News

Adding to the run-up of pre-Locarno business, in one key distribution deal, Zurich-based Frenetic Films, one of Switzerland’s most highly-regarded arthouse/crossover distribution houses, has secured Swiss rights to “Solomamma,” a buzz title which will have its world premiere in main International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival, which runs Aug 6-16.

The deal has been struck by prestigious pan-European sales agent and production force Playtime, which has also closed additional pre-sales to Italy (Teodora), Benelux (Imagine), Israel (New Cinema) and Hungary (Budapest Film). “Solomamma” lead producer, Bacon Pictures Oslo, has already struck an distribution deal with Scanbox for Scandinavia, in a larger slate arrangement between the two companies.

The first feature from Norway’s Janicke Askevold, after the made-for-tv “Sammen Alene,” “Solomamma” marks the first time a Norwegian film has been selected for Locarno since 1975’s “Wives.”

That said, its selection is hardly surprising. Starring Lisa Loven Kongsli...

The Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund has unveiled the full program of its 53rd edition running over Aug.16-22.

Ahead of Venice where she will be in the running for the Golden Lion with her third pic as a helmer, “The Testament of Ann Lee,” the Norwegian-born writer-director Mona Fastvold will bring her star power to the picturesque coastal town of Haugesund, where she will present the Oscar-winning “The Brutalist,” for which she earned an Oscar nod for best screenplay, shared with her partner, helmer Brady Corbet.

“The Brutalist” will both screen at Haugesund’s architecture-led Norwegian Archfest sidebar and compete for best foreign language film at Norway’s annual Amanda Awards, due to unspool Aug. 16 as a preamble to the Norwegian Film Festival. The national film awards, administered by the Norwegian International Film Festival, will be transmitted live that day by NRK1.

“We are thrilled that Mona Fastvold will attend the Amanda Awards,...

This year’s Cannes Camera d’Or jury will be led by a very familiar face to the festival faithful: Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher. Following last year’s duo of jury chairs, Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji, Rohrwacher will chair the group that honors a first feature film presented in the fest’s Official Selection, at the Critics’ Week, or the Directors’ Fortnight. In 2024, the Caméra d’or went to Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for “Armand,” which premiered at Un Certain Regard.

“First times are always important and they stay with us for the rest of our lives,” said Rohrwacher in an official statement. “Like entering an unfamiliar room, approaching one’s beloved for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore. There’s something golden that haloes these moments in our memory. Is that why the most prestigious award for first films is called Caméra d’Or?”

“La Chimera” and...

Italian director and screenwriter Alice Rohrwacher has been chosen to chair the Jury of the Caméra d’or. She follows in the footsteps of last year’s joint chairs Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji.

This award honors a first feature film presented in the Official Selection, at the Critics’ Week or the Directors’ Fortnight. Rohrwacher will also recognize a filmmaker’s debut at the Closing Ceremony of the 78th Festival de Cannes on Saturday May 24.

In 2024, the Caméra d’or went to Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for Armand which premiered at Un Certain Regard. The 78th Festival de Cannes will take place from Tuesday May 13 to Saturday May 24, 2025.

Rohrwacher said:

“First times are always important, and they stay with us for the rest of our lives. Like entering an unfamiliar room, approaching one’s beloved for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore. There’s something golden that haloes these moments in our memory.

Italian director and screenwriter Alice Rohrwacher (La Chimera, Heavenly Body) has been chosen to chair the jury of the Caméra d’or, the Golden Camera jury, in Cannes. This award honors the best first feature film presented in the Official Selection at the Critics’ Week or the Directors’ Fortnight.

Rohrwacher, “whose delicate work blossomed in Cannes,” as organizers noted Friday, will recognize a filmmaker’s debut at the closing ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 24.

Last year, the award went to Halfdan Ullmann Tondel for Armand, which premiered in the Cannes festival’s Un Certain Regard section.

“First times are always important and they stay with us for the rest of our lives,” said Rohrwacher. “Like entering an unfamiliar room, approaching one’s beloved for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore. There’s something golden that haloes these moments in our memory. Is...

