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Exclusive: Angels Studios has set a limited theatrical release on Dec. 25 with January expansion for Brandt Andersen’s feature drama The Strangers’ Case.

The title, which made its world premiere at the 2024 Berlinale, was curated by the studio’s Angel Guild of 1.1M members.

Inspired by Andersen’s Oscar-shortlisted 2020 short film Refugee (2020), The Strangers’ Case unfolds through a Shakespearean lens, drawing its title from a poignant speech in Sir Thomas More defending displaced peoples. Set against the backdrop of the Syrian Civil War, the film follows a pediatric surgeon, Amira (Yasmine Al Massri), and her daughter, whose lives intertwine with five families across four continents in a chain reaction of tragedy, resilience, and hope. The ensemble cast includes Omar Sy, Yahya Mahayni, Ziad Bakri, Constantine Markoulakis, and Jason Beghe.

The Strangers’ Case won the Amnesty International Film Award. Andersen, who wrote and directed the movie, is also a seasoned producer and activist who has worked extensively with refugees in Syria, Jordan, and beyond. The movie features Syrian extras who have faced the Aegean crossing depicted in the story. To date, the film has received over 50 Festival awards.

“Stories that amplify light like The Strangers’ Case are for global mainstream audiences,” said Jared Geesey, Chief Distribution Officer at Angel. “Brandt Andersen’s vision to inspire compassion and understanding resonated with the Angel Guild, and we’re thrilled to bring this masterpiece to our audience.”

“I am honored and grateful to partner with Angel to share The Strangers’ Case with a global audience,” said Andersen in a statement. “I cannot wait for everyone to see the hard work of this amazing cast and crew on the big screen. This film is deeply personal, and I believe its message of shared humanity is more important now than ever.”

The Angel Guild counts a community of over 1.1M members from more than 170 countries who cleared The Strangers’ Case for distribution.

Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio’s coming-of-age saga “In the Summers” took top honors at this year’s 50th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival, claiming both the Grand Prize and the Fondation Louis Roeder Revelation Prize, awarded by a parallel jury.

At once intimate and expansive, the film traces a Latin-American family portrait, using four vignettes to span two decades while following the evolving and often challenged relationship two siblings share with their father, played by Puerto Rican rap great Residente. “In the Summers” had previously won the grand jury prize and the director award out of Sundance, and is set for release by Music Box Films next week.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of French cinema so it was already an honor to show my film at the Deauville American Film Festival,” the director tells Variety. “To win was unbelievable; [I’m] incredibly grateful. I hope this allows more...

Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams and Sebastian Stan have joined the roster of Hollywood stars set to attend the 50th edition of France’s Deauville American Film Festival.

The festival announced Thursday that it would fete Portman and Williams with its Deauville Talent Award at the upcoming edition (running from September 6 to 15) in the presence of the stars.

Stan is also set to attend receive its Nouvel Hollywood award in the wake of recent performances in The Apprentice and A Different Man, which will screen at the festival as part of its Premieres line-up.

He joins Daisy Ridley, whose presence in Deauville for same award was announced last week. Previous recipients of the award feting rising Hollywood talents include Robert Pattinson, Ryan Gosling and Emilia Clarke.

In other additions to the program, Deauville also revealed that it would be welcoming back Cannes 2024 Palme d’Or winner Sean Baker, who has a long history with the festival.

Deauville American Film Festival has unveiled the 14 US features for its 50th anniversary edition running September 6-15 in the Normandy seaside town.

They include Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio’s 2024 Sundance prize-winner In The Summers, Cannes-premiering titles including Roberto Minervini’s The Damned and Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve At Miller’s Point, and Christy Hall’s taxi drama Daddio.

Eight of the films are debut features, among them David Fortune’s Color Book which world-premiered at Tribeca and Brandt Andersen’s The Strangers’ Case which made its debut at Berlin.

Benoit Magimel heads up this year’s Deauville jury alongside Ludivine Sagnier,...

Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz drama Life scooped the top Golden Bee award for Best Feature Film at Malta’s second Mediterrane Film Festival over the weekend.

This year’s selection was overseen by Italian film festival veteran Teresa Cavina, who pulled together a line-up of 45 works with Mediterranean basin connections, 15 of which were in the main Competition.

