The 2024 Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, today announced its lineup of television and original indie episodic series. The Festival, which takes place June 5-16, showcases highly anticipated world premieres of new and returning programs from networks and streamers at the forefront of groundbreaking storytelling including Apple TV+, AMC, HBO, Hulu, Paramount+, and more.
This year’s TV lineup features 11 series premieres and two first looks at returning classics. World premieres include Hulu’s Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer, executive produced by Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning, an in-depth exploration of Dr. Anne Burgess’ career and her successful journey to closing some of America’s most infamous criminal cases; Hollywood Black, executive produced by Justin Simien, an examination of the Black experience in Hollywood featuring conversations with Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Ryan Coogler, and Ava DuVernay; and Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent, a legal thriller starring and executive produced by Jake Gyllenhaal, hailing from David E. Kelley and executive producer J.J. Abrams, also with Ruth Negga and Peter Sarsgaard.
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Category Archives: Film Festivals
Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative Spotlights Three SFFILM Festival Titles
Today, SFFILM announced the program slate of the Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative at the 67th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) which runs April 24–28. Presented in partnership between the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and SFFILM, this year’s programs include three films and participation by Sloan Fellows and grant recipients at events throughout the Festival.
“We are thrilled to partner with SFFILM on our continuing Science in Cinema initiatives,” said Doron Weber, Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “This year’s program features three original films, each of which recounts a very personal journey that links to broader scientific themes and addresses universal questions. We’ll be joined on the ground by the 2023 SFFILM Sloan Science in Cinema Fellows, and recipients of our Stories of Science Development Fund grantees who are all at the screenwriting phase of filmmaking. I am excited to have filmmakers from every part of the process together to benefit from each other and from audience interaction.”
Curated programs include three titles, selected by Jessie Fairbanks, SFFILM’s Director of Programming. “It is thrilling to present such a strong slate of Sloan titles at the festival.
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Charles Crichton’s Classic Caper Comedy THE LAVENDER HILL MOB New 4K Restoration
Charles Crichton’s THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (1951), a classic heist comedy starring Alec Guinness, will run in a new 4K restoration at Film Forum from Friday, May 10 through Thursday, May 16.
“It’s a good job we’re both honest men,” remarks seedy Cockney knickknack manufacturer and hustler Stanley Holloway (13 years later, My Fair Lady’s Alfred Doolittle) as he gets the gist of fastidious bank clerk Guinness’ scheme: to smuggle Bank of England gold bullion out of the country by melting them down into seemingly tacky Eiffel Tower souvenirs.
One of the highlights of the golden years of British comedies from Britain’s famed Ealing Studios, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB was an international smash hit that won screenwriter T.E.B. Clarke an Oscar for Best Writing and a Best Actor nomination for Guinness, as well as a BAFTA Award for Best British Film. Its dénouement atop the real (filmed on location) Eiffel Tower features the most dizzying comedy chase ever.
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Oscar Micheaux and the Birth of Black Independent Cinema 15-Film Festival Opens May 3 at Film Forum
Oscar Micheaux and the Birth of Black Independent Cinema, an 18-film festival, including 7 new restorations, of work by the prolific independent director whose pioneering explorations of contemporary Black life paved the way for generations, will run at Film Forum from Friday, May 3 through Thursday, May 9.
Operating on shoestring budgets, Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) directed and produced more than 40 films between 1919 and 1948, shifting from silent to talkies, and depicting such complex and taboo subjects as religious hypocrisy, interracial marriage, police violence, and lynching, often with all-Black casts and producers. His work explored the Black experience with nuance and depth, often challenging the negative stereotypes so commonly portrayed in films of the era. Micheaux’s films were the first made by a Black filmmaker to be shown in white cinemas, and they were often hugely successful, with Micheaux working directly with theater owners to finance, distribute, and market them.
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SFFILM Announces Full Lineup for the 67th San Francisco International Film Festival
Today, SFFILM announced the full lineup for the 67th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival), the longest running film festival in the Americas.
This year’s program, curated from nearly 5,000 submissions and invitations, will screen exclusively in theaters in San Francisco’s Marina and Presidio neighborhoods, and in Berkeley from April 24–28. A selection of titles, curated from the full festival, will be presented from May 2–4 as SFFILM Festival Encore Days at the historic Roxie Theater.
“We have been boldly imagining a future where the San Francisco Bay Area is thriving in its celebration of and engagement with the arts and community,” said Anne Lai, Executive Director of SFFILM. “Film—always a reflection of and beacon for society—remains the gateway to a vibrant, healthy future of our culture and city.
