Kristen Stewart to Be Honored With Visionary Award at 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala

Posted on December 14, 2023 by admin

Kristen Stewart to Be Honored With Visionary Award at
2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®
Tables and Tickets Available Now: Annual Event Recognizes Outstanding Independent Storytellers and Raises Funds to Support Nonprofit’s Year-Round Programs

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today that Academy Award–nominated actress Kristen Stewart will be honored with the Visionary Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®, which will take place on January 18, 2024, at the DeJoria Center in Utah. The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise critical funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists globally. The 2024 event is made possible with the generous support of Chase Sapphire®, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Acura, and Google TV. The upcoming Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online from January 25–28.

Kristen Stewart will receive the Visionary Award in recognition of her work as an uncompromising artist and contributions to the field of independent film. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Princess Diana in Spencer and was the first American actress to receive a César Award for her role in Clouds of Sils Maria. Stewart’s profound work as an actor has exemplified the bold, risk-taking storytelling that Sundance has championed for many years. Throughout her impressive career, she has had 10 films screen at the Festival, including The Runaways, Adventureland, and Lizzie. She made her directorial debut with Come Swim at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. For the upcoming 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Stewart will be returning with Love Me, premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section and the recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, and Love Lies Bleeding, premiering in the Midnight section.

“We are thrilled to honor the immensely talented Kristen Stewart at our Opening Night Gala,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “Kristen’s captivating performances across a wide, diverse body of work make her a truly unique talent. With over 10 Sundance films under her belt, she has always remained committed to the art of independent cinema. We are excited to welcome her back to the Festival and can’t wait to see what she has in store for our 40th year.”

“Sundance’s purity, lack of fussy pretension, and its commitment to supporting independence in an industry that doesn’t always value the radical or the sidelined is what makes it by far the homiest place for me to go see, discuss, and present films,” said Kristen Stewart. “Truly honored to be acknowledged by this beloved institution.”

As previously announced, Christopher Nolan will be honored with the inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award, recognizing an artist’s unwavering dedication and notable contributions to the field of independent film. The annual Vanguard Awards, presented by Acura, honor artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence in both nonfiction and fiction. The Vanguard Award for Fiction will be presented to Celine Song, director and writer of Past Lives, and the Vanguard Award for Nonfiction will go to Maite Alberdi, director of The Eternal Memory. Award-winning journalist and producer Pat Mitchell will receive the Vanguard Award for Philanthropy in recognition of her exemplary commitment to the Institute’s support and to philanthropy for social impact. For more information about tables and tickets, please visit festival.sundance.org/opening-night-gala or contact openingnight@sundance.org.

Dark Sky Films Sets Release For Hitchcock-Inspired Thriller “Laced”

Posted on December 13, 2023 by admin

The hitchcockian thriller starring Succession’s Hermione Lynch and Soap Fave Zack Tinker is set for release on digital platforms/VOD on January 12th.

LACED is a modern thriller/drama in the vein of Hitchcockian classics like Dial M for Murder and Rear Window. The film is set in a single location, and explores the claustrophobic nature of young love strung with toxicity and lies, and the cyclical nature of violence.

The cast includes Dana Mackin (Girl In The Picture, Winning Time, Quarantine the Musical), Hermione Lynch (Succession, Single Parents, Law and Order FBI), Zach Tinker (Fire Country, Days Of Our Lives, The Quarry, Big Sky, 13 Reasons Why, American Horror Story), Kyle Butenhoff (Dahmer Monster, SWAT, Mayans MC, Dear White People, Days Of Our Lives), Mel Fair (Amsterdam, The Menu, Breaking, King Richard), Joe Chambrello (911 Lonestar, NCIS, Days Of Our Lives).

It is written and directed by Kyle Butenhoff (Dahmer Monster, SWAT, Mayans MC, Dear White People, Days Of Our Lives).

In a remote cabin on the evening of a record-breaking blizzard, a young woman plots to poison her abusive husband in order to end their toxic relationship once and for all. When the poison fails to kill him, she not only has to quickly concoct a backup plan, but also contend with her husband’s increasing suspicion that his intensifying illness isn’t wholly accidental. And with the unexpected arrival of her brother, her carefully crafted scheme threatens to spiral ever further out of control. Now trapped together as the snow piles up, double-crosses and horrifying secrets threaten to ensnare each of them in their own spiderwebs of deception.

First Trailer For Supernatural Thriller “Sunrise” Released

Posted on December 11, 2023 by admin

The first trailer for Lionsgate’s new vampire movie “Sunrise” has been released. The film is set for release early next year. Guy Pearce (Prometheus, Alien: Covenant) and Alex Pettyfer (The Infernal Machine) star in the spine-tingling thriller about an ex-cop turned vampire who is forced to choose between vengeance and redemption.