In the backdrop to the festival, leading English-language newspaper The Times of Malta continued to probe whether the event’s budget of $4.1M budget (€3.9) was good use of taxpayers’ money on the island nation, with a population of roughly 500,000 people.

Last year, the newspaper heavily criticized the event for allegedly splashing cash on business class fights and luxury hotels for actors, directors and journalists as well as a lavish black-tie closing event, fronted by UK star David Walliams.

Replying to fresh questions from the newspaper, Malta Film Commission head Johann Grech said the...

Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz’s Life won the best feature film prize at the second annual Mediterrane Film Festival’s Golden Bee Awards in Malta this weekend.

Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown won the Jury’s Choice prize, while The Strangers’ Case picked up two awards: best director for Brandt Andersen and best acting for Yasmine Al-Massri.

Mike Leigh received the festival’s career achievement award, while veteran Maltese production coordinator Rita Galea, whose credits include World War Z, received a lifetime achievement award.

The main competition jury was comprised of Jon S. Baird, Margery Simkin, Mario Philip Azzopardi,...

Zeki Demirkubuz’s “Life” was awarded the Golden Bee for best feature film at the second edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival.

Mahdi Fleifel’s Directors’ Fortnight breakout “To a Land Unknown” took the Jury’s Choice prize, while Brandt Andersen’s “The Stranger’s Case” won Golden Bees for Best Director for Andersen and Best Acting for Yasmine Al-Massri.

The awards were handed out at a glitzy ceremony at the grand Fort Manoel in the Maltese capital of Valletta, which served as a location for “Game of Thrones” and “Assassin’s Creed.” BAFTA-winning British filmmaker Mike Leigh was honored with the festival’s Career Achievement Award after giving an extended career talk earlier at the festival with Maltese veteran production coordinator Rita Galea (“World War Z”) receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.

This year’s jury was headed by Scottish filmmaker Jon S. Baird (“Tetris”) and featured casting director Margery Simkin,...

Jason Yu’s Sleep and Brant Anderson’s The Strangers’ Case were among the winners at the 32nd Raindance Film Festival, which held its jury awards ceremony today in London.

Korean filmmaker Yu - a former assistant director to Bong Joon Ho - won the Discovery award for best debut feature with Sleep. The black comedy stars the late Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, in the story of an expectant wife who must stop her husband’s sleepwalking habits before he harms himself or his family.

Scroll down for the full list of feature awards

Sleep debuted in Critics’ Week...

The 32nd Raindance Film Festival (June 19-28) has revealed its jury award winners, reflecting a renewed focus on emerging filmmakers.

Korean thriller “Sleep,” directed by Jason Yu and starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, took home the Discovery Award for best debut feature. The film marks Lee’s final role before his passing.

Brandt Anderson’s “The Strangers’ Case,” a multi-perspective drama about Syrian refugees, won best international feature. The documentary category saw “Searching for Amani” emerge victorious. Directed by Debra Aroko and Nicole Gormley, the Kenya/U.S. co-production follows a 13-year-old boy investigating his father’s murder within a Kenyan wildlife conservancy.

Luke Gilford secured best debut director for “National Anthem,” a coming-of-age tale set in the world of queer rodeo. Paula Grimaldo claimed best performance in a debut feature for her turn in “The Quiet Maid,” portraying a young Colombian woman working for a wealthy Spanish family who seeks revenge.

HGTV‘s Alison Victoria has made her new relationship Instagram official. The Windy City Rehab star flaunted her new beau on the Red Carpet last week. Now, she’s made their relationship public on social media. Here is everything we know about Alison Victoria’s boyfriend and details of how they met.

Alison Victoria’s Has Had Several Public Splits

Alison Victoria has had several notable breakups during her time in the spotlight. She teamed up with developer and contractor Donovan Eckhardt on her debut HGTV show Kitchen Crashers. However, she publicly ended the working relationship with her “work husband” in 2020.

Alison and Donovan were sued for poor work in several clients’ homes. On top of that, his developer and contractor licenses were revoked because he reportedly mismanaged some of their finances. As a result, Alison decided not to work with Donovan anymore, causing ripples in the HGTV community.

Instagram/Alison Victoria

Generally speaking,...

Love is in the air! HGTV superstar Alison Victoria has made it Instagram Official with new boyfriend Brandt Andersen. Sharing a series of photos from the pair's night out at the Daytime Emmy Awards, Alison paired the photos with a caption reading, "My Heart. Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames." Aside from love, it was a night to celebrate as Alison was nominated for best instructional/how-to program for Windy City Rehab.

