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“Urchin,” the directorial debut of “Babygirl” and “Triangle of Sadness” star Harris Dickinson, has been acquired for North America by 1-2 Special, the New York-based distributor that launched earlier this year.

The film — a vivid portrayal of homelessness and mental health on the streets of London — bowed in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar in May to solid reviews and an enthusiastic 5-minute standing ovation. It wound up winning the competition’s best performance prize for its breakout actor Frank Dillane as well as the Fipresci Prize awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics.

1-2 Special is planning a theatrical release for the film this fall.

“Urchin” is a deeply personal work for Dickinson — who also appears in the film — and is centered on characters living on the margins of society. The story follows Mike (Dillane), a rough sleeper in London who becomes trapped in a cycle of self-destruction as...

James Gunn has made some big movies, like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad. But in a recent interview with French outlet Konbini, he didn’t talk about superheroes. Instead, he talked about a small bear in a blue coat.

During the interview, Gunn stopped at a display for Paddington in Peru and admitted he hadn’t seen it yet. But he didn’t hold back when talking about the previous film in the series. “Paddington 2 is a classic film,” he said. “It’s one of the greatest movies ever made. People think I’m being ironic when I say that, but I’m telling the truth.”

That’s a strong take, but he’s far from the only one who feels that way.

Paddington 2, which came out in 2017, is a live-action and animated comedy directed by Paul King. He also co-wrote it with Simon Farnaby.

James Gunn, the director known for big hits like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, recently sat down for an interview with the French media outlet Konbini. During the chat, he shared his thoughts on movies that have stuck with him, his all-time favorites, and some that don’t get the recognition they deserve.

One movie stood out in particular as Gunn walked over to where Paddington in Peru was on the display and commented the following:

“Uh, well, this Paddington I haven’t seen, but Paddington 2 is a classic film. It’s one of the greatest movies ever made. People think I’m being ironic when I say that, but I’m telling the truth.”

James Gunn calls Paddington 2 “one of the greatest movies ever made”

“It’s a classic […] People think I’m being ironic when I say that, but I’m telling the truth.

Miro Remo’s hybrid doc “Better Go Mad in the Wild” picked up Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s Grand Prix on Saturday – and $25,000, shared by the director and the producers.

Following hermit twins František and Ondřej Klišík, the Slovak director first discovered them thanks to Aleš Palán’s book. “I contacted Aleš right away, and he brought me into their world,” he said. “I fell in love with them and with their environment. I was fascinated by everything magical and enchantingly unusual.”

Jurors Nicolas Celis, Babak Jalali, Jessica Kiang, Jiří Mádl and Tuva Novotny called it “a funny valentine to the fading art of being true to yourself” and a “delightfully inventive documentary.” Despite living on a dilapidated farm, “in a world as mad as ours, [they] actually might be the sanest people on earth.”

They added: “ ‘Better Go Mad in the Wild’ feels like a gulp of fresh, woody air,...

Earlier this week, Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro unveiled his lineup of more than 200 titles — almost half of which are world premieres — that will screen at the Swiss temple of indie cinema.

They include new works by Locarno regulars such as Romania’s Radu Jude — winner of the fest’s special jury prize two years ago for “Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World” who is back with the hotly-anticipated “Dracula” — as well as experimental U.K. filmmaker Ben Rivers, returning for the third time. His “Mare’s Nest” tells the story of a young girl named Moon (played by rising talent Moon Guo Barker) as she travels through a mysterious world free of adults.

The Locarno competition also comprises a new film by France’s Palme d’Or-winning but scandal-plagued auteur Abdellatif Kechiche. “Mektoub ,My Love: Canto Due” is the final installment in a trilogy,...

Bearing out Brazil’s place as country of honor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” (“O Agente Secreto”) won the Fipresci Prize in the Official Selection – Competition category, granted by the International Federation of Film Critics .

Set in Brazil under military rule in 1977 and starring Wagner Moura , the film delves into themes of political repression, morality and resistance. Known for his earlier films “Aquarius” and “Bacurau,” both of which played in main comoetition at Cannes, Mendonça Filho continues his exploration of Brazil’s sociopolitical landscape with a narrative praised for its depth and ambition.

“The Secret Agent” was hailed by Variety‘s Peter Debruge as a “terrific ’70s thriller” and “dazzling period drama.”

In its assessment of the film, the Fipresci jury explained: “We chose a film that has a novelistic, epic generosity; a film that allows for digression, diversion, humor and...

Mubi has bought Mascha Schilinski’s Cannes competition film “Sound of Falling” for North America and a string of international territories, Variety has learned.

