Chad Verdi’s Vmi Releasing has acquired the opioid crisis drama “Junction,” which is the directorial debut of “How to Make It in America” actor Bryan Greenberg. Greenberg stars in the film along with Josh Peck, Sophia Bush and his wife Jamie Chung.
Under Vmi releasing, “Junction” is slated for a theatrical and VOD release on Jan. 24. As per the press release, the film description reads: “[‘Junction’] chronicles the modern-day opioid crisis in America from three different points of view: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor and a patient. Each character will have to come face to face with the decisions they have made and their role in the epidemic.” Also starring in the film are Griffin Dunne, Ashley Madekwe and Ryan Eggold.
“The cast of ‘Junction’ has been nothing short of spectacular,” Verdi previously said. “We’ve been very lucky to have such notable talent respond to Bryan’s amazing script.
Under Vmi releasing, “Junction” is slated for a theatrical and VOD release on Jan. 24. As per the press release, the film description reads: “[‘Junction’] chronicles the modern-day opioid crisis in America from three different points of view: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor and a patient. Each character will have to come face to face with the decisions they have made and their role in the epidemic.” Also starring in the film are Griffin Dunne, Ashley Madekwe and Ryan Eggold.
“The cast of ‘Junction’ has been nothing short of spectacular,” Verdi previously said. “We’ve been very lucky to have such notable talent respond to Bryan’s amazing script.
- 1/16/2024
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Pean says the cost in human lives of Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine is on “all of us.”
Political dithering in the West has given Russia great advantages in the conflict, Penn argued, speaking to the audience Friday in Torun, Poland, after screening “Superpower,” his documentary on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Camerimage cinematography film fest.
If Ukraine had been supplied with enough military support to control its airspace early on, Penn argues, the war that began with Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion last year could have been ended by now. Instead, he said, the measured U.S. response was “shameful.”
When asked by one audience member whether Penn had tried to speak to Vladimir Putin while shooting the film, Penn said he had – though he confessed it personally revolted him to meet with the Russian president’s top people, who declined an interview, preferring to gossip about...
Political dithering in the West has given Russia great advantages in the conflict, Penn argued, speaking to the audience Friday in Torun, Poland, after screening “Superpower,” his documentary on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Camerimage cinematography film fest.
If Ukraine had been supplied with enough military support to control its airspace early on, Penn argues, the war that began with Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion last year could have been ended by now. Instead, he said, the measured U.S. response was “shameful.”
When asked by one audience member whether Penn had tried to speak to Vladimir Putin while shooting the film, Penn said he had – though he confessed it personally revolted him to meet with the Russian president’s top people, who declined an interview, preferring to gossip about...
- 11/17/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Just weeks before the 31st edition of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage gets underway, there was a groundbreaking for the planned European Film Center Camerimage, a Pln 600 million (roughly ($144 million) cultural center that will be built in host city Toruń and used in future years as the international cinematography film festival’s main venue. Plans call for the center to include a main screening room with seating for roughly 1,500, as well as three 200-300-seat screening rooms, a soundstage for production and postproduction facilities.
The new center underscores the growth of the festival, which has become a bellwether for what’s to come in the cinematography Oscar race. In three of the past four years, the winner of Camerimage’s Golden Frog has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination in cinematography, including 2019’s Joker and 2020’s Nomadland and 2022’s Tár.
According to festival director Marek Żydowicz, more than 1,000 films were viewed...
The new center underscores the growth of the festival, which has become a bellwether for what’s to come in the cinematography Oscar race. In three of the past four years, the winner of Camerimage’s Golden Frog has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination in cinematography, including 2019’s Joker and 2020’s Nomadland and 2022’s Tár.
According to festival director Marek Żydowicz, more than 1,000 films were viewed...
- 11/11/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Superpower director Sean Penn isn’t mincing words in his denunciation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two-time Oscar-winning actor, whose new documentary about the war in Ukraine is now streaming on Paramount+, calls the Kremlin leader “a gangster with nuclear weapons,” in an interview with Deadline. His comments came during a taping at Deadline studios in Los Angeles for an upcoming episode of Doc Talk, a new podcast that launched earlier this month.
At another point in the interview, Penn described Putin as “this monster that’s running the show” in Russia now. In contrast, he lauds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s character responding to the existential threat to his country from Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Un General Assembly on September 19, 2023.
“The pursuit of patriotism, it is the courage of moral clarity where there’s chaos, it is...
The two-time Oscar-winning actor, whose new documentary about the war in Ukraine is now streaming on Paramount+, calls the Kremlin leader “a gangster with nuclear weapons,” in an interview with Deadline. His comments came during a taping at Deadline studios in Los Angeles for an upcoming episode of Doc Talk, a new podcast that launched earlier this month.
At another point in the interview, Penn described Putin as “this monster that’s running the show” in Russia now. In contrast, he lauds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s character responding to the existential threat to his country from Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Un General Assembly on September 19, 2023.
“The pursuit of patriotism, it is the courage of moral clarity where there’s chaos, it is...
- 9/23/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Sean Penn knows what you think of him.
Several minutes into the two-time Oscar winner’s new film, Superpower, ostensibly a documentary about the battle-hardened president of Ukraine, Penn’s gravelly voice answers a question posed in interviews past: Who do you think you are, Walter Cronkite? You have a savior complex?
“I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel,” Penn answers in a voiceover, “and, weathered though it is, my famous face gets me access to places and people I may otherwise not have known. And sometimes...
Several minutes into the two-time Oscar winner’s new film, Superpower, ostensibly a documentary about the battle-hardened president of Ukraine, Penn’s gravelly voice answers a question posed in interviews past: Who do you think you are, Walter Cronkite? You have a savior complex?
“I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel,” Penn answers in a voiceover, “and, weathered though it is, my famous face gets me access to places and people I may otherwise not have known. And sometimes...
- 9/23/2023
- by Miriam Elder
- Rollingstone.com
Actor embedded himself with the Ukrainian president during a time of crisis, but his film feels like a missed opportunity
Sean Penn is a brave man. He regularly shrugs off the comforts of Hollywood to parachute into sites of devastation and disaster, from Iraq and Venezuela to Haiti, where he notoriously commanded bountiful media attention over the course of a self-directed and extended embed during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The actor’s new film Superpower is a documentary that goes beyond the photo ops and talkshow appearances, and relays what it looks like, day after day, hour after hour, when an Oscar-winning movie star crashes a cataclysm.
Co-directed by Aaron Kaufman and produced with Vice, Penn’s Superpower was originally meant to be a feature film on Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the heroically buffoonish Ukrainian comedian whose anti-corruption bits and widespread popularity somehow translated into presidency. Around the time that the documentary project was getting started,...
Sean Penn is a brave man. He regularly shrugs off the comforts of Hollywood to parachute into sites of devastation and disaster, from Iraq and Venezuela to Haiti, where he notoriously commanded bountiful media attention over the course of a self-directed and extended embed during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The actor’s new film Superpower is a documentary that goes beyond the photo ops and talkshow appearances, and relays what it looks like, day after day, hour after hour, when an Oscar-winning movie star crashes a cataclysm.
