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Applications are now open for the 22nd edition of Screen International’s Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland.

The submissions window is open from April 16 until May 30, 2025.

Applications are open to UK and Irish citizens and long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit, but applicants should be at an early stage in their film career, demonstrate exceptional promise and be ready to progress to the next level.

Applicants should use this Google Form and need to attach a brief bio, a headshot and contact details...

It’s not every day that you come across a film that moves you for the better; Silver Haze is certainly one. A survivor’s tale through and through, the movie draws inspiration from actor Vicky Knight’s personal life. Childhood trauma, depression, and abuse—every topic becomes a conversation starter and really pushes you to have the courage to talk.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens In The Movie?

A vicious fire in her father’s pub changed a young Franky’s life, and it’s been 15 years since she’s asked for answers from the person responsible. Her father rejected the family, married the same woman Frankie held responsible, and started a new life with her. Frankie’s mother is an alcoholic and helpless most of the time, and her family somehow gets by. Frankie’s job as a nurse is the only source of normalcy in her life, as...

Franchise animation Kung Fu Panda 4 and creature clash Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire lead a bumper weekend of 16 new films at the UK-Ireland box office.

Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 has the biggest opening of the weekend in 715 sites – a significant jump for the series, after 2008’s Kung Fu Panda (448) and sequels in 2011 (514) and 2016 (585), all through Paramount.

Conversely, the total grosses of each film have dropped, with the first title making £20.4m, followed by £17m and £14.2m for the sequels. All of these were pre-pandemic; number four will look to cross the £10m mark before challenging any of those totals.

Vicky Knight plays a nurse injured in a fire who falls in love with a patient in Sacha Polak’s sombre, thoughtful drama

Here is a tough drama of damaged lives which reunites director Sacha Polak with lead performer Vicky Knight, the star of her 2019 film Dirty God. Knight has spoken with courage about her own childhood experiences of being scarred in a pub fire in London and this film draws on her life, both in terms of her survivor’s story and her adult existence; like her character, she has worked in healthcare.

Knight plays Franky, a nurse haunted by memories of the blaze that injured her, and also by her unresolved feelings about her errant dad who ran out on the family when she was little. Franky falls in love with a troubled patient called Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles), who has tried to take her own life. Franky’s...

So! How’d you do on your 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards ballot? Not good? Well, don’t worry, because a brand new film year begins right now with a fresh crop of Don’t-Miss Indies ready for consumption. Only time will tell which of these titles will still be standing by the time we head back to the beach in 2025. But hey, it’s never too early to start prognosticating!

Love Lies Bleeding

When You Can Watch: Now

Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)

Director: Rose Glass

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris

Why We’re Excited: Billed variously as a lesbian revenge story and a psychological thriller set in the 1980s Las Vegas, filmmaker Rose Glass’s second feature (after 2019’s Saint Maud) premiered at Sundance in January. Desperate to find a way out of her desolate existence, frantic gym manager Lou (Film Independent...

There’s no turning back now in an exclusive to Collider clip for Sacha Polak’s upcoming romantic drama, Silver Haze. The flames are about to blaze in this film about revenge and passion — and we don’t just mean in the metaphorical sense. In the sneak peek, viewers are introduced to the leading characters, Franky (Vicky Knight) and Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles), as they collect the supplies needed to carry out their fiery plot. First looking for lighter fluid at a corner store, the pair end up shifting their focus to some good ol’ fashioned gasoline before heading to their main target - a home on a quiet suburban street. With a Molotov cocktail in hand, Franky fully commits to her plan, hurling the bottle through the home’s front window.

Vicky Knight & Esmé Creed-Miles shine with their onscreen chemistry. The cinematography and sound create effective emotional moments. Silver Haze focuses on expressive visuals rather than a strong narrative.

Silver Haze is an appropriate title for writer-director Sacha Polak’s movie, which feels like drifting through a nonsensical but very real wave of emotion. Leading Silver Haze is Vicky Knight as Franky, a nurse who is still looking for answers about the fire that left her badly scarred 15 years ago. Her time is taken up with work, caring for her alcoholic mother, and an unsatisfying relationship with her boyfriend. However, Franky is set on a path of transformation and healing when she meets Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles), a new patient.

