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With the exception of maybe Bruno Mars, it would be nearly impossible for any artist to sustain a healthy career with one foot forever planted in the 1980s. And so it came to pass that, after a decade of playful sex comedies, capped with his era-defining “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” that famed flamboyant ally Pedro Almodóvar would reluctantly move into the next decade with a more focused direction. Where, oh where, will we get our goofy, uneven sex satires from now?

Enter salvation in 2024 from an unlikely source: Noémie Merlant, the French performer primarily known for her acting in the achingly somber “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” takes the reins—with the help of her “Portrait” director Céline Sciamma as co-writer—for “The Balconettes,” a fiery ode to the silliness of Almodóvar’s formative decade, with a distinctly modern take on female autonomy beneath the crushing bulk of patriarchal violence.

On Wednesday 16 October 2024, Sky Mix broadcasts Portrait Artist of the Year!

Cush Jumbo, Baaba Maal, Carly Paoli Season 11 Episode 2 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Portrait Artist of the Year” titled “Cush Jumbo, Baaba Maal, Carly Paoli” promises to be an exciting showcase of talent and creativity. This episode will feature artists from the UK and Ireland as they take on the challenge of creating portraits of three well-known sitters. Each artist will aim to impress the judges with their unique styles and techniques.

Cush Jumbo, a talented actress known for her roles in various television series, will sit for the artists. Her presence is sure to inspire some remarkable interpretations. Baaba Maal, a celebrated musician from Senegal, brings a rich cultural background that could influence the artists’ work. Carly Paoli, a classical crossover singer, rounds out the trio, adding another layer of inspiration for the competitors.

As the artists work against the clock,...

Apple TV+ has renewed the Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo crime drama Criminal Record for a second series, here are the details.

Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo first met onscreen in the poweful, haunting third series of Torchwood: Children Of Earth, which remains one of the most chilling stories ever connected to Doctor Who.

Criminal Record, which premiered on Apple TV+ last year, followed Jumbo and Capaldi as June Lenker and Daniel Hegarty, two police officers who clash violently over their opposing approaches to police work, as an anonymous phone call draws them both into an old murder case.

It’s now been announced that the crime drama has been renewed for a second series on Apple TV+. The synopsis, via Variety, reads as follows:

June Lenker is set as the senior officer on the scene when far-right counter-protesters attack a political rally. The clash leaves a young man dead,...

Exclusive: Cush Jumbo is fronting a podcast telling the origin stories of big stars.

The Good Wife and Good Fight star has unveiled Sony Music’s Origins with Cush Jumbo at the Podcast Show In London.

Launching in September, Jumbo will speak in each episode with the “crème de la crème of entertainment royalty” about “childhood tales to teenage misadventures and early career struggles,” the show’s synopsis said.

“Each episode will unravel the formative moments that shaped the trajectory of success for some of the world’s most celebrated personalities,” it added.

Jumbo said: “I am thrilled to be partnering with Sony Music to begin my podcasting journey. Origins is all about taking my guests on a trip back down memory lane and I’m delighted that so many incredible people from across all of entertainment will join me for candid, honest and intimate conversations filled with laughter, tears and everything in between.

Warning: contains major finale spoilers.

In the end, it wasn’t playing any kind of game. Deadwater Fell’s first two episodes presented as a whodunit thriller with all the ingredients required to guess the villain: a small community, an appalling crime, a cast of suspects, emerging clues…

In the drama’s second half, there was no need for guesswork. The mystery trappings had fallen away, leaving behind a raw, emotional drama that told the simplest and saddest of stories – but one with an urgent purpose in its telling.

David Tennant‘s character Tom killed his family. Why? Because he felt that they were his to kill, that his control over them was worth more than their lives. He felt threatened and he felt entitled. And in all of the most important ways, he didn’t feel anything at all.

Having been inside Cush Jumbo’s character Jess’ memories for...

Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi) may be ready to quit his side job after dealing with the two passengers in the backseat in TV Insider’s exclusive sneak peek of the Criminal Record series premiere. The Apple TV+ crime thriller debuts with the first two episodes on Wednesday, January 10, followed by one a week until the finale on February 21. Capaldi and Cush Jumbo star as detectives in a tug of war over a historic murder conviction. An anonymous phone call draws their brilliant detectives into a confrontation over an old murder case – one a young woman in the early stages of her career (Jumbo’s Detective Sergeant June Lenker), the other a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy (Hegarty). The sneak peek, which you can watch above, shows Hegarty serving as chauffeur and personal protection to two people and having to face their questions about his job...

