Melbourne International Film Festival Bumps Up Their Festival Prize Pool; Now Largest Film Competition In Southern Hemisphere

Kristen Stewart could be doing her magic from behind the camera — as a director.The 31-year-old Oscar-nominated actress said as much Friday at the 37th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where she was being honored with the American Riviera Award following her deft portrayal of Princess Diana in . «I'm trying to put a movie together right now,» Stewart said. «I have a couple balls in the air.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorThe Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), which runs March 23-April 3, has revealed its conference program. Among the filmmakers taking part are Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Renzo Martens (“The White Cube”), and Brazilian indigenous cinematographer Tangãi Uru-eu-wau-wau (“The Territory).

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is resigning as artistic director of the New World Symphony after 34 seasons with the orchestra, wanting to lessen administrative responsibilities as he deals with a brain tumor.The 77-year-old had surgery last August for the tumor. He has conducted 20 concerts since then with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.“Making music with these great artists and for so many friends in the audience felt like coming home, like coming back to life.

Sam Elliot is none too pleased with the recognition "The Power of the Dog" is receiving ahead of the Oscars. The actor slammed the film, which is nominated for 12 Academy Awards. During an episode of "WTF With Marc Maron," Elliot, 77, was asked if he had seen the film yet, to which Elliot replied: "You want to talk about that piece of s---?" Elliot referenced a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times that featured a review blurb that described the film as "an evisceration of the American myth." "I thought, what the f---?" Elliott said of the adaptation from the 1967 novel by Thomas Savage.

“The Power Of The Dog” may be leading the Academy Award nominations but that doesn’t mean Sam Elliott likes it.

EXCLUSIVE: Frank Grillo (Captain American franchise, Kingdom) has signed on to star opposite Harvey Keitel in Justin Price’s action-thriller Hard Matter for Wonderfilm Media, which is currently in production in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Chris Willman Music WriterSidney Poitier — film noir icon? That may not be one of the phrases that popped up most frequently in the recent obituaries and appreciations for the late actor, but Poitier did take his turn at noir. The movie with which he made his screen debut, “No Way Out,” will be featured at the upcoming resumption of the annual Noir City Hollywood Festival, which is devoting separate days to the treatment of race and women in the crime dramas of the ’40s and ’50s, along with a continued focus on presenting restorations in 35mm glory.Noir City Hollywood has been a staple at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre each spring since the late ’90s, but with that theater closed for extensive Netflix-funded renovations, this year it will take place at the American Legion Theatre a few blocks up Highland Blvd.

Wyatte Grantham-Philips editorAmerican High has announced its inaugural American High Film Festival, a new film festival set to showcase films told through the lens of high school-aged characters. Filmmakers of all ages have been invited to submit their projects starting Wednesday.The American High Film Festival will take place at the production company’s flagship studio in Syracuse, N.Y.

Paul McCartney has announced his plans for a tour of North America in the spring.The legendary Beatle will hit the road for 14 dates, kicking off in Washington on April 28. His tour will call at Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston and Baltimore before wrapping in East Rutherford in New Jersey on June 16.Pre-sale tickets for the jaunt go on sale on Tuesday (February 22) at 12pm local time, before they go on general next Friday (25th) at 10am local time.

If you’ve seen the hit Netflix series Dark, then you definitely are a Louis Hofmann fan. If you haven’t, it’s time to catch up!

Elvis Costello & The Imposters have unveiled details of a new, North American tour today (February 17).The Imposters are comprised of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Faragher (bass/backing vocals).

EXCLUSIVE: Brooklyn Nine-Nine and In The Heights star Stephanie Beatriz has been set to star with The Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley in horror-thriller movie History Of Evil.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Novelist’s Film,” which Wednesday earned Korean director Hong Sang-soo the Grand Jury Prize in Berlin, has scored multiple rights deals. With Seoul-based Finecut handling the rights sales, the film was licensed to Ama Films for Greece and Cyprus, Mimosa Films for Japan, L’Atalante Cinema for Spain, Arizona Films Distribution for France and to The Cinema Guild for the U.S.Finecut also did European Film Market business with “Contorted,” an unorthodox horror about a family tragedy.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefKicking off at its 70th anniversary edition in August, the Melbourne International Film Festival is to introduce a trio of new prizes. The best film award will come with a A$140,000 (approximately $100,000) cash reward, making it the richest film prize in the southern hemisphere.Contenders in the new, annual, ten-title MIFF Film Competition can be from any genre, including documentary or animation.

Melbourne Film Festival Launches $100K Best Film Prize; Southern Hemisphere’s “Richest” Feature CompetitionThe Melbourne International Film Festival is introducing a feature film competition ahead of its 70th anniversary edition.