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Meg Remy is walking through Manchester, England, when she spots a beer garden full of revelers. This gets the Chicago-raised, Toronto-based musician, who records as U.S. Girls, thinking about their apparent apathy toward the sorry state of the world. “How would you even begin to explain to the beer garden people why they should give up a system they think is working perfectly?” she asks.

Remy, 33, has been refining her answer to that question over a decade of radically tinged Diy music. She unveiled U.S. Girls as a...

Do Not mess with a mother mad as f*cking hell. That’s essentially the premise of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” director Martin McDonagh‘s latest. He’s the filmmaker behind the pitch-black comedies, “Seven Psychopaths” and “In Bruges,” a terrifically underrated and dark dramedy starring an amazing turn by Colin Farrell. Dark comedy is McDonagh‘s bread and butter and he approaches his latest with the same cutting wit and sardonicism.

Continue reading ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Trailer: Frances McDormand Is Mad As Hell at The Playlist.

Because 2016 cares not for subtlety, this month marks the 40th anniversary of “Network.” Since its release in November 1976 to wide praise and an eventual heap of Oscars, director Sidney Lumet and writer Paddy Chayefsky’s excoriation of the exponentially money-driven, bottom-feeding tendencies of television news has only grown in renown, as each angry pundit updates the film’s library of prophecies about The State of Television Today.

With the ascent of an actual reality TV star to the U.S. Presidency following a broadcast news cycle that worked for everything but a dedication to public interest, it would seem that this depressing political season has reached the logical end of the film’s apocalyptic forecast, landing on a reality too absurd for even “Network” to dramatize: Howard Beale as President. However, as we reflect on what’s gone wrong with contemporary news media and political culture, it’s important to...

Comedy webseries.Little Acorns goes inside the world of that long-suffering breed: the childcare worker.

The series, which stars Rachel Griffiths, is written and directed by actors Trudy Hellier and Maria Theodorakis and funded by Screen Australia.

Hellier has appeared in the likes of The Death and Life of Otto Bloom and The Doctor Blake Mysteries, and previously wrote four episodes of TV series Lowdown. Theodorakis' credits include The Castle, Walking on Water and Holding the Man..

Little Acorns consists of nine 3-5 minute episodes, available online from September 1..

.We wanted to celebrate the world's unsung heroines, but ultimately we wanted to make a show about women behaving badly,. said Theodorakis.

.These are women we all know but rarely see on our screens. They are bold, fearless, contradictory and ridiculously funny,. said Hellier.

.We are tired of seeing women in stereotypical roles; men are having all the fun and we...

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Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...

A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.

I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...

ABC iview has maintained its pole position as the most used free-to-air internet TV site in 2015..

ABC iview hit a new record in November with more than 40 million program plays (which is more than double the program plays from the same time last year) and had over 2 million visitors to its site and apps each month.

Total ABC prime-time share was stable year-on-year at 14.3 per cent, and ABC TV remained the leading daytime network, according to a company statement.

The ABC Kids iview app, launched in March, had over half a million downloads.

ABC Television director, Richard Finlayson, said the national broadcaster went into the year acknowledging that audience viewing habits were shifting..

"We had to reflect this in our programming, delivery platforms and the way in which we reported on audiences, and I.m delighted with the results on all fronts,. he said.

.Our success is testament to the...

Documentaries investigating Australia.s war in Afghanistan, the fight against the country.s ice epidemic and the state of the heath and school systems will screen on the ABC next year.

The comedy slate includes two series starring Utopia.s Luke McGregor and six pilots, with viewers voting to determine which pilot goes to a series.

The ABC also confirmed its flagship channel will be available to live-stream on iview from December and that it plans to broadcast all content in HD from next June.

ABC director of TV Richard Finlayson said at the upfronts launch: .As the national broadcaster we will continue our commitment to Australian content, delivering a high-quality, deep and diverse slate..

The factual slate includes Essential Media and Entertainment.s Afghanistan: Inside Australia.s War, which chronicles the raw experiences of Australia.s longest war, from private soldiers to prime ministers, written and directed by Victoria Pitt...

Nine Network Perth MD and network programming executive David Mott has been named CEO of ITV Studios (Itvs) Australia, succeeding Anita Jacoby, who departed in August after two years in the job.

Mott will start in November, reporting to Maria Kyriacou, MD of ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Ray Wardrop, a former Gm of the Seven. Network's Perth channel, will succeed Mott on November 2.

