News

Exclusive: Actor, clean energy advocate and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger will receive the Legacy Award from the South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening, the opening night of the 20th edition of the festival.

“The Legacy Award is honoring an iconic movie star, who began his trailblazing immigrant journey from an Austrian village nestled 16 miles from the Slovenian border in Styria region, dubbed the ‘Green Heart of Austria,’” SEEfest said in a release. “Known globally for championing clean energy and rallying world’s leaders to this cause through the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, Arnold Schwarzenegger has channeled his star power into a powerful campaign for the cleaner, greener future.”

SEEfest’s board of directors said in a statement, “Mr. Schwarzenegger has approached the challenge of building not just better but also a kinder future with hope for the new generation with his customary determination and relentless optimism.

The South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles has released its programming lineup ahead of the event’s 20th anniversary.

SEEfest, running April 30-May 7, opens with the L.A. premiere of The New Year That Never Came, directed by Romanian filmmaker Bogdan Mureșanu, winner of the Fipresci Award and Best Film in the Orizzonti program at the Venice Film Festival. The tragicomedy “climaxes with the bang of a firecracker in a highly unlikely pair of hands, effectively kicking off the revolution” that ousted Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

The cinematic event, co-presented by the non-profit Elma (European Languages and Movies in America), will showcase more than 50 films, both fiction and nonfiction, including U.S. premieres of work hailing from the culturally rich area of East and South-East Europe. In addition to welcoming an array of European talent, SEEfest will host an Industry Accelerator with panels and workshops (scroll for full...

The makers of the Oscar-nominated live action short The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent have reason both to celebrate and to mourn.

The film, which tells the true story of Tomo Buzov, a Croatian man who stood up for Bosnian Muslim passengers who were pulled from a train in 1993 in a horrifying act of ethnic cleansing, won Best Short Fiction Film Friday night at the César Awards in Paris, France’s equivalent of the Oscars. But only a day earlier, filmmakers learned that Buzov’s son – who had been instrumental in allowing the film to be made – died suddenly of a heart attack in Belgrade, Serbia. He was 52. Darko Buzov’s death came on the 32nd anniversary of his father’s heroic actions during the brutal civil war in the former Yugoslavia.

Actor Goran Bogdan (foreground) in ‘The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent’

On the cold morning of...

Over the past two decades, the Academy Awards have been in a constant state of flux: There are now 10 best picture nominees instead of five, the membership has grown (and diversified) by more than 50% in that time, streaming releases now routinely vie for the top prize. Amid all that change, one constant remains: For 20 years, U.K.-based Shorts International has been working with the short film nominees to get their work seen around the country. The theatrical audience for those releases grows each year, to the point that the “2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action” package (which just crossed $3 million at the box office) is on track to outgross even best picture nominee “Nickel Boys.”

First up in an all-around strong (and impressively international) selection is the Croatian short that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year, “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.” Set...

In the Oscar-nominated live action short The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, actor Goran Bogdan plays Dragan, a man facing a crucial moral choice – when he sees a grave injustice about to happen, should he stand up for what’s right, or keep quiet?

The action takes place in 1993 as a train bound from the Serbian capital makes its way into Bosnian territory during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. The railcars come to a sudden stop and Serbian paramilitary troops board the train, intending to grab Bosnian Muslim passengers. Dragan, as a Christian, has nothing to worry about, but across from him sits a young Bosnian Muslim man whose life could be in great peril.

Actor Goran Bogdan (center) in ‘The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.’ At right is actor Silvio Mumelas, who plays a young Bosnian Muslim man

The camera keeps tight on Dragan as...

It’s plausible that the earthshaking disruptions to the central Oscar race “narrative” that Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced tweets have unleashed may wind up trickling down to the few categories that don’t even feature Emilia Pérez. In other words, if voters who expected to be all-in on the representation that Jacques Audiard’s film afforded them are now surveying the other above-the-fold contenders and failing to find a worthy runner-up cause, where can they turn? Why, the reliably PSA-adjacent live action shorts, of course!

We’re admittedly being a tad facetious here, because anyone who’s followed our annual predictions knows that we firmly believe in the myriad ways the dynamics of the mainline contests factor into every race, but in the short film categories in particular. And if you were to ask for a live action short film nominee that distills the uncanny feeling of being...

