay Weissberg was among them, deeming it “a splendid addition to the ranks of great guttersnipe dramas”; an Oscar nomination was widely predicted then and there.

Chicago – One of the best films of 2018 is “Capernaum.” The title means “Chaos,” and co-writer/director Nadine Labaki certainly created a form of that action in the crazy quilt journey of the main character of Zain, an undocumented immigrant boy in Lebanon. From a story that takes us from his street survival to a court of law… suing his parents, “Capernaum” is a multi-layered masterpiece.

The film is framed by the trial. Zain, portrayed with amazing purpose by the similarly named Zain Al Rafeea, is a boy who felt that he shouldn’t have been born into his family of poor Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and sues his parents on that basis. His only respite in the family was with his beloved sister Sahar. When she was sold into marriage, Zain ran away, only to end up in the streets. An African woman with a baby took pity on him,...

Launching new specialized films on this pre-Christmas weekend is always tricky, even when there isn’t a new “Star Wars” opening. Even so, Annapurna’s James Baldwin adaptation “If Beale Street Could Talk,” the acclaimed awards contender starring frontrunner Supporting Actress Regina King, delivered a strong initial platform debut in two cities.

Steady as they go: the second weekend expansion of “Mary, Queen of Scots” (Focus) and continued strong showings for “The Favourite” (Fox Searchlight) and “Green Book” (Universal).

Next weekend will also be a challenge, but so far multiple films are successfully positioning themselves to benefit from the holidays ahead.

Opening

If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna) – Metacritic: 86; Festivals include: Toronto, New York 2018

$219,173 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $54,793

Barry Jenkins’ first film since his Oscar winning “Moonlight” had a strong initial showing in four prime New York/Los Angeles theaters, boosted by several Q & As. This would...

Audience reactions at the Cannes Film Festival aren’t always the best indicator of a film’s quality — many of the best films have inspired walk-outs — but a 15-minute standing ovation tends to bode pretty well. For “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki’s Beirut-set drama which just released its first official trailer, that standing ovation catapulted the film to the top of the competition heap, eventually earning it the Jury Prize at the annual summer festival.

The film, according to the official synopsis, “tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the ‘crime’ of giving him life. A gutsy streetwise child as he flees his negligent parents, [Zain] survives through his wits on the streets, takes care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil (Yordanos Shiferaw) and her baby son, Yonas (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole), being jailed for a crime, and finally, seeks justice in a courtroom.”

Labaki used...

With the 87 wide official list of foreign Oscar submissions released to consider, we thought we'd dig a little deeper this week into various aspects of the race. We've already shared all the trailers so let's break down how the directors shake out with the rich and promising topic of women behind the camera.

Female Directors

Contrary to popular internet belief, very generally speaking of course, female directors overseas are not as rare or as systemically unsupported as they have historically been in the Us. There are usually at least a handful of female-helmed films in the long official submission list. This year we have the second most we've ever had in the run up to the nominations. Of the 87 movies in contention, 20 were directed or co-directed by women. 

Rungano Nyoni was born in Zambia but emigrated to the UK when she was a little girl. Her debut feature is the...

Cannes Film Festival’s Jury Prize winner, “Capernaum,” is so “shocking” that its director Nadine Labaki was concerned “people will not be able to handle it.”

When TheWrap sat down with Labaki at the Toronto International Film Festival to talk about “Capernaum” — the story of a 12-year-old boy, Zein, who takes his parents to court for giving him life in a world full of pain and suffering — she said she was reluctant to show everything that happens to these kids on the streets because the truth is just so horrible.

“It’s too shocking and people will not be able to handle it. People don’t handle the truth because it’s too much,” Labaki told TheWrap. “That’s what I’m seeing as a reaction to this film — people say it’s too much… and it’s nothing compared to what the reality is.”

Also Read: 'Capharnaum' Film Review:...

