Emilia Clarke will star in and serve as an executive producer for “Ponies,” a new espionage thriller coming to Peacock.
The series comes from Emmy Award-nominated director Susanna Fogel (“The Flight Attendant,” “The Spy Who Dumped Me”), who will serve as executive producer, director and co-writer alongside Emmy Award-nominated executive producer David Iserson (“Mr. Robot,” “New Girl”). Iserson will serve as co-writer and showrunner. Additionally, PGA Award winner Jessica Rhoades (“Black Mirror,” “Dirty John”) will executive produce via her Pacesetter Productions.
The upcoming series will be set in Moscow in 1977. During this time, two Ponies — “persons of no interest” in intelligence speak — are working anonymously in the American Embassy. That changes when their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr, causing the two to become CIA operatives. Together, they find themselves in the middle of a vast Cold War conspiracy as they try to solve the mystery that...
The series comes from Emmy Award-nominated director Susanna Fogel (“The Flight Attendant,” “The Spy Who Dumped Me”), who will serve as executive producer, director and co-writer alongside Emmy Award-nominated executive producer David Iserson (“Mr. Robot,” “New Girl”). Iserson will serve as co-writer and showrunner. Additionally, PGA Award winner Jessica Rhoades (“Black Mirror,” “Dirty John”) will executive produce via her Pacesetter Productions.
The upcoming series will be set in Moscow in 1977. During this time, two Ponies — “persons of no interest” in intelligence speak — are working anonymously in the American Embassy. That changes when their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr, causing the two to become CIA operatives. Together, they find themselves in the middle of a vast Cold War conspiracy as they try to solve the mystery that...
- 8/26/2024
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is adding another series to her schedule.
The multiple Emmy nominee will star in Ponies, a spy thriller that has landed a straight-to-series order at Peacock. The Cold War-era show comes from Universal Television and co-creators Susanna Fogel (Booksmart, The Flight Attendant) and David Iserson (Mr. Robot).
Clarke is currently filming another streaming series, Criminal, for Amazon’s Prime Video. She stars opposite Charlie Hunnam Richard Jenkins, John Hawkes and Adria Arjona (among others) in that drama, based on the graphic novel by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
Ponies is set in Moscow in 1977. It centers on two “Ponies”(persons of no interest) who work anonymously as secretaries at the American embassy — until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr and they become CIA operatives. Clarke will play Bea, an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. The other lead character, Twila...
The multiple Emmy nominee will star in Ponies, a spy thriller that has landed a straight-to-series order at Peacock. The Cold War-era show comes from Universal Television and co-creators Susanna Fogel (Booksmart, The Flight Attendant) and David Iserson (Mr. Robot).
Clarke is currently filming another streaming series, Criminal, for Amazon’s Prime Video. She stars opposite Charlie Hunnam Richard Jenkins, John Hawkes and Adria Arjona (among others) in that drama, based on the graphic novel by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
Ponies is set in Moscow in 1977. It centers on two “Ponies”(persons of no interest) who work anonymously as secretaries at the American embassy — until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr and they become CIA operatives. Clarke will play Bea, an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. The other lead character, Twila...
- 8/26/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Emilia Clarke is set for a lead role in the espionage thriller “Ponies,” which has been ordered straight to series at Peacock.
The series hails from co-creators Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, with Clarke set to executive produce in addition to starring.
The official description for the series states:
“Moscow, 1977. Two ‘Ponies’ (‘persons of no interest’ in intelligence speak) work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila, is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place.”
Fogel will also direct for the series, while Iserson will serve as showrunner. Jessica Rhoades executive produces under her Pacesetter Productions banner.
The series hails from co-creators Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, with Clarke set to executive produce in addition to starring.
The official description for the series states:
“Moscow, 1977. Two ‘Ponies’ (‘persons of no interest’ in intelligence speak) work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila, is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place.”
Fogel will also direct for the series, while Iserson will serve as showrunner. Jessica Rhoades executive produces under her Pacesetter Productions banner.
- 8/26/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to 1970s espionage thriller Ponies, starring and executive produced by Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones). The project, co-created, co-written and executive produced by Susanna Fogel (The Flight Attendant) and David Iserson (Mr. Robot) and exec produced by Jessica Rhoades (Black Mirror), previously had a cast-contingent blinking green light, which Clarke’s casting turned into a firm order.
Set in Moscow in 1977, the series follows two “Ponies” (“persons of no interest” in intelligence speak) who work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila, is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place.
Set in Moscow in 1977, the series follows two “Ponies” (“persons of no interest” in intelligence speak) who work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the Ussr, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila, is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place.
- 8/26/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Emilia Clarke has been cast in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming series adaptation of the “Criminal” graphic novels in a lead role, Variety has learned exclusively.
Clarke will star alongside previously announced cast members Charlie Hunnam, Richard Jenkins, John Hawkes, Adria Arjona, Logan Browning, Kadeem Hardison, Pat Healy, Taylor Sele, Gus Halper, Aliyah Camacho, Michael Mando, Marvin Jones III, Michael Xavier, and Dominic Burgess.
The graphic novels were created by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The official description states the series is “an interlocking universe of crime stories.”
Clarke will appear in the role of Mallory, described as “a slick and daring armed robber, as quick with a gun as she is with her wits. Part of a heist crew with Ricky Lawless (Halper), who she’s in a passionate Bonnie-and-Clyde-like affair with. Mallory is a woman on the edge, living on the wrong side of the law and hiding...
Clarke will star alongside previously announced cast members Charlie Hunnam, Richard Jenkins, John Hawkes, Adria Arjona, Logan Browning, Kadeem Hardison, Pat Healy, Taylor Sele, Gus Halper, Aliyah Camacho, Michael Mando, Marvin Jones III, Michael Xavier, and Dominic Burgess.
The graphic novels were created by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The official description states the series is “an interlocking universe of crime stories.”
Clarke will appear in the role of Mallory, described as “a slick and daring armed robber, as quick with a gun as she is with her wits. Part of a heist crew with Ricky Lawless (Halper), who she’s in a passionate Bonnie-and-Clyde-like affair with. Mallory is a woman on the edge, living on the wrong side of the law and hiding...
- 7/10/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Liam Neeson crime thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners opens on 896 screens this weekend, joined by Sean Penn in Asphalt City — the Godzilla vs. Kong of the specialty market?
Neeson reunites with The Marksman director Robert Lorenz as a newly retired assassin in a remote Irish village who finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists. Ciarán Hinds, Kerry Condon, Colm Meaney and Jack Gleeson also star in Land of Saints and Sinners, which premiered at Venice, and was shot in County Donegal, Ireland. Screenplay by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane. Samuel Goldwyn Films’ widest release post-pandemic sits at 80% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Penn stars with Tye Sheridan in Asphalt City, Vertical’s co-release with Roadside Attractions that opens on 297 screens, also with a national footprint. Young paramedic Ollie Cross (Sheridan) is paired with seasoned partner Gene...
Neeson reunites with The Marksman director Robert Lorenz as a newly retired assassin in a remote Irish village who finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists. Ciarán Hinds, Kerry Condon, Colm Meaney and Jack Gleeson also star in Land of Saints and Sinners, which premiered at Venice, and was shot in County Donegal, Ireland. Screenplay by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane. Samuel Goldwyn Films’ widest release post-pandemic sits at 80% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Penn stars with Tye Sheridan in Asphalt City, Vertical’s co-release with Roadside Attractions that opens on 297 screens, also with a national footprint. Young paramedic Ollie Cross (Sheridan) is paired with seasoned partner Gene...
- 3/29/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Roadside Attractions and Vertical have co-acquired U.S. rights To the WWII drama Lee, marking the feature directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). which stars Academy Award winner Kate Winslet (The Regime) as famed American war correspondent and photographer, Lee Miller.
The film, written by Liz Hannah (The Post) and Marion Hume & John Collee, is slated to hit theaters September 20th, opening against Sony and Apfel’s thriller Wolfs starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, and Uni animation The Wild Robot.
World premiering at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, Lee begins in the late 1930s, as Hitler amasses power in Germany. Miller (Winslet) leaves her world and her artistic circle of friends behind in France and travels to London, having fallen wildly in love with the art dealer Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård). The two embark on a passionate relationship, and then war breaks out in Europe.
The film, written by Liz Hannah (The Post) and Marion Hume & John Collee, is slated to hit theaters September 20th, opening against Sony and Apfel’s thriller Wolfs starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, and Uni animation The Wild Robot.
World premiering at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, Lee begins in the late 1930s, as Hitler amasses power in Germany. Miller (Winslet) leaves her world and her artistic circle of friends behind in France and travels to London, having fallen wildly in love with the art dealer Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård). The two embark on a passionate relationship, and then war breaks out in Europe.
- 2/8/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Roadside Attractions and Vertical have acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Lee,” the war biopic starring Kate Winslet as influential WWII photographer Lee Miller.
“Lee” is the narrative feature directorial debut of cinematographer Ellen Kuras (she was previously nominated for an Oscar for co-directing “The Betrayal”), who worked with Winslet on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” The film earned buzz for Winslet’s performance following its premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, sparking some hope of an Oscar or awards campaign for Winslet, but the film took some time to find a domestic distributor in a market slowed by the strikes.
Roadside Attractions and Vertical will release “Lee” theatrically on September 20.
Lee Miller captured some of the most indelible images of war in the 20th century, including an iconic photo of Miller herself inside Hitler’s private bathtub. The film begins in the late 1930s and...
“Lee” is the narrative feature directorial debut of cinematographer Ellen Kuras (she was previously nominated for an Oscar for co-directing “The Betrayal”), who worked with Winslet on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” The film earned buzz for Winslet’s performance following its premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, sparking some hope of an Oscar or awards campaign for Winslet, but the film took some time to find a domestic distributor in a market slowed by the strikes.
Roadside Attractions and Vertical will release “Lee” theatrically on September 20.
Lee Miller captured some of the most indelible images of war in the 20th century, including an iconic photo of Miller herself inside Hitler’s private bathtub. The film begins in the late 1930s and...
- 2/8/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and White Lotus breakout Leo Woodall have signed for UK agency Hamilton Hodell.
The pair have signed in all areas for the UK market and retain multiple reps in the U.S.
Clarke and Woodall are two of the UK’s hottest stars right now. Best known for playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, Clarke’s other roles include in movies The Pod Generation, Last Christmas and Solo: A Star Wars Story. She is currently gearing up to play Oscar Wilde’s wife in An Ideal Wife from Sophie Hyde. Late last year, she was given an MBE alongside mother Jenny after the pair set up a charity together supporting people with brain injuries.
Woodall broke out as ‘cheeky chappy’ Jack in the second season of HBO’s White Lotus. He is playing the lead in Netflix’s soon-to-launch limited series adaptation...
The pair have signed in all areas for the UK market and retain multiple reps in the U.S.
Clarke and Woodall are two of the UK’s hottest stars right now. Best known for playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, Clarke’s other roles include in movies The Pod Generation, Last Christmas and Solo: A Star Wars Story. She is currently gearing up to play Oscar Wilde’s wife in An Ideal Wife from Sophie Hyde. Late last year, she was given an MBE alongside mother Jenny after the pair set up a charity together supporting people with brain injuries.
Woodall broke out as ‘cheeky chappy’ Jack in the second season of HBO’s White Lotus. He is playing the lead in Netflix’s soon-to-launch limited series adaptation...
- 2/1/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance film festival: Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have made a bizarrely misjudged hodgepodge of gore, needle drops and nostalgia
More often than not, the opening night slot at Sundance has become more curse than blessing, too many films living and dying in just one night, barely to be seen again. Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s sci-fi comedy The Pod Generation anyone? How about the Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore melodrama After the Wedding? Daisy Ridley’s suicide drama Sometimes I Think About Dying? Or maybe that sequel to An Inconvenient Truth that you didn’t even know existed? This year’s sacrificial lamb, the 80s-set anthology Freaky Tales, is nothing if not confident in its ability to make an impact, asserting itself as an experience that won’t easily be forgotten.
Acting as its own hype man, the film begins with a block of narrated...
More often than not, the opening night slot at Sundance has become more curse than blessing, too many films living and dying in just one night, barely to be seen again. Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s sci-fi comedy The Pod Generation anyone? How about the Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore melodrama After the Wedding? Daisy Ridley’s suicide drama Sometimes I Think About Dying? Or maybe that sequel to An Inconvenient Truth that you didn’t even know existed? This year’s sacrificial lamb, the 80s-set anthology Freaky Tales, is nothing if not confident in its ability to make an impact, asserting itself as an experience that won’t easily be forgotten.
Acting as its own hype man, the film begins with a block of narrated...
- 1/19/2024
- by Benjamin Lee in Park City, Utah
- The Guardian - Film News
Roadside Attractions and Vertical have acquired the U.S. rights to the historical thriller “Firebrand,” which will open in theaters on June 21. Based on the historical novel “Queen’s Gambit” by Elizabeth Fremantle, the film stars Alicia Vikander and Jude Law and is directed by Karim Aïnouz.
