The Future of Female-Driven Films Is Stories That ‘Dig Deeper,’ Women Directors Say (Video)

Jessica Biel gets herself into deep trouble as Candy Montgomery — who may or may not be involved in the death of her best friend — in the trailer for Hulu’s new true crime series “Candy.”The show follows Biel’s Candy, a 1980s housewife and mother, who is seeking freedom from conformity in her life, taking up an affair with her friend’s husband.But, when Lynskey’s character ends up dead, suspicion falls on Candy.“Candy” stars Biel, Lynskey, Timothy Simons, Pablo Schreiber and Raúl Esparza.It will launch on Hulu Monday May 9, and air across five nights. The finale airs May 13.Three-time Emmy nominee Robin Veith (“Mad Men,” “The Act”) wrote the pilot script.

Several weeks ago, Tucker Carlson gave a speech at a right wing mega church in San Diego, California, where he claimed that he has never been vaccinated against COVID-19. But Jimmy Kimmel thinks he’s straight up lying about that.So the thing is, Carlson has refused for months to answer the question publicly one way or the other, though he has ginned up anger against even tepid COVID-19 safety measures, even as U.S. deaths were skyrocketing.

EXCLUSIVE: Dark Star Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to The Passenger as part of its ongoing collaboration with Bloody Disgusting. Dark Star and Bloody Disgusting plan a theatrical release for the film on June 3, 2022 with the On Demand and DVD release to follow on June 28, 2022.

Director Sam Raimi is making his big return to the world of Marvel after giving us the original “Spider-Man” trilogy and then walking away when “Spider-Man 4” fell apart just before cameras were set to roll. Marvel Studios was able to convince the filmmaker to come back to tackle “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness” after Scott Derrickson exited the sequel over “creative differences.” Some fans became concerned the exit of Derrickson telegraphed that the studio might be backtracking on the horror elements that had been promised at San Diego Comic-Con 2019.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a limited series based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast “The Sterling Affairs” with Laurence Fishburne and Jacki Weaver attached to star, Variety has learned.The six-episode series tells the behind the scenes story of Doc Rivers (Fishburne) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ quest to bring a championship to one of the historically worst franchises in all of sports during the impending downfall of the team’s owner, Donald Sterling, whose notoriously racist behavior is brought to light amid the power struggle between his wife of 60+ years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V. Stiviano.Gina Welch serve as writer and executive producer on the series.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe union representing film and TV directors in British Columbia called for a strike authorization vote on Monday, after negotiations with the studios broke down.The Directors Guild of Canada represents about 1,700 workers in British Columbia, including directors, second unit directors, location managers and production assistants. The union has been in talks for the last year on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Canadian Media Producers Association.On Monday, the union said that the talks are at an impasse, after the producers rejected a proposal from a government mediator.The union called on its members to vote for a strike mandate, which would give the union’s leaders the power to call a strike.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentLithuanian film director and academic Mantas Kvedaravicius, who captured the escalating conflict in Ukraine in several powerful works, has been reported dead in Mariupol, the Ukrainian city that was the subject of his doc “Mariupolis” that premiered in Berlin.“While (he was) trying to leave Mariupol, Russian occupiers killed Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius,” the Ukrainian Defence Ministry tweeted on Saturday. Kvedaravicius was 45.  A Lithuanian news agency called 15min reported that Kvedaravicius was rushed to a hospital but could not be saved.News that Kvedaravicius has been killed by the Russian military — which could not be verified with family members — has prompted an outpour of statements and social media posts mourning the director’s death.

here and above.“Because, for decades, we’ve been fighting a ‘War on Drugs’ that was often fueled by fear and misinformation, directly leading to bad policy,” Oliver noted.The host then called up a video from the San Diego police department, showing a deputy supposedly passing out after encountering fentanyl in a person’s car. Scoring that video is a voiceover from the department, claiming the deputy “nearly died” as a result.“The idea that that officer could’ve been passively exposed to fentanyl and then overdose is completely absurd,” Oliver said.

EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) and Reacher breakout Alan Ritchson have signed on to star in the film Ordinary Angels from Kingdom Story Company, which Lionsgate will distribute.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefBruce Tuchmann-backed Rialto International has launched a branded on-demand streaming service in Japan, focused on independent film, and housed on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels platform.Rialto Channel launched in 1999 in New Zealand, where it was initially branded as The Sundance Channel. It established itself as an award-winning and industry-leading indie film destination for over twenty years.In Japan, the Rialto-branded venue will feature current and iconic independent films.

Ed Meza @edmezavarSpanish director Ángeles Reiné celebrates family, neighborhood friendships and soccer in her a feel-good comedy “Héroes de Barrio” (“Football Heroes of the Block”).The film, Reiné’s sophomore feature following 2019’s “Salir del ropero” (“So My Grandma’s a Lesbian!”), which screens at the Malaga Festival, follows financially-strapped Seville bar owner Luis, who seeks to impress his young daughter Paula by pretending to be pals with Joaquin, the beloved and charismatic real-life captain of the Real Betis football club. At the same time, he’s angling to get back together with Paula’s mom, the love of his life, who now lives with her new and much wealthier boyfriend.

We have confirmed that "West Side Story" star Rachel Zegler has been invited to the Oscars after all.There’s word out there that the Academy has invited her to be a presenter, however, they won’t confirm. What is clear is that the actress’ production schedule in London on the Disney movie "Snow White" has loosened up so that she can head to Los Angeles and watch the show live instead of in sweatpants and her boyfriend’s flannel from her couch, as she indicated on Instagram over the weekend to her followers who were enraged to hear that the actress be a no-show.  Rachel Zegler initially told fans on social media that she wasn't invited to this year's Academy Awards despite her film being nominated.

9-1-1” with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk as a Fox midseason drama in January 2018, Tim Minear was a prolific producer with many impressive TV credits under his belt. Minear, who has the longest-running overall deal at “9-1-1” studio 20th Television, is best known for his work on “Angel,” “Firefly,” “Dollhouse,” “American Horror Story,” “Terriers,” “Feud,” “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Wonderfalls.” But of those shows, the ones he personally created are best known for being very short-lived.

An interactive experience based on some much-loved children's stories is coming to Manchester.

Netflix has been actively recruiting Oscar-caliber filmmakers to help provide the streaming giant with must-watch content. To that end, they’ve secured the next documentary from directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.

Joe Leydon Film CriticLet’s not mince words: “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story” is a high-stepping, hand-waving, spirit-lifting gas. Co-directors Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, with the invaluable assistance of editor Martin Singer, have fashioned an infectiously exuberant overview of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Big Easy’s unique and enormous celebration of its music, cuisine and multiculturalism, by combining their own footage of performances and interviews at the 50th iteration of the star-studded annual event — the last before COVID-19 forced cancelation of the 2000 and 2001 editions — and archival footage dating back to the festival’s earliest days.Those days might have begun earlier, fest co-founder George Wein reveals during an interview conducted before his 2021 passing, if he had accepted a 1962 invitation by locals to establish the New Orleans equivalent of his Newport Jazz Festival.

No American city is as steeped in native musical lore and legacy as is New Orleans and you get a good feeling for how that came about in Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story. It’s a documentary overflowing with performers and music that still barely begins to scratch the surface of what’s gone on musically for ages in the fabled, oft-distressed city. Music fans of assorted persuasions will be delighted with the samples served up here, although the subject is so vast and varied that something like a six or ten-hour miniseries would be required to begin to do it justice. With Sony Pictures Classics handling the U.S. release starting May 13 after it SXSW bow, the film is certain to get a nice lift-off and extensive exposure on home tubes is assured.