7/10

ProsVicky Knight and Esm Creed-Miles have amazing chemistry as the main charactersThe cinematography and sound make certain scenes breathtakingThe story is an effective portrayal of anger, forgiveness, and healingConsThe narrative is...

Applications are now open for the 21st edition of Screen International’s Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland.

The submissions window is open for one month, from March 6 to April 5, 2024.

Applications are open to UK and Irish citizens and long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit, but applicants should be at an early stage in their film career, demonstrate exceptional promise and be ready to progress to the next level.

Applicants should use this Google Form and need to attach a brief bio, a headshot...

Keeper of the Flame: Polak Reckons with Reconciliation vs. Retribution in Conventional Drama

Dutch director Sacha Polak continues to explore the difficulties of acceptance and reclamation in her fourth feature, Silver Haze, another pseudo-sordid kitchen sink melodrama focused on wounded souls relegated to social peripheries. Returning with another UK co-production headlined by Vicky Knight, the breakout star from her 2019 title Dirty God (read review), the wounds of the past are both literal and figurative this time around with a young nurse just beginning to explore her sexuality while her life remains overshadowed by a horrific childhood incident that left her scarred for life.…...

Dutch director Sacha Polak teams up again with Vicky Knight, a British actress and a star of her previous film Dirty God, in her new film Silver Haze, which premiered in the Panorama section at last year's Berlinale. Knight, who sustained serious burns on one-third of her body as a child, plays Franky, a young woman who is a victim of a fire and carries the stigma in both flesh and mind. Her East End family home is a mess: mom, an alcoholic who never recovered from her husband leaving for another woman; a younger sister who has yet to find her identity; and an older male relative who is not quite the role model. Even though Franky is sleeping with a local boy, everyone...

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

The BFI has unleashed the trailer for Sacha Polak’s powerful and emotionally charged drama ‘Silver Haze.’

The story centres around 23-year-old Franky (Vicky Knight) who leads a life dedicated to caregiving, juggling her duties as a nurse while being the backbone of her tumultuous family in East London.

Internally, Franky harbours deep-seated anger stemming from a traumatic childhood fire that left her scarred. However, her life transforms when she embarks on a relationship with one of her patients, Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles). The two embark on a journey to Florence’s coastal hometown, where an open-minded and supportive patchwork family welcomes them. In this new environment, Franky finds the emotional sanctuary she desperately needs to confront the demons of her past.

Written and directed by Sacha Polak, the movie stars Vicky Knight, Esmé Creed-Miles, Charlotte Knight, Archie Brigden, and Angela Bruce.

Also in trailers – Exclusive: Johnny Depp stars in first...

"Everyone makes mistakes... Let go of that ball of anger that's holding you back..." Dark Star Pictures has revealed the US trailer for a sapphic indie film titled Silver Haze, from a Dutch filmmaker named Sacha Polak, though it takes place in England following a young woman who lives in East London. The title is also the name of a famous marijuana strain, which some of you might recognize. Franky works a nurse and lives in an East London borough. Obsessed with revenge and a need to assign guilt for a traumatic arson event that occurred in her past, she is unable to build meaningful relationships - until she meets her own patient Florence. Together they escape to the coast where Florence lives, and Franky just might be able to find the emotional shelter to deal with the grudges of her past. Starring Vicky Knight as Franky and Esme Creed-Miles as Florence,...

‘Silver Haze” is a new Bri-Dutch co-production drama feature, written and directed by Sacha Polak, starring Vicky Knight, Esmé Creed-Miles, Charlotte Knight, Archie Brigden and Angela Bruce, with a theatrical release Tba:

‘…’Franky’ is a nurse obsessed with a thirst for revenge and a need to assign guilt for a traumatic event that happened 15 years before.

“She is unable to build any meaningful relationship until she falls in love with one of her patients…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

“It’s absolutely clear, there is a real appetite for British independent cinema in France,” said artistic director Dominque Green.

Sasha Polak’s Silver Haze scooped the top prize at this month’s Dinard Film Festival, the French seaside festival that spotlights UK and Irish cinema for French audiences, that ran from September 27 to October 1.