Exclusive: The international boss of ITN Productions (Itnp), the production outfit behind Prince Harry: The Interview, has detailed scripted ambitions including a desire to make a show that breaks free from its factual-led comfort zone.

ITN produces the ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 news in the UK but has built up a mini production powerhouse over the past few years, making hundreds of hours of fast-turnarounds, documentaries, and factual entertainment shows including for major streamers, while broadening its U.S. offering. Itnp has now entered the scripted space, unveiling its debut drama, Cush Jumbo-starring Lifetime movie Girl in the Video, late last week.

Ian Russell, who runs the international operation, described the scripted move as a “natural evolution” for the near-15-year-old production outfit, which feels “incremental and comfortable.”

The plan had been in the offing for a while, building on Itnp’s success in the true crime and royal game.

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Thursday, November 30, 2023.

Griselda is ready for her close-up.

Today, Netflix unveiled the official trailer for its upcoming Sofia Vergara limited series, Griselda.

The six-part series will debut on Thursday, January 25, 2024.

Griselda is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history.

In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco's lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as "the Godmother."

This looks set to be a massive departure for Sofia Vergara, who was a lead on Modern Family before moving on to judge on America's Got Talent.

Vergara is also set to executive produce the series alongside Eric Newman and Andrés Baiz. Baiz is set to direct all six episodes.

Ingrid Escajeda (Justified) and...

In an effort to defend trans rights in the United States, the U.K., and Canada, dozens of artists have recorded cover songs for a new compilation that will raise money for organizations in those countries. Joanna Sternberg recorded Caroline Rose’s “Everywhere I Go I Bring the Rain,” Rostam interpreted Lucinda Williams’ “Change the Locks,” Wednesday took on Elliott Smith’s “Christian Brothers,” and Model/Actriz perform the Ting Tings’ “That’s Not My Name” on the 44-track Fader + Friends Vol. 1 compilation available on Bandcamp for one month, starting today.

Fader has released Fader & Friends Vol. 1, a real star-studded covers compilation benefitting charities fighting for transgender rights.

There’s a whole lot in these 44 tracks, but here are just a few notable highlights: CoSign alums Wednesday recorded their rendition of Elliott Smith’s “Christian Brothers,” Rostam covered Lucinda Williams’ “Change the Locks,” Ratboys did The Beatles’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and NNAMDÏ did The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”

While most of the performers on the compilation — including Caroline Rose and Joanna Stenberg, who covered each other — are relative newcomers, the crop of songs constitute a vast timeline. There are covers of Big Thief, Perfume Genius, and Ethel Cain mixed together with songs by Stevie Wonder, Abba, Tina Turner, and Selena. There’s even an old English folk song (courtesy of Helena Deland).

Fader & Friends Vol. 1 will be available exclusively on Bandcamp for the month of November only,...

A new thriller and murder case to obsess over is coming to Apple TV+ at the beginning of next year. The streaming service has announced that the eight-episode Criminal Record, starring Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo, will premiere on Friday, January 12, 2024. The first two episodes will drop that day, followed by one every Friday until the finale on February 23. Check out the first photos of Capaldi and Jumbo as detectives in a tug of war over a high-profile murder case above and below. Apple TV+ Criminal Record, from Paul Rutman, is a powerful, character-driven drama set in the heart of contemporary London. An anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives into a confrontation over an old murder case — one a young woman in the early stages of her career (Jumbo’s Detective Sergeant June Lenker), the other a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy (Capaldi’s Detective Chief Inspector...

Indonesian production firm is setting its sights on becoming a diverse studio operation with the injection of high-profile management and the acquisition of a significant new animated series “Nussa.”

“24 Hours With Gaspar” Courtesy of Visinema.

It will also display its credentials at next month’s Busan International Film Festival where two of its feature films are selected. Its “24 Hours with Gaspar,” directed by Yosep Anggi Noen, will compete for the Kim Jiseok Award. Meanwhile, the much-anticipated blockbuster “Ali Topan” will make its world premiere at the festival.

Herry Salim, the former Indonesia country manager for Walt Disney, has been appointed group president & CEO of Visinema Studios, the business unit that acquired “Nussa.” Additionally, tech entrepreneur Aldi Haryopratomo has joined the group’s board of commissioners. He is the former CEO of fintech firm GoPay and is a current board member of HaloDoc, KitaBisa, and E-fishery.