Besides North America, Mubi has taken “Sound of Falling” for the U.K., Ireland, Turkey and India.

The drama, which world premiered last week to rave reviews, marks Schilinski’s follow-up to her 2017 debut “Dark Blue Girl.”

“Mubi is an oasis for everyone who loves cinema,” said Schilinski in a statement. “Here arthouse classics stand shoulder to shoulder with new exciting cinema as well as little movie gems that we would otherwise not get to see. We are very happy that ‘Sound of Falling’ is now part of Mubi’s movie family,” she added. “I accompanied and protected the movie until the last moment. Now it was allowed to celebrate its world premiere in competition at the Festival de Cannes. I wish ‘Sound of Falling’ an...

Jane Crowther has been elected chair of the London Critics’ Circle Film Section, as part of a new-look leadership team at the organisation.

Crowther takes over from Rich Cline, who held the role for the past four years. Crowther is an experienced film journalist who was editor of UK film magazine Total Film, as well as editor in chief of the Film Group of its publisher Future.

She is currently editor of Hollywood Authentic Magazine.

The Critics’ Circle has elected Guy Lodge as vice chair, taking over from Crowther. Lodge is UK film critic for Variety, and a home entertainment columnist for The Observer.

Pedro Pascal en la rueda de prensa: «Que se joda la gente que intenta meteros miedo». © Getty Images

Mientras Sirat continúa liderando la competición oficial en Cannes, y títulos como Sound of Falling, Two Prosecutors, Dossier 137 y The Little Sister reciben una acogida mayoritariamente positiva, irrumpe Eddington, la nueva película de Ari Aster. Con uno de los repartos más potentes del certamen –Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal Clifton Collins Jr. (Star Trek), Austin Butler (Dune: Parte dos) y Emma Stone (Pobres criaturas)–, la cinta se ha convertido en la propuesta más divisiva hasta ahora, despertando críticas de lo más polarizadas.

La prensa internacional no se pone de acuerdo. Guy Lodge de Variety la elogia: «Cuando uno cree que Eddington es una historia de suspense coherente e incluso convencional, la película se escabulle hacia territorios mucho más extraños. Pero no se pierde como Beau tiene miedo». David Ehrlich de IndieWire también...

German filmmaker Mascha Schilinski’s “Sound of Falling” debuted on Wednesday afternoon in Cannes, the first film from the competition slate to premiere at the Grand Lumière. If the rave reviews are any indication, it appears the festival already has a major Palme d’Or contender on its hands. The drama is Schilinski’s follow-up to her 2017 debut “Dark Blue Girl.”

While “The Sound of Falling” was met with a standing ovation on the shorter side for the festival (three-and-a-half minutes), the post-screening reaction was more or less hobbled by the theater turning over for the next showing: Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” premiere. Schilinski also quieted the audience down when she took the microphone to thank her cast. The crowd continued to cheer as they exited the theater to make way for the “Mission” premiere.

Variety’s Guy Lodge hailed the movie as a “shattering...

Danish queer sex drama “Sauna,” a Sundance Festival hit, has closed its first significant international market deals, sales house TrustNordisk licensing North America to Breaking Glass, Germany to Salzgeber & Co Medien and Spain to Filmin.

Nordisk Film Distribution will bow “Sauna” in Denmark on April 24.

The sales underscore an early pattern in early 2025 international deal-making. much driven by genre, animation, star auteurs and also breakout auteurs playing off “A” fest acclaim. Given the relative rapidity of the deals, more will be in the offing.

“We are incredibly proud of the international journey ‘Sauna’ is taking,” said TrustNordisk Managing Director Susan Wendt. “It’s truly wonderful to see this bold, honest and deeply human story resonating with audiences beyond Denmark. With key sales to North America, Germany, and Spain, ‘Sauna’ proves that powerful and authentic voices from Danish cinema can travel far and touch hearts across borders.”

The sales deals also...

“Predators,” a look into the rise and fall of the pedophile-baiting series “To Catch a Predator,” has sold to MTV Documentary Films following its debut at Sundance.

David Osit directed and produced the documentary, revolving around the hidden-camera reality TV show that ran on NBC from 2004-2007. On the “Dateline” spinoff series, journalist Chris Hansen worked in coordination with law enforcement while conducting sting operations that exposed adult men who were hoping to have sex with minors. The film raises questions about ethical lines in journalism as well as the public’s obsession true-crime stories.

MTV Documentary Films will release the film theatrically this fall. In a release announcing its purchase, the company said it plans “an aggressive awards campaign.” The movie will then stream on Paramount+ with Showtime.