Last year, the Un Certain Regard section had several gems. Caméra d’Or jury prized Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s Armand and the Ucr jury of Xavier Dolan bestowed the top prize to Black Dog. Other solid film items included Souleymane’s Story, September Says, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, Holy Cow and the Oscar-winning Flow. Christian Jeune will be looking to steal some high value directorial debuts from the Critic’s Week and Directors’ Fortnight sections (such as the buzz titles from actor-turn-directors Kristen Stewart and Harris Dickinson) and we are anticipatinga handful of return guests who’ve previously premiered their works at the Debussy.…...

Halfdan Ullmann Tondel’s feature debut seems to be in an identity crisis of sorts. So much so that even after a second watch, I’m inclined to stick by my first impression and say that Armand wants to be too many things at once. Luckily, the same ambition translates much better in the parts where the film is an absolute work of art. But with the likes of The Teacher’s Lounge getting it so right, Armand doesn’t really have an excuse for only tapping the surface of its emotional themes without ever taking a deep dive.

Spoiler Alert

What happens in the film?

Conventional realism doesn’t quite line up with the tone Armand is trying to set. And that’s why a school which is supposedly celebrating the end-of-term looks so deserted. The fact that Elisabeth rubs the lipstick off of herself and takes off her...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Anora (Sean Baker)

Sean Baker’s Anora expands his filmmaking vision, pushing the writer-director-editor’s fifth consecutive story on sex workers into a higher plane of awards and commercial success. It’s a romantic comedy, a madcap dash around New York City, a movie ruminating on loss, love, and class disparity. Baker aims to put audiences through a ringer of emotional swings, ending with a desolation that’s been building in the background, easier to spot once the tinsel’s shimmer fades. With a true star-making performance from Mikey Madison and a deep bench of supporting actors, Anora whirls until suddenly it doesn’t, and all that’s left is earned, resonant silence from both its characters and audience. – Michael F.

Where...

2025 is shaping up to be a significant year in the life of Berlin-based production company One Two Films, run by Sol Bondy and Fred Burle.

The pair produced Ido Fluk’s well-received jazz tale Köln 75, which world premiered over the weekend as a Berlinale Special.

Burle also co-produced Ira Sach’s Peter Hujar’s Day, starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, which had its international premiere at the Berlinale following its debut at Sundance last month.

They followArmandfrom Norwegian filmmaker Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard last May winning the Camera d’Or for best debut feature,...

Update Feb. 18, 2025: Captain America: Brave New World is a certified blockbuster after raking in $100 million at the box office over the four-day holiday weekend. Disney’s latest Marvel movie slightly exceeded expectations, taking in $87 million over its first three days and then tacking on an extra $13 million on Presidents Day. Sony’s Paddington in Peru earned $13 million over the traditional three-day weekend, followed by Sony’s Heart Eyes with $9.9 million, DreamWorks’ Dog Man with $9.8 million, and Cmc Pictures’ surprise hit Ne Zha 2 with $7.2 million from just 660 theaters.

Original story published Feb. 14, 2025: What will be the winners and the losers this week at the U.S. box office? Disney’s latest Marvel movie, Captain America: Brave New World, IFC’s international drama Armand, and Sony’s family comedy Paddington in Peru open in theaters this Friday. They’ll be facing off against the current top five money-makers: Dog Man,...

In his early 20s, Norwegian director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel held a variety of roles at a primary school, including substitute teaching, leading afterschool programs and working with children with disabilities. The experience was “very profound” and led him to meet “great people,” Tøndel said. It also allowed him to observe parents’ behavior.

Tøndel’s time working with kids preceded his feature filmmaking days, but he’s no stranger to the world of cinema: he’s the grandson of Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann. His debut feature trains its eye on the kind of school environment where he spent his early professional life.

“Armand,” which made the Oscars international feature film shortlist for Norway, opened in U.S. theaters on Friday and closely scrutinizes parental reactions to an extreme incident between kids. Renate Reinsve (“The Worst Person in the World”) plays Elisabeth, a single mother whose 6-year-old son Armand is accused...

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel discusses his film 'Armand,' for which he won the Caméra d'Or, for Best First Feature Film, at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. He explains its themes and discusses his ongoing friendship and collaborations with star Renate Reinsve.

In 'Armand,' after an alleged fight between two 6-year-old boys, the parents and school staff are called in to clarify the incident. From IFC Films, 'Armand' is in theaters in NY and LA February 7 followed by a regional expansion February 14.

