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Billy Bob Thornton is set to return as Tommy Norris in Taylor Sheridan's Landman season 2 and may actually play a key role in further developing his celebrated character. Landman is one of Taylor Sheridan's several celebrated Western series streaming exclusively on Paramount+ and has enjoyed critical acclaim in its first season. Thornton leads a strong cast of Landman season 1 along with Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, and Kayla Wallace. Sam Elliott has been added to the cast of Landman season 2, which is expected to be released in Fall 2025.

In a recent interview with Awards Radar, Thornton peeled back some of the layers of working with Sheridan in crafting the gritty and charismatic character of Tommy Norris. Sheridan is well-known for writing nearly all of his material and sticking to his script when filming his various television series. Thornton shed light on his creative process with Sheridan on Landman,...

Ray Stevenson, the burly British actor who starred as Volstagg in the Thor movies and as the brutally evil governor in the recent Oscar-winning Indian hit Rrr, has died. He was 58.

Stevenson died Sunday, four days shy of his birthday, his publicist Nicki Fioravante told The Hollywood Reporter. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported he had been hospitalized on the island of Ischia while in production on the film Cassino on Ischia, directed by Frank Ciota.

No other details of his death were immediately available.

The 6-foot-3 actor was an imposing presence onscreen and commanded attention when he took to the stage in April for a public appearance at Star Wars Celebration in London. He is one of the main antagonists in the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka.

“Getting to wield the light saber is just the best feeling in the world,” he said then. “The first time they handed...

Alexander Rodnyansky, the producer of Oscar nominated films “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” has boarded the next project from Kazakh director Adilkhan Yerzhanov (pictured), whose film “Goliath” has its world premiere at Venice Film Festival on Thursday in the Horizons Extra section.

The new project, “Nosorog,” tells a contemporary story of Tamara, a distraught woman on a desperate search for her missing son in a small town consumed by violent riots. To help get her son back, she hires a shady detective, Brayuk, with unexpected consequences.

Rodnyansky joins producers Aliya Mendygozhina and Olga Khlasheva on the project, which is a co-production between the State Center of Support of the National Cinema of Kazakhstan and Kazakh film company Golden Man Media.

Rodnyansky said: “My strategy has always been to work with the best directors from any country and I am very excited to be a part of a new film of Adilkhan Yerzhanov,...

Beverly Hills - It's fair to say Billy Bob Thornton is grateful for his role on "Fargo." "As soon as I read the pilot script, I completely understood why they were doing it," the Best Actor in a TV Drama winner told the press backstage at the Golden Globes. "It was so well written and I heard the people that [they] were assembling after myself, they were getting together, and I thought 'what a great group of people.' There wasn’t really any red flag whatsoever. My only concern is 'Are the Coen brothers on board?' And when I found out they were, that was the last piece of the puzzle for me. It is a joy to be a part of something artistic." Speaking of art, is the "Sling Blade" director looking to extend his filmmaking talents to television anytime soon? "I don’t know, television is a...

Bored with male protagonists? Blue Is the Warmest Colour and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire put women first

With the film industry's male bias once more in the headlines – a new study reveals only 15% of major releases feature a female protagonist – this week's top DVD releases are gratifying exceptions. For Blue Is the Warmest Colour (Artificial Eye, 18), the severe age certificate prompted by its explicit, exquisitely tender love scenes bars the audience who would most immediately identify with its delicate impressions of adolescent sexual curiosity and insecurity. Richly deserving of its Palme d'Or win at Cannes last year, Abdellatif Kechiche's porous, persuasive character study yields an astonishing performance from Adèle Exarchopoulos as a gangly secondary school student whose chance encounter with a blue-haired painter (Léa Seydoux) gradually unlocks her adult identity.

There are flashes of romantic need in the second outing for Katniss Everdeen, stoic warrior queen of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate,...

Decemeber 10th new Blu-ray releases include Fast & Furious 6 (Extended Edition), Despicable Me 2, Adore, Battle of the Year, Jayne Mansfield's Car, and Man of Tai Chi. Anniversary releases include Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special: The Day of the Doctor, and Big: 25th Anniversary Edition. Other releases this week include The Big Gundown and Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez lead a cast of returning all-stars as the global blockbuster franchise built on speed delivers the biggest adrenaline rush yet. Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled drivers, whose mastermind (Luke Evans) is aided by the love Dom (Diesel) thought was...

Here’s a brief overview of this week’s new Blu-ray releases: Fast & Furious 6 (Extended Edition) (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD with UltraViolet) - $19.99 (43% off Despicable Me 2 (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD with UltraViolet) - $24.99 (50% off) Despicable Me 2 (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD with UltraViolet) - $19.99 (45% off) Man of Tai Chi [Blu-ray] - $16.99 (43% off) Battle of the Year (+UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] - $22.96 (36% off) Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special: The Day of the Doctor (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD Combo) - $21.96 (27% off) Adore [Blu-ray] - $27.86 (30% off) Touchy Feely [Blu-ray] - $26.98 (10% off) Jayne Mansfield's Car [Blu-ray] - $26.99 (10% off) The Hunt [Blu-ray] - $25.48 (15% off) Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) - $24.99 (38% off) Grey Gardens (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] - $25.98 (35% off)...

Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week

"Fast & Furious 6"

What's It About? Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Vin Diesel, and the late Paul Walker reunite with Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and future Wonder Woman Gal Gadot to put the pedal to the medal in the sixth iteration of this car-racing series. Can our favorite speed freaks outwit and outdrive a gang of drivers led by a British baddie named Shaw (Luke Evans)?

Why We're In: Besides the fact that some of the DVD earnings will be donated to the late Paul Walker's charity Reach Out Worldwide, this is the perfect guilty-pleasure action film to pop on with a bunch of friends. It's worth it for the runway scene alone.

Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week

"Big" (25th Anniversary Edition)

What's It About? Before Tom Hanks saved "Mr. Banks," he won our hearts as a little...

From Anchor Bay Films, Sneak Peek a restricted trailer from writer/director Billy Bob Thornton's new comedy/drama "Jayne Mansfield's Car", available on Blu-Ray and DVD, December 10, 2013, starring Thornton, Robert Duvall, John Hurt and Kevin Bacon:

"... it's 1969 in a small Alabama town...

"The death of a quirky clan’s long estranged wife and mother brings together two very different families for the funeral.

"But do the scars of the past hide differences that will tear them apart or expose truths that could lead to the most unexpected collisions of all ?..."

Also starring are Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson, Katherine Lanasa and Frances O’Connor.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Jayne Mansfield's Car"...

By Amelia Mularz

Because it's Friday the 13th and you've already seen a black cat, smashed a mirror, and yelled "Candyman" five times into the mirror at work, we've got what you're looking for:

On the Big Screen: "Insidious: Chapter 2"

While we've gotta give Billy Bob Thornton props for his latest directorial effort with "Jayne Mansfield's Car," today is not the day to deal with family turmoil plotlines. Unless, that is, said turmoil is due to murderous supernatural spirits who have been haunting you since childhood. The "Insidious" sequel is jam packed with creepy toddler walkers, terrifying rocking horses, and freaky baby monitors. You will never feel the same in a Babies "R" Us again.

On the Boob Tube: "The Frankenstein Syndrome"

If you're more the pee-your-pants-at-home kind of person, catch thriller/horror flick "The Frankenstein Syndrome" on Saturday night at 10:30 on Showtime. Stem cell researchers bring a...

These days, most people think of Billy Bob Thornton as an actor, thanks to his unforgettable performances in pictures like the Coens’ “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” Sam Raimi’s “A Simple Plan” and Terry Zwigoff’s “Bad Santa,” so much so that it’s easy to forget that Thornton wrote, directed and starred in the Academy-Award winning “Sling Blade” (Best Adapted) and co-wrote genre classics like Carl Franklin’s “One False Move” and Raimi’s “The Gift.” His latest effort as a co-writer, director, and star is “Jayne Mansfield's Car,” which opens today in theaters and on demand, a charming comedic drama about a southern family whose matriarch leaves, marries a man in England, and then dies (you can read our review from Berlin earlier this year here). The movie takes place on the eve of her funeral, with the two families (one stiff-upper-lip, one deep-fried-south) collide.Robert Duvall...

The mob genre takes a turn for the funny in the Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer crime comedy "The Family" this weekend, while James Wan's ("The Conjuring") horror sequel "Insidious: Chapter 2" aims to scare you out of your seats.

Luc Besson's ("Leon: The Professional," "The Fifth Element") "The Family" stars Robert De Niro as the head of the Manzoni crime family -- who could play it better? -- who move to France after entering the witness protection program. While a CIA agent (Tommy Lee Jones) works to keep them in line, the family, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron (TV's "Glee"), and John D'Leo, can't help but revert to their violent ways. Once a mobster, always a mobster.

In "Insidious: Chapter 2," the follow-up to 2011's surprise hit "Insidious," the Lambert family is finally reunited after their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is rescued from the ghostly Further.

Check out Oscar winner Robert Duvall and star Katherine Lanasa in a new clip from Jayne Mansfield's Car! The upcoming comedy/drama from Academy Award winning writer/director Billy Bob Thornton is now available on-demand & in select theaters this Friday, September 13th!

Jayne Mansfield's Car is story of fathers and sons, wars and peace, and the turbulent time that changed America forever. It's 1969 in a small Alabama town, and the death of a quirky clan's long-estranged wife and mother brings together two very different families for the funeral. But do the scars of the past hide differences that will tear them apart or expose truths that could lead to the most unexpected collisions of all?

Jayne Mansfield's Car was released September 13th, 2013 and stars Tippi Hedren, Kevin Bacon, Ray Stevenson, Robert Patrick, Shawnee Smith, John Hurt, Katherine Lanasa, Robert Duvall. The film is directed by Billy Bob Thornton.

Catch a new film clip from Anchor Bay's comedy drama Jayne Mansfield's Car, directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton. This clip called "What Changed?" is the second we've added from the pic which can be seen On Demand now, and in theaters from September 13th, 2013. The very-talented cast also includes Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson, Frances O'Connor and Katherine Lanasa. A story of fathers and sons, wars and peace, and the turbulent time that changed America forever. It's 1969 in a small Alabama town, and the death of a quirky clan's long-estranged wife and mother brings together two very different families for the funeral. But do the scars...