Co-directed by Aaron Kaufman and produced with Vice, Penn’s Superpower was originally meant to be a feature film on Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the heroically buffoonish Ukrainian comedian whose anti-corruption bits and widespread popularity somehow translated into presidency. Around the time that the documentary project was getting started,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Lauren Mechling
- The Guardian - Film News
Sean Penn’s documentary Superpower, which follows an embattled Ukraine’s fight against an invading Russia and interviews president Volodymyr Zelensky, will debut on Ukrainian TV today.
The Fifth Season film will premiere the same day on Ukrainian broadcaster Inter as the feature documentary starts streaming in the U.S. on Paramount+. The day-and-date release will include other Ukrainian airdates on major channels Ntn, Mega and Sonce.
The documentary, co-financed with Vice Studios, chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom from invading Russian military forces and is directed by Hollywood actor and activist Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Superpower includes Penn conducing intimate interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and others during seven trips to Ukraine over a two-year period.
Besides centering Zelensky as a wartime president, the documentary also explains how the conflict started, the stakes as it continues into a second year for the war and who remain the key players.
The Fifth Season film will premiere the same day on Ukrainian broadcaster Inter as the feature documentary starts streaming in the U.S. on Paramount+. The day-and-date release will include other Ukrainian airdates on major channels Ntn, Mega and Sonce.
The documentary, co-financed with Vice Studios, chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom from invading Russian military forces and is directed by Hollywood actor and activist Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Superpower includes Penn conducing intimate interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and others during seven trips to Ukraine over a two-year period.
Besides centering Zelensky as a wartime president, the documentary also explains how the conflict started, the stakes as it continues into a second year for the war and who remain the key players.
- 9/18/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Superpower, Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s doc about Ukraine’s fight for freedom, is getting a launch in the war-torn Eastern European country today.
Fifth Season, which shops the film, has coordinated a day-and-date release for the doc in Ukraine alongside its launch on Paramount+ in the U.S. today.
The film will screen on leading Ukrainian net Inter, before running on other channels including Ntn, Mega, and Sonce, as part of a plan to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Superpower is billed as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.” Penn and Kaufman are co-directors.
It began as a light-hearted project about Zelenskyy’s unusual rise from comic actor to President. However, when Russian troops...
Fifth Season, which shops the film, has coordinated a day-and-date release for the doc in Ukraine alongside its launch on Paramount+ in the U.S. today.
The film will screen on leading Ukrainian net Inter, before running on other channels including Ntn, Mega, and Sonce, as part of a plan to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Superpower is billed as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.” Penn and Kaufman are co-directors.
It began as a light-hearted project about Zelenskyy’s unusual rise from comic actor to President. However, when Russian troops...
- 9/18/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
What started as a lighthearted look at the life and career of comedic actor-turned Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon escalated into devastation when, in February 2022, explosions rocked Kyiv. Through a series of intimate interviews done between Sean Penn with Zelenskyy over seven trips made in the past two years, the new Paramount+ Original documentary “Superpower” documents Ukraine’s fight to maintain freedom from Russia in the months before, hours during, and (so far) year and a half since. “Superpower” will premiere on Monday, Sept. 18 exclusively on Paramount+. You can watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus.
How to Watch Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower' When: Monday, September 18, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
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About Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower'
The Paramount+ Original documentary...
How to Watch Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower' When: Monday, September 18, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
About Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower'
The Paramount+ Original documentary...
- 9/18/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Sean Penn urged the White House to take a more aggressive approach toward arming Ukraine, telling a crowd at a screening of his film Superpower that those who are influencing U.S. policy “need to get out of the pure caution business.”
“I don’t mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness,” Penn told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“Caution has been very important, humanly and politically … But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action,” Penn added. “I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out...
“I don’t mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness,” Penn told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“Caution has been very important, humanly and politically … But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action,” Penn added. “I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out...
- 9/15/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The actor, whose documentary Superpower is about Ukraine’s president, spoke in an interview about Smith’s ‘worst moment as a person’
Sean Penn has criticised the Academy Awards for not allowing Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to speak at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, adding that Will Smith’s infamous slap would not have happened if Zelenskiy had appeared.
In an interview with Variety about Penn’s Ukraine-invasion documentary Superpower (which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman), Penn said: “The Oscars producer thought: ‘Oh, [Zelenskiy is] not light-hearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!”...
Sean Penn has criticised the Academy Awards for not allowing Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to speak at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, adding that Will Smith’s infamous slap would not have happened if Zelenskiy had appeared.
In an interview with Variety about Penn’s Ukraine-invasion documentary Superpower (which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman), Penn said: “The Oscars producer thought: ‘Oh, [Zelenskiy is] not light-hearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!”...
- 9/14/2023
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Sean Penn has spoken about how he originally intended for his Ukraine documentary Superpower, which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman, to be a “lighthearted” portrait of the country’s actor-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky before the Russian invasion of its European neighbor in early 2022 caused him to pivot to making a war movie.
In an appearance on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Penn explained how that shift took place and the role that delays, including the Covid-19 pandemic, played in shaping the scope of the film.
Penn noted he initially met Zelensky over Zoom, “long before the drums were beating on the Russian invasion,” when the Ukraine president was in the news for his role in the “controversial phone call,” as Penn put it, that ultimately resulted in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
“Then Covid happened, and that delayed our start,” Penn recalled. “By the time we got there, things were building...
In an appearance on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Penn explained how that shift took place and the role that delays, including the Covid-19 pandemic, played in shaping the scope of the film.
Penn noted he initially met Zelensky over Zoom, “long before the drums were beating on the Russian invasion,” when the Ukraine president was in the news for his role in the “controversial phone call,” as Penn put it, that ultimately resulted in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
“Then Covid happened, and that delayed our start,” Penn recalled. “By the time we got there, things were building...
- 9/13/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Superpower,” the documentary feature film co-directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman and credits Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as its writer, will stream exclusively over Paramount+ in the United States beginning September 18. In chronicling Ukraine’s bloody and devastating war to maintain its independence from Russia, the film is described as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom” and features a series of intimate interviews conducted by Penn with Zelensky during seven trips made by Penn over the past two years. Watch the “Superpower” trailer above.
The movie documents the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the hours leading up to the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath that continues today. When filming began in late 2021, Putin’s invasion was just a looming and seemingly distant threat. Penn traveled to Ukraine to learn more about Zelensky,...
The movie documents the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the hours leading up to the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath that continues today. When filming began in late 2021, Putin’s invasion was just a looming and seemingly distant threat. Penn traveled to Ukraine to learn more about Zelensky,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
‘We are just ordinary people who want to live in our country,’ says President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in activist actor’s forthcoming documentary
The first trailer has been released for Superpower, Sean Penn’s documentary about the Ukraine war, co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman.
The trailer shows how Penn was taken by surprise by the invasion, having intended to make a film about Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s journey from comic actor to becoming the country’s president.
The first trailer has been released for Superpower, Sean Penn’s documentary about the Ukraine war, co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman.
The trailer shows how Penn was taken by surprise by the invasion, having intended to make a film about Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s journey from comic actor to becoming the country’s president.
- 8/24/2023
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Fans of Poker Face will soon be able to add the Peacock mystery series to their physical media collection.