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KEN LOACH: 21-Film Festivaln of Work by British Director Ken Loach Set To Open at Film Forum
Photo by Robin Holland
A two-week, 21-film festival of work by British director KEN LOACH, spanning his six-decade career, will run at Film Forum from Friday, April 19 through Thursday, May 2.
The series is preceded by a run of Loach’s latest film – and what he has announced to be his final – THE OLD OAK, opening on Friday, April 5.
Loach’s career began in the mid-1960s when fellow socialist Tony Garnett recruited him to direct episodes for the BBC’s ‘Wednesday Play’ series. Loach’s 10 contributions examined social issues faced by ordinary Britons at the bottom of the social ladder and tackled controversial subjects such as abortion, homelessness, and labor strikes.
Through use of nonprofessional actors, improvised dialogue, and location shooting, Loach developed his realist style, “a subtle cinematic language, merging elements of documentary and fiction.” (James Monaco).
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Hollywood Icon Michael J. Fox to Receive Inaugural Visionary Award at DaVinci International Film Festival’s Sixth Edition
Beloved actor Michael J. Fox will be honored with the inaugural Visionary Award, celebrating the human endeavor and the unwavering pursuit of progress, at the sixth edition of the DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF), the announcement was made today by DIFF founder/director Chadwick Pelletier.
In recognition of Fox’s extraordinary work in film and television, and advocacy for Parkinson’s disease research, the prestigious award will be presented during the festival’s gala awards ceremony on February 25th at AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles.
“Michael J. Fox embodies the true spirit and essence of a visionary,” comments Pelletier. “He has not only entertained us on screen, but also inspired us with his courage and unwavering determination in the face of adversity. His life’s work, both on and off screen, and now spotlighted in Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, exemplifies the profound impact that one individual can have on the world.”
The 2023 documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, directed by Davis Guggenheim and currently airing on Apple TV+, is the winner of many awards for best documentary, including four Primetime Emmys and numerous film critic associations’ awards, and has garnered 32 additional nominations, including the coveted BAFTA. The poignant film follows the life of the beloved actor and advocate, exploring his personal and professional triumphs and travails, and what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.
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Comedy Drama “Winner” Premieres At Sundance 2024
By Armando
The black comedy drama “Winner” premiered today at Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Emilia Jones as Reality Winner, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former NSA translator that is the subject of the film.
The unconventional whistleblower’s biopic is directed by Susanna Fogel (The Spy Who Dumped Me) from a script by Kerry Howley.
Also in the film are Kathryn Newton, Averie Peters, Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, Danny Ramirez and Shannon Berry.
See photos below from “Winner” premiere at The Ray during the Sundance Film Festival 2024.
Photos: AIPImaging.com
Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Merata Mita Fellow and Inaugural Graton Fellow
Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the filmmakers selected to receive the 2024 Merata Mita Fellowship and the inaugural Graton Fellowship for Artists from California-Based Tribes. The Merata Mita Fellowship is an annual fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942–2010) to support Indigenous women-identified artists endeavoring to direct their first feature film. This year’s Merata Mita Fellowship will go to Libby Hakaraia (Ngati Kapu, Ngati Raukawa au ki te tonga). The recently announced Graton Fellowship, created to support Indigenous artists from California-based tribes, both federally and non federally recognized, will go to Tazbah Rose Chavez (Dinè, Nüümü, San Carlos Apache). Both fellows were recognized at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Native Forum Celebration Presented by NBCUniversal Launch and Nia Tero at The Park in Park City, Utah.
“It feels incredibly meaningful to have Libby and Tazbah as the recipients for the Merata Mita and Graton Fellowships respectively this year. It’s also a bit of a spiritual homecoming too,” said Adam Piron, Director, Sundance Institute Indigenous Program. “Both are established artists with deep ties to their communities, the histories that these fellowships are rooted in, and we’re thrilled to be supporting their upcoming projects with these incredible opportunities and I’d also like to thank Chairman Greg Sarris, the community of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and our donors for making this possible”
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Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2024 Lineup Released
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced today the highly anticipated lineup for the 39th edition, which will run February 7 to 17, 2024. The festival will showcase 45 world premieres and 77 U.S. premieres from 48 countries, along with tributes featuring the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs.
“We have a wonderfully eclectic program this year from 48 countries around the world,” said Claudia Puig, Programming Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. “We are especially proud that half of our slate of films are directed by women, and a large percentage by under-represented filmmakers. We know there will be something for everyone at our festival– and likely quite a lot for most. Nearly three-quarters of the films we’re showcasing have never been seen before in the US. We’re excited to introduce these films to audiences and thrilled that filmmakers from nearly every continent will be on hand to meet those attending SBIFF, and share in the communal love of film.”