The 2018 Cannes Film Festival has ended, but the movies are very much still with us. This year’s festival started with a Netflix controversy and hosted major activism around women in the film industry. But despite the many conversations swirling around the festival environment, Cannes was still a film festival. So how were those movies, anyway?

Early on, this year’s program was assailed for lacking star power and many A-list auteurs, but in retrospect, not of that skepticism really gelled with a selection that ranged from newcomers to veterans, and from stars to fresh faces — and it all cast an exciting spotlight on movies from around the world. Here are the best of the bunch.

“Arctic”

This may be a low bar to clear, but Joe Penna’s directorial feature debut is one of the best movies ever made about a man stranded in the wilderness. Mads Mikkelsen, throwing...

The Cannes Film Festival just wrapped up its 71st edition and the film with the biggest Oscar potential got a big boost at the closing ceremony. Spike Lee’s, “BlacKkKlansman,” the true story of an African-American cop who infiltrated the Kkk, took home the Grand Prix, the second highest prize of the festival. It was Lee’s first time competing on the Croisette since 1991 when “Jungle Fever” was in competition and was a bit of retribution for Lee after his widely acclaimed 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” received nothing from the jury.

If “BlacKkKlansman” were to get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, it would be the second time a Grand Prix winner has gotten into the race for Oscar’s top honor. The first was “Life is Beautiful” in 1998. Thirteen past Grand Prix winners went on to earn 22 total Oscar nominations with five films scoring seven wins. Each...

Nothing in director Nadine Labaki’s first two pleasant but tonally inconsistent features, “Caramel” and “Where Do We Go Now?,” approaches the power and skill of “Capernaum,” which represents a major leap forward in all departments. Proving herself an astonishingly accomplished director of non-professional performers as well as a measured storyteller, Labaki draws attention to the plight of children in Beirut’s slums and the Kafka-esque bind of people without ID cards. While this is unquestionably an issue film, it tackles its subject with intelligence and heart.

Prizes are almost a certainty, and not just because juries might be more prone to awarding women directors in this particular moment in history — no wonder Sony Pictures Classics snapped it up in the Cannes market for Stateside distribution, since this is one Lebanese film sure to do significant business at art-house cinemas nationwide.

There’s one liability however, and that’s the title.

According to one definition found online, Capharnaum means a "disorderly accumulation of objects." Although that's a fantastically uncommercial title for a movie, the concept suits this latest work from actor-writer-director Nadine Labaki (Caramel, Where Do We Go Now?). She's made up a grab bag of ideas and plot elements that work surprisingly effectively as a melodrama with a message. Several messages, in fact, all illustrated through the ordeals suffered by 12-year-old Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), a child fighting to survive in the slums and shanty towns of Lebanon. Although the narrative is structured through a highly unbelievable instigating ...

According to one definition found online, Capharnaum means a "disorderly accumulation of objects." Although that's a fantastically uncommercial title for a movie, the concept suits this latest work from actor-writer-director Nadine Labaki (Caramel, Where Do We Go Now?). She's made up a grab bag of ideas and plot elements that work surprisingly effectively as a melodrama with a message. Several messages, in fact, all illustrated through the ordeals suffered by 12-year-old Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), a child fighting to survive in the slums and shanty towns of Lebanon. Although the narrative is structured through a highly unbelievable instigating ...

With only a couple days left before the Cannes jury announces this year’s prizewinners, the festival may have saved the biggest Palme d’Or contender for the end. “Capernaum,” the new drama from Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, earned a massive 15-minute standing ovation following its May 17 premiere at the festival, according to the glowing first reactions. Numerous members of the press reacted strongly to the film on Twitter following the screening, with many predicting “Capernaum” walks home with the Palme d’Or.

“Capernaum” is billed as a “politically-charged fable” that follows a child who sues his own family. The movie is notable for being one of only three films directed by women to compete for the Palme d’Or at this year’s festival. If Labaki ends up winning Cannes’ top honor on Saturday, she will become only the second female director to win the prize following Jane Campion for “The Piano.