Alison Victoria is sharing her new love with the world. The Windy City Rehab star attended the 2024 Daytime Emmys on June 7 with her new boyfriend, Brandt Andersen. The Battle on the Beach star went Instagram official with Anderson on June 13 by sharing a series of photos from their first official event as a couple. My ,” she captioned the post. “‘Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.’ – Rumi.” The HGTV star looked gorgeous in a black sequin dress for the Daytime Emmys. Andersen, in a white suit jacket and black slacks, color-coordinated with Victoria. The couple sweetly held hands and hugged on the red carpet. Victoria’s Windy City Rehab was a nominee for Outstanding Instructional and How-To Program. Andersen is a writer, director, and producer. He served as a producer of films like Everest, Silence, and Journey to Bethlehem. He also directed and produced the 2024 film The Strangers’ Case.

The Mediterrane Film Festival announced its complete program ahead of its second edition, taking place in Malta’s capital of Valetta from June 22-30. New titles selected include recent Cannes highlights in Coralie Fargeat’s Demi Moore-led body horror “The Substance” and Roberto Minvervini’s “The Damned,” which join previously announced films like Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Kinds of Kindness” and Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw The TV Glow.”

Further program additions include Mahdi Fleifel’s Directors’ Fortnight standout “To a Land Unknown,” which Variety labeled “a confident, angry, fully-realized drama,” and Truong Minh Quy’s Un Certain Regard breakout “Viet and Nam.” An extended version of the Malta-shot “Jurassic World: Dominion” will play as part of the Malta Expanded strand, while on the retrospective end of the program, the festival will honor David Bowie with screenings of Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and Lisa Azuelos’s “My Way,...

The Mediterrane Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its second edition (June 22-30), with Cannes premiere The Count Of Monte Cristo set to open the event.

Scroll down for the full line-up

Directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, the film is among seven titles in the out of competition strand, which also includes Jane Schoenbrun’s Sundance title I Saw The TV Glow and Tarsem Singh’s Dear Jassi.

The 15-strong competition section features Cannes competition titles Kinds Of Kindness and The Substance, and Berlin premiere The Strangers case starring Omar Sy,

Seven films compete in the environment-themed Mare Nostrum section,...

Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival has set the full competition and industry lineup for its second edition, which runs June 22 to 30 in the country’s capital, Valletta.

The programme includes 15 films in competition, seven out-of-competition, and seven films competing in the environment-themed Mare Nostrum section, topped up by 14 immersive projects.

Select competition titles include Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest Kinds of Kindness, Coralie Fargeat’s body horror The Substance, and The Damned by Italian filmmaker Roberto Minvervini. All three films debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Scroll down to see the full lineup. Deadpool and Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller will serve on the competition jury.

The festival has also set its industry lineup, featuring a series of masterclass sessions. Speakers include editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, production designer Nathan Crowley, casting director Margery Simkin, and composer Simon Franglen...

“La Cocina,” the Rooney Mara-starring drama that premiered at the 2024 Berlinale, is among four feature films that will screen at the inaugural Croatian International Film Festival beginning Aug. 8.

The four-day event, set in the coastal city of Sibenik, will also feature 18 documentary and narrative shorts, giving the struggling independent film market an additional international venue to screen movies and launch careers.

Created by Croatia-born, America-based Ella Mische, Ciff was conceived as a fest that will amplify women in media and second-time directors, and will serve as an event to connect nonfiction and narrative filmmakers from around the world. Mische, who was part of the casting department on the 2022 Adam Sandler film “Hustle,” has worked in the entertainment industry for the last two decades casting, directing, acting and producing.

“Being a citizen of both Croatia and America, this festival began as a passion project,” says Mische. “I wanted to connect...

Fresh out of its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Kinds of Kindness” is one of the titles headed to this year’s Mediterrane Film Festival, taking place in Malta between June 22-30.

Other highlights in the festival’s first wave of programming include Jane Schoenbrun’s Sundance breakout “I Saw the TV Glow” and Meryam Joobeur’s Berlinale competition entry “Who Do I Belong To.”

