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“Truth Serum,” a short film starring “Baby Reindeer” creator Richard Gadd, has been snapped up by Omeleto.

Directed by Vika Evdokimenko, “Truth Serum” is a comedy that follows a group of guests at a housewarming party who are slipped a mysterious drug. “When ugly truths start to emerge, chaos reigns and threatens the relationships of old friends,” reads the logline.

“Baby Reindeer” fans will no doubt enjoy seeing Gadd playing a character that is not dissimilar to the Netflix series’ Donny Dunn. Gadd’s character of Jimi is friends with the host couple; he is described as a “liability” whose “self-destructive behavior masks deep self-loathing and a secret that’s not ready to come out.”

Gadd stars alongside Olivia Vinall (“Road Kill”) as a party hostess at the end of her tether and Sophie Kennedy Clark (“The Danish Girl”) as an unreformed party girl who’s dragged her underage daughter along for the ride.

“House of the Dragon” star Fabien Frankel plots to steal an expensive painting alongside Greta Bellamacina (“This England”) in a trailer for their new art heist feature “Venice at Dawn.”

Frankel plays Dixon while Bellamacina is Sally. After the duo have a drunken encounter at a bar, they come up with a plan to swipe a costly piece of art from Sally’s ex-boyfriend Stephen (“After Life” star Tom Basden). “There’s this huge house and he owns this painting which is worth millions of pounds – money, money, money,” Sally tells Dixon. “Tomorrow the house is going to be empty, the painting will be there and we could steal it.” Naturally high-jinks ensue.

YouTube turned actor Tanya Burr (“Twist”) co-stars as Stephen’s best friend while actor and director Celyn Jones (“The Almond and the Seahorse”) leads a Greek chorus of bumbling detectives as Detective Symonds.

Fabien Frankel, Greta Bellamacina...

Studio Soho has launched the brand-new trailer for the British drama ‘A Bird Flew In.’

When the UK’s lockdown is announced, the entire cast and crew of a feature film are sent home – alone. Now there are only actors with no audience, production crew with no set and directors with no script. Couples fall apart, others come together, and some find they are simply alone – A feature film composed of seven interlinked narratives, the film follows and examines what happens when we are freed from external distractions and forced to find meaning in our loves and lives.

The film features a stellar cast including Sadie Frost, Derek Jacobi, Morgana Robinson, Jeff Fahey, Frances Barber, Julie Dray, Sophie Kennedy Clark and Camilla Rutherford.

The film has garnered critical acclaim following festival screenings at the Paris International Film Festival, the Toronto Women Film Festival and London’s Raindance Film Festival where...

Studio Soho International has acquired worldwide rights to “A Bird Flew In” and has launched sales at the Cannes Film Market.

“Quant” producer Kirsty Bell, the founder of production company Goldfinch Entertainment, makes her directorial debut with the film, which stars Sadie Frost, Derek Jacobi, Morgana Robinson, Jeff Fahey, Frances Barber, Julie Dray, Sophie Kennedy Clark and Camilla Rutherford. It is produced by Ben Charles Edwards (“Quant”) for Goldfinch with Phil McKenzie (“Twist”) serving as executive producer.

Composed of seven interlinked narratives, the film is set in the U.K.’s Covid-19 lockdown. The entire cast and crew of a feature film are sent home – alone. Now there are only actors with no audience, production crew with no set and directors with no script. Couples fall apart, others come together, and some find they are simply alone.

The film has had extensive festival play and has been gathering accolades. Bell...

In his latest podcast/interview, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks with writer/director James Webber about his directorial debut Sorority, which is available to rent or buy now on Amazon Prime Video.

Sorority stars Sophie Kennedy Clark, Emily Haigh, Kate Dickie and Sam Gittins and tells the story of two sisters, Harriet (Clark) and Sarah (Haigh). When both women find themselves heading in opposite directions in life, they must first come to terms with their tragic past and reconcile with their estranged mother Val (Dickie), before looking ahead to a brighter future.

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Exclusive: Here are your first look images from Brit indie film Venice At Dawn, which features House Of The Dragon star Fabien Frankel alongside This Sceptred Isle actress Greta Bellamacina.

The plot follows two unlikely thieves, Dixon (Frankel) and Sally (Bellamacina), who after meeting drunkenly in a bar plot to steal an expensive painting from Sally’s ex-boyfriend Stephen (Tom Basden).

Lead supporting cast are Celyn Jones and Tanya Burr, with supporting roles for Richard Ellis, Nick Helm, Sophie Kennedy Clark, and Ruhtxjiaih Bèllènéa.

Shot on location in London, the movie heralds from director Jamie Adams (Black Mountain Poets) and was shot in his signature semi-improvised mumblecore style, but also with a nod to the Ealing comedies of the 1960s.

The Serpent and Last Christmas actor Frankel was the lead in ABC’s TV movie reboot of the NYPD Blue detective show and was recently announced as key character Criston...

