News

No reason has been given for the change in opening film.

Danish director Bille August’s The Chinese Widow will open this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff, June 17-26), replacing Ann Hui’s Our Time Will Come, which was previously announced as the opening film.

However, Our Time Will Come will still play in the Golden Goblet competition at Siff. No reason was given for the change by either the festival or the film’s producer Bona Film Group.

Both films are set in China during the Second World War. Starring Emile Hirsch and Yu Nan, The Chinese Widow tells the story of an American pilot who is shot down and saved by Chinese villagers. It remains unclear if the film has been made under the recently signed Danish-Chinese co-production treaty. August recently served as jury president at the Beijing International Film Festival.

Our Time Will Come, which stars Zhou Xun and Eddie Peng, revolves...

“American Honey” took the top prize at the 2016 British Independent Film Awards, which was held on Sunday at London’s Old Billingsgate.

“American Honey” was named Best British Independent Film, and also scored three additional awards (including Best Director for Andrea Arnold). Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” was the night’s only non-uk winner, picking up honors for Best International Independent Film.

The 19th annual Bifa ceremony, hosted by Jennifer Saunders, also presented Clare Binns with the Special Jury Prize for her “unstinting efforts in bringing independent film to new audiences.”

Naomie Harris was also presented the Variety Award by Danny Boyle, in recognition of the global impact she made this year in helping to focus the international film spotlight on the UK.

Read More: La Film Critics Association Name the Best Films and Performances of 2016

The Richard Harris Award was given to Alison Steadman by Richard Harris’ granddaughter Ella Harris and...

Sixteen Films exec will discuss her experience of navigating the international production market.

Rebecca O’Brien, the multi-bafta nominated producer of films including Cannes’ Palme d’Or winners The Wind That Shakes The Barley and I, Daniel Blake, has joined the line-up of speakers at the 2016 Screen Film Summit (November 24).

Click here to pick up your tickets

The regular Ken Loach collaborator, a Pact council member whose early credits include box office hit Bean (co-producer) and iconic Stephen Frears drama My Beautiful Laundrette (location manager), will discuss the advantages and pitfalls of co-productions, and offer her advice on how to navigate the international co-production market.

O’Brien, director Loach and writer Paul Laverty recently won an outstanding contribution to film award at the Scottish BAFTAs [Nov 6] for their production outfit Sixteen Films.

The company recently garnered seven Bifa 2016 nominations for I, Daniel Blake and one for documentary Versus: The Life And Films Of Ken Loach.

The Screen...

Now in its seventh year, the New York City-based and documentary-focused film festival aptly titled Doc NYC has become a mainstay on the documentary festival circuit. Along with series like Hot Docs and the more avant-garde-heavy True/False, Doc NYC is slowly but surely becoming one of the must-attend festivals for cinephiles who have an affinity for the non-fiction side of cinema.

And yet, it’s still a festival on the come up. With only six previous iterations in its history, Doc NYC is one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of festivals or film series that make up a calendar year in New York and the film world in general. Marking this year’s event with 110 features (roughly 44% of which are directed or co-directed by women, I will add) including 18 world premieres and 19 Us premieres and even a small repertory sidebar, this is set to be the biggest and arguably best lineup yet.

Exclusive: Ken Loach biographical doc has sold to five territories.

UK-based documentary specialists Dogwoof has inked a series of sales on three of its titles at Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 8-18).

Louise Osmond’s biographical film Versus: The Life And Films Of Ken Loach [pictured] has gone to Australia and New Zealand (Transmission), Portugal (Mida Films), Turkey (Filmarti), Hong Kong (Edko) and Captive (airlines).

Produced by long-term Loach collaborator Rebecca O’Brien, the film chronicles Loach’s 50-year career in the film industry.

Lorna Tucker’s portrait of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, Vivienne Westwood: Get A Life, has sold to Germany, Australia and Switzerland (Nfp) and Japan (Kadokawa). Dogwoof is also in discussions with buyers for the Us, Australia and New Zealand on the title.

The company has also scored sales on Jerry Rothwell and Reuben Atlas’s wine-fraud doc Sour Grapes, which has gone to Blue Ice Docs (Canada) and Rialto (Australia and New Zealand).

UK distributor Dogwoof is pioneering a new “pay what you can” release for Louise Osmond’s feature documentary about British filmmaker Ken Loach.

Versus: The Life And Films Of Ken Loach is released in conventional fashion in the UK tomorrow (June 3).

But, on Sunday afternoon, there will be screenings at more 40 sites at which admission will be on a first come, first served basis - and for which spectators can pay what they see fit. Loach and his collaborators will attend screenings around the country.

Live comedy, music and theatre shows have tried out the pay-what-you-decide model in the past but it is believed this is the first time cinemas have attempted such a scheme.

“It felt like it was worth trying it out in our industry, the film business, and this seemed a very fitting film to do it with,” said Oli Harbottle, head of distribution at Dogwoof.

“Our desire is to make this film as...

Documentary about renowned photographer has gone to multiple territories.

UK documentary specialist Dogwoof has struck several deals on Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures as the Cannes Marché kicks off.

The documentary about the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe has gone to Germany and Australia (Kool Films), Switzerland (Cineworx), Hong Kong (Edko), South Korea (Aud) and Hungary (Cinefil).

The company previously closed deals at Efm for Scandinavia, Baltics and Iceland (Non Stop Entertainment) and Italy (Wanted).

Directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, and produced by Katharina Otto-Bernstein, the film coincides with two landmark retrospectives of Mapplethorpe’s work.

Also on Dogwoof’s Cannes slate are Louise Osmond’s Ken Loach doc Versus: The Life And Films Of Ken Loach, and Alma Har’el’s fever-doc LoveTrue, which is executive produced by Shia Labeouf.

Read Screen’s Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures review.