Oscar winner Robert Duvall & two-time Oscar nominee John Hurt take us under the hood in this new clip from Jayne Mansfield's Car. The upcoming comedy/drama from Academy Award winning writer/director Billy Bob Thornton is now available on-demand & in select theaters on September 13th! Watch as Robert Duvall tells the story about how this vehicle ended up in such a tragic accident.

Jayne Mansfield's Car comes to theaters September 13th, 2013 and stars Ray Stevenson, Kevin Bacon, John Hurt, Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Shawnee Smith, Robert Patrick, Frances O'Connor. The film is directed by Billy Bob Thornton.

Watch a new clip on "The Car" from Anchor Bay's Jayne Mansfield's Car. Billy Bob Thornton directs the film, and also stars alongside Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson, Frances O'Connor and Katherine Lanasa. Thi is a story of fathers and sons, wars and peace, and the turbulent time that changed America forever. It's 1969 in a small Alabama town, and the death of a quirky clan's long-estranged wife and mother brings together two very different families for the funeral. But do the scars of the past hide differences that will tear them apart or expose truths that could lead to the most unexpected collisions of all? Jayne Mansfield's Car opens in theaters from September 13th, 2013, and was available on demand from August 20th, 2013.

Check out what's new to rent and own this week on the various streaming services such as cable On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, and, of course, Netflix. Cable On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods Epic (animated family adventure; voices of Colin Farrell, Amanda Seyfried; rated PG) Scary Movie 5 (horror-spoof comedy; Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Tisdale; unrated) Amour (drama; Jean-Louis Trigtignant, Emmanuelle Riva; PG-13) Jayne Mansfield's Car (drama; Billy Bob Thornton, Kevin Bacon; pretheatrical release; rated R) No One Lives (horror; Luke Evans, Adelaide Clemens; rated R) No Place on Earth (documentary; Chris Nicola, Saul Stermer; rated PG-13) A...

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"Jayne Mansfield's Car" is the first feature film Billy Bob Thornton has written and directed in 12 years, and its new trailer finds the Oscar winner donning a thick Southern accent as an Alabama native. "Car," set in the late 1960s, depicts a multi-generational family that clashes when their British counterparts -- one of whom is referred to as "that English bastard" -- call to inform them of the death of their matriarch.

Robert Duvall plays the head honcho of the Alabama family, while John Hurt leads the London clan. Thornton, Kevin Bacon and Robert Patrick play the three Southern siblings, with Tippi Hedren, Frances O'Connor and Robert Stevenson rounding out the cast. Co-written by frequent Thornton collaborator Tom Epperson, "Car" hits theaters Sept. 13. Will it net Thornton a second screenplay Oscar, following his win for 1996's "Sling Blade"? Watch the trailer and weigh in.

Anchor Bay Films has unveiled a new trailer for "Jayne Mansfield's Car," starring Billy Bob Thornton, Kevin Bacon, Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Ray Stevenson, Shawnee Smith, and Robert Patrick. Check it out below. Plot: A young man in the 1940s raises a family in Alabama after his wife leaves him for an Englishman and moves to England. When the wife dies, she leaves a request to be brought back to Alabama to be buried, and at that point the man hasn't seen her in nearly 30 years. The two families - her original family she abandoned and her English family - meet and make an attempt to adjust to each other, with uneven results. The new movie is written and directed by Thornton (Sling Blade), and already premiered at several film festivals. It will be available on VOD on August 20th and then hit select theaters on September 13th. Trailer:...

Billy Bob Thornton is primarily known as an actor nowadays, but it would be foolish to forget about his contributions to the film world as a writer/director - after all, the guy is an Oscar winner. In 1996 Thornton earned nearly unanimous critical praise for his directorial debut, the Southern drama Sling Blade, for which he picked up both an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for Best Actor. His filmmaker efforts since, however, have been rather few and far between, and he hasn't directed a feature since 2001's Daddy and Them. Now he's finally back in the director's chair, and from the look of the trailer for his new movie, Jayne Mansfield's Car (which was posted by Yahoo!, there are equal parts drama and comedy to be had. Based on an original screenplay by Thornton and Tom Epperson (with whom he also wrote Sam Raimi's...

Catch the new trailer and the latest poster for Jayne Mansfield's Car which gets set for a debut on August 20th (On Demand), followed by a September 13th, 2013 theatrical release. Billy Bob Thornton directs the film, and also stars alongside John Hurt and Kevin Bacon in this story of fathers and sons, wars and peace, and the turbulent time that changed America forever. It's 1969 in a small Alabama town, and the death of a quirky clan's long-estranged wife and mother brings together two very different families for the funeral. But do the scars of the past hide differences that will tear them apart or expose truths that could lead to the most unexpected collisions of all?...

Billy Bob Thornton is going back in time! The actor, director and cowriter for Jayne Mansfield's Car is traveling to Alabama in the late 1960s for his highly anticipated new film. The flick traces two sides of a family—one from Alabama and the other from England—whose paths come together after the death of their matriarch. With strong cultural backgrounds during an ever-changing time in American history, there's bound to be plenty of drama and clashes between the two groups. Just watch the trailer for proof! It will be 10 years since Thornton last wrote and directed a feature-length, fiction film, his last outing being 2001's Daddy and Them. Back in 1996, the...