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Hot off the film’s Critics Choice Awards Best Picture win, Anora‘s Sean Baker took home his first DGA Awards win in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film category. Winners of the 77th Annual DGA Awards were announced on February 8th at a ceremony hosted by filmmaker Judd Apatow in Beverly Hills.

In addition to the competitive categories, Ang Lee was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Unit Production Manager Mary Rae Thewlis earned the Robert B. Aldrich Service Award. Unit Production Manager Thomas J. Whelan was recognized with the Frank Capra Achievement Award.

“I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational, and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of...

In a surprising win that resets the Oscar race, Anora director Sean Baker took home the Feature Film Director prize at Directors Guild of America Awards Saturday, instantly becoming the frontrunner for the Best Director trophy at the Academy Awards.

Baker, a first-time DGA nominee, toppled a strong field that included fellow Oscar nominees Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown), along with Conclave director Edward Berger, who failed to land an Oscar bid. The DGA victory came on the same night Baker’s film — which personally earned him four Academy Award bids — unexpectedly won the top prize at another major precursor, the Producers Guild of America Awards, and one night after the film scored at the Critics Choice Awards.

Corbet had still been considered the prohibitive favorite for both the DGA honor and directing Oscar going into Saturday.

Anora stars Mikey Madison...

The year’s top filmmakers were toasted at the DGA Awards on Saturday night, with Sean Baker taking home the night’s top prize.

At the ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton and once again hosted by Judd Apatow, the Directors Guild of America recognized the best across TV and film. Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) were up for the night’s big prize in theatrical feature film, but it was Baker who landed the win.

He expressed surprise in his speech, thanking star Mikey Madison and his mother while also acknowledging, “She supported me along the way, all the way; unfortunately I’m not really making the movies she wants to make. I don’t think that she’s seen Anora, I don’t want her to see Anora.” Baker also noted he “made...

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars stepped up to attend the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards on Saturday night (February 8) in Beverly Hills, California.

Hosted by Judd Apatow, the event took place at The Beverly Hilton and featured an impressive guestlist of actors including the likes of Elle Fanning, Mikey Madison, Ayo Edebiri (who was also nominated for directing an episode of The Bear), Ali Wong (nominated for Ali Wong: Single Lady) and Bill Hader.

Keep reading to find out more…

Other stars in attendance included Adrien Brody, Bowen Yang, Justine Lupe, Maude Apatow, Michelle Yeoh, Demi Moore and Timothy Simons.

Some of the directors who were nominated and in attendance included Anora director Sean Baker, The Brutalist director Brady Corbet, A Complete Unknown director James Mangold, Didi director Sean Wang, Nickel Boys director Ramell Ross, Armand director Halfdan Ullman Tondel, Shogun directors Hiromi Kamata and Jonathan van Tulleken,...

With Oscar nominations firmly set and multiple guild award shows every week between now and the big show in March, the race to the Academy Awards has entered its final leg. This weekend is a crucial one for award watchers, with the Producers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America both giving out their annual prizes at ceremonies that could predict the Best Picture and Best Director race.

The 77th annual DGA Awards, which took place at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, February 8, honored the year’s finest achievements in feature filmmaking, episodic TV, and commercial directing. The evening’s top prize, Theatrical Feature Film, went to Sean Baker for “Anora,” while other nominees included Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”), Edward Berger (“Conclave”), Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”), and James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”).

It remains to be seen what Baker’s big win means for his Oscar campaign — but last...

Perhaps the superb Norweigan actress Renate Reinsve doesn't seem so foreign to North American audiences anymore, especially since she's graced recent hit projects like Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+ and A Different Man on the big screen. Her skyrocket to stardom can be traced back to The Worst Person in the World, a international success that earned her the Best Actress award at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Her latest Norwegian film won the Camera d'Or at Cannes recently, and is now hitting U.S. theaters. From writer-director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Armand supplies Reinsve with yet another spellbinding turn, perhaps her finest performance to date. Watch her steal the show as a distressed mom spending the day at her young son's school after an incident at recess sends a few parents and faculty into quiet turmoil.

MovieWeb recently caught up with director Tøndel, who spoke about his collaborations with Reinsve that...

Led Zeppelin on Imax, Parthenope by Paolo Sorrentino and Armand starring Renate Reinsve, both Cannes premieres, and Barry Koeghan in Irish drama Bring Them Down headline an interesting specialty weekend.

