True story where was it filmed

The last time Mexican superstar Eugenio Derbez had a film at Sundance was just in 2021. The movie was CODA, and it not only swept all the top prizes at the fest that year, it went on to win three Oscars including Best Picture . He had a supporting role in that film as an inspirational high school music teacher, and now in Radical , which just had its world premiere at Sundance on opening night at the Eccles Theatre, he essays another inspirational teacher. This time it’s a true story and one in which he plays the lead role of Sergio Juarez. Juarez (full name Sergio Juarez Correa) was the subject of a Wired magazine article by Josh Davis that detailed his rather incredible story as an unorthodox teacher in a poor Mexican border town called Matamoros. It is a forgotten poor city with little hope for its kids, particularly in the elementary school, where he uses a teaching method he stumbled upon seeing a TED Talks video in which the students lead the curriculum in … [Read more...] about ‘Radical’ Sundance Film Festival Review: Eugenio Derbez Back In The Classroom In Inspiring True Story

So far nearly all the 2023 Sundance Film Festival films I have seen are based on true stories, from a teacher in Radical, to a gay single father in San Francisco circa ’70s and ’80s in Fairyland, to Michael J. Fox as himself, and now yet another iconic character gets his story told on the big screen. World Premiering at Sundance tonight is Cassandro , a wild story of the first openly gay wrestler in the ultra macho sport of Mexico’s Lucha Libre. Although the Lucha Libre and their outragous contingent known as the Exotico is a well-known in Mexico, it is not so well known outside of the country. That is about to change thanks to this film which represents the narrative feature film debut of Oscar-winning documentarian Roger Ross Williams ( Life Animated), who became fascinated with the life of famed wrestler Saul Armendariz — aka Cassandro — when he made a short docu on his life. Sensing this was perfect material for a theatrical movie, he joined with writer David … [Read more...] about ‘Cassandro’ Sundance Film Festival Review: Gael Garcia Bernal Dazzles In The Ring As The ‘Liberace Of Lucha Libre’

Emilia Jones earned a lot of attention as the star of 2021’s big Sundance winner and eventual Best Picture Oscar winner CODA, and the praise should be continuing this year as she not only stars in Cat People but also Fairyland , which had its world premiere in Park City on Friday. Sofia Coppola serves as lead producer for this American Zoetrope production of Andrew Durham’s feature film writing and directing debut, and it is a memorable one that is unlikely to leave a dry eye in the house. It had me in quiet tears by the end of this film adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s moving 2013 memoir of growing up in San Francisco with her widowed father just as gay pride was taking hold and the AIDS epidemic was on the horizon. This is not a sweeping panorama of what happened there in the 1970s and ’80s, but rather a personal coming-of-age story of the unconventional relationship between a gay single father and the daughter he must bring up alone after the tragic death of his wife. … [Read more...] about ‘Fairyland’ Sundance Film Festival Review: Emilia Jones & Scoot McNairy In Touching Memoir Set Against San Francisco’s AIDS Epidemic

There is so much to appreciate about A.V. Rockwell ’s A Thousand and One . The film chronicles the lives of native New Yorkers from 1994-2005, which was a period of transition in NYC. The atmosphere began to change, as stop and frisk was over-utilized, gentrification was displacing the people of Harlem at rapid speed, and the culture of the city gave way to sterilization. Now there are even fewer resources available, the wage gap is beyond repair and it’s unaffordable. Rockwell drew inspiration from this and created a coming-of-age story about finding an identity and chosen family. The film starts in 1994, Inez De La Paz ( Teyana Taylor ) kidnaps her 6-year-old child Terry (Aaron Kingley Adetola) out of the foster care system. She knows what’s in store for him if he stays with the city as she too is a product of the system. Inez finds refuge in a friend and her mother who finds out Terry isn’t supposed to be with her. Because of her tough exterior, she comes off as aggressive … [Read more...] about ‘A Thousand And One’ Sundance Film Festival Review: A Mother And Son Bare The Weight Of A Brutal City In A.V. Rockwell’s New Movie

Alice Diop ’s French drama Saint Omer opens in theaters today, and I remember the emotions I felt when I saw the film at Venice last year. It was a very personal experience for me — as if someone was telling my story on screen. At the beginning of my eventual interview with Diop, I asked where she sees herself within the French film industry. She made it clear she has stopped contemplating how she fits in. “It’s a question that I’m asked a lot, but I no longer ask myself where I fit in with French cinema,” she said. Can’t blame her for thinking that way. Creators of color often are asked those questions — or about the state of inclusion in Hollywood and how they would improve it. Questions that their white counterparts frequently and unfairly avoid. Written by Diop, Amrita David, and Marie N’Diaye, Saint Omer allowed the director to shift focus to her work and let the story speak for itself. “I don’t want to put my energy into what my place in the industry is anymore,” … [Read more...] about ‘Saint Omer’ Director Alice Diop On Why It’s Important For Her Films To Make A Political Statement – The Deadline Q&A

