Film and TV Tourism Thrive in Scenic Massachusetts

Christopher Vourlias Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, whose feature debut “Pamfir” premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section, and director and former political prisoner Oleh Sentsov (“Rhino”) are among the Ukrainian filmmakers who say they’re “distraught” by the inclusion of a Russian film in the main competition at the Transilvania Film Festival.In a statement posted on Monday to the Facebook page for “Pamfir,” the filmmakers spoke out against the selection of Russian director Lado Kvataniya’s “The Execution” as one of 12 features competing for the Transilvania Trophy, criticizing the “illusion of cultural reconciliation” created by the festival’s decision and insisting that “art does not exist outside of politics.” The filmmakers noted that Kvataniya’s psychological thriller was produced with the support of the state-backed Russian Film Fund as well as Kinoprime, the $100 million film fund bankrolled by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who has been sanctioned by the U.K.

Katherine Tulich Lukas Dhont’s “Close,” which won the Grand Prix in Cannes last month, picked up the Sydney Film Prize, the top prize at the Sydney Film Festival, on Sunday evening.Accepting the award via video message Dhont said: “It’s a film that comes from our hearts, that we worked on for a lot of years with many people.”The international jury consisted of Australian actor David Wenham, Australian director Jennifer Peedom, writer-director-producer Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh), Berlin Golden Bear winner Semih Kaplanoglu (Turkey), and the executive director of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute in Tokyo, Yuka Sakano (Japan). Twelve titles in the official competition included Carla Simon’s “Alcarras”, Hlynur Palmason’s “Godland”, Colm Bairead’s “The Quiet Girl” and Del Kathryn Barton’s “Blaze.” The winner is awarded AUD$60,000 ($41,600).

Another month, another bunch of new releases from everyone’s favorite boutique home video label, Criterion Collection. In the latest batch of releases, out this September, see Henri-Georges Clouzot’s fable of suspicion in a Nazi-occupied French town “Le Corbeau,” get a Blu-ray upgrade.

EXCLUSIVE: London and Paris-based production and sales company Film Constellation has inked pre-sales on family adventure animation The Last Dinosaur following its Cannes market launch.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentStudiocanal has signed a film output deal with Scanbox Entertainment, one of the Nordics’ leading all-rights distribution banner. The pact will see Studiocanal’s current slate of films released in the Nordics, including Cédric Klapisch’s “Rise” (pictured), Claude Zidi Jr.’s comedy “Tenor,” Eric Lartigau’s coming-of-age story “This One Summer” based on the New York Times bestseller graphic novel of the same name, and Isaki Lacuesta’s “One Year, One Night” which was produced by Studiocanal’s Bambú Producciones and world premiered at Berlin.

Austin Butler paid a visit to the “Tonight Show” and got host Jimmy Fallon all shook up.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentSkip City International D-Cinema Festival, a leading launching pad for emerging Japanese and world filmmakers, has unveiled the line-up for its 19th edition, which will be held July 16-24, 2022, at venues in Kawaguchi, a Tokyo suburb. In addition to its first physical screenings in three years, the festival will present an online segment July 21-27.The president of the international competition jury is Terajima Shinobu, winner of the best actress silver bear at the 2010 Berlinale for her performance in the Wakamatsu Koji’s WWII drama “Caterpillar.” The president of the Japanese film competition jury is cinematographer Ashizawa Akiko.The opening film is “Deadly School,” a coming-of-age ensemble drama about high school girls prepping for their school festival, directed by three-time Skip City winner Isobe Teppei and adapted from Asakusa Kaoru’s hit play.

K.J. Yossman He’s no doubt still pinching himself after his tea with Queen Elizabeth II a few weeks ago but there’s no time to rest for Paddington Bear.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAction-drama film, “Emergency Declaration” pulled together several of Korea’s top stars – Song Kang-ho (“Parasite”), Lee Byung Hun (“G.I. Joe”) and Jeon Do-yeon (“The Housemaid,” “Secret Sunshine”) – and it first took to the air as a Midnight Screening at the Cannes Film Festival, back in July 2021.Directed by Han Jae-rim, the story involves a veteran police detective who receives a tip-off about an unspecified terrorist threat against a plane. Puzzlingly, he discovers that the chief suspect has got on the flight too.

Marta Balaga Despite teasing his retirement in 2017, “Le Havre” director Aki Kaurismäki will follow his Berlin Silver Bear winner “The Other Side of Hope” with a new feature film under the working title of “Dead Leaves” (“Kuolleet lehdet” in Finnish).The new project was announced on Friday by Helsinki-based company B-Plan Distribution.The film will star Alma Pöysti, who recently starred in Zaida Bergroth biopic “Tove,” about Moomins creator Tove Jansson — a film that won her a Jussi award for best actress in 2021. Jussi Vatanen, known for the drama “Forest Giant” and smash hit trilogy “Lapland Odyssey” has also joined the cast.

The Von Trapp kids from the hit musical drama The Sound Of Music reunited at an event to honour their co-star Julie Andrew's acclaimed film career. Fifty-seven years on from the movie's release, Duane Chase, 71, Kym Karath, 63, Angela Cartwright, 69, Debbie Turner, 65, and Nicholas Hammond, 72, joined forces on the red carpet as the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute celebrated Julie on Thursday at LA's Dolby Theatre.The five former child stars couldn't wipe the smile from their faces as they attended the event in matching black ensembles, while British icon Julie wore a gorgeous dark blue gown with a dazzling, silver neckline.

Jason Bateman has exited from the director’s chair on Artemis, the big feature film package starring Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans that Deadline told you in March that Apple swooped in to acquire in a $100 million-plus deal.

Will Poulter is one busy guy. After turning heads this past year with performances in, and, the actor is back with his latest film, .

The 75th Cannes Film Festival is coming to a close. The two-week festival saw some of the biggest stars and most anticipated films of the year come together to celebrate cinema.

It took a long time to get onscreen thanks to COVID-19, but Sony‘s “Uncharted” raked in more than $400 million at the global box office after its February release. Not bad for a poorly reviewed, kind of insipid videogame adaptation.

Towards the end of Look At Me: XXXTentacion, the new documentary on the life of the late rapper XXXTentacion, director Sabaah Folayan, invisible behind the camera, interviews four of the film’s central sources — X’s mother Cleopatra Bernard, aunt Deandra Ellis, frequent collaborator John Cunningham, and manager Solomon Sobande — as a group. This time, they aren’t being asked to fill in the blanks on X’s childhood or his career.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, whose most recent video-game-to-film collaboration Uncharted grossed more than $400 million in global box office earlier this year, are getting behind the wheel for a movie adaptation of the iconic driving game Gran Turismo.