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Amman — At a time when Arab cinema is grappling with questions of voice, visibility, and viability, the Pitching Platforms at the Amman International Film Festival (Aiff) offered something rare: a space for filmmakers to speak freely, and be heard.

Part of the festival’s Amman Film Industry Days, this year’s platforms awarded cash and in-kind prizes across three categories: Jordanian First Film (Development), Arab Projects (Development), and Post-Production. In a region where resources can be difficult to access and censorship persists, the initiative provided more than support. It offered connection, recognition, and momentum.

A Surge of Urgency and Imagination

For Egyptian filmmaker Jad Chahine, the Pitching Platform was a launchpad for “The Masters of Magic and Beauty,” a generational myth set in a desert world shaped by magic, rebellion, and prophecy.

“This story was inspired by the gap between the world I grew up in — where tradition and obedience...

Ike Anand has been elevated to president and CEO of Alsac, the fundraising and awareness organization that supports the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to eradicate pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases.

Anand has been with the Memphis-based medical research organization since 2020, signing on as chief operating officer. He was tapped as interim CEO in March after Alsac’s longtime leader, Richard Shadyac Jr. announced in December his intent to step down after 15 years at the helm. Anand was tapped for the permanent gig after Alsac conducted an extensive executive search.

“Throughout his tenure, Ike has demonstrated visionary leadership and an unwavering commitment to the St. Jude mission,” said Frederick M. Azar, chair of Alsac’s board of directors. “His passion and dedication have been instrumental in redefining our strategic direction. We are confident that under Ike’s leadership, Alsac will continue to grow and advance the mission of St.

Finally, the truth. Subhash Ghai’s most atypical film Black & White, released on March 7, 2008, was a blatant ripoff of Alan Pakula’s The Devil’s Own. Although Ghai denied the comparison, the similarities are too many to ignore. Subhash Ghai ventures into a territory that would characteristically be considered uninviting for an escapist entertainer.

It’s a well-crafted, finely written, and packaged piece of cinema done with more heartfelt Gandhian articulations than most recent films, which have merchandized poor Gandhiji in Munna-tones of bubble-gum philosophy.

You don’t often come away from a film disturbed yet hopeful about the distending dimensions of modern-day violence and terrorism. We did it in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se, Gulzar’s Maachis, and Santosh Sivan’s Terrorist. Now we feel a genuine concern for the collapse of Gandhi’s secular dream in India, as Chandni Chowk (which is rapidly becoming a favourite haunting-ground for...

Shams, in her quiet turmoil, becomes a canvas for the hidden fractures that define one’s existence. Through Amina Ben Ismail’s portrayal, we see vulnerability not as fragility, but as an intricate form of strength, built from years of internal conflict.

Shams is not simply lost in the ambiguity of her intersex identity; she is submerged in the heavy silence that surrounds it. Her journey is an accumulation of quiet, unseen moments of introspection, each one an attempt to reconcile the disparate parts of her being in a world that demands rigid labels.

The people around Shams—Habib, Abdelkhalik, Naima—serve as reflections of the larger forces at play. Mohammed Mrad’s Habib is a man trapped between love and betrayal, his reactions steeped in confusion.

Aymen Ben Hmida’s Abdelkhalik stands as an embodiment of violent possession, a brutal reminder of how desire distorts everything it touches. In contrast,...

Italy’s box office revenues remained stable in 2024, totalling roughly €494 million ($513 million) in grosses and 70 million admissions – which is just slightly below the country’s $514 million 2023 intake.

Disney landed the year’s top 3 titles with “Inside Out 2,” which grossed $48.3 million locally; “Moana 2,” which pulled $20 million; and “Deadpool & Wolverine” which clocked in at $18.7 in the Italian theatrical market, according to figures released by national box office compiler Cinetel.

But amid a dearth of Hollywood blockbusters, due to the impact of last year’s Hollywood strikes, it was local movies, such as Italy’s sleeper hit “The Boy With Pink Pants,” that proved crucial to keeping the market buoyant. “The Boy With Pink Pants,” a teen drama by relatively unknown director Margherita Ferri about the harrowing true tale of a 15-year-old boy who took his own life after enduring bullying at school and online, became the year’s surprise...