Exclusive: Here’s the first trailer for UK drama A Bird Flew In (previously known as Alone), the Goldfinch-backed drama shot during lockdown.

Starring are Derek Jacobi (Gladiator), Jeff Fahey (Lost), Julie Dray (Cradle to Grave), Sophie Kennedy Clark (Nymphomaniac), Sadie Frost (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Morgana Robinson (The Windsors), Camilla Rutherford (Yesterday), Michael Winder (Set The Thames On Fire) and Frances Barber (The Split).

In seven interlinked narratives, the film charts how when the Covid 19 lockdown is announced, the entire cast and crew of a feature film are sent home. Couples fall apart, others come together and some find they are simply alone.

Dominic Wells and Elizabeth Morris (Killers Anonymous) scripted the feature, which marks the directorial debut of Goldfinch producer Kirsty Bell. Msr Media International is handling sales.

Producing is Ben Charles Edwards (Set the Thames on Fire), executive producer is Philippe Martinez (Father Christmas Is Back).

Exclusive: Production quietly began last month in London on pandemic-inspired feature Alone, which marks the directorial debut of Kirsty Bell, CEO of UK financier Goldfinch. The film is one of the first independent movies to get underway in the UK after lockdown.

Starring are Derek Jacobi (Gladiator), Jeff Fahey (Lost), Julie Dray (Avenue 5), Sophie Kennedy Clark (Nymphomaniac Vol 1) , Sadie Frost (Dracula), Morgana Robinson (The Windsors), Camilla Rutherford (Yesterday), Michael Winder (Set The Thames On Fire) and Frances Barber (The Split). Above is a first production still.

Conceived by Bell in the first week of lockdown and written in short order throughout confinement, the black and white film charts six interlinked narratives after the cast and crew of a film are sent home from set.

Set to complete mid-August, the production will shoot at Twickenham Studios and other parts of London this week and then a skeleton crew will travel...

A new trailer has been launched for James Webber’s feature film debut ‘Sorority’ which heads to festivals later in the year.

The film tells the story of two sisters, Harriet (Sophie Kennedy Clark) and Sarah (Emily Haigh). When both women find themselves heading in opposite directions in life, they must first come to terms with their tragic past and reconcile with their estranged mother Val (Kate Dickie), before looking ahead to a brighter future.

The feature film debut of writer/director James Webber, whose previous work includes the BAFTA long-listed and Channel 4 screened short film ‘Driftwood.’

Sorority stars BAFTA winner Sophie Kennedy Clark, Emily Haigh, Sam Gittins and double BAFTA winner Kate Dickie.

Also in trailers – Welcome to the houseguest from hell – New trailer for ‘Guest House’ lands

‘Sorority’ will be heading to international film festivals late 2020.

The post Strained family relationships are at the heart of the...

For a brief, terrible moment in “Sweetness in the Belly,” you fear that icky-cutesy title is about to be spoken out loud. Describing the lilting sensation of new love, a character alludes to “a feeling right here,” as he gently taps his stomach — only for the film to mercifully cut away before he says the words themselves. It’s a decision that encapsulates what’s at once restrained and sincerely cornball about Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s polite melodrama, adapted from Camilla Gibbs’ 2006 novel about a white Muslim refugee of the Ethiopian Civil War, caught between the opposing cultures of her roots and her upbringing as she resettles in a London council estate. There’s a floridly sentimental heart fluttering beneath its tastefully solemn surface, but at times, you can’t help wishing the film would give in to its more expressive impulses.

If “Sweetness in the Belly” winds up feeling...

In today’s film news roundup, “The Trip to Greece” will be released on May 22, Easter weekend will see a TV release of Fathom Events’ “Jesus,” and a Mary Pickford project is in the works.

‘The Trip’ Returns

IFC Films has set a May 22 digital and on demand release for the Steve Coogan-Rob Brydon comedy “The Trip to Greece,” the third sequel in director Michael Winterbottom’s travel series.

The trailer, released Wednesday, shows the duo retracing Odysseus’s footsteps in only six days with stops at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the island of Hydra, the Caves of Diros and Niokastro Fortress in Pylos. There are also the trademark celebrity impressions — Marlon Brando and Sean Connery in the new iteration — plus gourmet meals and plenty of barbed commentary, such as Coogan asserting that he’s gotten better looking with age.

A British soldier returning from a traumatic tour of duty tries to make a new life in this earnest, uninvolving melodrama

In this maladroit, earnest London-set melodrama, former British soldier Tesla (Sebastian Street) comes home from Afghanistan with paralysed legs, a bad case of Ptsd, and a broken heart, having been dumped by his girlfriend while he was on tour. But things start looking up for him after he befriends well-connected but workshy bon viveur Sky (Stuart Brennan) – whom we’re guided to think of as really erudite because he immediately connects the name Tesla to the Serbian electrical pioneer, not to the electric car company.