“Our aim isn...

Netflix's limited series Stay Close has a lot of complex characters brought to life by many actors that audiences have likely seen before — here is the Stay Close cast guide. Stay Close is based on the novel by American mystery writer Harlan Coben. Stay Close is the first of 15 upcoming adaptations of Coben's work on Netflix, so expect to become familiar with him very soon. This show follows 3 Londoners trying to overcome the failures of their pasts and a mysterious woman who seems to connect them all.

Instead of casting British stars who are more recognizable in America, the creative team behind Stay Close chose to work with a seasoned cast of British television veterans. Many of these actors are classically trained, learning and using their craft just as much on the stage as they do on screen. The choice pays off, as the Stay Close cast effortlessly oozes drama in every frame.

Welcome to June, a hefty month for horror on streaming. As we rapidly approach the halfway point of 2023, this month’s new additions to various streaming platforms lean heavily on recent releases. That means an extra packed month, giving you plenty of time to catch up on many of 2022 and 2023’s biggest releases.

Here are thirteen noteworthy horror titles available for streaming in June 2023 on some of the most popular streaming services, along with when/where you can watch them.

Baby Ruby – Hulu (June 3)

Writer/Director Bess Wohl’s debut feature, Baby Ruby, uses psychological horror to put viewers in the shoes of a new mother unraveling after giving birth. Jo (Jumbo’s Noémie Merlant) exudes style and perfection. She’s an influencer with a blog so successful that she has a staff, including a close assistant. But her carefully curated idyllic life unravels when newborn Ruby enters the world.

The “American Idol” Top 5 will capture the spirit of Disney this weekend when each of the finalists performs two songs for judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Sofia Carson has been announced as the mentor while Sara Bareilles will open the show with “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “The Little Mermaid” star Halle Bailey will perform “Part of Your World.” “Disney Night” airs live coast to coast on Sunday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. Et/5:00 p.m. Pt. But what will each contestant sing?

According to a People exclusive, we can can confirm each singer will perform twice — one classic and one song from a new Disney production. See the full set list below.

See ‘American Idol’ sets Disney Night 2023 for May 14, but what will Katy Perry wear?

Colin Stough – “Real Gone” from “Cars” & “Nobody Knows” by The Lumineers, from “Pete’s Dragon”

Iam Tongi – “Lava...

Following up her breakthrough in The Worst Person in the World, Renate Reinsve has steadily been adding new projects to her roster. The latest is Piero Messina’s sci-fi film Another End, in which she co-stars with Gael García Bernal and Bérénice Bejo. Variety reports the film is “set in a near-future when a new technology exists that can put the consciousness of a dead person back into a living body, in an attempt to ease the grief of separation, providing a little extra time to say goodbye.” Bernal takes the role of the widower Sal and Reinsve is Zoe, whose body is where the memory and consciousness of Sal’s former wife have been temporarily implanted. With production already wrapped, see the first images above and below.

Next up, David Mackenzie has set his next film with the thriller Relay, starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James. Scripted by Justin Piasecki and Mackenzie,...

To say Herschell Gordon Lewis‘ and Jeremy Kasten‘s respective The Wizard of Gore releases pushed me to my limits is correct for all the wrong reasons. My choice to stack the 1970 original and 2007 remake back-to-back stands as one of my least favorite Revenge of the Remakes double-bills thus far. I’ve no objection to gore-forward perversions that assault audiences with repugnant visuals, unless their storytelling devolves from nonsense to unintelligible drivel from one title to the next. Even worse when one of the films can’t even sustain its titular “Gore” effects.

Lewis’ legacy as the Grandfather of Grossouts and Sorcerer of Sadistic Splatter isn’t lost on The Wizard of Gore, unlike Allen Kahn‘s screenplay, hacked apart and reassembled to maximize the grotesque kill sequences using sheep carcass guts. Kasten’s remake didn’t have to attain Kubrickian levels of storytelling to surpass its inspiration’s narrative cohesion,...

Motherhood is terrifying. Every aspect of becoming a new mother breeds terror and anxiety, from giving birth to a mother’s identity post-baby, and countless horror movies have explored just about every facet of it over the decades. Yet horror always finds something new to say. Writer/Director Bess Wohl’s debut feature, Baby Ruby, uses psychological horror to put viewers in the shoes of a new mother unraveling after giving birth. It’s a fascinating means to open up conversations and shed light on postpartum psychosis.