“I’m thrilled to work with MTV Documentary Films and am humbled to have ‘Predators’ included in their excellent slate of award-winning,...

An underground economy built around the Kenyans ghost-writing essays for more privileged college students is brought into the light in Eloïse King’s “The Shadow Scholars,” a documentary executive produced by Steve McQueen that plays this week at the Joburg Film Festival.

The London-born director’s feature debut is a revealing portrait of the multibillion-dollar “fake essay” industry that employs an estimated 40,000 Kenyans — highly educated, chronically underemployed individuals making ends meet by writing academic papers for students across the globe.

The film chronicles the daily lives of several writers juggling day jobs and parenting duties as they work tirelessly to meet academic deadlines overseas, while posing questions about “the power of visibility, and who gets seen and who doesn’t,” according to King.

“There are lots of incredibly talented, intelligent, and wonderful people [in Kenya], but are they getting the opportunities?” she says.

“The Shadow Scholars,” which premiered at the Intl. Documentary...

The largest audience award in the world, the Lux Audience Award, sees citizens and members of the democratically elected European Parliament coming together yearly to honor a European film with their coveted prize. This year’s slate of highly-acclaimed nominees include Gints Zibalodis’s history-making “Flow,” which just won Latvia its first ever Oscar for Best Animated Film, and Mati Diop’s “Dahomey,” the first film by a Black filmmaker to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

A joint initiative of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in collaboration with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas, the Lux Audience Award “fosters dialogue and engagement between politics and the public through the medium of film.” Nominated films address “European values” as well as raising “awareness about some of today’s main social and political issues.” Throughout the competition period, the European Parliament provides subtitles in 24 EU...

As directors Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor took the stage to accept the best documentary Oscar for their work on “No Other Land,” they took the opportunity — in one of the only overtly political moments of the telecast — to make a robust plea for “a political solution” to the war in Gaza.

“We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” said Adra, a Palestinian journalist and activist. “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now. … ‘No Other Land’ reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist.”

Abraham, an Israeli journalist, spoke at length about why their film was a collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians. “We made this film,...

Paging Sam Wilson! “Captain America: Brave New World” flies to cinemas over the weekend, and Marvel’s latest adventure hopes to thaw an icy box office.

“Captain America: Brave New World,” in which Anthony Mackie’s Avenger takes over the star-spangled shield from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, is targeting $80 million to $85 million over the traditional weekend and $90 million to $95 million through the Presidents Day holiday. The tentpole, which cost north of $180 million before marketing, is landing in roughly 4,100 North American theaters.

The film is expected to add another $110 million at the international box office, though it’ll contend in China with “Ne Zha 2,” which has become the highest-grossing release in the country’s history with $1.1 billion and counting, and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” which is going straight to Peacock in the U.S. but playing theatrically in the rest of the world.

Considering there’s been no stateside competition,...

The world may seem pretty bleak at the moment, but at least we have the Academy Awards to look forward to. No, really. While the Oscars may have an unfortunate history of rewarding garbage movies, celebrating terrible people and indulging the musical whims of Billy Crystal, this year could be different.

For starters, instead of giving the hosting job to Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel, nobody at all or Jimmy Kimmel, the Academy has thankfully hired Conan O’Brien. And we have no doubt that Conan will ultimately prove to be the anti-Franco.

While we’re still over a month away from the actual ceremony, the Oscar nominations are set to be announced this Thursday, at the least convenient time possible for every U.S. time zone, as per tradition.

Further indicating that the Academy has good hiring instincts this year, the nominations will be announced by two funny, likable young stars:...

“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” has been awarded the Golden Eye at Zurich Film Festival.

Jury president Lee Daniels – joined by Souheila Yacoub, Jo Willems, Sophie Deraspe and Ewa Puszczyńska – praised director Rungano Nyoni and her “miraculous” second film about past traumas finally coming to the surface when a family prepares for a funeral of an uncle: “We believe she’ll take over Hollywood,” he said.

“From the first shot of this film, we are thrust into a world that is spectacularly shot, filled with incredible music, exquisite sound design and acting that left us all breathless,” he added, calling it a surreal, dramatic comedy full of surprises about the lies we tell ourselves.”

Following the film’s Cannes premiere, Variety’s Guy Lodge called Nyoni’s film “darkly transfixing” and “at once intrepidly daring and rigorously poised.”

Festival director Christian Jungen told Variety: “It’s a very original and...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired “The Penguin Lessons,” an uplifting dramedy starring Steve Coogan as a teacher who forms an unlikely bond with a feathered friend.