Berlinale Panorama title Silver Haze won the Golden Hitchcock for best film. Polak’s feature reunites the Dutch filmmaker with UK actor Vicky Knight, after working together on Dirty God in 2019. It is loosely based on Knight’s own experience as a child, in which she survived an arson attack.

Film reunites writer/director Polak with British actor Vicky Knight.

BFI Distribution has acquired Berlinale Panorama title Silver Haze from New Europe Film Sales for theatrical release in the UK and Ireland.

The film reunites its Dutch writer/director Sacha Polak with British actor Vicky Knight who previously worked together on Dirty God in 2019.

Knight’s performance won the Teddy Jury Award in the Panorama strand at Berlin. Earlier this week the film had its North American premiere in competition at the Tribeca Festival.

The film has also sold to Dark Star for the US, Caramel Films for Spain, Lucky Red for Italy,...

Territories sold also include Spain, Italy, Poland.

New Europe Film Sales has secured sales to several key territories on Sacha Polak’s Dutch-uk feature Silver Haze.

The film has sold to North America (Dark Star), Spain (Caramel Films), Italy (Lucky Red), Poland (Tongariro), Israel (Tlv Fest) and Brazil (Bitelli Films).

Starring Screen Stars of Tomorrow Vicky Knight and Esme Creed-Miles, Silver Haze tells the story of an East London nurse with a thirst for revenge following a traumatic event 15 years previously, who falls in love with one of her patients.

It debuted in the Panorama strand at the 2023 Berlinale, with...

The window opens today (March 1), 2023, and will close on March 31.

Applications are now open for the landmark 20th edition of Screen International’s Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland.

The window opens today (March 1), 2023, and will close on March 31.

Applications are open to UK and Irish nationals and long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit.

Applicants should use the this Google Form and need to attach a brief bio, a headshot and contact details as well as a small statement about why they are applying.

All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, the debut feature from director

Babatunde Apalow, has won the 2023 Berlin Film Festival’s Teddy Award for best Lgbtqia+ film at this year’s Berlinale.

Apalow’s drama follows the story of two men, Bambino and Bawa, who meet in Lagos and immediately hit it off but struggle, in a society where homosexuality is illegal and socially taboo, to give into their desires. Produced by Polymath Pictures, All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White is being sold worldwide by Nigeria’s 2o9ine Films.

The Teddy for best documentary of the 2023 Berlinale went to Orlando, My Political Biography, which screened in Berlin’s Enocunters section. The cinematic debut of acclaimed trans writer Paul B. Preciado, author of Countersexual Manifesto, and Pornotopia, the film is a sort-of retelling of Virginia Woolf’s 1928 classic novel Orlando: A Biography,...

“Silver Haze,” directed by Sacha Polak, has debuted its trailer (below) ahead of its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section. Polak’s last film, “Dirty God,” was in Sundance’s World Dramatic Competition, and was the opening film of Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam in 2019.

“Silver Haze,” starring Vicky Knight and Esme Creed Miles, is being sold by New Europe Film Sales. French distribution is being handled by The Jokers, and Cinéart is looking after Benelux distribution.

The film centers on 23-year-old Franky, a nurse who lives with her large family in an East London borough. Obsessed with a thirst for revenge and a need to assign guilt for a traumatic event that happened 15 years before, she is unable to build any meaningful relationship until she falls in love with one of her patients – Florence.

They escape to the coast where Florence lives with her more open-minded patchwork family.

The Berlin International Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled the final films for its 2023 Panorama section, the Berlinale’s main sidebar.

The 2023 lineup includes several world premieres, including Femme, the debut feature from directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, a drag artist revenge thriller staring 1917 actor George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett; The Beast in the Jungle, from Austrian director Patric Chiha (Brothers of the Night), an adaptation of the Henry James novel, starring Anaïs Demoustier, Tom Mercier and Beatrice Dalle; and Joan Baez I Am A Noise, a documentary on the legendary folk singer, from directors Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky and Maeve O’Boyle.