The Natasha Lyonne-starring show will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Sept. 12, via Paramount Home Entertainment. The set include will include all 10 episodes from Season 1.
More from TVLineAnd Just Like That Renewed for Season 3Frasier Revival Gets Streaming Release Date, CBS Broadcast - Watch 'Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs' Announcement VideoAll Rise to End With Season 3 - Find Out When the Final Episodes Will Air
Directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Poker Face stars Emmy Award nominee Lyonne as Charlie,...
The Natasha Lyonne-starring show will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Sept. 12, via Paramount Home Entertainment. The set include will include all 10 episodes from Season 1.
More from TVLineAnd Just Like That Renewed for Season 3Frasier Revival Gets Streaming Release Date, CBS Broadcast - Watch 'Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs' Announcement VideoAll Rise to End With Season 3 - Find Out When the Final Episodes Will Air
Directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Poker Face stars Emmy Award nominee Lyonne as Charlie,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Sean Penn’s “Superpower,” the actor’s upcoming documentary about Ukraine’s fight to maintain its freedom from Russia, is set to premiere on September 18. The film will be available to watch exclusively on Paramount+.
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the documentary features several interviews between Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the production’s seven trips to the country over the past two years. The film chronicles the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hours leading up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath.
“Superpower” has followed an unconventional road. Filming started in 2021, and at the time, the documentary was intended to be a deep dive into Zelensky, an actor and comedian who played a president on TV before becoming Ukraine’s actual president. But while Penn was filming in Kyiv, Russia’s army attacked the capital,...
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the documentary features several interviews between Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the production’s seven trips to the country over the past two years. The film chronicles the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hours leading up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath.
“Superpower” has followed an unconventional road. Filming started in 2021, and at the time, the documentary was intended to be a deep dive into Zelensky, an actor and comedian who played a president on TV before becoming Ukraine’s actual president. But while Penn was filming in Kyiv, Russia’s army attacked the capital,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The first trailer has been released for Sean Penn’s upcoming war documentary Superpower, which chronicles Ukraine’s battle for independence against an invading Russia.
The Oscar-winning actor and longtime political activist made seven trips to Ukraine during the past two years for the project, which was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Filming started months before the war began in late 2021, with Penn journeying to Ukraine to learn more about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The film includes Penn venturing to the battle’s front lines and captures the moment when the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was first attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombs in February 2022.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” Penn said. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity,...
The Oscar-winning actor and longtime political activist made seven trips to Ukraine during the past two years for the project, which was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Filming started months before the war began in late 2021, with Penn journeying to Ukraine to learn more about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The film includes Penn venturing to the battle’s front lines and captures the moment when the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was first attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombs in February 2022.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” Penn said. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity,...
- 8/23/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vice Studios had a new hit on its hands with the late May launch of “Bama Rush,” which the studio’s co-founder and chief content officer Danny Gabai says was Max’s most-streamed doc feature debut.
But with that large viewership also came a significant discourse surrounding the extent to which “Bama Rush” director Rachel Fleit is present in her own doc about college students “rushing” to get into the sororities at the University of Alabama. That choice didn’t sit well with people who avidly followed the #BamaRush phenomenon that first swept TikTok in the summer of 2021 and again last “season” and would have preferred more behind-the-scenes content about the rush process, rather than portions devoted to Fleit’s reaction to the situation.
“In making any content, you have to make directorial and authorial choices,” Gabai told Variety. “And very early on, we saw young women were revealing that...
But with that large viewership also came a significant discourse surrounding the extent to which “Bama Rush” director Rachel Fleit is present in her own doc about college students “rushing” to get into the sororities at the University of Alabama. That choice didn’t sit well with people who avidly followed the #BamaRush phenomenon that first swept TikTok in the summer of 2021 and again last “season” and would have preferred more behind-the-scenes content about the rush process, rather than portions devoted to Fleit’s reaction to the situation.
“In making any content, you have to make directorial and authorial choices,” Gabai told Variety. “And very early on, we saw young women were revealing that...
- 6/23/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Vmi Worldwide to handle worldwide sales.
Vmi Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Verdi Productions’ Bryan Greenberg and Griffin Dunne opioid crisis thriller Junction out of the Cannes market.
Greenberg, whose acting credits include How to Make It In America, wrote and directed the story which tackles the crisis from the viewpoints of three people who must reckon with the consequences of their choices: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor, and a patient.
The cast includes Sophia Bush, Ashley Madekwe, Ryan Eggold, Jamie Chung, Josh Peck, Michaela Conlin, Yara Martinez, Dascha Polanco, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Dash Mihok,...
Vmi Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Verdi Productions’ Bryan Greenberg and Griffin Dunne opioid crisis thriller Junction out of the Cannes market.
Greenberg, whose acting credits include How to Make It In America, wrote and directed the story which tackles the crisis from the viewpoints of three people who must reckon with the consequences of their choices: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor, and a patient.
The cast includes Sophia Bush, Ashley Madekwe, Ryan Eggold, Jamie Chung, Josh Peck, Michaela Conlin, Yara Martinez, Dascha Polanco, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Dash Mihok,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
U.S. writer and political advocate Dane Waters and “Superpower” co-director Aaron Kaufman announced the launch of a new global nonprofit group, Humanity for Freedom, Monday in Cannes. The organization is dedicated to the fight against authoritarian governments through educational and advocacy work.
The group’s global kick-off event, 72 Hours for Freedom, will feature screenings around the world of “Superpower,” the documentary about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, co-directed by Kaufman and Sean Penn. The event will take place in over a dozen countries on six continents, starting in London on June 6 and wrapping in Washington, D.C., June 8, including stops in Rome; Tbilisi, Georgia; Sofia, Bulgaria; Abuja, Nigeria; Tokyo; Sydney; and Buenos Aires.
Set on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, “Superpower” is a courage-under-fire portrait of President Zelenskyy, a former actor who suddenly found himself in the unlikely position of leading a country at war.
The group’s global kick-off event, 72 Hours for Freedom, will feature screenings around the world of “Superpower,” the documentary about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, co-directed by Kaufman and Sean Penn. The event will take place in over a dozen countries on six continents, starting in London on June 6 and wrapping in Washington, D.C., June 8, including stops in Rome; Tbilisi, Georgia; Sofia, Bulgaria; Abuja, Nigeria; Tokyo; Sydney; and Buenos Aires.
Set on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, “Superpower” is a courage-under-fire portrait of President Zelenskyy, a former actor who suddenly found himself in the unlikely position of leading a country at war.
- 5/22/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning actor, and pro-Ukraine activist, Sean Penn has signed on to star in the Ukrainian war film War Through the Eyes of Animals.
The feature is a nine-part anthology, directed by nine Ukrainian filmmakers, that tells the story of the war in Ukraine through the perspectives of various animals caught up in the conflict. Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, the acclaimed Ukrainian director of The Tribe (2014), will direct the ninth and final segment, which will star Penn as an American sound engineer who inadvertently becomes a witness to the outbreak of war when, on February 24, 2022, Russian forces invade.
Filming of the segment is scheduled to take place in Ukraine and Los Angeles during the summer of 2023.
Penn has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine since the start of the war. The two-time Oscar winner was in Ukraine shooting a documentary for Vice Studios when the war broke out. The film, co-directed with Aaron Kaufman,...
