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With the Kickstarter for Alien RPG Evolved Edition launching in a matter of weeks, Free League Publishing has sweetened the pot for those early backers. For those who make a physical pledge within the first 48 hours of the campaign’s launch, you’ll receive an exclusive cloth crew patch for the Uscss Fidanza, the starfreighter featured in the new Cinematic scenario box set, “Rapture Protocol.”

Built upon feedback from thousands of players over five years of adventures, Alien: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition delivers an updated and streamlined version of the Alien RPG fans know and love. The updated core rules include new artwork, new content, and a variety of new tools for players and Game Mothers alike, all fully compatible with previous releases and game material. New aspects of the Evolved Edition include: A bold new look and feel to the Core Rulebook, with all new page layouts by...

Kai Winn Adami, played by Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher, was memorable as one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most insidious villains. With one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's primary themes being faith, Kai Winn was corrupted by political self-interest and jealousy as the elected spiritual leader of Bajor. As an antagonist, Kai Winn starkly contrasted the way Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) slowly accepted his role as Emissary of the Prophets and embraced Bajor, and how Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) redefined her own personal relationship to the Bajoran faith as DS9's Dominion War raged on.

First appearing in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's season 1 finale, "In the Hands of the Prophets", Winn Adami was a strict, orthodox Bajoran Vedek concerned about Keiko O'Brien's (Rosalind Chao) secular teaching style at DS9's school. After the death of Kai Opaka (Camille Saviola), Vedek Winn...

Now, producer Roy Lee has announced a new route that the long-awaited BioShock movie adaptation will take. He was joined for the panel at San Diego Comic-Con by industry veterans Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Akiva Goldsman as he revealed major updates for the stalled project. What was once conceived as a big-budget production has downscaled into something much more contained and personal. This is following careful deliberation on the challenges involved in bringing the expansive, intricate universe of the BioShock games to film.

This new direction, Lee said, will nail the BioShock experience because it's focused around the central components that made the original game a landmark title. He explained that this decision to scale things down had nothing to do with saving corners but was a way to ensure the movie stays true to the atmospheric and thematic richness of the game. More specifically, the film will convey the haunting beauty of Rapture,...

Michael Fetter Nathansky’s Every You Every Me scooped three prizes including best film at the 7th Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) while Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and renowned Indonesian actress Christine Hakim received lifetime achievement awards.

German director Nathansky came on stage to receive the awards for best film and best screenplay and his leading lady Aenne Schwarz was in attendance to collect the best actress award. The romantic social drama, which premiered in the Panorama section of this year’s Berlinale, follows a single mother and factory worker as she falls in and out of love.

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Despite being announced in 2022, theres been little news on the film adaptation of the hit video game, BioShock, which was picked up by Netflix as a streaming original. Thanks to producer Roy Lee, however, we now know that the film is still in the works, but with a budget that will be much less than was previously thought. Lee was in attendance at Sdcc to share the news yesterday, which comes at the hands of a recent restructuring at Netflix.

Per Variety, the new BioShock movie still has The Hunger Games Francis Lawrence attached to direct, but thanks to a recent regime change at Netflix which saw Dan Lin take over for Scott Stuber as the streamers film chief, the movie will be made on a much smaller scale. Lee says that BioShock will now be a "more personal" film.

The new regime has lowered the budgets. So were doing a much smaller version.

Back in 2008, it was announced that Gore Verbinski would be directing a film adaptation of the video game BioShock, with John Logan writing the screenplay. Later, Verbinski decided to hand the helm over to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, but stayed involved as a producer. The movie never made it into production. After years in development hell, BioShock was scrapped by Universal. Now Netflix is working with Vertigo Entertainment and 2K on their own BioShock adaptation, which is set to be directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Michael Green. Lawrence has been developing the project with Green and producer Roy Lee for a couple of years now… and Deadline reports that it’s now moving ahead with a lower budget than previously expected.

During an appearance on a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Roy Lee revealed that when Netflix film chief Scott Stuber left the company earlier this year and was replaced by Dan Lin,...

The original BioShock is still playable, but could benefit from a remake. LinkedIn user Brett Shupe hints at an "upcoming announced remake" at 2K. BioShock 4 is also in development.