ITV.s slate includes I.m A Celebrity. Get Me Out of Here, which has been renewed for 2016, The Chase and Shaun Micallef.s Mad as Hell.

Augustus Dulgaro, who had been acting CEO, has been given the newly created role of COO, ITV Studios Australia. He will continue as executive vice president, distribution for Asia Pacific for ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Mott was chief programming officer at Network Ten from 1997 until 2012 where he commissioned hits such as Big Brother, Australian Idol and MasterChef. He quit after...

The producers of Comedy feature film The Heckler have embraced new Australian on-demand cinema platform tugg.com in a bid get their movie on the big screen..

The new distribution model allows filmmakers to book any cinema, any time as long as there are enough people interested in watching that film at that session. .

The Heckler will now be launched in an initial round of on-demand cinema screenings and the team behind the movies are hoping that positive word-of-mouth fuels more screenings.

Writer/Producer Steve Mitchell said a traditional cinema release required a massive amount of advertising to succeed..

"Films like ours can.t afford that and so we rely solely on word-of-mouth," he said..

"And that takes time to build. By staging one-off event screenings at various locations over a longer period, we.re hoping to build momentum without spending a fortune on marketing..

Anyone can request to .host...

Network Ten has appointed Hilary Innes as a senior member of the executive production team.

Innes will report to chief programming officer, Beverley McGarvey.

She was most recently head of entertainment at ITV Studios Australia..

Innes has also previously the roles of head of entertainment at Nine Network, executive producer at Nine Network and executive producer/Series producer at Seven Network.

McGarvey said she was delighted Innes had agreed to join Ten.

.Ten is the fastest growing commercial network in Australia this year . thanks to hit shows such as MasterChef Australia, I.m A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here!, Family Feud, The Project, The Living Room, The Bachelor Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Shark Tank and Gogglebox . and the time is right to add to our very talented Executive Production team," she said.

.Hilary is one of the best in the business and has been responsible for some...

The South Australian Film Corporation (Safc) has launched a new grant to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers.

The Safc has also released program deadlines for four other funding initiatives as well as an ABC Comedy Internship.

The new Aboriginal Project Development Grant will see up to $15,000 per project made available to filmmakers for the development of long form drama and factual projects for cinema and television.

Recipients of the new grant can also still apply for other South Australian Film Corporation funding through initiatives such as production investment, project development, professional development and production attraction.

The new grant is part of the Safc.s renewed focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmaking which was highlighted as a key priority for new chief executive, Annabelle Sheehan, on her appointment to the role in January 2015.

It also follows Safc.s funding of five Sa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers to make Micro-Documentaries.

In the current contretemps over the Hugo Awards (including coverage from, among many others, Slate, Salon, Entertainment Weekly, the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Daily Dot, i09, Breitbart, the National Review, and us) and now that voting for the Hugo Awards are now open, the question has come up about voting for “No Award” over various nominees, whether it should be done, and whether it would be an unprecedented event.

The answer to the last part is: No, it’s not unprecedented. “No Award” has won categories before, most recently in 1977 when no award was given for Best Dramatic Presentation.

And ironically, that’s really a shame. Because it turns out there was a really great science fiction movie that year that showed us where we were heading. I’m not talking about any of that year’s actual Hugo nominees– Carrie, Logan’s Run, The Man Who Fell to Earth,...

In a climate where even titans of national journalism parrot political speaking points to maintain their sources rather than offer the kind of incisive, questioning reporting we want, Cenk Uygur is looking to making a mark. The upcoming documentary, "Mad As Hell," follows his journey from YouTube sensation to MSNBC star, and his battle to maintain the integrity that brought him his fame. Directed by Andrew Napier, the story centers on Uygur — the host and founder of The Young Turks, the brash, no-holds-barred online news channel — who shot to stardom thanks to his bracing honesty and forthright opinions. He started humbly on public access television before graduating to Sirius radio, and, as you'll see in this exclusive clip below, his next idea made him a pioneer in online broadcasting. "Mad As Hell" opens in select cinemas on February 6th and will also be available on VOD. Watch the clip below...

Exasperating internet pundit Cenk Uygur (pronounced Jenk Yu-gur) has been self-documenting his unconventional career for years. In Mad as Hell, his many behind-the-scenes photos and videos from his early years in public access television and satellite radio eventually flow into director Andrew Napier's footage of Uygur's rise from YouTube fame to MSNBC fill-in slots and his career apex: a short-lived slot on Al Gore's Current TV. But if Napier hadn't shown up with a camera, Uygur would likely have continued filming himself, because his "firebrand" commentary is only ostensibly about politics; it's mostly about projecting the world onto his own ego and making it Cenk Uygur–shaped. How else to interpret ...

