News

‘Happy Times’ will be released by Artsploitation Films in Q1 2020.

M-Appeal has closed North American deals on two of the most prominent titles on its virtual Marché slate.

The Berlin-based sales outfit confirmed that Artsploitation Films has acquired Michael Mayer’s Happy Times, a horror comedy set over the course of a Shabbat dinner in a luxurious Hollywood mansion. Mixing satire and genre elements, the film stars Israeli actor Michael Aloni (Shtisel) and Stéfi Celma.

Happy Times is produced by Mayer, Paola Porrini Bisson and Tomer Almagor. Executive producers are Gabrielle Almagor, Richard Bisson and Erri De Luca. Artsploitation plans...

‘Fidelity’ is making its Euroepean debut at the Rotterdam festival.

Fidelity, Russian director Nigina Sayfullaeva’s steamy drama about female sexuality, has sold to multiple territories worldwide. The deals were confirmed this weekend by the film’s Berlin-based sales agent, M-Appeal.

It has sold the film to Capelight Pictures for Germany, Austria and Switzerland; to At Entertainment for Japan; to Entermode Corp for South Korea and to MovieCloud for Taiwan.

Fidelity is making its European premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, screening first on Monday January 27,

M-Appeal said it has received further multiple bids on Fidelity, about a...

Horror comedy “Happy Times” is debuting its trailer ahead of its international premiere in the Midnight Shivers section of Tallinn Black Nights Intl. Film Festival. M-appeal is handling world sales.

Director Michael Mayer and Guy Ayal co-wrote the script, which won the script award at Haifa Intl. Film Festival, where the film had its world premiere. The film received rave reviews in the Israeli press, including Haaretz, which wrote: “Every butchered body and every murder terrifies you, but also makes you laugh at the same time.”

The film takes place over the course of a Shabbat dinner at a fancy Hollywood Hills mansion, during which a toxic mix of alcohol, egos, cultural differences, lust and greed derails the evening, and things spin out of control. Secrets are revealed, relationships are tested and getting out in one piece will be the ultimate challenge.

The cast includes Michael Aloni, Lira Chiamami, Iris Bahr,...

Alejandro Amenábar’s ‘While at War’ wins international award.

Oren Gerner’s Africa and Yaron Shani’s Reborn have been jointly awarded the top award at the 35th Haifa International Film Festival (Oct 12-21).

Scroll down for full list of winners

As joint winners of the best Israeli feature film award, the prize of 100,000 Nis will be divided between them.

The dramas each won three trophies at the festival’s awards on Saturday (Oct 19).

Africa, the story of how a retiree copes with growing older, also picked up the Danny Lerner award for best Israeli feature debut and the Michael...

M-appeal has acquired world sales rights to Michael Mayer’s dark comedy “Happy Times,” and will present the film to buyers at Cannes. Mayer’s debut feature, “Out in the Dark,” world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, sold to more than 40 countries, and screened at more than 125 festivals, winning 27 awards.

“Happy Times” centers on a Shabbat dinner at a swanky Hollywood Hills mansion, over the course of which a toxic mix of alcohol, egos, cultural differences, lust and greed derails the evening as secrets are revealed, relationships get tested and bodies become endangered.

The screenplay was written by Guy Ayal and Mayer, who describes the film as “a crazy mix of comedy and violence, with ‎outrageous performances.”

The pic stars Stéfi Celma, best known for Netflix series “Call My Agent!”, and Mike Burstyn, who appeared in the series “Juda.” The producer is Paola Bisson, and Erri de Luca is executive producer.

In today’s film news roundup, Sam Richardson will play an Nsa agent, Stefi Celma joins “Happy Times” and “Pretty Bad Actress” gets distribution.

Castings

Sam Richardson will star opposite Melissa McCarthy in New Line’s action-comedy “Superintelligence.”

McCarthy’s spouse Ben Falcone will direct from Steve Mallory’s script. The movie was set up last year with McCarthy and Falcone as producers through their On the Day production company.

