Sponsoring a ukrainian refugee

The first international show to be greenlit in Ukraine since the start of the war has entered production. Red Arrow Studios International -backed anthology series Those Who Stayed, which Deadline first revealed in August , started the first filming block of three of its six episodes last week. The second block will begin next month and delivery is planned for the autumn. A number of Nordic networks have already boarded Those Who Stayed and Deadline understands more network deals are close. From Film.UA and Red Arrow Studios International, the comedy-drama anthology tells stories from the early days of Russia’s attack on its neighbor more than one year ago. Three production teams are working side by side in Kyiv, adhering to strict safety protocols and dealing with the daily challenges of filming amidst the war. The three episodes currently being filmed are titled Kyiv-Berlin, Homeless and In the Zoo . The first episode tells a story of a homeless … [Read more...] about Ukrainian War Anthology ‘Those Who Stayed’ Enters Production

EXCLUSIVE: The Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews , held in northern Scotland, has set the lineup for its second edition, running April 14 – 16. Over the course of three days, the festival will host a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo ( Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man ), who returns to St Andrews after supporting the inaugural edition in 2022. Russo will be bringing with him what the festival has described as an “early sneak peek of a hotly anticipated project” that he has executive produced under his AGBO production outfit. The title of the pic will not be unveiled until the screening begins. The festival has also set Russo as the host of a public discussion on gaming and contemporary storytelling with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard, who has worked as a creator and director on titles such as Fortnite . Russo’s AGBO is among the backers of Sands, alongside … [Read more...] about Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews Sets Second Edition Including Joe Russo Talk & Mystery AGBO Debut

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Nick Faldo, and Aaron Judge are among the elite professional athletes who have benefitted from working with a sports psychologist. Now some esports stars are catching onto the idea. Canadian sales agent Syndicado has acquired worldwide rights to The Gamer , a documentary that revolves around Verneri “Bona” Junkala, a talented 17-year-old CS:GO e-athlete whose goal is to be the best in Finland. Bona always comes in second place in Counterstrike, however, until he begins working with world’s best esports psychologist, Mia. The film directed by Finnish directors Petri Luukkainen and Jesse Jokinen makes its world premiere on Sunday at the prestigious CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen, screening in Nordic:DOX competition. The sessions with Mia set Junkala “on a path to self-discovery to not only become a better player, but a better person,” according to a description of the film. “Unexpectedly, another player and old nemesis from … [Read more...] about Syndicado Acquires Rights To Esports Documentary ‘The Gamer’ Ahead of CPH:DOX World Premiere

Michael Winterbottom has devoted much of his filmmaking career to revisiting real-life events through works blurring the boundaries between documentary and drama to various degrees. The filmmaker shed light on his approach in a recent Doha Film Institute (DFI) masterclass, going behind the scenes of Welcome To Sarajevo , 24 Hour Party People , In This World , The Road To Guantanamo , A Might Heart and Eleven Days In May . “It’s a continuum, even if you’re filming a fantasy film in a studio on a green screen there is an element of document to that. You’re recording that moment of the act of performance,” he said when quizzed on his attitude towards documentary versus fiction. “Equally, even in a documentary like Eleven Days … you’re trying to shape that story, so it a continuum,” he added, referring to the 2022 documentary commemorating 68 children killed in Israeli bombing raids over Gaza in May 2021. Winterbottom elaborated on this idea through his … [Read more...] about Michael Winterbottom Talks Blurring Of Lines Between Documentary & Fiction; Appeals For UK Film Funding Rethink – Qumra Masterclass

Today’s eagerly awaited DGA nominations are out and there are no surprises in the bunch. Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron , Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass , 12 Years A Slave’s Steve McQueen , American Hustle’s David O. Russell and The Wolf Of Wall Street ‘s Martin Scorsese were all odds-on favorites to make the five — and they did. Some might have questioned Scorsese’s chances since the film has become a lightning rod for controversy and was the last major release of the year, meaning the 15,000-member guild voters would have to see it in time to cast their ballot. But c’mon, he’s Martin Scorsese. There would be no denying this achievement among his fellow directors. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the guild and 10 other nominations with 3 wins in 3 different categories ( The Departed in film, Boardwalk Empire in TV a nd George Harrison: Living In The Material World in documentary). He’s a god to this guild. Greengrass, McQueen and … [Read more...] about No Shockers Among DGA Awards Film Nominees: Cuaron, Greengrass, McQueen, Russell, Scorsese

