Festivals

Sci-fi thriller What Happened to Monday? is in final negotiations to land at Netflix. The project, which will close in the mid-seven figures, stars Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, and Glenn Close.

The Academy Award-winning actress is set for a wave of nominations with this astonishingly nuanced portrayal of the former First Lady. There have been many “Jackies” in TV and film, but none like Natalie Portman’s.

Damien Chazelle’s movie musical La La Land balances levity and humor with auteur-grade filmmaking for an incredibly enchanting movie-going experience that will put a twinkle in your eye and a spring in your step.

A major deal has been brokered at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival, with Fox Searchlight picking up the U.S. distribution rights to Jackie starring Natalie Portman.

The Venice Film Festival recently concluded on Saturday and some of the best-reviewed films of the festival went home with big prizes, including Tom Ford’s second directorial outing with Nocturnal Animals and Damien Chazelle’s La La Land.

Bleecker Street and Participant Media have jointly acquired North American rights to Breathe, a drama directed by Andy Serkis and starring Andrew Garfield as Robin Cavendish, who became one of the longest-living polio survivors in Great Britain after being struck with the disease at the age of 28.

Helmed by Wolf Creek director Greg McLean and written by Guardians of the Galaxy maestro James Gunn, the blood spattering thriller is a sick, twisted, and ridiculous joyride of murderous insanity.

In the J.A. Bayona-directed A Monster Calls, there’s a little boy and a gigantic talking tree, so it must be a Spielbergian good time, right? Well, not really. The word “monster” in the title may be misleading as this film isn’t as fantastical as one might think.

The film festival hit transcends the typical gay narrative with a rich and poignant story that takes us on a gay black man’s journey of self-discovery, pain, as well as what it means to give and receive love.

Orion and BH Tilt have acquired The Belko Experiment, a high-concept thriller written by Guardians of the Galaxy’s James Gunn and directed by Wolf Creek helmer Greg McLean.

From the trailer alone, Lion, a story about a man searching for his family after being tragically separated from them for 25 years, is poised to be a tearjerker. After attending the World Premiere at TIFF, I can guarantee that it is not only a tearjerker, but a film that will bring out everyone’s ugliest cry.

The Oscar-nominated actor owns Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, a finely executed and surprisingly stirring sci-fi pic that takes the typical alien invasion film in a refreshingly different direction.

Amirpour’s follow up to A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night has provocative elements and a talented cast, but ends up being more shock and awe than anything else.

Intimate and told with incredible grace, the film further proves Kelly Reichardt’s uniquely naturalistic filmmaking skills with four subdued, yet compelling performances from four astonishing actors.

Tom Ford’s follow-up to A Single Man silences any doubts that the fashion designer-turned-filmmaker’s debut was a fluke. Nocturnal Animals fires on all cylinders when it comes to style, storytelling, and Ford’s vision – one that is becoming increasingly inimitable.

Making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the drama based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Philip Roth novel of the same name is ambitious but falls far from the hype surrounding it.

If you’re heading to this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, you’ll want access to our exclusive TIFF Party and Event Grid featuring details for over 75 events taking place from September 7th – September 15th! We’ll continue to update the grid daily with new information daily!

The ever-busy actor James Franco has two projects making big moves today. First up, science fiction-thriller Kin has made a big pre-buy deal at TIFF, and second, the Afghanistan war drama Burn Country is been picked up by Samuel Goldwyn and Orion Pictures, landing a December 9 theatrical and VOD release.

When you combine two clueless gangs and one major gun deal there’s a lot that could go wrong. And all of that is illustrated in Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, a gunfight comedy that lights up the screen with one of the most epic — and ridiculous — gunfights ever.

Taking a different route from his fantastical and thrilling fare, director Jeff Nichols effortlessly grounds his latest film based on the struggles of the real-life interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving with delicate care, subdued emotion, and powerful storytelling.

With Denzel Washington leading the septet, this reboot has all the wares of a typical Western for nostalgia’s sake but leans heavily on its star power and explosive action to carry it through its 133-minute run time. It’s entertaining, but at the same time, mechanical.

Focus Features has secured the worldwide distribution rights to the untitled fashion drama that will see There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Andersen reteam with actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Focus will finance the $35 million production, eyeing a release date of the second half of 2017, just in time for awards season.

Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Viola Davis has stepped up to star in The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, a film she had already been attached to in a producing role. She optioned the rights in 2011 to the novel of the same name by Ann Weisgarber and will still produce the film with Julius Tennon for Juvee Productions, alongside Brian Rosen and Su Armstrong for SixtyFourSixty.

Actors Julianne Moore, Ken Watanabe, and Demián Bichir are all set to star in the forthcoming film from director Paul Weitz, Bel Canto. Based on the best-seller of the same name by Ann Patchett, the script was adapted by Weitz and Anthony Weintraub. Distribution company Bloom is going to start international sales at the Toronto International Film Festival, which begins tomorrow.

Best-selling author Emma Forrest has lined up a star-studded cast for her directorial debut Untogether including Rogue One villain Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Dornan, and real-life sisters Jemima Kirke and Lola Kirke. This will be the first major feature film the Kirke sisters star in together.

The Toronto International International Film Festival officially kicks off on Thursday, boasting 296 feature-length films with 266 being either World, International, or North American Premieres. We’ve gone through the very impressive lineup and put together a list of some of the films we’re most looking forward to catching at this year’s TIFF.

One of the industry’s smaller events, the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, is set to commence tomorrow, Friday, September 2. They have released the full lineup for the weekend-long event.

Already a member? Click here to access the complete 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Party & Event Grid (which will…

Now entering its 23rd year, the Austin Film Festival continues to celebrate the art and craft of filmmaking by inspiring the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and artists. This year, the fest is set to honor the talents of celebrated directors Paul Feig and Nancy Meyers. In addition, they have unveiled an impressive list of panelists and special guests.

The newest film to dramatize historical figure Howard Hughes, Rules Don’t Apply, has secured its world premiere with the American Film Institute as the opening night film for AFI Fest. It will first screen on November 10 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It stars legendary actor Warren Beatty as Hughes.