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Harley Chamandy’s first film, Allen Sunshine, takes place at a remote cabin by a lake in wilderness terrain, where Allen, a past music producer, withdraws after his wife’s death.

The narrative starts in calm seclusion, with Allen accompanied only by his dog, Sully, and the surrounding natural sounds he captures and transforms into musical compositions. His withdrawal seems less about running away and more about finding comfort within nature’s rhythmic patterns.

Chamandy’s work demonstrates remarkable skill for an emerging filmmaker, establishing a contemplative atmosphere that permeates the entire film.

The landscape’s quietude reflects Allen’s emotional state, presenting a narrative where recovery emerges through patient waiting rather than dramatic events. The film’s restrained approach captures emotional subtleties with remarkable precision.

In the Quiet: Grief and Connection in Allen Sunshine

Harley Chamandy’s film presents a deep exploration of grief and recovery through the story of Allen,...

Debut director Harley Chamandy shows promise with a skilfully constructed portrait of a former music producer searching for simplicity and solace

Shot when director Harley Chamandy was 22, making him the youngest recipient of the Werner Herzog award for “special achievement in innovation, courage and vision”, this short Canadian drama digs into the peaceable Kaspar Hauser rather than the megalomaniac Aguirre end of the Herzog spectrum. Starring Vincent Leclerc as the eponymous former music producer taking refuge in a lakeside house, it has a disarming simplicity and aura of benevolence.

Allen Sunshine is a man who seems to have successfully decluttered his life. Accompanied by his great dane, Sully, he spends his time recording nature sounds in the surrounding woods and tweaking his electronica music indoors. He is, though, in recovery from trauma; an unannounced visit from his brother prises open his past in the music industry. And when he meets...

The somber existence of a reclusive electronic musician is the focus of Allen Sunshine, the feature debut of 25-year-old Harley Chamandy. The eponymous character (played by Vincent Leclerc) resides in a charming lakeside cabin in Quebec, yet the idyllic nature of his surroundings is tempered by inconsolable grief over his wife’s recent death. As a big-name musical talent in her own right, the solitary Allen is pained by the fact that his grief is not just his own; though he deeply adored her and produced most of her music, it’s clear that fans, both rabid and casual alike, feel equally […]

The post “It’s Punk Rock to Be Hopeful These Days”: Harley Chamandy on His Self-Distributed Feature Debut Allen Sunshine first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The somber existence of a reclusive electronic musician is the focus of Allen Sunshine, the feature debut of 25-year-old Harley Chamandy. The eponymous character (played by Vincent Leclerc) resides in a charming lakeside cabin in Quebec, yet the idyllic nature of his surroundings is tempered by inconsolable grief over his wife’s recent death. As a big-name musical talent in her own right, the solitary Allen is pained by the fact that his grief is not just his own; though he deeply adored her and produced most of her music, it’s clear that fans, both rabid and casual alike, feel equally […]

The post “It’s Punk Rock to Be Hopeful These Days”: Harley Chamandy on His Self-Distributed Feature Debut Allen Sunshine first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Directed with a sense of tranquil serenity and grounded maturity one might be accustomed to finding in the work of a seasoned director, Allen Sunshine is, quite remarkably, the debut feature of 25-year-old Harley Chamandy. The Montreal-born, New York-based filmmaker received the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Prize for his feature following its Munich Film Festival premiere earlier this year. Having participated in Herzog’s workshop as a 17-year-old, Chamandy’s shared affinity with the legendary German director for the natural world is quite apparent. Shot on 16mm by Kenny Suleimanagich, who brings a painterly touch in capturing the woodland landscape, Allen Sunshine is an affecting, understated look at picking up a life destroyed, and finding a connection with the people that can help put the pieces back together.

Still finding his emotional footing after the sudden death of his wife Eloise, a world-renowned musician whose career he had a hand in launching,...

Stars: Alexandre Nachi, Derek Johns, Megan Peta Hill, Vincent Leclerc, Benz Antoine, Carlo Mestroni, Guy Nadon, Patrick Abellard | Written by Jerry Frisson, Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell | Directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell

Knowing this film comes from Rkss – the Canadian filmmaking collective composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell – I couldn’t wait to see it. These three previously created Turbo Kid and Summer of ‘84. Both excellent movies, with Turbo Kid being one of my very favourite movies. They also have another film out this year – Wake Up – which looks just as great, but for now, I was happy to watch We Are Zombies.