Tunisia has made relatively few submissions for the international feature Oscar, yet thanks to female helmer Kaouther Ben Hania, the country recently earned a nomination with “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020) and a place on the shortlist with “Four Daughters” (2023). This year’s submission, “Take My Breath,” comes from another female director, Nada Mezni Hafaiedh, but did not make the shortlist. The beautifully shot, attractively cast melodrama follows the plight of an intersex person living as a woman until her secret is betrayed. Unfortunately, the well-intentioned screenplay by Hafaiedh and Pascal Jousse piles on such a plethora of social issues that it overwhelms the central storyline.

Shams is a talented 23-year-old seamstress, who is well-liked in her small island community. She lives with and supports her bitter mother Fadilah (Fatma Saidene) and wheelchair-using sister. Her quiet competence and natural beauty grab the attention of hunky engineer-cum-fisherman Habib (former model...

When it comes to boxing simulators, certain names like Real Boxing, Fight Night Round, and many more come to mind. Now it seems there is another name that is going to reign in this genre: Undisputed. This Steel City Interactive game has been released on October 11, 2024.

Undisputed is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows. | Credit: Steel City Interactive.

Nowadays, there is a scarcity of quality boxing or fighting games. In this regard, only EA Sports UFC comes to everyone’s mind despite the games being of sub-par quality. Hence this new title by Steel City Interactive has the potential to stand above all. And with the recent sales, it seems the recently released title is on the right track. However, these sales data do not tell the whole story.

Undisputed Hasn’t Met the Expectations Fans are disappointed with Undisputed. | Credit: Steel City Interactive.

Boxing has always had a close relationship with music, whether it’s Joe Frazier singing with his band on The Ed Sullivan Show the night before a championship fight, or Frank Sinatra becoming a ringside mainstay at Madison Square Garden. Nowhere is that bond stronger than with hip-hop, with prizefighters walking out to the ring with their favorite artists, rap verses referencing greats of the sport, and boxers dropping albums of their own.

With the imminent release of Undisputed (out Oct. 11), the hotly anticipated Sweet Science sim from Steel City Interactive,...

This article contains spoilers for Inside Out 2.

The Inside Out 2 trailers hinted how Anxiety's debut would complicate Riley's psyche. Director Kelsey Mann explained how one scene was particularly challenging to create: Riley's anxiety attack towards the film's ending.

Inside Out 2's big opening weekend confirmed it was a worthy sequel to the 2015 original. Both films leaned on the premise of personified emotions influencing Riley's thoughts and actions, but the sequel ups the ante with Riley entering puberty. Her internal conflicts reach a breaking point in the film's climactic scene when she's forced to sit out a hockey match's final scrimmage. Director Kelsey Mann told Variety that the critical scene required "a good 25 meetings" of planning with all creative heads pitching in to strategize the ending; she described their production discussions as "the gatherings of the mind council."

Related 5 Ways Inside Out 2 Is Better Than Inside Out (& 5 Ways...

Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending for “Inside Out 2” now playing in theaters.

“Inside Out 2” director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen held “a good 25 meetings” in preparation for the film’s climactic scene — when Riley, the movie’s teenage protagonist, suffers an anxiety attack. But these weren’t any average production discussions, they were “the gatherings of the mind council,” which summoned all the department heads together to strategize the execution of the scene.

“Simulation, effects, lighting and animation all together like, ‘How are we going to do this?'” Nielsen tells Variety.

“We had a gong our visual effects supervisor [Sudeep Rangaswamy] would ring at the beginning and end of every meeting,” Mann adds. “It was a collection of all the heads of the different departments to figure out the difficult things.”

“Inside Out 2” follows a now 13-year-old Riley who...

Inside Out 2's visual style is inspired by the anxiety-inducing cinematography of Uncut Gems. The new emotion Anxiety will play a crucial role in the sequel, affecting Riley's other emotions and suppressing Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. To accurately depict the complexity of Anxiety, the animation team is using innovative techniques with static sets and virtual cameras to replicate Uncut Gems' cinematography.