Jo (Jumbo’s Noémie Merlant) exudes an air of style and perfection. She’s an influencer with a blog so successful that she has a staff, including a close assistant. Jo’s so controlling of her blog’s image that she won’t even let anyone else throw her a baby shower for her first child with her husband, Spencer (Kit Harrington). She...

I’ve been following the career of French actress Noemie Merlant since I saw her in Celine’s Sciamma queer romance film Portrait of a Lady on Fire at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Since her performance as Marian in Sciamma’s film, Merlant has worked non-stop as an actress appearing films including:

Jumbo directed by Zoe Wittock which premiered at Sundance 2020. A Good Man from frequent collaborator, director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. One Year, One Night by director Isaki Lacuesta which premiered at Berlinale this year.

And the Todd Field’s film Tar where she acts alongside two-time Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett. The actress told the Guardian that working with Blanchett was a dream come true and inspiration. “Cate Blanchett – she’s always been a key reference for me. I like to rewatch my favourite scenes of hers, sometimes right before I shoot a scene myself – not to copy her,...

Exclusive: Anthony Horowitz believes his upcoming Magpie Murders adaptation is “the first time I’ve really got it right,” and has stated he will no longer write on classic TV murder mysteries.

The renowned UK author has adapted many of his novels for TV including Stormbreaker, The Diamond Brothers and South By South East, but Horowitz thinks PBS Masterpiece/BritBox’s Magpie Murders from Jill Green’s Eleventh Hour Films is a greater achievement.

The six-parter took two years to pen and involved around half a dozen drafts, Horowitz told Deadline, and while the mystery-within-a-mystery format threw up a multitude of challenges, the author said this is “the first time I’ve really got it right.”

“The whole book-within-a-book thing is really difficult,” he explained. “In the book the mysteries happen one at a time whereas in the show I wanted to do them simultaneously and that gave me the...

Maximiliano Contenti's giallo love letter The Last Matinee leads Arrow's December SVOD lineup and we have an exclusive clip just for Daily Dead readers! Debuting on Arrow on December 1st to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland, The Last Matinee will kick off Arrow's December releases, which is packed with an eclectic mix of titles that will please any genre fan:

December 1 will see the arrival of The Last Matinee (UK/US/CA/Ire), Santa Sangre (US/CA), All the Colors of the Giallo (UK/US/CA/Ire), King Boxer (UK/US/CA/Ire), The Boxer from Shantung (UK/US/CA/Ire), Five Shaolin Masters (UK/US/CA/Ire), Shaolin Temple (UK/US/CA/Ire), Mighty Peking Man (UK/US/CA/Ire), Challenge of the Masters (UK/US/CA/Ire), Executioners of Shaolin (UK/US/CA/Ire), Dirty Ho (UK/US/CA/Ire), Heroes of...

This prediction may appear to come out of left field, but the film’s producer Annabella Nezri had a solid premiere with Jumbo a couple of years back. Next on deck is another first, in Eve Duchemin‘s fiction debut Temps mort. The docu-helmer was profoundly moved by the experience of shooting her award-winning En bataille, and decided to further pursue the realities of a trio of inmates when they take their first steps out to reconciliation. Karim Leklou, Issaka Sawadogo and rapper Jarod Cousyns in his screen debut. Filming took place in Brussels in March.

Gist: This follows the journey of three inmates, outside of prison for the weekend.…...

With the VMAs giving us an indication of this year’s best music videos and the Grammy deadline approaching (it’s September 30), it’s time we analyze the contenders for Best Music Video and Best Music Film. From critically acclaimed works like Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” and Beyoncé’s “Homecoming” to blockbusters like Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Old Town Road,” these categories have run the gamut. Let’s take a look at this year’s contenders for these honors.

SEEGrammys announce nominations date for 2022 awards

Best Music Video

This category is always a mix of indie picks and big hits, with the big hits winning most times. This year we have multiple commercial picks, with Lil Nas X‘s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” likely leading the pack. The video is arguably the buzziest of the season, and even won three VMAs, including...

Los Angeles public broadcaster Kcet has announced the student finalists for its 22nd annual Fine Cut Festival of Films, which will air as four one-hour episodes starting Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 10 p.m.

A collection of short films from Southern California student filmmakers, Fine Cut finalists are vying for prize packages in the categories of documentary, animation and narrative short films, as well the Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award, which singles out one student’s strength as a storyteller.

Besides airing on Kcet, the Fine Cut festival will also air nationwide on Link TV starting Thursday, Sept. 30 at 11 p.m., and more films will stream at kcet.org/finecut.