Eventually, the two blokes start double dating flatmates Katie (Stephanie Leonidas), a business studies student who wants start a restaurant and put her new squeeze Tesla in the kitchen, and Lee-Anne (Sophie Kennedy Clark), an aspiring artist producing woefully pedestrian sketches and photos.

Continue reading.

Stronghold has debuted the first trailer for Martha Pinson’s ‘Tomorrow’, a story of how friendship, love and courage can overcome great odds.

Martha Pinson (Martin Scorsese’s long-time script supervisor) makes her directorial debut with the film which stars Sebastian Street, Stuart Brennan, Stephanie Leonidas, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Paul Kaye, Joss Stone with James Cosmo and Stephen Fry.

Also in trailers – Timothée Chalamet stars in teaser trailer for ‘The King’

The film will see the UK release in cinemas from September 27th

Tomorrow Synopsis

Injured by an Ied in Afghanistan, Tesla (Sebastian Street) has returned home to London, but it doesn’t feel like home anymore. Suffering from Ptsd (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), with no friends or family, he is alone with his regrets and a very bleak horizon.

That is until the universe conspires to help him with an unlikely friendship. The charming and larger than life Sky (Stuart...

‘The Naked Wanderer’

Alan Lindsay’s The Naked Wanderer, a romantic comedy starring Angus McLaren, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Megan Hajjar and John Cleese, will have its world premiere at CinefestOZ.

Scripted by Callan Durlik and backed by the Wa government’s Royalties for Regions program, the film shot on the state’s South West coast will premiere in Bunbury on August 30.

It’s the first film announced for the festival which will run from August 28 to September 1 in Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River and surrounds.

McLaren plays Jake, who decides to walk 4,000 km up the coast of Western Australia, clad only in a loin cloth. His purpose ostensibly is to raise money for charity but his ulterior motive is to win back his former girlfriend Jasmine (Hajjar), who jilted him.

Durlik is his best mate Cameron King, whose uncle is UK-based media mogul Brian King (Cleese). Brian offers to sponsor the...

John Cleese on the set of ‘The Naked Wanderer’

When Callan Durlik wrote the character of a media mogul in romantic comedy The Naked Wanderer, he thought of John Cleese but doubted the Fawlty Towers star would be gettable.

With the enthusiasm of a first-time feature writer-producer, Durlik sent a synopsis to Cleese, who then asked to see the script.

Two days later Cleese was in. The Perth-based writer subsequently spent two days with the Englishman in his London office, workshopping lines and bouncing ideas.

He filmed all his scenes in London, playing Brian King, the uncle of Cameron King (Durlik), whose best mate Jake (Angus McLaren) decides to walk 4,000 km up the coast of Western Australia, clad only in a loin cloth.

Jake’s purpose ostensibly is to raise money for charity but his ulterior motive is to win back his former girlfriend Jasmine (Megan Hajjar), who jilted him.

The Hollywood Women’s Film Institute will launch its Hollywood Women’s Film Festival with “Why Not Choose Love? A Mary Pickford Manifesto” as its opening title, Variety has learned exclusively.

The Mary Pickford biopic, starring Sophie Kennedy Clark as the iconic actress, will screen on June 13 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Written and directed by Jennifer DeLia, the film also stars Cary Elwes, Balthazar Getty, Luke Arnold, Josephine de La Baume, Jane Stiles, Summer Phoenix, Adam Fergus, and Scott Haze.

“Why Not Choose Love” is produced by DeLia through her Poverty Row production banner along with Julie Pacino, Nitsa Benchetrit, and Kim Zubick (“The Zookeeper’s Wife”). The festival will run through June 18 with screenings and events centered on initiatives dealing with education and integration advocacy at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, with additional venues including Dick Clark Productions and UCLA.

Pickford,...

‘In Like Flynn.’

Robert Slaviero has joined Umbrella Entertainment as head of sales as the distributor continues its commitment to release a sizable slate of Australian feature films and documentaries.

While some distributors have largely shied away from handling local films Umbrella is keeping the faith with three titles scheduled to open in October and eight on the slate for 2019.

“We like working with people who are passionate about their work and who have a commercial sensibility,” Umbrella MD Jeff Harrison tells If, pointing to collaborators including Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings, Catherine Scott, Carver Films’ Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill, Steve Jaggi and Justin Dix. “We are very happy with what we’re doing.”

Head of acquisitions Ari Harrison says the firm evaluates up to 50 scripts at any one time and he laments the shortage of projects aimed at older females. “People...

Film and TV producer Ryan D. Smith has been named president of production and development at Streamline Global, the company announced Thursday.

The genre title producer has tapped Smith to oversee both the film and TV slates.

“Ryan’s production expertise and vast network make him a valuable partner. Streamline’s mission is to utilize our financial model to uplift global consciousness, and we are thrilled to be growing with a seasoned producer whose values are in alignment with our own,” said Emily Hunter Salveson, Streamline’s founder and CEO.