The festival’s sophomore edition marks the first under the curatorial guise of Artistic Director Teresa Cavina, appointed earlier in the year. Cavina reorganized the festival’s program into four strands: In Competition, featuring films from across the Mediterranean; Out of Competition, featuring films from the rest of the world; Mare Nostrum or Our Sea, showcasing films dedicated to sustainability and the environment; and Future Visions, focusing on experimental VR projects.

In a statement, Cavina said that this...

The 32nd edition of the UK’s Raindance Film Festival is to open with horror-thriller Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer, as the festival shifts away from autumn to a midsummer slot, running June 19-28.

This year, 90% of the international films screening in competition are debut features. The jury includes actors Alice Englert, Claes Bang, Jared Harris and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and producers Ivana MacKinnon and Paul Sng.

Cuckoo is a German-us co-production that has played at Berlin and SXSW. Schafer plays a 17- year-old who is forced to leave her American home to live with her father and his new family as...

The 32nd edition of the UK’s Raindance Film Festival is to open with Tilman Singer’s horror-thriller Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer, as the festival shifts away from autumn to a midsummer slot, running June 19-28.

This year, 90% of the international films screening in competition are debut features.

The jury includes actors Alice Englert, Claes Bang, Jared Harris and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and producers Ivana MacKinnon and Paul Sng.

Opening night film Cuckoo is a German-us co-production, that has played at Berlin and SXSW. Schafer plays a 17- year-old who is forced to leave her American home to live with her...

The migrant dream slips slowly into a nightmare Matteo Garrone’s drama, which takes us on a Continent-crossing odyssey. Although sometimes the tone veers widely from one extreme to another, this is nevertheless a compelling addition to a burgeoning library of dramas concerning the migrant/refugee experience, including Brandt Anderson’s The Strangers Case and Agnieszka Holland’s searing Green Border, in the past 12 months alone.

It begins full of the hopefulness of cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) as they prepare to leave Senegal for what they firmly believe will be a better life in Europe. Shot with colour and verve by cinematographer Paolo Carnera the optimism of the boys is contagious, even as warnings from Seydou’s mother (Khady Sy) will come to echo through the rest of the film. The mood is, initially, that of a road trip - which, of course, to the boys it is.

Exclusive: Last month, when Brandt Andersen’s debut feature film The Strangers’ Case won the Amnesty International Film Award at Berlinale, it marked the recognition of a long and impassioned journey for the writer, director and long-time producer as he sought to marry film with his extensive activism background.

The drama, which world premiered as a Special Gala at Berlin, is an extended version of his Oscar-shortlisted short film Refugee and stars French actor Omar Sy and Lebanese-born Yasmine Al Massri. It’s a searing account of the refugee exodus sparked by the Arab Spring and ensuing Syrian Civil War. Andersen, whose producing credits include Everest, Lone Survivor and Golden Globe nominee The Flowers of War, writes and directs The Strangers’ Case and drew inspiration from people he encountered while working with humanitarian agencies in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Jordan and Syria.

The film follows the chain reaction of events involving...

The international scope and grueling human cost of the global refugee crisis lends itself to contemporary epic filmmaking of a particularly sober stripe, as seen mostly recently in Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” and Matteo Garrone’s Oscar-nominated “Io Capitano.” Shorn of their ripped-from-the-headlines urgency, such stories of humans crossing vast distances and facing hostile odds in pursuit of a better life are as old as time itself. A muscular, assured debut feature from U.S. producer-turned-director Brandt Andersen, “The Strangers’ Case” stresses the sprawling scale of the situation with a chaptered structure that pivots between multiple involved parties in the refugee’s journey, from warmongers to traffickers to rescuers to the displaced victims themselves.

That wide span, however, prevents a particularly penetrating look at any individual experience of the crisis. Brandt draws his characters in broad, flat strokes that serve the architecture of the narrative — and its cumulative, practically...

The independent juries of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival early Saturday unveiled their picks of the best movies at the 2024 Berlinale.

Matthias Glasner’s German family epic Sterben (Dying), and the Iranian feature My Favourite Cake from directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, both of which are considered frontrunners for the top prize at the official festival ceremony on Saturday night, received multiple awards for the indie juries, as did Dag Johan Haugerud’s Norwegian drama Sex, a critical favorite from this year’s Panorama sidebar.