The feature is a nine-part anthology, directed by nine Ukrainian filmmakers, that tells the story of the war in Ukraine through the perspectives of various animals caught up in the conflict. Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, the acclaimed Ukrainian director of The Tribe (2014), will direct the ninth and final segment, which will star Penn as an American sound engineer who inadvertently becomes a witness to the outbreak of war when, on February 24, 2022, Russian forces invade.
Filming of the segment is scheduled to take place in Ukraine and Los Angeles during the summer of 2023.
Penn has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine since the start of the war. The two-time Oscar winner was in Ukraine shooting a documentary for Vice Studios when the war broke out. The film, co-directed with Aaron Kaufman,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the past year, Volodymyr Zelensky has been greeted with open arms by awards shows, film festivals and even the New York Stock Exchange. But when it comes to landing airtime on the most coveted telecast of all — the Oscars — the Ukrainian leader is being met with a cold shoulder.
For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelensky, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. Sources say WME power agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include the comedic actor-turned-politician but was shut down. The Academy declined comment.
Zelensky’s overtures to the Oscars comes as polls show Americans’ support for providing assistance to Ukraine has weakened.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky has popped up via satellite at both the Cannes...
For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelensky, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. Sources say WME power agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include the comedic actor-turned-politician but was shut down. The Academy declined comment.
Zelensky’s overtures to the Oscars comes as polls show Americans’ support for providing assistance to Ukraine has weakened.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky has popped up via satellite at both the Cannes...
- 3/9/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Berlinale continued the tradition of combining earnestness with red-carpet glamour – featuring Kristen Stewart, Bono and Steven Spielberg, and this time some real crowd pleasers
Berlin may not be as glitzy as the other big European festivals, Cannes and Venice, but it knows how to make the most of what you might call “ethical starpower”. Hence Steven Spielberg, present this year to accept the Golden Bear for lifetime achievement, who made an eloquent and imposing speech about longevity, healing and – as befits the locale – the weight of history. And hence serious-minded Hollywood actor Kristen Stewart heading a jury including Iranian-French star Golshifteh Farahani and previous Berlinale-winning directors Carla Simón and Radu Jude – a lineup that seems highly likely to make some daring awards choices.
But there’s also that long-standing Berlinale tradition of combining red-carpet prestige with a certain earnestness that doesn’t always flourish on the screen.
Berlin may not be as glitzy as the other big European festivals, Cannes and Venice, but it knows how to make the most of what you might call “ethical starpower”. Hence Steven Spielberg, present this year to accept the Golden Bear for lifetime achievement, who made an eloquent and imposing speech about longevity, healing and – as befits the locale – the weight of history. And hence serious-minded Hollywood actor Kristen Stewart heading a jury including Iranian-French star Golshifteh Farahani and previous Berlinale-winning directors Carla Simón and Radu Jude – a lineup that seems highly likely to make some daring awards choices.
But there’s also that long-standing Berlinale tradition of combining red-carpet prestige with a certain earnestness that doesn’t always flourish on the screen.
- 2/25/2023
- by Jonathan Romney
- The Guardian - Film News
Good afternoon Insider team, Max Goldbart here. It has been a wild ride of a week with Berlin drawing to a close. Read below for a good ol’ recap.
A Year At War
Commemorating: A year is a long time in anyone’s calendar but, for the people of Ukraine, the 12 months that have followed that dreadful day on February 24, 2022, must have felt like a lifetime. Commemorative programs dominated the schedules yesterday and today as the global community marks the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion by highlighting the plight of an embattled nation, and considering what’s to come. In the U.S., our political correspondent Ted Johnson had this handy rundown of all the major coverage from the news networks, which was preceded by Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine. “I’m here to show our unwavering support for the nation’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,...
A Year At War
Commemorating: A year is a long time in anyone’s calendar but, for the people of Ukraine, the 12 months that have followed that dreadful day on February 24, 2022, must have felt like a lifetime. Commemorative programs dominated the schedules yesterday and today as the global community marks the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion by highlighting the plight of an embattled nation, and considering what’s to come. In the U.S., our political correspondent Ted Johnson had this handy rundown of all the major coverage from the news networks, which was preceded by Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine. “I’m here to show our unwavering support for the nation’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: On February 24, 2022 Sean Penn and his documentary filmmaking team got up before dawn in Kyiv in anticipation of a planned interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Suddenly, explosions shattered the quiet and missile fire turned the darkened sky to malevolent orange. Russia’s full-scale attack on its neighbor had begun — what President Vladimir Putin later that day euphemistically dubbed a “special military operation.”
Experts widely predicted Kyiv would fall within days and Zelenskyy would perish or flee his country (he was offered passage out by the Biden administration). Neither happened. On the one-year anniversary of the invasion, Penn and Aaron Kaufman, directors of the documentary Superpower, are reflecting on Ukraine’s response to a war of annihilation and Pres. Zelenskyy’s stunning leadership.
‘Superpower’ co-director Sean Penn meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on February 24, 2022
“Well, obviously, I share the broad view that his is a historic profile in courage,...
Experts widely predicted Kyiv would fall within days and Zelenskyy would perish or flee his country (he was offered passage out by the Biden administration). Neither happened. On the one-year anniversary of the invasion, Penn and Aaron Kaufman, directors of the documentary Superpower, are reflecting on Ukraine’s response to a war of annihilation and Pres. Zelenskyy’s stunning leadership.
‘Superpower’ co-director Sean Penn meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on February 24, 2022
“Well, obviously, I share the broad view that his is a historic profile in courage,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Sean Penn once met Vladimir Putin. Back in 2001, when he and Jack Nicholson went to the Moscow Film Festival for the Russian premiere of Penn’s film, The Pledge, the president turned up to meet them. Even then, more than 20 years before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Penn had a very bad feeling about the politician he now calls a “creepy little bully”.
During their time in Russia, Penn and Nicholson were driven to the dacha (or country house) belonging to Oscar-winning Russian filmmaker and Putin cheerleader, Nikita Mikhalkov.
“We were put in a convoy,” Penn remembers. “We knew that Putin was going to be the honoured guest. In the nature of that time and space, we accepted the invitation. We got in this convoy. And we were going as fast as they wanted to drive, with no care for whether it might have presented danger in the villages we drove through.
During their time in Russia, Penn and Nicholson were driven to the dacha (or country house) belonging to Oscar-winning Russian filmmaker and Putin cheerleader, Nikita Mikhalkov.
“We were put in a convoy,” Penn remembers. “We knew that Putin was going to be the honoured guest. In the nature of that time and space, we accepted the invitation. We got in this convoy. And we were going as fast as they wanted to drive, with no care for whether it might have presented danger in the villages we drove through.
- 2/23/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- The Independent - Film
There is a particular kind of audacity reserved for the wealthy and the well-meaning. Multi-award-winning actor and humanitarian Sean Penn co-directs “Superpower” with Aaron Kaufman, known mostly for his commercial work and his collaboration with writer-director Robert Rodriguez. Presented as a Special Gala at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, the result is an outrageously self-aggrandizing, pathetically lightweight documentary.