Also Read: Pam Lifford Named President of Warner Bros Global Brands and Experiences

“I am excited to build upon the innovative financing structure that Streamline Global has implemented over the years,” said Smith, currently at the Toronto International Film Festival looking for product.

“As the company keeps growing, we’re here at Tiff looking for more American film projects to...

The 2018 Napa Valley Film Festival has selected its first wave of films in the narrative feature and documentary feature categories. The 18 chosen movies will screen from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11.

Narrative pics include “Grace,” directed by Devin Adair and starring Katie Cassidy, Tate Donovan, Matthew Lillard, Mircea Monroe, Debby Ryan, and Missi Pyle; “You Can Choose Your Family,” helmed by Miranda Bailey and toplining Danielle Campbell, Jim Gaffigan, Anna Gunn, Alex Karpovsky, Samantha Mathis, and Logan Miller; and “Cold Brook,” directed by William Fichtner with Kim Coates, Harold Perrineau, Robin Weigert, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

In the documentary race, “Cancer Rebellion,” directed by Hernan Barangan, follows the lives of teenage cancer patients; “Trans Military,” helmed by Gabe Silverman and Fiona Dawson, documents the struggles of transgender servicepersons; and “Afghan Cycles,” from Sarah Menzies, tells the story of young female Afghan cyclists.

The films will compete in multiple categories at the festival,...

Goldfinch Studios has inked deals with U.K. indie producer Cowboy Cosmonaut Films and with British writer, director, and producer Tom Paton. Goldfinch has a cluster of operations spanning finance, production, facilities, post-production, and VFX, and will provide Cowboy Cosmonaut and Paton with development and production support.

Cowboy Cosmonaut is run by producers Ashley Holberry and Gavin C. Mehrtens, who were previously at Working Title Films. The initial slate of projects that Goldfinch will support includes Stephen Johnson’s “The Fire Within,” starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin (“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”), Sophie Kennedy Clark (“Philomena”) and James Cosmo (“Highlander”).

“Our partnership allows us to tell the sort of stories that we ourselves want to see on the screen – inspiring, diverse and commercial,” Mehrtens and Holberry said in a statement. “As young and hungry producers, we hope to bring a unique perspective to the U.K. and international production landscapes.

Stars: Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jacob Lofland, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Joshua Close, Derek Brandon, Ele Bardha, Jostein Sagnes, James Bloor, Atif Hashwi, Joe Cipriano, Eva Rosenwald | Written by Matthew Ogens, Kyle Lierman | Directed by Matthew Ogens

In a post-apocalyptic America in which all of the adults appear to have been killed off by a mysterious virus, the few surviving children force themselves to keep going to school. Survivalism, chopping wood and scavenging for food are all prioritised by this brand new curriculum, as the desperate youths prepare for a harsh winter.

In a world which is ruled by the older teenagers (who are about as petty, spiteful and cruel as one might expect), young(er) Josh dreams of escape, up North, where it is rumoured that there are more survivors and he hopes his parents might still be alive. After an altercation with the malevolent Gentry (a boorish James Bloor, who threatens...

See larger image Go North New From: $7.99 Usd In Stock

Let’s face it, there’s nothing new you can do with the post-apocalyptic genre. What we can hope for now is that there’s a visual flair and/or a sincerity and dedication to the characters that will set the story apart, no matter what medium it’s in. Recently, The Maze Runner series brought about an intriguing combination of post-apocalypse and totalitarianism, Mad Max:Fury Road was pure energy on screen, and The Last of Us was an interactive masterpiece. Go North bares the most resemblance to the latter without the terrifying monsters, so slightly less interesting. The inciting incident at the core of Go North is a mystery which we don’t really discover, but it isn’t important no matter how much we might want to know. This is a character movie about finding your place at the end of civilization.

These days, it feels as if there’s an apocalypse just around the corner: whether through war, climate change or just the slow implosion of civilization. You look at the kids who’re going to have to sift through the mess we’ve left behind and pity them. Their misery fuels Matthew Ogen’s Go North, which is essentially Lord of the Flies meets Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

Some kind of undefined calamity has wiped out everyone over twenty, and we meet a scruffy bunch of teenagers who’ve banded together as a tribe in the aftermath. Based out of a dilapidated school, the older kids teach the young survival skills: how to trap food, set broken bones and disarm IEDs. The leaders rule with an iron fist, using the children for slave labor and subjecting them to draconian rules. It’s a rough, depressing and harsh life, but hey,...

Twenty-five of the UK's special effects experts have come together for a good cause. Each artist is customizing a bust of Frankenstein's monster, and 100% of the proceeds raised at the auction of these busts will be donated to Make-a-Wish UK. Also, details on the premiere screening of Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies, Ravenwolf Towers episode 2 details, a new trailer for Pitchfork, and the trailer and tie-in Vr video for Go North.

The Monster Charity Project 2017 Details: From the Press Release: "25 of the UK's top prop-making, sculpting and Spfx make-up artists have been brought together to take part in a unique charity project. Each artist has been given a bespoke Frankenstein-inspired monster bust, created and supplied by Svfx University of Bolton Special & Visual Effects team, with the simple instruction: Customise him into any design you like.

