AGBO Has Announced 2024 Winner Of The “Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum”

agboAGBO and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) has announced “My Kind of People,” directed by Joe Picozzi, as the winner of the 2024 Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF). Earlier this year, five filmmakers received $10,000 production grants to create short films based on concepts exploring the Italian American experience. From these exceptional works, “My Kind of People” has been selected as the top prize winner and will receive an additional $10,000 grant, along with access to the AGBO Storytellers Collective. Picozzi’s short film tells the story of a proud paesano who, after a DNA test reveals his father’s adoption, must grapple with the devastating realization that he’s not genetically Italian. As the foundation of his identity crumbles and his familial bonds fracture, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, wrestling with the meaning of heritage, belonging, and identity.

Since its inception in 2017, RBIAFF has supported emerging voices in cinema by awarding over $400,000 in grants to more than 50 talented filmmakers. This year marks a continued celebration of Italian American culture, language, and heritage through the lens of creative storytelling.

The winner was chosen by a selection committee composed of the AGBO creative team, ISDA leadership, and a distinguished panel of judges that included AGBO Co-Founders and Partners Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, AGBO’s Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot, and ISDA National President Basil Russo, and ISDA representative Patricia Russo. The program’s mission remains steadfast: to elevate authentic, compelling narratives that highlight the richness of the Italian American experience.
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HWASA Announces First-Ever Solo Tour Across The U.S. And Canada With ‘HWASA Live Tour [Twits]’ In North America

TwitsToday, singer-songwriter HWASA announced her highly anticipated first solo tour across the U.S. and Canada, the HWASA LIVE TOUR [Twits] in North America. Produced by Live Nation, the 11-city tour kicks off on Tuesday, March 11 at Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA, making additional stops in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Brooklyn and more before wrapping up on Thursday, April 3 in Chicago, IL at The Auditorium.

HWASA rose to fame as a member of the iconic K-pop girl group MAMAMOO. She launched her solo career in 2019 with the hit single “TWIT” and in 2024, she unveiled her official fandom name, TWITs, a nod to her debut track. Her first EP, Maria, followed, with its title track earning platinum certification on the KMCA chart. This fall, HWASA returned with her highly anticipated sophomore mini-album, Q. The HWASA LIVE TOUR [Twits] follows HWASA’s ‘Twits’ solo fancon tour throughout Seoul, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore earlier this year.

HWASA, a powerhouse vocalist, has emerged as a standout solo artist in the K-pop industry. Best known as a member of the acclaimed girl group MAMAMOO, HWASA has carved out a unique identity with her bold style and soulful voice. Since her solo debut in 2019, she has captivated audiences worldwide with her distinctive sound and charismatic performances.

Registration is open now HERE for the Fan Community Member Presale, which will begin on Thursday, December 5 at 3PM local time. The general onsale will begin on Friday, December 6 at 3PM local time at LiveNation.com
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Winners of the 34th Edition of The Gothams Announced

thegothamsThe Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the winners of the 34th edition of The Gothams at a ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

The Gothams provide early recognition and media attention for outstanding and groundbreaking storytellers, including writers, directors, producers and actors. Nominees were selected by independent committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate independent juries independent of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors, and other film industry professionals determined the final recipients of The Gothams.

The Gothams Tributes, the organization’s highest honors celebrating outstanding achievement in film, were also presented at the ceremony. The Tributes recognize the industry’s most accomplished creators and performers whose work has made an indelible impact on both the art form and popular culture.

The winner for Best Feature was A Different Man.
The winner for Best International Feature was All We Imagine as Light.
The winner for Best Documentary Feature was presented to No Other Land.
The winner for Best Director was RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys.
The winner for Best Screenplay was Azazel Jacobs for His Three Daughters.
The winner for Breakthrough Director Gotham was Vera Drew for The People’s Joker.
The winner for Outstanding Lead Performance was Colman Domingo in Sing Sing.
The winner for Outstanding Supporting Performance was Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing.
The winner for Breakthrough Performer was Brandon Wilson in Nickel Boys.
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Trailer for “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” Released

wallace-and-gromit-vengeance-most-fowlNetflix drops the final trailer for “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” Aardman’s highly-anticipated stop-motion animated feature.

In the upcoming stop motion animated comedy, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

The voice cast includes Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh, Lenny Henry.

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is set for release in theaters December 18 and then hits Netflix January 3, 2025.

Watch the full official trailer for “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” below:

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Award-Winning Doc Feature “Fairy Creek” to Debut at WFF

fairy-creekFairy Creek documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history; a blockade which made international headlines and broke records with nearly 1200 people arrested for protesting to protect BC’s last old-growth forests

Understory Films’ documentary feature film FAIRY CREEK will screen for audiences at home in BC for the first time at the Whistler Film Festival on December 7, 2024, 2024 at 3:45pm at the Village 8 Cinemas in Whistler. It was also recently announced that Cinema Politica boarded the film as distributor ahead of the film’s world premiere at Planet in Focus, where the film took home the Best Canadian Feature Award.