McCarthy will play a former corporate executive whose life is turned upside down when she is selected for observation by the world’s first super-intelligence — an artificial intelligence that may or may not take over the world.

Richardson will play an Nsa agent. James Corden, Bobby Cannavale and Brian Tyree Henry also star. “Superintelligence” opens Dec. 25, 2019.

Richardson appeared with McCarthy in “Spy” and stars in HBO’s “Veep” and Comedy Central’s “Detroiters,” which he co-created. He is repped by UTA,...

Exclusive: Heroes and Villains Entertainment has added Chris Coggins and Gary Ventimiglia to its roster of managers. Ventimiglia comes to Heroes and Villains as a manager from Authentic, after running production companies such as Maverick and Valhalla, where he was responsible for bringing in The Walking Dead graphic novel. His clients include director Chris Moukarbel, who directed the Lady Gaga Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two; Michael Mayer, whose debut feature Ou…...

Exclusive: Heroes and Villains Entertainment has added Chris Coggins and Gary Ventimiglia to its roster of managers. Ventimiglia comes to Heroes and Villains as a manager from Authentic, after running production companies such as Maverick and Valhalla, where he was responsible for bringing in The Walking Dead graphic novel. His clients include director Chris Moukarbel, who directed the Lady Gaga Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two; Michael Mayer, whose debut feature Ou…...

The Jewish Film Institute's new VOD platform, Jfi On Demand, includes festival favorites from the Sfjff archives over the past three decades, including "5 Days" by Yoav Shamir, "Aliyah" by Elie Wajeman, "Out in the Dark" by Michael Mayer, "Forgiveness" by Udi Aloni, "Live and Become" by Radu Mihaileanu and more. The 35th edition of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival returns to the Bay Area this year from July 23 to August 9, 2015 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, the CinéArts Theatre in Palo Alto, the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, The California Theatre in Berkeley, and the Lakeside Theater in Oakland. Since 1981, the festival has screened over 1500 films. Read More: Noir City and Jewish Film Festival Compete for San Francisco Cinephiles To view all 35 film titles on Jfi On Demand, visit jewishfilminstitute.org.

Films and literature.

These are perhaps the most powerful mediums in the world that can influence like no other.

Through these, society can be educated, discrimination can be eradicated and positive social change made into reality.

Sadly, there is still much discrimination towards Lgbtqia (Lesbian; Gay; Bisexual; Transgender; Queer; Intersex; Asexual) persons throughout the world and not just in India where being something other than “straight” is criticised and furthermore, homosexuality is now a crime.

However, the journey towards Lgbtqi human rights continues to progress despite the challenges.

May is a big month for celebrating and inspiring hope through both films and literature as the biggest gay and lesbian film festival in India, the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival kicks off on the 21st of May – 25th of May 2014.

Kashish was founded by Sridhar Rangayan, a courageous and inspirational activist and film maker.

In its 5th edition, the festival...

A still from the opening film “Out in the Dark”

Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2014 will open with Michael Mayer’s Out in the Dark (Israel, Palestine, USA), a love story between an ambitious Palestinian student and an idealistic Israeli lawyer caught in a minefield of socio-political conflict.

The festival which will take place from May 21 – May 25 at Liberty Cinema, New Marine Lines and Alliance Française de Bombay; will screen around 154 films from 31 countries including shorts and features in both narrative and documentary category.

Twenty-eight Indian films will be screened at the festival. National Award winning director Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi short film Mitraa, based on Vijay Tendulkar’s play Mitrachi Goshta, will be screened on Saturday May 24, 4.45 pm at Liberty Cinema in a short film package ‘Indian Showcase’.

Pradipta Ray who was the winner of Riyad Wadia Award for Emerging Indian Filmmaker at Kashish 2012 will return with Bengali...

To mark the release of Out in the Dark on October 14th we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.