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: The Visit, The Hunting Ground, Mad as Hell, Partisan, The Beaver Trilogy – Part IV appeared first on /Film.

Crowdfunding website joins newly formed Vimeo On Demand Publisher Network

Indiegogo and Vimeo unveiled a partnership Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival that will designate the later as a preferred distribution platform for films crowdfunded on the former.

Vimeo has committed to an ongoing creator fund for certain film campaigns on Indiegogo. In exchange, the latter promised exclusive distribution via Vimeo On Demand. Also, Indiegogo has signed up for its new partner’s Vimeo On Demand Publisher Network, placing a VOD storefront on the crowdfunding site. The favor will be returned on Vimeo’s website.

Also Read: Sundance Party Report...

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired rights to the Hot Docs Film Festival world premiere and upcoming Santa Barbara International Film Festival selection.

O-Scope plans to release the film digitally and theatrically on February 6 with DVD/Blu-ray to follow.

The film is currently playing select theatres in the Us via Gathr Films’ Theatrical On Demand model.

Andrew Napier directed and produced Mad As Hell, which chronicles the rise of YouTube journalist and The Young Turks frontman Cenk Uygur.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...

The Spierig brothers. Predestination and Russell Crowe.s The Water Diviner lead the film nominees while The Code and Please Like Me head the contenders in the TV categories in the 4th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards.

Predestination received nine nominations, followed by The Water Diviner with eight, seven for David Michôd.s The Rover and six apiece for Jennifer Kent.s The Babadook, Josh Lawson.s The Little Death and Jonathan Teplitzky.s The Railway Man.

Culled from 25 eligible titles, Predestination, The Water Diviner,. The Babadook, Rolf de Heer.s Charlie.s Country, The Railway Man and John Curran.s Tracks are vying for best feature.

Perhaps surprisingly, Crowe was overlooked for best director, which will be a battle between the Spierigs, Kent, de Heer and Michôd.

The contenders for best TV drama are Endemol.s Puberty Blues season 2, Playmaker Media.s The Code, Screentime...

Doing live TV can be stressful. Sometimes mistakes get made and sometimes people lose their cool. The thing is, you're taught in broadcasting school to pretend the camera is always on whenever you're in front of it. Apparently, this rule is often forgotten quite a lot, and we are lucky for it. These include arguments, generalized freakouts, unfortunate reactions, swearing and meltdowns. We even included the best Ryan Lochte interview of all time.

#1 Bee flies in reporter's mouth. He doesn't take it well.

#2 Boredom between stories is natural.

#3 Reporters can’t take Ryan Lochte seriously.

#4 A.J. Clemente is a very talented and tactful reporter who can think on his feet.

#5 Angry Old Men

#6 Nicole Brewer vs. Carol Erickson

#7 12 Angry Men Newscasters

#8 Mad as hell

#9 News 12 Matt Pieper didn’t realize the camera was on. (This sort of thing seems to happen often.)

#10 Bill O’Reilly on Inside Edition; watch his hair.

The centerpiece of Sidney Lumet’s 1976 Oscar-winning film Network is when former news anchor Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, is exploited by TV executives because his growing madness means ratings, and he tells viewers to scream, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore,” out their windows. The title Mad as Hell is meant to evoke that very line, and be a subtle nudge about one of the themes that Paddy Chayefsky inferred to in his screenplay that mainstream media has become more obsessed with profit and ratings than doing the news right and for the benefit of informing people. A lot of people like to name check Chayefsky, and quote Network, but few people stick their heads out that window and yell, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

Mad as Hell wants to make...

On Sunday, New York Times culture writer Dave Itzkoff will be interviewed at New York’s Museum of the Moving Image about his hot-off-the-presses (-and-tablet-download) “Mad As Hell: The Making of ‘Network’ and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies,” about the baroque construction project that was the Sidney Lumet classic of 1976, based on Paddy Chayefsky’s dystopian vision of what the TV news business was going to become, and largely has. So is it 1) curious, 2) ironic, 3) fitting, 4) all of the above that his interlocutor should be Keith Olbermann? “Keith was one of the really generous supporters of the book, and he’s a huge fan of the movie,” Itzkoff said of the former MSNBC and Current TV political commentator, now doing sports on ESPN2. “I think he could recite the script verbatim.” Itzkoff, whose book project was spawned by a story he wrote and a couple...