After Marie Kreutzer’s Oscar contender Corsage, Panorama will get another historic revisionist take on Austrian Empress Elizabeth, aka Sisi, with Sisi & I, a German drama from director Frauke Finsterwalder, featuring Susanne Wolff (The Stranger in Me) as Sisi, and also starring Sandra Hüller, Georg Friedrich,...

Silver Haze

For her fourth feature film, Dutch filmmaker Sacha Polak appears to be moving into an area that blurs the lines – promising “a fictional story with documentary components.” Returning to the Berlinale next month for a third time, Polak’s 2012 debut Hemel was followed by 2015’s Zurich and 2019’s Dirty God (Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition selection and Rotterdam). Silver Haze won a Les Arcs Festival Work-in-Progress special mention for its “striking cinematography, and the way Polak works with the actors” Re-teaming with her Dirty God actress Vicky Knight (who inspired Polak – as this feature utilizes part of Knight’s past), this also features Esmé Creed-Miles, Charlotte Knight, Archie Brigden and Angela Bruce.…...

The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the first titles selected for its Panorama section at the upcoming in-person edition that takes place February 16-26. (Scroll down for the full list)

Among the highlights are Tina Satter’s debut feature Reality starring Euphoria and The White Lotus’ Sydney Sweeney and focusing on the arrest of the American whistle-blower Reality Winner.

Jennifer Reeder is also in with Perpetrator, described as a subversive film that throws conventions to the wind. Kiah McKirnan and Alicia Silverstone star.

Willem Dafoe turns up as an art thief in Vasilis Katsoupis’ Inside. And, Ira Sachs is back with Passages, starring Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw and Adèle Exarchopoulous.

Of the 14 films selected, eleven are world premieres.

Here’s the full list announced today

Al Murhaqoon (The Burdened)

by Amr Gamal | with Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, Awsam Abdulrahman, Shahd Algonfedy

Yemen / Sudan / Saudi Arabia 2023

Panorama | World Premiere...

Selected films include Tina Satter’s ‘Reality’ with Sydney Sweeney in Panorama.

The Berlinale has revealed the first films that will play in its 2023 edition, announcing 14 features for the Panorama strand and nine for the youth-focused Generation section; plus a full move to Potsdamer Platz for the European Film Market, returning as a physical event for the first time since 2020.

The 14 Panorama titles include Reality, the feature debut of US filmmaker Tina Satter, which depicts a young woman confronted at home by the FBI, which leads her life to unravel. The film stars Sydney Sweeney, known for her roles in TV hits Euphoria,...

The Berlin Film Festival has revealed the first tranche of titles for its Panorama and Generation strands.

The Panorama lineup includes films from Ukraine, Yemen and about Iran. Of the 14 films selected, 11 are world premieres. There are new films by Sepideh Farsi, Jennifer Reeder, Tina Satter, Sacha Polak, Malene Choi and Ira Sachs.

The films selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions include nine shorts and nine features, including 11 world premieres.

Stars featured in titles across the strands include Willem Dafoe, Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulous, Leon Dai and Sydney Sweeney.

The festival takes place Feb. 16-26, 2023.

Panorama Titles

“Al Murhaqoon” (“The Burdened”)

by Amr Gamal. With Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, Awsam Abdulrahman, Shahd Algonfedy

Yemen/Sudan/Saudi Arabia

“Au cimetière de la pellicule” (“The Cemetery of Cinema”)

by Thierno Souleymane Diallo

France/Senegal/Guinea/Saudi Arabia

“El castillo” (“The Castle”)

by Martín Benchimol. With Justina Olivo,...

Click here to read the full article.

The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled the first films selected to run in the Panorama and Generation sidebars of its 2023 edition.

The lineups include films featuring Willem Dafoe, Alicia Silverstone and The White Lotus star Sydney Sweeney and a broad geographical range, with features from Ukraine, Yemen and Iran, among others.

Ira Sachs’ Passages, a Paris-set drama featuring Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulous and German actor Franz Rogowski, will have its European premiere in Berlin’s Panorama section, while the Jennifer Reeder-directed Perpetrator, described as a “bloody coming-of-age story” featuring Silverstone, Christopher Lowell and Kiah McKirnan, will have its world premiere bow in Berlin.