Exclusive: Award-winning filmmaker and actress Nadine Labaki has signed with CAA in all areas. She doesn’t get here until next week, but this has already been a strong Cannes for Labaki. Yesterday, her new film Capernaum sold in a seven-figure deal to Sony Pictures Classics before it is to premiere Thursday in competition for the Palme d’Or. Sales on the film are being brokered by CAA Media Finance and Wild Bunch.

Labaki is a Lebanese actress-turned-director who will be bringing her third film to Cannes. That started with her directorial debut Caramel, which she also wrote and co-starred in, and which premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, in the Directors’ Fortnight section. It was also Lebanon’s official Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Film. She directed and starred in her second feature, Where Do We go Now?, which also premiered at Cannes and won the Audience Award...

Distributors are buying films faster at this year’s Cannes Film Festival than they did at the last Sundance or Toronto fests.

On Thursday, Saban Films bought Gerard Butler’s “Keepers,” Sony Pictures Classics picked up the rights to Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum,” and Jessica Chastain’s all-female thriller “355” landed a French distributor.

Two clear highlights from the film festival’s third day: “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler talking about how he loved working with women on his films, and Paweł Pawlikowski’s film “Cold War,” which received mostly glowing reviews. Many early viewers even called it the best film to come out of Cannes yet this year (so far).

Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 2: 'Rafiki' Makes History, 'Don Quixote' Scores Legal Victory

Films screening on Friday include “Ash Is Purest White” and Jean-Luc Godard’s “The Image Book,” the latter of which should get some buzz.

See below for highlights from Cannes, day three:

Saban Films Plays the Game

Saban Films picked up the North American rights to Gerard Butler’s “Keepers,” the distributor announced Thursday.

Kristoffer Nyholm directed the film which also stars Peter Mullan and Connor Swindells. The thriller is inspired by the Flannan Isle mystery where three lighthouse keepers arrive on an uninhabited island for a six-week shift but then discover something life-changing that isn’t theirs to keep. Soon, they have to battle paranoia and isolation to survive.

Saban Films has been at the forefront of the acquisitions game at festivals lately — at Sundance earlier this year, Saban picked up the rights to buzzy film “Lizzie,” which stars Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart.

Also Read: Terry Gilliam's Epically Troubled 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote:' A Brief History

Sony Classics

Sony Classics Flips for “Capernaum”

On Thursday, Sony Pictures Classics acquired the North American and Latin American rights to Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum,” which is set to premiere at Cannes next Thursday in competition.

The Lebanese director previously had two films, titled “Caramel” and “Where Do We Go Now?” premiere at the festival. “Where Do We Go Now?” won the Audience Award at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival and was also distributed by Sony Classics.

Labaki also wrote and also appears in “Capernaum,” which tells the story of a child who rebels against the life that’s been imposed on him and decides to bring a lawsuit against his parents.

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Ryan Coogler’s Panel

“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler took part in a panel on Thursday, one of the hottest tickets on the Croisette. Vulture senior editor Kyle Buchanan posted a thread on Twitter about the conversation — and the filmmaker’s comments about working with strong women were the talk of the town.

When interviewer Elvis Mitchell praised him for working with female cinematographers and female editors for all three of his films, which also include “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed,” Coogler said, “It’s not something to brag about. Honestly, for my first film, I was looking for the best cinematographer I could find. Rachel Morrison was that. She was the best d.p. we could get at the time, and I thought I was getting somebody amazing, but she turned out to be incredible.”

Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 1: 'Everybody Knows' Premieres, Cate Blanchett Shines on the Croisette

He also said that the women are “more important” than the men in Wakanda, and he would be into making a film just about the characters played by Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett and Gurira.

“A lot of times, in comic books, it’s a little bit of tokenism: You’ve got one black person, you’ve got one woman that fights,” added Coogler. “I was fired up about that, and I didn’t want to blow the opportunity.”