Read More: ‘BlackBerry’ Review: Matt Johnson’s Chronicling Of The Rise & Downfall Of The BlackBerry Is A Boisterous Ode To The Underdog [Berlin]
Penn pulls double-duty as a presenter for the documentary, starting off acknowledging his own ignorance about anything to do with Ukrainian history until the Maidan Revolution of 2014 made global headlines.
Continue reading ‘Superpower’ Review: Sean Penn’s Co-Directed Documentary About The Ukraine War Is A Silly & Superficial [Berlin] at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘BlackBerry’ Review: Matt Johnson’s Chronicling Of The Rise & Downfall Of The BlackBerry Is A Boisterous Ode To The Underdog [Berlin]
Penn pulls double-duty as a presenter for the documentary, starting off acknowledging his own ignorance about anything to do with Ukrainian history until the Maidan Revolution of 2014 made global headlines.
Continue reading ‘Superpower’ Review: Sean Penn’s Co-Directed Documentary About The Ukraine War Is A Silly & Superficial [Berlin] at The Playlist.
- 2/18/2023
- by Anna Bogutskaya
- The Playlist
Los Angeles, Feb 18 (Ians) Hollywood star Sean Penn said on Saturday that he is happy to be a “propagandist” for the Ukrainian war efforts, as he called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “creepy little bully” in Berlin.
He made the remarks after the world premiere of his documentary ‘Superpower’, which is about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, reports ‘Variety’.
“This is not an unbiased film because this is not an ambiguous war,” he said, calling the conflict “extremely personal”.
“I’m very happy to be considered a propagandist. I was happy to make an unbiased film because that is the true story we found,” the ‘Dead Man Walking’ star said.
As per ‘Variety’, donning a black jacket and a hoodie and sporting a camouflage trucker cap, Penn repeatedly called on the Joe Biden administration to send precision, long-range missiles to Kiev to support the Ukrainian war effort.
Praising the courage of Zelensky,...
He made the remarks after the world premiere of his documentary ‘Superpower’, which is about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, reports ‘Variety’.
“This is not an unbiased film because this is not an ambiguous war,” he said, calling the conflict “extremely personal”.
“I’m very happy to be considered a propagandist. I was happy to make an unbiased film because that is the true story we found,” the ‘Dead Man Walking’ star said.
As per ‘Variety’, donning a black jacket and a hoodie and sporting a camouflage trucker cap, Penn repeatedly called on the Joe Biden administration to send precision, long-range missiles to Kiev to support the Ukrainian war effort.
Praising the courage of Zelensky,...
- 2/18/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Superpower review, Berlin Film Festival: Sean Penn’s Zelensky documentary is heartfelt and inspiring
Dotted throughout Sean Penn’s new film Superpower (which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman) are shots in which the Hollywood star turned political activist is shown sitting in his Santa Monica home, talking earnestly into camera. He is reflecting on what he has witnessed during his various trips to Ukraine since late 2021. He has a respect, verging on awe, for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wartime leadership after the Russia invasion of the country last year.
That’s not how Penn felt about Zelensky when he arrived in Kyiv in late 2021. The first half of the feature documentary (which has been provoking a frenzy at the Berlin Film Festival this weekend) is riveting and often surprising. Penn and Kaufman originally set out to make an irreverent portrait of Zelensky and to find out more about this Chaplinesque figure who has somehow been catapulted to power. Many of the Ukrainians they meet...
That’s not how Penn felt about Zelensky when he arrived in Kyiv in late 2021. The first half of the feature documentary (which has been provoking a frenzy at the Berlin Film Festival this weekend) is riveting and often surprising. Penn and Kaufman originally set out to make an irreverent portrait of Zelensky and to find out more about this Chaplinesque figure who has somehow been catapulted to power. Many of the Ukrainians they meet...
- 2/18/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- The Independent - Film
For those paying attention to his year-long campaigning in support of Ukraine, Sean Penn covered a lot of familiar ground Saturday at the Berlin press conference for his latest film, Superpower, a documentary profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The actor-director spoke of Zelensky’s heroic wartime leadership, the Ukrainian people’s inspiring and universal fight for freedom and his own transformative experience of witnessing the war firsthand. But the one point he returned to repeatedly was more practical: a plea for the U.S. and NATO allies to provide Ukraine with long-range, precision missiles.
When asked by a journalist what he would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he had the chance to meet him, Penn said, “I find myself having no interest in talking to Mr. Putin at all” (later he described the Russian leader as both a “creepy little bully” and a “war criminal”). Penn said...
When asked by a journalist what he would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he had the chance to meet him, Penn said, “I find myself having no interest in talking to Mr. Putin at all” (later he described the Russian leader as both a “creepy little bully” and a “war criminal”). Penn said...
- 2/18/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Penn has reiterated his offer to have one of his Oscars melted down by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky – saying his gift to the battling leader was inspired by his “continuing shame towards the Motion Picture Academy.”
Penn debuted his documentary Superpower, detailing Zelensky’s leadership and Ukrainians’ courage following Russian invasion, at the Berlin International Film Festival and told press on Saturday:
“The Oscar is there in his office, and ready to be melted any time he wants to melt it.
He called the gift of the statuette “a small gesture, symbolic between two friends – inspired by my continuing shame towards the leadership of the Motion Picture Academy in choosing to present Will Smith smacking Chris Rock rather than the greatest symbol of cinema and humanity living today. Their loss.”
Penn gave one of his two Oscars for Best Actor to Zelensky last year after the pair became...
Penn debuted his documentary Superpower, detailing Zelensky’s leadership and Ukrainians’ courage following Russian invasion, at the Berlin International Film Festival and told press on Saturday:
“The Oscar is there in his office, and ready to be melted any time he wants to melt it.
He called the gift of the statuette “a small gesture, symbolic between two friends – inspired by my continuing shame towards the leadership of the Motion Picture Academy in choosing to present Will Smith smacking Chris Rock rather than the greatest symbol of cinema and humanity living today. Their loss.”
Penn gave one of his two Oscars for Best Actor to Zelensky last year after the pair became...
- 2/18/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Penn said “We’d have been better served talking to a wall” than talking to Russia.
Sean Penn launched a scathing critique of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Berlin today (Saturday 18), calling him a “creepy little bully” and a “war criminal”.
Speaking at the press conference for his documentary Superpower, which debuted as a Berlinale Special Gala last night, Penn was asked what he likes and does not like about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a major subject of the film.
“I don’t like a creepy little bully threatening him [Zelensky] and his country,” said Penn. “I do like...
Sean Penn launched a scathing critique of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Berlin today (Saturday 18), calling him a “creepy little bully” and a “war criminal”.
Speaking at the press conference for his documentary Superpower, which debuted as a Berlinale Special Gala last night, Penn was asked what he likes and does not like about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a major subject of the film.
“I don’t like a creepy little bully threatening him [Zelensky] and his country,” said Penn. “I do like...
- 2/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Sean Penn said he was happy to be a “propagandist” for the Ukrainian war effort and called Russian president Vladimir Putin a “creepy little bully” Saturday in Berlin, after the world premiere of his gonzo documentary “Superpower,” a gripping, courage-under-fire portrait of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“This is not an unbiased film because this is not an ambiguous war,” he said, calling the conflict “extremely personal.” “I’m very happy to be considered a propagandist. I was happy to make an unbiased film because that is the true story we found.”