Actor Billy Bob Thornton returns to the director's chair for his first narrative feature in more than 10 years with Jayne Mansfield's Car. We have the first trailer and poster for this Southern period drama, which follows two families who come together for a funeral in 1969. Take a look at the first footage from this upcoming drama, co-starring Robert Duvall, John Hurt, and Kevin Bacon, debuting on VOD formats August 20 before its theatrical debut September 13.

In what critics are calling his best work as writer/director since Sling Blade, Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton stars - along with Oscar winner Robert Duvall, two-time Oscar nominee John Hurt and Golden Globe winner Kevin Bacon - in this story of fathers and sons, wars and peace, and the turbulent time that changed America forever. It's 1969 in a small Alabama town, and the death of a quirky clan's long-estranged wife and mother brings...

As Billy Bob Thornton rejoins the Coen brothers' for their new "Fargo" TV series, at long last, his fest circuit veteran "Jayne Mansfield's Car" will be available on-demand August 20th and in theaters on September 13 via Anchor Bay Films. Marking "Slingblade" director Thornton's first film since 2001's "Daddy and Them," "Jayne Mansfield's Car" was co-written with Tom Epperson.  Set in 1969, the comedy brings two sides of a sprawling family back to Alabama to mourn the loss of their matriarch. On the American side are Thornton, Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, and Robert Patrick, while the Brits include John Hurt, Ray Stevenson, and Frances O'Connor.  Here are the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. ...

Last summer, the first trailer for the Berlin Film Festival selected film Jayne Mansfield's Car from director and actor Billy Bob Thornton arrived, but some issues with the copyright for music caused the trailer to get taken down. Now the official trailer is here since the film is slated for release on VOD later this month and limited theaters in September. The film follows two clashing families as they are brought together by the death of a woman who was married, first to the Southern American Jim Caldwell (Robert Duvall) and then to the British Kingsley Bedford (John Hurt). The film features a cast including Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson and Shawnee Smith, but we're not sure if it works. Watch! Here's the release trailer for Billy Bob Thornton's Jayne Mansfield's Car, originally from Yahoo: Jayne Mansfield's Car is directed by award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton, who previously directed films like Sling Blade,...

Despite hitting festivals last year in Berlin, Austin and St. Louis, and a star-studded cast, it has taken a while for Billy Bob Thornton's ensemble dramedy "Jayne Mansfield's Car" to make its way to theaters. But that may also be because studios just aren't in the business of ensemble dramedies so much any more. But the writer/director/actor's fourth feature is now on the way and it has been given a new trailer to get the word out.  Starring Thornton, Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Frances O'Connor, Ray Stevenson, Kevin Bacon and Robert Patrick, the film is set in 1969 and tells the story of Alabama family who learn that their bloodline spills over to England, with a funeral bringing the two dies of the clan together tumultuously. Seems like the kind of movie that trades in hardspun Southern charm and wisdom, but unfortunately it doesn't quite work. As we...

FX is taking Billy Bob Thornton to the wood chipper.

The actor is set to star in the television adaptation of Joel and Ethan Coen's acclaimed film "Fargo." The 1996 crime drama received seven Oscar nominations, with wins for the Coen brothers' screenplay and Best Actress for Frances McDormand.

The Coen brothers will produce the limited-run FX series, and all 10 episodes have already been written by Noah Hawley.

Thornton will play Lorne Malvo, "the rootless, manipulative man who meets a small-town insurance salesman and sets him on a path of destruction." The TV version will feature a new crime and new characters, though Lorne is loosely modeled on Steve Buscemi's character in the movie.

The show will start filming sometime this fall for a potential spring 2013 premiere.

Thornton has been somewhat quiet in recent years, acting steadily in smaller movies like "School for Scoundrels" and "Eagle Eye." He also...

Billy Bob Thornton is back in the director's chair and back in the deep south reminiscent of his award winning  "Sling Blade." "Jayne Mansfield's Car" touches on family and culture clash in the late 1960s. The story focuses on two sets of families, one from Alabama, and one from England, who's lives intertwine after the death of their matriarch. Thornton is accompanied my a powerhouse cast of performers. Robert Duvall plays the patriarch of the Alabama family, with John Hurt leading the British clan. Robert Patrick, Frances O'Connor, Kevin Bacon, Robert Stevenson and Tippi Hedren. Thornton also co-wrote the script with Tom Epperson. Here's Indiewire's review from last year's Berlin International Film Festival. Check out the new trailer:...

Billy Bob Thornton is more often associated with acting rather than working behind the camera. I always forget he wrote and directed the excellent Sling Blade, likely the best movie of his career. The only other directorial effort from Thornton is the movie Daddy And Me. But, after 12 years since his last foray he is back with Jayne Mansfield's Car. The family drama features a phenomenal cast including Thornton, Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, John Hurt, Frances O'Connor, Robert Patrick, and...

Photos from Parkland, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Lone Survivor.

Posters for The Butler, Lone Survivor, Lovelace, Paranoia, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Jayne Mansfield's Car, Haunter, Bad Milo, C.O.G., Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, and a motion poster for 300: Rise of an Empire.