“Sunrise” is directed by Andrew Baird, and written by Ronan Blaney (Boogaloo and Graham).

The film is slated for simultaneous release in theaters and on digital on Jan. 19, 2024

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

When an ex-cop named Fallon returns to the scene of a horrific crime, the residents of a rural town soon discover that this dark visitor is really a vampire who feeds on blood and fear. After he is befriended by a kind immigrant family, the instinctive killer is faced with a choice between revenge and redemption. Guy Pearce and Alex Pettyfer star in this thrilling tale penned by Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Ronan Blaney.

“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” Lead Golden Globes 2024 Nominations

Posted on December 11, 2023 by admin

The 2024 awards season is officially underway, with the 2024 Golden Globes announcing its nominees this morning. The nominees were announced by Cedric the Entertainer and That ‘70s Show actor Wilmer Valderrama.

In the film categories, “Barbie” led the list with nine nominations, followed by Oppenheimer with eight. Poor Things and Killers of the Flower Moon received seven nominations each. In television categories, Succession led with nine nominations,

The 81st Golden Globe Awards will air live on CBS Sunday, Jan. 7, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET. Read below for the complete list of the nominations.

Read on for the full list of nominees.

MOVIES

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
The Zone of Interest
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“The Monk and The Gun” Official Trailer Released

Posted on December 9, 2023 by admin

The second feature from Bhutanese filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji, “The Monk and the Gun”, has been released.

The Monk And The Gun follows the story of wonder and disruption as Bhutan becomes one of the world’s youngest democracies. Known throughout the world for its extraordinary beauty and its emphasis on Gross National Happiness, the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan was the last nation to connect to the internet and television. And if that weren’t enough change, the King announced shortly afterwards that he would cede his power to the people via their vote and a new form of government: Democracy.

An elderly lama (Kelsang Choejey), recognizing that extraordinary change is about to sweep through his country, is troubled by the possible outcomes. He instructs his young disciple Tashi (Tandin Wangchuk) to set forth into the kingdom and bring him two guns before the full moon to “set it right.” The young monk is perplexed by his guru’s request, and his familiarity with guns is based solely on images from the only film available on television: James Bond. His quest brings him into contact with a scheming American gun collector Ron (Harry Einhorn), leading to a most unexpected outcome.

An American who travels into Bhutan in search of a treasure and crosses path with a young monk who wanders through the serene mountains, instructed by his teacher to make things right again.

Starring Tandin Wangchuk, Harry Einhorn, Tandin Phubz, Tandin Sonam, Pema Zangmo Sherpa, Deki Lhamo, Choeying Jatsho, the film is set for release on February 02, 2024

2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces 91 Projects Selected For 40th Edition

Posted on December 7, 2023 by admin

2024-Sundance-Film-Festival-91-Projects-For-40th-Edition

Top L–R: Girls State, Seeking Mavis Beacon, The American Society of Magical Negroes, Layla.
Center L–R: Being (the Digital Griot), Freaky Tales, Love Me, Presence.
Bottom L–R: Porcelain War, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, In the Land of Brothers, A Real Pain.

Yesterday, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 82 films, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25–28, 2024. This year marks the 40th edition of the Festival, bringing together audiences in Utah and beyond to celebrate Sundance’s rich history of supporting engaging new stories and groundbreaking independent artists. In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

To kick things off, the Festival will begin at noon MT on January 18 with premieres in Park City, showcasing the range of offerings in this year’s lineup across categories. Adding to the festivities, on the evening of January 18, the Institute will host the Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®. The fundraiser will benefit the year round artist support work of the Sundance Institute.

Films will debut in Park City starting January 18, with additional showings in Park City and Salt Lake City over the course of the Festival. Select titles also become available online beginning January 25, including all Competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT), as well as additional selections from the feature, episodic, and shorts programs. Audiences can experience the curated online selection exclusively via festival.sundance.org. The online program, as noted below per listing, will allow fans of independent storytelling across the country to enjoy a sampling of the Festival lineup from wherever they are. The short film selections and 40th edition programming for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival will be announced on December 12.

“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”

“The Institute takes great pride in the role the Festival plays in advancing our mission to support artists creating audacious work,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “This year is especially significant as we look back on our history of showcasing stories that surprise and delight, spark empathy and reflection, and honor our shared humanity. We’re all thrilled for this opportunity to celebrate the power of storytelling as we gather in January to introduce captivating works from acclaimed filmmakers and discover more new voices.”