Donning a black jacket and hoodie and sporting a camouflage trucker cap, Penn repeatedly called on the Biden administration to send precision, long-range missiles to Kyiv to support the Ukrainian war effort.
Praising the courage of Zelenskyy, Penn lashed out at his Russian counterpart when asked if the filmmakers wanted to hear from Putin, who he described as a “war criminal.
“This is not an unbiased film because this is not an ambiguous war,” he said, calling the conflict “extremely personal.” “I’m very happy to be considered a propagandist. I was happy to make an unbiased film because that is the true story we found.”
Donning a black jacket and hoodie and sporting a camouflage trucker cap, Penn repeatedly called on the Biden administration to send precision, long-range missiles to Kyiv to support the Ukrainian war effort.
Praising the courage of Zelenskyy, Penn lashed out at his Russian counterpart when asked if the filmmakers wanted to hear from Putin, who he described as a “war criminal.
- 2/18/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Last November, in a gesture that the actor himself described as “a symbolic, silly thing,” Sean Penn gifted one of his two Academy Awards to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to mark his emotional investment in the country as they continue to fight Russia’s invasion — attracting widespread mockery from social media and the entertainment press in the process. That this moment is not included in Penn and co-director Aaron Kaufman’s “Superpower,” a disordered, distinctly Penn-centric account of recent Ukrainian history, counts as one of the film’s few moments of self-awareness. As far as the rest goes, anyone watching this doc right after emerging from a two-year coma could be forgiven for identifying the Hollywood veteran as a key player in the conflict.
The sincerity of Penn’s interest in, and concern for, Ukraine is not in doubt. Having begun shooting on the ground in 2021, some months before war...
The sincerity of Penn’s interest in, and concern for, Ukraine is not in doubt. Having begun shooting on the ground in 2021, some months before war...
- 2/18/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been almost a year since Russia shocked the world by launching an invasion — or “special military operation,” per Vladimir Putin — of Ukraine, touching off a bloody and devastating conflict that is still very much ongoing, with no visible end in sight.
The fog of war is so thick it’s hard for any of us to see through it, and in that sense, the documentary Superpower, co-directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman, serves as a decent primer as to how the conflict started, what the stakes are and who remain the key players, with a special focus on Ukraine’s unlikely hero of a president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
But after sitting through the two-hour-long exposé, one could perhaps be mistaken in thinking that another key player in the war is Penn himself, so much is the Hollywood star present in nearly every scene in the film that doesn...
The fog of war is so thick it’s hard for any of us to see through it, and in that sense, the documentary Superpower, co-directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman, serves as a decent primer as to how the conflict started, what the stakes are and who remain the key players, with a special focus on Ukraine’s unlikely hero of a president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
But after sitting through the two-hour-long exposé, one could perhaps be mistaken in thinking that another key player in the war is Penn himself, so much is the Hollywood star present in nearly every scene in the film that doesn...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the day that Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Sean Penn and a gonzo documentary camera crew found themselves on the frontlines of war as they waited to see if they could interview Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Not only did he land that interview, but he continued to travel back to Ukraine to chronicle the horrors of war a total of six times for “Superpower,” a documentary Penn co-directed that premiered to a standing ovation at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday.
In the nearly two-hour-long film, produced by Vice, Penn underlines America’s shortcomings in supporting Ukraine in the war. Zelenskyy, who grows increasingly comfortable around the Oscar-winning actor in a series of interviews, reveals his frustrations at the lack of support in the form of high-impact weapons received from the Biden administration.
In a post-screening Q&a, Penn echoed Zelenskyy’s concerns. “It’s not so much about what if Ukraine loses,...
Not only did he land that interview, but he continued to travel back to Ukraine to chronicle the horrors of war a total of six times for “Superpower,” a documentary Penn co-directed that premiered to a standing ovation at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday.
In the nearly two-hour-long film, produced by Vice, Penn underlines America’s shortcomings in supporting Ukraine in the war. Zelenskyy, who grows increasingly comfortable around the Oscar-winning actor in a series of interviews, reveals his frustrations at the lack of support in the form of high-impact weapons received from the Biden administration.
In a post-screening Q&a, Penn echoed Zelenskyy’s concerns. “It’s not so much about what if Ukraine loses,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Manori Ravindran and Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Solidarity with Ukraine has been a constant theme at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, but the issue came to the forefront Friday night at the world premiere of Sean Penn’s latest film Superpower, a documentary profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wartime leadership.
Before the curtain came up at Berlin’s Verti Music Hall, where the premiere was held, Penn offered a personal introduction from the stage, thanking the film festival for hosting the premiere and “being so respectful of the Ukrainians, who are fighting a fight on all of our behalf.”
And when the credits rolled a little under two hours later, the Berlin crowd rose to its feet to give Penn and his collaborators a warm standing ovation.
Penn has said that he originally planned Superpower, which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman, as a “whimsical tale of a comic actor turned president,” but the project...
Before the curtain came up at Berlin’s Verti Music Hall, where the premiere was held, Penn offered a personal introduction from the stage, thanking the film festival for hosting the premiere and “being so respectful of the Ukrainians, who are fighting a fight on all of our behalf.”
And when the credits rolled a little under two hours later, the Berlin crowd rose to its feet to give Penn and his collaborators a warm standing ovation.
Penn has said that he originally planned Superpower, which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman, as a “whimsical tale of a comic actor turned president,” but the project...
- 2/17/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Roughly three quarters of the way into Superpower, the documentary about the war in Ukraine directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the Oscar-winning actor displays a fixed-blade knife while traveling by car through the embattled country. He jokes to the camera, “All of Ukraine should feel safe now that I’m armed.” He adds, holding up fists clenched like a boxer’s, “Plus, I’ve got these.”
Related Story Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy Delivers Impassioned Speech At Berlin Opening Night; Sean Penn Says Will Of The People Is “Just Getting Stronger” Related Story Berlin Review: Emily Atef's 'Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything' Related Story Riz Ahmed & Lily James To Star In David Mackenzie Thriller 'Relay' For Thunder Road, Sigma & Black Bear: EFM Hot Package
It’s a rare moment of levity in a film that otherwise unfolds with deadly seriousness, for appropriate reasons: for...
Related Story Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy Delivers Impassioned Speech At Berlin Opening Night; Sean Penn Says Will Of The People Is “Just Getting Stronger” Related Story Berlin Review: Emily Atef's 'Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything' Related Story Riz Ahmed & Lily James To Star In David Mackenzie Thriller 'Relay' For Thunder Road, Sigma & Black Bear: EFM Hot Package
It’s a rare moment of levity in a film that otherwise unfolds with deadly seriousness, for appropriate reasons: for...
- 2/17/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the Berlin International Film Festival Thursday night with a defiant call for for artists and cultural institutions to “take a stand” in the war in Ukraine and to support his country and his people in their fight against Russian aggression.
“Can art be outside politics, can cinema be outside politics [when] there is a policy of aggression…when there is total war?” he asked, rhetorically, in a video address to the Berlinale audience. “That is the politics of today’s Russia.”