As the BioShock community waits with bated breath for some kind of announcement regarding the fourth mainline game in the series, fans of the original title may be in luck. Despite releasing in 2007, the original BioShock is still very playable by today's standards even if some aspects haven't stood the test of time. The premise, world-building, and writing remain excellent but technical issues like janky animations and stilted combat often leave players wondering if Irrational Games' monolithic shooter wouldn't benefit from some kind of remake in a similar vein to Dead Space or Resident Evil 2.

Fortunately, that may be in the works as a LinkedIn user (per MP1st) by the name of Brett Shupe, a Motion Capture Animator at 2K,...

Malaysia Festival Selections

The Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which runs July 21-28, will open with horror film “Indera” by local director Woo Ming Jin and starring Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O’ My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

The festival’s nine films in competition include: “Abang Adik” by Jin Ong; “Betania” by Marcelo Botta; “Every You Every Me” by Michael Fetter Nathansky, a critical exploration of personal identity and a highlight of German cinema; Afghan refugee tale “In the Land of Brothers” by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli; “Rapture” by Dominic Sangma, set in a mystically charged village and exploring oppressive themes through a child’s perspective; “Sujo” by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, a gritty tale of youth amidst cartel violence; “The Editorial Office” by Roman Bondarchuk, a satirical take on...

Malaysian director Woo Ming Jin’s local horror Indera will open the Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which will be closed by two Hong Kong features, Ho Miu Ki’s Love Lies and Nick Cheung’s Peg O’ My Heart.

The 7th edition of Miffest will take place in Malaysia’s capital of Kuala Lumpur from July 21-28. It will pay tribute to Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and celebrated Indonesian actress Christine Hakim with lifetime achievement awards, as well as honour Hong Kong actor-director Cheung with an award for excellent achievement in film.

In a press conference held yesterday (June...

Cinema Icons Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim to be Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards

Kuala Lumpur, 24 June — The Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) has announced its programme lineup for the much-anticipated 7th edition, set to transform Kuala Lumpur into a cinematic paradise from 21-28 July 2024. With an exceptional array of films, MIFFest continues to celebrate the spirit of both Malaysian and international cinema.

Opening and Closing Nights

This year's festival will kick off with the spine-tingling Malaysian horror film “Indera” by acclaimed director Woo Ming Jin, featuring the talented Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude on a high note with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O' My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

Honouring Cinema Masters Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim

At the pinnacle of this year's festival, MIFFest proudly confers its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Awards upon two cinematic titans: Hirokazu Kore-eda...

It's hard to pick just one favorite character on the reimagined "Battlestar Galactica." One especially beloved member of that ensemble though, is Kara Thrace/Starbuck, the hotshot pilot with a spiritual side and self-doubt to match her strength. She's at the center of the series from the beginning and ultimately becomes the lynchpin in one of its more ... metaphysical storylines.

In the pilot mini-series of "Battlestar Galactica," the android Cylons wipe out the 12 Colonies of Man. So, the eponymous Galactica and a handful of surviving ships set out to find a new home while dodging their Cylon pursuers. The thrust of the series is this makeshift fleet's search for Earth, mythical home of the thirteenth tribe of man. In the end, Starbuck leads them there, sort of.

In season 3 episode "Maelstrom," Kara dies piloting her Viper (a space fighter jet) inside a gas giant. Her comrade/lover Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) tries to dissuade her,...

There’s a great beating heart at the center of Lucy Kirkwood’s The Welkin, making its American debut after an ill-timed January 2020 premiere at London’s National Theatre. Fans of Sandra Oh’s masterful work on Killing Eve and Grey’s Anatomy won’t be surprised to find her bringing the same kind of acerbic warmth and casually razor-sharp intelligence that Eve Polastri and Dr. Cristina Yang shared to Elizabeth Luke, an 18th-century English midwife who finds herself wrapped up in a murder trial. Even churning butter, which Oh approaches with a ferocious purposefulness, Lizzy still has lots of bite.

The accused is Sally Poppy (Haley Wong), a maid who skipped town with a ruffian only to come back home to her husband drenched in the blood of the young rich girl she used to serve. She’s already been found guilty of murder, but she’s “pled the belly.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will lead the cast of Netflix’s upcoming thriller series “Man on Fire.” He will also executive produce the project alongside Steven Caple Jr., who has been set as director of the first two episodes under showrunner Kyle Killen.