In FAIRY CREEK, director Jen Muranetz documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, creating a searing portrait of contemporary environmental activism, bearing witness to the lengths activists are willing to go to protect British Columbia’s last old growth forests. With unique insider access, the team behind FAIRY CREEK follows the Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) blockade from its early inception to its bittersweet ending through the lens of an ensemble cast of blockade vanguards and those who oppose them. Employing in-the-trenches cinema vérité, the film introduces spirited environmentalists embroiled in a series of often violent altercations with loggers and RCMP, all while trying to stop old-growth logging in the untouched Fairy Creek valley. The activists show unwavering dedication to their cause, while having compelling internal debates about whose voices are prioritized in the movement. By documenting this significant and contentious juncture in time, FAIRY CREEK calls attention to a much larger conversation: what does it take to find common ground in the fight for a climate-just future?
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New Poster And Clip For “Universal Language” Released

universal-languageWith over 15 festival wins, “Universal Language” continues to capture the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Universal Language is also Canada’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. The film is eligible for all 2024 honors, having completed a one-week qualifying run earlier this year.

Directed by Matthew Rankin and co-written with Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi, Universal Language marks Rankin’s second feature after the critically acclaimed The Twentieth Century (2019).

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

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The Clock Strikes The Witching Hour In Season Two Of Critically Acclaimed Ongoing Series Nights

nightsThe clock strikes the witching hour in Season Two of the critically acclaimed supernatural series Nights, with a new upcoming arc of the ongoing comic book series that travels back in time to 1970s Las Vegas to explore the criminal origins of fan-favorite vampire girl Gray and her charismatic witch ex, Erik.

Beloved co-creators Wyatt Kennedy and Luigi Formisano and series editor Alana Fox are returning to the fantasy-horror series to pack a bloodier punch and plunge deeper into the darkness in this time-traveling storyline that is both a great jumping on point for new readers and a treat for longtime fans.

Launching in February 2025, Season Two will also present a new otherworldly antagonist, Moriel, and reveal the aftermath of the shocking events in the upcoming Season One finale issue, Nights #12, hitting shelves this January. Fans of anime like Studio Ghibli films will love this animation-influenced urban gothic series with equal measure of blood, heart, and humor.
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Frank Capra’s “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town” In 35mm at Film Forum

Mr.-Deeds-Goes-To-TownFrank Capra’s comedy-drama masterpiece “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town” (1936), starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur, will be screened in 35mm at Film Forum from Friday, December 27 through Thursday, January 2.

Nominated for five Academy Awards – winning Best Director for Capra – MR. DEEDS is one of eight collaborations between Capra and screenwriter Robert Riskin, who together are often credited with creating both the classic screwball and romantic comedy genres.

Cooper’s “pixilated” tuba-playing, greeting card versifying Vermonter Longfellow Deeds inherits $20 million — and then he’s whisked from Mandrake Falls to Park Avenue, as wisecracking reporter Jean Arthur dubs him the “Cinderella Man.” “Capra and Riskin’s crowning achievement… If I were to choose one film to be both the best and most representative of the decade, this would be it.” – David Shipman

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New Trailer For Vampire Horror Film “Bleeding”

bleedingBLEEDING follows Eric, a 17-year-old grieving the overdose death of his brother. When his cousin Sean, the hot-shot son of an alcoholic cop, gets pulled into the lucrative, deadly world of using and selling Blood, Eric will do whatever it takes to save him from the same fate that swallowed his brother whole.

With a debt to a vicious dealer and no way to pay it back, Eric and Sean break into an empty house and find a sleeping girl locked inside. What seems like an answer to their prayers brings new danger, a link to their past, and revelations that will test the bonds of blood and friendship.

“Bleeding delves into the raw and unfiltered realities of addiction, heartbreak, and hope. To me, it’s a personal reminder of the fragility and resilience of the human spirit, finding light in those moments of darkness, and I think it’s a message that’s needed now more than ever”, says producer Bofan Zhang.

BLEEDING is written, directed, and produced by Andrew Bell. Produced by Nicholas Payne Santos, Bofan Zhang, and Kenneth Green. Cinematography by Daniel Cho. Edited by Bell. Composed by Alex Symcox. A 88/90 production.

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Jerome Yoo’s MONGRELS Wins FIPRESCI Prize at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF)

mongrelsJerome Yoo’s debut feature film MONGRELS has won the prestigious FIPRESCI Critics Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The award, which is presented by a jury from the International Federation of Film Critics, promotes film art and supports new and young cinema globally. MONGRELS was also presented with the First Feature Competition’s Special Jury Prize For the Cast. Vancouver and Seoul-based Yoo was present to accept the award at the PÖFF ceremony on November 23rd in Estonia.

This is the second festival and second award win for Yoo, who recently had a sold out world premiere of MONGRELS at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) where he was honoured with the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Horizon Award for emerging Canadian director. MONGRELS was one of five films in post-production selected to be highlighted at the Udine Far East Film Festival’s FOCUS ASIA.
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