Once customised, the artists then donate the finished bust back to the Monster Charity Project...

“The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” film series may have finished, but pop culture hasn’t seen the last of coming-of-age post-apocalyptic stories. Matthew Ogens’ new film “Go North” examines a world ruled by teenagers and children after a global catastrophe wiped out every single adult.

Read More: Morgan Spurlock’s Digital Vision: What The ‘Super Size Me’ Creator Has In Common With the YouTube Generation

Executive produced by Morgan Spurlock, the film follows a young boy named Josh (Jacob Lofland) who decides to flee the dangerous confines of his abandoned city and embark on a journey with his classmate and neighbor Jessie (Sophie Kennedy Clark) to the last safe haven in the world. Though they don’t know how to get there or if it even exists, they strive to migrate to the place safe from disaster. The film co-stars Patrick Schwarzenegger (“Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse”), James Bloor...

The post-apocalyptic Go North is the narrative debut of Emmy-nominated documentarian Matt Ogens (Meet the Hitlers) and was Executive Produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, Rats).

Its haunting, evocative score was composed by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla.

Synopsis:

In the aftermath of an unknown catastrophe, a community left with zero living adults has descended into a modern-day Lord of the Flies, run by a small cabal of what had been the jocks occupying the athletic and social upper crust of the local high school, headed by Caleb (Patrick Schwarzenegger).

Faced with the bleak despair of their situation, Josh (Jacob Lofland) and Jessie (Sophie Kennedy Clark) strike out on a dangerous journey into the unknown to find family and hope for the f [Continued ...]...

Happy 2017, readers! With a new year upon us, that also means we’ve got a new batch of VOD releases to look forward to as we make our way through the month of January. For those who may have missed them earlier this year in theaters, both Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch and Mike Flanagan’s Ouija: Origin of Evil are making their way to digital platforms over the next few weeks, as well as the latest from Bryan Bertino, The Monster, which arrives on VOD on January 24th.

Other notable VOD releases for January 2017 include The Harrow, Bad Kids of Crestview Academy, Go North and Killer Piñata which is coming exclusively to Vimeo’s On Demand service.

Blair Witch (Lionsgate) – January 3rd

A group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of their friend’s sister, who many...

Gunpowder & Sky Distribution have released the theatrical poster and trailer to the post-apocalyptic coming-of-age tale Go North, which hits select Us cinemas and VOD on January 13th 2017.

In the aftermath of an unknown catastrophe, a community left with zero living adults has descended into a modern-day Lord of the Flies, run by a small cabal of what had been the jocks occupying the athletic and social upper crust of the local high school, headed by Caleb (Patrick Schwarzenegger). Faced with the bleak despair of their situation, Josh (Jacob Lofland) and Jessie (Sophie Kennedy Clark) strike out on a dangerous journey into the unknown to find family and hope for the future, with Caleb and his vicious underling Gentry (James Bloor) in hot pursuit.

Go North is the narrative debut of Emmy-nominated documentarian Matt Ogens (Meet the Hitlers) and was Executive Produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, Rats). The film features a haunting,...

The other day we were pleased to debut the poster for Matt Ogens' narrative film debut Go North. Leading into the weekend the trailer for the film was released which you can watch below.    In the aftermath of an unknown catastrophe, a community left with zero living adults has descended into a modern-day Lord of the Flies, run by a small cabal of what had been the jocks occupying the athletic and social upper crust of the local high school, headed by Caleb (Patrick Schwarzenegger).    Faced with the bleak despair of their situation, Josh (Jacob Lofland) and Jessie (Sophie Kennedy Clark) strike out on a dangerous journey into the unknown to find family and hope for the future, with Caleb and his vicious...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The first trailer for Go North has been released. Set to be released by Orion Pictures, Go North is a post-apocalyptic tale. In the film's setting, there are no adults, left alive. A group of athletes run the show, with an iron grip. The film stars: Jacob Lofland, Sophie Kennedy Clark, James Bloor and Patrick Schwarzenegger. The film's first trailer is hosted here. The theatrical trailer focuses on Josh (Lofland) and Jessie (Clark). Unhappy with their situation, they "strike out on a dangerous journey." Hoping to find family, they are chased in a hostile world. The film's theatrical poster also shows the protagonists. And, Go North will see theatres, across the United States, on January 13th, 2017. Fans of post-apocalyptic thrillers are encouraged to take a look at one of next year's most tense thrillers. Release Date: January 17th, 2017 (Theatrical, VOD). Director: Matthew Ogens. Writers: Kyle Lierman and Matthew Ogens. Cast: Patrick Schwarzenegger and Jacob Lofland.