"Denzel Washington reportedly turned down a 'small role' in the James Wan-directed seventh 'Fast and Furious' film…" (full details)

"Diablo Cody's directorial debut 'Paradise' premieres on DirecTV on August 8th ahead of an October 18th theatrical release date and a VOD release shortly after…" (full details)

"The snack food name 'Foodles' is reportedly going to be used as a fake name for the upcoming production of 'Star Wars Episode VII'…" (full details)

"Netflix has launched 'Netflix Profiles', which enables multiple users of the same account to create their own profile page. Profiles starts rolling out on Netflix globally...

It may have the name of one of the most beautiful and famous actresses of the 1950s, but Jayne Mansfield's Car is not a movie about glamour or Hollywood; it is a movie about war. Ok, technically it's a movie about the clash between a Southern family and a British one when the woman who united them dies, but the new film directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton has war lurking everywhere in it. Thornton's character and his two brothers (played by Kevin Bacon and Robert Patrick) are World War II veterans, their father (played by Robert Duvall) fought in World War I, and the film is set in 1969, as thousands of young men are being sent off to yet another war in Vietnam. You'd better believe that sounds like a stacked cast, and in this exclusive, brand-new poster for the film, you can see just how deep the...

Robert Downey Jr. spent a lot of time looking for an actor to play his father in the upcoming David Dobkin film The Judge. Late last year the Iron Man star was trying hard to get Jack Nicholson to join, but when those plans fell through they signed Robert Duvall for the part. The casting news has been rolling in since, with it just being reported earlier today that Vincent D'onofrio has joined the production, and now we have yet another report to share. Billy Bob Thornton, who just recently worked with Duvall on his directorial effort Jayne Mansfield's Car, is now in talks to play one of the central antagonists in the upcoming film, according to Variety. Based on an original script by Nick Schenk that was rewritten by Bill Dubuque, The Judge tells the story of a hot-shot lawyer (Downey Jr.) who returns to his hometown after being...

This Berlin flew by! A good overview is that of Screen Daily and if we're lucky, you can read it here without subscribing. My own activities flowed from two sources:

1) Education: I taught and led tours of the market for Berlinale's Talent Campus Meet the Experts, for Deutsche Welle Akademie Film Festival Workshop, and for Ina Sup, a TV, film and new media school based in France and linked to the French National Audiovisual Institute (Ina). This is the most rewarding work, seeing what talent is coming up in our world, seeing ideas take hold as the students learn about the market.

2) Our Consulting: Another pillar of our company, aside from blogging and professional education, is strategic planning with filmmakers. This Berlinale was very intense and very energizing for my partner Peter Belsito and me, with Beyond the Moonwalk having found a berth for international sales representation with Steve Arroyave's Arrow Entertainment and a U.S. distribution commitment, and more actively involving, with Donna Deitch's The Catcher, where a series of meetings with top German and Canadian producers and sales agents gave the project the momentum of a race horse bound for first place!

What follows are my impressions of various other Berlin events as they passed by -- ever so quickly -- but still with enough eye-catching power to capture my attention in the first place.

I was happy to see Jeff Lipsky and Adopt Films' co-managing executive Tim Grady cleaning up with 3 acquisitions; no time to waste anymore as the third Bingham Ray memorial pointed out to those who have the mind to realize the message. Sister (L'enfant d'en haut) by Ursula Maier (Isa: Memento, Swiss rights with FilmCoopi), I hear is A+, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die (Cesare deve morire) (Isa: Rai Trade) won the Golden Bear, and Chris Petzold's Barbara, all in Competition.

American indie works-in-progress have been granted a second chance to screen for European indie distributors (EuropaDistribution) at the upcoming Paris Film Festival in June. I have been invited to be on the jury of "U.S. in Progress" and am thrilled at the prospect. I was honored to have been invited to be on the jury in Wroclaw at the American Film Festival in November as well, for the first edition of this chance for U.S. filmmakers to win post-production and cash prizes. This is where the film Now, Forager was picked up by fledgling international sales agent, the only international sales agent in Poland, New Europe Sales founded by Jan Naszewski [jnaszewski At gmail.com] and Anja Sosic [anja At NewEuropeFilmSales.com]. The film went on to screen at Rotterdam Film Festival. Even hotter news will be forthcoming from Moma and The New York Film Society's New Directors/ New Films about one of the films at the Aff's "U.S. in Progress". If you missed it in Poland you will be able to see it in New York this April!

I was lucky to see two films during the market and after the market closed, this last Saturday and Sunday, when I caught some more films I was unable to see earlier due to my "real" work. Of the films I saw here in Berlin, here are my unique :) comments for what they're worth.

Children of Srikandi (Panorama) is a very personal account by a female filmmaker collective in Indonesia on what it means to be a lesbian in their society. The sweet intimacy of the film overrides its non-professional veneer (the "filmmakers" were all non-professionals). In fact, this could serve as a template for other non-professionals who want to tell their stories. Schools come to mind as possible candidates for this sort of filmmaking, as does my own pet project, The Literacy Project. The Indonesian contingent here in Berlin was interesting and sociable as they met their audience and fans. They were hosted by Berlin based producers Laura Coppens who is a doctorate student in ethnological studies in Zurich and Angelika Levi, doc filmmaker (My Life, Part 2 about growing up Jewish in Berlin).