Sterben, which follows a classical conductor (played by Lars Eidinger) and his very dysfunctional family, won the best film honor from the guild of German arthouse cinemas and the top prize awarded by the jury of Berliner Morgenpost readers representing the Berlin newspaper.

My Favourite Cake, a quiet drama about a 70-year-old widow who takes a chance on new love, won the Fipresci...

The line between art and activism is blurred — often to a fault — in The Strangers’ Case, a visceral migrant drama that plays less as a movie with a message than as a message with a movie.

Written and directed by Brandt Andersen, an executive producer (American Made, Everest), former NBA G League franchise owner and international activist, the film follows several characters whose lives are upended by the Syrian Civil War, switching points of view as it moves from the grim battlegrounds of Aleppo to the gates of Europe.

It can be an intense experience to sit through, and Andersen doesn’t hold back on the gruesome violence and nonstop tragedy many migrants suffered during the conflict — and continue to suffer to this day. But that doesn’t always make for great drama, nor for characters who go deep enough, resulting in a well-meaning film that feels half like a globetrotting Hollywood thriller,...

Exclusive: Beloved French actor Omar Sy stars in the debut feature from longtime producer Brandt Andersen in The Strangers’ Case, a searing and international ensemble that is world premiering at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday. Watch an exclusive clip above.

Sy stars along with Yasmin Al Massri in the film, which is an extension of Andersen’s Oscar shortlisted 2020 short Refugee also starring Sy and Al Massri. It’s playing as a Berlinale Special Gala title later this week.

The film follows the chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries after tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo: a doctor (Al Massri) and her daughter, who come home following a chaotic shift at an Aleppo hospital; a soldier who witnesses heinous crimes towards men, women and children in the service of the Syrian regime; a smuggler in Turkey (Sy) who tries desperately to make...

UK sales outfit Mister Smith Entertainment has boarded international sales on The Strangers’ Case, with WME Independent overseeing North American sales, ahead of its world premiere as a Berlinale Special Gala.

Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy, Ziad Bakri, Constantine Markoulakis and Jason Beghe star in the feature directorial debut of veteran US producer Brandt Andersen, whose credits include Everest, Lone Survivor and Broken City.

Tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, starting a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries. The drama interweaves personal stories to illuminate the bravery and heartbreak of the refugee experience.

The Strangers’ Case from American filmmaker Brandt Andersen and starring French actor Omar Sy will make its world premiere at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

The film’s short synopsis reads: Tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, starting a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries.

The pic is among a trio of late additions to the Berlinale Special sidebar, announced this morning by the festival. Also showing in Berlin are the two mid-length Japanese films Chime by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and August My Heaven by Riho Kudo.

Chime follows Tashiro, a student at a culinary school, who hears voices in his head. His teacher, Matsuoka, remains unconcerned. But then Tashiro claims that a machine has replaced half of his brain. August My Heaven follows Joe, who earns a living as a professional stand-in actor for hire to play a relative, lover, or friend...

The Berlinale has rounded out its special screenings programme with three more films.

Omar Sy-starring The Strangers’ Case by Brandt Andersen is a Berlinale Special Gala.

Two Japanese mid-length films - Chime by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and August My Heaven by Riho Kudo - will play as Berlinale Specials.

Andersen’s The Strangers’ Case is about a tragedy that strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo which triggers a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries. The cast includes Omar Sy, Jason Beghe and Yasmine Al Massri.

It is based on a 2020 short, Refugee, that Andersen...

“Chime,” a mid-length movie by leading Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, is among three late additions to the Berlin Film Festival’s Berlinale Special section.

The two others are “August My Heaven,” another mid-length picture form Japan, directed by Kudo Riho, and “The Strangers’ Case,” a full-length feature directed by Brandt Andersen which will play as a Berlinale Special Gala presentation.

In “Chime” Tashiro, a student at a culinary school, hears voices in his head. His teacher, Matsuoka, remains unconcerned. But then Tashiro claims that half of his brain has been replaced by a machine.

In “August My Heaven,” Joe earns a living as a professional stand-in actor for hire to play a relative, lover or friend for her clients and attend ceremonies. After an encounter at a funeral, her professional and private live begin to merge.

Tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo in “The Strangers’ Case.” This triggers a...