Sony Pictures Classics debuts Bernard MacMahon’s hybrid docu concert film Becoming Led Zeppelin exclusively in Imax at 369 locations this week, opening wide next week on over 1,000 screens. Powered by never-before-seen footage, performances and music, the film is billed as an experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin‘s creative, musical, and personal origin story. It’s told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

An early version premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in 2021 as a work in progress to a 10-minute standing ovation. It subsequently incorporated a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page,...

It’s the laugh that gets you.

Roughly halfway through Armand, the debut feature from Norwegian filmmaker Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, we watch someone fall apart. A mother has been called into a parent-teacher conference. Her name is Elisabeth, she’s an actor of some renown, and is now largely associated with a tragedy that left her husband dead. Elisabeth has no idea why she’s been summoned to her child’s school. Soon, the parents of another student arrive. It seems that Armand, the woman’s son, threatened one of his peers.

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. IFC Films releases “Armand” in theaters on February 7, 2025.

Renate Reinsve, the marvelous Norwegian with just over a decade on the scene, emerged as one of the best actors of her generation through one key performance: in Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” as a shiftless, drifting millennial without a compass. But her character, Julie, was at least always relentlessly curious, much like Reinsve herself, who won Best Actress at Cannes in 2021 for the film.

She’s back at the festival with “Armand,” a claustrophobic and surreal classroom drama from writer/director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, who’s also the grandson of Swedish cinema giants Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman. Like his grandparents’ own medium-defining work, Ullmann Tøndel’s directorial debut is an intimate character study told in close-ups and breakdowns, as single mother Elisabeth (Reinsve...

A parent-teacher conference descends into a liminal hellscape in Armand, the feature debut of Norwegian writer-director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel. Winner of the Caméra d'Or—which honors the work of a first-time feature filmmaker—at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, the film is replete with striking visual flourishes, yet its...

Armanddirector Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel is the grandson of nine-time Oscar nominated Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and two-time Oscar nominated acting icon Liv Ullmann. If you think that gives you some idea of what you’re getting with Armand, you’d only be half right. Ullmann Tøndel’s pressure cooker drama contains elements that draw a direct line to the existential themes, finely composed visuals, and character intimacy of his grandparents’ all-time classics. But Ullmann Tøndel, in taking a promising first step towards establishing himself as a director to watch, adds bits of satirical humor, commentary on modern institutional failings, and nail-biting tension. It’s a mix that pays increasingly fewer dividends as it rolls along, but the ride is never less than provocative and completely immersive.

In Armand, which won the Caméra d'Or for best first feature at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Ullmann Tøndel keeps the proceedings primarily limited to...

Yes, we’re still in the warming glow of award season, but new movies never stop. Happily there are exciting new films to check out this February, including Cannes winners, cryptocurrency heists, cute little furry creatures, and some psychedelic horror.

Armand

When You Can Watch: February 7

Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)

Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Cast: Renate Reinsve, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Øystein Røger

Why We’re Excited: This Norwegian psychological drama premiered at Cannes, earning a Caméra d’Or for first-time feature director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (grandson of Ingmar Bergman), pegged as one of ten European filmmakers to watch in 2015 by European Film Promotion. The story was inspired by the character of Elisabeth, Armand’s mother (Reinsve from The Worst Person in the World), who is called into school when her six-year-old threatens his classmate. The confrontation and ensuing revelations invite reflection on the way we form opinions about...

Confined entirely to the after-hours hallways and classrooms of a Norwegian elementary school, Armand at first unfolds like a courtroom drama sans the courtroom. On one side is Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve), a high-strung actress who thunders through the hallways in heels that make her tower over the meek teacher, Sunna (Thea Lambrechts Vaulen), who acts as a mediator. On the other are the icy Sarah (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and husband Anders (Endre Hellestveit), who allege that Elisabeth’s child, Armand, assaulted their son.

Shot on stark 16mm, Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s film slowly unfurls the details of a difficult situation careening toward a bureaucratic trainwreck. The school has no precedent to rely on, no procedures to consult. What follows is a clash of egos, the strangeness and ambiguity of the incident heightened by the fact that we never see the children at all.

Throughout, we only have secondhand information to...

Judd Apatow has been tapped to host the DGA Awards once again, the guild announced Wednesday.

The 77th annual ceremony is set for February 8 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. This will mark Apatow’s sixth time hosting, previously getting the gig in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

“I’m shocked the DGA asked me back to host for a sixth time. I’m starting to think there’s no one else who will say yes,” Apatow joked in a statement.