“Man on Fire” is based on A.J. Quinnell’s first two novels about former French Foreign Legion solider John Creasy, titled “Man on Fire” (1981) and “The Perfect Kill” (1992). This is not the first adaptation of the Quinnell novels; Creasy was played by Denzel Washington in a 2004 “Man on Fire” film and by Scott Glenn in 1987.

The logline for Netflix’s adaptation reads, “Once a high functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations, Creasy (Mateen) is now plagued with intense Ptsd. Determined to overcome his personal demons, he sets out on a path to redemption. But, before he can adjust to this new life,...

French producer Sylvie Pialat will replace Spanish director Rogrigo Sorogoyen as Cannes Critics’ Week president.

“Due to personal circumstances, and much to our regret, Rodrigo Sorogoyen has had to step down as president of the jury for the 63rd Semaine de la Critique,” Critics’ Week said on Saturday (May 11).

The 11th-hour changeover will also see French filmmaker Iris Kaltenback join the jury alongside previously announced members Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire, Belgian director of photography Virginie Surdej, and Canadian journalist and film critic Ben Croll.

Pialat was originally on the jury, and will now act as the group’s president.

Pialat...

To celebrate the just-launched second season of our hit The Story Behind the Song podcast, we’re excited to announce new merchandise so you can bring the story home! We’ve created a vibrant piece of original artwork highlighting all the iconic artists and songs featured on Season 1 of the show, and we’re printing it on high-quality posters and jigsaw puzzles, all available now on the Consequence Shop.

With colors radiating out from the center logo, the design features references to nearly all the Story Behind the Song episodes from the first three years — that’s over 30 songs! Immerse yourself in the history of music’s most enduring hits as you spot the nods to Toto’s “Africa,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Blondie’s “Rapture,” Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk,” Run-d.M.C.’s “It’s Tricky,” Garbage’s “Only Happy When It Rains,...

A total of 35 films from 24 countries and regions have been shortlisted to compete for 16 awards at this year's Asian Film Awards.

Renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will serve as the Jury President for this year's Awards. As the first Japanese director to hold this position, Kurosawa Kiyoshi is deeply honored. He will lead the Jury and over 200 Voting Members in selecting the winners for this year's Asian Film Awards.

The winners of other Afa awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Afa Next Generation Award, and Rising Star Award, will be announced later.

The 17th Asian Film Awards Nomination List

Best Film

12.12: The Day (South Korea)

Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)

Paradise

Perfect Days (Japan)

Snow Leopard (Mainland China)

Best Director

Kim Sung-soo | 12.12: The Day (South Korea)

Gu Xiaogang | Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)

Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)

Kore-eda Hirokazu...

‘Snow Leopard’, ‘Paradise’, ‘The Goldfinger’ and ‘Godzilla Minus One’ also land multiple nods.

South Korean box office hit 12.12: The Day and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist lead the nominations for the 17th Asian Film Awards, with six nods each including best film.

Also up for best film is Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise from Sri Lanka-India, Wim Wenders Perfect Days from Japan and Chinese feature Snow Leopard by the late Pema Tseden.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on March 10 and will be decided by a...

Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, Evil Does Not Exist, and the period action pic 12.12: The Day, from Korea, lead the nominations at this year’s Asian Film Awards.

Both films received six nominations, including Best Film and Best Director. Directed by Kim Sung-soo, whose credits include Asura: The City Of Madness and The Flu, 12.12: The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup of 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness), and Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North). Released on November 22, the film sailed past the 12 million admissions mark at the Korean box office over the Christmas holiday period, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 in the market.

Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist — which debuted out of Venice — follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live...

The BioShock movie must not ignore the game's classical music tone, as it plays a crucial role in creating the unique atmosphere of Rapture. The movie should not simply rehash the game's story, but instead explore new events and adapt iconic characters in a way that stays true to the franchise's lore. Rapture's core concept as an underwater utopia that turns into a divided society should not be forgotten in the movie, as it is essential to understanding the game's themes and message.