"The rules are the rules." Orion Pictures + FilmBuff have revealed an intense trailer for the indie film Go North, a post-apocalyptic adventure about some kids who try to escape the "Lord of the Flies" community they're living in. Starring a young cast including Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jacob Lofland (from Mud), Sophie Kennedy Clark, Joshua Close, Derek Brandon, Joe Cipriano, Ele Bardha, Atif Hashwi, and James Bloor. This is another one of those movies about a "catastrophic event" in the near future that wipes out everyone. Except this time it apparently spares all the teenagers and children, who have created their own communities to survive. But of course, it's not the kind of world everyone wants to live in. Enjoy. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Matt Ogens' Go North, direct from YouTube: In the aftermath of an unknown catastrophe, a community left with zero living adults has descended into a modern-day Lord of the Flies,...

A day ahead of the first trailer for the narrative debut of documentary director Matt Ogens' Go North Screen Anarchy is pleased to debut the poster for the impending release on January 13th. Go North will screen in cinemas across the U.S. and will be available on VOD as well.    In the aftermath of an unknown catastrophe, a community left with zero living adults has descended into a modern-day Lord of the Flies, run by a small cabal of what had been the jocks occupying the athletic and social upper crust of the local high school, headed by Caleb (Patrick Schwarzenegger).    Faced with the bleak despair of their situation, Josh (Jacob Lofland) and Jessie (Sophie Kennedy Clark) strike out on a dangerous journey...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Title: The Phenom Rlj Entertainment Director: Noah Buschel Writer: Noah Buschel Cast: Johnny Simmons, Paul Giamatti, Ethan Hawke Running Time: 87 min Rated: Not Rated (language, domestic violence) In Theaters, On VOD And Digitial: June 24, 2016 Hopper Gibson (Johnny Simmons, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) is a young major-league rookie pitcher with issues with his past that are affecting his performance. His manager sets him up with sports psychologist Dr. Mobley (Paul Giamatti, Straight Outta Compton) whom manages to bring Hopper’s issues to light. Hopper talks about his high school valedictorian girlfriend Dorothy (Sophie Kennedy Clark, Nymphomaniac parts I & II) whom loves him and treats him like an intellectual [ Read More ]

The post The Phenom Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.

Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list here, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.

See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for June 2016

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, June 24. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.

Wide

Free State of Jones

Director: Gary Ross

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russell, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Jacob Lofland

Synopsis: “In Jones County, Miss., Newt Knight joins forces with other farmers and a group of slaves to lead a rebellion against the Confederacy.”

Independence Day: Resurgence...

I admittedly didn’t think too much on The Phenom after watching its trailer. There was a good cast, its look behind the curtain of fame seemed intriguing, and there’d probably be some darkly honest depictions of sports abuse at the hands of over-zealous parents. But then I saw who the writer/director was and suddenly all I could do was think. Noah Buschel is the man behind a wonderful little character piece from a few years back called Sparrows Dance and seeing his name as the creator of this baseball movie had me scratching my head. It looked run-of-the-mill: prodigy gets the “yips” and must face his past to overcome. It didn’t seem like something the author of Sparrows Dance would tackle. And to a point I was right.

The Phenom isn’t about baseball. Sure we see a few pitches — mostly the wild ones that derailed...

Calling The Phenom a baseball movie is deceptive despite obvious themes. Yes, a rookie struggles with focus on a major league level, but Noah Buschel’s latest film is less about athletic superiority, and more about mental health. We rarely see baseball movies that explore a young character who doesn’t take to fame and success with celebrity grace, since filmmakers typically opt for happy-go-lucky stories of underdogs finding superiority. Is an 18-year-old pitcher no longer a kid just because he signed on the dotted line? Buschel offers an intriguing look into the mind of a boy who’s forced into maturity on a public stage, pumped full of praise while a regretful father blurs the lines between motivation and abuse.

Johnny Simmons stars as Hopper Gibson, a rookie hurler dealing with confidence and control issues in his first year as a big-leaguer. After leaving high school and entering the...

The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival saw its fair share of first time filmmakers as well as returning and well experienced actors and directors. In an eclectic ensemble of actors, writers and directors, The Phenom stars Ethan Hawke and Paul Giamatti as they play the father and psychiatrist respectively of a rookie pitcher who loses his A game. Johnny Simmons stars as that pitcher, while Yul Vazquez plays his coach.

Performance anxiety, a pretty bad father, and relationship issues. What can go wrong, especially if you’re playing in front of hundreds of thousands of people who aren’t quiet about their boos? They demote you, and that’s exactly what happens to Hopper Gibson (Simmons) a rookie pitcher who gets demoted to the Little Leagues after completely losing his game.

The film was written and directed by Noah Buschel, who also wrote and directed Glass Chin, nominated for 2014 Tribeca’s Best Narrative Feature.

Ethan Hawke and Paul Giamatti star in the upcoming world premiere drama set in the world of baseball.

Rlj Entertainment has acquired Us rights from Wme to Noah Buschel’s film, which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April.