Additionally, Beth McCarthy-Miller will serve as the Chair of the Awards for the fourth consecutive year, according to the guild.

In a statement of her own, she added: “I am proud to continue to serve as DGA Awards Chair to help celebrate the incredible talent of all our nominees. I look forward to a wonderful night paying tribute to the best of craft, and to welcoming Judd Apatow back to the podium as our amazing host.

Armand is director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s troubling, entertaining and at times confounding feature debut. Set in a school that has more than a hint of madhouse or military academy to it, the film opens with a scene that could be right out of a heist movie or thriller. Driving too fast down an isolated road is Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve), a glamorous actor who has been called into the headmaster’s office to discuss a mystery incident involving her six-year-old son Armand.

Waiting inside are the school staff: the well-intentioned rooky teacher Sunna (a lovely performance from Thea Lambrechts Vaulen), the more experienced yet equally hapless school nurse Asja (Vera Veljovic) whose fraught nerves manifest themselves in copious nosebleeds, and Jarle (Øysten Røger) the cowardly head, who decides that Sunna should lead what turns out to be one of the most harrowing Pt meetings ever witnessed. If the building looks like a madhouse,...

The awards race for best international feature is sizing up to be one of a single, undeniable frontrunner and a diverse pack of contenders with strong upset potential.

The clear one to beat is Emilia Pérez. Jacques Audiard’s transgender Mexican cartel crime drama/musical, France’s entry, is on track for Academy Award nominations across several categories, including best picture, director, actress (for Karla Sofía Gascón), supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez) and multiple technical categories. Add to that Netflix’s marketing might, and Emilia looks as close to a sure thing as any title on Oscar’s dance card.

After that, the international competition gets harder to parse, but there are a handful of films that have emerged from the festival circuit with sufficient critical buzz and awards momentum to make them potential Pérez rivals.

Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig,...

The Directors Guild Awards, which includes assistant directors and production managers in its voting body, tends to go more mainstream and American than the Oscars’ more tony and international-leaning Directors Branch. Thus, the international DGA nominees Jacques Audiard (Netflix’s European Film Awards and Golden Globes Musical winner “Emilia Pérez“) and Edward Berger (Focus’ “Conclave”) are likely repeats at the Oscars, along with SAG acting nominees Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, and Ralph Fiennes.

Among the international directors, French-Canadian Denis Villeneuve was expected to land a DGA spot for desert epic “Dune: Part Two.” Why didn’t he, after landing a DGA nomination for “Part One”? It’s possibly because “Part Two” is perceived as a sequel, and even though it winds up a two-part story, because a third “Dune” film is in the offing, voters may wait for the finale.

Oscar perennial Mike Leigh may wind up a local...

Directors Guild of America (DGA) has announced five all-male nominees for its top theatrical feature award.

Golden Globe winner Brady Corbet is nominated for The Brutalist, alongside Sean Baker, whose Anora won the Cannes Palme d’Or, Edward Berger for Conclave, Jacques Audiard for female-led Emilia Pérez, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.

DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter announced the nominees on Wednesday. The roster omits the female leading lights of directing this season, principally Coralie Fargeat with The Substance, and Halina Reijn for Babygirl. Also not in the running are Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Two, and Jon M. Chu for Wicked.

In only a few short years, Renate Reinsve has become one of the most accomplished and beloved actors in the world. In nearly every film she’s in, she is the breakout star. And perhaps this is best shown in her newest work, “Armand.”

Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2025

As seen in the trailer for “Armand,” the film follows the story of an actress who is called into an emergency parent-teacher meeting regarding her child.

Continue reading ‘Armand’ Trailer: Renate Reinsve Stars In Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s Award-Winning Drama at The Playlist.

Award season is just starting to get into full swing, yet one of the films on the Oscars shortlist has yet to even reach theaters. That film would be Armand, the Norwegian international feature that stunned viewers at the Cannes Film Festival last year with Renate Reinsve as its star. Written and directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, it takes place during a parent-teacher conference in which Elisabeth, an actress whose young child has been accused of inflicting a heinous act upon his classmate, is called in to sort out a very messy situation with the faculty and the other parents. Ahead of the film's arrival on the big screen, a new trailer teases how this meeting devolves into something completely out of the ordinary that will drag everyone involved into an intense, convoluted argument over where boundaries begin and end.