Bergman & Magnani: The War of the Volcanos. This invitation-only work in progress with Wide House uses a unique way to show the emotion filled and the biggest jet-set love scandal of all times, the story of Roberto Rossellini, Anna Magnani and Ingrid Bergman as Rosellini and the volcanic Anna Magnani ended their relationship after making Volcano (1950) and the married Ingrid Bergman and Rossellini began theirs with the filming of Stromboli (1950), the name of the second volcano on this Aeolian Island which has been in almost continuous eruption for 2,000 years. The visuals of their stories are illustrated entirely with the scenes from movies starring them as they enact the real life emotions and the commentary of the doc. I am most interested to see how well this technique succeeds.

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die (Isa: Rai Trade) is a moving illustration of the transformative power of art as hardened criminals in an Italian prison rehearse and perform Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The the 80 + year old Brothers Taviani deserve recognition for their artistic excellence. I can't argue with Mike Leigh and the jury's judgement except that on my emotional meter, Rebelle (War Witch) was the real winner.

Rebelle (War Witch) by Kim Nguyen (Isa: Films Distribution) should have won the Golden Bear. The Silver Bear for Best Actress was awarded to Rachel Mwanza, but this film is so deeply moving on the most primal levels, maintaining its African roots while touching our most sensitive emotions of parents, love, rape, pregnancy and infants as they are experienced by a female child soldier from ages 12 to 14. It should also win Best Foreign Language Film in next year's Academy Awards. Produced by the industry vets Marie-Claude Poulin and Pierre Even, it is yet another feather in the cap of the the Canadian film industry.

Dieter Kosslick observed that with 15 Competition titles confirmed at the time Screen International interviewed him, “both thematically and geographically, we have many films coming this year from Asia, and particularly China and Indonesia. There is also an interesting focus on France this year, beginning with the opening film Farewell My Queen (Les adieux a la reine) (Isa: Elle Driver) and going through all of the festival’s sections. Moreover, we have two French jury members [Francois Ozon and Charlotte Gainsbourg] in the International Jury.“ Eight titles selected to date have German majority or minority participation, so German filmmakers and (co-)producers will again enjoy a record presence in the Competition on a par with 2011’s tally of eight films involving German directors or German production partners." He also notes Competition films' trending toward "times of upheaval and new departures... with many films coming from Africa and Arab countries". My observation of the 23 Competition films finally selected is that the nostalgic look back at European aristocracy and top social tiers (A Royal Affair, Bel Ami, Farewell My Queen) and its mores stands in stark contrast to today's upheavals of families and children (Childish Games, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Postcards from the Zoo, Just the Wind, Mercy, Shadow Dancer, Sister, Rebelle, Home for the Weekend, Jayne Mansfield's Car, Coming Home). Seven other films continue the theme of social upheavals: Tey - which deal with childhood memories of Senegal experienced by an American, Captive about Phillipine hostages, Barbara an Eastern German looking to move to the West, Caesar Must Die about prisoners finding art in their sequestered lives, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate about upheavel during the Ming Dynasty, White Deer Plain about upheavel towards the end of Imperial China, The Flowers of War about the upheavel of China by the Japanese in World War II. The exceptions, Tabu and Meteora, deal with love, the Saving Grace.

Two major disappointments were Steven Soderberg's Haywire (Isa: Mandate) and Stephen Elliott's Cherry. Both about women, they left me puzzled with what the plot was about. Pretty, well done and negligible.

This Berlin Diary Part 2 will continue after I work on my new and soon-to-be launched website! I have spent an entire day on this blog and I still have much more to write!

A number of well known faces appeared around Austin Film Festival this year. While some stars walked the red carpet for movies such as It's a Disaster, Silver Linings Playbook and Jayne Mansfield's Car, others happily wandered around the festival, sat in panels and watched movies. Fortunately we had a couple of intrepid photographers covering the Aff red carpet events who captured some lovely photos for those of you who happened not to inadvertantly sit next to James Franco -- pictured above before the screening of Francophrenia -- or his General Hospital co-star Steve Burton. Many thanks again to Molly Dinkins and Dick De Jong for the photos below.

Let's start with Andrea Riseborough, the British actress in Austin for the film Shadow Dancer. She's also been in W.E., Made in Dagenham and Never Let Me Go.

read more...

Here's the latest Austin film news.

Austin Film Festival announced director Frank Darabont as this year's Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award recipient. Darabont, a three-time Academy Award nominee for such films as The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, will accept the award at the festival's annual award luncheon Oct. 20 at the Austin Club. More recently, Darabont created the television series The Walking Dead. Aff conference-goers are invited to attend a conversation with the director on Oct. 21.In addition, Aff has announced its closing-night film: Jayne Mansfield's Car, co-written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton will attend the October 25 screening. Several other additions to the schedule and special guests have also been announced. The festival kicks off this Thursday -- or Wednesday night if you're attending the annual Film and Food Gala.Austin Film Society fiscally-sponsored projects Anne Lewis' Anne Braden: Southern Patriot, Karen Kocher's Living Springs and...

