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Writer-director Luca Bueno’s short thriller Bodies will premiere this week in Laliff’s Terra Incognita shorts program, adding police-procedural tension to the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival’s 90-plus-title slate at Tcl Chinese Theatres from 28 May to 1 June.

The 16-minute film tracks two LAPD officers answering a disturbance call in an immigrant neighborhood where Officer Alvarez notices cultural clues that point to a far deeper crisis inside the modest home. Bueno says the premise arose from stories he heard while growing up in Pico-Union, a district shaped by Central-American migration, and wanted “to show the humanity behind headlines that often reduce us to statistics.”

Speaking to Deadline, the 26-year-old filmmaker stressed that casting Latino actors in every principal role was non-negotiable: “If the officers and the family didn’t speak Spanish at home, the film would ring false.” He also revealed that festival programmers placed Bodies in a...

In the short film drama Bodies, written and directed by Luca Bueno, two LAPD officers respond to a disturbance call at a home located in a neighborhood that has a majority of immigrants and minorities. As the officers investigate the situation, Officer Alvarez (Alonso Garcia) notices cultural clues that suggest something larger is at play. As he grapples with his own Latino heritage and his duties as a law enforcement agent, he begins to reflect on humanity and empathy.

Just before his short premieres at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Bueno talks to Deadline about the plight of immigrants and the importance of Latin representation.

Deadline: What was the inspiration for the short?

Luca Bueno: I feel like, as filmmakers, we have the opportunity to tackle relevant topics, and the immigration topic and the immigration debate is something that I feel like was not only relevant but...

The launch of Dazn Basketball could indicate the company is planning a larger pursuit of basketball streaming rights.

Are more hoops headed to Dazn? It could well be so. The global sports streaming service, which specializes in combat sports in the United States but which also distributes the NFL, NBA, and other top sports leagues in international territories, has announced the creation of a new corporate division called Dazn Basketball. It could signal the streamer is interested in pursuing digital rights to more basketball content around the world.

Key Details: Chus Bueno has been appointed as managing director of Dazn Basketball. The creation of the division could mean Dazn intends to pursue international college basketball rights. In November, Dazn struck a deal to air EuroLeague Women’s basketball globally. Sign Up $24.99+ / month dazn.com

Dazn has announced that Chus Bueno has been selected to head up the Dazn Basketball division as managing director.

Following the release of the ‘Ghostbusters’ documentary, ‘Cleaning Up The Town: Remembering Ghostbusters,’ filmmaker, journalist and all-round amazing person Claire Bueno will be releasing the ultimate behind-the-scenes companion book to the hit 1980s classic.

Acting as a cast and crew’s memoir of the iconic franchise, the book is one of the most forensic deep-dives into the making of the original Ghostbusters film and a fascinating insight into the ambitious film-making period of the 1980s. An invitation to nestle among the tales and insights of 56 cast members, creatives and crew, readers are taken scene-by-scene through the making of the ’84 classic supernatural comedy, as told in their own words, as they reveal how they overcame numerous challenges to create one of the best-loved movie franchises of all time.

Also in news – Idris Elba in talks to join ‘Masters of the Universe’

It also features personal archives and details the making of the documentary,...

When comics author James Tynion IV’s comic miniseries The Nice House on the Lake first hit stores, it was 2021 and the coronavirus pandemic was in full force. Isolation and alienation were felt by many, as was the fear of a world burning just outside their door.

That was one reason the comic became one of the biggest titles for DC of the past several years, outselling even much of its superhero fare. The story focused on 10 people connected by a slightly odd friend named Walter, who invited them to a house in the woods — and who turned out to be phantasmagoric alien.

Now, Tynion is returning to that world with a sequel titled The Nice House by the Sea. Once again, he is teaming with artist Álvaro Martínez Bueno. And while he hopes to scare many readers with this miniseries, he is focused on an audience of one.

“My...

Paris, June 7 (Ians) Defending champion and World No.1 Iga Swiatek defeated American teen sensation Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in straight sets to sail into the semifinal of the French Open, here on Wednesday.

“Step by step, another Sf, thank you Paris,” wrote Swiatek on the camera lens following her victory.