The panel of judges for this year’s competition included Variety deputy TV editor Michael Schneider, director Varda Bar-Kar, director Emily Cohen Ibañez, screenwriter and producer Weiko Lin, producer and editor Tanya Meillier, writer Kelly Younger, actress Karimah Westbrook (The...

Hello, everyone! Hard to believe it, but September is nearly upon us, which means we have a brand new month of Digital and VOD premieres to look forward to as we gear up for this year’s Halloween season. For all you James Wan fans out there, the wait to see Malignant is almost over, as his latest horror film will arrive on HBO Max on September 10th, and for the fans who have been anxiously awaiting more horror from Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass will be making its way to Netflix on September 24th. Arrow is set to debut Jumbo exclusively on their platform tomorrow, and Shudder has a trio of exclusive films headed to their service throughout September as well: Simon Barrett’s Seance, Martyrs Lane, and Superhost from Brandon Christensen.

Check out the full rundown of all the digital debuts happening over the next few weeks, as there...

Scream Factory Presents Elvira’S Haunted Hills Collector’S Edition On Blu-ray October 5, 2021: "Los Angeles, CA – Elvira’s back and she’s fabulous! On October 5, 2021, Scream Factory proudly presents the camp classic Elvira’s Haunted Hills from the iconic horror host in a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release. The Blu-ray features a brand-new 4K scan of the original camera negative and comes loaded with bonus features including a new introduction by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, all housed within limited-edition collectible slipcase packaging, while supplies last. Fans who order their copies from shoutfactory.com will also receive an exclusive poster featuring brand-new artwork, while supplies last. With her voluptuous figure, voluminous black hair and hilarious one-liners, the essence of camp oozes from her pores. Elvira’s Haunted Hills culls its outrageousness from the classic Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe/Roger Corman films of the early 60s, along with a...

Mandy Patinkin’s Judge Hal Wackner, the latest kooky character on the Paramount+ series “The Good Fight,” makes his litigants end each lawsuit by saying to one another, “I respect and I love you.” Critics have shared the exact same sentiment about this criminally underrated series, which has been earning some of the best notices of its entire run for its brilliantly bizarre fifth season that wraps up on Thursday.

Its new characters, including Patinkin’s Wackner and Charmaine Bingwa‘s enigmatic new lawyer Carmen Moyo, topical episodes on medical racism in the treatment of Covid-19 and hilarious, moving visits from historical figures like Elaine May’s Ruth Bader Ginsberg have earned the plaudits of critics. Kevin Fallon (Daily Beast) calls the season “flawless,” writing that the show is “having what may be its best season ever,” including “the most thrilling stretch of episodes in a TV series this year.

Keep track of when films are coming out in the territory.

Cinemas in the UK and Ireland are set to reopen this spring, following months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Screen is listing the release dates for films in the territory in the calendar below. For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here.

Indoor cinemas in England and Scotland will be allowed to reopen from May 17; with dates yet to be confirmed for Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Screen is also tracking reopening dates of cinemas in...

The image of French cinema as mainly consisting of artily shot black-and-white movies about straight men smoking and having sex with their mistress(es) is dealt a final stake through the heart by Julia Ducournau’s brash and ballsy experiment, Titane.

Looking at it alongside similarly adventurous out-there films — such as Ducournau’s own cannibal-coming-of-age horror film, Raw, Zoé Wittock’s Jumbo and Yann Gonzalez’ You and the Night and Knife + Heart — one could almost speak of an exciting new current in Francophone cinema that plugs queer concerns into genre filmmaking in punky and transgressive ways. Call it the French Punk Queer Wave. Here, quite ...

The image of French cinema as mainly consisting of artily shot black-and-white movies about straight men smoking and having sex with their mistress(es) is dealt a final stake through the heart by Julia Ducournau’s brash and ballsy experiment, Titane.

Looking at it alongside similarly adventurous out-there films — such as Ducournau’s own cannibal-coming-of-age horror film, Raw, Zoé Wittock’s Jumbo and Yann Gonzalez’ You and the Night and Knife + Heart — one could almost speak of an exciting new current in Francophone cinema that plugs queer concerns into genre filmmaking in punky and transgressive ways. Call it the French Punk Queer Wave. Here, quite ...