Peter Cattaneo directed the film, which premiered at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. It’s adapted by Jeff Pope from Tom Michell’s 2016 memoir. It follows a cynical British professor who takes a job in Argentina in the 1970s during a period of political upheaval, only to find his life transformed when he rescues a oil-soaked penguin from a beach. Under the deal, Sony Pictures Classics has distribution rights in North America, the Middle East, Turkey, Asia, India, Japan and South Korea.

In Variety’s review, critic Guy Lodge described “The Penguin Lessons” as a “heartwarming tale of human-animal bonding” and praised the eponymous penguin, writing that “almost inevitably, it’s best when it’s about the bird.”

Coogan, the English actor who...

A new comedy horror movie is due to land on Netflix next week. And it certainly sounds like it will be worth a watch (possibly while cowering behind a sofa cushion). Titled It's What's Inside, the horror outing has a killer concept and a solid Rotten Tomatoes score of 82%, with critics commending fledgling filmmaker Greg Jardin for blending black comedy and horror thrills in his feature film directorial debut. Centering on a reunion of old friends who are left startled and scared when a surprise guest arrives with a mysterious suitcase, It's What's Inside could well make the perfect Halloween treat.

It's What's Inside had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, and Brittany Patrice Witherspoon of Screen Rant awarded the movie a near-perfect 4/5 believing that It's What's Inside is destined for cult status.

"A mind-bending horror feature one could easily become obsessed over, Its Whats...

Serbian filmmaker Milica Tomović, whose sophomore feature, “Big Women,” was one of the big winners at the Sarajevo Film Festival’s industry awards on Thursday, thinks audiences are afraid of women behaving badly. “People are not that interested to watch movies with bad female characters who do bad things,” the director told Variety.

“Big Women,” which is produced by Dragana Jovović of Non-Aligned Films and Jelena Radenković for Big Time Production, won the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award in Sarajevo. The film is pitched as a road-trip dramedy that follows two wild women who embark on an unexpected trip to the coast of Montenegro. There they’ll settle forgotten bills, rediscover their friendship and uncover long-buried secrets.

Describing the film as “a character-based story,” Tomović said it’s “based on the dynamics of this very strong friendship.” “This is the center of the story, between Mira and Tina,” she said of...

Romanian director Emanuel Pârvu’s “Three Kilometers to the End of the World,” a Palme d’Or contender at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, took home the top prize at the Sarajevo Film Festival Friday night.

The third feature from the actor-turned-director was awarded by the jury headed by U.S. writer-director Paul Schrader (“First Reformed”) that included Swedish actor and producer Noomi Rapace (“Lamb”), Finnish director-writer Juho Kuosmanen (“Compartment No. 6”), Sarajevo-born, Paris-based director, writer and editor Una Gunjak (“Excursion”) and Slovenian actor Sebastian Cavazza (“Men Don’t Cry”).

“Three Kilometers,” which follows a 17-year-old who’s the victim of a homophobic attack in a small town in Romania’s Danube Delta, examines the assault’s fallout on his rural community from multiple perspectives. Variety’s Guy Lodge described it as a “claustrophobic study of personal and institutional prejudice closing in on a community misfit,” praising the “cinematic heritage...

TrustNordisk has picked up international sales on filmmaker Mari Storstein’s debut feature “My First Love.”

Filming is underway on the Norwegian film produced by Thomas Robsahm and Tøri Gjenda for Nordisk Film Production Norway and Amarcord.

Filling a crying need on the global market for stories with accurate representation of people with disabilities, highlighted by Hollywood star Ramy Youssef and “Coda” helmer Sian Heder as reported by Variety, “My First Love” offers a truthful and heartfelt story of a young disabled woman, told from the perspective of the director who herself has been in a wheelchair for her entire life.

Storstein, who studied filmmaking at the TV school of Lillehammer University College in Norway, has systematically used her camera to depict the plight of disabled persons and received multiple accolades for her work, including a Norwegian Gullruten (the country’s version of the Emmys) in 2018 for her documentary series “Søsken,...

Gillian Anderson wants the truth.

After winning an Emmy for Netflix’s “The Crown,” Gillian Anderson is back in the royal realm, but this time she’s in the shoes of journalist Emily Maitlis in Netflix’s taut thriller “Scoop.” The film tells the story of the BBC news team that secured the explosive 2019 interview with Prince Andrew about his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Anderson has a deep admiration and respect for journalists, but in a post Donald Trump-era she’s grown increasingly frustrated with news outlets that have lost focus on their core mission.

“It’s frustrating when publications that don’t lead with integrity, whether in news or entertainment, and devolve into tabloid journalism,” Anderson tells Variety. “There are so few left that respect the truth, the job and the integrity of individuals. They should treat their audience as adults, capable of making up their own minds.