The 2024Berlin Film Festival has added Brandt Andersen’s refugee drama The Strangers’ Case, featuring French superstar Omar Sy (Lupin) to its official lineup. The drama, about a tragedy that strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, triggering a chain reaction of events that impact five different families across four countries, will screen in the Berlinale Special sidebar at this year’s festival, which runs Feb. 15-25. Jason Beghe and Yasmine Al Massri co-star in the film’s ensemble cast.

Berlin on Thursday also added two mid-length Japanese films to its Berlinale Specials lineup: Chime by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Tokyo Sonata) and August My Heaven by Riho Kudo (Orphan’s Blues). Chime follows a student at a culinary school who begins to hear voices and becomes convinced half of his brain has been replaced by a machine. August My Heaven centers on Joe, a professional stand-in actor who is hired by clients to play their friend,...

Sony Pictures’ faith-focused label Affirm Films and Monarch Media have launched a trailer for Christmas musical film “Journey to Bethlehem.”

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Adam Anders, who was a music producer on “Glee.” A retelling of the the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus, the film is a live-action Christmas musical weaving classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith and new pop songs.

The cast includes Fiona Palomo (“Outer Banks”) as Mary, Milo Manheim (“Prom Pact”) as Joseph, Antonio Banderas (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”) as Herod, Stephanie Gil (“Fatima”), Rizwan Manji (“Schitt’s Creek”), Geno Segers (“Perfect Harmony”), Omid Djalili (“Gladiator”), Joel Smallbone and Lecrae.

Anders penned the script along with Peter Barsocchini (“High School Musical”) and wrote the music with Nikki Anders (“Glee”) and Peer Astrom (“Rock of Ages”). The film is produced by Anders, Alan Powell and Steve Barnett through Monarch Media,...

Exclusive: Fiona Palomo is Mary, Milo Manheim is Joseph and Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas is King Herod in Sony Affirm’s upcoming untitled holiday musical centered around the Nativity.

The movie is currently in production with Monarch Media on the coast of Spain for a Nov. 10 theatrical release.

Award-winning music producer Adam Anders is making his feature directorial debut and wrote the script along with Peter Barsocchini (High School Musical franchise) and wrote the music with Nikki Anders and Peer Astrom.

Logline: A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical celebration for the entire family, weaves classic Christmas melodies into new pop songs in a music-infused retelling...

The third season of Ramy Youssef’s award-winning show Ramy, which dropped on Hulu at the end of September, saw the titular American-Egyptian protagonist head to Jerusalem to cut a business deal with a tough-talking diamond dealing clan in an episode entitled Egyptian Cigarettes.

Naïve to the realities of the 74-year Middle East conflict, he gets a taste of life on both sides of Israel’s controversial separation wall.

In between meetings with his new Israeli partners at a luxury villa, he squeezes in a date with a Palestinian girl in East Jerusalem on the other side of a checkpoint, where his actions will result in a local teenager being detained by the Israeli army.

International productions set in Israel and the West Bank rarely shoot in either territory. Most head to neighboring Jordan, and sometimes Morocco, deterred by the possibility of a flare-up in the conflict, in which both...

Exclusive: Adam Anders, the producer of Netflix’s The Prom and the longtime executive music producer of the mutli-award winning series Glee, will make his directorial debut early next year on the Monarch Media, Space + Art Entertainment and Story Collective musical feature Road To Bethlehem.

The project is written by Netflix series I Am Not Okay With This scribe and EP Christy Hall. The film will shoot at the Jerusalem movie set in Utah.

Monarch Media is financing the project, with company principals Steve Barnett and Alan Powell set to produce. Anders will also produce through his Anders Media, Inc. banner, along with Brandt Andersen through his Space + Art Entertainment banner and Stephen Meinen and Ryan Busse through their Story Collective banner. Monarch principal Vicky Patel will executive produce. The film’s original music will be written and produced by Anders, Nikki Anders, and Peer Astrom. Anders and Astrom co-wrote...

The event is Jordan’s first international film festival.

The Amman International Film Festival has selected the juries and set up the awards for its inaugural edition, set to run in Jordan from August 23-31.

The Arab feature-length narrative film jury is headed by Serbian director Srdan Golubović, who will be joined by Jordanian actor-producer Saba Mubarak; and Sarim Fassi-Fihri, executive vice president of the Marrakech International Film Festival and CEO of the Moroccan Cinema Centre.