The Phenom centres on a major league rookie pitcher with a confidence crisis who is dispatched to the minor leagues to work with an unorthodox sports psychologist as tensions with his overbearing father bubble to the surface.

Antonia Bogdanovich produced alongside Jeff Elliott, Kim Jose, and Jeff Rice. Johnny Simmons and Sophie Kennedy Clark round out the key cast.

Rlj Entertainment plans to release The Phenom in theatres and VOD on June 24.

The distributor’s recent features include Bone Tomahawk, Criminal Activities, The Cobbler, and the upcoming controversy-hit Nina Simone biopic Nina starring Zoe Saldana.

Exclusive: Film starring Rhys Ifans and Sophie Kennedy Clark gets international sales deal.

UK sales outfit Starline Entertainment has boarded international sales rights to Jake Chapman’s feature The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, which Sky Arts aired as a four-part series in June.

Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena) star in the surreal romantic fiction from artist Chapman, one half of the Turner prize-nominated artistic duo, The Chapman Brothers.

Adapted from his novel of the same name by Brock Norman Brock (Bronson), Chapman’s story is a parody of Mills & Boon-style romantic fiction.

The film follows a young woman who finds herself in an Alice In Wonderland-type dream world after her wealthy surgeon fiancé gives her a mysterious tropical island as a wedding gift.

Colin Vaines (Coriolanus) produced with Andy Noble (20,000 Days on Earth) for Morass Productions.

Jake’s brother, Dinos Chapman, provided the score along with Ilan Eshkeri (Kick-Ass).

The...

War Machine

Will Poulter ("We're the Millers," "The Maze Runner") has joined the cast of David Michod's Netflix black comedy feature "War Machine" alongside Brad Pitt, Topher Grace, Scoot McNairy, Emory Cohen, John Magaro and Anthony Michael Hall.

Pitt plays a four-star general whose track record lands him the commanding job in the American conflict in Afghanistan. Filming begins this Fall and Netflix will open the film in select cinemas next year along with streaming it on its online service. [Source: Variety]

The Comedian's Guide To Survival

James Buckley ("The Inbetweeners") has scored a role in Mark Murphy's "The Comedian's Guide To Survival" alongside Paul Kaye, MyAnna Buring and Neil Stuke.

Buckley plays failed comic James Mullinger, who travels the world interviewing more successful funny types to find the secret to comedy. Various famed comedians like Jimmy Carr, Omid Dalilli and Gilbert Gottfried will appear. [Source: Screen]

North

"Leatherface" reboot star James Bloor...

Striking while his career iron is still heating up, Brit newcomer James Bloor is following his unlikely role in Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel Leatherface with some more American genre action. He's signed on for North, a post-apocalyptic yarn also starring Jacob Lofland (Mud), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse) and Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena).Documentarian Matthew Ogens is making the switch to fiction to direct the film. Its sketchy plot details so far reveal a group of teenagers striking out into the dangerous, blasted unknown in the wake of a cataclysm. Chris Walla of the band Death Cab For Cutie is providing the soundtrack.Bloor's only screen acting credits so far are a two-part Dci Banks story and a short based on Hansel And Gretel. In Leatherface he's reportedly playing one of three teenagers who might grow into the chainsaw-wielding maniac.North is currently shooting in Detroit.

Producer-financier Black Label has hired Mark Mallouk for the story based on the Kurt Calabrese life rights.

Calabrese’s father Frank Calabrese Sr was an extortionist, street loan lender and hitman with the Chicago mafia who forced his children into the business when they were barely in their teens.

Eric Shepherd and Jeff Chianakis will co-produce with Black Label co-founders Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill.

Production company Tool Of North America and content creator Humble have started principal photography on North in Detroit. Matt Ogens directs the post-apocalyptic adventure starring Jacob Lofland, Sophie Kennedy Clark and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Kyle Lierman and Ogens co-wrote the film, a Mother + Father production in association with 77 Films.

Giving UK horror fans yet another reason to attend their scare-packed festival, the fine folks at Film4 FrightFest have announced their short film lineup that features over thirty shorts, including the cannibalistic wrestling tale, El Gigante:

Press Release: "Film4 FrightFest 2015 has expanded its Short Film Showcase event, with three strands and over thirty shorts from around the world, including eleven World Premieres and seven European Premieres. With films from thirteen countries, this is the most diverse and exciting shorts event yet programmed.

Highlights include the London premiere of actress Karen Gillan’s intense directorial debut Coward, and the UK premiere of Shevenge, a darkly funny tale of revenge, directed by Buffy The Vampire Slayer alum Amber Benson. Local FrightFest alumni will also be returning: screenwriter and director James Moran is back with screams and laughter in Ghosting, and Dan Auty brings us nostalgia and magic children in his new...

