3 Short Films Qualify for Oscars With HollyShorts Film Festival Awards

Director: Aitch Alberto

Ana de Armas is a proud actress. The 2022 Venice Film Festival comes to an end tomorrow and Thursday saw the world premiere of the highly anticipated film about Marilyn Monroe’s life, Blonde. Once the movie ended, there was a 14-minute long standing ovation.According to Variety, the Cuban-Spanish actress was glowing as tears ran down her face.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Miami-based international sales agent FiGa Films has swooped on worldwide rights to satirical comedy “Love & Mathematics” by Claudia Sainte-Luce ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival. In February, the busy Sainte-Luce debuted her previous film, “The Realm of God” (“El Reino de Dios”), at the Berlinale. Produced by Christian Kegel of Jaqueca Films, “Love & Mathematics” turns on the ambitions and aspirations of upper-middle-class Mexican society and stars Roberto Quijano, Diana Bovio and Daniela Salinas. Penned by playwright and screenwriter Adriana Pelusi, “Love & Mathematics” marks the first time Sainte-Luce has directed from someone else’s screenplay. This is her fifth feature. Set in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, the wry comedy follows Billy Lozano, who’s suffering from an existential crisis as his glory years in a hit boy band are now past him. In his late 30s and miserable in his marriage, his daily routine consists of taking care of his infant son and tolerating his wife’s annoying lap dog. His life takes a turn when he meets Monica, once an uber fan of the band, who moves in next door. She inspires him to pick up the guitar again and find meaning in life once more.

Brad Pitt joins Ana de Armas and the rest of the cast of Blonde on the red carpet at the film’s premiere during the 2022 Venice Film Festival Thursday (September 8).

Ben Croll French filmmakers and sales agents will hit Toronto looking for a sale, great buzz and, above all, a lasting foothold into the U.S. market. Because a welcome perch across the pond can make all the difference, especially given the recent crunch on the international scene.  “Today, the market is extremely polarized,” says Alice Lesort, who heads sales for Les Films du Losange. “There are still films that perform extremely well abroad, but the number of films has shrunk; there are still films that take the spotlight, but the spotlight now focuses on fewer of them.” Bringing the Léa Seydoux-led “One Fine Morning” to Toronto after previous berths in Cannes and Telluride and an upcoming slot in New York, director Mia Hansen-Løve has proven an outlier several times over. For one thing, at only 41-years-old, she’s already made eight features; for another, all but one of those features has seen U.S. distribution.

Chris Pine's rep is denying a fan theory. In a statement to ET, the 42-year-old actor's rep shuts down claims that Harry Styles spit on Pine at the premiere of their flick, at the Venice Film Festival. «This is a ridiculous story… a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,» Pine's rep tells ET.

This week marks the beginning of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival. Films premiering in Toronto as well as those that have already premiered at festivals such as Cannes and Venice, are generating a lot of interest online, which makes festivalgoers excited that after taking caution due to the COVID pandemic, TIFF is back in person this year.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Top international news agencies, including the Associated Press and Reuters, are up in arms against the Venice Film Festival over what they claim are restrictions to access footage of the fest’s star-studded red carpet activities and press conferences. In past years, the agencies have been able to give their clients more or less unlimited amounts of Venice footage, excluding live feeds. Upon arrival on the Lido this year, with no forewarning, agency video teams collected their red carpet accreditation on opening day and were then handed a form to sign telling them there is a 90-second limit, the groups allege. The 90-second limit is allegedly due to Italian media regulation that was always in existence, but is only being enforced this year.

The star power of the 2022 Toronto Film Festival continued to rise on Friday, as news broke that pop superstar Taylor Swift will be making an appearance at this year’s edition.