The visual style of Inside Out 2 took inspiration from a 2019 Adam Sandler movie. When released in 2015, Inside Out was met with critical acclaim and proved to be a box office hit. In 2022, a sequel to the successful first film was announced. Inside Out 2 will see the return of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear, and will explore the beginning of Riley's teenage years, as newly personified emotions emerge, including Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui.

While speaking with Animation Magazine, director of layout photography, Adam Habib,...

Moroccan director Asmae El Moudir is hatching her first fiction project.

El Moudir, who won the best director award in Un Certain Regard last year with her documentary The Mother Of All Lies and was on the Ucr jury this month in Cannes, is preparing a new drama with the working title, Holy Cow.

The writer-director has been working on the project through the Cannes Residence development programme. Holy Cow tells the story of a man who, after years of unemployment, finally finds his first job as a truck driver transporting cattle for the Rabat slaughter houses. His first assignment...

Inside Out 2 co-writer Dave Holstein and director Kelsey Mann opened up about the creative process behind developing Rileys Belief System in the highly-anticipated animated sequel. Rileys Belief System is expected to become one of the "core elements" of the upcoming movie.

During a recent interview with Empire, Holstein and Mann believed that introducing Rileys Belief System would be giving fans "the emotional hit" that was lacking from the first installment. "Now that Rileys a teenager, shes starting to develop her own set of beliefs," Mann explained. "What if we actually hear Riley say her beliefs in her own voice? If you hear her say, Im kind,' you can hear [in] the performance how she feels about that. Or, 'My parents are proud of me.' On the flip-side, if theres a belief thats not so good, you can really hear the emotion of it."

Related Inside Out 2 Runtime...

Inside Out 2 cinematographer Adam Habib revealed which Adam Sandler-led movies inspired some of the visuals of the highly-anticipated animated sequel. Habib had previously worked as the layout lead during the first installment’s production, and as the camera and staging supervisor for Riley’s First Date short.

During a recent interview with /Film, Habib opened up about crafting Anxiety’s introduction in Inside Out 2, confirming that they drew inspiration from the camera work used in The Safdie Brothers’ 2019 thriller Uncut Gems to visually reflect the character to the audience. "We have this really fun new element with the character of Anxiety, and when Anxiety is driving, as you know when you feel it, the world feels really different," he explained. "So we try to represent that visually. We do things like use handheld in the movie when Anxiety is driving." As seen in the official trailers, the...

Many fans have been looking forward to Pixar’s upcoming sequel to their 2016 film Inside Out. The idea of following a character who started as a child and slowly grows up with each new installment and seeing each new challenge that comes with age is appealing to many.

Some make the argument that Really herself isn’t actually a character and just a robot controlled by different emotions, she still acts as a vehicle to explore the concepts of growing up. The execution of those ideas remains to be seen.

While we seem to have a general idea of what to expect, the new character Anxiety seems to be the head of the new emotions, sort of like a ring leader, as well as the main antagonist. The topic of teenage anxiety seems to be at the core of the story, with the director of photography, Adam Habib, stating the...

Back in March, Pixar Animation invited /Film to check out 35 minutes of their upcoming animated sequel "Inside Out 2." Along with the screening of the film's promising, clever, and hilarious first act, a series of presentations from the many filmmakers working on the movie took us behind the scenes to learn all about how the next chapter of Riley's life came together.

In "Inside Out 2," the core emotions find themselves overwhelmed when the now 13-year-old Riley enters puberty and begins experiencing some new emotions. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear, and Disgust are confronted with some drastic changes in how Riley approaches life when Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) show up and start messing with the console inside their girl's min.

Acting as the leader of the new emotions, Anxiety is the one who creates the biggest concern for Joy,...

Inside Out 2 will introduce Anxiety as one of Riley’s new emotions and rather appropriately, Pixar looked at Uncut Gems as a reference.

Inside Out may very well be one of the finest animated films of the last few decades and Pixar is currently busy getting a sequel, Inside Out 2, ready for release in June.

