Neve Campbell Boards TIFF-Bound Ballet Documentary ‘Swan Song’ as Executive Producer (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Be For Films has boarded “The Summer With Carmen,” Zacharias Mavroeidis’ colorful Greek comedy that’s set to world premiere at the Venice Days at the Lido. “The Summer With Carmen” takes place at Athens’ queer beach, where 30-something Demosthenes offers to help his friend and aspiring filmmaker Nikitas in drafting an idea for his feature debut, inspired by the events surrounding a dog named Carmen.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Immediate Family,” director Denny Tedesco’s follow-up to his acclaimed documentary “The Wrecking Crew.” That earlier film, which Magnolia also released, followed the first wave of studio musicians in the ’60s. “Immediate Family” takes up the story where “The Wrecking Crew” ended, taking a deep dive through some of the most famous and influential session musicians from the 1970s.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Utopia has acquired North American rights to “The Sweet East,” a contemporary travelogue that marks the feature directing debut of Sean Price Williams. The sale comes after the film debuted at Director’s Fortnight during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Williams has a reputation as one of the most talented cinematographers in the independent film space, having previously worked with the likes of the Safdie Brothers, Alex Ross Perry, Michael Almereyda, Abel Ferrara and Albert Maysles.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies are developing a sequel to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and planning a two-season series that will serve as a “bridge” between the films. The spinoff series will appear on Paramount+.

Vertigo Films & Haifaa Al Mansour Join Saudi Female Filmmaker Program

Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are mourning the loss of a staff member they considered “a truly wonderful man.” Tafari Campbell, who worked as a White House sous chef and later became the Obamas‘ chef, died on Monday, July 24, in a paddle boarding accident near the Obamas’ Katama estate in Martha’s Vineyard. He was 45.The search started at 7:46 p.m. ET on Sunday when Martha’s Vineyard police and fire agencies responded to a 911 call for “a male paddle boarder who had gone into the water, appeared to briefly struggle to stay on the surface, and then submerged and did not resurface.”A post shared by Tafari Campbell (@thymeless_creations)Massachusetts State Police confirmed Campbell’s death to PEOPLE during a news release.

BreAnna Bell Hulu has ordered a new documentary series on the Sherri Papini disappearance story, Variety has learned. Hailing from filmmakers Erin Lee Carr (“Britney vs. Spears,” “The Girl From Plainville”), Michael Beach Nichols (“Wrinkles the Clown,” “Welcome to Leith”), and Marwar Junction Productions, the limited series dives into “the six-year journey of Sherri Papini’s disappearance to her arrest and the ripple effect of the case felt across the nation,” per Hulu.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Pop-jazz singing legend Tony Bennett died July 24 at age 96, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease seven years earlier. His 75-year career followed a classic three-act structure: a rise through the 1950s and early ‘60s that culminated in his biggest hit, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in 1962; the loss of pop opportunities as rock took over, resulting in deeper explorations into jazz; and a return to superstardom in the 1990s as he won the album of the year Grammy for “MTV Unplugged.” Actually, “we had a fourth act, with Lady Gaga, that lasted 10 years,” says his son, Danny Bennett. Danny became his dad’s manager in 1986 and oversaw one of the great comebacks in music, which ended with Bennett and Gaga taping a final special at Radio City Music Hall on his 95th birthday.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Family Portrait,” written and directed by Lucy Kerr, has debuted its trailer ahead of its world premiere in Locarno Film Festival’s Cineasti Del Presente section. World sales are being handled by Flavio Armone at Lights On. “Family Portrait” follows a sprawling family on a morning when they have planned a group picture. After the mother disappears and one of the daughters becomes increasingly anxious to find her and take the picture, the rest of the family appears to resist any attempt to gather. “Initially presenting itself as a realistic portrayal of a family on an idle but hectic summer day, the film progressively descends into a realm where time and space lose their grip, transforming the family portrait into a solemn and enigmatic ritual of transition,” according to a press statement.

Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon could fill every seat at their San Diego Comic-Con panels with eager fans hungry for any tiny detail about the animated series with a cult-like following. While this year’s panel in the Hilton Bayfront’s Indigo Ballroom was once again packed, there was an air of uncertainty regarding the series’ future as the panelists were hesitant to give many (if any) details on what’s next for their space odyssey. In January of 2023, Adult Swim terminated their relationship with Roiland, who also voiced the titular characters, after he was charged with domestic violence. “Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland,” the network said in a statement. Hulu also dropped him from “Solar Opposites,” which he co-created, and “Koala Man.” The charges against Roiland were dismissed in March.

co-creator and executive producer, has died from coronary-related issues, his family announced Friday. He was 68.«It is with great sadness that we inform you that Bill has passed away,» his family wrote on his Facebook page. «It was a sudden coronary-related death and we find comfort in knowing that he went quickly and didn't suffer.