The first Croatian film to win the Cannes Palme d’Or and now the first from the country to be in the running for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent from Nebojša Slijepčević will have you asking yourself questions that feel as uncomfortable for you as they do for those present in this affecting 13-minute depiction of a horrific massacre committed 30 years ago. Slijepčević, after undertaking an immense amount of research, has created a film whose relevance echoes through time from the real life incident to atrocities taking place in the here and now and draws us into a claustrophobic, volatile moment where we are forced to confront our silent complicity with unconscionable events. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, led by an immensely emotive performance from Goran Bogdan and filmed in an old train carriage, eschews overly complex or flashy filmmaking techniques,...

When Tomo Buzov boarded a train in Belgrade, Serbia the morning of February 27, 1993, on his way to visit his son in Montenegro, he had no way of knowing what lay in store for him or that his bravery would be remembered to this day.

As the train wound through newly independent Bosnia, it came to a sudden halt and was boarded by members of a Serbian militia. Heavily armed men went car by car demanding to know the ethnicity and religious identity of everyone on board.

The Oscar-contending drama The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent retells what happened on that train as war flared in the former Yugoslavia and old grievances fueled new atrocities. The film directed by Nebojša Slijepčević won the Palme d’Or for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Director Nebojša Slijepčević

“This film is based on a real event,” Slijepčević explained during...

It’s 1993, and a train is travelling through Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the credits roll, before we see anything, we hear it rumbling, hear that familiar cacophony of grinding noises, clanks and clicks, hisses and screeches, gradually growing louder. Dragan (Goran Bogdan) is sleeping. He doesn’t take in his surroundings until he awakens, and we awaken with him.

There’s a woman in the train car with a young girl and, across from her, an old man who might be the child’s grandfather. The girl is reading a book which she continues to try to focus on as we hear the sounds of people getting up and moving around. The other two men in the car – one young and thin, one older and smartly dressed but, at this stage, barely seen – stay where they are, but there is chatter. have we reached the station yet? No. This must be some.

Italy’s Minerva Tvco has acquired international sales rights to Greek drama Utopolis, directed by Vladimir Subotic, which world premeries tomorrow (November 1) at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

It’s the story of a fight between Greek natives and refugees, which leads to two of them falling into a deep hole on a construction site, where they reveal their pasts and secrets. They start to help each other to get out, but prejudice prevails as they make their final attempt.

Utopolis is produced by Greece’s Avaton Films and Luxembourg’s Deal Productions. The film stars Goran Bogdan, Makis Papadimitriou,...

Goran Bogdan, centre, and Silvio Mumelaš in The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent. Nebojša Slijepčević: 'I wanted the audience to think that they are following the hero because we all love to identify with heroes in the film' Croatian director Nebojša Slijepčević’s tense and polished The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, won the short film Palme d’Or in Cannes last week. Set in 1993, it relates the true story of Tomo Buzov, one of those people who commit a remarkable act of heroism that can often be overlooked by history in events running up to the Štrpci massacre. His drama unfolds on a train after it is stopped by paramilitaries with murder in mind. As the occupants of a single carriage consider their response, Slijepčević also, by extension, asks us what we might do in their place. We caught up with the director after his Cannes...

Last year we had our eyes open to one of Europe’s finest events on the film calendar, at the annual Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Needless to say after our last visit we were grateful to be invited back for the 2023 edition; the festival’s 27th year.

Taking place a little earlier in November, while the nights were still black (as advertised), the weather was crisp. Less snow, more sun – and a lot less slipping over on the icy cobbles. Another notable difference for our visit to the Estonian capital this year was that we went at the very start of the 16-day festival, able to experience and appreciate the opening night ceremony, which was a real highlight of our stay.

Taking place at the Alexela concert hall, the film was Guardians of the Formula, by Serbian filmmaker Dragan Bjelogrlic, which tells the fascinating true story of a secretive,...

Comedy-drama about a bride who leaves her wedding two days before the big occasion.

Screen can reveal the first trailer for Forever Hold Your Peace, Ivan Marinovic’s comedy-drama about a bride who leaves her wedding two days before the big occasion.

The film will have its world premiere in the International Competition of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) this month.

Forever is Montenegrin filmmaker Marinovic’s second feature, after 2016’s The Black Pin, which was his country’s entry for the international feature Oscar.

