The Berlinale ’s European Film Market (February 16-22) has unveiled a pioneering initiative offering a phone and laptop-free “safe space” where delegates can reflect and decompress. Called the Room Of Stillness, the space is situated in the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, which is a five-minute walk around the corner from the market’s main Gropius Bau hub. “It’s a space where you can recharge, reflect, even just take a minute to calm down,” explains EFM director Dennis Ruh. “It’s part of our campaign around mental health and life balance in the film industry which we began some years ago.” The Documentation Centre, which opened in the summer of 2021 with a focus on politically, ethnically and religiously motivated forced migrations in the 20th Century, will host most of EFM’s industry talks and conferences this year. In addition to the Room of Silence, the EFM will also offer an event bannered “Monday For Mindfulness”, exploring … [Read more...] about Berlin’s EFM Launches “Room Of Stillness” For Mental Health Awareness, May Team With Other Festivals & Markets
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Willem Dafoe And Robert Eggers Eye Reunion On The Director’s New ‘Nosferatu’ Film At Focus Features
EXCLUSIVE: Robert Eggers and his Lighthouse star Willem Dafoe have found their next project to collaborate on as Dafoe is in talks to join Eggers’ Nosferatu movie at Focus Features. Lily Rose-Depp, Bill Skarsgard and Nicholas Hoult are already on board with Eggers writing and directing. Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Robert Eggers , Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus are producing. In the new reimagining, Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman (Depp) in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire (Skarsgard) who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him. Focus had no comment on the project. It is unknown who Dafoe will be playing. Not only does the project reunite Eggers and Dafoe, who worked together on The Lighthouse and The Northman, the project is a full circle moment for Dafoe who earned an Oscar nomination playing the Nosferatu creature in Shadow of a Vampire. Dafoe’s upcoming projects include Yorgos … [Read more...] about Willem Dafoe And Robert Eggers Eye Reunion On The Director’s New ‘Nosferatu’ Film At Focus Features
French Gender Equality Group Launches #CesarSoMale Campaign After Female Directors Shut Out Of Awards
French gender equality and diversity group Le Collectif 50/50 has hit out at the lack of female representation at the upcoming César awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars. The protest comes after not a single woman made it into the Best Director category in nominations announced Wednesday. The awards ceremony is February 24 in Paris. Just one feature by a female director — Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s controversy-hit Forever Young — was nominated for Best Film. This outcome raised surprise in some quarters as there was a raft of strong features by female directors on release in France this year including Alice Winocour’s Paris Memories , Rebecca Zlotowski’s Other People’s Children , Léa Mysius’ The Five Devils and 2023 French Oscar submission Saint Omer by Alice Diop. “Le Collectif 50/50 deplores the total absence of women in the Best Director category and their lack of representation in the Best Film category,” the body wrote in a statement … [Read more...] about French Gender Equality Group Launches #CesarSoMale Campaign After Female Directors Shut Out Of Awards
‘Poker Face’: Natasha Lyonne Breaks Down Debut Episodes & Discusses Collaborating With Rian Johnson For Peacock Series
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains details from the first four episodes of Peacock ’s Poker Face . Natasha Lyonne is a casino waitress with an uncanny ability to tell when people are lying in her latest collaboration with Rian Johnson , Peacock’s Poker Face . She’s not reading their faces or their body language. It’s “just a feeling,” her character Charlie explains in the first episode, which debuted Thursday along with three additional episodes. As the premiere unfolds, Charlie agrees to help her boss take down a high-profile gambler, only to realize that he had previously been responsible for murdering her co-worker to keep her silent about the sins of that very same gambler. Rather than stick around and meet her own demise, Charlie goes on the lamb. Along the way, the finds herself embroiled in a series of small-town murder mysteries in each place she stops. “I’ve learned that this is a character who just really can’t stand bullsh*t. She just really … [Read more...] about ‘Poker Face’: Natasha Lyonne Breaks Down Debut Episodes & Discusses Collaborating With Rian Johnson For Peacock Series
The Film Academy And Its Oscars Manage To Feed On Their Own Mistakes
Well, the mostly predictable Oscar nominations arrived Tuesday morning with no disasters or truly egregious missteps. Even the snubs were fairly routine: no female directors, though women won the directing award in the past two years ; James Cameron and Joseph Kosinski, both with Best Picture nominees , were left out too. Such normalcy is too bad. And I mean that in the nicest possible way. It’s a weird but undeniable fact of Hollywood life that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its pet awards ceremony feed on their own mistakes. Let things go well or follow an expected path, and the Oscars turn into a yawn. But screw something up, and suddenly it’s the Greatest Show on Earth all over again — back on the pedestal, just waiting to be knocked off by the howling crowd. Errors are an asset. Gaffes are gold. The Academy is never so interesting as when it is just, plain, obviously wrong. This is not a casual mechanism. By and large, average … [Read more...] about The Film Academy And Its Oscars Manage To Feed On Their Own Mistakes