Jessica Chastain’s All-Star ‘355’ Gets French Deal

In general, the topic of female empowerment seems to be the rage at this year’s festival. Cate Blanchett and the rest of the jury faced questions questions about #TimesUp and the number of films directed by women during a press conference on the first day. And on Thursday, Jessica Chastain’s all-star film “355” got French distribution from Snd.

The film is a female-led spy thriller that also stars Lupita Nyong’o, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz and Fan Bingbing. Simon Kinberg (“X-Men; Dark Phoenix”) will direct.

“355” centers on the five top agents from organizations around the world uniting to stop a global syndicate from acquiring a weapon that could plunge an already unstable world into total chaos. They have to overcome cultural and political differences to form a bond and work together.

However, TheWrap’s Steve Pond reported that the Cannes Film Festival has had a dismal record of showcasing the work of female directors for decades. Over the first 71 years of Cannes, a paltry 4.3 percent of the competition films have been directed by women.

‘Sorry Angel’ Debuts to (Mostly) Glowing Reviews

Christophe Honoré has impressed most with his new film, “Sorry Angel,” which debuted at Cannes on Thursday. The film follows a male student from Britanny who has a love affair with a 39-year0old man. Vincent Lacoste, Pierre Deladonchamps and Denis Podalydes star.

Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson wrote that ‘Sorry Angel” is a “rich and thoughtful romantic drama that is less about politics than it is about matters of the heart and body. A chewy, handsomely staged novel of a movie, ‘Sorry Angel’ contains moments of piercing intelligence and heartbreaking beauty.”

IndieWire’s Eric Kohn wrote: “The most emotional and understated work from French director Christophe Honoré is a touching tribute to the art and culture of early ’90s France, charting creative obsessions young and old, and strikes a note that’s life-affirming and melancholic.”

However, Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian said “it is often poignant and humorous but also placid and complacent, with performances bordering on the self-regarding and even faintly insufferable.”

‘Cold War’ Also Debuts

Four years after his film “Ida” won the foreign-language Oscar, Paweł Pawlikowski’s film “Cold War” also debuted on Thursday, and The Telegraph’s Tim Robey declared: “By a distance, the best film in Cannes competition so far…” Another Twitter user agreed, writing, “Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’ the best feature of Cannes so far. Beautifully shot and performed and with the right amount of fatalism.”

Vulture’s Kyle Buchanan revealed that there was “lots of well-deserved praise for Cannes entry ‘Cold War,'” and TheWrap’s Steve Pond called it “ravishing” and “haunting” in his review.

See some more reactions to the movie below.

Cold War doesn’t waste a frame. Ida had more mystery and wonder, but this is a natural continuation, visually and thematically, for a fimmmaker obsessed with exploring the post-wwii fracturing of European identity. A concise treat. #cannes

— erickohn (@erickohn) May 11, 2018

Cold War: the first truly great film I’ve seen at Cannes this year. Delicate and forceful when it’s supposed to be, a tragic romance that reminds you why we find tragedy romantic.

— Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse) May 11, 2018

Having now seen Cold War I can report back that it is absolutely brilliant – a heartbreaking story, with astonishing performances and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. I would recommend it to all. Cate Blanchett, it’s got my vote! ???????????? #cannes2018 @Festival_Cannes

— Margot James (@margot_james_mp) May 10, 2018

The buzz ahead of Cannes around Pawel Pawlikowski's 'Cold War' is strong. Have heard from a few people that it will be in contention for awards. Certainly looks beautiful and if it approaches 'Ida' we're in for a treat. pic.twitter.com/xANuF9htV5

— Andreas Wiseman (@AndreasWiseman) May 3, 2018

Cold War by Pawlikowski is superb, by some distance the best in the main competition thus far @IFI_Dub @Festival_Cannes pic.twitter.com/2zA289aNGO

— David O Mahony (@David_O_Mahony) May 11, 2018

Read original story Cannes Report, Day 3: Women Rule, ‘Cold War’ Hailed as ‘Best Film’ Yet At TheWrap...

Arab cinema is gaining greater international traction amid constant flux in the Middle-East film industry.

