‘Aftersun,’ ‘War Pony,’ ‘Palm Trees and Power Lines’ Win Top Prizes at Deauville Festival

Editors note: The death of Mahsa Amini earlier this month after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab according to official dictates has sparked outrage and protests within the Islamic Republic and around the world, with Global Day of Action for Iran set for Saturday with rallies around the globe (more information below). Currently seen as one of the stars of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Iran-born actress and Amnesty International UK ambassador Nazanin Boniadi reflects on Amini’s tragic death and the potentially pivotal time for her homeland.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Lima-based Apus Animation Studio has pacted with Spanish and Brazilian shingles to co-produce its projects, among them TV series “Chek & Chan” with Valencia-based Hampa Animation Studio and Apus’ first animation feature, “Nimuendajú: El Hombre que Encontró su Camino,” with Brazil’s Anaya Films. Apus presents “La Orquestita,” co-produced with Barcelona-based Mago Prods., at the inaugural Co-Production and Financing Forum hosted by the Iberseries & Platino Industria TV event in Madrid (Sept.27-30). Directed by Uruguayan Juan Carve, founder of chucho.tv, the kids animated series teaches kids about the mystery behind music, how it’s composed, why it move us. The 26-part, 11-minute episode series has already been sold to Argentina’s Pakapaka, TV3 Catalonia, Señal Colombia and pubcaster TVE, said Bonilla.

Tom Cruise‘s complex relationship with the Church of Scientology is getting exposed!

A24 acquired North American rights to Charlotte Wells’ feature debut breakout Aftersun following its bow in Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival last May. Today, we have the first trailer for the award-winning drama — check it out above. A24 releases in North America on October 21.

“Normal People” heartthrob Paul Mescal has quickly parlayed his breakout popularity on TV into a burgeoning film career. After appearing in last year’s “The Lost Daughter” from first-time director Maggie Gyllenhall, he’s now the star of another feature debut from a female filmmaker on the rise.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Despite its striking architecture, Palm Springs has seldom been captured effectively on film — even the movie “Palm Springs” shot somewhere else. But no longer. The Olivia Wilde-directed dystopian fantasy “Don’t Worry Darling” makes ample use of the California resort town’s well-preserved mid-century buildings to showcase her vision of 1950s suburban bliss covering up something menacing underneath. Endless sunny skies, broad avenues lined with swaying palm trees and turquoise swimming pools are signifiers of an idealized life for the inhabitants of the fictional Victory Project, like the attractive young couple played by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. Production designer Katie Byron, the art and set decoration teams and location manager Chris Baugh pushed hard to be able to shoot in landmark mid-century buildings, and furnished them with period-appropriate items – despite the difficulty of filming in pristine historic locales.

Maverick in training. Lewis Pullman is not only praising his dad, Bill Pullman, for his generous influence, but also his Top Gun costars Tom Cruise and Miles Teller.

Variety, producers confirmed the use of the ring shapes in the opening sequences: ‘We have the nine for men, the seven for the dwarves, the three rings for the elves, and a single ring. All those combinations are through there, and they’re at the beginning and end. We start with those, and they are building other things, and then we end with them.

Brie Larson is hard at work on the upcoming Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry!

While the Emmys drew mixed reviews, the film festivals closed to strong applause this week, not only for their movies (we’d forgotten some) but for their star turnout (forgot a few of them, too).

Former Wales rugby captain and BBC commentator Eddie Butler has died at the age of 65. In the early hours of Thursday, 15 September, the icon was in Peru raising funds for the charity Prostate Cymru when he died peacefully in his sleep at the Ecoinka base camp in the Peruvian Andes. In a statement posted on Twitter by Prostate Cymru said: “Ed was the voice of Wales and we were honoured to have him as part of our charity.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Rolling off a banner world premiere of Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” at the Venice Film Festival, Ana de Armas’s next stop was the Deauville Film Festival in France where she received the Hollywood Rising-Star Award on Friday (Sept. 9) in the jam-packed Palais des Congres. Attended by Dominik and the film’s producers, the ceremony was followed by the French premiere of the Netflix movie, in which de Armas delivers a riveting performance as Marilyn Monroe. De Armas, who notably starred in “Knives Out,” “No Time to Die” and “Grey Man,” succeeds Dylan Penn, Sophie Turner, Elle Fanning and Shailene Woodley as recent recipients of the Hollywood Rising Star Award.

No, the tabloid headlines about all the behind-the-scenes mishesgoss on Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling isn’t hurting ticket sales.