Tihana Lazović, Goran Slavić, Momčilo Pićurić and Goran Bogdan lead the cast.

Marinovic wrote and directed the film,...

Fargo season five is set to premiere on November 21 and features a new cast including Juno Temple, John Hamm, Joe Keery, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and more. The upcoming season takes place in 2019 and, as with previous seasons, will involve a kidnapping as part of the storyline. Noah Hawley, the creator of Fargo, is also working on expanding the Alien universe with a new TV series based on the popular franchise.

The FX series Fargo is finally ready to return to the screen. The highly acclaimed series based on the equally successful movie written, directed and produced by Ethan and Joel Coen. The main elements from the film were taken by Noah Hawley, who mix them to create a tv series back in 2014. Released back in 1996, film followed the story of Jerry Lundegaard, a car salesman who's financially broke and decides to fake his wife kidnapping, in order to ask for...

Faraway is a movie directed by Vanessa Jopp starring Naomi Krauss. With Goran Bogdan, Bahar Balci and Adnan Maral.

Far Far Away is a simple, simply scripted film that goes for the charming, tender, inner self and what is pure from the very beginning. Is it a completely made-for-tv film in its purest form? It has it all, yes, you choose whether you want to enjoy it or see it through sarcastic intellectual glasses.

About the Film

A film with its own name: Naomi Krauss, who has the whole movie to herself and shines in one of those roles that are a joy to play: a woman who rediscovers herself after escaping from an exhausting routine and environment.

You know what to expect: the initiation journey of a middle-aged woman who rediscovers herself and finds, of course, love in a new environment. A new idea? We’ve seen it a...

"This simple life of yours is good." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for an indie film titled Faraway, a German production about a woman who escapes to a Croatian island to rediscover herself. It's the latest film from German director Vanessa Jopp, starring the Swiss actress Naomi Krauss as Zeynep. It'll be on Netflix starting March. "It's cold, winter feels eternal and many of us are yearning for a sense of happiness, and to feel the sunshine again – so why not just pack your suitcase and dare yourself to start over?" Zeynep is unhappy and her life has not turned out as she wanted... That's why she flees to a Croatian island, where her deceased mother bought a house long ago. She hopes to find peace and relaxation finally - but she hasn't reckoned with Josip, who still lives on the property. The film's cast also features Goran Bogdan,...

Spain’s Bendita Films (“The Clash”) has scooped international sales rights to twisted and suspenseful production “The Uncle” (“Stric”) ahead of its market screening at the Toronto Festival.

“We’re thrilled to represent the brilliant debut feature from David Kapac and Andrija Mardešić, a captivating, oppressive thriller with humorous notes that will surely surprise international audiences with its unsettling atmosphere and inventive narrative structure,” stated Luis Renart, CEO-sales & acquisitions at Bendita Films.

Written and directed in tandem by Kapac and Mardešić, the project garnered a special jury mention in July at the Proxima strand which has replaced East of the West at the Karlovy Vary Festival. It marks the first feature effort for the Croatian duo who’ve previously paired to create several festival-showcased short films, including post-war noir comedy “Iris.”

“The Uncle” is a near-claustrophobic depiction of a Yugoslavian family in the late ‘80s as they hastily prepare to gather for Christmas Eve dinner.

Directing duo Dušan Zorić and Matija Gluščević make their feature debut with “Have You Seen This Woman?,” which has its world premiere Sept. 8 during the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week. Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer.

Divided into three chapters, “Have You Seen This Woman?” presents three acts that follow three different lives of a middle-aged woman of the same name. In the heat of a summer day, Draginja discovers a dead body that resembles her. Elsewhere, another hires a fake husband to show off in front of her friends. Finally, on a cold winter night, a third Draginja roams the streets hoping to recover her lost memory. Through three different life possibilities, each tries to get out of her skin in her own way.

The film is produced by Čarna Vučinić for Non-Aligned Films in co-production with Tena Gojić for Dinaridi Films. It features Ksenija Marinković in the lead role,...

Czech title ‘Word’ takes best director for Beata Parkanova; ‘A Room Of My Own’ leads share best actress.

Sadaf Foroughi’s Canadian-Iranian drama Summer With Hope has won the Crystal Globe for best film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff), which held its closing awards ceremony on Friday July 9.

