Cannes-Bound ‘Directors Factory Philippines’ Wraps Filming

XYZ Films announced today that actor Joe Cole, known for the BBC gangster series, “Peaky Blinders,” has landed the lead role in the upcoming action thriller “He Bled Neon.” The film’s director is Drew Kirsch, and Grammy-nominated musician Zhu is composing the score in collaboration with Joseph Trapanese (“The Greatest Showman,” “Straight Outta Compton“).

The Cannes Film Festival is around the corner next month, so all the satellite sidebar festivals that orbit it are preparing their line-ups. The latest is Cannes Critic Week, organized by France’s Film Critics Union, which will run May 15-23.

The Gospel Of The Beast, directed by the Philippines’ Sheron Dayoc, picked up the Golden Star Award for Best Southeast Asian Film at the first edition of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF) in Vietnam. 

J. Kim Murphy Eleanor Coppola, an American filmmaker who won an Emmy for chronicling her husband Francis Ford Coppola‘s taxing 238-day production of “Apocalypse Now” in her documentary “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” died Friday at her home in Rutherford, Calif. She was 87.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Marco Mueller has been appointed artistic director of Italy’s Taormina Film Festival, which will have a top notch selection committee comprising British film curator and former London fest chief Sandra Hebron and former Cannes Directors’ Fortnight boss Edouard Waintrop. As anticipated by Variety, Mueller, who over the past decades has headed both the Venice and Rome fests — among several other events — is taking the reins of the storied Sicilian event that has had its ups and downs over the years. Held since the mid-1950s in the Sicilian resort known to U.S.

Thanks to early official announcements a number of the movies debuting at this year’s 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes are already known. Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act” will open the festival.

Aziz Ansari revealed that his “Good Fortune” co-star Keanu Reeves was hobbling on crutches in January because he tripped on a rug in his trailer.Ansari, 41, elaborated on Reeves’ fractured kneecap injury at CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas on Wednesday.“About, I don’t know, 15 days into shooting with me, I was like, ‘Hey, just go chill in your dressing room for 15 minutes.’ And he tripped on a rug,” said Ansari, who co-wrote and co-directed the movie with Reeves.“He’s like, ‘Aah, my knee.”Ansari said that Reeves, 59, didn’t let his injury get in the way of filming, however.“He still filmed everything except some scenes where we needed him to do salsa dancing, which we need to pick up.“He was like, ‘I’ll do it!’ We’re like, ‘Keanu, calm down. We’ll do the salsa dancing once your knee’s healed.'”Ansari said that Reeves did not “go to the hospital or anything” after injuring his kneecap.“He’s done those ‘Wick’ movies, all the ‘Matrix ‘ stuff.

Un Certain Regard title “Việt and Nam” by Vietnamese auteur Trương Minh Quý. Shot on 16mm stock, the film is a drama about two young miners who must complete a mission before fate pulls them apart. “In the depths of the underground coal mines, where danger awaits and darkness prevails, Nam and Việt, both young miners, cherish fleeting moments, knowing that one of them will soon leave for a new life across the sea.

Thanks to early official announcements a number of the movies debuting at this year’s 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes are already known. Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act” will open the festival.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Rachel Perkins has been appointed as chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) council for a period of three years. She follows previous chairs Russell Howcroft and Debra Richards. AFTRS is Australia’s leading specialist education, training and research institution, supporting excellence in Australian screen and audio storytelling. “Rachel is one of Australia’s leading storytellers, particularly when it comes to First Nations stories,” said Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke. A graduate of AFTRS, writer, director and producer, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, which has gone onto become one of Australia’s leading production companies.

Rumored to be in the mix for several festivals, Francis Ford Coppola’s expensive, long-gestating “Megalopolis” is expected to premier at the Cannes Film Festival this May. According to Deadline’s The Dish, Coppola’s film, which he funded himself to the tune of over 100 million, will play in competition on the Croisette on May 17.

EXCLUSIVE: Leonor Will Never Die producer Monster Jimenez will next work on Mario Cornejo’s My Neighbor the Gangster, a film loosely based on Cornejo’s childhood.

Already a big, ambitious bet as a two-part offering, Kevin Costner and Warner Bros. are going even bigger with his Western epic “Horizon,” which will make its world premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in May.

Already a big, ambitious bet as a two-part offering, Kevin Costner and Warner Bros. are going even bigger with his Western epic “Horizon,” which will make its world premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in May.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Snow in Midsummer,” which quietly probes the 1969 massacre of Malaysian Chinese during post-election turmoil, was named the winner of the best film for young cinema competition (Chinese-language) at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Liang Ming was named best director for “Carefree Days,” while the film’s female lead Lyu Xingchen collected the best actress award.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate Play has landed another carriage deal in the Philippines.

Slowly, but surely, the lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival is being revealed. Last month, Cannes announced that George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be an early world premiere on la Croisette on May 15.

Slowly, but surely, the lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival is being revealed. Last month, Cannes announced that George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be an early world premiere on la Croisette on May 15.

EXCLUSIVE: Upcoming Filipino crime drama series Sellblock has wrapped principal photography and is headed for MIPTV. You can see four first-look images above.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief YG Entertainment, the firm behind K-pop sensation Blackpink, has appointed Yang Min-seok as its new, sole CEO. The younger brother of company founder Yang Hyun-sun, he was previously joint CEO with Hwang Bo-kyun. The announcement was made shortly after YG’s annual shareholder meeting that closed the books on a year in which revenues climbed 65% to $430 million. The firm, which recently denied that it had paid $30 million to retain its position with Blackpink (but saw the girl group’s individual members sign personal representation contracts with other agencies) is busily launching BabyMonster, another all-female act that is seen in some circles as a successor to Blackpink. BabyMonster, which was formed late last year through reality TV show “Last Evaluation 2023,” is a seven part group with members from Korea, Thailand and Japan.