Inspired by Erika Eiffel, who married the Eiffel Tower, this surreal debut tells the story of a woman who falls in love with a big, swirling fairground ride. Its director explains all

Just imagine the pitch. “I want to make my debut film about a girl who falls in love with a funfair ride. Um, that’s it.” But, however improbable it may seem, Zoé Wittock didn’t just get Jumbo bankrolled, the film was also screened at Sundance. And it’s every bit as strange, and quite a bit richer than you might expect.

Jumbo tells the story of Jeanne, played by Noémie Merlant, who lives with her sexed-up single mother near an amusement park, and also has a job there as an after-hours cleaner. One night, while spit-cleaning the knobs on a new fairground machine, Jeanne realises she has fallen in love with “him”. And so begins a giddy rites-of-passage story,...

Disney to give Marvel superhero film the widest release since UK cinemas reopened in May.

After a delay of more than a year, Disney has finally released Marvel superhero adventure Black Widow in the UK and Ireland, and will deliver the territory’s widest theatrical release since cinemas began reopening in May.

The comic book adaptation, starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Cate Shortland, opened in 622 venues in the UK on Wednesday (July 7) – two days ahead of the US – and generated £1.2m of its first day of release. The takings were impacted by England’s win over Denmark in the...

Noémie Merlant tempts fate with a leftfield crush in a drama that turns its bizarre premise into an emotional rollercoaster

Here’s a charming French film in which Noémie Merlant is overwhelmed with feelings of forbidden love and … no, it is not Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The kooky premise of Jumbo – a young woman falling madly in love with a fairground ride – might invite bafflement but Zoé Wittock’s idiosyncratic comedy-drama is an entertaining blend of sensory overload and sincere empathy.

Related: Europe in 25 films: the critics’ choice...

In 2007, Erika Labrie became Erika Eiffel, when she married the Eiffel Tower in a commitment ceremony. Eiffel is one of only a very few people who have said in public that they identify as object-sexual. Jumbo, the first feature for writer/director Zoe Wittock, says only that it is ‘inspired by’ a true story, and while it seems to draw some inspiration from the difficulties that Eiffel says she has faced, it also departs liberally from those facts, spinning a strange, somewhat tragicomic, but also heartfelt story about a woman who falls in love with a fairground ride.

Noemie Merlant plays Jeanne, a woman still living at home with her protective mother (Emmanuelle Bercot) in her late 20s. She starts working nights at a local fairground, cleaning the rides. One in particular, a spinner called ‘Move It’, which she nicknames Jumbo, catches her eye and soon the interest in this...

The producers of this year’s International Feature Film Oscar winner “Another Round” and Berlin Silver Bear winner “Natural Light” have been selected for European Film Promotion’s Producers on the Move program, which promotes promising producers and fosters international co-productions. The 20 participants for the program, which runs online from May 17-21, will be presenting their latest projects in speed meetings and during roundtable sessions. More than half of the selection are women.

The participants, who were selected for the program from all of the nominations submitted by the Efp member organizations, are Annabella Nezri (Belgium), Nikolay Mutafchiev (Bulgaria), Bojan Kanjera (Croatia), Marek Novák (Czech Republic), Kasper Dissing (Denmark), Jean-Christophe Reymond (France), Maite Woköck (Germany), Sára László (Hungary), Ruth Treacy (Ireland), Marica Stocchi (Italy), Iris Otten (The Netherlands), Gary Cranner (Norway), Beata Rzeźniczek (Poland), Tathiani Sacilotto (Portugal), Bianca Oana (Romania), Katarína Tomková (Slovak Republic), Andraž Jerič (Slovenia), Clara Nieto (Spain...

For this writer, it’s been fascinating to watch the evolution of Dark Star Pictures over the last few years, as they’ve become one of the most interesting distributors working in the genre space today, showcasing films like Jumbo, Pvt Chat, Dementer, Attack of the Demons, Koko-Di Koko-Da, and Climate of the Hunter, as well their most recent release, Honeydew, which makes its digital debut this week.

Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Dark Star’s Creative Director, Josh Goldbloom, and we discussed his background in the film festival scene and how that led to him joining Dark Star Pictures’ founder Michael Repsch in the indie horror trenches to help provide filmmakers with the opportunity to get their films out there for fans to enjoy. Goldbloom also gave us some insight into why the word “challenging” isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to marketing a film,...