Sean Baker for “Anora,” Brady Corbet for “The Brutalist,” James Mangold for “A Complete Unknown,” Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez,” and Edward Berger for “Conclave” have been nominated for the Feature Film directing prize from the DGA Awards on behalf of the Directors Guild of America.

The winner for the top prize will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards ceremony held on February 8.

Also announced on Wednesday are the five nominees for the Michael Apted Award for First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. Those nominees are: Payal Kapadia for “All We Imagine As Light,” Megan Park for “My Old Ass,” RaMell Ross for “Nickel Boys,” Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for “Armand,” and Sean Wang for “Didi.”

DGA Awards nominees in the TV, reality, commercial, and documentary categories were unveiled on Tuesday, with “Shōgun,” “The Bear,” and “The Penguin” leading the way with three directing nominations each. In the documentary category, the...

Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Edward Berger, Brady Corbet, and James Mangold are the 2025 Directors Guild Award nominees.

The Directors Guild announced the DGA Awards nominees on Wednesday, hours after the Screen Actors Guild Award revealed its 2025 nominations.

All nominees are first-time honorees at the Directors Guild. Audiard, a cherished French filmmaker, directed Netflix’s top awards contender, Emilia Pérez. Baker, a leading indie director of this era, helmed Neon’s wild comedy-thriller, Anora. Berger is recognized for the papal suspense film Conclave from Focus Features. Corbet, who recently won Best Director at the Golden Globes, is the 36-year-old auteur of the epic A24 release The Brutalist. Lastly, Mangold is the American veteran of the group, nominated here for A Complete Unknown, about Bob Dylan.

The Directors Guild is often a good barometer of future Oscar success — but it is rarely perfect. The last time the five DGA Awards matched the...

James Mangold’s awards prospects got a boost Wednesday while The Substance director Coralie Fargeat and Dune: Part Two helmer Denis Villeneuve experienced a ding when the DGA announced the feature-film nominees for its 2025 awards.

Considered a bubble candidate coming into the nominations, Mangold was nominated for A Complete Unknown, his take on Bob Dylan going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The nomination, his first nod for the DGA’s top prize, increases Mangold’s chances to land his first Oscar directing nomination when those are announced on Friday, Jan. 17.

Mangold joins Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave) and Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) as DGA feature-film nominees. All four were considered favorites coming in; Corbet on Sunday won the Golden Globe for directing.

Fargeat, whose movie has drawn accolades for its baroque style and sharp social commentary on feminism and aging, had hoped a...

Updated with film nominees, 10:48 Am: Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Golden Globe winner Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) are the nominees for the DGA Awards’ marquee Theatrical Film Award announced Wednesday by the Directors Guild of America.

Among the awards-season hopefuls who didn’t make the cut are Wicked helmer Jon M. Chu, Dune: Part Two’s Denis Villeneuve and The Substance‘s Coralie Fargeat.

The rookie directors up for the DGA’s First-Time Theatrical Feature Film prize are Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light), Megan Park (My Old Ass), RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys), Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (Armand) and Sean Wang (Dìdi).

Winners will be announced at the 77th annual DGA Awards on February 8 at The Beverly Hilton.

Previously, January 7: The Directors Guild of America today revealed the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and...

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has revealed its nominees for the upcoming 2025 awards, and it’s a high-stakes Oscar season, proven by the notable snubs and surprises. The five filmmakers contending for the prestigious DGA Award for Directorial Achievement in Feature Film are the following:

Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez” Sean Baker for “Anora” Edward Berger for “Conclave” Brady Corbet for “The Brutalist” James Mangold for “A Complete Unknown”

It’s a category entirely of first-time DGA nominees. Most notably, this is significant for Mangold, who nabbed the first of his career for the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” which continues to pick up momentum coming after its haul at the SAG Awards noms. After helming films like “Walk the Line” (2005), “Logan” (2017) and “Ford v Ferrari” (2019), this piece of notoriety seemed long overdue.

This is also huge for German auteur Berger, who missed out on a director nom...

Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Edward Berger, Brady Corbet and James Mangold have been nominated as the best feature film directors of 2024 by the Directors Guild of America, which announced its movie nominations on Wednesday.