In a rematch of the last year’s French Open final, Swiatek maintained her undefeated record against Coco Gauff as she improved her head-to-head against the American to 7-0 with her 1-hour and 28-minute victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 22-year-old Pole has now won her last 12 matches on the clay courts of Paris. Her career win-loss record at Roland Garros improved to 26-2 with her latest win over American teenager Gauff.

She also became the first woman to win 12 consecutive main-draw matches at Roland Garros since Serena Williams won 13 straight between 2015 and 2016.

Swiatek opened up a 3-1 lead but Gauff pegged her back.

Paris, June 7 (Ians) Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday became the first Brazilian woman to reach the Roland Garros semifinals in the Open Era after upsetting No.7 seed Tunisian Ons Jabeur 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, here.

Maia also became the first Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Maria Bueno in 1968 (US Open). Bueno made the French Open semifinals on five occasions prior to the Open Era, including a run to the 1964 final.

Jabeur, who is the first African woman to reach the last eight at Roland-Garros since Amanda Coetzer in 1997, grabbed the opening set 6-3 in 45 minutes.

However, Maia bounced back and snatched the second set tiebreak, levelling the match for 3-6, 7-6(5). She continued with her resilience and clinched the third set 6-1 to wrap up the historic win.

After an upset win, the 27-year-old awaits Iga Swiatek or Coco Gauff, who are up next on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Warning: Spoilers for The Nice House on the Lake #12At the conclusion of what seemed to be the series' final issue, DC Comics teases a second "cycle" for James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno's acclaimed horror series, The Nice House on the Lake. Nice House has been making waves since its first issue in 2021, and it's no surprise DC and the creative team are planning for more.

The confirmation that the first twelve issues were part of a first arc—instead of a singular contained story—comes at the end of The Nice House on the Lake #12 by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire, and AndWorld Design.

The final page of the issue features Walter, Nice House's alien quasi-antagonist, speaking to the "camera," much like the openings to the first eleven issues. Walter summarizes the events of the story by calling them "the early days. The easy days.

“America’s Got Talent: All-Stars” aired its second episode Monday night with 10 more acts performing for a coveted spot in The Finals. The new spin-off series features former “Got Talent” contestants from America and beyond, competing in a seven-week showdown to determine which ultimate all-star will claim the title of “Got Talent World Champion.” Longtime series judges Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum return to the judges’ panel with Terry Crews on stage for hosting duties.

See‘America’s Got Talent: All-Stars’ episode 1 performances ranked: All 10 acts from worst to best

In each of these first rounds, only two acts from each episode will advance to The Finals. One will be hand-selected by one of the judges via the Golden Buzzer and the other is voted through by a collection of superfans from across the country. Last night Detroit Youth Choir earned the Golden Buzzer from Terry and Aidan Bryant was voted through.

Chile’s Oscar entry, “Blanquita” by Fernando Guzzoni, is based on the infamous “Spiniak Case,” the exposure in the early 2000s of a child prostitution/pedophilia ring involving powerful Chilean politicians and businessmen. After a year-long investigation of the case, Guzzoni zeroed in on the most interesting character in the child sex scandal, Gema Bueno, a key witness whose story began to unravel as prosecutors began to poke holes in her testimony.

In his thought-provoking thriller, Guzzoni bases his titular character Blanquita on Bueno. Played by Laura Lopez, Blanquita is now 18 and has returned to the shelter for victims of sexual violence with a baby in tow. Living there in exchange for domestic chores, she becomes the most credible witness in the case against the pedophile ring. Coaxed by the priest (Alejandro Goic) who runs the shelter, she claims to be a victim of sex trafficking and accuses a senator of participating in the ring.

Previously supported projects have included American Factory, Collective, Fire Of Love, The Mole Agent.

Projects from Armenia, Chile, Uganda and Palestine are among grantees of the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which in the 20th anniversary year of the Documentary Film Program (Dfp) has made 1.4m available in unrestricted grant support to 35 projects.

Of the recipients, five are in development, 15 in production, 10 in post, and the filmmakers behind five are actively pursuing support for audience engagement and social impact campaigns.

Some 57 of the current cycle’s submissions hail from outside the US. Among the 14 US films receiving support, all are directed...