“Firebrand” follows “legendary Queen of England, Katherine Parr, and her quest to survive the perilous last months in the life of her ailing and abusive husband, Henry VIII,” per the release. The cast also includes Eddie Marsan, Sam Riley, Simon Russell Beale and Erin Doherty. Gabrielle Tana and Carolyn Marks Blackwood produce the film, which played competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“I could not be more excited to be bringing ‘Firebrand’ to the screen and telling the story of Katherine Parr — a ferociously brilliant, enlightened, and emancipated woman who I am deeply inspired by — a woman who has been largely disregarded,...
“Firebrand” follows “legendary Queen of England, Katherine Parr, and her quest to survive the perilous last months in the life of her ailing and abusive husband, Henry VIII,” per the release. The cast also includes Eddie Marsan, Sam Riley, Simon Russell Beale and Erin Doherty. Gabrielle Tana and Carolyn Marks Blackwood produce the film, which played competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“I could not be more excited to be bringing ‘Firebrand’ to the screen and telling the story of Katherine Parr — a ferociously brilliant, enlightened, and emancipated woman who I am deeply inspired by — a woman who has been largely disregarded,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Museum of the Moving Image and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have announced the winners of the 2023 Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize and 2023 Sloan Student Discovery Prize, who will each receive $20,000 to develop their science-themed screenplays.
Justine Beed of USC has won the Grand Jury Prize for her series pilot “La Forza,” while Lara Palmqvist of University of Texas at Austin was awarded the Discovery Prize for her feature script entitled “The Garden.”
Beed and Palmqvist were selected from a group of 10 nominees by a jury including Dr. Dwaipayan Banerjee (MIT), Dan Berger, writer/director Sophie Barthes (“The Pod Generation”), actor/writer/director Anna Konkle (“PEN15”), Dr. Reyhaneh Maktoufi (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) and Dr. Katina Michael (Arizona State University).
Additionally, an honorable mention was awarded to Emma Zetterberg of NYU, who penned the feature script “The Light in Your Eyes.” The winners will be celebrated at an event held on Jan.
Justine Beed of USC has won the Grand Jury Prize for her series pilot “La Forza,” while Lara Palmqvist of University of Texas at Austin was awarded the Discovery Prize for her feature script entitled “The Garden.”
Beed and Palmqvist were selected from a group of 10 nominees by a jury including Dr. Dwaipayan Banerjee (MIT), Dan Berger, writer/director Sophie Barthes (“The Pod Generation”), actor/writer/director Anna Konkle (“PEN15”), Dr. Reyhaneh Maktoufi (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) and Dr. Katina Michael (Arizona State University).
Additionally, an honorable mention was awarded to Emma Zetterberg of NYU, who penned the feature script “The Light in Your Eyes.” The winners will be celebrated at an event held on Jan.
- 12/18/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
AFM slate also includes a blend of local drama, comedy and thriller titles.
Orange Studio will kick off sales at AFM for Like A Prince, the debut feature from actor Ali Marhyar about a star boxer attempting a career comeback in a French chateau after a bar fight gone wrong.
Like A Prince stars Ahmed Sylla as the titular athlete who is sentenced to community service at the prestigious Château de Chambord following a bar fight that injures him and threatens his career. There, amidst horses, strange bosses and knight-inspired stunts, he meets a foster child with a knack for...
Orange Studio will kick off sales at AFM for Like A Prince, the debut feature from actor Ali Marhyar about a star boxer attempting a career comeback in a French chateau after a bar fight gone wrong.
Like A Prince stars Ahmed Sylla as the titular athlete who is sentenced to community service at the prestigious Château de Chambord following a bar fight that injures him and threatens his career. There, amidst horses, strange bosses and knight-inspired stunts, he meets a foster child with a knack for...
- 10/30/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
This edition boasts the largest feature film selection programmed to-date at Emiff.
The Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival has unveiled its full line-up for the 12th edition of the Spanish festival, with a total of 140 projects, including German auteur Wim Wenders’ Cannes world premiere Perfect Days and a special spotlight screening of David Fincher’s Venice title The Killer.
This year boasts the largest feature film selection programmed to date at Emiff. Additional categories for long-form projects include the debut feature film competition, the Made In Baleares (Mib) feature film competition, Spotlight Screenings and the Drive In Cinema strand. Six...
The Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival has unveiled its full line-up for the 12th edition of the Spanish festival, with a total of 140 projects, including German auteur Wim Wenders’ Cannes world premiere Perfect Days and a special spotlight screening of David Fincher’s Venice title The Killer.
This year boasts the largest feature film selection programmed to date at Emiff. Additional categories for long-form projects include the debut feature film competition, the Made In Baleares (Mib) feature film competition, Spotlight Screenings and the Drive In Cinema strand. Six...
- 10/5/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, running from October 18 to 24 in the Spanish island’s capital of Palma, has unveiled its full line-up.
The festival will open with Spanish director Isabel Coixet’s new feature Un Amor, which recently world premiered at San Sebastian.
Coixet will also be feted with the festival’s Evolution Vision Award at the opening night ceremony.
Other honorees will include German-Spanish actor Daniel Brühl, best known for his roles in Goodbye Lenin, Rush and The Alienist, and Danish writer and director Susanne Bier, whose recent credits include The Night Manager and The First Lady.
They will both receive Evolution Icon awards while there will also be screenings of Brühl’s most recent film The Movie Teller, as the closing film, and Rush and Bier’s 2010 feature In A Better World, which won the Best International Feature Film Oscar.
The 12th edition marks the festival’s...
The festival will open with Spanish director Isabel Coixet’s new feature Un Amor, which recently world premiered at San Sebastian.
Coixet will also be feted with the festival’s Evolution Vision Award at the opening night ceremony.
Other honorees will include German-Spanish actor Daniel Brühl, best known for his roles in Goodbye Lenin, Rush and The Alienist, and Danish writer and director Susanne Bier, whose recent credits include The Night Manager and The First Lady.
They will both receive Evolution Icon awards while there will also be screenings of Brühl’s most recent film The Movie Teller, as the closing film, and Rush and Bier’s 2010 feature In A Better World, which won the Best International Feature Film Oscar.
The 12th edition marks the festival’s...
- 10/4/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
In a not-so-distant future where AI’s omnipresence rivals the air we breathe, director Sophie Barthes paints a thought-provoking canvas in The Pod Generation. Set in a world where technology has woven itself intricately into the fabric of life, the film spirals through the lives of Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a couple torn between the allure of technology and the grip of tradition. This sci-fi flick promises a mind-bending ride but ends up feeling like a futuristic roller coaster that forgot to pick up enough speed.
The Pod Generation offers a cinematic glimpse into a world overshadowed by technological advancement. With a backdrop reminiscent of Black Mirror and the theme of pregnancy and motherhood in The Handmaid’s Tale, the movie sets the stage for a dystopian drama that sends shivers down your spine while whispering eerie truths about our society’s trajectory. AI is boss, making our...
The Pod Generation offers a cinematic glimpse into a world overshadowed by technological advancement. With a backdrop reminiscent of Black Mirror and the theme of pregnancy and motherhood in The Handmaid’s Tale, the movie sets the stage for a dystopian drama that sends shivers down your spine while whispering eerie truths about our society’s trajectory. AI is boss, making our...
- 8/31/2023
- by Anjena Pillai
- Film Fugitives
Cold Souls and Madame Bovary director Sophie Barthes returned to Sundance Film Festival earlier this year with her latest feature The Pod Generation. Led by Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film follows their characters living in a not-so-distant future in New York, taking a wild ride to parenthood after landing a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples a convenient and shareable pregnancy by way of detachable, artificial wombs, or pods. Ahead of an August 11 theatrical release, the first trailer has now arrived.
John Fink said in his review, “A sharp relationship satire that proves the more things change, the more they stay the same, Sophie Barthes’ The Pod Generation imagines a world of, to borrow Aaron Bastani’s idea, Fully Automated Luxury Communism. Are there poor people in this imagined futuristic world of the United States? (We can only identify the country because there’s a...
John Fink said in his review, “A sharp relationship satire that proves the more things change, the more they stay the same, Sophie Barthes’ The Pod Generation imagines a world of, to borrow Aaron Bastani’s idea, Fully Automated Luxury Communism. Are there poor people in this imagined futuristic world of the United States? (We can only identify the country because there’s a...
- 7/17/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Sci-fi films have always been equally about commenting on today’s society as well as showing off new, fun futures. And it’s clear that “The Pod Generation,” though about a society with advanced technology and a seemingly futuristic way to experience a pregnancy, has plenty to say about our current human situation.
Read More: ‘The Pod Generation’ Review; Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Are Having A Baby In A Thoughtful But Flat Comedy/Drama [Sundance]
As seen in the trailer for “The Pod Generation,” the film tells the story of a successful couple in a future New York City.
Continue reading ‘The Pod Generation’ Trailer: Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Star In A Sci-Fi, Make-An-Artificial-Baby Dramedy at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘The Pod Generation’ Review; Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Are Having A Baby In A Thoughtful But Flat Comedy/Drama [Sundance]
As seen in the trailer for “The Pod Generation,” the film tells the story of a successful couple in a future New York City.
Continue reading ‘The Pod Generation’ Trailer: Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Star In A Sci-Fi, Make-An-Artificial-Baby Dramedy at The Playlist.
- 7/17/2023
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
"Maybe I'm just not ready to be a mother." "No one's a mother 'just like that'... You become one." Vertical + Roadside Attractions have revealed the trailer for the indie sci-fi film titled The Pod Generation, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It's arriving in theaters in August later this summer. Living in the not-so-distant future, a New York couple gets a wild ride to parenthood after landing a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples a convenient and shareable pregnancy by way of detachable, artificial wombs, or pods. This clever take on the near future world we're headed towards, with A.I. and digitized everything, is about what it would be like to grow a baby inside of a tech device. Emilia Clarke stars as the soon-to-be-mother Rachel, with Chiwetel Ejiofor as a her plant-loving husband, along with Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson, and Jean-Marc Barr.
- 7/13/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Most festivals don’t want protests. This one encouraged a picket line to form.
The Nantucket Film Festival, which took place June 21-26 on the foggy isle 30 miles off the Massachusetts coast, is uniquely oriented toward the craft of screenwriting. Stars certainly appear — Allison Williams brought the glamour this year — but pen and paper are more important here than primping and pompadours.
The WGA has been a longtime partner of the festival, and the biggest gala event was a Screenwriters Tribute honoring Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, the “To All the Boys I Loved Before” scribe Jenny Han, and Nicole Holofcener, whose “You Hurt My Feelings” screened in the lineup. That film is literally about an author, and so were several others that showed, including Christian Petzold’s “Afire.” And the biggest competition isn’t built around established names at all, but a screenplay contest geared toward finding new talent.
The Nantucket Film Festival, which took place June 21-26 on the foggy isle 30 miles off the Massachusetts coast, is uniquely oriented toward the craft of screenwriting. Stars certainly appear — Allison Williams brought the glamour this year — but pen and paper are more important here than primping and pompadours.
The WGA has been a longtime partner of the festival, and the biggest gala event was a Screenwriters Tribute honoring Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, the “To All the Boys I Loved Before” scribe Jenny Han, and Nicole Holofcener, whose “You Hurt My Feelings” screened in the lineup. That film is literally about an author, and so were several others that showed, including Christian Petzold’s “Afire.” And the biggest competition isn’t built around established names at all, but a screenplay contest geared toward finding new talent.
- 6/26/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Though its global reputation doesn’t compete with the nearby showcase in Busan, which is perhaps the most high-profile event of its kind in Asia, the Jeonjun International Film Festival continues to be every bit as exciting as its more celebrated South Korean counterpart. At this year’s edition, sold out theaters for even the more obscure or low-key films attested to the buzz that the Jiff generates in the region. Crowds here also seemed to skew a good couple of decades younger than those that you see at the average festival, which bodes well for the future of filmmaking and cinephilia in all its forms, in Korea and further afield.
As usual, the focus of this year’s Jiff was on emerging talent, but there were a few notable releases directed by established filmmakers dotted throughout the schedule. Debuting at Sundance back in January, The Pod Generation is Sophie Barthes...
As usual, the focus of this year’s Jiff was on emerging talent, but there were a few notable releases directed by established filmmakers dotted throughout the schedule. Debuting at Sundance back in January, The Pod Generation is Sophie Barthes...
- 5/21/2023
- by David Robb
- Slant Magazine
Vertical has secured North American rights to “The Queen Mary,” a psychological horror film that was produced on the titular ship. It was made by “Dracula Untold” director Gary Shore and chronicles the mysterious and violent events surrounding one family’s voyage on Halloween night in 1938, and how their destinies link up with those of another family onboard the ocean liner into the present day.
The Queen Mary, now on anchored in Long Beach, Calif., was once a luxury ocean liner and a favored mode of transport for generations of the rich and famous. All that seaborne revelry has established a reputation for the Queen Mary as “One of the World’s Most Haunted Places,” or so sayeth Time Magazine.