The first thing to note about the movie is that it’s not the usual zombie movie. The directors have tried to do something a little bit different. We see a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — and...

The Alien franchise returns to theaters for the first time in seven years with Alien: Romulus, which is one of six brand new horror movies available in theaters and at home this week.

Here’s all the new horror releasing August 12 – August 18, 2024!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

When the dead are back, what do we do with them? The filmmaking group Rkss (Turbo Kid, Summer of ’84) offers a fresh take on the undead in the Screambox Original horror-comedy We Are Zombies, now streaming on VOD and Screambox.

In a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — three slackers after easy money must fight small-time crooks and an evil megacorporation to save their kidnapped grandma. Watch the official We Are Zombies trailer below.

Rkss — the Canadian filmmaking collective composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell — wrote and directed the horror-comedy,...

When the dead are back, what do we do with them? The filmmaking group Rkss (Turbo Kid, Summer of ’84) offers a fresh take on the undead in the horror-comedy We Are Zombies, streaming on all VOD platforms and Screambox today!

In a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — three slackers after easy money must fight small-time crooks and an evil megacorporation to save their kidnapped grandma. Watch the official We Are Zombies trailer below.

Rkss — the Canadian filmmaking collective composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell — wrote and directed the horror-comedy, based on the comic book series The Zombies That Ate the World.

Alexandre Nachi (1991), Derek Johns (The Boys), Megan Peta Hill (Riverdale), Vincent Leclerc (The Revenant), Benz Antoine (Death Race), and Carlo Mestroni (Assassin’s Creed II) star.

We Are Zombies delivered laughs and bloodshed at Fantasia International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival,...

When the dead are back, what do we do with them? The filmmaking group Rkss (Turbo Kid, Summer of ’84) offers a fresh take on the undead in the Screambox Original horror-comedy We Are Zombies, streaming everywhere August 13!

Whet your appetite for the film’s gory mayhem with a gruesome exclusive clip below.

In a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — three slackers after easy money must fight small-time crooks and an evil megacorporation to save their kidnapped grandma. You can also watch the official We Are Zombies trailer below.

Rkss — the Canadian filmmaking collective composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell — wrote and directed the horror-comedy, based on the comic book series The Zombies That Ate the World.

Alexandre Nachi (1991), Derek Johns (The Boys), Megan Peta Hill (Riverdale), Vincent Leclerc (The Revenant), Benz Antoine (Death Race), and Carlo Mestroni (Assassin’s Creed II) star.

"When the dead are back, what do we do with them?" This is the crucial question society faces while living side by side with "non-cannibal zombies" in We Are Zombies, the latest movie from the filmmaking collective Rkss. With We Are Zombies heading to Screambox and other streaming platforms on August 13th, we have an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers!

Below, you can learn about living dead research at the Coleman Corporation in our exclusive clip from We Are Zombies, and we also have the official trailer and press release with additional details on the film ahead of its release on Screambox:

When the dead are back, what do we do with them? Rkss offers a fresh take on the undead in the Screambox Original We Are Zombies, streaming everywhere August 13.

In a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — three slackers after easy...

When the dead are back, what do we do with them? The filmmaking group Rkss offers a fresh take on the undead in the Screambox Original horror-comedy We Are Zombies, streaming everywhere August 13!

In a city infested with the living-impaired — also known as non-cannibal zombies — three slackers after easy money must fight small-time crooks and an evil megacorporation to save their kidnapped grandma. Watch the official We Are Zombies trailer below.

Rkss — the Canadian filmmaking collective composed of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell — wrote and directed the horror-comedy, based on the comic book series The Zombies That Ate the World.

Alexandre Nachi (1991), Derek Johns (The Boys), Megan Peta Hill (Riverdale), Vincent Leclerc (The Revenant), Benz Antoine (Death Race), and Carlo Mestroni (Assassin’s Creed II) star.