The BioShock movie currently in the works by Netflix will adapt an iconic video game franchise into a feature-length film, but there are some crucial mistakes it must avoid. Video game adaptations have had an inconsistent past and BioShock will be a real challenge to get right. Despite its gameplay having plenty of action, BioShock is full of complexities and can't simply be adapted into an action movie.

The BioShock movie should replicate HBO's The Last of Us in order to succeed as a video game adaptation, staying faithful to the source material while making a few tweaks that enhance the story and world-building. The Last of Us season 1 leveraged television's unique strengths by taking its time to unfold and expanding upon characters' backstories and roles, which benefited the series and added to the franchise's world-building. The BioShock movie should adopt a character-driven approach like The Last of Us, exploring tangential stories and pre-collapse Rapture to add depth to the world-building and flesh out the movie's characters.

Netflix’s upcoming BioShock movie needs to replicate a key aspect of HBO’s much-loved The Last of Us season 1 in order to succeed as a video game adaptation. Based on 2K Boston's 2007 first-person-shooter-meets-rpg of the same name, the BioShock movie is set to take viewers to the underwater, 1940s-built city...

Steely Dan, Blondie, Public Enemy, R.E.M, Timbaland and the man who wrote bubblegum classics “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” are among the nominees for the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Also included on the roster of nominees are, among others, Bread frontman David Gates, Tracy Chapman, the Guess Who’s Randy Bachman & Burton Cummings, Kenny Loggins, Heart and Roger Nichols, who composed the music for such Carpenters hits as “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.”

See the complete list of nominees below.

According to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song. Eligible voting members will have until midnight Et on December 27, 2023 to turn in ballots, with their choices of three nominees from a songwriter and three from performing songwriter categories.

The BioShock movie will be faithful to the game's canon, providing relief to fans who are excited about seeing Rapture in live-action. While the movie will stay true to the source material, there will be "little twists" that surprise fans, a strategy that successful video game adaptations have utilized. Game accuracy is crucial to the movie's success, as BioShock's well-plotted story and unique elements already provide a strong foundation for a film adaptation.

Recent reports have confirmed a crucial BioShock movie decision — one that's actually just what the video game's fans have needed to hear to inspire faith in the long-awaited adaptation. Published by 2K and helmed by creative lead Ken Levine, 2007's BioShock is set in an alternate version of 1960. Jack, the player-controlled character, stumbles upon the now-defunct underwater city of Rapture, which was established by American business magnate Andrew Ryan as a refuge for society's elite. Completely isolated,...

Tatino Films, a French production and consultancy company involved in industry events in Asia and Europe, has teamed with Kazakhstan-based Alternativa Film Project and the Philippines’ QCinema Project Market for three film residencies.

The partnership will yield two Pop Up film residencies called the Pop Up Alternativa Awards for filmmakers from Central Asia and one Pop Up Qcfc (Quezon City Film Commission) x QCinema Award for Southeast Asian filmmakers to develop their upcoming film projects.

Launched by Tatino Films in 2019, the Pop Up Film Residency is an international network of residencies for feature film projects that works with the likes of Cannes, Eurimages, Brazil’s BrLab and the Doha Film Institute among others. Recent films developed at the Pop Up include “Slow” and “Stepne”.

The Alternativa Film Project and the QCinema Project Market were both launched in September this year. Backed by tech company inDrive, the Alternativa Film Project is...

Bhutan-set political satire ’The Monk And The Gun’ takes festival’s audience award

Sarvnik Kaur’s documentary Against The Tide has won the top prize, the Golden Gateway Award, at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival.

The documentary, which world premiered at Sundance, follows two fishers and friends from Mumbai’s Koli community pursuing their livelihoods by different means.

Lockdown drama Bahadur - The Brave by Diwa Shah, which played in San Sebastian’s New Directors strand this year, won the Silver Gateway Award.

Kanu Behl’s drama Agra, which world premiered in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight this year, won the special jury award.

Sarvnik Kaur’s documentary Against The Tide won the Golden Gateway Award at this year’s Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival, while the Silver Gateway Award went to Bahadur – The Brave, directed by Diwa Shah. The Special Jury Award went to Kanu Behl’s Agra.