Vertical has slated the film for release this summer. The cast includes Alice Eve (“Star Trek Into Darkness”), Joel Fry (“Game of Thrones”), Nell Hudson (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”), William Shockley...
The Queen Mary, now on anchored in Long Beach, Calif., was once a luxury ocean liner and a favored mode of transport for generations of the rich and famous. All that seaborne revelry has established a reputation for the Queen Mary as “One of the World’s Most Haunted Places,” or so sayeth Time Magazine.
Vertical has slated the film for release this summer. The cast includes Alice Eve (“Star Trek Into Darkness”), Joel Fry (“Game of Thrones”), Nell Hudson (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”), William Shockley...
- 5/19/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, May 17 (Ians) After matching wits with Doctor Strange, Chiwetel Ejiofor has found a new superhero to face off against.
Ejiofor has closed a deal to co-star opposite Tom Hardy in Sony and Marvel’s ‘Venom 3’, reports Deadline.
Hardy is set to return as the titular character with the franchise’s longtime writer Kelly Marcel taking over the directing reins. Juno Temple also is on board.
As per ‘Deadline’, Sony had no comment on Ejiofora¿s casting.
Marcel and Hardy also will produce, with Marcel writing the screenplay from a story she and Hardy wrote. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal and Hutch Parker also are producing.
Plot details are unknown other than Hardy is returning as the lethal protector Venom following the first two films grossing a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. It also is unknown who will be joining Hardy from previous films or whether any characters from...
Ejiofor has closed a deal to co-star opposite Tom Hardy in Sony and Marvel’s ‘Venom 3’, reports Deadline.
Hardy is set to return as the titular character with the franchise’s longtime writer Kelly Marcel taking over the directing reins. Juno Temple also is on board.
As per ‘Deadline’, Sony had no comment on Ejiofora¿s casting.
Marcel and Hardy also will produce, with Marcel writing the screenplay from a story she and Hardy wrote. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal and Hutch Parker also are producing.
Plot details are unknown other than Hardy is returning as the lethal protector Venom following the first two films grossing a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. It also is unknown who will be joining Hardy from previous films or whether any characters from...
- 5/17/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Exclusive: After matching wits with Doctor Strange, Chiwetel Ejiofor has found a new superhero to face off against as sources tell Deadline Ejiofor has closed a deal to co-star opposite Tom Hardy in in Sony and Marvel’s Venom 3. Hardy is set to return as the titular character with the franchise’s longtime writer Kelly Marcel taking over the directing reins. Juno Temple is also on board.
Sony had no comment on Ejiofor’s casting.
Marcel and Hardy also will produce, with Marcel writing the screenplay from a story she and Hardy wrote. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal and Hutch Parker also are producing.
Plot details are unknown other than Hardy is returning as the lethal protector Venom following the first two films grossing a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. It also is unknown who will be joining Hardy from previous films or whether any characters from the Sony Pictures...
Sony had no comment on Ejiofor’s casting.
Marcel and Hardy also will produce, with Marcel writing the screenplay from a story she and Hardy wrote. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal and Hutch Parker also are producing.
Plot details are unknown other than Hardy is returning as the lethal protector Venom following the first two films grossing a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. It also is unknown who will be joining Hardy from previous films or whether any characters from the Sony Pictures...
- 5/16/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Vertical on Wednesday announced their appointment of former Amazon Prime Video exec Jason Pecora to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Distribution.
The L.A.-based Pecora will be responsible for overseeing Sales, Marketing and Operations. He begins immediately, reporting to Vertical Partners Peter Jarowey and Rich Goldberg.
Pecora spent more than four and a half years as Senior Content Acquisition Manager at Prime Video, during that time overseeing all title promotions with leading suppliers including Vertical, Paramount, Viacom, Lionsgate, MGM and AMC. Notably, he last year oversaw Amazon’s release of Top Gun: Maverick, which was the top-selling item on the platform in the U.S. across every category on the day of its release.
Pecora has, over his 14 years in entertainment, consistently succeeded in growing businesses and contributing significant returns on investment through strong industry relationships. He previously focused on the digital home entertainment space...
The L.A.-based Pecora will be responsible for overseeing Sales, Marketing and Operations. He begins immediately, reporting to Vertical Partners Peter Jarowey and Rich Goldberg.
Pecora spent more than four and a half years as Senior Content Acquisition Manager at Prime Video, during that time overseeing all title promotions with leading suppliers including Vertical, Paramount, Viacom, Lionsgate, MGM and AMC. Notably, he last year oversaw Amazon’s release of Top Gun: Maverick, which was the top-selling item on the platform in the U.S. across every category on the day of its release.
Pecora has, over his 14 years in entertainment, consistently succeeded in growing businesses and contributing significant returns on investment through strong industry relationships. He previously focused on the digital home entertainment space...
- 5/10/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2023 Nantucket Film Festival, running June 21-26, with kick off with four films on its opening day lineup. For the 12th consecutive year, a Disney and Pixar movie will open the festival with “Elemental,” which premieres in May at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Also on Day 1 are Sophie Barthes’ “The Pod Generation,” coming off stops at Sundance and Sarasota — Barthes will also receive the inaugural Maria Mitchell Visionary Award for the film; SXSW-premiere documentary “Joan Baez I am a Noise,” with Baez herself in attendance; and Austrian documentary “Patrick and the Whale,” which premiered at TIFF 2022.
Recent Bleecker Street acquisition “Jules,” starring Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Jane Curtin, will be the closing-night film.
Guests announced to be in attendance include Michaela Watkins (“You Hurt My Feelings”), Allison Williams (“M3GAN”), Lola Tung (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”), Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves”), and Julio Torres (“Problemista”).
Other films...
Also on Day 1 are Sophie Barthes’ “The Pod Generation,” coming off stops at Sundance and Sarasota — Barthes will also receive the inaugural Maria Mitchell Visionary Award for the film; SXSW-premiere documentary “Joan Baez I am a Noise,” with Baez herself in attendance; and Austrian documentary “Patrick and the Whale,” which premiered at TIFF 2022.
Recent Bleecker Street acquisition “Jules,” starring Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Jane Curtin, will be the closing-night film.
Guests announced to be in attendance include Michaela Watkins (“You Hurt My Feelings”), Allison Williams (“M3GAN”), Lola Tung (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”), Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves”), and Julio Torres (“Problemista”).
Other films...
- 4/26/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
2023 Sundance is behind us, and mega deals for films like “Fair Play,” “Flora and Son,” and “Theater Camp” were back in a big way. And while the market was healthy, there still are a lot of films yet to find homes.
Here’s the latest deals we’re tracking after the festival.
Films Acquired After the Festival
Title: “Sometimes I Think About Dying”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Distributor: Oscilloscope
"Sometimes I Think About Dying,” the Daisy Ridley drama that made its premiere in competition on the opening night of this year’s Sundance, was acquired by Oscilloscope for a theatrical release. O-Scope scooped up the U.S. rights to director Rachel Lambert’s film and will release it later this year.
The film is set on the dreary Oregon coast and follows a lonely woman who finds solace in her cubicle and the doldrums of office life. She is ghosting...
Here’s the latest deals we’re tracking after the festival.
Films Acquired After the Festival
Title: “Sometimes I Think About Dying”
Section: U.S. Dramatic
Distributor: Oscilloscope
"Sometimes I Think About Dying,” the Daisy Ridley drama that made its premiere in competition on the opening night of this year’s Sundance, was acquired by Oscilloscope for a theatrical release. O-Scope scooped up the U.S. rights to director Rachel Lambert’s film and will release it later this year.
The film is set on the dreary Oregon coast and follows a lonely woman who finds solace in her cubicle and the doldrums of office life. She is ghosting...
- 4/19/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Roadside Attractions has nabbed North American rights to the drama Dreamin’ Wild, telling the true story of musician brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson, slating it for release in theaters nationwide on August 4th.
Related Story Venice Review: Casey Affleck In ‘Dreamin’ Wild’ Related Story Sundance Prize Winner 'The Pod Generation' Starring Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Set For Release By Roadside Attractions & Vertical Related Story Michael Stuhlbarg Joins Matt Damon And Casey Affleck In 'The Instigators'
The film starring Academy Award winner Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy) and Emmy and Golden Globe nom Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) puts Oscar- and Emmy-nominated writer-director Bill Pohlad back in business with Roadside, which with Lionsgate released his last acclaimed film Love & Mercy on Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson.
Its central question is, what if a childhood dream suddenly came true — but 30 years later? That...
Related Story Venice Review: Casey Affleck In ‘Dreamin’ Wild’ Related Story Sundance Prize Winner 'The Pod Generation' Starring Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Set For Release By Roadside Attractions & Vertical Related Story Michael Stuhlbarg Joins Matt Damon And Casey Affleck In 'The Instigators'
The film starring Academy Award winner Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy) and Emmy and Golden Globe nom Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) puts Oscar- and Emmy-nominated writer-director Bill Pohlad back in business with Roadside, which with Lionsgate released his last acclaimed film Love & Mercy on Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson.
Its central question is, what if a childhood dream suddenly came true — but 30 years later? That...
- 3/30/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Summer exclusive theatrical release planned.
Roadside Attractions and Vertical have acquired North American rights to Sophie Barthes’ 2023 Sundance Alfred P. Sloan feature prize-winner The Pod Generation.
The distribution partners plan a summer exclusive theatrical release on for the film, which is set in a near future where A.I. is all the rage as a New York couple participate in an initiative involving mobile, artificial wombs.
Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Vinette Robinson, and Jean-Marc Barr star in Barthes’ third film after Cold Souls and Madame Bovary.
Geneviève Lemal, Yann Zenou, Nadia Kamlichi, and Martin Metz served as producers, while the executive producers are Clarke,...
Roadside Attractions and Vertical have acquired North American rights to Sophie Barthes’ 2023 Sundance Alfred P. Sloan feature prize-winner The Pod Generation.
The distribution partners plan a summer exclusive theatrical release on for the film, which is set in a near future where A.I. is all the rage as a New York couple participate in an initiative involving mobile, artificial wombs.
Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Vinette Robinson, and Jean-Marc Barr star in Barthes’ third film after Cold Souls and Madame Bovary.
Geneviève Lemal, Yann Zenou, Nadia Kamlichi, and Martin Metz served as producers, while the executive producers are Clarke,...
- 3/28/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Director Sophie Barthes (“Madame Bovary”) futuristic comedy/drama “The Pod Generation” has been acquired by Roadside Attractions and Vertical after the feature’s Sundance debut back in January.
The feature follows Emilia Clarke’s Rachel and her partner Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an upscale New York couple living in a future world where natural childbirth is considered passe. When Rachel gets a coveted position at the city’s Womb Center, where children are birthed in egg-like pods, the couple decides to go on a journey towards parenthood that asks the question of what “natural childbirth” truly is.
“Today, every filmmaker dreams to have a theatrical release. Roadside Attractions and Vertical have made this dream possible,” Barthes said in a statement. “The Pod Generation could not have found a better home, with such a dedicated, innovative and experienced team. I’m thrilled to start this adventure with a team truly in love...
The feature follows Emilia Clarke’s Rachel and her partner Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an upscale New York couple living in a future world where natural childbirth is considered passe. When Rachel gets a coveted position at the city’s Womb Center, where children are birthed in egg-like pods, the couple decides to go on a journey towards parenthood that asks the question of what “natural childbirth” truly is.
“Today, every filmmaker dreams to have a theatrical release. Roadside Attractions and Vertical have made this dream possible,” Barthes said in a statement. “The Pod Generation could not have found a better home, with such a dedicated, innovative and experienced team. I’m thrilled to start this adventure with a team truly in love...
- 3/28/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Pod Generation — the sci-fi Sundance feature starring Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor — has landed at Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment in North America. It is palnned for a theatrical release this summer.
The feature, which won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Park City festival, is written and directed by Sophie Barthes and is set in the very near future world where AI has infiltrated all aspects of life.
The Pod Generation, according to the film’s synopsis, “follows Rachel (Clarke) and Alvy (Ejiofor), a New York couple who are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist about the natural environment, has doubts, but his love for...
The feature, which won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Park City festival, is written and directed by Sophie Barthes and is set in the very near future world where AI has infiltrated all aspects of life.
The Pod Generation, according to the film’s synopsis, “follows Rachel (Clarke) and Alvy (Ejiofor), a New York couple who are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist about the natural environment, has doubts, but his love for...
- 3/28/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance documentary “Stephen Curry: Underrated” and SXSW television premiere “I’m a Virgo” will open and close Sffilm, the 66th annual San Francisco International Film Festival.
Sffilm unveiled the full lineup for the fest along with the openers and closers. The Bay Area film festival, which screens in theaters across San Francisco as well as Oakland and Berkeley, will host 50 feature film programs (includes Workshop and “mid-lengths”), 46 shorts, and one TV screening (“I’m a Virgo”). Both directors behind “I’m a Virgo” and “Underrated” — Boots Riley and Peter Nicks — grew up in the Bay Area, more specifically in Oakland. Other films from Bay Area filmmakers whose projects will screen include W. Kamau Bell’s “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” Savanah Leaf’s “Earth Mama,” and Babak Jalali’s “Fremont.”
“It is Sffilm Festival season once again and I cannot wait to share this year’s program with local audiences,” Jessie Fairbanks, Sffilm’s director of programming,...
Sffilm unveiled the full lineup for the fest along with the openers and closers. The Bay Area film festival, which screens in theaters across San Francisco as well as Oakland and Berkeley, will host 50 feature film programs (includes Workshop and “mid-lengths”), 46 shorts, and one TV screening (“I’m a Virgo”). Both directors behind “I’m a Virgo” and “Underrated” — Boots Riley and Peter Nicks — grew up in the Bay Area, more specifically in Oakland. Other films from Bay Area filmmakers whose projects will screen include W. Kamau Bell’s “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” Savanah Leaf’s “Earth Mama,” and Babak Jalali’s “Fremont.”
“It is Sffilm Festival season once again and I cannot wait to share this year’s program with local audiences,” Jessie Fairbanks, Sffilm’s director of programming,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Sophie Barthes on the production design of The Pod Generation: 'The whole intention was to do feminine sci-fi' Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute The near-future is given a refreshingly feminist slant in Sophie Barthes Pod Generation. The comedy drama, which was one of the Day One films at this year’s Sundance, sees couple Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Eijiofor) grappling with whether to outsource their pregnancy. The latest technology means pods are available to make the whole process a lot less stressful - with the foetus kept safe at a pod centre - but while Rachel warms to the idea, with help from some pressure at work, retro-loving Alvy is less enthusiastic.
In the first part of our interview with Barthes, she told us about her influences and her concerns about what the near-future might bring. Beyond the philosophy of the film - which tackles everything from...
In the first part of our interview with Barthes, she told us about her influences and her concerns about what the near-future might bring. Beyond the philosophy of the film - which tackles everything from...
- 3/21/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
It’s the hardest thing to wait to see them after hearing about the movies that debuted at Sundance. But if you live in the Southeast, there’s no better way to cut that wait short than a trip to the Sarasota Film Festival, running this year from March 24 to April 2. Want to see the moving doc “A Still Small Voice”? Or the near-future pregnancy satire “The Pod Generation” with Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor? Not to mention the Alexandria Bombach Indigo Girls documentary “It’s Only Life After All,” “Aum: The Cult at the End of the World,” “Judy Blume Forever,” and “Fairyland”? This festival’s got you covered.
Some titles not yet available to the public from the fall festivals will screen as well, such as Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener,” Daniel Goldhaber’s Neon title “How to Blow up a Pipeline,” and Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up,” as...
Some titles not yet available to the public from the fall festivals will screen as well, such as Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener,” Daniel Goldhaber’s Neon title “How to Blow up a Pipeline,” and Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up,” as...
- 3/15/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
French schoolhouse-set comedy directed by Mélanie Auffret.
Other Angle has secured deals for French schoolhouse-set comedy Mélanie Auffret’s Sweet Little Things following its market premiere at the EFM.
The Paris and LA-based international sales and distribution company has sold the film – French title: Les Petites Victoires - to Twelve Oaks Pictures in Spain, Nos Lusomundo in Portugal, Pandora in Brazil, Vertigo in Benelux and Pathé in Switzerland.
The sales follow the crowd-pleasing film’s premiere at France’s comedy film fest the Festival l’Alpe d’Huez where it was awarded with the special jury prize and audience award.
Other Angle has secured deals for French schoolhouse-set comedy Mélanie Auffret’s Sweet Little Things following its market premiere at the EFM.
The Paris and LA-based international sales and distribution company has sold the film – French title: Les Petites Victoires - to Twelve Oaks Pictures in Spain, Nos Lusomundo in Portugal, Pandora in Brazil, Vertigo in Benelux and Pathé in Switzerland.
The sales follow the crowd-pleasing film’s premiere at France’s comedy film fest the Festival l’Alpe d’Huez where it was awarded with the special jury prize and audience award.
- 2/20/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Emilia Clarke has delighted Game of Thrones fans as she reunited with her former co-star Jason Momoa.
Momoa appeared in the first two seasons of HBO’s fantasy epic as Dothraki leader Khal Drogo, who marries Clarke’s dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen.
On Wednesday (25 January), both Clarke and Momoa were in attendance at the Sundance Film Festival.
Clarke posted a series of photos to Instagram of herself standing amongst the Utah snow, with the third photo showing her deep in conversation with Momoa.
“Oh thank you @sundanceorg for making me feel like a Khaleesi all over again! (Complete with fire that I learnt I can’t walk through),” she captioned the post.
“What a snowy wonderland of people I love and admire with films that bring the Heat!”
Momoa commented a series of red hearts beneath the post, then reposted the photo to his Story, writing: “Proud of you. Miss u mama.
Momoa appeared in the first two seasons of HBO’s fantasy epic as Dothraki leader Khal Drogo, who marries Clarke’s dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen.
On Wednesday (25 January), both Clarke and Momoa were in attendance at the Sundance Film Festival.
Clarke posted a series of photos to Instagram of herself standing amongst the Utah snow, with the third photo showing her deep in conversation with Momoa.
“Oh thank you @sundanceorg for making me feel like a Khaleesi all over again! (Complete with fire that I learnt I can’t walk through),” she captioned the post.
“What a snowy wonderland of people I love and admire with films that bring the Heat!”
Momoa commented a series of red hearts beneath the post, then reposted the photo to his Story, writing: “Proud of you. Miss u mama.
- 1/30/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
Emilia Clarke has delighted Game of Thrones fans as she reunited with her former co-star Jason Momoa.
Momoa appeared in the first two seasons of HBO’s fantasy epic as Dothraki leader Khal Drogo, who marries Clarke’s dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen.
On Wednesday (25 January), both Clarke and Momoa were in attendance at the Sundance Film Festival.
Clarke posted a series of photos to Instagram of herself standing amongst the Utah snow, with the third photo showing her deep in conversation with Momoa.
“Oh thank you @sundanceorg for making me feel like a Khaleesi all over again! (Complete with fire that I learnt I can’t walk through),” she captioned the post.
“What a snowy wonderland of people I love and admire with films that bring the Heat!”
Momoa commented a series of red hearts beneath the post, then reposted the photo to his Story, writing: “Proud of you. Miss u mama.
Momoa appeared in the first two seasons of HBO’s fantasy epic as Dothraki leader Khal Drogo, who marries Clarke’s dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen.
On Wednesday (25 January), both Clarke and Momoa were in attendance at the Sundance Film Festival.
Clarke posted a series of photos to Instagram of herself standing amongst the Utah snow, with the third photo showing her deep in conversation with Momoa.
“Oh thank you @sundanceorg for making me feel like a Khaleesi all over again! (Complete with fire that I learnt I can’t walk through),” she captioned the post.
“What a snowy wonderland of people I love and admire with films that bring the Heat!”
Momoa commented a series of red hearts beneath the post, then reposted the photo to his Story, writing: “Proud of you. Miss u mama.
- 1/30/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
Concerns over theatrical viability and a public promise from streamers to avoid spending sprees left this year’s Sundance Film Festival light on big purchases and — for now — high on orphans.
While there were a few major acquisitions such as “Fair Play” and “Theater Camp,” there was a notable absence of lower-profile sales or smaller pickups, while several seemingly surefire titles were left waiting for a buyer. Titles like the Anne Hathaway/Thomasin McKenzie 1960s women’s prison melodrama “Eileen” and the Chiwetel Ejiofor/Emilia Clarke sci-fi drama “The Pod Generation” left the festival empty-handed.
Sources say that even Randall Parks’ well-reviewed directorial debut “Shortcomings” had trouble drumming up interest, partially because the film’s major screening reportedly conflicted with other big premieres. Jonathan Majors’ grim bodybuilder drama “Magazine Dreams” had its premiere undercut by controversy when jurors walked out over Marlee Matlin’s failed captioning device.
“One big question,...
While there were a few major acquisitions such as “Fair Play” and “Theater Camp,” there was a notable absence of lower-profile sales or smaller pickups, while several seemingly surefire titles were left waiting for a buyer. Titles like the Anne Hathaway/Thomasin McKenzie 1960s women’s prison melodrama “Eileen” and the Chiwetel Ejiofor/Emilia Clarke sci-fi drama “The Pod Generation” left the festival empty-handed.
Sources say that even Randall Parks’ well-reviewed directorial debut “Shortcomings” had trouble drumming up interest, partially because the film’s major screening reportedly conflicted with other big premieres. Jonathan Majors’ grim bodybuilder drama “Magazine Dreams” had its premiere undercut by controversy when jurors walked out over Marlee Matlin’s failed captioning device.
“One big question,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Back in Park City, Utah, for the first time since 2020, the Sundance Film Festival concluded with an in-person awards show. The U.S. dramatic grand jury prize went to the Focus Features release “A Thousand and One,” from debut writer-director A.V. Rockwell, one of eight women in this year’s female-led competition.
Jeremy O. Harris, a member of the three-person U.S. dramatic jury at Sundance, choked back tears as he presented the award to Rockwell, admitting that he left the director’s premiere screening and cried on the street, as the film unearthed “all the feelings I’ve learned to mask in public spaces.”
Rockwell’s film is set in an unforgiving New York City in the late ’90s, where a single mother moving from shelter to shelter kidnaps her 6-year-old son from foster care. As they improbably forge a life and bond, their darkest secret threatens to disrupt what they’ve built.
Jeremy O. Harris, a member of the three-person U.S. dramatic jury at Sundance, choked back tears as he presented the award to Rockwell, admitting that he left the director’s premiere screening and cried on the street, as the film unearthed “all the feelings I’ve learned to mask in public spaces.”
Rockwell’s film is set in an unforgiving New York City in the late ’90s, where a single mother moving from shelter to shelter kidnaps her 6-year-old son from foster care. As they improbably forge a life and bond, their darkest secret threatens to disrupt what they’ve built.
- 1/27/2023
- by Matt Donnelly and Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
By Abe Friedtanzer
Just how far are we from being able to manufacture babies without a woman actually having to be pregnant? According to Sophie Barthes, the writer and director of The Pod Generation, she conceived her film as science fiction but it should now be considered closer to documentary, given medical and technological advances that make its events feel not nearly as distant as they once did. The way in which she presents a couple deciding to have a baby leans decidedly towards the humorous, sending up the way society portrays pregnancy, motherhood, attachment, and much more.
In the near future, Rachel (Emilia Clarke) is a successful employee at a major tech company, and learns that, along with a promotion, she’s also eligible for a large subsidy for the Womb Project, which enables parents to grow a baby in a pod...
Just how far are we from being able to manufacture babies without a woman actually having to be pregnant? According to Sophie Barthes, the writer and director of The Pod Generation, she conceived her film as science fiction but it should now be considered closer to documentary, given medical and technological advances that make its events feel not nearly as distant as they once did. The way in which she presents a couple deciding to have a baby leans decidedly towards the humorous, sending up the way society portrays pregnancy, motherhood, attachment, and much more.
In the near future, Rachel (Emilia Clarke) is a successful employee at a major tech company, and learns that, along with a promotion, she’s also eligible for a large subsidy for the Womb Project, which enables parents to grow a baby in a pod...
- 1/27/2023
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- FilmExperience
A sharp relationship satire that proves the more things change, the more they stay the same, Sophie Barthes’ The Pod Generation imagines a world of, to borrow Aaron Bastani’s idea, Fully Automated Luxury Communism. Are there poor people in this imagined futuristic world of the United States? (We can only identify the country because there’s a post office visit later in the film.) Perhaps. The film does include a world beyond the city where people actually live in nature, rather than hermetically-sealed smart homes where toast is 3D-printed to your desired crispness. It’s a hell of a clean, sterile, fully automated city, one that looks as if the film’s production team had the run of an Ikea.
A film that might signal a world to come if the masters of the universe have their way, in Barthes’ futuristic city, nature and therapy have been made obsolete...
A film that might signal a world to come if the masters of the universe have their way, in Barthes’ futuristic city, nature and therapy have been made obsolete...
- 1/26/2023
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
2023 Sundance Film Festival Announces Lineup of 99 Feature Films Top L–R: Bravo, Burkina!, Girl, Polite Society, Mami Wata. Center L–R: Going Varsity in Mariachi, The Accidental Getaway Driver, Deep Rising, Cassandro. Bottom L–R: The Pod Generation, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV, The Eternal Memory. Find Out Why All Eyes Are On Independents In-Person Ticket Packages Now On Sale; Online Ticket Package Sales Begin December 13 Park City, Utah, December 7, 2022 — Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the comprehensive slate of independent films selected across the feature film categories for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The 2023 Festival will take place January 19–29, 2023, in person in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort, along with a selection of films available online across the country January 24–29, 2023. Festivalgoers will once again return to theaters to discover this upcoming year’s most impactful independent stories. In-Person Ticket Packages are currently on sale through December 16, Online Ticket Packages go on sale December 13 at 10 a.m. Mt, and single film tickets go on sale January 12 at 10 a.m. Mt. Setting the scene, Day One Features will open the Festival in Park City: 11 features, plus a Shorts program, will illustrate the scope of Festival work across genre and form. Day One Features are birth/rebirth, L’Immensità, It’s Only Life After All, Kim’s Video, Little Richard: I Am Everything, The Longest Goodbye, The Pod Generation, Radical, Shayda, Sometimes I Think About Dying, and Run Rabbit Run. In addition, on January 19, the Institute will host the inaugural Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance presented by IMDbPro. The celebration will kick off the Festival welcoming everyone back together again while raising funds for the Institute’s critical year-round artist support. The evening will honor Ryan Coogler, Nikyatu Jusu, W. Kamau Bell, and more whose journeys have been connected to Sundance throughout the years. In addition, in-person attendees will get to experience a robust offering of talks and events during the Festival, with more details to be announced. Films will become available online during the second half of the Festival — beginning January 24 — and will include all Competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and Next), as well as exciting work across other sections of the feature film program, Indie Episodic Program, and Shorts Program. Audiences can enjoy the selection of films exclusively on the Sundance Film Festival online platform — those that will be available online are noted below. The online offering reinforces the Institute’s commitment to accessibility by allowing audiences coast to coast to take part in the discovery of captivating stories. The Shorts and Indie Episodic lineups for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival will be announced on December 13. “Maintaining an essential place for artists to express themselves, take risks, and for visionary stories to endure and entertain is distinctly Sundance,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “The Festival continues to foster these values and connections through independent storytelling. We are honored to share the compelling selection of work at this year’s Festival from distinct perspectives and unique voices.” “As a program of the Sundance Institute, the Festival provides a place for artists globally to connect with audiences around a shared and inclusive experience of discovery,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “These filmmakers reflect the world around us through bold and thrilling storytelling. It is critical for the arts to foster dialogue, especially during unprecedented times — these stories are needed to provoke discussion, share diverse viewpoints, and challenge us. We are delighted to welcome this group of passionate artists to the Festival and look forward to celebrating the films together with audiences.” “The program for this year’s Festival reiterates the relevancy of trailblazing work serving as an irreplaceable source for original stories that resonate and fuel creativity and dialogue,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “In so many ways this year’s slate reflects the voices of communities around the world who are speaking out with urgency and finally being heard. Across our program, impactful storytelling by fearless artists continues to provide space for the community to come together to be entertained, challenged, and inspired.” The 2023 Sundance Film Festival’s Salt Lake City Opening Night Gala Film is Blueback, premiering at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center on January 20. The upcoming Festival will expand its presence in Salt Lake City, providing more places to take part in the thrilling experience, including at The Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway. Also announced today, The Pod Generation, screening in the Premieres section, has been named the winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, an annual award given to an artist with the most outstanding depiction of science and technology in a feature film. The slate announced to date includes Slam and The Doom Generation, which are featured in the From the Collection section bringing archival screenings back into focus as part of the Festival. The Sundance Film Festival is an artist program of the Sundance Institute. Proceeds earned through Festival ticket sales go to uplifting and developing emerging artists on a year-round basis through focused labs, direct grants, fellowships, residencies, and more. The full slate of works announced today, along with the From the Collection films previously announced, includes 101 feature-length films representing 23 countries. The 2023 program is made up of 32 of 115 (28%) feature film directors who are first-time feature filmmakers, and 17 of the feature films and projects announced today were supported by Sundance Institute in development through direct granting or residency labs. World premieres make up 93, or 94%, of the Festival’s 99 feature films announced today. These films were selected from 15,855 submissions, including 4,061 feature-length films. Of the 4,061 feature film submissions, 1,662 were from the U.S., and 2,399 were international. Director demographics are available in an editor’s note below. U.S. Dramatic Competition Presenting 12 world premieres of fiction feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers audiences a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Nanny, Coda, Passing, Minari, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Farewell, Clemency, Eighth Grade, and Sorry to Bother You. The Accidental Getaway Driver / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Sing J. Lee, Screenwriter: Christopher Chen, Producers: Kimberly Steward, Basil Iwanyk, Andy Sorgie, Brendon Boyea, Joseph Hiếu) — During a routine pickup, an elderly Vietnamese cab driver is taken hostage at gunpoint by three recently escaped Orange County convicts. Based on a true story. Cast: Hiệp Trần Nghĩa, Dustin Nguyen, Dali Benssalah, Phi Vũ, Gabrielle Chan. World Premiere. Available online. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Raven Jackson, Producers: Maria Altamirano, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak) – A decades-spanning exploration of a woman’s life in Mississippi and an ode to the generations of people, places, and ineffable moments that shape us. Cast: Charleen McClure, Moses Ingram, Kaylee Nicole Johnson, Reginald Helms Jr., Sheila Atim, Chris Chalk. World Premiere. Available online. Fair Play / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Chloe Domont, Producers: Leopold Hughes, Ben LeClair, Tim White, Trevor White, Allan Mandelbaum) — An unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a young couple’s relationship to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement. Cast: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan. World Premiere. Available online. Fancy Dance / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Erica Tremblay, Screenwriter: Miciana Alise, Producers: Deidre Backs, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) — Following her sister’s disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact. Cast: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham, Audrey Wasilewski. World Premiere. Available online. Magazine Dreams / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Elijah Bynum, Producers: Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman) — An amateur bodybuilder struggles to find human connection as his relentless drive for recognition pushes him to the brink. Cast: Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris. World Premiere. Available online. Mutt / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, Producers: Alexander Stegmaier, Stephen Scott Scarpulla, Jennifer Kuczaj, Joel Michaely) — Over the course of a single hectic day in New York City, three people from Feña’s past are thrust back into his life. Having lost touch since transitioning from female to male, he navigates the new dynamics of old relationships while tackling the day-to-day challenges of living life in between. Cast: Lío Mehiel, Cole Doman, MiMi Ryder, Alejandro Goic. World Premiere. Available online. The Persian Version / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Maryam Keshavarz, Producers: Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Luca Borghese, Peter Block, Corey Nelson) — When a large Iranian-American family gathers for the patriarch’s heart transplant, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past. Toggling between the United States and Iran over decades, mother and daughter discover they are more alike than they know. Cast: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bella Warda, Bijan Daneshmand, Shervin Alenabi. World Premiere. Available online. Shortcomings / U.S.A. (Director: Randall Park, Screenwriter: Adrian Tomine, Producers: Margot Hand, Randall Park, Hieu Ho, Jennifer Berman, Howard Cohen, Eric d’Arbeloff) — Following Ben, Miko, and Alice as they navigate a range of interpersonal relationships and traverse the country in search of the ideal connection. Cast: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Debby Ryan, Tavi Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno. World Premiere. Available online. Sometimes I Think About Dying / U.S.A. (Director: Rachel Lambert, Screenwriters: Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Katy Wright-Mead, Producers: Alex Saks, Daisy Ridley, Dori Rath, Lauren Beveridge, Brett Beveridge) — Fran likes to think about dying. It brings sensation to her quiet life. When she makes the new guy at work laugh, it leads to more: a date, a slice of pie, a conversation, a spark. The only thing standing in their way is Fran herself. Cast: Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, Marcia DeBonis, Meg Stalter, Brittany O’Grady. World Premiere. Available online. Day One The Starling Girl / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Laurel Akira Parmet, Producers: Kevin Rowe, Kara Durrett) — Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community, but everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church. Cast: Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson, Wrenn Schmidt, Austin Abrams, Jessamine Burgum. World Premiere. Available online. Theater Camp / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Screenwriters: Noah Galvin, Ben Platt, Producers: Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey, Julia Hammer, Ryan Heller, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum) — When the beloved founder of a run-down theater camp in upstate New York falls into a coma, the eccentric staff must band together with the founder’s crypto-bro son to keep the camp afloat. Cast: Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Ayo Edebiri. World Premiere. Available online. A Thousand and One / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: A.V. Rockwell, Producers: Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, Brad Weston) — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City. Cast: Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, Aaron Kingsley Adetola. World Premiere. Available online. U.S. Documentary Competition World-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Fire of Love, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Boys State, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, Apollo 11, Knock Down the House, One Child Nation, American Factory, Three Identical Strangers, and On Her Shoulders. Aum: The Cult at the End of the World / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto, Producers: Dan Braun, Josh Braun, Rick Brookwell) — On the morning of March 20, 1995, a deadly nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway sent the nation and its people into chaos. This exploration of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult responsible for the attack, involves the participation of those who lived through the horror as it unfolded. World Premiere. Available online. Bad Press / U.S.A (Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler, Producers: Conrad Beilharz, Garrett F. Baker, Tyler Graim) — When the Muscogee Nation suddenly begins censoring its free press, a rogue reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have ramifications for all of Indian country. World Premiere. Available online. The Disappearance of Shere Hite / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Nicole Newnham, Producers: Molly O’Brien, R.J. Cutler, Elise Pearlstein, Kimberley Ferdinando, Trevor Smith) — Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear? World Premiere. Available online. Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Producer: Tommy Oliver) — Intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni as she reflects on her life and legacy. World Premiere. Available online. Going Varsity in Mariachi / U.S.A. (Directors: Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn, Producers: James Lawler, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., Julia Pontecorvo) — In the competitive world of high school mariachi, the musicians from the South Texas borderlands reign supreme. Under the guidance of coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains of Edinburg North High School’s acclaimed team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew of inexperienced musicians into state champions. World Premiere. Available online. Joonam / U.S.A. (Director: Sierra Urich, Producer: Keith Wilson) — Spurred by a provocative family memory and a lifetime of separation from the country her mother left behind, a young filmmaker delves into her mother and grandmother’s complicated pasts and her own fractured Iranian identity. World Premiere. Available online. Little Richard: I Am Everything / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Lisa Cortés, Producers: Robert Friedman, Liz Yale Marsh, Caryn Capotosto) — This celebration of Little Richard reveals the Black queer origins of rock ’n’ roll, finally exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music. Through archival and performance footage, the revolutionary icon’s life unspools with all of its switchbacks and contradictions. World Premiere. Available online. Day One Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Amanda Kim, Producers: Amy Hobby, David Koh, Mariko Munro, Jennifer Stockman, Jesse Wann) — The quixotic journey of Nam June Paik, one of the most famous Asian artists of the 20th century, who revolutionized the use of technology as an artistic canvas and prophesied both the fascist tendencies and intercultural understanding that would arise from the interconnected metaverse of today’s world. World Premiere. Available online. A Still Small Voice / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Luke Lorentzen, Producer: Kellen Quinn) — An aspiring hospital chaplain begins a yearlong residency in spiritual care, only to discover that to successfully tend to her patients, she must look deep within herself. World Premiere. Available online. The Stroll / U.S.A. (Directors: Kristen Lovell, Zackary Drucker, Producer: Matt Wolf) — The history of New York’s Meatpacking District, told from the perspective of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. Filmmaker Kristen Lovell, who walked “The Stroll” for a decade, reunites her community to recount the violence, policing, homelessness, and gentrification they overcame to build a movement for transgender rights. World Premiere. Available online. Victim/Suspect / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Nancy Schwartzman, Producers: Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Alice Henty, Rachel de Leon, Amanda Pike) — Investigative journalist Rae de Leon travels nationwide to uncover and examine a shocking pattern: Young women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them. World Premiere. Available online. World Cinema Dramatic Competition Fiction projects from emerging artists around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Brian and Charles, Hive, Luzzu, The Souvenir, The Guilty, Monos, Yardie, The Nile Hilton Incident, and Second Mother. Animalia / France, Morocco, Qatar (Director and Screenwriter: Sofia Alaoui, Producers: Margaux Lorier, Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral) — A young, pregnant woman finds emancipation as aliens land in Morocco. Cast: Oumaïma Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou. World Premiere. Available online. Bad Behaviour / New Zealand (Director and Screenwriter: Alice Englert, Producers: Molly Hallam, Desray Armstrong) — Lucy, a former child actor, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon while she navigates her close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt-performer daughter, Dylan. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Alice Englert, Ana Scotney, Dasha Nekrasova, Marlon Williams. World Premiere. Available online. Girl / U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Adura Onashile, Producers: Rosie Crerar, Ciara Barry) — Eleven-year-old Ama and her mother, Grace, take solace in the gentle but isolated world they obsessively create. Ama’s growing up threatens the boundaries of their tenderness and forces Grace to reckon with a past she struggles to forget. Cast: Déborah Lukumuena, Danny Sapani, Le’Shantey Bonsu, Liana Turner. World Premiere. Available online. Heroic / Mexico, Sweden (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: David Zonana, Producers: Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios) — Luis, an 18-year-old boy with Indigenous roots, enters the Heroic Military College in hopes of ensuring a better future. There, he encounters a rigid and institutionally violent system designed to turn him into a perfect soldier. Cast: Santiago Sandoval Carbajal, Fernando Cuautle, Mónica del Carmen, Esteban Caicedo, Carlos Gerardo García, Isabel Yudice. World Premiere. Available online. Mamacruz / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Patricia Ortega, Screenwriter: José Ortuño, Producer: Olmo Figueredo) — With the help of her newly emigrated daughter, a religious grandmother learns how to use the internet. However, an accidental encounter with pornography poses a dilemma for her. Cast: Kiti Mánver. World Premiere. Available online. Mami Wata / Nigeria (Director and Screenwriter: C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, Producer: Oge Obasi) — When the harmony in a village is threatened by outside elements, two sisters must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land. Cast: Evelyne Ily, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Kelechi Udegbe, Emeka Amakeze, Rita Edochie, Tough Bone. World Premiere. Available online. La Pecera / Puerto Rico, Spain (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Glorimar Marrero Sánchez, Producers: Amaya Izquierdo, José Esteban Alenda) — As her cancer spreads, Noelia’s ultimate decision is to return to her native Vieques, Puerto Rico, and claim her freedom to decide her own fate. She reunites with her friends and family, who are still dealing with the contamination of the U.S. Navy after sixty years of military practices. Cast: Isel Rodríguez, Modesto Lacén, Magali Carrasquillo, Maximiliano Rivas, Anamín Santiago, Idenisse Salamán. World Premiere. Available online. Scrapper / U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Charlotte Regan, Producer: Theo Barrowclough) — Georgie is a dreamy 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Out of nowhere, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality. Cast: Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Ambreen Razia, Olivia Brady, Aylin Tezel. World Premiere. Available online. Shayda / Australia (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Noora Niasari, Producer: Vincent Sheehan) — Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her 6-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to freedom is jeopardized. Cast: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Leah Purcell, Jillian Nguyen, Mojean Aria, Selina Zahednia. World Premiere. Available online. Day One Slow / Lithuania, Spain, Sweden (Director and Screenwriter: Marija Kavtaradze, Producer: Marija Razgute) — Dancer Elena and sign language interpreter Dovydas meet and form a beautiful bond. As they dive into a new relationship, they must navigate how to build their own kind of intimacy. Cast: Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas. World Premiere. Available online. Sorcery / Chile, Mexico, Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Murray, Screenwriter: Pablo Paredes, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue, Nicolás Celis) — On the remote island of Chiloé in the late 19th century, an Indigenous girl named Rosa lives and works with her father on a farm. When the foreman brutally turns on Rosa’s father, she sets out for justice, seeking help from the king of a powerful organization of sorcerers. Cast: Valentina Véliz, Daniel Antivilo, Sebastian Hulk, Daniel Muñoz. World Premiere. Available online. When It Melts / Belgium (Director and Screenwriter: Veerle Baetens, Screenwriter: Maarten Loix, Producers: Bart Van Langendonck, Ellen Havenith, Jacques-Henri Bronckart) — Many years after a sweltering summer that spun out of control, Eva returns to the village she grew up in with an ice block in the back of her car. In the dead of winter, she confronts her past and faces up to her tormentors. Cast: Charlotte De Bruyne, Rosa Marchant. World Premiere. Available online. World Cinema Documentary Competition Documentaries by some of the boldest global filmmakers capturing the world today. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include All That Breathes, Flee, Honeyland, Sea of Shadows, Shirkers, This Is Home, Last Men in Aleppo, and Hooligan Sparrow. 5 Seasons of Revolution / Germany, Syria, Netherlands, Norway (Director: Lina, Producer: Diana El Jeiroudi) — An aspiring video journalist in her 20s finds herself already facing self-reckoning. Born in Damascus, Syria, Lina starts to report on the events around her until she is compelled to become a war reporter and, later, the unexpected narrator of her own destiny. World Premiere. Available online. 20 Days in Mariupol / Ukraine (Director and Producer: Mstyslav Chernov, Producers: Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden) — As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war’s atrocities. World Premiere. Available online. Against the Tide / India (Director and Producer: Sarvnik Kaur, Producer: Koval Bhatia) — Two friends, both Indigenous fishermen, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families. World Premiere. Available online. The Eternal Memory / Chile (Director and Producer: Maite Alberdi, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue) — Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her. World Premiere. Available online. Fantastic Machine / Sweden, Denmark (Directors and Producers: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck) — From the first camera to 45 billion cameras worldwide today, the visual sociologist filmmakers widen their lens to expose both humanity’s unique obsession with the camera’s image and the social consequences that lay ahead. World Premiere. Available online. Iron Butterflies / Ukraine, Germany (Director: Roman Liubyi, Producers: Andrii Kotliar, Volodymyr Tykhyy, David Armati Lechner, Isabelle Bertolone, Trini Götze) — In summer 2014, sunflower fields and coal mines in eastern Ukraine turned into a 12 square kilometer crime scene. A multi-layered investigation into the downing of flight MH17, in which a butterfly-shaped shrapnel was found in the pilot’s body, implicated the state responsible for a war crime that remains unpunished. World Premiere. Available online. Is There Anybody Out There? / U.K. (Director: Ella Glendining, Producer: Janine Marmot) — While navigating daily discrimination, a filmmaker who inhabits and loves her unusual body searches the world for another person like her, and explores what it takes to love oneself fiercely despite the pervasiveness of ableism. World Premiere. Available online. The Longest Goodbye / Israel, Canada (Director and Producer: Ido Mizrahy, Producers: Nir Sa’ar, Paul Cadieux) — Social isolation affects millions of people, even Mars-bound astronauts. A savvy NASA psychologist is tasked with protecting these daring explorers. World Premiere. Available online. Day One Milisuthando / South Africa (Director and Screenwriter: Milisuthando Bongela, Producer: Marion Isaacs) — Set in past, present, and future South Africa — an invitation into a poetic, memory-driven exploration of love, intimacy, race, and belonging by the filmmaker, who grew up during apartheid but didn’t know it was happening until it was over. World Premiere. Available online. Pianoforte / Poland (Director: Jakub Piątek, Producer: Maciej Kubicki) — Young pianists take part in the legendary International Chopin Piano Competition. A unique chance of a lifetime, portrayed from backstage and set to Chopin’s music. World Premiere. Available online. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood / Estonia, France, Iceland (Director: Anna Hints, Producer: Marianne Ostrat) — In the darkness of a smoke sauna, women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences, washing off the shame trapped in their bodies and regaining their strength through a sense of communion. World Premiere. Available online. Twice Colonized / Greenland, Denmark, Canada (Director: Lin Alluna, Producers: Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Bob Moore) — Renowned Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter has long fought for the rights of her people. When her son suddenly dies, Aaju embarks on a journey to reclaim her language and culture after a lifetime of whitewashing and forced assimilation. But can she both change the world and mend her own wounds? World Premiere. Available online. Next Visionary works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include A Love Song, Riotsville, USA, The Infiltrators, Searching, Skate Kitchen, A Ghost Story, and Tangerine. Next is presented by Adobe. Bravo, Burkina! / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Walé Oyéjidé, Producers: Giulia Alagna, Heather Barnes) — A Burkinabé boy flees his village and migrates to Italy. When disillusioned by heartbreak and haunted by memories of home, he travels through time in hope of regaining all he has lost. Cast: Alain Tiendrebeogo, Mousty Mbaye, Noel Minougou, Aissata Deme, Afissatou Coulibaly. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Divinity / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Eddie Alcazar, Producer: Steven Soderbergh) — Two mysterious brothers abduct a mogul during his quest for immortality. Meanwhile, a seductive woman helps them launch a journey of self-discovery. Cast: Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Jason Genao, Karrueche Tran, Bella Thorne, Scott Bakula. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Fremont / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Babak Jalali, Screenwriter: Carolina Cavalli, Producers: Marjaneh Moghimi, Sudnya Shroff, Rachael Fung, George Rush, Chris Martin, Laura Wagner) — Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie. Cast: Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White, Gregg Turkington. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Kim’s Video / U.S.A. (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin, Producers: Deborah Smith, Dale Smith, Francesco Galavotti, Rebecca Tabasky) — Playing with the forms and tropes of various cinema genres, the filmmaker sets off on a quest to find a legendary lost video collection of 55,000 movies in Sicily. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Day One King Coal / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Producers: Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Peggy Drexler) — The cultural roots of coal continue to permeate the rituals of daily life in Appalachia even as its economic power wanes. The journey of a coal miner’s daughter exploring the region’s dreams and myths, untangling the pain and beauty, as her community sits on the brink of massive change. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Kokomo City / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: D. Smith, Producers: Harris Doran, Bill Butler) — Four Black transgender sex workers explore the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves, while confronting issues long avoided. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. To Live and Die and Live / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Qasim Basir, Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Amin Joseph, Dana Offenbach, Samantha Basir) — Muhammad returns home to Detroit to bury his stepfather and is thrust into settling his accounts, but Muhammad’s struggles with depression and addiction may finish him before he finishes the task. Cast: Amin Joseph, Skye P. Marshall, Omari Hardwick, Cory Hardrict, Dana Gourrier, Maryam Basir. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. The Tuba Thieves / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Alison O’Daniel, Producer: Rachel Nederveld, Wendy Ettinger, Maida Lynn, Su Kim, Maya E. Rudolph) — From 2011 to 2013, tubas were stolen from Los Angeles high schools. This is not a story about thieves or missing tubas. Instead, it asks what it means to listen. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Young. Wild. Free. / U.S.A (Director: Thembi L. Banks, Screenwriters: Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Producers: Charles D. King, James Lopez, Poppy Hanks, Tommy Oliver, Baron Davis, Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd) — High school senior Brandon is drowning in responsibilities when his world is turned upside down after being robbed at gunpoint by the girl of his dreams. Cast: Algee Smith, Sanaa Lathan, Sierra Capri, Mike Epps. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Midnight From horror and comedy to works that defy genre classification, these films will keep you wide awake, even at the most arduous hour. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Fresh, Hereditary, Mandy, Relic, Assassination Nation, and The Babadook. birth/rebirth / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Laura Moss, Screenwriter: Brendan J. O’Brien, Producers: Mali Elfman, David Grove Churchill Viste) — A single mother and a childless morgue technician are bound together by their relationship to a little girl they have reanimated from the dead. Cast: Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, A.J. Lister, Breeda Wool. World Premiere. Fiction. Day One In My Mother’s Skin / Philippines (Director and Screenwriter: Kenneth Dagatan, Producers: Bradley Liew, Bianca Balbuena, Huang Junxiang, Stefano Centini) — Stranded in the Philippines during World War II, a young girl finds that her duty to protect her dying mother is complicated by her misplaced trust in a beguiling, flesh-eating fairy. Cast: Beauty Gonzalez, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, James Mavie Estrella, Angeli Bayani. World Premiere. Fiction. Infinity Pool / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Brandon Cronenberg, Producers: Karen Harnisch, Andrew Cividino, Christian Piovesan, Noah Segal, Rob Cotterill, Anita Juka) — James and Em are enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation when a fatal accident exposes the resort’s perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence, and surreal horrors. Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman. World Premiere. Fiction. My Animal / Canada (Director: Jacqueline Castel, Screenwriter: Jae Matthews, Producers: Andrew Bronfman, Michael Solomon) — Heather, an outcast teenage goalie in a small northern town, falls for newcomer Jonny, an alluring but tormented figure skater. As their relationship deepens, Heather’s growing desires clash with her darkest secret, forcing her to control the animal within. Cast: Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Amandla Stenberg, Stephen McHattie, Heidi von Palleske, Cory Lipman, Joe Apollonio. World Premiere. Fiction. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Andrew Bowser, Producers: Clark Baker, Michael Mobley, Olivia Taylor Dudley) — Onyx joins a group of fellow occultists to attend a dark ritual at the mansion of their idol, Bartok. Suspecting Bartok’s nefarious intentions, Onyx is suddenly immersed in a world of monsters, mystery, and mayhem. Cast: Andrew Bowser, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jeffrey Combs, Ralph Ineson, Rivkah Reyes, T.C. Carson. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Polite Society / U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Nida Manzoor, Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Olivier Kaempfer, John Pocock) — Aspiring martial artist Ria Khan believes she must save her older sister, Lena, from her impending marriage. With the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood. Cast: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshay Khanna, Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri. World Premiere. Fiction. Run Rabbit Run / Australia (Director: Daina Reid, Screenwriter: Hannah Kent, Producers: Sarah Shaw, Anna McLeish) — As a fertility doctor, Sarah has a firm understanding of the cycle of life. However, when she is forced to make sense of the increasingly strange behavior of her young daughter, Sarah must challenge her own beliefs and confront a ghost from her past. Cast: Sarah Snook, Lily Latorre, Damon Herriman, Greta Scacchi. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Day One Talk to Me / Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Danny Philippou, Director: Michael Philippou, Screenwriter: Bill Hinzman, Producers: Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton) — When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an ancient embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill. Until one of them goes too far and opens the door to the spirit world. Cast: Sophie Wilde, Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Zoe Terakes, Otis Dhanji. International Premiere. Fiction. Premieres A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated fiction and documentary films of the coming year. Fiction films that have screened in Premieres include Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Promising Young Woman, Kajillionaire,The Report, Late Night, and The Big Sick. Past documentary films include The Dissident, Lucy and Desi, On the Record, and Miss Americana. Cassandro / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Roger Ross Williams, Screenwriters: David Teague, Julián Herbert, Producers: Gerardo Gatica, Todd Black, David Bloomfield, Ted Hope, Julie Goldman) — Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, Raúl Castillo. World Premiere. Fiction. Cat Person / France, U.S.A (Director: Susanna Fogel, Screenwriter: Michelle Ashford, Producers: Helen Estabrook, Jeremy Steckler) — College student Margot meets 33-year-old Robert at the movie theater where she works. After a casual flirtation at the concession stand, they carry on conversations through texts. As their perceptions of each other collide, events spiral out of control. Based on The New Yorker short story by Kristen Roupenian. Cast: Emilia Jones, Nicholas Braun, Geraldine Viswanathan, Hope Davis, Fred Melamed, Isabella Rossellini. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Deep Rising / U.S.A (Director and Producer: Matthieu Rytz) — The fate of the planet’s last untouched wilderness, the deep ocean, is under threat as a secretive organization is about to allow massive extraction of seabed metals to address the world’s energy crisis. Narrated by Jason Momoa. World Premiere. Documentary. The Deepest Breath / U.K, Ireland (Director and Screenwriter: Laura McGann, Producers: John Battsek, Sarah Thomson, Jamie D’Alton, Anne McLoughlin) — A champion freediver and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another despite the different paths they took to meet at the pinnacle of the freediving world. A look at the thrilling rewards — and inescapable risks — of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean. World Premiere. Documentary. Drift / France, U.K, Greece (Director and Producer: Anthony Chen, Screenwriters: Susanne Farrell, Alexander Maksik, Producers: Peter Spears, Emilie Georges, Naima Abed, Cynthia Erivo, Solome Williams) — Jacqueline, a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island where she tries to survive, then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour guide and together they find the resilience to forge ahead. Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Alia Shawkat, Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba. World Premiere. Fiction. Eileen / U.S.A (Director and Producer: William Oldroyd, Screenwriters and Producers: Luke Goebel, Ottessa Moshfegh, Producers: Anthony Bregman, Stefanie Azpiazu, Peter Cron) — Set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, young secretary Eileen becomes enchanted by the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a sinister path. Based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s award-winning novel. Cast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland, Owen Teague. World Premiere. Fiction. Fairyland / U.S.A (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Andrew Durham, Producers: Sofia Coppola, Megan Carlson, Siena Oberman, Greg Lauritano, Laure Sudreau) — Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s vibrant cultural scene in the 1970s and ’80s, chronicling a father-daughter relationship as it evolves from an era of bohemian decadence to the heartbreaking AIDS crisis. Based on the best-selling memoir Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott. Cast: Scoot McNairy, Emilia Jones, Geena Davis, Cody Fern, Adam Lambert, Maria Bakalova. World Premiere. Fiction. Food and Country / U.S.A (Director and Producer: Laura Gabbert, Producers: Ruth Reichl, Paula P. Manzanedo, Caroline Libresco) — America’s policy of producing cheap food at all costs has long hobbled small independent farmers, ranchers, and chefs. Worried for their survival, trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl reaches out across political and social divides to uncover the country’s broken food system and the innovators risking it all to transform it. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Invisible Beauty / U.S.A (Directors: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng, Producer: Lisa Cortés) — Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity. World Premiere. Documentary. It’s Only Life After All / U.S.A (Director and Producer: Alexandria Bombach, Producers: Kathlyn Horan, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous) — Blending 40 years of home movies, film archives, and intimate present-day vérité, a poignant reflection from Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of iconic folk rock duo Indigo Girls. A timely look into the obstacles, activism, and life lessons of two queer friends who never expected to make it big. World Premiere. Documentary. Day One Jamojaya / U.S.A (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Justin Chon, Screenwriter: Maegan Houang, Producers: Alan Pao, David Matheny, Joseph Dang, Alex Chi, Yama Cibulka, Shaun Sanghani) — A father-son relationship is put to the test when an up-and-coming rapper at the crossroads of his career decides to let go of his manager, who is also his father. This decision forces them to confront the past and figure out what they want of each other. Cast: Brian Imanuel, Yayu A.W. Unru, Kate Lyn Sheil, Henry Ian Cusick, Anthony Kiedis. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Judy Blume Forever / U.S.A (Directors and Producers: Davina Pardo, Leah Wolchok, Producers: Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Marcella Steingart) — The radical honesty of the books by young adult fiction pioneer Judy Blume changed the way millions of readers understood themselves, their sexuality, and what it meant to grow up, but also led to critical battles against book banning and censorship. World Premiere. Documentary. Landscape With Invisible Hand / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Cory Finley, Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner) — When Earth is taken over by aliens who control the economy, a pair of teenagers come up with a plan to save their family. Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Josh Hamilton, Michael Gandolfini, William Jackson Harper. World Premiere. Fiction. A Little Prayer / U.S.A (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Angus MacLachlan, Producers: Lauren Vilchik, Max A. Butler) — In the South, a man tests the limits of patriarchal interference to protect his daughter-in-law when he discovers that his son is having an affair. Cast: David Strathairn, Jane Levy, Celia Weston, Will Pullen, Anna Camp, Dascha Polanco. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Murder in Big Horn / U.S.A (Director and Producer: Razelle Benally, Director: Matthew Galkin, Producers: Ivan Macdonald, Ivy Macdonald) — The deaths of a group of Native American women in rural Montana are the focus as Native families, journalists, and local law enforcement reveal a violent crisis set in motion almost 200 years ago. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Passages / France (Director and Screenwriter: Ira Sachs, Screenwriter: Mauricio Zacharias, Producers: Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt) — An intimate examination of attraction and emotional abuse between men and women. Cast: Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos. World Premiere. Fiction. Plan C / U.S.A (Director and Producer: Tracy Droz Tragos) — A hidden grassroots organization doggedly fights to expand access to abortion pills across the United States keeping hope alive during a global pandemic and the fall of Roe v. Wade. World Premiere. Documentary. The Pod Generation / Belgium, France, U.K (Director and Screenwriter: Sophie Barthes, Producers: Geneviève Lemal, Yann Zenou, Nadia Kamlichi, Martin Metz) — In a not-so-distant future, amid a society madly in love with technology, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or pods. And so begins Rachel and Alvy’s wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world. Cast: Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson, Jean-Marc Barr. World Premiere. Fiction. Day One Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields / U.S.A (Director: Lana Wilson, Producers: Christine O’Malley, Jack Turner) — A galvanizing look at actor, model, and icon Brooke Shields as she transforms from sexualized young girl to a woman discovering her power. Holding a mirror up to a society that objectifies women and girls, her story shows the perils and triumphs of gaining agency in a hostile world. World Premiere. Documentary. Radical / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla, Producers: Ben Odell, Eugenio Derbez, Joshua Davis) — In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, their potential… and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story. Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jenifer Trejo, Mia Fernanda Solis, Danilo Guardiola. World Premiere. Fiction. Day One Rotting in the Sun / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Sebastian Silva, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano, Producer: Jacob Wasserman) — After filmmaker Sebastian Silva goes missing in Mexico City, social media celebrity Jordan Firstman begins searching for him, suspecting that the cleaning lady in Sebastian’s building may have something to do with his disappearance. Cast: Jordan Firstman, Catalina Saavedra, Sebastian Silva. World Premiere. Fiction. Rye Lane / U.K (Director: Raine Allen-Miller, Screenwriters: Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, Producers: Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, Damian Jones) — Two twenty-somethings reeling from bad breakups deal with their nightmare exes and connect over the course of an eventful day in South London. Cast: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah. World Premiere. Fiction. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie / U.S.A (Director and Producer: Davis Guggenheim, Producers: Jonathan King, Annetta Marion, Will Cohen) — The improbable tale of a short kid from a Canadian army base who became the darling of 1980s Hollywood — only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease? World Premiere. Documentary. You Hurt My Feelings / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener, Producers: Stefanie Azpiazu, Anthony Bregman) — A novelist’s longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book. Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Owen Teague, Arian Moayed. World Premiere. Fiction. New Frontier Films New Frontier champions artists who engage in experimental storytelling at the crossroads of film, art, performance, and media technology, showcasing cutting-edge work that explores and evolves cinema culture in today’s rapidly changing landscape. New Frontier is presently in a process of reimagination. This year, we return to our roots to offer a lineup of resonant experimental films. A Common Sequence / U.S.A (Directors and Producers: Mary Helena Clark and Mike Gibisser, Producer: Graciela Guerrero-Reyes) — An interconnected look at tradition, colonialism, property, faith, and science, as seen through labor practices that link an endangered salamander, mass-produced apples, and the evolving fields of genomics and machine learning. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Gush / U.S.A (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Fox Maxy) — An embodied rumination of both male and female power, healing and haunting, all within an apocalyptic world. A transformation that courses through unknown terror to untamed collective joy. Cast: Michel Sayegh, Ruth Fish, Sergio Mejia, Littlebear Sanchez, No’aash Iswut Peltier, Suavitel Paper. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Last Things / U.S.A, Portugal, France (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Deborah Stratman, Producers: Anže Peržin, Gaëlle Boucand) — Evolution and extinction from the point of view of rocks. A humid take on minerals, where sci-fi meets sci-fact. The geo-biosphere is a place of evolutionary possibility, where humans disappear but life endures. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online. Spotlight A tribute to the cinema we love from throughout the past year. Films that have played in this category in recent years include The Worst Person in the World, The Biggest Little Farm, Birds of Passage, The Rider, Ida, and The Lobster. The Eight Mountains / Italy and Belgium (Directors and Screenwriters: Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Producers: Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Gangarossa) — Pietro spends his childhood summers in the same secluded Italian mountain village where Bruno was raised, in which they form a decades-long friendship. Over the years, their paths diverge as Bruno remains faithful to the mountain while Pietro comes and goes from the city. Cast: Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Filippo Timi, Elena Lietti. Fiction. Available online. L’Immensità / Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Emanuele Crialese, Screenwriter: Francesca Manieri, Vittorio Moroni, Producer: Lorenzo Gangarossa, Mario Gianani — Clara has relocated to Rome with Felice and their three children. From their new apartment, Clara sees a city in transition: an old society washed away by an emerging middle class. The paint is fresh, the appliances are new, but expectations around family, desire, and gender remain traditional as ever. Cast: Penélope Cruz, Vincenzo Amato, Luana Giuliani, Patrizio Francioni, Maria Chiara Gorett, Penelope Nieto Conti. North American Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Day One Joyland / Pakistan (Director and Screenwriter: Saim Sadiq, Producers: Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, Sabiha Sumar, Lauren Mann) — As the Ranas, a happily patriarchal joint family, yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious trans starlet. Their impossible love story illuminates the entire family’s desire for a sexual rebellion. Cast: Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Sania Saeed, Salmaan Peerzada. Fiction. Available online. Other People’s Children / France (Director and Screenwriter: Rebecca Zlotowski, Producers: Frederic Jouve, Marie Lecoq — Rachel is 40 years old with no children. She loves her life: her high school students, her friends, her guitar lessons. When she falls in love with Ali, she becomes attached to Leila, his 4-year-old daughter. She loves her like her own, but to love other people’s children is risky. Cast: Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, Chiara Mastroianni, Callie Ferreira-Goncalves, Yamée Couture, Michel Zlotowski. U.S. Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis) / U.K. (Director: Anton Corbijn, Screenwriter, and Producer: Trish D Chetty, Producers: Ged Doherty, Colin Firth) — An inside look at the studio responsible for some of the most iconic and recognizable album covers of all time. From Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon to Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, the studio ruled the ’70s. Documentary. Available online. Kids This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest independent film fans. Films that have played in this category in recent years include The Elephant Queen, Science Fair, My Life as a Zucchini, The Eagle Huntress, and Shaun the Sheep. Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Jake Van Wagoner, Screenwriter and Producer: Austin Everett, Producers: Micah Merrill, Maclain Nelson, Jeremy Prusso) — Itsy is new in town and her life seems over until she meets her space-obsessed neighbor Calvin, who believes his parents were abducted by aliens. An aspiring journalist, Itsy decides to write an exposé on Calvin but ends up discovering much more. Cast: Emma Tremblay, Jacob Buster, Will Forte, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kenneth Cummins, Matt Biedel. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online. The Amazing Maurice / Germany, U.K. (Director: Toby Genkel, Screenwriter: Terry Rossio, Producers: Emely Christians, Andrew Baker, Robert Chandler) — A streetwise cat and his gang of rats who come up with a perfect money-making scheme. Based on the novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Sir Terry Pratchett. Cast: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, Himesh Patel, Gemma Arterton. North American Premiere. Fiction. Available online. Blueback / Australia (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Robert Connolly, Producers: Liz Kearney, James Grandison) — An intimate mother-daughter relationship is forged by the women’s keen desire to protect the inhabitants of the pristine blue oceans on the Australian coast where they live. Adapted from Tim Winton’s bestselling and critically acclaimed novella. Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Eric Bana, Radha Mitchell, Ilsa Fogg, Liz Alexander, Ariel Donoghue. U.S. Premiere. Fiction. Salt Lake City Opening Night Gala Film The Sundance Film Festival® The Sundance Film Festival, a program of the nonprofit, Sundance Institute, is the pre-eminent gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices and fresh perspectives. Since 1985, hundreds of films launched at the Festival have gone on to gain critical acclaim and reach new audiences worldwide. The Festival has introduced some of the most groundbreaking films and episodic works of the past three decades, including Fire of Love, Cha Cha Real Smooth, Flee, Coda, Passing, Summer Of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Zola, O.J.: Made in America, On The Record, Boys State, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Top of the Lake, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The program consists of fiction and nonfiction features and short films, series and episodic content, emerging media, and performances, as well as conversations, and other events. The Festival takes place both in person in the state of Utah and online, connecting audiences across the U.S. to bold new artists and films. The 2023 Festival takes place January 19–29. Be a part of the Festival at Sundance Film Festival and follow the Festival at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The Festival is a program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute. To date, 2023 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, AMC+, Chase Sapphire®, Adobe; Leadership Sponsors – Audible, Directv, Netflix, Omnicom Group, Shutterstock, Stacy’s Pita Chips, United Airlines, Xrm Media; Sustaining Sponsors – Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., DoorDash, Dropbox, World of Hyatt®, IMDb, Lyft, MacRo, Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Rye, Stanley, University of Utah Health, White Claw Hard Seltzer; Media Sponsors – IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Variety, Vulture, The Wall Street Journal. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. festival.sundance.org Sundance Institute As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from each other and Sundance Advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported and showcased such projects as Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Coda, Flee, Passing, Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Zola, On The Record, Boys State, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, City So Real, Top of the Lake, Between the World & Me, Wild Goose Dreams and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. # # # Editor Note: Director Demographics The data we are sharing reflects information provided directly by the artists. Some artists chose not to self-identify in all data areas. U.S. Competition: Dramatic: 61% or 8 of the 13 directors in this year’s U.S. Dramatic Competition identify as women; 61% or 8 of the 13 identify as people of color; 23% or 3 of the 13 identify as LGBTQ+. Documentary: 63% or 10 of the 16 directors in this year’s U.S. Documentary Competition identify as women; 63% or 10 of the 16 identify as people of color; 13% or 2 of the 16 identify as LGBTQ+; 6% or 1 of the 16 identify as a person with a disability. World Competition: Dramatic: 58% or 7 of the 12 directors in the World Dramatic Competition identify as women; 50% or 6 of the 12 identify as people of color; 25% or 3 out of 12 directors identify as LGBTQ+. Documentary: 46% or 6 of the 13 directors in the World Documentary Competition identify as women; 38% or 5 of the 13 as people of color; 23% or 3 of the 13 identify as LGBTQ+; 8% or 1 of the 13 identify as a person with a disability. Feature Film Submissions: Of the 4,061 feature film submissions, 1,662 were from the U.S. and 2,399 were international; 1,105 (27%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as women; 91 (2%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as nonbinary individuals; 1,676 (41%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as people of color; 547 (13%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as LGBTQ+. All Features: Of the 101 feature films announced so far, 54 (53%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as women; 5 (5%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as nonbinary individuals; 46 (45%) were directed by one or more filmmakers who identify as people of color; 20 (20%) by one or more filmmakers who identify as LGBTQ+; 3 (3%) by one or more filmmakers who identifies as a person with a disability.