We Are Zombies delivered laughs and bloodshed at Fantasia International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest, drawing comparisons to such...

At a lakeside cottage, Allen Sunshine (Vincent Leclerc) keeps to himself. He goes out on his boat, walks his dog, and wanders the surrounding forest with a tape recorder capturing the sounds of nature, which he then mixes into songs with different analog synthesizers. We soon learn that Allen is a music mogul mourning the death of his wife, a famous singer whose career he helped launch. But Allen’s time alone is far from peaceful. He’s full of guilt and rage over his wife’s passing, rejecting the fame and fast-paced life of success in the industry to find solace in the quiet luxury of his cottage and home studio.

Allen Sunshine, the directorial debut of Montreal-born and New York-based filmmaker Harley Chamandy, observes its title character’s journey to acceptance after loss through the help of several neighbors, including two children and a local delivery man. The film has a modest appearance,...

For the second year running, the Munich International Film Festival has secured six world premieres as part of its strategy to position the event as an attractive launchpad for international titles.

Luxembourg-born actress Desirée Nosbusch will be in Munich with her directorial debut Poison, starring Trine Dyrholm and Tim Roth.

The drama about an estranged couple who meet up nine years after their son’s death at the cemetery where he is buried is an adaptation of the Dutch dramatist Lot Vekemans’ much acclaimed 2009 play Gif (poison in Dutch). Poison is a co-production between Nosbusch’s Deal Productions, Dutch company...

Exclusive: Canadian Filmmaker Mélanie Charbonneau has rolled cameras on her sophomore feature Out Standing, which will shoot on location in Montreal, Quebec, and Hamilton, Ontario, throughout April and May.

The pic stars Nina Kiri ((The Handmaid’s Tale) alongside Vincent Leclerc (The Revenant) and Antoine Pilon (Matthias & Maxime). Rounding out the cast are Adrian Walters (Star Trek: Discovery), Stephen Kalyn (Essex Country), Noah Parker (30 Vies), Anthony Therrien (Falcon Lake), and Nicolas Fontaine (Victoire).

The film follows Officer Sandra Perron, who at the height of a brilliant career with the Armed Forces, resigns unexpectedly. The brass launch an investigation that revs up when a photo circulates of Sandra in uniform tied to a tree apparently unconscious. This was not how the career of the first female officer in the Canadian infantry was supposed to end. Besieged by journalists, struggling to adapt to civilian life, and pursued by the investigation, she denies...

These should be joyful times for Emma (Sophie Desmarais). She’s thought of as the top of her class and is about to finish a year-long residency conducting for Orchestre Métropolitain in her hometown of Montreal. There’s talk she might even be up for a permanent position––which would work perfectly now that she’s started seeing one of the group’s cellists (Nour Belkhiria’s Naëlle). Emma should be drinking champagne with friends and celebrating with her family because future dreams are about to become her actual present. Yet her agent can’t help but always applaud their work rather than hers. While a red flag normally, the fact that Patrick (Sylvain Marcel) is also her father means the sirens are deafening.

I say that with hindsight, though. Did I think it at the start? No. Because writer-director Chloé Robichaud does a wonderful job writing their dynamic as complex-yet-successful at the beginning.

Relatively few new limited releases are launching against the likes of Rocketman and Godzilla this weekend. Sony Pictures Classics is rolling out The Fall Of The American Empire, from French-Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand and starring Alexandre Landry, in New York and Los Angeles, and after more than a decade of very limited screenings at a few film festivals, British filmmaker Gerald Fox’s doc Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank is finally getting a regular theatrical release. Indie Rights is heading out with satirical comedy Loners in Los Angeles, and Strand Releasing is launching Cannes 2018 title Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Sawky in New York.

Among other limited release titles headed to theaters this weekend are Mouthpiece from Crucial Things and First Generation Films, and Dogwoof’s For The Birds and Vertical Entertainment’s Rich Boy, Rich Girl.

The Fall Of the American Empire

Director-writer: Denys Arcand

Cast: Alexandre Landry,...

Filmoption International cuts deals on adventures of a married woman who must face the music.

Canadian Renée Beaulieu’s Tiff premiere Les Salopes Or The Naturally Wanton Pleasure Of Skin has sold to Japan and Germany.

