‘Empire Of Light’ Set As BFI London Film Festival Gala Screening

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Coo-Coo 043,” a family drama set in the world of racing pigeons, has been set as the opening film of the 2022 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. The closing film is comedy “Marry My Dead Body.”  “Coo-Coo 043” is the second film directed by Chan Ching-lin (“The Island That All Flow By”) and stars Golden Bell Awards winners Yu An-shun and Yang Li-yin, along with Golden Harvest Awards best new performer Hu Jhih-ciang and emerging new talent Rimong Ihwar. Chan was previously nominated for Golden Horse Awards best short film for “A Breath From the Bottom,” and as best new director with his feature debut “The Island That All Flow By.” As a work in progress, “Coo-Coo 043” previously participated in the 2021 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion.

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.

Mark Jenkin’s latest Cornish horror Enys Men and Alice Diop’s feature debut Saint Omer are among the eight titles set to compete in the Official Competition of the 66th BFI London Film Festival, running from October 5 – 16.

Naman Ramachandran The BFI London Film Festival has revealed eight titles that will be in official competition. The films include Santiago Mitre’s political drama “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina); Clement Virgo’s brotherly love tale “Brother” (Canada); Marie Kreutzer’s irreverent period drama “Corsage” (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany-France); Fyzal Boulifa’s atmospheric domestic drama “The Damned Don’t Cry” (France-Belgium-Morocco); Mark Jenkin’s folk horror tale “Enys Men” (U.K.); Hlynur Palmason’s historical epic “Godland” (Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden); Soudade Kaadan’s poignant family film “Nezouh” (U.K.-Syria-France); and Alice Diop’s courtroom drama “Saint Omer.”

Sam Mendes is set to be honoured by the Toronto International Film Festival following the Canadian premiere of his latest fil, “Empire Of Light”.

The BFI London Film Festival will debut Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin’s latest project as part of LFF Expanded, the festival’s Immersive Art and Extended Realities strand, which runs from October 5-16, 2022.

Naman Ramachandran The BFI London Film Festival has revealed the line-up for LFF Expanded, its immersive art and extended realities strand (Oct. 5-16). Programmed by Ulrich Schrauth, the BFI’s immersive art and XR curator, this year’s program features interactive virtual reality, screen-based installations, augmented reality, mixed reality, immersive audio experience and live performance. The program will be at multiple venues on London’s South Bank. The highlight of the program is the world premiere, commissioned by the festival, of Guy Maddin’s “Haunted Hotel: A Melodrama in Augmented Reality,” which promises to transport the audience into a surreal paper world, created from a selection of clippings drawn from Maddin’s own personal archive, set to a soundscape by composer Magnus Fiennes.

Brendan Fraser will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance for his role in A24’s upcoming film “The Whale.”TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey announced the news.  “Brendan Fraser gives a performance of staggering depth, power and nuance in ‘The Whale,’” Bailey said. “This former Torontonian has been an action star, a screen comic and a romantic lead.

Actor Brendan Fraser will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Monday.Fraser is attending the festival for the North American premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” in which he stars as a severely obese man attempting to repair a fractured relationship with his teenage daughter (played by “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink). He will receive the award during the TIFF Tribute Awards, an in-person gala fundraiser that will take place on Sunday, Sept.

Sam Mendes is set to be honoured by the Toronto International Film Festival.

Director Sam Mendes will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Friday.Mendes will be at the festival for the Canadian Premiere of his new movie, “Empire of Light,” which stars Olivia Colman as a woman who works in a seaside movie theater in 1980s England. It is his ninth film as a director and second as writer in a career that began with the Oscar-winning “American Beauty,” which made its world premiere at TIFF in 1999.

Carson Burton Sam Mendes will receive the Ebert Director Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey announced Tuesday.The award, which recognizes filmmakers who have exemplified greatness in their careers, was named after legendary film critic Roger Ebert and is an evolution of the festival’s Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award. Past recipients of the award include Denis Villeneuve, Chloé Zhao and Taika Waititi.

“Empire of Light,” the latest feature film from Oscar winner Sam Mendes, has locked its European premiere with a gala screening at the 66th annual BFI London Film Festival. Starring Olivia Colman, Michael Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones and others, the 1980s–set film “is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema,” distributor Searchlight Pictures said in a statement. The film’s stars – including Colman, Firth, and on-the-rise BAFTA winner Ward – are expected to be in attendance at the festival’s American Express Gala screening on Oct.

‘Love Island’ Snapped Up In Greece

Naman Ramachandran Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light,” starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward and Colin Firth, will be this year’s American Express Gala at the 66th BFI London Film Festival.Written, produced and directed by Oscar and BAFTA winning filmmaker Mendes, the film also stars Toby Jones, Tanya Moodie, Tom Brooke and Crystal Clarke. Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, the film is about human connection and the magic of cinema. It marks Mendes’ first solo credit as screenwriter and reunites him with Oscar winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (“1917,” “Skyfall”).The film is produced by Mendes and Pippa Harris’ Neal Street Productions, in partnership with Searchlight Pictures.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterIFC Films nabbed North American rights to “The Lost King,” which will have its world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival.Directed by Stephen Frears, the feel-good true story stars Sally Hawkins as Philippa Langley, an amateur historian who uncovered the remains of King Richard the III after they had been lost for 500 years. Langley spent years researching — and searching — for the remnants, even when family, friends and academics openly doubted her.Steve Coogan (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope) is playing Philippa’s husband, John Langley.

Armando Iannucci is staying in business with HBO and is teaming up with Sam Mendes for the ride.

The New York Film Festival has set “The Inspection” from director Elegance Bratton as its closing night film for the 60th edition of the festival. The movie from A24 will premiere on October 14 at Alice Tully Hall.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent10 Swiss film festivals with international standing are joining forces on a symbolically significant screening series to be held in Locarno’s PalaCinema multipurpose venue which is also known as the Swiss lakeside town’s house of cinema.The innovative initiative – which is being launched with a press conference on Saturday at the Locarno Film Festival – is the brainchild of Nadia Dresti, the Locarno fest’s grand dame, who recently joined the PalaCinema board.The PalaCinema (pictured) houses the Locarno film festival offices, its film academy, the CISA film school, the Ticino Film Commission, Swiss pubcaster RSI, as well as several commercial cinemas and other screening venues.

James Gray’s Armageddon Time will be a main slate selection of the New York Film Festival as well as a special 60th anniversary screening event celebrating the history of the fest.