There’s a lot of pressure on Pixar and director Kelsey Mann to match Pete Docter’s brilliant first film, but the trailer looks pretty good. Adding to the hype, Polygon reports that the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems was one of the inspirations for Inside Out 2.

Polygon visited Pixar and not only got a good look at the upcoming sequel, but also chatted to many of the people working on it. Inside Out 2 will follow Riley as she enters her teen years and experiences a whole roster of new emotions.

Amy Poehler...

Italian film and TV orgs will hold an emergency press conference in Rome next week to discuss the damage being done to their sectors by uncertainty over the future of direct funding and tax credits.

The meeting on April 5 in Rome’s Cinema Adriano will gather the members of 14 professional bodies including filmmakers’ org 100 Autori, producer groups Anica and Agici, Cartoon Italia and the actors’ association Unita.

“The first quarter of 2024 saw an abrupt halt in film and audiovisual production, due to uncertainty and the continued delay in the implementation of public support measures for the sector,” said the film and TV orgs in a statement announcing the conference.

Italy’s right-wing government has been making noises for months about its reform of the country’s Cinema Law, first mooted prior to its arrival in power in 2022.

The legislation covers direct film and TV funding, as well as the 40% tax...

The European Producers Club, which represents top independent film and TV drama producers across continental Europe, has joined a rallying cry launched by Italy’s indie producers over the imminent prospect that the Italian government will lower local investment obligations for streamers.

Just as the Italian parliament is set to revise the country’s current media legislation, the Paris-based lobbying group, representing 170 prominent European independent film and TV drama producers, has issued an “urgent” call to action clamoring for Italy to “uphold its 20% investment obligation level, establish ambitious quotas for Italian works,and introduce protective measures for assets and IP.”

Italy’s current media law simply implements Europe’s so-called Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which forces foreign streaming services to invest a portion of their revenue into local productions but leaves the modalities of this obligation to each individual country. The Italian law currently requires streaming giants such as Netflix...

Middle East streamer Osn+ is joining forces with Anghami, the Arab world’s rival to Spotify, in what is being touted as a landmark deal.

The combination of Osn+ and Anghami will become the first platform in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region to provide customers premium movies, TV series and music. It will combine over 120 million Anghami registered users and more than 2.5 million Osn+ paying subscribers.

The move could shake up the Mena media and entertainment landscape, given that Osn+ is a leading streaming platform for premium content and a prime outlet for Hollywood scripted fare in 22 territories across Mena. In March they extended their relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery, forging a new multi-year licensing deal that makes them the exclusive home for HBO content. They also have rights to Paramount+ shows, plus a slate of Sky Studios and Peacock Originals produced by NBC Universal as well...

Vuelta Group is a joint venture from Scanbox, SquareOne and Playtime.

Recently launched European studio Vuelta has added Italy’s Indiana Production and France’s Pan to its ever-expanding footprint on the continent.

The groups join the all-new private equity-funded joint venture’s current team encompassing Nordic film company Scanbox, German distributor SquareOne and French powerhouse sales force Playtime.

Film and TV production house Indiana, founded by Fabrizio Donvito and Marco Cohen, is behind Giorgio Diritti’s Venice competitor Lubo and Netflix series The Leopard and Unwanted. They also produced Paolo Virzi’s Human Capital and The First Beautiful Thing,...

Apparently ‘Charandas Chor’ was earlier made in 1975, as a children’s film by noted director Shyam Benegal, based on the legendary playwright Habib Tanvir‘s play, which itself was an adaptation of a classical Rajasthani folktale by Vijaydan Detha. The lyrics of the film were also by Habib Tanvir. The film starred Smita Patil, Lalu Ram, Madanlal and Habib Tanvir.

Now, as a tribute to the iconic playwright Habib Tanvir on his centenary, Karmic Films Private Limited has announced its acquisition of the rights to the theatrical masterpiece ‘Charandas Chor’, with plans to bring this timeless masterpiece to the silver screen, capturing its brilliance and social commentary for a new generation of audience.