Foroughi’s second feature is about a swimmer learning a new open water discipline, who develops a close alliance with his coach.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

Written and directed and produced by Foroughi, it is also produced by Kiarash Anvari and Christina Piovesan for Canada’s First Generation Films.

The Croatian film and TV sector is expected to get a financial boost of more than 5 million Hrk from international streaming platforms through the Croatian Electronic Media Act, which came into effect in October 2021, the Croatian Audiovisual Center (Havc) has told Film New Europe.

Netflix is expected to participate with 3 million Hrk and other contributors will include HBO Max, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

According to the new law, streamers will have to invest 2 of their revenues generated in Croatia in local production or acquisition. Network operators will invest 10 of the revenue generated by their own services. Private broadcasters will set aside 5 percent of their annual revenue for independent productions in Croatia.

“With our new law, we have introduced a series of interlinked measures to promote independent production in Croatia. The law is not prescriptive as to how the new funds will be invested. Sure there was resistance as the law was taking shape,...

The Sarajevo International Film Festival has unveiled the nominees for its second annual TV awards with 17 series from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Slovenia represented across the nominees.

The local series up for awards are: Advokado, Besa 2, Block 27, Black Wedding, Strange Kind of Loves, Dolina rož, Awake, Lenin’s Park, Crazy, Confused, Normal, Underneath 2, Mrkomir I, Bad Blood, The Last Socialist Artefact, United Brothers, Killers of My Father 5, The Silence and Time of Evil.

This year, the award categories have expanded to include drama series and comedy and winners will be honored with the fest’s lauded Heart of Sarajevo award, a prize usually given to the festival’s competition winner.

The Sarajevo Film Festival established the awards for TV series last year, with the aim of promoting and showcasing the highest quality regional television series in the past 12 months to promote their international placement.

Lecturers include Finland’s Juho Kuosmanen, US producer Peter Spears.

US duo Frances McDormand and Joel Coen will be ‘masters’ for the second edition of Ponta Lopud Film Festival, on the island of Lopud near Dubrovnik, Croatia.

McDormand and Coen will give invite-only masterclasses to directors, actors and cinematographers from Southeast Europe, in the festival from June 22 to 27.

Ponta Lopud was started last year by Miro Purivatra, founder and long-time director of Sarajevo Film Festival; and Tilda Grossel Bogdanovic.

The festival will also host lectures from Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish director of Compartment No. 6; Peter Spears, US producer of titles including...

Czech crime series “Nineties” by Slovak director Peter Bebjak drew 2.23 million viewers over six nights on Czech Television – the best result for a Czech series in the past 18 years, according to Film New Europe.

The fifth episode, “Barrels,” broke the rating record with 2.41 million viewers (one in four Czechs watched it), becoming the most watched TV show in primetime since the start of the electronic measurement of broadcasting rating in 1997.

“Nineties” is based on real criminal cases that occurred in the 90s, after the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia. The series has six episodes and the main characters are played by Martin Finger, Kryštof Bartoš, Ondřej Sokol, Vasil Fridrich and Robert Mikluš.

The series is directed by Bebjak and Dan Wlodarczyk, and was produced by Czech Television, and creative producer Michal Reitler.

‘You Resemble Me’ Wins Prague Iff – Febiofest

The debut feature by Dina Amer, “You Resemble Me,” a coproduction between France,...

Premiering at Berlinale in 2020, where it picked up the Panorama Audience Award, Srdan Golubović’s Father (aka Otac) is now set for a theatrical release beginning April 15 at NYC’s New Plaza and April 22 at LA’s Laemmle Royal. We’re pleased to debut the exclusive trailer for the drama, courtesy of Dekanalog, which follows Croatian actor Goran Bogdan (Fargo) as a––you guessed it!––father on a journey of perseverance for his family.

In a small town in Serbia, Nikola (Bogdan), a day laborer and father of two, is ordered to give up his children to social services after poverty and hunger drive his wife to commit a desperate act. Until he can provide adequate conditions for their upbringing, the children will be placed in foster care. Despite Nikola’s best efforts and several appeals, social services refuse to return his children, leaving him feeling hopeless. But when Nikola...

Another tale from Minnesota is on the way. FX has announced that the Fargo TV series has been renewed for a fifth season. The renewal comes as no surprise as FX Chief John Landgraf had previously said that he was hopeful for another season. The fourth season concluded in November 2020.