Following the unveiling of its world premieres, including Guillermo del Toro’s highly-anticipated animated feature, “Pinocchio,” the 66th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) has announced its full program line-up, which will be presented in cinemas and online across the U.K. Over twelve days from October 5-16, the LFF will return to its flagship venues in the heart of London – BFI Southbank and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, which between them host Galas, Special Presentations, and Official Competition.

of late, from the translucent Interior NYC gown she wore to Westworld’s season four premiere to the dramatic and cycling shorts she sported on the streets of London earlier this summer.Over at Venice Film Festival, the actor has already delivered a series of stand-out moments—arriving in style in , paired with a clashing Vivienne Westwood bag and bright red gloves. This was quickly followed up with a black tulle skirt and oversized blazer by Rodarte, worn with a black bralette underneath.For her latest red-carpet appearance on Wednesday, August 31, Thompson opted for vintage—stepping out for the White Noise premiere in a sci-fi inspired look from Armani Privé’s autumn/winter 2009 couture show.

“White Noise.” She ditched her usual pantsuit look and instead donned a baby blue kaftan and shiny flats for the evening.Many were confused about why she was there, but rumors have swirled around that it was due to her connection to Netflix. The streaming giant is also at the helm of Clinton and her daughter Chelsea’s documentary, “In Her Hands.” The project will be the first from the Clintons’ new production company, HiddenLight Productions.

is going to arrive in force, isn’t it?Please?That’s the feeling in the community I like to think of as Hollywood’s Kudo-Industrial Complex. That community limped through one year, 2020, in which theaters were closed, film festivals were canceled or moved online and almost all the shows were virtual; and a second year, 2021, that started out to be a cautiously muted season but was then blindsided by a COVID resurgence that forced a return to streaming and virtual events.Now, as the Venice Film Festival begins on Wednesday, followed by the three-day Telluride Film Festival on Friday and then the mammoth Toronto International Film Festival next Thursday, there’s a palpable yearning for things to return to normal.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The delayed 46th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival wrapped Wednesday with the award of 13 prizes for its young filmmaker, documentary and shorts competitions. Hailed by the jury as “one of this year’s most distinguished films both creatively and artistically,” Qiu Jiongjiong’s “A New Old Play” was named best film for the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language). “A New Old Play” is a tale of a family of Sichuan Opera artists living through a tumultuous era. It also collected the FIPRESCI Prize, with the jury commending the film for “its masterful approach and inventive visual style.”  In the global category, Palestinian director Maha Haj’s “Mediterranean Fever” was chosen as the Firebird Award winner for being “an all-rounded gem that is at once a thriller, social comedy, and odd couple bromance.” 

And just like that, summer is over, and the festival season is about to start. That’s right, blockbuster season is essentially over, and now it’s time for the fall film festival circuit to produce and premiere the film titles that will be vying for Oscars later this year.

EXCLUSIVE: The Points North Institute today announced recipients of three of its prestigious fellowship programs, ahead of next month’s Camden International Film Festival in Maine.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is going global in a big way, hitting major festivals around the world and the US, beginning with the Fall trifecta of Venice, Telluride, and Toronto. All that is according to new CEO Bill Kramer who is continuing his inaugural outreach tour not just to members of AMPAS, but also the press. In addition to the A.Frame interview earlier this month with Kramer that was distributed to all 10,000 ish members as well as media outlets (and which Deadline reported on), Kramer this week held a Zoom press conference with key consumer outlets as well as the Hollywood Trades. He was keen to emphasize the org is going to once again be front and center at major events , and that means everywhere including reinstating their London membership meeting, and even adding one in Copenhagen.

Annika Pham New Europe Film Sales has added U.K. distributor Signature Entertainment to the slew of global buyers won over by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s “Beautiful Beings,” which has racked up awards from Poland, Bulgaria, Italy and Taiwan, since its first bow at the last Berlinale Panorama. Earlier deals were closed with the U.S. (Altered Innocence), Hungary (Vertigo), Benelux (Arti Film), Germany/Austria (Salzgeber), Spain (Filmin), and CEE (HBO).Billed by Variety reviewer Jessica Kiang as an “Icelandic coming-of age, radiant with violence and tenderness,” Guðmundsson’s drama revolves around a young boy raised by a clairvoyant mother who decides to adopt a bullied misfit into his gang of outsiders. 

Compton-based filmmaker Victor Gabriel is among a select group of filmmakers to punch their ticket for the Oscar race, after scoring wins at the HollyShorts Film Festival.

Martin Short gave Jimmy Fallon a good roasting.