Originating in 1975, “Charandas Chor” is a timeless gem by the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Habib Tanvir. Renowned globally for its compelling narrative for its brilliance, the play received the prestigious Fringe First award at the...

Mumbai, Aug 15 (Ians) Former India captain and legendary footballer Mohammed Habib, who was once praised by the Brazilian legend Pele himself, passed away in Hyderabad on Tuesday after a long illness. He was 74 and is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.

Having made his name in Kolkata and lived there for decades, Habib a few years back shifted to Hyderabad and was bedridden for the last year or so as he has been suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s Syndrome. He breathed his last at around 4 pm on Tuesday at his residence in Toli Chowki, Hyderabad.

Born in Hyderabad in undivided Andhra Pradesh on July 17, 1949, Habib represented India for a decade from 1965-75 and was part of the golden generation that won a bronze medal in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok — the team led by statemate Syed Nayeemuddin and of which another legend P. K. Banerjee was the manager.

Mumbai, Aug 15 (Ians) The All-India Football Federation (Aiff) officials and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led numerous fans of Indian football in paying tributes to former captain and legendary footballer Mohammed Habib.

Habib, who has been suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s Syndrome for years, passed away in Hyderabad on Tuesday. He was 74.

Born on July 17, 1949, the former India captain represented the country in 35 international matches, and scored 11 goals in the process, after making his debut against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup at Kuala Lumpur in 1967. Habib etched his name in the folklore of Indian Football in 1970, when he played an integral part in the Blue Tigers’ bronze medal-winning run in the Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Saddened to learn of the demise of the legendary Indian footballer Mohammed Habib at Hyderabad today. An iconic player of the Calcutta Maidan in the 1960s- 1980s and a darling of football-lovers...

Mumbai, Aug 15 (Ians) Former India captain and legendary footballer Mohammed Habib passed away in Hyderabad on Tuesday due to an old age-related illness. He was 74 and is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.

Having made his name in Kolkata, Habib a few years back shifted to Hyderabad and was bedridden for the last year or so as he has been suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s Syndrome. He breathed his last at around 4 pm on Tuesday at his residence in Toli Chowki, Hyderabad.

Born in Hyderabad in undivided Andhra Pradesh on July 17, 1949, Habib represented India for a decade from 1965-75 and was part of the golden generation that won a bronze medal in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok — the team led by statemate Syed Nayeemuddin and of which another legend P. K. Banerjee was the manager. He was also part of the squad that secured third place...

Toronto Police have opened a homicide investigation after local filmmaker Reeyaz Habib was found dead in the city’s West End on June 8.

Habib, a graduate of the School of Cinematic Arts at USC, recently completed his directorial debut, the comedy Fat Lady Sriracha, which is in postproduction. Toronto Police Services on Wednesday said the homicide and missing persons unit was investigating a “suspicious death” that occurred June 8 in the Liberty Village neighborhood and appealed for help from the public to establish the director’s whereabouts between June 4 and 8.

“Reeyaz was a wonderfully kind spirit, full of an excitement for life and telling the complex yet necessary stories within it. He brought us all together to fulfill a lifelong dream. We’re extremely grateful for the time and trust we got to have with him and look forward to honoring his legacy by making sure his story gets told,” Fat Lady Sriracha...

Toronto Filmmaker Reeyaz Habib has died at 53.

Exclaim reports human remains were found in a dumpster in Toronto’s Liberty Village neighbourhood Thursday, which have now been identified as Habib’s.

The filmmaker was declared missing on June 9, though he was last seen on June 5. Police are currently seeking information on his whereabouts between those dates.

Read More: Cormac McCarthy, Award-Winning Author Of ‘No Country For Old Men,’ Dies At 89

Habib’s work included his directorial debut “Fat Lady Sriracha” which was to be distributed through Game Theory Films.

“Reeyaz was a wonderfully kind spirit, full of an excitement for life, and telling the complex yet necessary stories within it,” the film’s producer, Jaskaran Singh, offered in a statement. “He brought us all together to fulfill a lifelong dream. We’re extremely grateful for the time and trust we got to have with him, and look forward to honouring...