An anthology dark comedy series that debuted in 2014, the Fargo TV show was created by Noah Hawley and is based on the feature film by Joel and Ethan Coen. Each season takes place in the same universe but revolves around a different story and characters. Previous seasons' stars have included Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Jean Smart, Ted Danson, Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Goran Bogdan, David Thewlis, Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, Jack Huston, Salvatore Esposito, and E’myri...

FX is going back to Fargo again.

The cable network has renewed Noah Hawley’s series for Season 5, the network announced Thursday.

More from TVLineFX Spy Drama Starring Y'lan Noel, Lucas Till Not Moving ForwardAtlanta to End With Season 4What Does Peacemaker's (Nsfw!) Riverdale Nod Mean for The Flash? -- Plus, EP Explains Odd Fargo Mention

The anthology drama’s fifth installment will be set in 2019. As for the story, the season’s official logline mysteriously asks: “When is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?”

“Noah and Warren [Littlefield, executive producer] have delighted and inspired fans...

A total of 19 features and series were showcased.

Netflix has unveiled 19 upcoming films and series from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as it works to strengthen its slate of German-language productions.

The projects are part of the streaming giant’s push into local content, doubling investment to €500m between 2021 and 2023. Five films, nine series and five non-fiction titles were showcased at the streamer’s Content Remote Show this morning, offering a preview of the year ahead.

The films include the previously announced All Quiet On The Western Front, directed by Edward Berger and starring Daniel Bruhl, and Buba, a spin-off from...

Exclusive: New York-based distributor Dekanalog has added two foreign-language titels to its slate.

In November, the company will release Mother, I Am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s Mosotho drama that screened at Berlin, Sheffield, and MoMA Doc Fortnight. The U.S. sales deal was struck with Memento Films. Dekanalog previously released director Mosese’s This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection earlier this year.

The distributor has also picked up Father, the Berlin Panorama Audience Award Winner from Srdan Golubovic. The pic won the International Narrative Award at Calgary and also screened at Thessaloniki, Transylvania, and Seattle. Set in a a small town in Serbia, the movie stars Goran Bogdan and Boris Isakovic. The U.S. deal was struck with The Match Factory.

Dekanalog has now been operating for a year, its recent theatrical release was Mariam Ghani’s Afghan documentary What We Left Unfinished.

The interplay between desperation and determination forms the backbone of this Serbian drama from Srdan Golubovic, which sees father-of-two Nikola (Goran Bogdan) pushed to the edge in a bid to get back his children. Although much more serious in tone, the backdrop recalls Bojan Vuletic's Requiem For Mrs J in its searing view of Serbian bureaucracy and it also shares a trigger with that film, the inability to acquire severance pay that is owed, which prompts Nikola's wife Biljana (Nada Sargin) to threaten to immolate herself and her children in the film's opening moments.

Nikola, who is doing day work in a forest, is unaware of what is occurring until he finds himself at the department of children's services being told by the chief that his kids are in care until further notice and, most certainly, until after he has acquired electric and other amenities for his...

Concrete Plans is a thriller from South Wales. This is director William Jewell's first feature as director. And, his story involves a rugged crew of builders and their growing frustration over non-payment. The builders take things into their own hands and turn on the person who hired them, leading to even more challenges. The cast for Concrete Plans consists of: Goran Bogdan ("Fargo"), Kevin Guthrie (Fantastic Beasts), Chris Reilly and Amber Rose Revah. The film's U.S. poster and trailer are here, via Dark Sky Films. The U.S. poster looks more like a concept poster. However, the title is present, along with a few other characters. Very austere, this release poster leaves a bit to be desired. The trailer is a bit more eventful. Characters work on an old estate. As the costs for construction increase, the foreman must find a way to pay his labourers. A confrontation ensues leading to a death,...

"Gimme the money. I can kill ya and take it. Or I can just take it. It's your call..." Dark Sky has unveiled a new US trailer for the British thriller Concrete Plans, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Will Jewell. This first premiered at Frightfest in the UK last year, and already opened over there last fall. High in the remote Welsh mountains, five builders are brought in to renovate a sprawling old farmhouse. When their employer tries to cheat them out of a job, this rugged crew of five workmen turn first on him then each other, leading to a bloody confrontation. Concrete Plans stars Goran Bogdan, Kevin Guthrie, Chris Reilly, Amber Rose Revah, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Steve Speirs, and William Thomas. This looks like it gets brutal fast, which it seems is the point of the plot as everything spirals out of control. Here's the official...