“Culture chooses a side when it decide to speak out against evil,” the Ukrainian President said, “and it takes a side when it remains silent and in fact helps the evil.”
Playing to his audience of film buffs, Zelensky chose a movie metaphor to make his point: citing German director Wim Wenders and his 1987 classic Wings of Desire, which, Zelensky said, “broke the Berlin Wall two years before it fell…...
“Can art be outside politics, can cinema be outside politics [when] there is a policy of aggression…when there is total war?” he asked, rhetorically, in a video address to the Berlinale audience. “That is the politics of today’s Russia.”
“Culture chooses a side when it decide to speak out against evil,” the Ukrainian President said, “and it takes a side when it remains silent and in fact helps the evil.”
Playing to his audience of film buffs, Zelensky chose a movie metaphor to make his point: citing German director Wim Wenders and his 1987 classic Wings of Desire, which, Zelensky said, “broke the Berlin Wall two years before it fell…...
- 2/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s been no shortage of moral support for the Ukrainian cause since Russia’s unprovoked invasion last year, and the country’s beleaguered screen industry has gotten a much-needed boost from foreign buyers. Ukrainian documentaries are doing brisk business as global audiences search for broader context on the conflict, while even narrative features that hit the festival circuit last year are finding a home with specialty distributors.
As the war drags into its second year, however, the Ukrainian industry is at an inflection point. Russia’s relentless attacks on critical infrastructure continue to wreak havoc on the country’s power grid and force film crews to work under constant threat. The theatrical market has collapsed, broadcasters and streaming platforms are virtually bankrupt, and public money that might have once bolstered film and TV production is being diverted to the war effort instead.
There is an awareness, too, among Ukrainian...
As the war drags into its second year, however, the Ukrainian industry is at an inflection point. Russia’s relentless attacks on critical infrastructure continue to wreak havoc on the country’s power grid and force film crews to work under constant threat. The theatrical market has collapsed, broadcasters and streaming platforms are virtually bankrupt, and public money that might have once bolstered film and TV production is being diverted to the war effort instead.
There is an awareness, too, among Ukrainian...
- 2/16/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 Berlin Film Festival will open Thursday with a live video message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The festival confirmed what pretty much everyone had expected, that the Ukraine leader would speak to the Berlinale audience, using the platform to call for solidarity with Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Sean Penn — who with Aaron Kaufman co-directed the documentary Superpower, a look at Zelensky and his wartime leadership, premiering in Berlin later this week — will give a live onstage introduction to the Zelensky video.
“The Berlinale, along with all filmmakers and participants, expresses solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their fight for its independence and strongly condemns the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,” Berlinale co-directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said in a statement announcing the news. “Our thoughts and sympathy are with the victims, the suffering population, the millions who left Ukraine and the artists that...
The festival confirmed what pretty much everyone had expected, that the Ukraine leader would speak to the Berlinale audience, using the platform to call for solidarity with Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Sean Penn — who with Aaron Kaufman co-directed the documentary Superpower, a look at Zelensky and his wartime leadership, premiering in Berlin later this week — will give a live onstage introduction to the Zelensky video.
“The Berlinale, along with all filmmakers and participants, expresses solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their fight for its independence and strongly condemns the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,” Berlinale co-directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said in a statement announcing the news. “Our thoughts and sympathy are with the victims, the suffering population, the millions who left Ukraine and the artists that...
- 2/15/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Zelensky “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form”.
Update, 15/2/23 18.45 Cet: The Berlinale has confirmed that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will appear via livestream at the festival’s opening ceremony tomorrow evening.
Zelensky will appear on a live video link after an introduction by US actor and filmmaker Sean Penn, whose documentary Superpower about the events of the past year in Ukraine plays as a Berlinale Special title at this year’s festival.
Original story below:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will appear at this week’s Berlin Film Festival “in some kind of form”, according to a festival spokesperson.
Update, 15/2/23 18.45 Cet: The Berlinale has confirmed that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will appear via livestream at the festival’s opening ceremony tomorrow evening.
Zelensky will appear on a live video link after an introduction by US actor and filmmaker Sean Penn, whose documentary Superpower about the events of the past year in Ukraine plays as a Berlinale Special title at this year’s festival.
Original story below:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will appear at this week’s Berlin Film Festival “in some kind of form”, according to a festival spokesperson.
- 2/15/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Zelenskyy “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form”.
Update, 15/2/23 18.45 Cet: The Berlinale has confirmed that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear via livestream at the festival’s opening ceremony tomorrow evening.
Zelenskyy will appear on a live video link after an introduction by US actor and filmmaker Sean Penn, whose documentary Superpower about the events of the past year in Ukraine plays as a Berlinale Special title at this year’s festival.
Original story below:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear at this week’s Berlin Film Festival “in some kind of form”, according to a festival spokesperson.
Update, 15/2/23 18.45 Cet: The Berlinale has confirmed that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear via livestream at the festival’s opening ceremony tomorrow evening.
Zelenskyy will appear on a live video link after an introduction by US actor and filmmaker Sean Penn, whose documentary Superpower about the events of the past year in Ukraine plays as a Berlinale Special title at this year’s festival.
Original story below:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear at this week’s Berlin Film Festival “in some kind of form”, according to a festival spokesperson.
- 2/15/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Los Angeles, Feb 14 (Ians) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to make an appearance at the Berlinale, ‘Variety’ has learned.
A Berlin Film Festival spokesperson confirmed that Zelensky will be present “in some kind of form”, although “which and when is not confirmed yet”.
The Festival is opening on Thursday, February 16.
Zelensky is the subject of one of the festival’s most high-profile projects: Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s top-secret documentary ‘Superpower’.
The details of the film, according to ‘Variety’, have remained sparse for more than a year, when it was first revealed that Penn had been in Ukraine when the war with Russia broke out.
The Ukrainian leader has been making a number of virtual appearances at various awards ceremonies (the Golden Globes being the last and at Cannes). In recent weeks he’s been venturing outside the country and making trips around Europe, notes ‘Variety’.
Last week,...
A Berlin Film Festival spokesperson confirmed that Zelensky will be present “in some kind of form”, although “which and when is not confirmed yet”.
The Festival is opening on Thursday, February 16.
Zelensky is the subject of one of the festival’s most high-profile projects: Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s top-secret documentary ‘Superpower’.
The details of the film, according to ‘Variety’, have remained sparse for more than a year, when it was first revealed that Penn had been in Ukraine when the war with Russia broke out.
The Ukrainian leader has been making a number of virtual appearances at various awards ceremonies (the Golden Globes being the last and at Cannes). In recent weeks he’s been venturing outside the country and making trips around Europe, notes ‘Variety’.
Last week,...
- 2/14/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Zelenskyy “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form”.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear at this week’s Berlin Film Festival “in some kind of form”, according to a festival spokesperson.
The festival confirmed the Ukrainian leader will participate in the festival, but could not confirm the form that his participation will take.
Zelenskyy’s participation will come almost exactly one year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then the leader has made virtual appearances at film festivals and awards, including in Cannes and Venice.
Several titles related to the war in Ukraine...
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appear at this week’s Berlin Film Festival “in some kind of form”, according to a festival spokesperson.
The festival confirmed the Ukrainian leader will participate in the festival, but could not confirm the form that his participation will take.