With two works competing for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes festival — Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum” and Egyptian-Austrian first-time filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky’s “Yomeddine” — plus three more pics sprinkled throughout other sections, the Arab contingent at Cannes has achieved representation on a scale rarely seen before. The rise of cinematic artists in the Middle East stems from a multi-cultural mindset and a conscious drive to transcend geographical borders while remaining rooted locally.

Shawky, whose “Yomeddine” is a road movie about a man raised in a leper colony who embarks on a journey across Egypt to try and reconnect with his family, is an alumnus of NYU’s graduate film program. This passion project was produced by American-Egyptian producer Dina Emam, who is one of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch, and supported by the Tribeca Film Institute,...

Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed North American and Latin American rights to Cannes competition title “Capernaum,” a drama from Lebanese director Nadine Labaki about a boy who sues his parents.

CAA Media Finance brokered the distribution deal on behalf of the filmmakers with Wild Bunch, which represents the international rights.

Sony Pictures Classics distributed Labaki’s previous film, “Where Do We Go Now?,” which world-premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and won a special mention in 2011.

“Capernaum” centers on 12-year-old Zein, who takes his parents to court “for giving me life” in a world of pain and suffering. It is written by Labaki, along with Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Kesrouani, Georges Khabbaz and Labaki’s husband, Khaled Mouzanar, who also produced the film and composed the music.

The movie stars Labaki, Zain Alrafeea, Yordanos Shifera and Treasure Bankole.

“It is wonderful to have the opportunity to collaborate once again with Sony Pictures Classics.

Distributor handled Where Do We Go Now?

Sony Pictures Classics (Spc) has acquired North American and Latin American rights to Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum ahead of its world premiere in Cannes competition next Thursday and plans an awards-qualifying Us release in December.

Capernaum marks a return to Cannes for the Lebanese filmmaker, whose two previous films, Caramel and Toronto audience award winner Where Do We Go Now? premiered on the Croisette and reunites Labaki with Spc, who distributed Where Do We Go Now?

The film tells the story of a child who rebels against the life imposed on him and...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American and Latin American rights to Nadine Labaki’s Cannes competition title “Capernaum,” which will premiere at the festival next Thursday. Spc previously distributed Labaki’s second film, “Where Do We Go Now?” Her latest feature is billed as a “politically-charged fable” that follows a child who sues his own family. It is one of three films directed by women to compete for the Palme d’Or at this year’s festival.

Sony Pictures Classics plans to open the film in December qualifying the movie for year-end awards consideration.

“It is wonderful to have the opportunity to collaborate once again with Sony Pictures Classics. ‘Capernaum’ is very special to me, and with the passion Tom and Michael have for this film, I know this is the ideal partnership,” said Labaki in an official statement.

Actress-turned-fimmaker Labaki is a Cannes regular, a graduate of the festival’s Residence program,...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the North American and Latin American rights to Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum,” the studio announced Thursday.

The film is set to premiere next Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is screening in competition.

The Lebanese director previously had two films, titled “Caramel” and “Where Do We Go Now?” premiere at the festival. “Where Do We Go Now?” won the Audience Award at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival and was also distributed by Sony Classics.

Labaki also wrote and also appears in “Capernaum,” which tells the story of a child who rebels against the life that’s been imposed on him and decides to bring a lawsuit against his parents.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American and Latin American rights to Capernaum, the Nadine Labaki-directed drama that is playing in competition for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Sources said Spc pays $1.3 million for a film it will get behind and launch in December for Oscar season.

The film, Labaki’s third to play Cannes after Caramel and Where Do We Go Now?, focuses on a 12-year-old boy (Zain Alrafeea) in a fictitious Middle Eastern village who sues his parents for bringing him into a world of such suffering. The film premiered in competition next Thursday.

Labaki, a Lebanese actress-turned-director, wrote the script to focus on powerless, disenfranchised and illiterate children and created a drama about one who tries to do something about it. Khaled Mouzanar produced. CAA Media Finance Group and Wild Bunch are handling the sales.

