For a lack of better words – Happy New Year! We hope you all had a blast on the last days of 2024, celebrating all your accomplishments, friends and dreams with a little bit of champagne and confetti. But more importantly, we hope you have the chance for a new start now, since a fresh […]

 

Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun embody the love story of a buoy and a satellite in Sam and Andy Zuchero’s “Love Me.” By Lucy Spicer Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2025 already? We’re less than three weeks away from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival (Make sure to pick your favorite in-person or online […]

The post Release Rundown: What to Watch in January, From “Love Me” to “Presence” first appeared on sundance.org.

Welcome to the final ICO update for 2024, featuring the latest opportunities for your cinema, festival or film society, plus highlights from across the industry. We hope you have a happy, peaceful end to the year, and we’ll be back again in January. ICO News An essential business course for cinema managers and leaders, Revisiting […]

The post News & Opportunities Round-Up: Dec 24 appeared first on Independent Cinema Office.

The inaugural program includes films from South Korea, Japan, Cuba, Palestine, and more, the World Premiere of Winston DeGiobbi’s Two Cuckolds Go Swimming, and a special Closing Night presentation of Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language with Rankin in conversation with A Shrine filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani

The Montreal Critics’ Week is proud to unveil its first edition, taking place at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma Moderne from January 13 to 19, 2025. A selection of 19 films – short, medium, and feature-length – is bundled together over seven distinct evenings and the course of seven double and triple-billed programs. Each program will be followed by in-depth conversations between filmmakers, writers, and the public. 

 

An initiative of the Montreal-based online magazine Panorama-cinéma, the first annual Montreal Critics’ Week – the first of its kind in Canada – extends the online magazine’s critical lens offline by fostering a space for discourse and discovery in cinema. The festival showcases new and distinct works paired, juxtaposed or contrasted to encourage inquisitive spectatorship that considers the thematic, political and formal ramifications of the chosen works. 

 

The program for the inaugural Montreal Critics’ Week was compiled by a committee composed of Ariel Esteban Cayer, Mathieu Li-Goyette, and Olivier Thibodeau (Panorama-cinéma) as well as Mélopée B. Montminy (24 images) and Justine Smith (Little White Lies, Robert Ebert.com).

 

In a mission statement from Director of Programming Ariel Esteban Cayer and General Manager Mathieu Li-Goyette, the two wrote: “This new event opens on a cliché: that film criticism – and by extension film critics – may be too demanding, elitist, disgruntled, or obsolete. And yet, film criticism also endeavors to define new trends, to champion new voices, and to curate works in ways that propel the art form forward – that make cinema accessible in a project distinct from the requirements of marketing. Everywhere, similar questions arise again and again, concerning the streaming ecosystem, the politics of festivals, the lack of funding in the arts, and the limits of the image itself. More than ever, film critics must make a useful contribution to these conversations through their choices. This selection attempts to paint a critical portrait of the world today, grappled with by films of great perspective, ambition, and integrity, no matter whether they are rendered in hushed, soft tones or bursts of DIY anger, or even provocation. As such, this selection of works embodies many of the tensions of the current moment, around questions of austerity, separating fact from fiction, challenging war and colonialism, confronting loss or memory, and bringing people together around the act of creation and its community. We invite you to discover the films, and the connections and conversations they may create when placed together in such a context.”

 

✅ Thank you for being here, I hope you enjoy your stay. :) ✅ Subscribe And Stay Up To Date: http://bit.ly/EMWYouTube ? Epic Music World On Spotify: https://bit.ly/EpicMusicWorld ? Epic Music World On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kai_emw/ ✅ Let's talk on Discord: https://discord.gg/ry5z8AZ ? All Label Music Of Epic Music World Is Available On: ▸ YouTube Music: https://bit.ly/YouTubeMusicEMW ▸ Spotify: https://bit.ly/EMWSpotify ▸ Deezer: https://bit.ly/EMWDezeer ▸ Apple Music: https://bit.ly/EMWApple ▸ Amazon: search @ EpicMusicWorld ▂ ❗ "STREAM CHAT RULES: 1. Don’t challenge the Moderators 2. Write in English. (We are an international chat room, it prevents chaos, and we want everyone to be able to understand each other.) 3. Be kind to everyone. (No hate, no intended offense and respect each other’s opinions.) 4. No self-promotion (Don’t share personal information) 5. No religious or political discussions. 6. Don’t spam. Be it in CAPS or emojis. (Nothing more than 4 emojis) 7. No Spoilers, Anime, Movies, Series etc. Act against these rules and expect to get a timeout or ban by one of the moderators. The rules exist to keep this chat happy and safe for everyone and anyone." ▂ ? Epic Music World Websites: ▸ Spotify: https://bit.ly/EpicMusicWorld ▸ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kai_emw/about ▸ YouTube Music: https://bit.ly/YouTubeMusicEMW ▸ Merchandise EU: https://shop.spreadshirt.net/epicmusicworld/ ▸ Keep Me Alive (Donation): https://goo.gl/sRBIm0 ▸ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EpicMusicWorld ▸ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kai_emw/ ▸ Epic Music World I: http://bit.ly/1Oo4n11 ▸ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpicMusicWorld2/ ▸ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/epicmusicworld ▂ ? Learn how to write (trailer)music - step by step: ▸ Learn how to make trailer music for Hollywood trailers: https://goo.gl/vc9SR7 ▸ Learn how to make Cinematic Music: From Idea To Finished Recording: https://goo.gl/Jj7zk7 ▸ Learn "The Cinematic Music: The Essentials": https://goo.gl/YS2eqQ ▸ Learn "The Business Of Music Licensing": https://goo.gl/zmDjkP ▂ © Copyright Info ✔ Be aware all music and pictures belongs to the original artists. ✔ This video was given a special license directly from the artists. ✖ I am in no position to give anyone permission to use this .➝ Please ask the artists and NOT ME for permission !!! ? Relevant hashtags: #epicradio #epicmusicworld #epicsongs

IFFI 2024, 22: Nithya Menen and the Power of Nuance

National award-winning actress, Nithya Menen, shared her insights into the art of acting, at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Known for her nuanced performances in films like Thiruchitrambalam and OK Kanmani, the National Awardee spoke about the power of subtlety, the importance of emotional authenticity, and the challenges that come with portraying complex, real-world characters.