Mubi has swooped on its third 2024 Cannes competition title, Variety has learned.

Having acquired worldwide rights to Coralie Fargeat’s buzzy body horror “The Substance” and U.K. rights to Andrea Arnold’s Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski-starring ‘Bird’ before the festival began, the arthouse distributor, production banner and streamer has now picked up Magnus von Horn’s chilling black and white drama “The Girl With the Needle.” Mubi bought the title for North America, U.K./Ireland, Latin America, Germany/Austria, Italy, Turkey and India.

Directed by von Horn (“Sweat”) from a screenplay he wrote with Line Langebek, “The Girl With the Needle” is loosely based on the true story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye, who helped impoverished women kill their unwanted children and was first sentenced to death in 1921, but it was later changed into a lifetime in prison.

In von Horn’s pic, set in post WW1 Copenhagen,...

MTV Documentary Films has acquired U.S. rights to Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries.”

The docu, about the investigation of the director’s own alleged sexual assault, debuted in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and has been an audience favorite at this year’s Cph:dox, South by Southwest and Hot Docs film festivals.

MTV will theatrically release “Black Box Diaries” this fall, beginning in October at New York’s Film Forum. The film will be qualified for awards consideration before streaming on Paramount+ for subscribers with the Showtime plan later this year. Last year, the division released two Oscar nominated docs — Maite Alberdi’s feature length “The Eternal Memory” and Sheila Nevin’s short titled “The ABCs of Book Banning.”

Ito’s 103-minute film tracks her arduous, five-year struggle to bring to justice renowned TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi for allegedly sexually assaulting her in...

As Luca Guadagnino’s acclaimed tennis film Challengers makes its case for sporting immortality, critic Guy Lodge chooses 20 of the genre’s undisputed heavyweights

Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide

Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.

The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...

Paris-based sales house Charades has acquired international sales rights to Argentinian Western-Inspired documentary “Gaucho Gaucho” which earned a Sundance Jury Prize in January and recently played at Cph:dox.

Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, the duo behind the box office hit ‘The Truffle Hunters,’ “Gaucho Gaucho” explores the story of a community of cowboys and cowgirls in Northern Argentina living outside of the modern world.

Produced by Dweck and Kershaw for Beautiful Stories Productions, the film is shot in black-and-white and celebrates the beauty and passion of a group of skilled Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as gauchos.

“Gaucho Gaucho” has been praised international critics, including Variety’ Guy Lodge who described the film as a “perfectly framed,” “loving, visually resplendent documentary” that “gives the Argentine cowboy community ample space to bond and merge.”

Charades’ co-founder Carole Baraton said the company was “very proud to bring this special masterpiece from...

As brings to London a 90-minute monologue about Mary, Queen of Scots, the celebrated French actor talks about her extraordinary career, and why she’d love to make a film in the UK – or play a Marvel villain. Below, Guy Lodge chooses her finest screen appearances

Isabelle Huppert is a force of nature. Two days before we meet, she has arrived in Stockholm from New York via Paris. Two hours after she touched down, she was on stage rehearsing. The next evening, she opened in Mary Said What She Said, an extraordinary one-woman portrait of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Then she walked back to her hotel in high heels, through five inches of snow.

Now, she is sitting opposite me in an empty rooftop bar, especially reserved for our conversation. Drinking citron pressé, as the Scandinavian light seeps away through the early afternoon, she looks tired when she arrives...

Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar acceptance speech after Zone of Interest won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film has drawn condemnation from more than a thousand Hollywood actors, creatives and executives over the past few days, but there are also some in the entertainment industry who have spoken in support of Glazer and his speech.

For context, here is the entirety of Glazer’s speech:

Thank you so much. I’m going to read, I’m afraid.

Thank you to the Academy for this honor and to our partners A24 Films for access and Polish Film Institute, to the Stead Museum for their trust and guidance, to my producers, actors, collaborators.

All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say look what they did then, but rather look what we do now.

On February 23, 2024, Cohen Media Group released “Io Capitano” in the United States, Italy’s Oscar-nominated Best International Feature film directed by Matteo Garrone. The movie is a Homeric fairy tale that tells the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar to reach Europe. The 2024 Oscars contender has received widespread acclaim from critics, scoring a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The critics consensus reads, “A journey toward hope, ‘Io Capitano’ perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.” The castings, under the direction of Henri-Didier Njikam, took place on the African continent and features mostly newcomers. Read our full review round-up below.

See Watch our exciting interviews with 12 of the 20 Oscars 2024 acting nominees

Damon Wise of Deadline says, “Despite its technical elegance — and the film is near flawless in that respect — the...