Another U.S. title heading to Berlin is Reality, the directorial debut of filmmaker Tina Satter featuring The White Lotus and Euphoria star Sweeney as Nsa whistleblower Reality Winner, who received a five-year prison sentence for leaking an...

Polak’s drama pitched in the work-in-progress strand of Les Arcs 2021.

Poland-based sales agent New Europe Film Sales has acquired worldwide rights to Silver Haze, the new feature from Dirty God director Sacha Polak.

New Europe has sold the film to The Jokers for distribution in France and Cineart in Benelux. The film will debut at a festival in 2023.

The film has completed post-production, having shot in 2021 in Dagenham and Southend in the UK. It participated in the prestigious Les Arcs work-in-progress selection last year, winning a special mention from the jury.

Silver Haze follows a young woman who seeks...

Nominations will close on April 18.

Screen International is delighted to announce that nominations are open for Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland, now heading into its 19th year.

Nominations open from March 20, 2022, and will close over the Easter bank holiday weekend, on April 18, in the drive to find new actors, directors, writers, producers and heads of department to present to the industry this summer.

Due to the increasing popularity of this talent portfolio, we ask that all submissions now use this Google Form. Applicants will need to attach a brief bio,...

Swedish-Iranian filmmaker Milad Alami’s “Opponent,” Sasha Polak’s “Silver Haze” and Sophia Mocorrea’s “Marriage by Abduction” have won the top awards at Les Arcs Festival‘s popular industry village.

Curated by Frederic Boyer, Tribeca and Les Arcs’ artistic director, the Work-In-Progress presentation is part of the festival’s industry sidebar, which also includes the Coproduction Village, Talent Village and Music Village. Nearly 500 guests, including sales agents, distributors and festival programmers, flocked to the 11th edition of the event in spite of the ongoing pandemic.

“Opponent” won the TitraFilm Award which consists of €10,000 worth of post-production services for image and/or sound. One of the 14 projects presented at the Work-in-Progress event, “Opponent” marks Alami’s sophomore outing after “The Charmer” which won prizes at San Sebastian and Palm Springs, among other festivals. “Opponent” follows Iman, a professional wrestler, and his family who are forced to flee Iran in the...

15 feature projects chosen from 164 submissions.

Silver Haze, the new feature from Dirty God director Sacha Polak, is among 15 feature projects in post-production selected for the 2021 edition of the Les Arcs Film Festival Work in Progress session.

The event is intended to help projects find sales agents, distributors and festival prremieres; it will run on Sunday, December 12 as part of the Industry Village at the 13th edition of the festival (December 11-18).

Scroll down for the full list of projects

Excerpts from the films will be screened to industry professionals, in a session moderated by the festival’s artistic director Frederic Boyer,...

15 feature projects chosen from 164 submissions.

Silver Haze, the new feature from Dirty God director Sacha Polak, is among 15 feature projects in post-production selected for the 2021 edition of the Les Arcs Film Festival Work in Progress session.

The event is intended to help projects find sales agents, distributors and festival prremieres; it will run on Sunday, December 12 as part of the Industry Village at the 13th edition of the festival (December 11-18).

Scroll down for the full list of projects

Excerpts from the films will be screened to industry professionals, in a session moderated by the festival’s artistic director Frederic Boyer,...

Nominations will close in one month’s time on May 1.

Screen International is delighted to announce that nominations are open for Screen Stars of Tomorrow, our annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland, now heading into its 18th year.

Nominations open from April 1, 2021, and will close one month later on May 1 in the drive to find new actors, directors, writers, producers and heads of department to present to the industry later this year.

Although confined to the UK and Ireland, Screen’s Stars of Tomorrow talent initiative has proved itself to be the global film industry’s...

Sacha Polak's films are depictions of female sexuality, female angst and sorrow; her previous Dutch feature, Zurich (2015) unfolds around a protagonist who's mourning over both her dead boyfriend and the fake life he has forced her to believe all along. Dirty God, her first English feature, is a truly complex character-driven drama tackling one of Britain's most pressing issues: acid attacks among young people, a type of domestic and street violence alarmingly increasing in recent years.