Stars: Jim Sturgess, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, Jason Flemyng, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Sinéad Cusack, Edmund Kingsley, Ciara Flynn, Christopher Fulford | Written by Joe Gangemi | Directed by Brad Anderson

If you were told about a film based on an Edgar Allen Poe short story with stars including Kate Beckinsale, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley and Brendan Gleeson I’d be surprised if your interest wasn’t peeked. Stoneheart Asylum (aka Eliza Graves) is just that… based on The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether by Poe it tells the tale of an Asylum where not all is as it seems.

When Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) a medical school graduate arrives at Stonehearst Asylum he finds himself transfixed by Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale) a patient supposedly suffering from “Hysteria.” Working under Dr. Silas Lamb (Ben Kingsley) he finds himself impressed with the doctor’s unconventional methods of treatment.

Edinburgh International Film Festival unveils juries and guests for 2015 edition.

The 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) (June 17-28) has revealed the juries that will judge its five award categories - The Michael Powell Award for Best British Film; Best Performance in a British Feature; Best International Feature; Best Documentary; and Best Short Film.

Jurors include:

Karen Gillan, actressNatascha McElhone, actressKenneth Turan, film criticAmy Berg, directorArchie Panjabi, actressKyle Patrick Alvarez, directorJessica Hynes, actressDenis Lawson, actorJacqueline Lyanga, AFI film festival directorDolly Wells, actress.

Doctor Who and Guardians of the Galaxy star Gillan will see her dirctorial debut - short film Coward - screened at the Festival.

Us director Berg’s films Prophet’s Prey and Every Secret Thing will screen at Eiff while Alverez will see his feature, The Stanford Prison Experiment, shown at the Festival.

Wells stars in Black Mountain Poets, 45 Years and Doll & Em 2, all showing at this year’s festival.

Other awards...

Rhys Ifans will star in a new four-part Sky Arts drama.

The Amazing Spider-Man actor is to feature alongside Sophie Kennedy Clark in Mills and Doom: The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, from visual artist Jake Chapman.

Based on Chapman's novel of the same name, the twisted romance follows Lydia (Clark), whose fiancé gifts her a desert island as a wedding present.

Arriving at the island and waiting for her partner, Lydia encounters a "reclusive and misshapen" author named Helmut (Ifans), who exerts an unusual control over her.

Chapman said: "After dedicating most of my artistic life to examining the dark underbelly of human existence, I was utterly delighted when Sky Arts expressed interest in a lesser-known facet of my creative passion.

"With the blessing of Sky Arts, my romantic novel The Marriage of Reason and Squalor is now being transformed into a four-part TV drama - I can only...

Visual artist Jake Chapman is set to make his first foray into television drama with Mills And Doom: The Marriage Of Reason And Squalor. Sky Arts has ordered the four-part twisted romance to air this summer starring Rhys Ifans and Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena). Chapman is best known as one half of the Turner Prize-nominated Chapman Brothers who have been dubbed the enfants terribles of Britart for their deliberately shocking work. Mills And Doom: The Marriage Of Reason…...

The Writers Guild Italia and the Black List have formed a new alliance, paving the way for Wgi members to list their scripts in the Black List database. The Black List has similar partnerships with the WGA West and East, the Writers Guild of Great Britain and the Writers Guild of Canada. However, this is the first time it has partnered with a non-English-speaking guild – a sign that good unproduced ideas come in many forms. An Italian film, The Great Beauty, of course won the Foreign Language Film Oscar last year — returning the statue to the country for the first time in 15 years — and local comedies are consistently hot at the box office. The Black List notes that although most Wgi members write primarily in Italian, many have great facility with the English language. Given the fluid language barriers, plus translation, and the unique point of view, culture, and style...

David Tennant and James McAvoy were among the major winners at the BAFTA Scotland Awards on Sunday (November 16).

McAvoy was the recipient of the Best Film Actor Award for his portrayal of a corrupt police officer in director Jon S Baird's dark comedy Filth.

He emerged victorious over competitors Peter Mullan (Sunshine on Leith) and Jack O'Connell (Starred Up).

Tennant triumphed over Line of Duty's Mark Bonnar and Shetland's Douglas Henshall in the Best Television Actor category for his performance in The Escape Artist.

Other major winners included Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena) for Best Film Actress, Shirley Henderson (Southcliffe) for Best Television Actress and Starred Up for Best Feature Film.

BAFTA Scotland was formed back in 1989 as an extension of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

David Tennant and James McAvoy were among the major winners at the BAFTA Scotland Awards on Sunday (November 16).

McAvoy was the recipient of the Best Film Actor Award for his portrayal of a corrupt police officer in director Jon S Baird's dark comedy Filth.

He emerged victorious over competitors Peter Mullan (Sunshine on Leith) and Jack O'Connell (Starred Up).

Tennant triumphed over Line of Duty's Mark Bonnar and Shetland's Douglas Henshall in the Best Television Actor category for his performance in The Escape Artist.

Other major winners included Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena) for Best Film Actress, Shirley Henderson (Southcliffe) for Best Television Actress and Starred Up for Best Feature Film.

BAFTA Scotland was formed back in 1989 as an extension of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.