The award-winning directorial debut from Michael Mayer, gay drama Out In The Dark (15) stars newcomer Nicholas Jacob as Arab student Nimr alongside Michael Aloni (Policeman, Infiltration) who plays Jewish lawyer Roy. A gripping story of forbidden Arab-Israeli love, Nimr is rejected by Islamic society for his sexuality, and outcast by Jewish society for his nationality.

Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only

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The Small Print

Open to UK residents only The competition will close 31st October at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

The post Win Out in the Dark on DVD appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The Israel-Palestine conflict has been ongoing for decades, affecting the lives of millions. Out in the Dark certainly isn’t the first film to address this conflict. But, now, director Michael Mayer (who co-wrote the script with Yael Shafrir) explores this conflict with a very personal perspective in Out in the Dark. Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately for Mayer—making this story more personal and character-driven makes the subject matter even more infuriating; it will get under your skin.

Nimr (Nicholas Jacob) is a Palestinian student taking a special class in Tel Aviv. One night after the class, he goes to a gay bar to see his drag queen friend Mustafa (Loai Nofi) perform. At the bar, he has a meet-cute with Israeli lawyer Roy (Michael Aloni). Despite their instant attraction to each other, Nimr knows that going any further with him would make things very complicated, so he does not pursue Roy.

Nobody Knows: Mayer’s Debut Explores Personal is Political with Tragic Gay Love Story

For his screen debut, Israeli born director Michael Mayer’s Out in the Dark further complicates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by giving us a story about two young men from opposite sides of the track, as it is, falling in love. The result is a complicated series of road blocks for the couple, a situation that causes not only familial strife, but political and violent turmoil. Mayer has tapped into a predicament not often visited cinematically when exploring the ever present conflict in the Mid-East, and he’s managed to not only make a memorable debut, but an unflinching document about the violence and hardships Lgbt people face in this hostile territory.

Sneaking dangerously across the border one night to get from Ramallah to Tel Aviv, Nimir (Nicholas Jacob), a young Palestinian student is on his way to see his close friend,...

Michael Mayer came to the topic of "Out in the Dark," his debut feature which had its world premiere at last year's Toronto International Film Festival and opens in theaters September 27, through a combination of chance and unexpected passion.  The Israeli-born filmmaker was eating dinner in Los Angeles with a friend from Tel Aviv who mentioned his work with gay Palestinians living in Israel and told Mayer about their legal, political and emotional uncertainties.  "It kind of blew me away," he told me in a phone interview last week.  "It was the first time since film school when I was like, 'oh shit, I want to tell that story.'" On his next trip to Israel, Mayer began to research the issue--"at first, for my own benefit," as he puts it--and what he discovered challenged his preconceptions of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  Here was a liminal space where political stereotypes were scrambled,...

★★★☆☆ 'When boundless love meets sectarian boundaries' is by no means the most enticing underpinning narrative; nor does it sound particularly controversial. However, Michael Mayer's feature debut, Out in the Dark (2012), proves that even the most overplayed melodies of love and war can sing with innovation. Juggling a myriad of political hot potatoes including racism, homosexuality and domestic violence, Mayer transcends through all the capricious clichés grown stagnant through repetition. Instead, this first-time Israeli director turns over a modern day Romeo and Juliet yarn scarred by the truths of geopolitical immorality.

Opting for the provocative itinerary of two gay lovers split by the animosity between their nations, Mayer clearly intends to establish his divisive directorial footing early in his career. If not for the amorous dynamics between his two leads, Nicholas Jacob and Michael Aloni, he may have struggled to shed the melodrama moniker from his skillset. Yet, it's Jacob...

If Shakespeare had sought to write of star-crossed lovers today he might boldly have chosen a tale of woe like that of Nimr and Roy. Out in the Dark bears touching witness to the tentative dance of a brand new relationship and to a bond stretched taut across a volatile divide. Not the well-thumbed legend of Romeo and Juliet perhaps, but the reimagined story of a contemporary Mercutio and Tybalt – political, dynamic, passionate and devastating.

