French cannes film festival

While Covid cases begin to surge again in Hollywood, it’s a different story nearly 6,000 miles away as the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival kicked off with a bang on Friday night. The prominent Central European festival showed no sign that the pandemic was going to mar yet another edition of the much-loved event as delegates packed into the Hotel Thermal’s Grand Hall for its opening night ceremony and opening night film Superheroes , from Italian director Paolo Genovese. The 56th edition of the event opened with an unexpected announcement, asking audience members to turn off their phones and start recording as a huge QR code saying “Scan Me” was unveiled on the screen. Delegates were able to watch festival dancers online on their mobile devices via the QR code before they descended onto the stage with an energetic and well-choreographed dance number featuring dramatic flames of fire exploding upwards at the front of the stage. It was a fitting opening for … [Read more...] about Karlovy Vary Int’l Film Festival Heats Up With Opening Night Gala & Paolo Genovese’s Relationship Drama ‘Superheroes’

In a robust year for international animation—with a record eight Japanese films on the Oscars shortlist—Mamoru Hosoda brought a most personal project to Cannes, trying for a historic first. The first Japanese anime to premiere at the prestigious French festival—and the Directors’ Fortnight’s sole animated entry this year— Mirai was ambitious, taking as its protagonist a four-year-old boy. Undoubtedly, small children have featured into many an animated film over the years. It’s the way children are handled, though, that sets Mirai apart, in its approach and the level of complexity at hand. As a point of comparison, Hosoda references The Boss Baby , a 2017 film starring Alec Baldwin as a briefcase-carrying tot in professional dress. “Boss Baby is a character. He’s not really a baby, because it’s an old man [playing] the baby,” the director reflects. “I really wanted a realistic four-year-old as the main character, and we really had a challenging time because it’s about the way … [Read more...] about Mourning Loss Of Paint-And-Paper Anime, ‘Mirai’ Director Attempts Animated First With Four-Year-Old Protagonist

Dionne Warwick : Don’t Make Me Over is an apt title for a documentary by David Heilbroner and Dave Wooley on the life of iconic singer and legend Dionne Warwick. She stands out from the other singing divas because her catalog is the most diverse. With her cross-genre appeal, her music touched all people, everywhere. Gen Z knows Warwick based on her social media persona (as she’s called “Auntie Dionne” on Twitter), so this film couldn’t have come at a better time, as a new generation of youngsters will learn why she is iconic in every way. The film is at its most authentic when Warwick gets to tell her story in her own words–and she is having a blast doing so. The documentary begins with a sweeping shot of the landmark Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. They intend to honor Warwick with a plaque on the Apollo Star Walk of Fame. The scene is cut with intermittent clips of admirers and friends of the legendary singer, including Gladys Knight, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Elton John … [Read more...] about Toronto Review: Dionne Warwick Documentary ‘Don’t Make Me Over’

In the competitive world of feature animation, it takes more than an entertaining yarn and a bit of slapstick comedy to cut through the noise. To make an impact at the box office in 2018—and at the Oscars, heading now into its 91st go-round—filmmakers are called upon to pursue a new standard of excellence, going back to the drawing board with each new effort, and finding exciting ways to break the mold. Leading the charge as regular contenders for Best Animated Feature since the category was created in 2001, Walt Disney Studios , and its Bay area subsidiary Pixar , once again enter the field of 25 films, with two projects that embody the category’s ideals. First, there’s Incredibles 2 , Brad Bird’s return to the groundbreaking superhero world he established in 2004. Sending the Parr family off on new adventures (with Elastigirl out chasing runaway trains, and Mr. Incredible taking a backseat), the film easily achieved hard-to-get hit sequel status, setting a record … [Read more...] about Oscars: Can Anyone Break Disney & Pixar’s Animated Feature Streak In 2019?

The Forgiven with Jessica Chastain opens in 122 theaters this weekend as the flow of indie films continues to build with well-reviewed, festival-pedigreed product including Mr. Malcolm’s List and Clara Sola . Meanwhile, producers and most other U.S. businesses are hoping economic storm clouds won’t ding their industry’s nascent revival. “I think we have seen a slow recovery. We are feeling bullish,” said Howard Cohen, co-president of The Forgiven distributor Roadside Attractions. He cited a helpful “knockoff effect” from popular wide releases Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick, where a significant chunk of the audience is an arthouse-friendly 55 and over. He’s talking about moviegoing, a great value for people during economic slowdowns when box office grosses have tended to rise. But down the chain, higher inflation, “while it doesn’t mean movies won’t get made, will affect decision making and things may be more complicated,” said Cohen. Higher interest rates could … [Read more...] about Indie Recovery Builds Amid Inflation, Interest Rate Jitters – Specialty Preview

Splash Mountain will be transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, with the reconceived attraction set to open at Disneyland and Disney World in late 2024. Carmen Smith, SVP, Creative Development – Product/Content & Inclusive Strategies for Disney, confirmed the plans in a blog post. Disney had indicated in 2020 that it would overhaul the attraction in 2020, sharing the news as protests against racial injustice were roiling the country. Splash Mountain had been based on the Uncle Remus Br’er Rabbit story in the company’s controversial 1946 film Song of the South . As Smith’s post and an accompanying YouTube video took pains to note, the focus of Imagineers in this updated effort is to pay homage to the history and heritage of New Orleans. The new tie-in will be to Disney’s 2009 animated film, The Princess and the Frog . The flume ride’s new incarnation will pick up the story of the movie after the final kiss, following Princess Tiana (played by Anika Noni … [Read more...] about Disney Reveals Opening Date And Details Of Splash Mountain Transformation Into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure