film festival Archives

Oct272024 by cineverseNo Comments

Animated Features Like ‘Transformers One’ and ’Wild Robot’ and More Rely on Artists for the Magic as Machine Learning or AI Works in Support

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By Karen Idelson According To The variety As technological advances make even more astonishing imagery possible for many of the leading contenders in the animated feature Oscar race, they’re still leaning toward the skilled hands of the artisans who’ve mastered their craft and away from AI or machine learning. While some may use machine learning — a type of AI — in the early stages of motion capture or to iterate ideas, the knowledge of experienced VFX artists and the performance capabilities of animators are central to creating the unique imagery sought by the filmmakers behind these movies. Some films, like “Lord of...

Oct272024 by cineverseNo Comments

The Brink of Dreams’ Directors Receive Variety MENA Talent of the Year Award

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By Rafa Sales Ross According To The variety Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, whose latest documentary “The Brink of Dreams” became the first Egyptian film to win the Golden Eye Award for best documentary at Cannes earlier this year, have received the Variety Middle East and North Africa Talent of the Year Award. The ceremony was held at the El Gouna Film Festival, where their film is also playing as part of the Feature Narrative Competition. “The Brink of Dreams” is a moving coming-of-age story following the Panorama Barsha Troupe, an all-female theater group in a remote village in southern Egypt who take to the streets to act out their plays denouncing underage marriage, domestic violence and patriarchy in a deeply conservative society. “It’s wonderful to ...

Oct262024 by cineverseNo Comments

James Franco on New Movie ‘Hey Joe,’ Being ‘Grateful’ for His Fall From Grace and the End of Seth Rogen Friendship: ‘I Guess It’s Over’

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By Nick Vivarelli According To The variety James Franco is tucked away in the corner of a five-star hotel lobby on Rome’s Via Veneto, sipping an Americano coffee. Wearing a chocolate brown hoodie he proudly says he co-designed, the actor and filmmaker looks relaxed and flashes his signature smile. He’s in the Eternal City for the Rome Film Festival launch of Italian director Claudio Giovannesi’s “Hey Joe.” In the gritty drama, Franco plays Dean, an alcoholic American WWII vet who winds up back in Naples in the early ’70s in search of a son he fathered there before absconding to New Jersey. The film is his first to surface on the fest circuit since his career went on hiatus following a now-settled 2019 lawsuit alleging that he sexually exploited young women who took his acting...

Oct262024 by cineverseNo Comments

Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man 4’ Sets July 2026 Release, Following ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

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By Katcy Stephan According To The variety Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man will swing back into theaters on July 24, 2026. The untitled Columbia Pictures project from director Destin Daniel Cretton will debut shortly after “Avengers: Doomsday,” which comes out on May 1, 2026. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” was similarly released just two months after “Avengers: Endgame,” and the third Spidey film grossed over $1 billion globally. During an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday night, Holland confirmed that his fourth “Spider-Man” movie will begin production in mid-2025. “Next summer, we start shooting. Everything’s good to go — we’re nearly there,” Holland said. “Super exciting. I can’t wait!” During a recent interview on the “Rich Roll...

Oct232024 by cineverseNo Comments

Dancing With the Stars’: Fan Favorite Gets Sent Home as Disney Night Receives Record Number of Audience Votes

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By Emily Longeretta According To The variety Disney Night never disappoints on “Dancing With the Stars.” During the Oct. 22 episode, the duos pushed for the first 10 of the season — especially after two pairs tied at the top of the leaderboards last week with all 9s. During Dedication Week, Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson’s Viennese waltz and Danny Amendola and Witney Carson’s Contemporary routine both earned scores of 27/30. For Disney week, both wanted to fight for the first 10 of the season. Unfortunately, Joey and Jenna’s Samba to “Trashin’ the Camp” from “Tarzan” came up short, earning a 25/30. Danny and Witney, meanwhile, performed a very powerful Jazz routine to “Bye Bye Bye” from “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but still only managed three 9s. ...

Oct232024 by cineverseNo Comments

Lynda Obst, Executive Producer of ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and Associate Producer of ‘Flashdance,’ Dies at 74

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By Pat Saperstein According To The variety Lynda Obst, who had producing credits on high-profile films including “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Flashdance” and “Adventures in Babysitting,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was 74. “I was immensely proud of her. She was a trailblazer for women in the industry at a time when it was very difficult for women to have prominent roles. She was passionate about her work but even more passionate about her family,” her brother, WME’s Rick Rosen, said to Variety. Obst told the Hollywood Reporter earlier this year that she had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most recently, she served as producer or executive producer on TV series including “The Hot Zone,” “Good Girls Revolt,” “Hot in Cleveland” and “Helix.” Obst’s final ...

Oct232024 by cineverseNo Comments

Bethany Joy Lenz Was Warned ‘One Tree Hill’ Was About ‘F–king and Sucking’ Before Signing On, Compares Creator to Her Cult Leader

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By Emily Longeretta According To The variety Bethany Joy Lenz isn’t only opening up about her experience in the Big House Family cult. In her new book, “Dinner for Vampires,” the actor details about her time as Haley James (later Scott) on “One Tree Hill.” Lenz writes that she initially passed on the WB series since she was focused on doing film and didn’t want to be “stuck on a teen soap.” Eventually, after the actor cast as Haley didn’t work out for the pilot, she was called again; the executive knew her since he’d tried to get her to read for “What I Like About You.” “The show was marketed toward tween girls, and I was concerned that the big-sister role I was testing for — which eventually went to the lovely Jennie Garth — was a woman living with her boyfriend,” Lenz ...