Zelenskyy’s participation will come almost exactly one year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then the leader has made virtual appearances at film festivals and awards, including in Cannes and Venice.
Several titles related to the war in Ukraine...
- 2/13/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to make an appearance at the Berlinale, Variety has learned.
A spokesperson for the Berlin Film Festival, which kicks off on Thursday, confirmed that the Ukrainian leader “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form,” although “which and when is not confirmed yet.”
Zelenskyy is the subject of one of the festival’s most high-profile projects: Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s top-secret documentary “Superpower.” The details of the film have remained sparse for over a year, when it was first revealed that Penn had been in Ukraine when the war with Russia broke out.
While the Ukrainian leader has been making a number of virtual appearances at various awards ceremonies in the last year, in recent weeks he’s been venturing outside the country and making trips around Europe. Last week, in what was his second trip outside Ukraine in the...
A spokesperson for the Berlin Film Festival, which kicks off on Thursday, confirmed that the Ukrainian leader “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form,” although “which and when is not confirmed yet.”
Zelenskyy is the subject of one of the festival’s most high-profile projects: Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s top-secret documentary “Superpower.” The details of the film have remained sparse for over a year, when it was first revealed that Penn had been in Ukraine when the war with Russia broke out.
While the Ukrainian leader has been making a number of virtual appearances at various awards ceremonies in the last year, in recent weeks he’s been venturing outside the country and making trips around Europe. Last week, in what was his second trip outside Ukraine in the...
- 2/13/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Penn went to war and a movie broke out. That is, in effect, the story behind the making of the documentary “Superpower,” a gripping cinematic portrait of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the eve of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, who helmed the 2021 documentary “Crusaders: Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses Speak Out,” “Superpower” bows Feb. 17, out of competition, as a Berlinale Special Gala at the Berlin Film Festival. Fifth Season and Vice Studios are behind the film, with Fifth Season selling worldwide rights.
“Superpower” was not conceived as a war story. Rather, Penn and Kaufman, as well as producer Billy Smith, endeavored to chart the trajectory of Zelensky’s unusual career trajectory — from actor-comedian-producer playing a history teacher elected as Ukraine’s president in the satirical TV series “Servant of the People,” to a rising political star elected as the...
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, who helmed the 2021 documentary “Crusaders: Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses Speak Out,” “Superpower” bows Feb. 17, out of competition, as a Berlinale Special Gala at the Berlin Film Festival. Fifth Season and Vice Studios are behind the film, with Fifth Season selling worldwide rights.
“Superpower” was not conceived as a war story. Rather, Penn and Kaufman, as well as producer Billy Smith, endeavored to chart the trajectory of Zelensky’s unusual career trajectory — from actor-comedian-producer playing a history teacher elected as Ukraine’s president in the satirical TV series “Servant of the People,” to a rising political star elected as the...
- 2/13/2023
- by Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
Festival to also honour French cinematographer Caroline Champetier with honorary Berlinale Camera.
The Berlinale has added the world premiere of documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer and a tribute to a century of Disney animation to its upcoming 73rd edition.
The additions complete the lineup for the Berlinale Special sidebar at the festival, set to run February 16-26.
Love To Love You, Donna Summer is co-directed by Roger Ross Williams, Oscar nominated in 2016 for Life, Animated, and US actress Brooklyn Sudano, who is the daughter of Summer and makes her directorial debut with the film.
The documentary will explore...
The Berlinale has added the world premiere of documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer and a tribute to a century of Disney animation to its upcoming 73rd edition.
The additions complete the lineup for the Berlinale Special sidebar at the festival, set to run February 16-26.
Love To Love You, Donna Summer is co-directed by Roger Ross Williams, Oscar nominated in 2016 for Life, Animated, and US actress Brooklyn Sudano, who is the daughter of Summer and makes her directorial debut with the film.
The documentary will explore...
- 1/30/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Berlin Film Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian and executive director Mariëtte Rissenbeck unveiled the International Competition and Encounters lineups on Monday for the festival’s 73rd edition, running February 16-26.
“It’s quite an eclectic selection,” Chatrian told the press conference in Berlin this morning. “You will see we tried to include as many genres and cinematic forms as possible.”
Related Story Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Sean Penn, Philippe Garrel, Margarethe Von Trotta & Christian Petzold In Competition — Full List Related Story Sean Penn Documentary On Ukraine And Volodymyr Zelenskyy To Debut At Berlin Film Festival Related Story Berlin Film Festival: Watch Competition Lineup Revealed Live
The International Competition features 18 titles, 15 of them world premieres, involving 19 different territories. Encounters, the Berlinale’s equivalent of Un Certain Regard which was launched in 2020, will showcase 16 films.
Chatrian has stuck with his love of mixing established names, including Philippe Garrel (The Plough), Margarethe von Trotta...
“It’s quite an eclectic selection,” Chatrian told the press conference in Berlin this morning. “You will see we tried to include as many genres and cinematic forms as possible.”
Related Story Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Sean Penn, Philippe Garrel, Margarethe Von Trotta & Christian Petzold In Competition — Full List Related Story Sean Penn Documentary On Ukraine And Volodymyr Zelenskyy To Debut At Berlin Film Festival Related Story Berlin Film Festival: Watch Competition Lineup Revealed Live
The International Competition features 18 titles, 15 of them world premieres, involving 19 different territories. Encounters, the Berlinale’s equivalent of Un Certain Regard which was launched in 2020, will showcase 16 films.
Chatrian has stuck with his love of mixing established names, including Philippe Garrel (The Plough), Margarethe von Trotta...
- 1/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Berlin Film Festival on Monday said that Sean Penn will debut the documentary he shot in Ukraine with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Berlin next month.
Related Story Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Sean Penn, Philippe Garrel, Margarethe Von Trotta & Christian Petzold In Competition — Full List Related Story Berlin Film Festival: Watch Competition Lineup Revealed Live Related Story Berlin Co-Heads On Securing U.S. Star Power, Asia's Return & Iran-Russia Bans: "One Of Our Goals Was To Bring Back The Glamorous Side That Was Missing"
The doc is titled Superpower and documents Ukraine and President Zelenskyy at the start of Russia’s invasion. Penn shares a co-director credit with Aaron Kaufman.
Introducing the doc, Berlin artistic director Carlo Chatrian said: “This is a documentary film done under very difficult circumstances, but it is also a film that tells the role of art and artists in difficult times.”
Chatrian added that the film features...
Related Story Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Sean Penn, Philippe Garrel, Margarethe Von Trotta & Christian Petzold In Competition — Full List Related Story Berlin Film Festival: Watch Competition Lineup Revealed Live Related Story Berlin Co-Heads On Securing U.S. Star Power, Asia's Return & Iran-Russia Bans: "One Of Our Goals Was To Bring Back The Glamorous Side That Was Missing"
The doc is titled Superpower and documents Ukraine and President Zelenskyy at the start of Russia’s invasion. Penn shares a co-director credit with Aaron Kaufman.
Introducing the doc, Berlin artistic director Carlo Chatrian said: “This is a documentary film done under very difficult circumstances, but it is also a film that tells the role of art and artists in difficult times.”
Chatrian added that the film features...
- 1/23/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
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