In this claustrophobic if unconvincing thriller, an arrogant landowner incurs the wrath of the builders renovating his ancestral home

There’s some really strong acting talent involved in this claustrophobic thriller set in south Wales, including the excellent Steve Speirs, who recently showed what a great comic turn he is as Burbage in Ben Elton’s Upstart Crow. But, however much I wanted to like it, this film never quite gelled: the dialogue and the confrontations seemed forced; some characters looked and sounded like caricatures; and the moment of escalation from tension into open violence was unconvincing.

Kevin Guthrie plays Simon, an arrogant landowner who is refurbishing the ancestral home as part of a colossal tax dodge on the advice of his slippery accountant Richard (James Lance). To do this, he has hired five builders: Bob (Speirs), Jim (Chris Reilly), Dave (William Thomas), Steve (Charley Palmer Rothwell) and Viktor (Goran Bogdan...

Nominations for feature film and documentary up from five to six.

The nominations for the 2020 European Film Awards have been unveiled, with the size of two key categories extended as a result of the virus crisis.

The categories for best feature and best documentary have each been increased from five to six to offer more exposure to titles and artists impacted by cinema closures and release delays during the pandemic.

Scroll down for full list of nominees

The films nominated in the best European Film category are Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, Berhan Qurbani’s Berlin Alexanderplatz, Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi,...

The European Film Academy has unveiled the nominations for its 2020 awards, which will take place virtually across a series of online events December 8-12.

Leading the way are Another Round, Corpus Christi, and Martin Eden which have four nominations apiece, including for European Film 2020. Joining them in that main category are Berlin Alexanderplatz, The Painted Bird, and Undine.

Nominated for European Documentary are: Acasa, My Home; Collective; Gunda; Little Girl; Saudi Runaway; and The Cave.

In the European Director category, joining Thomas Vinterberg for Another Round, Jan Komasa for Corpus Christi, and Pietro Marcello for Martin Eden are Agnieszka Holland for Charlatan, Francois Ozon for Summer Of 85, and Maria Sødahl for Hope.

The European Actress nominees are: Paula Beer (Udine); Natasha Berezhnaya (Dau. Natasha); Andrea Bræin Hovig (Hope); Ane Dahl Torp (Charter); Nina Hoss (My Little Sister); and Marta Nieto (Mother).

Up for European actor: Bartosz Bielenia (Corpus Christi...

Stars: Steve Spiers, Chris Reilly, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Willaim Thomas, Goran Bogdan, Amber Rose Revah, Kevin Guthrie, James Lance | Written and Directed by Will Jewell

Five misfit builders coming together to work on a farmhouse in some remote Welsh mountains don’t seem like the basis for a horror film. But Concrete Plans, a very British movie, is exactly that and although it takes a little while to get there, there is plenty of horror to witness.

The five workers might be a little stereotypical but are the perfect ‘gang’ for this movie. You have the arrogant youngster who is being badly influenced by an older bigoted guy. The Ukrainian guy who just wants to work but is constantly antagonised by that pair. While we have the older guy who just wants to get on with work but will defend any prejudices he sees. And lastly, we have the foreman...

Vulture Watch

Is it time for the wood chipper? Has the Fargo TV show been cancelled or renewed for a fourth season on FX? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Fargo season four. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?

What's This TV Show About?

An FX crime drama anthology, Fargo stars Ewan McGregor (in a dual role), with Carrie Coon, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Thewlis, Goran Bogdan, Andy Yu, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jim Gaffigan, and Scoot McNairy. Taking place in 2010, the story follows the sibling rivalry between Emmit (McGregor) the “Parking Lot King of Minnesota,” and his younger brother Ray Stussy (McGregor), a pot-bellied parole officer. Although Emmit sees himself as an American success story, Ray is more of a cautionary tale.