British actors Julia Ormond (“Ladies in Black”) and Lydia Page (“Blue Jean”) are set to soon appear in psychological horror movie “Home Education” directed by Italy’s Andrea Niada.

Set in the scenic Sila plateau in Italy’s Southern Calabria region, “Home Education” revolves around a family that are followers of an esoteric cult and live in a secluded house deep in the woods.

Warner Bros Entertainment Italia, Italy’s Indiana Production and BlackBox Multimedia are producing with support from the Calabria Film Commission. Germany’s SquareOne Productions is co-producing and handling international sales. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film in Italian theaters.

Page plays Rachel, a teenager raised according to the cult’s beliefs. When her father Philip dies, Rachel’s domineering mother, Carol, played by Ormond (see first look image), driven by the belief that Philip’s lifeless body will revive itself, forces her daughter to live with the corpse.

Mumbai, Jan 1 (Ians) Former Asian Games gold medallist Rafat Habib, seasoned Siddharth Parikh, Nitesh Madan and Devendra Joshi and former junior national champions Ashutosh Padhy and Anuj Upal will be among the top contenders hoping to advance to the main draw of the Nsci All-India Snooker Open 2023, which will be played from January 2 to 14.

Habib, Parikh and Madan will also be representing Railways, Joshi will turn out for Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (Pspb); Rrahul Sachdev and Mahesh Jagdale of Maharashtra; Tamil Nadu’s Vijay Nichani, Padhy of Odisha and Anuj Upal of Delhi will be among 128 cueists that will be fighting for 32 places in the main draw, which will commence from January 8.

With 13 lakh as total prize money, the second edition is set to give away Rs 3 lakh to the winner followed by 1.5 lakh to the runner-up and ultimately going down the ladder to give Rs.5,000 to the 32 qualifiers to...

That player was none other than the Brazilian legend Pele, regarded by most football aficionados as the greatest player ever to grace the football field.

Pele visited India twice — the first time in 1977 as part of the New York Cosmos team, which he had joined towards the end of his career, travelling across the world to promote the game through exhibition matches.

On his second visit in 2015, Pele arrived in New Delhi and then went to Kolkata on a week-long tour. He witnessed the Subroto Cup U-17 final in Delhi.

It was his visit in 1977 that generated huge interest in the country and is still remembered by thousands of fans who had lined-up the road from Kolkata’s Dum Dum to his hotel and then from his hotel to the Eden Gardens, which had around 80,000 spectators.

It was an especially memorable visit for the team from the iconic Mohun Bagan...

Marrakech — One Moroccan highlight at this year’s Atlas Workshops has been given a special berth, as its director merits: “Deserts” from actor-helmer Faouzi Bensaidi whose films have played Berlin and Venice.

A modern take on the Western, “It will be an abstract Western, but not a Spaghetti Western. It will be more existential. Man against himself, against God and against nature and coming to terms with his own interior violence,” he told Variety when he film was still a project, closing co-production. .

Those deals are now in place with France’s Barney Productions, NiKo in Germany, Entre Chien et Loup in Belgium accompanying Mont Fleuri in Morocco. The production is locked and aiming to premiere next year.

Meanwhile, five other Moroccan titles, this time in development are hoping to get to this stage of completion with the help of the Workshops. These projects are presented in the Atlas Close-Ups section.

Bollywood churns out on average 120 plus films a year, with 2014 reaching 142. So to think all of them will go down in history as being successful is rather naive. But what about the ones we thought would work wonders but came up short? The ones that left us thinking, “Why was this allowed past the editing board”? Even ones that somehow managed to cha-ching the money registers sky high. 2014 had its fair share of films that fit all these categories. BollySpice brings you the biggest disappointments of 2014.

10. Holiday

A.R.Murugadoss blew everyone’s mind when he told a tale of an anterograde amnesia patient desperately seeking revenge for the murder of his girlfriend in Ghajini. Yet when it came to a follow up film, one could say Holiday fell short of all the trimmings to recreate the magic. The writer in Murugadoss failed to see the shortcomings of his story,...