Audiard was nominated for “Emilia Pérez,” Baker for “Anora,” Berger for “Conclave,” Corbet for “The Brutalist” and Mangold for “A Complete Unknown.”

The nominations make “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave” and “Emilia Pérez” the only films to be nominated in the top category by both of the major guilds that announced on Wednesday, the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild. “The Brutalist” was not nominated in SAG’s ensemble category, while “Wicked” was nominated for SAG’s cast award but not for director Jon M. Chu.

Other directors who didn’t make the DGA list include Coralie Fargeat for “The Substance” and Denis Villeneuve for “Dune: Part Two.”

In the category for first-time feature directors,...

"I need you to realize the gravity of the situation." IFC Films has unveiled the official trailer for Armand, a Norwegian film marking the feature directorial debut of Norwegian filmmaker Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel - who is Ingmar Bergman's grandson. This initially premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and played at tons of other festivals throughout last year (teaser here). The film is set to hit US theaters in February just after the Oscar nominations (on January 17th) since it was submitted by Norway for this year. It "sheds light on a complex theme from constantly new perspectives, surprising & touching its audience with creative portrayals of the main characters’ emotional journeys." Elisabeth is summoned to a parent-teacher meeting on short notice. Her son is accused of something, but what that "something" is, remains unclear. Soon, the principal, nurse, and more parents join a meeting that quickly spirals out of control.

Update: After announcing the categories for the upcoming SAG Awards earlier today, the Directors Guild of America has announced its nominations in the theatrical feature film and first-time feature film director categories for the 2025 DGA Awards.

Here are the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024:

Jaques Audiard – “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)

Sean Baker – “Anora” (Neon)

Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Olivia Kavanaugh First Assistant Director: Liza Mann Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco Second Second Assistant Director: Steve Coleman Location Manager: Ross Brodar

Edward Berger – “Conclave” (Focus Features)

Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist” (A24)

James Mangold – “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)

Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Michael Bederman First Assistant Director: Douglas Torres Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Veronica Grant Location Manager: Anthony Pisani

Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film

Payal Kapadia – “All We Imagine as Light” (Sideshow & Janus Films)

Megan Park...

After her 2021 breakout with The Worst Person in the World, Renate Reinsve’s 2022 and 2023 seemed fairly quiet, but she was working on no shortage of projects that finally saw the light of day. Following A Different Man, Handling the Undead, Another End, and Presumed Innocent, she leads Armand, which marks the feature debut from Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman. Norway’s selection for Best International Film was picked up by IFC, who have unveiled a new trailer ahead of its limited release on February 7 and wide opening on February 14.

Here’s the synopsis: “When defamed actress Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve) is abruptly called into a parent-teacher meeting after hours, she is presented with scathing allegations that trigger a tangled web of accusations between parents and faculty. As Elisabeth struggles to uncover the truth amid the empty school rooms and dark corridors, a chaotic fight for redemption arises where desire,...

Variety is debuting the trailer, poster and a fresh still for “Armand,” which has been shortlisted for the international feature film Oscar. IFC Films launches the Norwegian film in U.S. theaters on Feb. 7, for a limited release, and wide on Feb 14. The poster, shown below, is designed by esteemed artist Akiko Stehrenberger.

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s claustrophobic drama premiered at Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard, where it won the Caméra d’Or for best first feature. The film stars Renate Reinsve, who won Cannes’ best actress award for “The Worst Person in the World,” and Ellen Dorrit Petersen.

“Armand” centers on well-known actress Elisabeth, who is abruptly called into a parent-teacher meeting at her 6-year-old son’s school after hours. Here she is presented with allegations that trigger a tangled web of accusations between parents and faculty. “As Elisabeth struggles to uncover the truth amid the empty school rooms and dark corridors,...

And the Oscar goes to… honestly, no idea. We're no closer to predicting the winning director—or even which filmmakers will actually secure one of those coveted nominations—than we were before awards season began in earnest. Emilia Pérez led the Golden Globe film nominations, and this morning, Wicked—and...

She may not be The World Person In The World, but Renate Reinsve's character doesn't seem to have a lot of friends in Armand, Norway's entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. The film's first trailer is tense, claustrophobic, and may trigger any dormant paranoia you have hiding somewhere in your conscience.

Happy New Year! As is our favorite way to celebrate the dawning of a new year, we’re looking ahead at a very big batch of 2025 releases we’ve a) already seen and b) can heartily recommend to you, our readers.