Ever cursed to wear a half-sealed translucent Franju-esque mask that would makes her scars even more visible, Jade is a single mother and an acid attack survivor. Although empowered, Jade loses her strength in public, where it’s stripped from her as she’s pointed at and stared at. Coming to terms with this paradox yet yearning for a sudden medical miracle...

Dirty God Dark Star Pictures Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Sacha Polak Writer: Sacha Polak, Susie Farrell Cast: Vicky Knight, Katherine Kelly, Eliza Brady-Girard, Rebecca Stone, Bluey Robinson Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 10/12/20 Opens: November 13, 2020 Big surprise: the poor get shafted. Unlike the title […]

The post Dirty God Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Even though New York State is slowly easing restrictions on theaters in a bid to right a ship that’s been sinking for months, it happening when Covid-19 cases are at an all-time high throughout the country makes it seem as though another nationwide shutdown might render the effort moot—depending on the election, of course. As you’ll see below, however, most distributors are still maintaining the status quo where it concerns pandemic protocol via theatrical windows lasting a couple weeks if not day-and-date.

Big studio films remain missing, though. Their loss is Netflix, Prime, and the others’ gain. It’s also ours since another shutdown will most likely be smoother than before thanks to the evolution of what had benn an all-or-nothing release plan. Rather than living out March and most of April with nothing, this holiday season should keep us “at the movies” without actually needing to be at the movies.

"What happened to you... Ain't got nothing to do with God, ya know." Dark Star Pictures has released an official trailer for an indie drama titled Dirty God, which originally premiered at the 2019 Rotterdam and Sundance Film Festivals. From Dutch filmmaker Sacha Polak, the film tells the story of a young British mother struggling to reclaim her life after a brutal acid attack. After facial surgery, her beauty is lost beneath the scars. Set in London, it stars Vicky Knight – a burn victim herself, in a stunning debut performance – as Jade. It's described as a "tragically beautiful" film telling a "story of human resilience that can't help but move you." Also starring Katherine Kelly, Eliza Brady-Girard, Rebecca Stone, Bluey Robinson, Dana Marineci, Tachia Newall, and Frieda Thiel. This film really does look exceptionally beautiful and meaningful, a touching story that can empower us to be more empathetic and understanding. Here's...

An official selection at International Film Festival Rotterdam, Sundance Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and more, Dutch director Sacha Polak’s Dirty God is a powerful character study led by first-time actor Vicky Knight. A real-life burn victim, the drama follows her character’s journey as a British woman who tries to rebuild her life after being scarred from an acid attack. Courtesy of Dark Star Pictures, we’re pleased to premiere the U.S. trailer which features stunning cinematography from Ruben Impens.

Dirty God will open with a virtual release through Laemmle Theaters in LA, Gateway Film Center (Virtual) in Columbus, and more theaters to be announced on November 13, 2020. The film will also be made available on digital platforms on December 15, 2020.

Jared Mobarak said in our Sundance review, “Knight is a first-time actor and yet she embodies this role with an authenticity that goes beyond mere performance. She...

Dutch director Sacha Polak has blossomed into a perceptively humanist filmmaker with her third feature – and first in English – Dirty God. In this London-set drama, the camera is intensely drawn to the skin of protagonist Jade, just as the director smartly cedes the stage to Vicky Knight, the non-professional actress who plays the role and who joined Polak in re-calibrating a personal experience as a burn survivor into a fictional construction, crucially quite different from her own.

The raw, jagged traits of her personality help make Dirty God a compelling woman-centric story, with notes of class commentary and a refreshing take on self-sabotaging vulnerability.…...

The successful talent showcase will announce its 2020 selection later this year.

Submissions for Screen’s 2020 edition of Stars of Tomorrow have been extended by one day, and will close at 00.01 on Saturday, May 23.

The annual talent showcase will profile a selection of actors, directors, writers, producers, and heads of department from the UK and Ireland.

Informal industry submissions and recommendations are welcome, and should be emailed to screenstarsoftomorrow@gmail.com. These should include a brief bio; contact details; and an endorsement. Applications are open to UK and Irish nationals who are long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit,...

