Documentary Festival IDFA Reveals Wang Bing’s Top 10 Chinese Films, Focus Program Lineups

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival’s Cinemed industry section has teamed up with Beirut-based cultural nonprofit Aflamuna on a new initiative, under which 10 film and doc projects from a wide range of Arab countries will soon be unveiled to prospective partners. The new program, called Cinemed and Aflamuna Professional Encounters, features 10 Arab works in development that reflect a slew of themes relevant to the region, including political turbulence, societal changes, female empowerment and climate change concerns.

Baz Luhrmann has been named president of the Features Competition jury at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival. This third edition of the event runs from November 30-December 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Naman Ramachandran Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig and Emerald Fennell are among the filmmakers delivering screen talks at this year’s BFI London Film Festival, alongside Andrew Haigh, Lulu Wang and Kitty Green. Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, is a headline gala at the festival. He will be in conversation with filmmaker Edgar Wright about his body of work.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Neo Sora’s concert documentary “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” a standout at the Venice Film Festival, has sold for theatrical distribution in North America to Janus Films ahead of its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival. The theatrical release will be followed by a Blu-ray Disc release on the “Janus Contemporaries” label. This is the latest deal inked by London and Paris-based production, finance and sales outfit Film Constellation, following a slew of sales to Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Midas Filmes), Germany and Austria (Rapid Eye), Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), South Korea (Media Castle), China (JL Vision Films), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang) and Singapore (Anticipate Pictures).

My Mum, Your Dad star Roger Hawes captured the hearts of viewers, when he revealed how his wife Joanna passed away from cancer 18 months ago.The 59 year old from Derbyshire told the whole tragic story, saying she went to sleep one night and never woke up again.Then fans were enthralled as they watched the father's first attempt at dating in 34 years, with him getting to know gorgeous blond Janey Smith during the course of the two week series. Now Roger has revealed how he's overcome his grief and is still dating Janey, four months after filming on the show, hosted by Davina McCall, ended.

We’re getting an update on where Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga currently stand.

Maja Hoffmann has been officially confirmed as President of the Locarno Film Festival following a vote at an Extraordinary General Assembly on Wednesday.

Acclaimed director Wang Bing, this year’s guest of honor at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, will be using his IDFA platform to highlight nonfiction cinema of his native China.

A first-time filmmaker has claimed the top prize at the 19th Annual Camden Film Festival in Maine, one of the country’s foremost all-documentary festivals.

Organizers of the Camden International Film Festival in coastal Maine are moving ahead with regular programming today, as Hurricane Lee – downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone – aims further north towards Nova Scotia.

ABC News Live will debut new hours of weekday programming on Monday, with Kayna Whitworth anchoring from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

Stockport is gearing up to host its first Full Moon Festival later this week as the town comes together to host three-days of colourful celebrations.

Sophia Scorziello editor “Oppenheimer” cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will be honored with Variety’s Creative Impact in Cinematography award at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. In addition to this summer’s Christopher Nolan blockbuster, the Dutch cinematographer has worked as Nolan’s DP on “Tenet,” “Interstellar” and Dunkirk” along with Jordan Peele for “Nope” and Spike Jonze for “Her.” “SCAD is proud to partner with Variety on this year’s Creative Impact Award, which will be presented to cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema,” said SCAD Savannah Film Festival executive director Christina Routhier.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paris-based leading distribution company ARP Selection has bought a pair of U.S. indie gems from the fall festival circuit, Shane Atkinson’s feature debut “LaRoy” and Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla.” “LaRoy,” a neo-noir Western comedy with Coen brothers influences, just won three major prizes at the Deauville Film Festival, including the Grand Prize, Audience Award and Critics Prize; while “Priscilla” world premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won best actress for Cailee Spaeny.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Patricia Arquette, Lulu Wang, Finn Wolfhard, Barry Jenkins, Camila Morrone, Willem Dafoe and Colman Domingo mixed and mingled at Variety and Chanel’s annual female filmmaker dinner during the Toronto Film Festival. At the glamorous event, held on Saturday night at Soho House and hosted by Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh, VIP attendees nibbled on tuna tartare, striploin steak and heirloom tomato salad as they toasted the recipients of Chanel’s Women Writers’ Network. The year-round program is designed to advance the careers of women and non-binary alumni of the TIFF Writers’ Studio.

EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Lulu Wang’s The Farewell had opened to acclaim at Sundance when Nicole Kidman got in touch and said, “I have this book that I optioned and you’re really the only director that I want to make this.”

Top Boy has officially come to an end after five seasons.Created and written by Ronan Bennett, the crime drama follows drug dealers Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane ‘Kano’ Robinson) on the fictional Summerhouse estate in Hackney, London.The show originally spanned two seasons on Channel 4 before it was dropped in 2013. Top Boy was subsequently revived by Netflix (with help from Drake) in 2019, with the fifth and final season being the third produced by the streaming service.Other returning cast members for the fifth season include Little Simz as Dushane’s partner Shelley, Jasmine Jobson as Jaq and Lisa Dwan as Lizzie.

Prime Video has released first-look images of the long-awaited Lulu Wang’s limited series Expats set to be released in early 2024. The world premiere screening of its feature-length penultimate episode will take place at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the feature documentary “The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee,” to Sky Arts, SBS Television Australia; to NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics and to Movistar for Spain. Lee is known as the Dracula character and for transitioning from 1960s Hammer horror films to a distinguished acting career that encompassed James Bond films, the “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises. Less well-known are his aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, Lee’s wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. As an actor, Lee achieved a Guinness world record for the highest number of screen appearances. Produced in association with the British Film Institute and Trigger Films by Canal Cat Films, “Life and Deaths” is an innovative documentary which uses fresh interviews, archive material and multiple forms of traditional and cutting-edge animation, including marionation, to bring one of the world’s leading actors back to life on screen.

Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore‘s new movie May December is set to introduce the 2023 New York Film Festival later this month!