Competition

The Jerusalem Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its Israeli feature film competition as well as all the other local productions selected to screen in its 39th edition, running 21-31. The event returns to its traditional July dates for the first time since 2019 this year, after the Covid-19 pandemic forced it online in 2020 and pushed it into August and prevented it from inviting international guests in 2021. This edition is being piloted by Jerusalem Cinematheque manager Roni Mahadav-Levin and artistic director Elad Samorzik, following the departure earlier this year of longtime cinematheque and festival director Noa Regev to head up the Israel Film Fund. Her replacement will be decided after this year’s edition. World premieres in the Israeli competition include Michal Vinik’s drama Valeria Is Getting Married about two Ukrainian sisters who travel to Israel for marriage.  It is Vinik’s first solo feature since 2015 festival breakout Blush . Yona … [Read more...] about Jerusalem Film Festival Unveils Israeli Competition As It Gears Up For First Full Edition Since 2019

The Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has defended its decision to invite a Russian film to its 56th edition, in spite of promises that it would not welcome Russia state-backed films due to the war in Ukraine . Russian directors Natasha Merlulova and Aleksey Chupov’s drama Captain Volkonogov Escaped is due to play in the Horizons sidebar. A number of Ukrainian directors who have also been invited to show their films at the festival published an open letter protesting the move on Tuesday. “We understand your arguments, however, we strictly refuse your interpretation that the screening of this film, which was in the past supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, distracts the international community from the war crimes committed in Ukraine,” said the festival’s president Jiří Bartoška, executive director Kryštof Mucha and artistic director Karel Och in an official statement. “On the contrary, we believe that by … [Read more...] about Karlovy Vary Defends Decision To Invite Russian Film To 2022 Edition

UPDATED with latest: Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell will co-host The Real Love Boat . The CBS series premieres October 5 at 9 p.m. ET. “After years of consuming, arguing about and dissecting unscripted television, hosting a reality series where a group of singles look for love while aboard a Princess Cruise ship, seemed like a dream come true,” said the husband-and-wife team in a joint statement Tuesday. “When we heard it was aboard The Real Love Boat , that dream got an iconic theme song – ‘we promise something for everyone.’ ” PREVIOUSLY, : Exciting and new ? CBS will try again to launch a successful dating show by ordering to series The Real Love Boat , a reality competition series that’s inspired by the classic ’70s series that took place on Princess Cruises ships. The U.S. network and Australian Broadcaster Network 10 will jointly commission localized versions of the show that will bring “singles together to cruise the Mediterranean … [Read more...] about ‘The Real Love Boat’ Adds Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell As Hosts

Miss Colorado and Miss South Carolina shouldn't have made the Top 16 at the Miss USA pageant this year because they lacked in the face ... this according to ex-Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin . Miss USA organization sources gave TMZ text messages it claims Sheena sent to a pageant official during the Miss USA competition ... in which Sheena first says the competition was rigged. In the text exchange, Sheena writes, "Colorado? South Carolina? I'm done. This is ridiculous. It's obviously rigged so the girl they want can shine; they kept several beautiful girls out for that reason." Miss USA sources believe the text messages show Sheena's conspiracy theory is emotionally-motivated ... NOT based on any facts ... and is therefore BS. Sheena has recently claimed she learned another contestant saw a secret Miss USA document which contained the names of the Top 5 finalists before they were announced ... and even though Sheena never personally saw the … [Read more...] about Miss Pennsylvania — Miss South Carolina & Miss Colorado Were TOO UGLY for Top 16

Natasha Henstridge -- man-eating vet of two "Species" flicks -- has claimed another victim ... filing to divorce her husband of just over 2 years. TMZ obtained a copy of Natasha's court documents in which she cites ye olde "irreconcilable differences" in her split from Darius Campbell -- a former contestant on England's "Pop Idol" competition. 38-year-old Henstridge and 32-year-old Campbell got married back in March, 2011. The papers state they separated on April 10, 2013. They have no children together ... though Natasha has 2 kids from a previous relationship. In her filing, Natasha requests no spousal support be paid ... by either party. Gallery Launch Gallery Getty/TMZ.com Composite … [Read more...] about Natasha Henstridge — Files for Divorce