Roy (Michael Aloni) is a beautiful careless playboy, working as a lawyer for the family firm, emboldened by the cushion of ignorance that his father’s money provides. Nimr (Nicholas Jacob) is a student of psychology with his eyes firmly fixed on an horizon and a future far from the fear and dishonesty of his daily life. When they meet in a Tel Aviv club their connection is instant, their attraction absolute. Despite his misgivings,...

Frameline, the world's longest running Lgbt film festival, announced its 2013 winners for both audience and juried awards after wrapping up its 37th year this past Sunday. Michael Mayer's gay Israeli-Palestinian drama "Out in the Dark" received the Outstanding First Feature prize from jury members Robert Hawk, Joao Federici (Mix Brasil fest director) and Mel Pritchard (BuskFilms). Stacie Passon's indie tale of lesbian ennui "Concussion" -- well-reviewed at Tiff and Sundance -- garnered an honorable mention. Both of these films will screen in La at Outfest in July. (Read a fascinating interview with Passon via Women and Hollywood here.) Jury members M.T. Silva (Pixar), Masashi Niwao (CAAMFest director) and Joachim Post (programmer of the Hamburg Queer Film Festival) awarded Outstanding Documentary to Marta Cunningham's portrait of Lgbt violence "Valentine Road." Runners-up were Yoruba Richen's "The New Black" and SXSW hit "Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton" --.

Emir Baigazin’s Harmony Lessons won the 39th Seattle International Film Festival’s Best New Director grand jury prize on Sunday [9] as top brass handed out jury and audience awards.Scroll down for full list of winners

The Siff 2013 Best Documentary grand jury prize went to Penny Lane’s Our Nixon and Lucy Walker earned a special jury prize for The Crash Reel, while Kyle Patrick Alvarez took the Best New American Cinema grand jury prize for C.O.G.

In the audience awards, Henk Pretorius’ Fanie Fourie’s Lobola won the Best Film Golden Space Needle Award and Morgan Neville’s Twenty Feet From Stardom took the corresponding documentary prize.

The Best Director Golden Space Needle Award went to Nabil Ayouch for Horses Of God, while best actor was awarded to James Cromwell for Still Mine and best actress to Samantha Morton for Decoding Annie Parker.

The Best Short Film Golden Space Needle Award was presented to [link...

The always-popular Austin Jewish Film Festival is back with a selection of stimulating films. The fest starts tomorrow night (Saturday, April 13) and runs through Friday, April 19 at Regal Arbor. Tickets and festival badges are still available, and some noon screenings are free.

Austin Film Society is co-sponsoring two of the fest's movies this year:

The Other Son (pictured above) (Lorraine Levy, France/Israel, 2012) is a powerful, yet hopeful, portrait of two young men -- one Palestinian, one Israeli -- switched at birth. They learn to transcend cultural, national and religious boundaries after they meet. [screening info]Out in the Dark (Michael Mayer, Israel, 2012) joins the growing list of well-made Israeli films exploring gay life in Israel. In this film, we see the difficulties of love between a young Palestinian student and a slightly older Israeli lawyer. In a well-acted but tough role as a homophobic cop, new Austin resident Alon Pdut proves...

The BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival is something I truly appreciate. It warms my heart to know that there are actually plenty of films out there that star more than just straight white men as protagonists; and it's a shame that they end up relegated to a single, yearly event.

There were a huge number of films showing this year, almost guaranteeing a wide range of experiences on offer - but I only got to watch one in particular. Out in the Dark, filmed in 2012 and directed by Michael Mayer.

One movie featuring explict gay sex is to serve as "consolation" for the banning of another such movie at a film festival in Australia (pictured above: Brenden Gregory and Jesse Metzger in Travis Mathews' romantic / psychological drama I Want Your Love) Travis Mathews and James Franco's explicit Interior. Leather Bar, about how "straight" and "gay" actors react while filming the recreation of footage supposedly cut from William Friedkin's much criticized 1980 crime thriller Cruising, will be screened as a sort of "consolation movie" for Mathews' own explicit effort I Want Your Love, the tale of two gay male friends who opt to make their friendship into something more physical. Scheduled for a presentation at the 2013 Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Mathews' movie was banned by Australia's Classification Board. Here's a great quote: David Cronenberg, the director of dozens of movies such as Videodrome, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, A Dangerous Method,...