Nithya began by reflecting on her process of selecting films and facing criticism in the past for taking on "lighter" roles. Despite not following a formal method acting approach, her preparation involves observing the world, visualising scenes, and intuitively connecting with characters. For her, acting is about emotional connection, not necessarily personal experience, for instance, portraying a mother requires empathy and emotional quotient (EQ), rather than lived experience.

She expressed that rigidity and lack of confidence hinder an actor’s performance. Flexibility and openness to people and experiences are crucial, as is self-assurance she further added. She also underscored the importance of quiet atmosphere, to help actors tap into their emotions, without the pressure of a fast-paced schedule. She credited her heart-centered approach and emotional openness, for her ability to connect deeply with audiences across cultures and regions, making her performances universally relatable.

Speaking about how the inner feelings or character of an actor have a greater impact on the characters that they play she said, “Earlier, it was easier for me to emote sadness or cry, since I believe I had so much agony in me. There used to be some emotional scenes which was cathartic and I used to feel hugely relieved once the shot or scene is over. Today, as I look back I find it hard to cry. Maybe I am becoming a happy person as I grow.” Emotional authenticity is what matters most, she shared adding that it’s the sincerity of her emotions that drives her work, not the external circumstances surrounding a role.

She added that the industry has become more accepting of actresses over the years, with more opportunities and greater respect for women in cinema. In closing, Nithya emphasised that the purpose of a film is to stir the consciousness of its audience. “If a film fails to engage emotionally or intellectually, it loses its significance,” she expressed.

Nithya, full name NS Nithya was born in Bengaluru to Malayali parents, she is 34 years old. Also singer, Nithya Menen singer who works predominantly in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films. Having appeared in over 58 films, Menen is a recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, two South Indian International Movie Awards and two Nandi Awards.

Following a child performance in the French-Indian English film, Hanuman (1998), Menen made her debut with the Kannada film 7 O' Clock (2006). Having her breakthrough with the 2011 romance film Ala Modalaindi, which earned her the Nandi Award for Best Actress, she won the Filmfare Awards for Best Actress and Critics Best Actress in Telugu, for Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013) and Malli Idi Rani Roju (2015). Following Telugu success with Ishq (2012), Rudhramadevi (2015), Janatha Garage (2016) and Bheemla Nayak (2022).

After finding success in Malayalam Cinema with Ustad Hotel (2012), Bangalore Days (20

THE LAST RONIN screening at  Red Sea International Film Festival

Interview with director Maksim Shishkin and actress Diana Enakaeva by Emmanuel Itier

In an apocalyptic future where AK47 bullets have become the most expensive currency, a young girl, ‘Maria’, is hiring the killing services of ‘Ronin’ in order to get to her birthplace. In this manga like full of adrenaline, director Maksim Shishkin shows his creative skills with a rare dexterity. Young “bad ass” Diana Enakaeva is also a force to recognize, and her acting future is sealed with such a splendid performance. The Last Ronin is a fun ride but also a cautionary tale; it is a journey into the dark side of the human soul. During ‘The Red Sea International film festival’, we were lucky to seat down, in the center of the Jeddah old town, with Maksim and Diana, for a pumped conversation about the mad future of our planet and the decline of our civilization. Let’s load our journalistic gun and let’s find out more about this explosive mad picture full of thrills, full of pop culture fun.

 

Q: How did this movie come together and how did you get the idea to make it?

 

Maksim: Producer Gavriil Gordeev called me and said he wanted to make an post-apocalyptic movie. I immediately I couldn’t a movie like the famous ‘Mad Max’ from George Miller. Because I don’t think anyone can make a post-apocalyptic movie like him. I said we need to make it with a different angle. My idea was to do a road movie, a samurai western film. It’s more of a dark fantasy and a Japanese manga. I wanted to make a film with sword and knife fighting and not with shooting guns. The way it worked is that I came up with the idea that bullets are very expensive.

 

Diana: The producer approached me and proposed me the role of Maria and I was blown away by the idea. He just explained the vision for the character, and I was hired on the spot, without having to do a casting audition. I was very surprised and very happy.

 

 

 

Q: What were your main challenges making The Last Ronin?

 

Maksim: Maria is nothing like another character you find in your regular post-apocalyptic movies. It’s about the growth of this young girl in this savage environment. It was hard to make ‘Maria’ and old soul in the body of a young woman. Therefore, it was complicated to find the true inner voice of this character.

 

Diana: Yes, it was hard to make her stronger and more aggressive.

 

Maksim: But not like an annoying person. She is more like a snake, a very strong killing machine. We worked very well together, and we crested a unique movie. It was also hard to film this film in Kazakhstan because it was very cold and very rainy.

 

Diana: Max was very clear about his vision, and he was able to convey clearly his ideas to help me with my acting. There was a perfect chemistry between us, and I knew by just looking into his eyes what to do and how to do it. It was a fantastic experience.

 

Scandar Copti’s Happy Holidays, Damian Kocur’s Under The Volcano, Silvina Schnicer’s The Cottage and Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise shared the awards handed out at the 21st edition of the Marrakech Intl.