EXCLUSIVE : Ido Samuel ( Fill The Void ) and Lihi Kornowski ( Crimes Of The Future ) are the latest to join Hulu Originals limited series We Were The Lucky Ones in recurring roles. Already announced for the drama, which is now filming, are Joey King, Logan Lerman, Robin Weigert, Michael Aloni, Henry Lloyd Hughes, Hadas Yaron and Lior Ashkenazi. Based on Georgia Hunter’s well-received novel, the series is inspired by the true story of a Jewish family which was separated at the start of World War II but is determined to survive and reunite. Samuel will plays Isaac. A loyal friend, he tries to help Mila (Yaron) and her young daughter Felicia escape the ghetto, but his effectiveness—and his relationship with the Kurc family—is painfully tested by his role in the Jewish Police. Kornowski will play Eliska. Young, wealthy and beautiful, she meets Addy (Lerman) on a ship carrying refugees attempting to escape the Nazis. The limited series is executive-produced and … [Read more...] about ‘We Were The Lucky Ones’: Ido Samuel and Lihi Kornowski Join Hulu Series With Joey King & Logan Lerman; Filming Underway

EXCLUSIVE : Former Netflix exec Janice Lee has joined Fifth Season as Vice President, Film Development and Production, with longtime team member Kara Duncan being promoted to the same role. The news comes as the global film and TV studio, formerly known as Endeavor Content, kicks off the year with four films heading to Sundance and another two soon heading to theaters. As members of the team led by EVP, Film Development and Production, Alexis Garcia, Lee and Duncan will be responsible for expanding the studio’s slate of indie and big- budget features, made with top-tier talent for distribution on streaming platforms and in theaters. The pair will report to SVPs, Film Development and Production, Dan Guando and Negeen Yazdi. After seeing major success at Sundance 2022 with Cha Cha Real Smooth , the Cooper Raiff Audience Award winner that went to Apple in the largest sale of the festival, Fifth Season is poised to return to Utah with two narrative film premieres and … [Read more...] about Fifth Season Sets Janice Lee & Kara Duncan For Posts As Vice President, Film Development And Production

Magnolia Pictures has taken global rights to CNN Films and director Lisa Cortés’ Little Richard: I Am Everything following its world premiere as the opening night selection of Sundance in the US Documentary Competition section. Produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films, and executive produced by Dee Rees, the film tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock ‘n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Magnolia plans to release the film in April. HBO Max is an EP and has domestic and international SVOD streaming rights. The docu through archive and performance materials follows Little Richard’s switchbacks and contradictions.  In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he … [Read more...] about Sundance Documentary ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Goes To Magnolia

EXCLUSIVE : Prolific character actor David Dastmalchian has today announced the launch of his genre-focused production company, Good Fiend Films , which will look to produce character-driven projects across horror, sci-fi and fantasy for film, television, audio and publishing. Dastmalchian, who has recently been seen in such blockbusters as Dune and The Suicide Squad , envisions his shingle as a home for stories about complex characters from all walks of life. Good Fiend Films will aim to generate nostalgic, entertaining content that captivates audiences while reminding them they’re not alone in this scary world. First up on the docket for the company is the horror Late Night with the Devil , starring Dastmalchian as the 1970s late-night talk show host Jack Delroy, on which both the actor and his company hold contributing production credits. The film from writer-directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures will make its world … [Read more...] about David Dastmalchian Launches Production Company Good Fiend Films

Shudder and IFC Midnight are launching microbudget Skinamarink on a not-so-micro 629 screens, giving the viral horror pic a major push after a well-received premiere back at Fantasia-fest that just kept snowballing with strong reviews and social media love. “I was over the moon. For a horror filmmaker in Canada, [Fantasia] is like getting a Cannes screening,” says first-time filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball about the leadup to this weekend’s buzzy specialty opening. He shot the $15k feature at his parents’ home in Edmonton, Canada. In it, two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. “I’d had a nightmare when I was little. I was in my parents’ house, my parents were missing, and there was a monster. And lots of people have shared this exact same dream,” Ball tells Deadline. He should know. After film school and a stint selling video equipment, he launched a YouTube channel called Bitesized … [Read more...] about Microbudget Horror ‘Skinamarink’ Creeps Onto 600+ Screens – Specialty Preview