The three-person Arab feature-length documentary film jury consists of Jordanian filmmaker Mahmoud Al-Massad; Egyptian writer-producer Nadia Kamel; and German filmmaker and artist Andrea Luka Zimmerman,...

A big-hearted comedy invites us all to enjoy laughter, tears and love when Mother’S Day arrives on Digital HD on July 19, 2016, and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on August 2, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Jennifer Aniston (Horrible Bosses, “Friends”), Kate Hudson (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Almost Famous), Julia Roberts (Eat Pray Love, Erin Brockovich) and Jason Sudeikis (“The Last Man on Earth,” “Saturday Night Live”) lead an incredible cast in a film that connects the lives of a group of people maneuvering their way through relationships and family dysfunction in the week leading up to Mother’s Day. The Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD feature even more funny and feel-good moments with a gag reel and deleted scenes.

From Garry Marshall, the director of Pretty Woman and Valentine’s Day, comes Mother’S Day, an all-star comedy that celebrates parenthood and family. The star-studded...

Bear witness to a hoax of biblical proportions with the new trailer and poster from Lionsgate Premiere's Don Verdean, arriving in theaters and on demand December 11! Join Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Bibb, Will Forte and Danny McBride as they uncover the world's most sacred relics in this hilarious satire. The trailer, courtesy of Fandango, introduces us to the latest colorful characters created by Jared Hess, the director of Napoleon Dynamite & Nacho Libre.

Hired by an ambitious small-town pastor to find sacred relics in the Holy Land, a self-proclaimed Biblical archaeologist comes up short and his attempt to cover up his failure fuels a comic conspiracy. The supporting cast includes Steve Park and Sky Elobar. Jared Hess also produces alongside Brandt Andersen and Dave Hunter. Grindstone Entertainment's Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb brought the project to Lionsgate.

Lionsgate acquired Don Verdean just before its debut at the Sundance Film Festival back in January.

Timothy Olyphant, Shay Mitchell, Britt Robertson, Jack Whitehall, Aasif Mandvi and Loni Love have all joined the cast of Garry Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy "Mother's Day" at Open Road Films.

Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis are already onboard the film which marks Marshall's third holiday-themed film of this type after "Valentine's Day" and "New Year's Eve".

Olyphant plays Aniston's ex-husband and Mitchell as his new wife, Robertson as a slightly neurotic new mother and Whitehall as her aspiring standup comedian boyfriend, Mandvi as the successful doctor husband of Hudson's character, and Love as a friend of Sudeikis' character.

Anya Kochoff-Romano, Lily Hollander, Matt Walker and Tom Hines penned the script and filming began in Atlanta this week ahead of an April 2016 release. Wayne Rice, Mike Karz, Daniel Diamond and Brandt Andersen are producing.

Source: Deadline...

Jack Black will star in Buffalo Film Company’s comedy from director Jared Hess of Napoleon Dynamite fame.

Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes wrote Micronations, about an oddball who is thrust into conflict with a neighbour in the world of Diy countries.

Brandt Andersen, Dave Hunter and Hess are producing the film under their newly launched Buffalo Film Company.

Jack Black’s company Electric Dynamite and Damon Ross will also produce.

Jack Black will play a lovable oddball in Micronations, a comedy helmed by Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess that reteams the pair after 2006’s Nacho Libre. Brandt Andersen, Dave Hunter and Hess are producing via their newly launched Buffalo Film Company. Black's Electric Dynamite and Damon Ross also will produce. The script by New Girl writers Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes is set in the world of do-it-yourself countries, inhabited by eccentrics and visionaries…...

Jack Black movie “Micronations” has found a producer in the Buffalo Film Company. The comedy will reunite the “School of Rock” funnyman with director Jared Hess; the duo previously worked together on “Nacho Libre.” The “Micronations” screenplay was penned by “New Girl” writers Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes. Brandt Andersen, Dave Hunter and Hess are producing the film under their newly launched banner Buffalo Film Company. Jack Black‘s company, Electric Dynamite, and Damon Ross (also of “Nacho Libre”) will produce as well. In “Micronations,” a lovable oddball finds a place to belong among the bizarre and ridiculous world of “do-it-yourself countries,...

Jack Black is set to re-team with his "Nacho Libre" director Jared Hess on the comedy "Micronations" at Buffalo Film Company and Electric Dynamite.