‘Gossip Girl’ Boss Josh Safran Explains How He Re-Shaped The Season 2 Closer As A Series Finale & What He Had Planned For Season 3
SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from the Season 2 finale of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl . It was never supposed to end this way. HBO Max ‘s Gossip Girl took its final bow on Thursday as the Season 2 finale hit the streamer. Since news of the show’s cancellation broke last week, the episode now also serves as a series finale. Showrunner Josh Safran told Deadline that he’s holding on to a glimmer of hope that the series might land at a new home, but he’s had an inkling for months that this might happen, considering the growing number of streaming cancellations and Gossip Girl ‘s hefty price tag. “I asked HBO Max if I actually could go back in [to the episode]. I had the idea to take some of the cliffhangers out, because there were a lot of cliffhangers,” Safran said. “We got the editorial team back together. I went in and I lifted a bunch of stuff, I changed as much as I could. I couldn’t do as much as I wanted, because I couldn’t re-shoot anything, … [Read more...] about ‘Gossip Girl’ Boss Josh Safran Explains How He Re-Shaped The Season 2 Closer As A Series Finale & What He Had Planned For Season 3
Kanye West Takes Wife Shopping at Balenciaga Despite Brand Dropping Him
Gallery Launch Gallery Backgrid Kanye West just can't quit Balenciaga -- even though the brand ditched him over his antisemitism, he took his new wife for some retail therapy there ... but their trip also included a subtle callback to Nazi Germany. Ye and Bianca Censori hit up the upscale Bev Hills clothing store Wednesday night on Rodeo Drive, loading up with several bags filled with merch. He's not a billionaire anymore, but the spree is a reminder he's still VERY rich. BACKGRID We're told the couple also spent some time in a nearby Neiman Marcus ... but it's unclear if KW and BC left that store with any sweet threads. Backgrid BTW, Ye appeared to be wearing a t-shirt with a coat of arms of the German Reich ... used before the Nazis adopted the swastika. It's also got the word "Bundeswehr" written above -- the name for the federal defense forces in Germany. This coat of arms is a current logo of the German Army. … [Read more...] about Kanye West Takes Wife Shopping at Balenciaga Despite Brand Dropping Him
Beyond Rights CEO David Smyth Is Leaving After Banijay Takeover
Beyond Rights CEO David Smyth is leaving the UK-based distributor following its parent’s sale to Banijay . Industry veteran Smyth joined Beyond International’s sales arm in December 2021, selling shows such as Mythbusters around the world. Banijay swooped to buy Beyond International in October last year and completed the circa-$30M deal early this month. Banijay has its own sales arm, Banijay Rights. A Banijay Rights spokesman confirmed his exit. “David Smyth, CEO, Beyond Rights, will be leaving the business, with his last day being January 31,” he said. “He joined Beyond Rights in December 2021 and made a significant contribution to the company through his strong and effective leadership. We’d like to thank him for his hard work and commitment to the business and wish him all the best with his future endeavours. “The move comes as Banijay embarks on integrating Beyond International Limited into its existing group.” Upon taking full control of Beyond, Banijay … [Read more...] about Beyond Rights CEO David Smyth Is Leaving After Banijay Takeover
Berlin’s EFM Boss Reveals Size Of U.S. & Asia Contingents, Talks Growing Importance Of TV
The Berlinale ’s European Film Market was the last major physical market to take place in 2020 as the world began shutting down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus would force the event online in 2021 and 2022. The EFM’s traditional home of the Gropius Bau looked strangely empty last February, playing host to an exhibition by South African artist Zanele Muholi, as the event unfolded online alongside a scaled-down physical festival. Its vast atrium and halls are set to be packed with hundreds of stands and thousands of professionals once again this year for EFM’s 2023 edition, running February 16-22. Both the Gropius Bau and the market’s other key exhibition space of the Marriott Hotel are already fully booked. “The good news for us is that we are completely at the same level in terms of accreditations as we were at this time of the year in 2020. This means that we are forecast to reach the same amount of market participants,” EFM director Dennis Ruh . As … [Read more...] about Berlin’s EFM Boss Reveals Size Of U.S. & Asia Contingents, Talks Growing Importance Of TV
Michael Peña Wishes Jeremy Renner Well After Heroic Snowplow Accident
TMZ.com Michael Peña has nothing but well wishes for Jeremy Renner after his snowplow accident ... saying he hopes he makes a full recovery, after saving lives on and off camera. We caught up with Michael at LAX and asked all about his fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe star ... who's, of course, healing after a snowcat crushed him -- shattering more than 30 bones -- while he was trying to rescue his nephew. TMZ.com Michael tells us, he hopes Jeremy fully recovers soon. In his words ... 30 is whole a lot of bones to break, so he's wishing him the best of luck. You could tell he was pleasantly surprised at how positive Jeremy's been through such a horrific situation . Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. In case you didn't know, both actors are part of the MCU -- Michael in the 'Ant-Man' franchise and Jeremy in the 'Avengers' flicks -- plus, they costarred in "American Hustle." While this obviously sucks for … [Read more...] about Michael Peña Wishes Jeremy Renner Well After Heroic Snowplow Accident