Billy Bob Thornton’s latest co-writing-directing effort, “Jayne Mansfield's Car,” will screen as the Austin Film Festival’s closing-night film Oct. 25, fest organizers announced Wednesday. Additionally, “The Shawshank Redemption” writer-director Frank Darabont has been chosen to receive the festival’s Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award this year. Thornton and Darabont both will be in Austin for the festival, as will James Franco, whose “Francophrenia” will screen Oct. 19. “Hyde Park on Hudson,” “Whole Lotta Sole” and “Deadfall” also have been added to the program. Read More: Toronto 2012: Billy Bob Thornton Drama 'Jayne Mansfield's Car' Goes to Anchor Bay Previously announced honorees include “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” writer Eric Roth, who will receive the Distinguished Screenwriter Award, and “The X-Files” creator...

Thursday was a big night! We first were on the red carpet for Jayne Mansfield's Car, and I didn't think Billy Bob Thornton or Robert Duvall would stop to talk to us. They Did. Last time I talked to Billy Bob I was pregnant ( most of you know I've been prego during most film festivals). A couple years ago Billy Bob took a liking to me and rubbed my baby belly. I thought it was pretty cool at the time; Dustin Hoffman rubbed my belly as well. But now looking back...it's kinda creepy right?! Some stranger coming up and rubbing your pregnant belly?! Even if they are superstars. Weird right?! Yeah, it's Weird!

Which Oscar-winner snubbed reporters on the red carpet?  Keep reading to find out!

Despite the impressive cast and generally positive word of mouth, I still sat down to Billy Bob Thornton's Jayne Mansfield's Car wondering, "Does anybody really need another nostalgic family comedy/drama? What could Thornton possibly have to add to this well-worn genre?" I'm still pretty sure that the answer to my first question is, "Probably not," though everyone else's mileage may vary. That said, there is a great deal of pleasure to be found in Thornton's meandering, good-natured yarn about a fractured family in the Vietnam War-era South. It touches on most of the expected issues - generational conflict, drug experimentation, Southern conservatism - but Thornton explores them with subtle wit and welcome sincerity. It also helps that his characters are all complex, unique and...

More acquisition news from the Toronto International Film Festival: Focus Features picked up the U.S. rights to The Place Beyond the Pines, the drama written and directed Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), led by Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes. Anchor Bay will distribute the Billy Bob Thorton's Jayne Mansfield's Car. Thorton co-stars with Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Katherine Lanasa, Ray Stevenson and Robert Patrick. Arclight Films acquired Storm Surfers 3D, the Australian documentary (narrated by Toni Collette) about two-time world surfing champion Tom Carroll and big wave pioneer Ross Clarke-Jones. Hit the jump for details on each project. The Place Beyond the Pines Here's the press release: Toronto, September 9th, 2012 – U.S. rights to The Place Beyond the Pines, the highly anticipated new drama from director Derek Cianfrance, starring Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, have been acquired by Focus Features for a 2013 release.

The Billy Bob Thornton-directed period drama "Jayne Mansfield's Car" will be distributed by Anchor Bay Films in North America and the U.K. The announcement came in advance of the film's North American premiere September 13 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed and co-written (with Tom Epperson) by Thornton, the film had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. In addition to Thornton, the film stars Robert Duvall, John Hurt and Kevin Bacon. Read More: Berlin Review: Billy Bob Thornton's 'Jayne Mansfield's Car' Isn't As Terrible As It Looks Here's the logline: An ensemble drama about families and the effects of combat on the complicated relationships between fathers and sons, Jayne Mansfield’s Car looks at two colorful clans in 1969. Brought together by the death of a woman who was married, first to the Alabaman Jim Caldwell (Robert Duvall) and then to the British Kingsley Bedford (John.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival Talk about impossible. While having to choose from so many amazing titles is a great problem to have, that doesn't stop it from being endlessly infuriating. While putting together my schedule for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival I came up with a total of 44 films that I would like to see, and that was a conservative effort. That was me saying, "Nah, I won't add that one because I definitely won't be able to find time to see it." I say this so you understand what I'm up against and why some films just won't make the cut. Last year I saw 17 movies at the festival and reviewed 18, one of which I saw before leaving to go to Toronto. This year I also have already seen one film that will be playing the fest, The Perks of Being a Wallflower,...

Above: Ernie Gehr's Auto-Collider Xv.

The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.

Galas

A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)

Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)

The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)

Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)

Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)

English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)

Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)

Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)

Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)

Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)

Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)

Looper (Rian Johnson,...

Just a month after getting engaged, actress Katherine Lanasa and former Melrose Place star Grant Show tied the knot Saturday in front of family and friends, her rep confirms exclusively to People. The romantic and rustic ceremony was set in the scenic canyons of Topanga, Calif., at The Oak Grove at Ribbit Tree & Plant Nursery. "We're so happy we found each other," the newlyweds tell People. The bride, 45, wore a Naeem Khan gown and shoes by Prada, while the groom, 50, donned a custom suit by Di Stefano Italian Fashion Group. The couple exchanged rings by Solange Azagury-Partridge. Bright Blue Events...