Jane Campion is championing Matteo Garrone’s “Io Capitano,” which is Italy’s Oscar-nominated contender for best international feature film.

The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe in pursuit of a better life. It realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.

In Variety‘s review, critic Guy Lodge called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since [his] international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.” The drama, which at the Venice Film Festival won best director and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr is the strongest Italian Oscar contender in recent memory. The film, which also won best European film at San Sebastian, will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 23 by Cohen Media Group.

As the nominees for the animated feature Oscar were unveiled this year, one thing was clear: 2D and 2D-influenced animated films are dominating awards season.

Among this year’s nominees, “The Boy and the Heron,” “Nimona,” “Robot Dreams” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” all used traditional 2D techniques or other methods to create a 2D look. Even the CG “Elemental” shows 2D influences across the many environments of Element City. And as the Academy nominates what might be helmer Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, it seems as though the impact of 2D is being recognized once again after CG having dominated the animation space for so long.

The 2D animation of today isn’t quite like cartoons of the past. With new techniques at their disposal, filmmakers are expanding the visuals they can create to tell rich, compelling stories. It’s very often a 2D look that’s intended for...

“It’s What’s Inside,” a horror movie that premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, has sold to Netflix for $17 million.

The film isn’t playing in theaters and will land directly on the streamer at a yet-to-be-determined date.

First-time filmmaker Greg Jardin directed “It’s What’s Inside,” which is set at a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase. The cast includes Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden and David Thompson.

“On behalf of the cast, crew, and entire production team, we are absolutely thrilled that ‘It’s What’s Inside’ landed at Netflix,” said producer William Rosenfeld of Such, which financed and oversaw production. “Their commitment to championing bold and groundbreaking filmmakers like Greg Jardin remains unparalleled.”

Variety’s Guy Lodge teased that the film “doesn’t unfold exactly as you’d expect.” He wrote in his review,...

Can “Mean Girls” make fetch happen at the box office?

Paramount’s new take on the teen classic is aiming to generate $30 million from 3,800 North American theaters over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The studio is projecting a debut in the high $20 million range, while independent tracking services estimate a start closer to $35 million. Those ticket sales would, indeed, be fetch because “Mean Girls” cost just $36 million to produce. It was originally commissioned to stream on Paramount+, but executives opted to release the film theatrically after audiences responded enthusiastically during test screenings.

The Plastics 2.0 won’t be the only newcomers to keep movie theaters bustling over the holiday frame. Amazon MGM’s “The Beekeeper,” an action thriller directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham, is expected to score a solid $17 million to $19 million over the four days. Another new release, Sony’s biblical comedic drama “The Book of Clarence,...

Sting, Isabella Rossellini, and U.S. director Roger Ross Williams came out to support the recent New York launch of Matteo Garrone’s Venice prizewinning immigration epic “Io Capitano” at the Museum of Modern Art.

The movie – which is Italy’s now shortlisted Oscar candidate for best international feature film – narrates the Homeric journey of two two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe in pursuit of a better life. It realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.

Variety critic Guy Lodge in his review called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since Garrone’s international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.” The drama, which at Venice won best director and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr is Italy’s strongest Oscar contender in recent memory.

Roberto Benigni, whose film “Life Is Beautiful” won three Oscars in 1999, has come out of the woodwork to support Matteo Garrone’s Golden Globe-nominated “Io Capitano,” which is Italy’s current Oscar candidate for best international feature film.

The revered yet reclusive Italian actor/director, whose most recent big screen role is playing Geppetto in Matteo Garrone’s hit 2019 live-action adaptation of “Pinocchio,” is clearly a big fan of “Io Capitano” (the title translates to “Me Captain”). The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two young African men, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe.

Garrone’s immigration drama realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea. Variety critic Guy Lodge in his review called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since Garrone’s international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.

Cohen Media Group has bought all North American rights to “Io Capitano,” a lushly-lensed, stirring immigration drama by “Gomorrah” director Matteo Garrone. Sold worldwide by Pathé Films, the critically acclaimed movie is Italy’s official Oscar entry and is slated to be released theatrically in early 2024.

With Cohen Media Group as its North American distributor, “Io Capitano” has strengthened its position in the awards season. The movie world premiered to stellar reviews in September at Venice Film Festival, where it was greeted with a 13-minute standing ovation and won the Silver Lion for Garrone and best emerging actor for Seydou Sarr.

“Io Capitano” went on to win the best European film award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The movie is also vying for best film and director at the European Film Awards this weekend.

Reminiscent of “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Io Capitano” tells the epic story of a teenage boy who,...