Chicago – The 48th Annual Chicago International Film Festival boasts one of the starriest opening nights in its history, with Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and Jon Bon Jovi all scheduled to walk the red carpet for the October 11th world premiere of Fisher Stevens’ crime comedy, “Stand Up Guys.” Yet that is far from the only picture worthy of attention at the year’s festival. Here are the highlights of the opening weekend covering October 11th to October 14th, 2012 (stay tuned on the 15th and 18th for more highlights).

Throughout the festival, Hollywood Chicago will be showcasing various films that deserve to not be overlooked. The opening act of this year’s Ciff includes a mind-bending fantasy that caused a sensation at Cannes and a riveting Wisconsin-set documentary that offers an unforgettable microcosm of the financial crisis. Also screening are the latest buzzed-about titles from directors including Romanian auteur Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months,...

Michael Aloni and Nicholas Jacob in Out in the Dark

There are plenty of movies about forbidden gay love. In fact, the words “gay love” and “forbidden” are the basis of many movies, but the film Out in the Dark takes this foundation and throws it into the threatening arena of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Forbidden doesn't even begin to describe this gay relationship.

The movie, which made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and is directed by Michael Mayer, introduces us to the too-dreamy-to-be-true duo of Nimer (Nicholas Jacob) and Roy (Michael Aloni). Nimer is an endearing, yet ambitious Palestinian graduate student and Roy is a super-duper idealistic Israeli lawyer. The two meet, fall in love and develop a strong relationship – but there are a couple of issues that come up – mainly for Nimer. For one, Palestinian society isn't exactly keen on homosexuality. Secondly, Israeli society isn't too keen on his nationality.

Toronto – Los Angeles-based, USC-trained Israeli director Michael Mayer makes a gripping feature debut with Out in the Dark, a troubled gay love story between a privileged Tel Aviv lawyer and a Palestinian student that is by turns tender and tense, sensual and suspenseful. In Mayer’s assured hands, a drama that could easily have become schematic instead pulses with urgency, longing and raw feeling, morphing smoothly in its final third into a lean thriller. Having already notched up sales in key European territories, the film was acquired for the U.S. on the eve of its Toronto world

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"Out in The Dark," which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Friday, has been acquired for U.S. distribution by the independent distributor, Breaking Glass, the festival announced on Thursday. The film marks the feature debut of Israeli director Michael Mayer. It follows two young men, a Palestinian grad student and an Israeli lawyer, played by Nicholas Jacob and Michael Aloni,  who meet and fall in love, amid personal and political intrigue. The film was written by Yael Shafrir and Mayer, and produced by Lihu Roter and Mayer.  ...

Out in the Dark, a gay love story set amid the political turmoil of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will be coming to North American screens courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures. The company has picked up rights to the feature from m-appeal ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival, where Out in the Dark will have its world premiere. The drama, the directorial debut of American-Israeli filmmaker Michael Mayer, follows an Israeli lawyer who falls in love with a Palestinian student. Toronto 2012: The A-List With Films for Sale "This is a love story which becomes complicated by

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Chicago – The 48th Chicago International Film Festival has released the first 22 titles in its lineup to be screened from Thursday, October 11th, through Thursday, October 25th. Over 150 films from more than 50 countries are expected to be presented at this year’s festival.

One of the most buzzed-about titles on the roster is Ben Lewin’s “The Sessions,” which stars John Hawkes as a 36-year-old man in an iron lung who decides to lose his virginity by hiring a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) with the help of his priest (William H. Macy). The film was a big hit at Sundance and received the Audience Award as well as the Special Jury Prize for ensemble acting. Another wildly anticipated picture is Leos Carax’s “Holy Motors,” which reportedly garnered the most divisive yet impassioned reactions of any selection at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Earning comparisons to the work of David Lynch,...