The story follows a lovable oddball who finds a place to belong among the bizarre and ridiculous world of 'do-it-yourself countries' inhabited by a motley crew of eccentrics and visionaries who have declared their own backyards sovereign nations.

He soon finds himself recruited as head of defense for the tiny nation of Valoria (population: 12), and is thrust into an overblown battle with the neighboring Wayne County, Nevada.

"New Girl" writers Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes are penning the script while Brandt Andersen, Damon Ross, Dave Hunter and Hess are producing.

Source: Variety...

11 years after director Jared Hess and his wife/co-writer Jerusha Hess brought their debut Napoleon Dynamite to the Sundance Film Festival, Lionsgate has picked up their new comedy Don Verdean, one week before its world premiere at this year's Sundance fest. Sam Rockwell stars as the title character, a biblical archaeologist hired to find "faith-promoting relics in the Holy Land." After he comes up empty in his journey, Don must get creative in what is described as "a comedy of faith and fraud."

The supporting cast is rounded out by Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement, who starred in Jared Hess' Gentlemen Broncos, Danny McBride, Will Forte, Leslie Bibb, Steve Park and Sky Elobar. Jared Hess also produces alongside Brandt Andersen and Dave Hunter. Grindstone Entertainment's Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb brought the project to Lionsgate.

It isn't known when Lionsgate may release Don Verdean at this time, but it's possible...

Lone Survivor star Mark Wahlberg was the recipient of Spike TV’s 2014 “Guys Choice” Troops Choice Award.

Former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell and actors Charlie Hunnam, Emile Hirsch and Wahlberg attended Spike TV’s ‘Guys Choice 2014′ at Sony Pictures Studios on June 7, 2014 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Spike TV).

Spike TV’s “Guys Choice” program premieres Wednesday, June 11 at 9p Et/Pt on Spike TV.

In keeping with Spike’s year-round efforts to support our nation’s servicemen and women, “Guys Choice” will once again feature inspiring moments saluting our troops and returning veterans.

Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative face an impossible, moral decision in Lone Survivor, the intense, action-packed story of heroism, courage and survival, on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, including Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet™ and On Demand Now, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative face an impossible, moral decision in Lone Survivor, the intense, action-packed story of heroism, courage and survival, coming to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, including Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet™ and On Demand on June 3, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Lone Survivor will also be available on Digital HD two weeks earlier on May 20, 2014.

Based on Marcus Luttrell’s The New York Times bestselling memoir, Director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) explores the unbreakable bond of brotherhood in a film that Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers praised as “a powerhouse film.” Lone Survivor tells the incredible tale of Operation Red Wings, a mission about four Navy SEALs ambushed by the enemy deep in the mountains of Afghanistan. As the soldiers are confronted by unthinkable odds they must find reserves of strength and resilience in order to fight to the finish.

Zhang Yimou.S The Flowers Of War - China.S Oscar Entry – Goes To Wrekin Hill In Association With Row 1 Productions

Epic Starring Christian Bale Will Open In Late December 2011

Following Its Wide Release on Dec. 16 in China

Chris Ball, President and CEO of La-based film production and distribution company Wrekin Hill Entertainment, announced today that his company, in association with Row 1 Productions, have acquired the North American distribution rights to award-winning Chinese director Zhang Yimou.s (Raise the Red Lantern, Hero) and producer Zhang Weiping.s The Flowers Of War starring Academy Award® winning actor Christian Bale (The Fighter, The Dark Knight). The film has been selected as this year.s official foreign language entry for China at the Academy Awards. Wrekin Hill, in association with Row 1, will open the film in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco in late December 2011 and the film will then expand through...

After months of speculation that went hand-in-hand with talk of Oscars, the U.S. distribution contest for Zhang Yimou‘s The Flowers of War has ended a tad anticlimacticly. A press release announces that Wrekin Hill — the company recently behind Hesher, The People vs. George Lucas, and The Way Back — have picked up the Christian Bale starrer for an opening later this year. With Row 1, they’ll release it in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco “in late December 2011,” rolling it out to other markets at the start of next year.

Awards hope isn’t completely dissipated by this news — but it could very well be hurt. Wrekin Hill is a very small distributor who couldn’t find the proper method to support Peter Weir‘s The Way Back, a film that could have easily earned a nomination for something more technical — cinematography, perhaps — so long as it had the proper backing.