Filmoption International’s Andrew Noble licensed rights to At Entertainment in Japan, and to Atlas Film in Germany.

Les Salopes Or The Naturally Wanton Pleasure centres on a self-assured woman and her sexual adventures. When a scandal threatens to reveal deep secrets, a happily married wife and mother with a promiscuous other life must confront the consequences her choices have for her family and career.

Can skin tell the difference between love and desire? It’s an intriguing question Marie-Claire (Brigitte Poupart) can’t help but want to answer as a dermatology professor and lover of sex if only to supply a reprieve from the usual carcinoma studies her doctorate students tediously gravitate towards. She knows the young woman who presents it (Charlotte Aubin’s Sofia) is up to the challenge scholastically, but unsure experimentally. So Marie-Claire takes it upon herself to collect samples of her own cells before and after masturbating, those from a one-night stand (Paul Ahmarani’s Louis) she met at lunch one day, her husband Adam’s (Vincent Leclerc), and who knows how many others that she sleeps with too. It’s an increase in suitors that inevitably risks her personal and professional lives for science.

Writer/director Renée Beaulieu refuses to let her film Les Salopes or The Naturally Wanton...

Vulture WatchHow long will Annie Ryder be on the case? Has the Bellevue TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Wgn America? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Bellevue, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you? What's This TV Show About?Airing on the Wgn America cable channel Bellevue stars Anna Paquin, Shawn Doyle, Allen Leech, Madison Ferguson, Billy MacLellan, Sharon Taylor, Janine Thériault, Amber Goldfarb, Vincent Leclerc, Joe Cobden, Victoria Sanchez, and Sadie O’Neil. The Canadian crime drama, which originally premiered on CBC, centers on the disappearance of a transgender teen. The disappearance of Bellevue’s high school hockey star, Jesse Sweetland (O’Neil), evokes memories for Detective Annie Ryder, whose father committed suicide, after failing...

Sony Pictures Classics has picked up U.S. rights to Oscar winner Denys Arcand’s upcoming The Fall of the American Empire. This is a follow-up of sorts to the Canadian helmer’s 1986 Oscar nominee The Decline Of The American Empire. Spc has also acquired all rights in Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

The film explores the predominance of capitalism in a society where all other values seem to have crumbled. It centers on Pierre-Paul, a 36-year-old intellectual with a PhD in philosophy who is forced to work as a deliveryman to earn a decent living. One day, while delivering a parcel, he gets caught in a hold-up gone terribly wrong. With two dead and millions in money bags laying on the ground, Pierre-Paul is confronted with a dilemma: leave empty-handed, or take the money and run?

Alexandre Landry (Gabrielle) stars as Pierre-Paul with newcomer Maripier Morin, Louis Morissette...

Seville International will handle international sales on Denys Arcand’s (The Barbarian Invasions) upcoming comedy The Fall Of The American Empire, a follow of sorts to his 1986 Oscar-nominee The Decline Of The American Empire.

The French-language film, which is currently in post-production, was written and directed by Arcand and produced by regular collaborator Denise Robert. In 2004, the duo teamed on The Barbarian Invasions which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and was nommed for Best Original Screenplay.

According to the production, the movie “takes a witty and touching look at the predominance of money in a society where all other values seem to have crumbled.” The protagonist, Pierre-Paul Daoust, 36, an intellectual with a PhD in philosophy is forced to work as a deliveryman to afford a decent living. One day, while delivering a parcel, he gets caught in a hold up gone terribly wrong: two dead and millions...

Network: Wgn America. Episodes: Eight (hour). Seasons: One. TV show dates: January 23, 2018 — March 13, 2018. Series status: Cancelled. Performers include: Anna Paquin, Shawn Doyle, Allen Leech, Madison Ferguson, Billy MacLellan, Sharon Taylor, Janine Thériault, Amber Goldfarb, Vincent Leclerc, Joe Cobden, Victoria Sanchez, and Sadie O’Neil. TV show description: From creators Jane Maggs and Adrienne Mitchell, the Bellevue TV show is set in "a small town with big secrets." Bellevue hasn't been the same since a young woman was murdered two decades ago. Now, it appears the killer has returned, but things aren't always the way they seem. Since the local mine shut down, Bellevue's high school hockey star, Jesse Sweetland (O'Neil), has been the town's...