Against The Tide follows two fishermen struggling to provide for their families as the sea turns hostile due to climate change. Bahadur – The Brave revolves around Nepalese migrant laborers during the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in India.

Agra, which had its world premiere at this year’s Cannes film festival, is the story of young Indian man attempting to navigate cramped living conditions, sexual repression and a dysfunctional family to create his own space in the world.

The South Asia Competition jury was headed by Mira Nair and also included Australian filmmaker David Michod, Filipino filmmaker and actor Isabel Sandoval...

Sarvnik Kaur’s documentary “Against the Tide” has won the Golden Gateway Award at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival. The film previously won awards at Sundance, Sydney and Seattle and best documentary at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on the same evening as Mumbai.

Diwa Shah’s San Sebastian winner “Bahadur: The Brave” received Mumbai’s Silver Gateway Award. The festival’s Gender Sensitivity Award, for a film that challenges gender stereotypes and norms, which is decided by India’s Film Critics Guild, was won by Leesa Gazi’s “Barir Naam Shahana” (“A House Named Shahana”). The Special Jury Award went to Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” which premiered at Cannes earlier this year.

The Rashid Irani Young Critics’ Choice Award, a program created by the festival to nurture young writers on cinema, was won by Shahrukhkhan Chavada’s “Kayo Kayo Colour?” Dominic Sangma’s Locarno title “Rimdogittanga” (“Rapture”) won the Netpac Award.

Rapture, the second film from Indian filmmaker Dominic Sangma, is being presented with the Cultural Diversity Award at this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

The Garo-language film, which is the second in a trilogy set in Sangma’s home village, had its world premiere in Locarno film festival’s Cineasti del Presente strand; also played at Busan International Film Festival and is currently screening in the South Asia Competition of Mumbai Film Festival.

Set amongst the Garo community in Meghalaya, Northeast India, the story follows a ten-year-old boy, suffering from night blindness, who lives in a village that is gripped with fear as local people keep disappearing and rumours are spreading of kidnappers trafficking in human organs.

Making matter worse is the local priest who has prophesized that an apocalyptic darkness will consume the world, lasting for 80 days. In the midst of this paranoia, the boy witnesses an act...

Michael Green shares updates on the progress of the highly anticipated BioShock movie adaptation, emphasizing Netflix's enthusiasm for the project. The movie's development was temporarily hindered by the Writers Guild of America strike but has since resumed, with Green collaborating with director Francis Lawrence's team to refine the screenplay. BioShock's unique blend of compelling storytelling, player choices, and immersive graphics have established it as a dominant video game franchise, and fans eagerly await its cinematic rebirth.

In an age where video game adaptations are soaring in cinematic success, a wave of anticipation grows as we await news about the big-screen adaptation of the revered video game, BioShock. Michael Green, renowned for Blade Runner 2049, has shared some news about the movie's progression.

Just a year ago, the talented director, Francis Lawrence, informed Collider that Green would be the genius behind the screenplay. But the movie's development faced...

Tiger Leaping To Holiday Frame

India’s Yash Raj Films has set a mid-November release date ahead of the Diwali holidays for “Tiger 3,” its anticipated spy-action film starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. Holiday complexities have caused the company to devise what it called a “strategic and unique release plan.”

Having previously only released teaser footage, Yrf has now also unveiled a full trailer.

Unusually, the film will open in Indian and international theaters on a Sunday – Nov. 12.

“2023 is the year of ‘Adhik Maas’ which has led to complications regarding festival dates. This year, Monday, Nov. 13 is New Moon/Amavasya and the Govardhan Pooja/Gujarati New Year falls on Nov. 14. Bhai Dooj is on November 15, giving the film an extended run in this crucial holiday period which will aid in collections through the week,” said Yrf.

Directed by Maneesh Sharma (“Band Baaja Baaraat”), the film is the...

As a little boy, studying in a school in mist-kissed Meghalaya, he wrote behind his chair in the classroom – ‘director’. That is how it started. Filmmaker Dominic Sangma’s Garo language film ‘Rapture’, which won the Cultural Diversity Award at the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and premiered at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival is all set to be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angele 2023 (Iffla).