Focus Features’ upcoming title “Housekeeping for Beginners” is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on Jan. 26 and will expand to more theaters in subsequent weeks.

Per the film’s synopsis, Goran Stolevski’s latest feature “revolves around Dita, who, despite never aspiring to be a mother, finds herself compelled to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters — Mia, a tiny troublemaker, and Vanesa, a rebellious teenager. As their individual wills clash, a heartwarming story unfolds about an unlikely family’s struggle to stay together.”

“Housekeeping for Beginners” had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the official “Orrizonti” (Horizons) section, taking home the Queer Lion Award. It has also been selected as North Macedonia’s international Oscar submission.

In Guy Lodge’s review for Variety, he wrote, “This study of domestic, romantic and generational conflicts in a crowded queer household (instead) embraces a spirit of antic chaos, both in subject matter and jagged,...

Molly Manning Walker, the English cinematographer-turned-filmmaker whose debut feature “How to Have Sex” won a prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, has signed with CAA for representation.

Penned and directed by Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex” world premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, where it won the top prize and earned unanimous praise. The film follows three British teenage girls who go on a holiday in sun-drenched Crete and find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent and self-discovery.

Variety‘s Guy Lodge described the film as “fresh, head-turning debut” that “lays out the minefield of sexual education and consent for a post-#MeToo generation, with a precision to its ambiguities that will draw gasps from its characters’ contemporaries and elders alike.” The movie was acquired by Mubi in multiple territories before debuting in Cannes. It will be released theatrically by Mubi on Nov. 3 in the U.

Joe Russo, director of Avengers: Endgame, faces criticism for mocking Martin Scorsese's box office performances in a video response. Russo's video, which pokes fun at Scorsese's comparatively weaker box office, has generated backlash online. Russo's previous blockbuster films, like Avengers: Endgame, have been incredibly successful at the box office, currently ranking second highest grossing film worldwide.

Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo receives backlash after commenting on Martin Scorsese’s box office. As half of the directorial duo The Russo Brothers, Joe Russo has directed several notable blockbuster films including Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Captain America: Civil War. All of these films were massive box office successes, with Avengers: Endgame currently sitting as the second highest grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office.

Related: What Happened To The Russo Bros? Why They've Struggled After Avengers Endgame

Russo posted a video response to Scorsese,...

On October 13, 2023, Neon released “Anatomy of a Fall” in the United States following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. With a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have raved about the Palme d’Or winner, with the consensus stating, “A smart, solidly crafted procedural that’s anchored in family drama, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ finds star Sandra Hüller and director/co-writer Justine Triet operating at peak power.”

For the past year, Sandra (Hüller), her husband Samuel (Samuel Theis), and their 11-year-old son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. Samuel’s suspicious death is presumed murder, and Sandra becomes the main suspect. What follows is not just an investigation into the circumstances of Samuel’s death...

Signature Entertainment has acquired U.K. and Ireland rights to writer-director Warwick Thornton’s Australian drama “The New Boy” from The Veterans.

The film follows a nine-year-old Aboriginal orphan boy who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun, disturbing the delicately balanced world.

Debutant Aswan Reid leads the film in the titular role, alongside Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman (“Sapphires”) and Wayne Blair (“Rams”).

“Inspired by Thornton’s own experience of growing up as an Aboriginal boy in a Christian boarding school, this is ambitious, tonally tricky filmmaking, bringing an unexpected dose of whimsy to social interests more austerely explored in Thornton’s excellent previous features “Samson and Delilah” and “Sweet Country,” Variety critic Guy Lodge said in his review of the film.

“The New Boy”

The film is produced by Kath Shelper (“Samson & Delilah”) for Scarlett Pictures, Blanchett and Andrew Upton (“Stateless...

Remarking on the sterling success of Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” in Venice and of Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” in Cannes, “All Quiet on the Western Front” director Edward Berger has noticed a trend – and he hopes to apply that recognition back to the German industry.

“Film4 came and took [filmmakers like Jonathan Glazer,] Yorgos Lanthimos and Steve McQueen and gave them the opportunity, fostering them and sheltering them and [helping] them make their movies — and look where they are now,” said Berger at a Venice Film Festival panel. (See the interview with Variety critic Guy Lodge here). “And I think there’s an opportunity for us in Germany to build something like that with limited public funds, to learn from the English model and to support young filmmakers.”

Backed by the U.K.’s Channel Four Television Company, Film4 does indeed play in a major role in the British industry, supporting 10 – 12 films...

Memento Distribution has picked up French distribution rights to Gabor Reisz’s ‘Explanation for Everything’ following its world premiere in Horizons competition at the Venice Film Festival. The deal was closed by Films Boutique.