In an era of the social media drip of snippets and IG Live previews, big ticket album releases right now can feel like the full stop on a conversation that began months (or maybe even years) prior. J Hus is different, though. Through a combination of lengthy absences from the spotlight and a refreshing musical unpredictability, his albums still feel like events that demand more discussion.

Katcy Stephan Wrangling 10 busy sisters in one room is already a herculean task — try planning a production schedule around them. That’s just what the team behind “Secrets & Sisterhood: The Sozahdahs” had to do. The reality series, which premiered June 7 on Hulu, follows the ten siblings of the Sozahdah family: Shaista, Halimah, Khadija, Rabya, Shakur, Muzlefa, Jamila, Siddiqa, Nooreya and Hamida. “The Sozahdahs have both a complicated past as well as an often complex present that makes for an abundance of story possibilities. These run the emotional spectrum from super heartfelt to hilarious to heated at times,” says Dane Joseph, Vice President of Unscripted Series for Hulu Originals. “Each of their interactions are rooted in love, but are genuinely unpredictable, which is what makes unscripted content so exciting to work on.”

EXCLUSIVE: Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to Invisible Beauty, the Sundance world premiere documentary about the career of pioneering African American model and fashion icon Bethann Hardison.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sent a letter to its members on Friday evening, addressing the recent departure of multiple Black executives from its organization over the past few weeks. Signed by Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, the statement, obtained by Variety, includes an affirmation of the organization’s commitment to its diversity and inclusion programs, as well as efforts to “expanding” their promotion. “We have heard from some of you who have asked about our Academy DEAI programs as these efforts across our film community and other industries have been called into question,” the letter begins. “A number of Black executives in Hollywood have exited their roles, including within the Academy, and we recognize the concern this creates. Given all of this, we want to reiterate, in the strongest possible terms, the Academy’s commitment to not only continuing, but expanding our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within our organization and the film industry at large.”

The Super Models” will bring back Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, for an intimate look that will run over the course of four episodes. Tatjana Patitz, iconic supermodel of ‘80s and ‘90s, dies at 56Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell & more react to Tatjana Patitz’ deathNaomi Campbell became a proud mom of two as she welcomed a baby boyApple TV+ promises access to the four models and to take viewers to the 80s in New York City, exploring their individual career beginnings and later on how they formed one of the strongest forces in the fashion industry.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to “Once Within a Time” from Godfrey Reggio, the experimental filmmaker behind the cult masterpiece “Koyaanisqatsi.” The indie studio will release “Once Within a Time” theatrically in the fall of 2023, following its premiere as part of The Museum of Modern Art’s film series “Total Cinema of Sight and Sound: Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass,” which runs Sept. 26 – Oct. 4.  The movie is co-directed by Jon Kane, with original music is composed by Philip Glass with additional music and vocals by Sussan Deyhim. Glass, a legendary experimental composer, first worked with Reggio on “Koyaanisqatsi,” which was “presented” by Francis Ford Coppola in 1982. Reggio and Glass have collaborated on seven films over the last four decades, including “Visitors,” “Evidence,” and “Anima Mundi.”

Four of the world’s most iconic supermodels will be seen like never before in an upcoming “event documentary” from Apple TV+.

Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington are set to appear in Apple TV+’s The Super Models.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Last June, Paramount Global pulled out all the stops at London’s spacey Outernet venue for its streaming launch in the U.K. The studio flew in 21 stars including Michelle Pfeiffer and Sylvester Stallone to pitch their Paramount+ originals to a wide-eyed audience. No expense, it seemed, was spared for the service’s splashy kick-off. One year later, as Paramount Global sheds assets Stateside and offloads original programs in a bid to save money, that investment in international seems to be paying off. The company’s most robust signs of growth appear to be from its international streaming division, which has penetrated more than 45 markets to date, spanning Western Europe, Australia, South America and Canada. Currently, 85 local originals have been earmarked for the platform (some are already on the service, while others are in production or recently greenlit) — and those commissions aren’t going anywhere, according to top brass.