“Bellevue” is set in small-town America, which is another way of saying it’s a gritty murder mystery. Anna Paquin stars in the upcoming series, which she executive produced alongside co-creators and showrunners Jane Maggs and Adrienne Mitchell. Wgn America has just released the trailer, which you can watch below if you feel so inclined.

Read More:Anna Paquin Stars In Netflix’s Upcoming Margaret Atwood Miniseries ‘Alias Grace’

Here’s the synopsis: “Twenty years ago, the murder of a young woman traumatized the community of “Bellevue.” Now, the killer is back. Or is he/she? When a high school hockey star, who is wrestling with his gender identity, goes missing and all signs point to foul play, Detective Annie Ryder (Paquin) must unravel all the pieces to this gripping mystery before her own life falls apart. As the case pulls her further away from her family, she is also...

While it has been shedding its original scripted TV series, like the cancelled Underground, Wgn America has obtained the rights to the Bellevue TV show. The Canadian series premiered on CBC in February of this year. Anna Paquin stars in Bellevue, and also executive produces with creators Jane Maggs and Adrienne Mitchell, along with Janis Lundman, Michael Prupas, Morwyn Brebner and Jesse Prupas. Bellevue is "a small town with big secrets." The Wgn America crime drama series also stars Anna Paquin, Shawn Doyle, Billy MacLellan, Sharon Taylor, Patrick Labbé, Vincent Leclerc, Janine Theriault, Joe Cobden, and Allen Leach. The series will premiere in early 2018. Read More…...

We're not able to dwell on the news that this season is the last for "Being Human" because in Episode 4.08, "Rewind, Rewind....," we are off and running toward the endgame as Sally changes the past and both werewolf Ray and vampire Marcus return.

Along with a 3+-minute sneak peek of the ep, we have 13 photos to give you an idea of the havoc about to be wreaked by Sally's actions. Will anything remain the same?

"Being Human" stars Sam Witwer as vampire Aidan, Meaghan Rath as ghost (and witch) Sally, and Sam Huntington and Kristen Hager as werewolves Josh and Nora.

"Being Human" Episode 4.08 - "Rewind, Rewind..." (airs 3/3/14)

Using magic gets Sally stuck in the past, and her efforts to return to the present end up changing the future for herself and her roommates. Guest stars include Andreas Apergis as Ray and Vincent Leclerc as Marcus.

For more info visit "Being Human" on Syfy.

Warm Bodies: Zombie movie to easily top North American box office on Super Bowl weekend; Nicholas Hoult stars The supernatural romantic comedy Warm Bodies, in which a zombie (About a Boy‘s Nicholas Hoult) rescues and falls in love with a non-zombie (I Am Number Four‘s Teresa Palmer), topped the North American box office on Friday, grossing a relatively strong (estimated) $8.1m — including $525k from Thursday late-evening and midnight screenings — at 3,009 locations, according to figures found at Box Office Mojo. Distributed by Summit Entertainment (now part of Lionsgate Pictures), and based on Isaac Marion’s novel for young adults, Warm Bodies will easily top the North American box office this Super Bowl weekend, collecting approximately $20m. (Photo: Zombie R Nicholas Hoult Warm Bodies.) That’s not bad for a movie featuring no stars, with an unusual theme, and budgeted at a reported $30m (not including marketing and distribution expenses). Having said that,...

We have a preview clip for the upcoming episode of Syfy’s Being Human, “I See You True Colors… And That’s Why I Hate You” where it appears that Josh (Sam Huntington) gets reunited with his parents and at least his father might know about his werewolf… condition.

Josh sits down with his Dad to discuss the current state of the family by bringing humor to the table, but screams for his father to not psychoanalyze him and just simply talk. In the heat of the moment the doorbell rings and Josh steps away from the chaos to answer it only to find Aidan (Sam Witwer) at his doorstep. In an attempt to convince Josh that he can help, Josh tries to explain to his Mom that Aidan is just passing though and must be moving along. Unfortunately, for Josh, his roommate is invited to dinner instead.

It also...