Anthony Bobeau, head of acquisitions at Memento Distribution, said: “Gabor Reisz’s work reminded us of Asghar Faradi’s first films. They both have the same accuracy of vision and intelligence of writing when it comes to telling the story of their country and their times.”

The film is set in Budapest, where high school student Abel is struggling to focus on his final exams, whilst coming to the realization that he is hopelessly in love with his best friend Janka. The studious Janka has her own unrequited love with married history teacher Jakab – who had a previous confrontation with Abel’s conservative father. The tensions of a polarized society come unexpectedly to the surface when...

Yorgos Lanthimos returns with a satirical comedy, Poor Things, based on the 1992 novel, which already gained a positive response at the Venice Film Festival. Reviews describe Poor Things as whimsical, mordantly funny, and filled with surprises, with Emma Stone's energetic performance earning praise. The film creates an artificial and contorted world with stunning visuals, showcasing Lanthimos' absurdist virtuosity and serving as a glorious paean to freedom.

Yorgos Lanthimos returns to the big screen with a new fun and unapologetic satirical comedy after The Favorite with Poor Things, teaming up with Emma Stone once again.

After being pushed to December 8 due to the ongoing strikes at Hollywood, the film has already premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and first reviews are finally in. The story is based on the 1992 novel of the same name written by Alasdair Gray, which presents an alternative version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The plot follows Bella Baxter,...

“Poor Things,” the oddest movie to premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival, landed the biggest standing ovation so far. On Friday night, Yorgos Lanthimos’ drama, starring Emma Stone as a woman who finds her way in European society after a series of tragic events (and a scientific intervention), received an eight-minute standing ovation at its world premiere.

“Genius! We love you! Yorgos!” the crowd chanted at the auteur director behind “The Favourite” and “The Lobster.”

Lanthimos lapped up the love and attention, as he walked down the balcony of the Sala Grande Theatre, shaking hands with his fans and signing autographs.

One can imagine the applause would have gone even longer if Stone, the star of the film, had been able to attend. None of the actors in “Poor Things” made it to Venice due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Lathimos walked the carpet on his own at the beginning of the night,...

Director Ira Sachs and lead Franz Rogowski discussed their film “Passages” at an exclusive screening in London on Friday.

The screening was the first of a series of exclusive Q&a events curated by Variety in partnership with brand and culture consultancy Bsbp targeted at BAFTA and AMPAS voters as well as key players in the showbiz community in the U.K., taking place at London’s The Cinema at Selfridges. Variety and Bsbp teamed with film distributor, global streaming service and production company Mubi for the first screening in the series, “Passages,” written and directed by Sachs.

The screening was accompanied by a Q&a conducted by Variety critic Guy Lodge with Sachs and Rogowski. The sexually frank relationship drama, about a polysexual Parisian love triangle, also stars Ben Whishaw and Adele Exarchopoulos, and premiered to great acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, also playing at the Berlinale. It...

The French drama “The Pot-au-Feu,” one of the breakout hits at the Cannes Film Festival and one of the movies that could represent France at the Academy Awards, has received a new title, Variety has learned exclusively.

Now under its new title — “The Taste of Things” – the movie will also have a qualifying run to be considered in all general categories, including best picture.

Starring Oscar winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient”) and Cesar winner Benoît Magime (“Pacification”), the movie received critical acclaim after its premiere, winning the best director prize for French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng, best known for helming the “The Scent of Green Papaya” (1993), the first and only Vietnamese nominee for best international feature.

Written by Hùng and loosely based on Marcel Rouffe’s 1924 novel “The Passionate Epicure,” it follows the life of Dodin Bouffant (Magimel), a preeminent chef who has been living with his personal cook...

Signature Entertainment has acquired U.K. and Ireland rights to revenge thriller “Femme.”

The film centers on Jules, whose life and career as a drag queen is destroyed by a homophobic attack. But when he re-encounters his attacker, the deeply-closeted Preston, in a gay sauna, he is presented with a chance to exact revenge. Unrecognizable out of his wig and make-up, Jules infiltrates Preston’s life, and in doing so, discovers power in a different kind of drag.

The film is the debut feature from Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, based on their 2021 BIFA-winning and BAFTA-nominated short film of the same name.

The London-set neo-noir stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (“Candyman”), George MacKay (“1917”) and John McCrea (“Cabaret”). It is produced by Myles Payne and Sam Ritzenberg of Agile Films and co-produced by Hayley Williams for Agile. Marnie Podos of Under New Mgmt executive produced alongside Eva Yates, director of...