Jonathan Wolf to Step Down From American Film Market – Film News in Brief

Audrey Diwan’s planned English language directing debut, the erotic tale Emmanuelle starring Lea Seydoux, has buyers buzzing as much as any Cannes Market package being shopped this week on the Croisette. But her last film Happening (which didn’t make the cut as France’s choice for Best Foreign Language Film, though many felt it would have won) might have the most lasting impact. The film is just released in the U.S. smack in the middle of revelations that the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe V Wade.

Naman Ramachandran For acclaimed Indian actor R. Madhavan ( (“Alai Payuthey,” “Tanu Weds Manu”), making his directorial debut, “Rocketry: The Nambi Effect,” literally required an understanding of rocket science.In addition to directing, Madhavan plays the role of Indian scientist, Nambi Narayanan, a former Indian Space Research Organization scientist and aerospace engineer known for developing efficient liquid fuel engines and who became embroiled in a spy scandal.The director attached to the project had to drop out at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts and Madhavan who had a deep understanding of the script having written it himself after conversations with Narayanan had to take up the mantle.

Vivienne Chow The Taiwan Pavilion returns to the Marché du Film this year with a beefed-up version after two years of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting 91 titles including the latest box office hits at home, elaborate international co-productions, as well as technology-driven XR projects. Genre films with a solid plot and production, rather than a stellar cast, can easily win the hearts of audiences at home, according to filmmakers behind some of the featured projects. International co-productions will continue to play a vital role in boosting local opportunities as well as taking Taiwan talents abroad, but the ongoing pandemic restrictions on the self-governed island will certainly have an impact on making international connections.

The American Cinematheque has announced David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, is the newest addition to the group’s board of directors.Zaslav spearheaded the recent transaction between AT&T and Discovery, Inc.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentEight years after “Maps to the Stars,” David Cronenberg is coming back to the Cannes Film Festival with what looks to be a big bang. Weaving together equal parts body horror and dystopian panache, “Crimes of the Future” instantly became one of the most buzzed-about competition films after Neon dropped the trailer on April 14, the day of Cannes’ press conference. The lushly-lensed film, which reunites Cronenberg with his muse Viggo Mortensen (“A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises”) along with Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux, could prove as divisive as the Canadian master’s 1996 cult film “Crash” which went on to scoop Cannes’ very first Special Jury Prize for “its audacity, daring and originality.” Ahead of the start of the festival, Cronenberg sat down with Variety in Paris to talk about the long-gestating “Crimes of the Future,” the making of the picture, its underlying themes, while speaking candidly about the difficulty of financing challenging films, as well as his stance on streamers and  U.S.

election.She was part of the “NewsHour” rotating anchor team from 2009 until 2013, when she and Gwen Ifill were named co-anchors of the program. Since Ifill's death in 2016, Woodruff has been the show's sole anchor.“I love working at the PBS ‘NewsHour’ and can't imagine it not being a part of my life," Woodruff said in a memo to fellow staff members.

PBS NewsHour is preparing for a major transition in its broadcast, with plans for Judy Woodruff to step down from the anchor chair and for Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett to succeed her.

K.J. Yossman Polly Cochrane, WarnerMedia’s EVP and Country Manager for U.K. and Ireland, is stepping down, she revealed today.

Warner Bros Discovery UK EVP & Country Manager, UK & Ireland, Polly Cochrane is stepping down after 13 years.

Angus Finney Penning a premature obituary is an occupational hazard that goes with the territory of film industry analysis, and there are few topics that attract such hand wringing as the alleged “death of the pre-sale.”While the execs headed to the Cannes Market have seen major disruptions in the past decade from technology and pandemics, industry insiders say it’s a little too early to play “Taps” on this market mainstay.Legend has it that the concept of indie movie “pre-sales” was invented in the early 1970s by the financial wizard John Heyman, a man no doubt worthy of a role in one of his award-winning son’s “Harry Potter” productions. Bankrolling upfront distribution commitments for indie titles — or “turning paper into gold” as one veteran puts it — was a magician’s trick not lost on a hot sellers’ market in those heady times.

Outfest Screenwriting Lab has become the cornerstone of Outfest’s education and creative development programming.As the arts, media and entertainment organization celebrates its 40th anniversary, and the lab its 25th, Outfest has expanded the program with the support of partner Netflix, waiving submission fees for all applicants and providing grants for each of the selected screenwriters to help financially support them.“Everyone knows that a great film, a great series, a great story begins with the screenplay,” stated Outfest executive director, Damien S. Navarro.

Sir Keir Starmer said he would do “the right thing" and step down as Labour leader if he is fined by police over claims that he broke coronavirus laws by having a takeaway and a beer in Durham last year. In a televised statement this afternoon, the party leader repeatedly denied breaching any rules.

Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, IDLES, Portishead and a number of other musicians appear in a new film about mental health called Man Down.The film, which is directed by Gemma Jennison, founder of the Man Down Programme, focuses on men working in the music industry and looks at topics such as isolation, depression and suicide.Jennison, a qualified mental health nurse based in Bristol, told BBC News that male musicians in particular were at high risk of experiencing serious mental health issues.She launched the Man Down Programme after seeing a number of people she cared about struggling with mental illness and hiding their emotions. “I wanted to look at what the trends were and why men were struggling,” she explained.“I decided that in order to do that music industries needed to be accountable or have discussions openly about what they did with artists or any of their staff about wellbeing.”The documentary will be used to address the issues it discusses through training and support programmes.A post shared by MAN DOWN PROGRAMME (@mandownprogramme_)A number of Bristol artists including Gavin Thorpe, IDLES’ Adam Devonshire and Portishead’s Geoff Barrow feature in Man Down.

Odeya Rush, Eric Dane, Saffron Burrows and Ray Liotta are set to star in Dangerous Waters, from Blood And Money director John Barr.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) will star with Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey in comedy Maria, we can reveal.

Chris Kamara stepped down from his role at Sky Sports after 24 years with the channel, amid his struggles with his speech. MORE: Lorraine Kelly sends her support to 'very precious' friend amid health woesChris, 64, shared that he also offered to quit his role on ITV’s The Games, but was persuaded to stay.

Jonathan Wolf, managing director of the American Film Market who has led AFM for 24 years, will step down when his current term ends in June. He’ll continue on as an advisor through the 2022 AFM, which is set to make its in-person return to Santa Monica for the 43rd edition, November 1-6, said the Independent Film & Television Alliance, which produces the event.

Elizabeth Banks’ next directorial Cocaine Bear will be hitting theaters on Feb. 24, 2023.

EXCLUSIVE: Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller, who created the CBS series The Equalizer based on the 1980s show, are stepping down as showrunners of the hit drama starring and executive produced by Queen Latifah after two seasons. Joseph C. Wilson, who has been on the show since the first season, and Adam Glass (The Chi) have been named new showrunners for Season 3.