Other winners include The Painted Bird, Queen of Hearts, Father, Two of Us, Mater, Ivana the Terrible and Vienna Hallways, the new film by Serbian director Mladen Djordjević. The 48th Belgrade International Film Festival Fest (28 February-8 March) has wrapped with Karim Aïnouz's Cannes Un Certain Regard prizewinner The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão (Brazil/Germany) picking up the Belgrade Victor Award for Best Film in the main competition. Václav Marhoul won the Best Director Award for The Painted Bird (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Ukraine), and Rita Kalnejais received Best Screenplay for Australian director Shannon Murphy's Babyteeth, both of which world-premiered at Venice. The acting prizes went to Trine Dyrholm for her role in May el-Toukhy's Queen of Hearts (Denmark/Sweden) and to Goran Bogdan for his performance in Srdan Golubović's Father (Serbia/France/Germany/Croatia). Both films previously won Audience Awards after their world premieres at Sundance and the Berlinale,...

An impoverished laborer returns home one day to find that social services have taken his children, after the family’s increasingly dire circumstances push his wife to commit a desperate act. With a corrupt local administrator blocking the way to a fair hearing to get them back, the man decides to cross the country on foot in order to plead his case to the government in Belgrade.

Inspired by real-life events, Srdan Golubović’s “Otac” (Father) is the story of a man who refuses to give up on justice and the right to raise his children. From the acclaimed director of Serbia’s foreign-language Oscar-shortlisted drama “Klopka” (The Trap) and the Sundance prizewinner “Krugovi” (Circles), pic premieres Feb. 22 in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival. The Match Factory is handling world sales.

Golubović first encountered the story that inspired “Father” on social media, which led him to the...

A touching tale of a father fighting bureaucracy to win back his family and a documentary about the real-life fight for Lgbtqi* rights in Chechnya have won this year's Audience Awards for the Panorama sidebar at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.

Srdan Golubovic's Otac (Father) took the top prize for best feature film screening in the 2020 Panorama. It stars Goran Bogdan as Nikola, a day laborer and father of two, who is ordered to give up his children to social services after poverty and hunger drive his wife to commit a desperate act. Nikola sets off on ...

A touching tale of a father fighting bureaucracy to win back his family and a documentary about the real-life fight for Lgbtqi* rights in Chechnya have won this year's Audience Awards for the Panorama sidebar at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. 

Srdan Golubovic's Otac (Father) took the top prize for best feature film screening in the 2020 Panorama. It stars Goran Bogdan as Nikola, a day laborer and father of two, who is ordered to give up his children to social services after poverty and hunger drive his wife to commit a desperate act. Nikola sets off on ...

“Father” begins with a mother. Dragging her two sullen, uncomprehending kids along with her, Biljana (Nada Šargin) strides onto the grounds of the factory from which her husband was let go more than a year before and harangues the foreman about the severance package they still have not received. The children are hungry, she wails, there is no money to buy food. The milling workmen stare at her dumbly, a minor, pitiful inconvenience, until she unscrews the cap on a water bottle full of petrol, douses herself in it — trying also to soak her terrified children who wriggle out of her reach — and sets herself on fire. She burns for an impossibly long few seconds before the men regain their senses and rush in to tackle her to the ground.

This first scene in Srdan Golubović’s fourth feature is among the most viscerally upsetting openings imaginable, but while the...

When Nikola (Goran Bogdan) is asked, “Have you noticed anything that could indicate your wife’s suicidal intentions?” all he can resignedly answer is, “We live a hard life.” It’s been two years since Nikola was laid off from his job, having never received the remaining salary and severance he had been promised and struggling to find another full-time job. In a desperate plea in front of his former employers for the money owed, his wife Biljana (Nada Šargin) set herself on fire, with her children who were standing by watching, now whisked into foster care.

Continue reading ‘Father’: A Powerful Portrait Of A Man Quietly Raging Against The Machine [Berlin Review] at The Playlist.

Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Serbian director Srdan Golubović’s “Otac” (Father), which premieres in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival.

“Father” is the story of an impoverished day laborer whose children are taken by social services after the family’s difficult circumstances drive his wife to commit a desperate act. Unable to get a fair hearing from the corrupt administrator in his provincial town, he decides to travel across Serbia on foot to take his case directly to the ministry in Belgrade.

Pic was written by Golubović and Ognjen Sviličić, and lensed by Golubović’s long-time cinematographer Aleksandar Ilič. It stars the veteran Bosnian actor Goran Bogdan, whose international TV credits include FX’s “Fargo” and HBO’s “Success.”

For his fourth feature, Golubović was inspired by the real-life story of a man whose incredible journey he first encountered on social media.

