Locarno Fest Names Giona Nazzaro Artistic Director

Andreas Wiseman International EditorThe H Collective (Brightburn) is teaming with Breaking Bad exec producer and Rain Man producer Mark Johnson on coming-of-age film The Vineyard, which will be directed by Mark Steven Johnson (Love Guaranteed) from Tory Kamen’s script.“Foodie drama” The Vineyard will follow an American teenager whose life is uprooted when she unexpectedly moves to Italy to live with a grandfather she never knew existed. Pic is due to get underway in Italy in

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.A Kirkcudbrightshire chemist’s son who went on to become President of Ghana has died in hospital in Accra, the country’s capital, aged 73.Jerry John (JJ) Rawlings is reported to have contracted Covid-19 after attending his mother’s funeral in the city.He was the son of James Ramsay John, a pharmacist from Castle Douglas who spent almost 30 years in the country.James became head of Kingsway Chemists, now part

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian director Valentina Pedicini, known on the festival circuit for observational 2019 doc “Faith,” about power dynamics within a reclusive spiritual sect of kung fu practitioners, as well as other female-centric works, died on Friday of liver cancer, her publicist said.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterCAA asked a federal judge on Tuesday to end the 19-month standoff between the Writers Guild of America and the major agencies, as settlement talks between the guild and the agency have stalled.CAA asked Judge Andre Birotte for an injunction that would require the WGA to drop its boycott of the agency.The move comes as CAA has been unable to strike a deal with the guild that would allow writers to return to the agency.

“Always love working with my friend @officialslystallone & our work today on #TheSuicideSquad was no exception,” Gunn wrote on Instagram about the film, a sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 DC Films release “Suicide Squad.” “Despite Sly being an iconic movie star, most people still don’t have any idea what an amazing actor this guy is.”When asked my a fan whether Stallone will be involved with “The Suicide Squad,” Gunn confirmed, “Yep.”Also Read: John Cena's Peacemaker From 'The Suicide Squad' Is

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLike much of the world, I was thrilled to hear on Monday that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was proving to be effective and could end up being available before the end of the year.Sure, it seemed hopeful that there might eventually be an end to the pandemic in sight.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentEmmy-winning U.S. director and producer John Maggio is shooting “Milano,” a high-profile doc on the rise of the Italian fashion industry that is expected to feature many of Italy’s most iconic fashion designers.Maggio, who most recently directed HBO doc “The Perfect Weapon,” based on the best-selling book by David E.

The Real Housewives of Orange County is now 15 seasons deep, but it’s still one of the best shows on Bravo. Case in point — the Nov. 4 episode featured an epic fight between Gina Kirschenheiter and Braunwyn Windham-Burke, during which the former called the latter a “sloppy chihuahua” before Braunwyn threw her drink and stormed out of Shannon Beador‘s house with tears streaming down her face.

The upcoming movie Mission: Impossible 7 is still being filmed all over Venice, Italy!

Dave McNary Film ReporterJosh Hutcherson and Italian thespian Sabrina Impacciatore have joined the cast of the movie adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s  “Across the River and Into the Trees,” Variety has learned exclusively.Production companies Tribune Pictures and The Exchange are in pre-production in Italy. Hutcherson and Impacciatore are joining the previously announced cast of Liev Schreiber, Matilda De Angelis, Laura Morante and Giancarlo Giannini.The producers are Robert MacLean of Tribune

Christopher Vourlias When Nigerian cinemas reopened in September after a months-long lockdown, Moses Babatope, co-founder of the distributor and production company FilmOne Entertainment, began looking ahead to a busy fall season that could get the local industry back on track.“We were just beginning to see a recovery,” Babatope says, with “Fate of Alakada” — the third installment in Kayode Kasum’s blockbuster Nollywood franchise — bursting out of the gate after an Oct.

While scores of major players in Hollywood keep their focus on the U.S. election, a number of celebrities are spotlighting two crises overseas: one, the armed conflict between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh; the other, protests against ongoing police brutality in Nigeria.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian film critic Giona A.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterSwitzerland’s Locarno Film Festival, one of the key events on the European summer fest circuit, has named Italian film critic Giona A. Nazzaro [pictured top, left] as its new artistic director.Nazzaro joins from Venice Critics’ Week, where he has served as General Delegate since 2016; he will take up his new role on January 1, 2021 but will work with interim director Nadia Dresti until then.