- 1/24/2023
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
Winners include Cynthia Lowen for ‘Light Mass Energy’, abut pioneerin physicist Mileva Maric Einstein.
US not-for-profit scientific organisation the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has selected four filmmakers to receive a combined 70,000 in funding as part of the Sundance Institute’s Science-in-Film intitiative.
Autor John Lopez received the 25,000 Sloan Commissioning Grant for Incompleteness, an adaptation of Rebecca Goldstein’s book. Set in the lead up to the Second World War, the story follows Kurt Godel, a logician who falls in love and discovers two mind-bending proofs that shake mathematics and philosophy to their cores.
Previously a writing fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Lab,...
US not-for-profit scientific organisation the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has selected four filmmakers to receive a combined 70,000 in funding as part of the Sundance Institute’s Science-in-Film intitiative.
Autor John Lopez received the 25,000 Sloan Commissioning Grant for Incompleteness, an adaptation of Rebecca Goldstein’s book. Set in the lead up to the Second World War, the story follows Kurt Godel, a logician who falls in love and discovers two mind-bending proofs that shake mathematics and philosophy to their cores.
Previously a writing fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Lab,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
"The Pod Generation” has garnered the first award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Sophie Barthes directed the sci-fi film, which stars Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor as parents whose child is being grown in a pod. The dark comedy took home the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Science-in-Film initiative top cash prize of 20,000. The prize is selected by a jury of film and science professionals and presented to an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character. The 2023 jury for Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize included Dr. Heather Berlin, Jim Gaffigan, Dr. Mandë Holford, Shalini Kantayya, and Lydia Dean Pilcher.
The jury shared that it selected “Sophie Barthes’ futuristic romantic comedy, ‘The Pod Generation,’ for its bold, visually-arresting depiction of a brave new parenthood in which AI and artificial wombs provide technological benefits...
Sophie Barthes directed the sci-fi film, which stars Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor as parents whose child is being grown in a pod. The dark comedy took home the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Science-in-Film initiative top cash prize of 20,000. The prize is selected by a jury of film and science professionals and presented to an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character. The 2023 jury for Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize included Dr. Heather Berlin, Jim Gaffigan, Dr. Mandë Holford, Shalini Kantayya, and Lydia Dean Pilcher.
The jury shared that it selected “Sophie Barthes’ futuristic romantic comedy, ‘The Pod Generation,’ for its bold, visually-arresting depiction of a brave new parenthood in which AI and artificial wombs provide technological benefits...
- 1/24/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Sundance Institute Science-in-Film initiative with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation named Sophie Barthes’ The Pod Generation as this year’s Feature Film Prize winner.
In addition three artists grants went to recipients for three projects in development. The prizes were handed out at a reception following the Appetite for Construction panel at Filmmaker Lodge. The four filmmakers received a total of 70,000 in funding through the Prize and three artist grants for projects: Benjy Steinberg for The Professor and the Spy received the Sloan Episodic Fellowship, Cynthia Lowen for Light Mass Energy received the Sloan Development Fellowship, and John Lopez for Incompleteness received the Sloan Commissioning Grant.
Related Story How Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Movie ‘Pod Generation’ Sprouted – Sundance Studio Related Story 'You Hurt My Feelings' Sundance Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Shines Again In Nicole Holofcener's Witty And Honest Comedy Related Story WME Signs Rashad Frett; Agency Will Help Writer-Director's...
In addition three artists grants went to recipients for three projects in development. The prizes were handed out at a reception following the Appetite for Construction panel at Filmmaker Lodge. The four filmmakers received a total of 70,000 in funding through the Prize and three artist grants for projects: Benjy Steinberg for The Professor and the Spy received the Sloan Episodic Fellowship, Cynthia Lowen for Light Mass Energy received the Sloan Development Fellowship, and John Lopez for Incompleteness received the Sloan Commissioning Grant.
Related Story How Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor Movie ‘Pod Generation’ Sprouted – Sundance Studio Related Story 'You Hurt My Feelings' Sundance Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Shines Again In Nicole Holofcener's Witty And Honest Comedy Related Story WME Signs Rashad Frett; Agency Will Help Writer-Director's...
- 1/24/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Could some familiar faces return to a galaxy far, far away?
Both Daisy Ridley and Emilia Clarke are at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and both have been asked about whether they would be interested in returning to the “Star Wars” franchise.
Read More: Daisy Ridley Returns To Instagram Nearly Six Years After Quitting Social Media
Ridley, who is starring int he new indie drama “Sometimes I Feel Like Dying”, seemed interested in returning to the series that made her a star with “The Force Awakens”.
“I mean, I’m open to a phone call. I’m looking for employment!” she told IMDb.
Talking to The Wrap about the various “Star Wars” TV series on Disney+, Ridley said, “I haven’t watched all of them, but it’s just because of timing and stuff like that. But yeah, I mean the work everyone’s doing is amazing. I worked...
Both Daisy Ridley and Emilia Clarke are at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and both have been asked about whether they would be interested in returning to the “Star Wars” franchise.
Read More: Daisy Ridley Returns To Instagram Nearly Six Years After Quitting Social Media
Ridley, who is starring int he new indie drama “Sometimes I Feel Like Dying”, seemed interested in returning to the series that made her a star with “The Force Awakens”.
“I mean, I’m open to a phone call. I’m looking for employment!” she told IMDb.
Talking to The Wrap about the various “Star Wars” TV series on Disney+, Ridley said, “I haven’t watched all of them, but it’s just because of timing and stuff like that. But yeah, I mean the work everyone’s doing is amazing. I worked...
- 1/23/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
What is the cost of convenience and progress? It’s a question at the heart of many science fiction movies, including the new film from writer/director Sophie Barthes, “The Pod Generation,” which recently won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
In her third Sundance premiere, Barthes explores a future where artificial intelligence provides an abundance of conveniences, from detachable artificial wombs to “nature pods” where wilderness is “domesticated, purified, and controlled.” Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor star as a tech executive and her botanist husband who are struggling to decide whether to rely on nature or technology to bring their child into a world where everything has become commodified.
We spoke with Barthes to learn about the origin and evolution of the film, her own relationship to technology, and why she decided to approach the topic as social satire rather than a dystopian nightmare.
In her third Sundance premiere, Barthes explores a future where artificial intelligence provides an abundance of conveniences, from detachable artificial wombs to “nature pods” where wilderness is “domesticated, purified, and controlled.” Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor star as a tech executive and her botanist husband who are struggling to decide whether to rely on nature or technology to bring their child into a world where everything has become commodified.
We spoke with Barthes to learn about the origin and evolution of the film, her own relationship to technology, and why she decided to approach the topic as social satire rather than a dystopian nightmare.
- 1/23/2023
- by Drew Pearce for Dropbox
- Indiewire
Variety returned to Park City with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, hosting discussions with industry-leading filmmakers and top actors behind the biggest titles of the Sundance Film Festival. Along with video conversations from the Studio, photographer Ryan Pfluger captured portraits of some of the festival’s most prominent talent, including Emilia Jones (“Cat Person”), Anne Hathaway (“Eileen”), Jonathan Majors (“Magazine Dreams”), Ben Platt (“Theater Camp”), Alexander Skarsgård (“Infinity Pool”), Mia Goth (“Infinity Pool”), Daisy Ridley (“Sometimes I Think About Dying”) and Emilia Clarke (“The Pod Generation”).
During the conversations hosted by Variety, the biggest revelations included Majors disclosing how he got jacked for his bodybuilding drama “Magazine Dreams,” Fox reminiscing on his friendship with his “Back to the Future” costar Christopher Lloyd and Brooke Shields reflecting on her complex relationship with her mother and former manager.
See photographs from the Variety Sundance Studio below.
During the conversations hosted by Variety, the biggest revelations included Majors disclosing how he got jacked for his bodybuilding drama “Magazine Dreams,” Fox reminiscing on his friendship with his “Back to the Future” costar Christopher Lloyd and Brooke Shields reflecting on her complex relationship with her mother and former manager.
See photographs from the Variety Sundance Studio below.
- 1/22/2023
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
After 2 years of in-person viewing, the red carpet has made its return to the Sundance Film Festival 2023.
The film industry, actors, and lovers of all things cinemas braved the snowy Park City, Salt Lake City, to view the 130 films, docs, and short films that are now available to view on demand for online viewers.
Audiences came together in-person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth, Alia Shawkat, Skye P. Marshall, Jonathan Majors, Jason Momoa, Michael J. Fox, Daisy Ridley, Alexander Skarsgård, Gael Garcia Bernal, Randall Park, Brooke Shields, and more who walked press lines and red carpets for their world premieres.
Related: Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival 2023 – Day 3 – Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Alia Shawkat, Cynthia Erivo & More
The 2023 program available online includes all dramatic competition films featuring the buzzed-about movies and docs that include Sometimes I think About Dying...
The film industry, actors, and lovers of all things cinemas braved the snowy Park City, Salt Lake City, to view the 130 films, docs, and short films that are now available to view on demand for online viewers.
Audiences came together in-person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth, Alia Shawkat, Skye P. Marshall, Jonathan Majors, Jason Momoa, Michael J. Fox, Daisy Ridley, Alexander Skarsgård, Gael Garcia Bernal, Randall Park, Brooke Shields, and more who walked press lines and red carpets for their world premieres.
Related: Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival 2023 – Day 3 – Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Alia Shawkat, Cynthia Erivo & More
The 2023 program available online includes all dramatic competition films featuring the buzzed-about movies and docs that include Sometimes I think About Dying...
- 1/21/2023
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Fair Play Image: Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival Snow is falling gently on Park City, Utah, in the opening days of the Sundance Film Festival. The 2023 iteration of everyone’s favorite indie fest is a particularly special one, after online-only versions in 2021 and 2022. In person and virtually, The A.V. Club...
- 1/21/2023
- by Jack Smart
- avclub.com
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