I now have to accept the fact there will be several films showing at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival that I simply won't be able to see. I have gone to Cannes three straight years and this will be my third year in Toronto and of the six festivals I've never seen a line-up packed with so many highly anticipated films and today the fest added even more. Sending out the complete line-up today the fest has added three films to their Galas selection and 18 Special Presentations along with several Contemporary World Cinema selections, the latter of which includes James Ponsoldt's Smashed which is said to feature a performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead that may be up for Oscar consideration. The announcement confirmed Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master will be part of the Special Presentations selection as will Brian De Palma's Passion, a remake of Love Crime...

Since the announcing of the line-up of the 2012 Toronto Film Festival I have been adding several new images to the RopeofSilicon galleries. I have also been adding new images to the galleries for upcoming films, 83 to be exact. Add those 83 new pictures to the 69 images I've added for films playing at the Toronto Film Festival and I have an update for you today that brings you a total of 152 new pictures. I'll feature links to all of the individual galleries at the bottom of the post, but first let's take a look at a few highlights. Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson and Chris Hemsworth in Red Dawn

Photo: Open Road Films Open Road Films has revealed the first official looks at the long-delayed Red Dawn remake. Lost in the shuffle when MGM was going through their financial woes, Red Dawn was finally picked up by Open Road Films who will release...

It's a Christmas miracle! The sequel to everyone's favourite holiday movie Bad Santa is finally on its way to becoming a reality. After being officially confirmed by Miramax last year, they hired two separate writers to pen scripts for the film: Johnny Rosenthal (Iron Jack) and John Phillips (Dirty Grandpa). They had apparently hoped to use one script for part 2 and the other for part 3, with Rosenthal's being the first in line to get made. Now they have hired director Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine) to direct the film, and it sounds like he will also rewrite Rosenthal's script. The news comes courtesy of Deadline, who also confirm that Billy Bob Thornton will return for the lead role. Because let's face it, without his involvement, what would even be the point? It's pretty disappointing that neither John Ritter nor Bernie Mac are still around to reprise their roles, but...

The films screened at this year's Toronto film festival – as the programme release is staggered, this will be updated as more information comes in

The 37th Toronto Film Festival runs September 6 - 16 2012. This article will be updated as official announcements detailing the full line-up are released.

Opening night film

Looper, Dir: Rian Johnson

World premieres

Argo, Dir: Ben Affleck

Byzantium, Dir: Neil Jordan

Capital, Dir: Costa-Gavras

Cloud Atlas, Dir: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski

The Deep (Djúpið), Dir: Baltasar Kormákur

Dreams for Sale, Dir: Nishikawa Miwa

End Of Watch, Dir: David Ayer

English Vinglish, Dir: Gauri Shinde

Foxfire, Dir: Laurent Cantet

Frances Ha, Dir: Noah Baumbach

Free Angela & All Political Prisoners, Dir: Shola Lynch

Ginger and Rosa, Dir: Sally Potter

Great Expectations, Dir: Mike Newell

Hannah Arendt, Dir: Margarethe von Trotta

Hyde Park on Hudson, Dir: Roger Michell

Imogene, Dir: Robert Pulcini

The Impossible, Dir: J.A. Bayona

In the House,...

Time-travel tale starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt will kick off festival that runs from 6-16 September

• Full line-up so far

This year's Toronto international film festival will open with the time-travel action film Looper, directed by Brick's Rian Johnson and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt.

The movie, set in a world in which gangsters send their victims back through time to be conveniently taken out by an enforcer waiting in the past, was among more than 60 features announced for the annual event today. Also starring Paul Dano and Jeff Daniels, it will have its world premiere at Toronto.

"Rian Johnson is a film auteur known for combining different genres to give his projects an original spin," said festival director, Piers Handling. "We're thrilled to have Looper open the festival."

Eleven world premieres in the gala section include those for Ben Affleck's highly...

Has the summer movie season gotten you down? Did some of those hopeful-looking blockbusters disappoint you? Well, we have some good news for you. Today we learned the date of the start of fall movie season: September 6, the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival.

This year, the Tiff line-up is heavily skewed toward world premieres, instead of relying on repeats from Cannes and Sundance. Among the high-profile bows scheduled for the fest are Terrence Malick's "To The Wonder," the Wachowskis' "Cloud Atlas," and Rian Johnson's "Looper," which will open Tiff.

Read more about the line-up and check out the full list after the jump!

There's a lot to digest here, and every time we take another look at the list, we catch another surprise. There's "The Place Beyond The Pines," Derek Cianfrance's follow-up to "Blue Valentine" with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower...

The line-up for this year's Toronto International Film Festival has been announced and it is a doozy. The festival will play host to some of the year's biggest world premieres including Rian Johnson's Looper (which will be the festival's opening night film), The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer's Cloud Atlas, Ben Affleck's Argo, David O. Russell's The Silver Linings Playbook, Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines, Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha, and Neil Jordan's Byzantium. Films making their International/North American debuts (which means that they'll like show up at the Venice Film Festival first) include Terrence Malick's To the Wonder, Joe Wright's Anna Karenina, Robert Redford's The Company You Keep, and Billy Bob Thornton's Jayne Mansfield's Car. Hit the jump for the first wave of announced films. The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 – 16th.