This becomes the second in the Cannes...

After her Directors’ Fortnight bowing debut Caramel (2007) and her follow-up, Where Do We Go Now?, which premiered in Un Certain Regard in 2011, Lebanese actress turned director Nadine Labaki completes the Cannes set with her third feature, Capernaum, heading into the Official Competition. Set in a fictitious Middle Eastern village (much like Where Do We Go Now?), Capernaum takes Labaki’s unique cinematic microscope to the region’s countless neglected children “excluded from society” — the youths who fall through the cracks in the system and are left to fend for themselves. At its heart is a 12-year-old (Zain Alrafeea) who...

Girl Talk is a weekly look at women in film — past, present, and future.

While the Cannes Film Festival has long struggled to put together a Competition slate that includes more than a fraction of female filmmakers, there are major signs of diverse life throughout the rest of this year’s slate, which includes 20 female filmmakers set to debut new films at the lauded festival. At least said Competition includes a trio of intriguing (and very different-sounding) offerings, including films from both Cannes regulars and a newbie. Elsewhere, there’s still more exciting new work to be found from filmmakers both established and emerging.

The Un Certain Regard section — which often touts high numbers of female filmmakers — nearly reached parity with its slate, as six of its 13 films were directed by women. In the International Critics’ Week (Aka Semaine de la Critique) sidebar, they’re actually leading the way. In...

There was a lot of head-scratching (and complaining) when the Cannes 2018 lineup was first announced. A lot of major auteurs were nowhere to be found, while the Competition roster — generally accepted as the world’s most prestigious slate of new films — was littered with unfamiliar names. And though sidebars like Director’s Fortnight and Un Certain Regard are known for turning up the volume on unheralded voices, even those sections seemed to be unusually lacking in star power.

So what? Festivals are all about the joy of discovery, and it’s been a mighty long time since Cannes has provided attendees so many chances for attendees to find (and help coronate) their new favorite filmmakers. That being said, this is still Cannes, and the directors whose work has been included in the program aren’t coming from nowhere. They may not possess the pedigree of Jean-Luc Godard (or boast the...

Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux said this morning that the finishing touches on the lineup announced today were honed until about 3 Am local time. It’s not unusual for him to go down to the wire, and there will be more titles announced in the coming weeks as the 71st edition of the venerable seaside shindig approaches. But what we got today was a mixed bag of new and familiar faces with a number of tipped movies not in the preliminary cut.

The selection looks “light on paper” was a refrain I heard coming out of the press conference and throughout the day. But critics and longtime attendees cautioned there might be gems therein. For now, only the selection committee knows — though Frémaux said that none of the films they saw was completed.

Frémaux called the selection a “generational renewal.” There is a sense that some titles to be added could raise the pulse.

This year’s Cannes Film Festival competition announcement continues a worrying trend in the history of the lauded festival: a slate dominated by male directors. The 2018 competition lineup includes the highest number of films from female filmmakers since 2011 — but that’s only a sign of growth due to the even smaller number of films from women in the 2017 lineup.

This year’s festival will play home to new works from Nadine Labaki, Eva Husson, and Alice Rohrwacher, who will compete in a smaller competition section (although the festival may add more films in the days ahead).

As happened last year, when the festival’s competition slate also included just three female directors, the 2018 edition of the event cut down slightly on the competition entries. The section typically vacillates between 23 and 18 offerings each year, which means the total percentage of competing female filmmakers was yet again nominally bumped up even though...

Yasmine Al Massri is lending a voice on behalf of refugees around the globe.

Growing up as a Palestinian refugee, the Quantico star opened up to People about the cruel realities and hardships she faced, and her decision to speak at the United Nations World Humanitarian Day Gala on Friday.

"The biggest misconception is that refugees are dirty people who don't take a shower, who come to your house, eat your food and then spit on you," the actress said. "There is an inhuman, selfish, uneducated idea of what a refugee is – a very negative image that was built because of lack of information,...