The successful talent showcase will announce its 2020 selection later this year.

Submissions for Screen’s 2020 edition of Stars of Tomorrow have been extended by one day, and will close at 00.01 on Saturday, May 23.

The annual talent showcase will profile a selection of actors, directors, writers, producers, and heads of department from the UK and Ireland.

Informal industry submissions and recommendations are welcome, and should be emailed to screenstarsoftomorrow@gmail.com. These should include a brief bio; contact details; and an endorsement. Applications are open to UK and Irish nationals who are long-term residents of either country. There is no upper or lower age limit,...

Nominations will close in one month’s time on May 21.

Screen International is forging ahead with its annual portfolio of new talent from the UK and Ireland, Screen Stars of Tomorrow, now going into its 17th year.

Nominations open from April 21, 2020, and will close one month later in the drive to find new actors, directors, writers, producers and heads of department to present to the industry this summer.

Although confined to the UK and Ireland, Screen’s Stars of Tomorrow talent initiative has proved itself to be the global film industry’s most successful new talent showcase with an unrivalled...

New members include filmmakers Lynne Ramsay, Haifaa al-Mansour, Fox Searchlight’s Kate Gardiner and Screen Scotland’s Isabel Davis.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has revealed its 2019 intake of new members drawn from the film, TV and games industry.

Among the record 558 new members are filmmakers and writers Haifaa al-Mansour (Wadjda), Laszlo Nemes (Son Of Saul), Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here), Lee Unkrich (Coco) and former Screen Star of Tomorrow Rose Glass (Saint Maud).

New executives on the list include Kate Gardiner (head of Fox Searchlight UK); Jason Maza (Unstoppable), Emma Hewitt (BBC Films...

’The Personal History Of David Copperfield’ finished with five awards, the highest of the night, from 11 nominations.

For Sama and The Personal History Of David Copperfield were the big winners at the 2019 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs).

The ceremony was hosted by actress and comedian Aisling Bea and held at London’s Old Billingsgate tonight (Dec 1).

Syrian civil war documentary For Sama scooped the night’s top prize, best British independent film, as well as best director for Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, best documentary, and best editing at the previously announced craft awards last month.

The Personal History Of David Copperfield...

Exclusive: Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to Dirty God, the Sacha Polak-helmed drama that screened in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The deal comes out of the American Film Market, with Dark Star aiming for a March 2020 theatrical release in time for Women’s History Month.

The film stars newcomer Vicky Knight as Jade, a young mother in the prime of her life who is attacked with acid and is severely burned. While her face has been reconstructed, her beauty is lost beneath the scars. Descending a self-destructive path with relationships crumbling, Jade must take drastic action to reclaim her life.

For her performance, Knight, a real-life burn survivor, was recently named one of BAFTA Breakthrough Brits and was nominated for Best Actress and Best Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards.

Dirty God marks the first English-language feature from Polak,...

The New Chinese Cinema section returns for the second year.

The 4th International Film Festival & Awards Macao has unveiled its 2019 programme, including the return of the New Chinese Cinema section with a jury headed by Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu.

Mungiu will oversee a five-person jury watching six films from Chinese-speaking territories. His jury consists of BFI London Film Festival artistic director Tricia Tuttle; former Sffilm (San Francisco Film) executive director Noah Cowan; and filmmakers Kirsten Tan from Singapore and Qiu Yang from China.

Scroll down for the line-up

The films in the section include Anthony Chen’s Wet Season, which...

Honourees include ‘Dirty God’ actress Vicky Knight and ‘Saint Maud’ writer-director Rose Glass.

Bafta has named 20 promising stars of the film, TV and games industries as its Breakthough Brits of 2019.

The initiative, conducted in partnership with Netflix, will see honourees celebrated at a special event in London on November 17.

Those selected are:

● Abubakar Salim - Actor (Raised By Wolves)

● Chance Perdomo - Actor (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)

● Chris Cox - Art Director (Ordain)

● Coco Jackson - Producer (Dancing On Ice)

● Daniel Dewsbury - Director (The Mighty Redcar)

● Gemma Langford - Writer / Indie Games Studio Manager (Overcooked 2)

● Jen Kenwood - Producer...