EXCLUSIVE: Producer Amy Williams has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Waheed AlQawasmi, the writer and director of upcoming indie feature Jacir , starring Lorraine Bracco . The suit also names WAFilms, the production company behind the film. AlQawasmi has hit back, describing the complaint as “without merit”. In the complaint, filed in the Chancery Court for Shelby County, Tennessee, producer Williams claims that AlQawasmi wrongfully removed her name from the film as its lead producer and has failed to pay her the promised compensation for her work on the project. According to the filing, Williams says AlQawasmi approached her in 2016 to help produce the film originally titled My Friend Jacir . The suit claims that Williams procured funding and cast members for the movie, including Bracco, who stars in the film’s lead role. The film completed production in December 2020, at which point the suit claims that AlQawasmi “manufactured” a contract breach on … [Read more...] about Producer Amy Williams Files Lawsuit Against Filmmakers Behind Indie Drama ‘Jacir’ Starring Lorraine Bracco

EXCLUSIVE: Anna Winger drew inspiration from comedy and entertainment in Casablanca when penning upcoming Netflix war drama Transatlanti c. The show, which is the first to emerge from the Deutschland 83 creator’s Netflix deal , tells the story of the Emergency Rescue Committee, an organization that helped thousands of refugees escape Nazi-occupied Marseille during World War Two. Speaking exclusively to Deadline just before its Series Mania premiere, Winger said she wanted to set Transatlantic apart from previous similar offerings such as Schindler’s List through its humor and creativity, and that she sought inspiration from 1942 hit Casablanca. “I’ve been approached with lots of World War Two material during my career and have avoided it because I felt like it had been done, but what I loved about this story is the positivity,” she added. “We leaned into the style of the movies made at the time [of Casablanca ], which were being made … [Read more...] about ‘Unorthodox’ & ‘Deutschland 83’ Creator Anna Winger Says Her Netflix War Drama ‘Transatlantic’ Was Inspired By Comedy In ‘Casablanca’

Whenever the Iranian regime feels threatened by public protest its reflex is to go after two groups: demonstrators, most assuredly, but also artists – especially filmmakers. When protests surged in six provinces in May last year over rising food prices, the government promptly banged on the doors of two documentary filmmakers, Mina Keshavarz and Firouzeh Khosrovani, and arrested them. For good measure, law enforcement agents reportedly harassed numerous other filmmakers, seizing their communications equipment. The May unrest appears mild compared to the uproar triggered in September 2022 by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly not wearing her hijab in accordance with law. Security forces have attacked and killed an unknown number of demonstrators in the course of months of protests. The government also responded with an immediate clamp down on leading figures in Iranian cinema, detaining or imprisoning Jafar Panahi, Mohammad … [Read more...] about Wim Wenders, Afsun Moshiry Unveil Six Iranian Docs At CPH:DOX As Iran’s Regime Continues Crackdown On Filmmakers

BAFTA has pulled the curtain back on its Television Awards nominations, and This Is Going To Hurt and The Responder are leading the chase for a famous bronze mask. The BBC dramas each have six nominations across the BAFTA Television Awards and BAFTA Television Craft Awards, including Leading Actor for Ben Whishaw and Martin Freeman. Whishaw plays junior doctor Adam Kay in This Is Going To Hurt , which was co-produced by AMC. Freeman features as an urgent response police officer in The Responder . This Is Going To Hurt is nominated for Mini Series, while The Responder will compete in the Drama Series race. Adam Kay and Tony Schumacher will both do battle in the Writer: Drama category at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards. The BBC has a total of 81 nominations, putting it comfortably ahead of its nearest rival Channel 4, which has 33 nominations. Netflix scooped 24 nominations, while Apple TV+ was behind with 15. Bad Sisters and Slow Horses both … [Read more...] about BAFTA TV Awards Nominations: ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ & ‘The Responder’ Lead Chase For Prizes

Your prom probably didn’t have a glorious gaggle of Broadway troupers and their trunk loads of self-regard and narcissism gumming things up for your rite of passage – more’s the pity – but in some ways I’d guess Broadway’s musical The Prom isn’t so unlike the one you lived through way back when. The build-up was more fun than the event, right? Inspired by an actual event – and the inspired is apt – The Prom is the latest razzle-dazzle show-biz love fest from director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw, who applied the same glitz and show-biz glitter to Mean Girls, Aladdin and, more to the point here, Something Rotten! , that great mash-up of the Bard and Broadway. Comparisons won’t do The Prom much good – Something Rotten it isn’t, but it tries. The Prom begins with a first-act of laughs and a demolition of the type of delicious Broadway monsters who can drop Carrie the Musical jokes with the timed precision of a Fosse broken doll walk. The premise … [Read more...] about ‘The Prom’ Review: Broadway Comedy Razzle-Dazzles Small Town Bigotry