The movie, which takes audiences on a journey into the heart of Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, exploring the intricate interplay between gullibility and tolerance within a rural village is part of a trilogy based on his memories in his village. ‘Rapture’ is the second after ‘Ma. Ama’ made five years ago.

“While Ma. Ama was based on my family, the second one deals with the memories of the people and the village. There is a bit of fiction too. Growing up in the village,...

As a little boy, studying in a school in mist-kissed Meghalaya, he wrote behind his chair in the classroom – ‘director’. That is how it started. Filmmaker Dominic Sangma’s Garo language film ‘Rapture’, which won the Cultural Diversity Award at the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and premiered at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival is all set to be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angele 2023 (Iffla).

The movie, which takes audiences on a journey into the heart of Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, exploring the intricate interplay between gullibility and tolerance within a rural village is part of a trilogy based on his memories in his village. ‘Rapture’ is the second after ‘Ma. Ama’ made five years ago.

“While Ma. Ama was based on my family, the second one deals with the memories of the people and the village. There is a bit of fiction too. Growing up in the village,...

After a three-year hiatus, the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival is returning with a larger lineup and an expanded focus on South Asian cinema.

The festival will feature 250 films including 40 world premieres, 45 Asia premieres and 70 South Asia Premieres. The opening and closing films have not been finalized yet.

The festival’s new vision is to become a hub for South Asian and South Asian diaspora cinema and talent and, in keeping with this, the main competition is for 14 films from the region. These include the world premieres of Leesa Gazi’s “A House Named Shahana” (Bangladesh-u.K.), Dibakar Das Roy’s “Dilli Dark” (India), Sumanth Bhat’s “Mithya” (India) and Fazil Razak’s “The Sentence” (India). The new focus will also include 46 non-competition films from South Asia.

The Icons South Asia strand features Anand Patwardhan’s Toronto title “The World is Family”; “Indi(r)a’s Emergency” by Vikramaditya Motwane...

Japan heads the nominations, followed by China.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist heads the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with nods in four categories including best film, best director, best screenplay and best cinematography.

The Japanese feature premiered at Venice where it picked up both the jury and Fipresci prize, and centres on a father and daughter in a rural village, whose peaceful lives are disrupted by proposals to build a camping site in their area.

Hamaguchi’s latest film, following Oscar-winner Drive My Car, was just ahead of China’s Snow Leopard by the late Tibetan director Pema Tseden,...

Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, Evil Does Not Exist, leads this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) with four nods, including the gong for Best Film.

Hamaguchi’s nominations haul includes Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography for Yoshio Kitagawa. The film is Hamaguchi’s first film since his Oscar-winning Drive My Car and debuted at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The pic follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. A plan to construct a glamping site near Takumi’s house, offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to nature, threatens to endanger the ecological balance of the area and the local people’s way of life.

Also nominated in the Best Film category are Wim Wenders’s Perfect Days, Snow Leopard by Pema Tseden,...

Iffla Will Open With Khufiya Directed By Vishal Bhardwaj And Close With All India Rank By Varun Grover

US Premieres of Documentaries The World is Family by Legendary Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, and The Golden Thread by Nishtha Jain

Exclusive Masterclass with World Renowned Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj

Today the 2023 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) announced the lineup of official selections for the 21st annual edition of the internationally acclaimed film festival. Iffla will showcase 24 films from 13 countries and in 14 languages, including the world theatrical premiere of Vishal Bhardwaj's Khufiya, the world premiere of Atul Sabharwal's Berlin, and the North American premieres of Varun Grover's dramedy All Indian Rank, Dominic Sangma's Garo language film Rapture,and the Malayalam film Aattam (The Play) by Anand Ekarshi. Plus, the LA premiere of Joram by Devashish Makhija.

Passes and Gala tickets are now available at www.indianfilmfestival.org. Tickets to...

Los Angeles, Sep 15 (Ians) The Tabu-starrer action-spy-thriller film ‘Khufiya’ is all set to have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla).

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, ‘Khufiya’ is based on the novel ‘Escape to Nowhere’, written by the former R&aw (Research and Analysis Wing) chief of counter espionage, Amar Bhushan, seeing the ‘Andhadhun’ actress as a covert operative, embarking on a secret and dangerous mission that requires her to juggle roles as a spy and a lover.

Vishal, known best for his dramatic film adaptations of Shakespeare’s works with films such as ‘Maqbool’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Haider’ and more lately, with his Agatha Christie retread, in ‘Charlie Chopra’, will also give a full masterclass on his filmmaking journey and multi-faceted creative process across screenwriting, directing and music, as was reported by Variety.

The festival’s other feature selections include: the world premiere of Atul Sabharwal’s...

The Tabu-starrer action-spy-thriller film ‘Khufiya’ is all set to have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla). Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, ‘Khufiya’ is based on the novel ‘Escape to Nowhere’, written by the former R&aw (Research and Analysis Wing) chief of counter espionage, Amar Bhushan, seeing the ‘Andhadhun’ actress as a covert operative, embarking on a secret and dangerous mission that requires her to juggle roles as a spy and a lover.

Vishal, known best for his dramatic film adaptations of Shakespeare’s works with films such as ‘Maqbool’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Haider’ and more lately, with his Agatha Christie retread, in ‘Charlie Chopra’, will also give a full masterclass on his filmmaking journey and multi-faceted creative process across screenwriting, directing and music, as was reported by Variety.

The festival’s other feature selections include: the world premiere of Atul Sabharwal’s ‘Berlin’, Dominic Sangma’s...

Tabu-starring spy thriller, “Khufiya” has been set as the opening title of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Oct. 11-15). A Netflix-backed production, the Iffla presentation will represent the film’s theatrical world premiere.

The festival will wrap with the North American premiere of dramedy “All India Rank,” by Varun Grover. The film had its premiere at the Rotterdam festival in January.

Between the two, the festival will play four additional narrative features, two documentary features and 16 shorts, hailing from 13 countries.

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, “Khufiya” is based on the novel “Escape to Nowhere,” written by a former chief of counter espionage, Amar Bhushan and sees top actor Tabu as an operative on a mission that requires her to juggle roles as a spy and a lover. It also stars Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Azmeri Haque Badhon (“Rehana”).

Indian director, screenwriter and musician Vishal Bhardwaj.

Bhardwaj,...

The emerging agency of India in the global landscape, the turbulent politics and ambitions of the most populated country in the world, as well as the vibrant energy of the Indian film industry, abounding in talent pool and incredible creativity – these are the reasons why it’s high time to look into contemporary Indian Cinema. For Five Flavours, it’s an unprecedented direction in the festival’s history – let this section become an invitation to embrace the lavish and fascinating tissue of Indian storytelling.

Focus: India is a whole spectrum of emotions and varying styles – poetic essays, intimate dramas, or genre blockbusters that will take you by surprise with their fierce narratives. Each of the programmed films of the biggest film industry in the world becomes a chance to delve into Indian diversity, as they present local stories through the context of geographical tapestry or different traditions – either concerning the cultural background or filmmaking practice.

For his sophomore movie, Dominic Sangma returns to the festival circuit with “Rapture”, the second part of his thematic trilogy on village life. The Indian-Chinese-Swiss co-production premiered in Locarno, and was shot on location in the (largely Christian) state of Meghalaya in Northeast India, where the director actually grew up as a child.

Rapture screened in Locarno Film Festival

One night, a 14-year old boy collecting rare cicadas that only appear only every two years at night, goes missing in the forest. The villagers begin to search, but as time passes and he is not found, rumors of child kidnappers roaming around the area start circulating, with the locals assuming that they are part of an organ-trafficking ring sent in the woods by big city hospitals. While a local legend regarding nymphs also becomes part of the suspicions regarding the perpetrator, the pastor of the village announces the advent of...

The popular Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival is returning after a three-year Covid and logistics-related absence with a hub, a refreshed executive team and a host of plans.

Hollywood and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas continues as festival chair, while media veteran and former Variety contributor Anupama Chopra remains festival director and independent producer Anu Rangachar (Locarno title “Rapture”) heads up the international program. Alongside them is a new team including Deepti DCunha, who previously advised Cannes and Film Bazaar, as artistic director; former Lionsgate India content head Maitreyee Dasgupta as co-director; producer Anupama Bose (Rotterdam title “Joram”) as artistic director, Jio Mami year round program; and Abhishek Kumar as head of marketing, PR and sponsorship.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media conglomerate Jio remains the title sponsor of the festival, which is operated by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mami). The new, glittering Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre will be the festival hub.