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 1-9) will open this Friday with Italian director Paolo Genovese’s relationship drama Superheroes and close with George Miller’s Cannes title Three Thousand Years of Longin g, it has revealed in a final pre-kick-off announcement. Alessandro Borghi and Jasmine Trinca co-star in Genovese’s romance exploring the high and lows of the relationship between a comic book illustrator and theoretical physicist It is the 11th feature of Genovese, who is best known internationally for his 2016 couple comedy-drama Perfect Strangers which was hit at home and went on to be adapted for multiple territories. Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing – starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba – world premiered out of competition at Cannes last May. The festival also revealed that US actor and director Liev Schreiber and former Cannes Marché du Film head Jerôme Paillard will be guests this year.  Other previously announced … [Read more...] about Liev Schreiber Heads To Karlovy Vary, Festival Announces Opening And Closing Films

Fans of Mare of Easttown may not have to wait too much longer for another HBO limited series starring Kate Winslet : The two-time Emmy winner is set to star in and produce an adaptation of Hernan Diaz’s 2022 novel Trust . HBO acquired the recent bestseller from Riverhead Books in a competitive situation. The book is about a wealthy financier who is dissatisfied by a novel based on his life and his wife’s portrayal, so he asks a secretary to ghostwrite his memoir and set the record straight. The secretary, however, grows uncomfortably aware that he is rewriting history—and his wife’s place in it. Told in four different voices and genres, Trust is a narrative puzzle that subverts the notion of truth and who gets to define it. Diaz will also executive produce the project. Winslet, who won her second Emmy starring in HBO’s Mare of Easttown , is about to start filming Lee , the true story of fashion-photographer-turned-war-correspondent Lee Miller. She is … [Read more...] about Kate Winslet Lines Up Next Limited Series For HBO; Adaptation of Hernan Diaz’s Bestseller ‘Trust’

BritBox International, the streamer run by the BBC and ITV, has restructured, talked up U.S. growth and communicated its desire to avoid “transatlantic puddings” to a room of some of the UK’s most successful drama producers. The streamer, which is behind the likes of Hugh Laurie -starring Agatha Christie adaptation Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, has hired NBCUniversal and Discovery alum Kerry Ball in the newly-created post of Chief Acquisitions & Commercial Officer, while moving to a two-region structure: BBI North America (covering the U.S. and Canada) and BBI International Markets (covering Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland and future new markets). Meanwhile, BritBox’s Moira Hogan has been promoted to EVP International Markets & General Manager APAC and Neale Dennett is upped to SVP International Markets & General Manager EMEA. An EVP North America & General Manager Group Marketing Services will join soon. Reporting to … [Read more...] about BritBox International Restructures, Targets U.S. Growth & Steers Clear Of “Transatlantic Puddings”

Eastern Promises , the popular industry strand of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival , has spent the last two years relegated to an online only event due to Covid-19, but the upcoming seventh edition of the event is now gearing up for what it hopes to be a vintage year as it returns in a physical capacity on Sunday, June 3. The three-day event, which looks to promote regional and international filmmakers with distributors, sales agents, producers and festival programmers, will unveil 35 selected film projects – all at various stages —  through its Works in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch, First Cut+ Works in Progress and Odesa International Film Festival Works in Progress presentations. The most promising projects will receive awards totalling up to €125,000 ($151,850). “The most important thing right now is that we’re back in a physical and on-site situation,” says head of film industry office Hugo Rosák. “We tried the online edition in the … [Read more...] about Festival In Focus: Karlovy Vary’s Industry Strand Eastern Promises Set To Up Its Game For The 56th Edition

EXCLUSIVE: In what is sure to heat up the marketplace right before the holiday weekend, sources tell Deadline Logan Lerman and Phoebe Dynevor are attached to star in the romcom The Threesome with Chad Hartigan directing. Ethan Ogilby penned the script with King Richard production company Star Thrower producing. Described as a high-concept , character-driven comedy in the vein of Knocked Up , the film explores the aftermath of one impulsive, seemingly innocuous decision. When a young man’s perennial crush leads him into an unexpected threesome, he thinks it’s his ultimate fantasy come true. But when the fantasy ends , all three are left with sobering real-world consequences , forcing them to take responsibility for their actions — even if it means compromising the li ves they’ve always envisioned. The package went out on the marketplace earlier this week and has already drawn interest from a handful of suitors. Lerman is coming off the hit … [Read more...] about Logan Lerman And Phoebe Dynevor To Star In Chad Hartigan Comedy ‘The Threesome’: Hot Package