The seventeeth edition of the Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival is just around the corner. Despite the odds Fantaspoa has programmed an incredible number of films for this year's digital edition. The sheer number alone would be the envy of any film festival out there. Titles include Bleed With Me, Clapboard Jungle, Parallel Minds and Laughter from here in Canada. There is Jumbo, a favorite of Anarchists across the board. The Tamil film Horse Tail will also play during the festival. All the films are listed below. Further down you will also find the festival trailer. As previously announced, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Brazil’s long-running Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival will celebrate its seventeenth edition completely online and free of charge. The...

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

Zoé Wittock's contemporary fairy tale Jumbo is coming to VOD and DVD on March 16 from Dark Star Pictures. We have an exclusive clip to share with you today. You will find it and a selection of stills below. Jeanne, a shy young woman, lives at home with her uninhibited bartender mother and works the graveyard shift as a cleaner at an amusement park. Her mother wants her to meet a man, but Jeanne prefers tinkering in her bedroom with wires, light bulbs, and spare parts, creating miniature versions of theme park rides. During her late-night shifts she begins spending intimate time with the alluring new Tilt-a-Whirl ride that she decides to call Jumbo. Finding herself seduced by “his” red lights, smooth chrome, and oily...

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

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Crestone (Marnie Ellen Hertzler)

Exploring the bohemian lives of SoundCloud rappers who find their own oasis (or perhaps are living in a mirage of one) in the middle of the Colorado desert, Crestone is a brief, but complicated look at such a way of life. With a breezy Animal Collective score guiding the rather beautiful imagery, director Marnie Ellen Hertzler is also keen on showing the failures that come with such a life off the grid. Cuisines featuring terrible-looking bologna sandwiches and ketchup-infused ramen along with donation pleas for an $80K GoFundMe with $0 pledged show this escape from society may not be the luxurious, meditative experience as promoted on...

Romantic indies are a dime a dozen and have generally shifted to streaming channels, but Sundance indies tend to be much more fantastical, strange, and alluring. That description really hits the bill for “Jumbo,” the new romantic indie from filmmaker Zoé Wittock that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 to substantial acclaim (our review). The film French actress Noémie Merlant, who many know as one of the breakout stars of the acclaimed film, “Portrait Of A Lady On Fire.

Continue reading ‘Jumbo’ Trailer: Noémie Merlant Falls In Love With An Amusement Park Ride In Dreamy Sundance Indie at The Playlist.

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week, […]

The post This Week In Trailers: Jumbo, Test Pattern, Honeydew, The Pond, Body Brokers appeared first on /Film.

Jumbo Trailer — Zoe Wittock’s Jumbo (2020) movie trailer has been released by Dark Star Picture. The Jumbo trailer stars Noemie Merlant, Emmanuelle Bercot, Bastien Bouillon, Sam Louwyck, Barbara Hellemans, Jimmy Raphaël, Chris Caligo, Stephen Rohde, Idao Daccrissio, Noah Daccrissio, Eduard Nemcsenko, Jonathan Bartholmé, and Tracy Dossou. Crew Zoé Wittock wrote the screenplay for Jumbo. Thomas [...]

Continue reading: Jumbo Trailer: Noémie Merlant Forms an Attachment to a Amusement Park Ride in Zoe Wittoc’s 2020 Film...

Jumbo is a unique love story. A love story between a woman and a machine. A love story that, on its surface, may seem impossible. Ridiculous, even. But it is a love story that is engaging, powerful, and above all, true.

Jeanne (Noémie Merlant) is a shy girl. One who prefers her own company to that of others. She is fascinated by mechanical things. She works at a local amusement park and spends her free time designing models of the rides. Her mother is constantly pushing for her to date and go out, which is really the farthest thing from what Jeanne is interested in.

She is comfortable with the people she knows: her mother and the one or two friends that she has working at the park. Aside from that, she can really take or leave people in general. As she walks through the crowded park before it closes,...

Romantic comedies are all about unlikely pairings that don’t really make sense, but you go along with them anyway. But the Belgian film “Jumbo” takes “unlikely” a step further in a weird yet tender romantic film about a woman who falls in love with a Tilt-a-Whirl.

Read More: ‘Jumbo’: Noémie Merlant Breathes Literal New Light Into The Term ‘Toxic Relationship’ [Sundance Review]

That’s right, a Tilt-a-Whirl at an amusement park.

Continue reading ‘Jumbo’ Trailer: Noémie Merlant Starts A Romance With A Tilt-a-Whirl at The Playlist.