Indian filmmaker Dominic Sangma’s “Rapture” (“Rimdogittanga”) is the second in a trilogy of films based on his memories of village life that began with his debut feature “Ma’ama” (2018).

The Garo-language film, which revolves around a 10-year-old boy who suffers from night blindness and for whom every night is terrifying when his village is gripped by the fear of child-kidnappers, originated from another memory of Sangma, who hails from Meghalaya in northeastern India.

“The film germinated from the fear I experienced when I was a kid, fear of others, others that don’t look like us, or talk like us, the outsiders, also the idea of child kidnappers or a stranger lurking around at night is very common in northeastern India,” Sangma told Variety. “Fear is a very important tool in the hands of power be it in religion or politics, there is so much fear and hatred among each other in our time.

Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World (Radu Jude).The lineup for the 76th edition of the festival has been announced, including new films by Eduardo Williams, Leonor Teles, Lav Diaz, Radu Jude, and others.Concorso INTERNAZIONALEAnimal (Sofia Exarchou)Critical Zone (Ali Ahmadzadeh)Essential Truths of the Lake (Lav Diaz)Home (Leonor Teles)The Human Surge 3 (Eduardo Williams)The Invisible Fight (Rainer Sarnet)Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World (Radu Jude)Lousy Carter (Bob Byington)Manga D’Terra (Basil Da Cunha)Nuit Obscure – Au Revoir Ici, N’Importe Où (Sylvain George)Patagonia (Simone Bozzelli)The Permanent Picture (Laura Ferrés)Rossosperanza (Annarita Zambrano)Stepne (Maryna Vroda)Sweet Dreams (Ena Sendijarević)The Vanishing Soldier (Dani Rosenberg)Yannick (Quentin Dupieux)Excursion (Una Gunjak).Concorso Cineasti Del PRESENTECamping du Lac (Eléonore Saintagnan)Ein Schöner Ort (Katharina Huber)Excursion (Una Gunjak)Family Portrait (Lucy Kerr)Dreaming...

A stellar precursor to the busy fall film festival season, Locarno Film Festival annually premieres some of the year’s most exciting cinema and 2023 looks to be no different. Taking place from August 2-12 in the Swiss town, the festival has now unveiled its lineup for the 76th edition. Highlights include Eduardo Williams’ The Human Surge 3 (brilliantly forgoing a second film), Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World, Lav Diaz’s Essential Truths of the Lake, Sylvain George’s Nuit Obscure – Au Revoir Ici, N’Importe Où, and Quentin Dupieux’s Yannick.

Speaking to its main section, Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, said, “From Quentin Dupieux and his edgy surrealism to Lav Diaz. From the sarcastic humor of Radu Jude to the night poetry of Sylvain Georges. From the mad inventions of Rainer Sarnet to the abstract psychedelia of Eduardo Williams.

Nick Cave and Debbie Harry have linked up for a cover of Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s “On the Other Side.” It’s the first single from The Task Has Overwhelmed Us, an upcoming tribute album dedicated to the late Gun Club bandleader.

The Task Has Overwhelmed Us is the fourth installment of the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project series, in which Cave and Harry are regulars: They’ve previously done renditions together of “Free to Walk” on 2009’s We Are Only Riders, “The Breaking Hands” from 2012’s The Journey Is Long, and “Into the Fire” from 2014’s Axels and Sockets.

The focus of the series is to flesh out demos Pierce began before he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1996. On their version of “On the Other Side,” the Bad Seeds and Blondie vocalists — both of whom Pierce admired a lot — spend the majority of the song singing in unison,...

When Debbie Harry first told Rolling Stone about her memoir, Face It, earlier this year, she promised it would contain “an overview of the way [Blondie] carried on through all that time, from my sort of warped little perspective.” But when it came out, it turned out to be even more eye-opening than she had suggested.

In the book, she revealed that she had always viewed “Blondie” as a character she played. Adopted when she was only six months old, Harry questioned who she really was as she drifted from her hippie-ish first band,...