The Intl. Casting Directors Network (Icdn) and the Sarajevo Film Festival are joining forces to turn the popular Bosnian film fest into a springboard for regional actors looking to launch international careers.

After kicking off with a pilot version last year, the initiative expanded to include a series of masterclasses with leading casting directors and a range of programs intended to boost exposure for the emerging talents. The Icdn’s Timka Grin says the platform will not only build a bridge between foreign casting directors and new talent from the region, but offer valuable skills for actors not used to the Western method of casting.

“Casting here does not have decades of tradition. It is something that is quite new,” says Grin. “If there is a certain technique to present yourself, to audition—actors here don’t know it well, and it’s really useful to have a casting director...

Farhadi’s ‘Everybody Knows’ will also screen in the Open Air programme.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will preside over the Competition jury at the 24th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs this August 10-17.

Farhadi’s most recent film, Everybody Knows, will also screen at the festival in the Open Air programme.

Starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, it was the opening film of the recent Cannes Film Festival on May 8.

A feature director since 2002’s Dancing In The Dust, Farhadi is best known for his films A Separation (2011) and The Salesman (2016), both of which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film.

“Worst birthday ever” doesn’t begin to cover the magnitude of what befalls our protagonist in “Goran.” Fast-rising Croatian helmer Nevio Marasovic’s third professional feature — he’s made a well-received fourth, “Comic Sans,” since this one premiered at Fantasia nearly two years ago — is not so much a psychological thriller as an emotional horror movie, in which the title character’s fortunes go from bad to unimaginably worse. Holding its poker face to the bitter end, this is a black comedy whose slow burn nonetheless eventually leaves no one unconsumed by the flame of cruel fate. Uncork’d is giving it a limited U.S. theatrical release starting this Friday.

Goran (Franjo Dijak) is an uncomplicated guy who enjoys drinking (maybe a little too often), driving a cab (in a podunk town where it’s scarcely needed) and hanging out with bestie Slavko (Goran Bogdan) at a cabin where...

Hopefully, Fargo fans are patient. Creator Noah Hawley recently told The Wrap season four of the FX TV show might be delayed for awhile.The anthology drama chronicles a new crime story around the area of Fargo, North Dakota each season. Season three starred Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Thewlis, Goran Bogdan, Andy Yu, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.Read More…...

What's in store for Fargo? Recently, creator Noah Hawley spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his plans for season four of the FX TV show.The anthology drama chronicles a new crime story around the area of Fargo, North Dakota each season. Season three starred Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Thewlis, Goran Bogdan, Andy Yu, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.Read More…...

Are you ready for another ride on the Fargo merry-go-round? FX Networks CEO John Landgraf hopes the fourth season of the Fargo TV series will debut in 2019. Although there has been no official renewal, Landgraf has made no secret of the fact that FX wants another season. At first, showrunner Noah Hawley sounded uncertain that it would happen, but later clarified that the media shouldn't report the series would end with season three, which aired on FX between April and June of 2017. An FX crime drama anthology, Fargo season three stars Ewan McGregor as Emmit and Ray Stussy, with Carrie Coon, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Thewlis, Goran Bogdan, Andy Yu, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jim Gaffigan, and Scoot McNairy. Set in 2010, it centers on the sibling rivalry between Emmit, the “Parking Lot King of Minnesota,” and his younger brother Ray,...

Ascending queens Elizabeth (“The Crown”) and Victoria (“Victoria”) face off in the Emmy race for Series Original Dramatic Score, while old Hollywood (“Feud: Bette and Joan”) counters Russian classicism (“Fargo”) for Limited Series, Movie, or Special Dramatic Score.

Meanwhile, political (“House of Cards,” Taboo”) and survival overtones (“Planet Earth II” and “A Series of Unfortunate Events”) clash in the Series category, as well as war (“Five Came Back,” “The White Helmets,” “Suite Française”) and culture (“O.J.: Made in America”) in the other category.

Not surprisingly, the odds are with Rupert Gregson-Williams (“The Crown”) and last year’s “Mr. Robot” winner, Mac Quayle (“Feud”), for their respective retro scores. While Williams reached for orchestral nobility, Quayle went for more orchestral glam.

“The Crown” — “Hyde Park Corner” (Rupert Gregson-Williams)

The score for showrunner Peter Morgan’s drama about the rise of Elizabeth II (nominated Claire Foy) was all about restraint, given her sense of calm.