Noémie Merlant’s transcendent performance as a love-struck artist infatuated with her subject in Portrait of a Lady on Fire wowed critics and audiences alike, catapulting her to international acclaim. Merlant has shown her fortitude for taking on ambitious projects and her next film is certainly no exception. An official selection at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Dark Star Pictures has released the first trailer for the bizarre romance Jumbo, the directorial debut for Zoé Wittock set to premiere in theaters February 19th, 2021, subsequently followed by a VOD release on March 16th, 2021.

Merlant stars as Jeanne, a shy young woman still living with her bartender mother Margarette (Emmanuelle Bercot), and working the graveyard shift as a cleaner at a theme park. During her shifts, she begins spending intimate time with an alluring tilt-a-world that she names Jumbo. Finding desirable qualities in the ride she decides to pursue a relationship with the inanimate contraption.

"Have you ever felt something for an object?" Dark Star Pictures has released an official US trailer for the French indie Jumbo, which originally premiered at last year's Sundance & Berlin Film Festivals. Finally! I've been waiting for this to get released, because it's an underrated, kinky, quirky gem that deserves to be seen. Jeanne, a shy young woman, works in an amusement park. Fascinated with carousels, she still lives at home with her mother. That's when Jeanne meets Jumbo, the park's new flagship attraction. The two start an unexpected romance that cannot be defined. Noémie Merlant (from Portrait of a Lady on Fire) stars, with Emmanuelle Bercot, Bastien Bouillon, Sam Louwyck, and Tracy Dossou. I reviewed this from Berlinale last year, saying it's "uniquely original, surprisingly serious, and impressive." A worthy discovery. Here's the official US trailer (+ intl. poster) for Zoé Wittock's Jumbo, direct from Dark Star's YouTube...

You’ve heard of unlikely romances, but the star of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and an amusement park ride? That takes “unlikely” to a whole new level, but that’s also precisely the plot of Zoé Wittock’s festival favorite “Jumbo,” in which Noémie Merlant romances a tilt-a-whirl in a tender, erotically charged love story.

For the sake of contextualizing the weirdness of this romance a bit more, here’s the official synopsis, straight from distributor Dark Star Pictures: “Director Zoé Wittock’s first feature film ‘Jumbo’ stars Noémie Merlant (‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’) as Jeanne, a shy young woman, lives at home with her uninhibited bartender mother and works the graveyard shift as a cleaner at an amusement park. Her mother wants her to meet a man, but Jeanne prefers tinkering in her bedroom with wires, light bulbs, and spare parts, creating miniature versions of theme park rides.

Los Angeles-based Dark Star Pictures and horror website Bloody Disgusting are set to host a groundbreaking weekend event from Friday, January 22nd to Sunday, January 24th, 2021, celebrating the distributor’s most recent acclaimed international genre offerings. The lineup will feature selections from Sundance, Fantasia, Nightstream, and Cinepocalypse, including Pvt Chat, Koko-Di Koko-Da, Jumbo, Attack of the Demons, Dirty God, and Climate […]...

We're back with another installment of Horror Highlights! Today, check out the red band trailer for Bloody Hell, learn more about the Midnight Musical Podcasts, and find out how you can take part in Dark Star Pictures' virtual film festival!

Watch the Red Band Trailer for Bloody Hell: "A man with a mysterious past flees the country to escape his own personal hell… only to arrive somewhere much, much, much worse. In an effort to survive this new horror, he turns to his personified conscience."

Director: Alister Grierson Screenwriter: Robert Benjamin Cast: Ben O'Toole, Caroline Craig, Matthew Sunderland, Travis Jeffery, Jack Finsterer, Meg Fraser, Ashlee Lollback Run Time: 94 Minutes Rating: Rated R for Bloody Violence, Gore, and Language Throughout Distributor: The Horror Collective

In Select Theaters, Drive-Ins and On Demand January 14, 2021, On DVD/Blu-Ray January 19, 2021

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Midnight Musicals Season 1 Trailer: "Welcome to the podcast musical underground. We are a...

Looking for something fun to do next weekend that doesn’t involve scrolling through endless lists of movies and TV shows to find something to watch? Well then look no further than Dark Star Pictures’ free online film festival!

You read right: Dark Star Pictures, the purveyor of great genre movies, is hosting a free film festival! The event runs from January 22 to 24 and will feature some of the distributor’s most recent acclaimed genre offerings including selections from Sundance, Fantasia, Nightstream, and Cinepocalypse.

Titles include Pvt Chat, Koko-Di Koko-Da, Jumbo, Attack of the Demons and Climate of the Hunter.

The festival will close with the announcement and one-time-only screening of the latest acquisition from t...