As is tradition, this list includes a hefty number of films we’ve caught on the festival circuit and are bound for a 2025 release near year. They include consistent favorite filmmakers like David Cronenberg, Steven Soderbergh, Jia Zhang-ke, and Miguel Gomes, plus a wide variety of brand-new and rising film stars to get to know right now. Some of these films have already popped up on our annual critics survey, but this list also includes a batch of films worthy of attention right now, and through the rest of the year.

For those of you eager to load up your movie-going calendar for the coming months, let this list...

The Academy has unveiled the 10 shortlists for the 97th Academy Awards in March, with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig and Walter Salles’sI’m Still Here among the international feature film category heavyweights.

Besides the French, German and Brazilian contenders, the list includes Mati Diop’s Dahomey for Senegal, Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap for Ireland, Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio for Italy, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh for the UK, and Matthew Rankin’sUniversal Language for Canada.

Europe accounts for 10 or two-thirds of the shortlist, Africa and Middle East two, and Americas two,...

France’s “Emilia Pérez,” Germany’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” have been named to the shortlist in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category, retaining their frontrunner status in a race that had fewer high-profile contenders than usual this year.

Other films on the list are Canada’s “Universal Language,” the Czech Republic’s “Waves,” Denmark’s “The Girl With the Needle,” Iceland’s “Touch,” Ireland’s “Kneecap,” Italy’s “Vermiglio,” Latvia’s “Flow,” Norway’s “Armand,” Palestine’s “From Ground Zero,” Senegal’s “Dahomey,” Thailand’s “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” and the United Kingdom’s “Santosh.”

“Flow” is the only animated film on the list, while “Dahomey” is the only documentary. The Palestinian selection, “From Ground Zero,” is the most unusual of the shortlisted films, consisting of 22 separate short films made over the last year by directors living in Gaza.

The shortlist of 15 films to vie for a Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination at the 97th Academy Awards is set to be announced on December 17. In all, movies from 85 countries are eligible for the prize. There is decidedly a pack of frontrunners this season, and the rest feels a bit up for grabs, but there are gems from all corners. Below, we take a closer look at the potential candidates for the early cut. They include prize winners from Sundance to Berlin, Cannes, Venice and myriad other festivals and awards bodies.

Related: Deadline Launches Its Contenders International Streaming Site

Deadline, through its various Contenders events as well as separate interviews, has spoken with filmmakers behind many of the entries while nearly all of the titles on the main list below have been reviewed by Deadline’s critics.

Here is our preview in alphabetical order by film title:

Related: 2024-...

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” won best film, director, screenwriter and actress at the 37th European Film Awards, which were held Saturday in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The best film nominees included narrative features “The Room Next Door,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” “The Substance” and “Vermiglio,” as well as documentaries “Bye Bye Tiberias,” “Dahomey,” “In Limbo,” “No Other Land” and “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” and animated films “Flow,” “Living Large,” “Savages,” “Sultana’s Dream” and “They Shot the Piano Player.”

The statuette for actress was won by Karla Sofía Gascón for “Emilia Pérez.” The other nominees were Renate Reinsve in “Armand,” Trine Dyrholm in “The Girl With the Needle,” Vic Carmen Sonne in “The Girl With the Needle” and Tilda Swinton in “The Room Next Door.”

The director award went to Audiard for “Emilia Pérez,” who beat Andrea Arnold for “Bird,” Pedro Almodóvar for “The Room Next Door,” Mohammad Rasoulof...

Jacques Audiard’s latest Emilia Pérez dominated the European Film Awards this evening in Lucerne, Switzerland, taking Best Film and Best Director. Check out the full winners list below.

The Netflix crime drama won all four of it’s nominations. Audiard’s pic came into this evening’s tied with Pedro Almodovar’s The Room Next Door for the most noms. The film’s haul included Best Actress for Karla Sofia Gascón and Best Screenplay.

Other big winners this evening in Switzerland included filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis who won Best Animated feature for his buzzy pic Flow and the Palestinian-Israeli film No Other Land took the Best Documentary prize.

Tonight’s dominant display hands Audiard and his Emilia Pérez collaborators a significant vote of confidence as they head into the heat of awards seasons. The European Film Awards, which are voted on by the Berlin-based European Film Academy’s some 5,000 members based across Europe,...