Honourees include ‘Dirty God’ actress Vicky Knight and ‘Saint Maud’ writer-director Rose Glass.

Bafta has named 20 promising stars of the film, TV and games industries as its Breakthough Brits of 2019.

The initiative, conducted in partnership with Netflix, will see honourees celebrated at a special event in London on November 17.

Those selected are:

● Abubakar Salim - Actor (Raised By Wolves)

● Chance Perdomo - Actor (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)

● Chris Cox - Art Director (Ordain)

● Coco Jackson - Producer (Dancing On Ice)

● Daniel Dewsbury - Director (The Mighty Redcar)

● Gemma Langford - Writer / Indie Games Studio Manager (Overcooked 2)

● Jen Kenwood - Producer...

The nominations for the 2019 British Independent Film Awards have been revealed, and it was a huge morning for Armando Iannucci’s Charles Dickens adaptation “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and Tom Harper’s musical drama “Wild Rose.” “Copperfield” led all movies with 11 nominations, including Best British Indie Film, Best Actor for Dev Patel, and Best Screenplay for Iannucci and co-writer Simon Blackwell. Fox Searchlight has U.S. distribution rights to the movie and has announced a 2020 theatrical release.

“Wild Rose,” which earned a second-best 10 nominations, will also compete for Best British Indie Film against “Bait,” “For Sama,” and “The Souvenir.” “Wild Rose” breakout Jessie Buckley landed a Best Actress nomination opposite Renee Zellweger for “Judy,” which Buckley just so happens to have a supporting role in.

While Zellweger landed in the Best Actress field (which she is widely expected to do all awards season thanks to her acclaimed leading...

Sex Education creator Laurie Nunn, Pure creator Kirstie Swain and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actor Chance Perdomo are among the latest crop of BAFTA’s Breakthrough Brits.

The award, presented by the TV and film body in association with Netflix, consists of the most promising future stars of film, TV and gaming from the UK. Full list below.

Nunn, who created the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education, is currently in post-production for the second series, having become an exec producer. Swain wrote Channel 4 comedy drama Pure and is developing a raft of projects in the UK and U.S., while Perdomo plays Ambrose Spellman in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Others on the list include Raised By Wolves star Abubakar Salim, In My Skin writer Kayleigh Llewellyn, Chernobyl Production Designer Luke Hull and Trigonometry director Stella Corradi.

Nunn said, “Being a Breakthrough Brit makes me feel more secure,...

Armando Iannucci’s take on the Charles Dickens classic “David Copperfield” is a strong front-runner in the British Independent Film Awards, scoring 11 nominations.

Dev Patel is up for best actor for his starring role in “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” and his co-stars, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie, compete in their respective supporting categories.

“Wild Rose,” featuring Jessie Buckley as a rising singer, is also a major contender, with 10 nominations. Horror thriller “In Fabric” follows with nine, and Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” with eight. Dance music feature “Beats,” biopic “Judy,” and documentaries “For Sama” and “Diego Maradona” landed five nods apiece.

British actors Naomi Ackie and Joe Cole unveiled the 2019 nominations in London on Wednesday.

Renee Zellweger gets a best actress nom for her turn as late-career Judy Garland. She will vie with Buckley, Holliday Grainger, Sally Hawkins and Vicky Knight for the award.

For the best actor prize,...

Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History Of David Copperfield and Tom Harper’s Wild Rose lead the nominees pool for the 2019 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), which were unveiled in London this morning. Scroll down for the full list.

Copperfield has 11 nods including best film and director as well as actor for star Dev Patel. Wild Rose has 10 including best film and director, and actress for Jessie Buckley.

Peter Strickland’s In Fabric has nine and Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir, which is up for best film, has eight.

Judy missed out on best film but did take a nom for star Renee Zellweger and has five in total.

The best film category is completed by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ Syria doc For Sama, and Mark Jenkin’s micro-budget Bait, which has been a surprise box office hit in the UK, grossing $520k.

Other notable nominees include Chiwetel Ejiofor,...