“Sundance’s passion and power shines through its programming. Curation is Sundance’s secret sauce and we’re energized by the range of films, stories, and artists we’ve watched and selected from around the world,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “This Festival has had a vital history of first impressions: introductions to new talent, new friends, new worlds — our commitment to our artists and our audiences is fundamental to our work. Our programming team, lead by Kim Yutani, has curated 11 days of exciting new voices and stories for the many audiences we serve whether they’re joining us in Utah or experiencing the Festival offerings from afar. Sundance 2024 will be a special year for discovery and community.”
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30th Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2024 Lineup

Posted on December 4, 2023 by admin

The 30th Slamdance Film Festival, the artist-led “by filmmakers for filmmakers” organization, has announced its full film lineup for 2024. Celebrating 30 years of discovering industry-changing talent, the festival will come full circle, returning to the Yarrow Hotel in Park City, where it all started.

Kicking off with a screening of Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s epic documentary One Bullet, this year’s festival will showcase an accessible lineup of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodics. On-site screenings and events will be held in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah from January 19-25th and online screenings will be available on the Slamdance Channel from January 22-28th.

“Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director Taylor Miller. “Their raw passion and risk-taking echo our commitment to exploring uncharted territories of cinematic expression. This year, we proudly host the most inclusive and accessible festival we’ve ever had, staying true to the core objectives I aimed to cultivate with our programmers when I took this job.”

A celebration of emerging filmmaking talent from around the world, this year’s lineup consists of 113 films – 17 of which are World Premiere features – hailing from 20 countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Palestine, Russia, and the UK (United Kingdom) among others. The 2024 programming was selected from more than 9,000 submissions, 1,729 of which were features. As in previous years, all films selected in the Narrative Features and Documentary Features competition categories are directorial debuts without U.S. distribution, with budgets of less than $1 million.
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Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” Sets Christmas 2024 Theatrical Release

Posted on December 2, 2023 by admin

Director Robert Eggers’ gothic horror film “Nosferatu” is finally set to be released on Dec. 25, 2024, Focus Features has announced recently.

Peter Kujawski, Chairman of Focus Features, stated, “The audacious filmmaking of Robert Eggers is always a gift for fans, and we can promise that his Nosferatu is planning quite the Christmas feast.”

Bill Skarsgård, known for playing Pennywise in the It horror films, plays the titular vampire in “Nosferatu”. The film also features Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe.

Most recently, Focus previously co-financed and released “The Northman”, the historical Viking action thriller which Egger also directed and co-wrote with Sjón.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” Trailer Reveals Anya Taylor-Joy

Posted on December 1, 2023 by admin

The first trailer from franchise veteran George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” has been released.

The highly-anticipated post-apocalyptic action adventure features Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Furiosa, the character played by Charlize Theron in 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road”, as well as Chris Hemsworth as Warlord Dementus.

The films seems to be the origin of Furiosa, who was taken from her family and then joined up with a young Immortan Joe, previously played by Hugh Keays-Byrne in Fury Road, to lead the War Boys.

Fury Road, which starred Tom Hardy as Mad Max, was released in 2015 and was a critical and commercial hit. Hardy took over the iconic role from Mel Gibson who played the character in three prior Mad Max films, including the original in 1979.

Mad Max franchise creator George Miller also produced Furiosa, along with his longtime partner, Oscar-nominated producer Doug Mitchell (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Babe”), under their Australian-based Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner.

The official summary says: “As the world falls, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and into the hands of a Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. While two Tyrants war for dominance over the Citadel, Furiosa survives many trials as she plots a way back home through the Wasteland.”

Bradley Cooper To Receive Outstanding Performer of the Year Award At SBIFF

Posted on November 30, 2023 by admin

Bradley Cooper will receive the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Cooper will be honored on Thursday, February 8, 2024 for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Leonard Bernstein in MAESTRO from Netflix.

Bradley Cooper, born in Philadelphia, is an acclaimed actor, filmmaker, writer, and producer. A nine-time Oscar nominee, Grammy winner, and Tony nominee, Cooper’s directorial debut A STAR IS BORN, which he co-wrote, produced, starred and directed garnered 8 Oscar nominations. Following the success of his producorial work, Cooper started his production company Lea Pictures in 2020, which includes his much-anticipated film MAESTRO.

“Nine-time Oscar® nominee Bradley Cooper has proven to be an actor of incredible range and versatility. What has impressed me the most is that he has grown to be one of the most indelible directing voices . He’s a renaissance man – an outstanding performer indeed!” SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling noted.

MAESTRO is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, MAESTRO at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
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