Exclusive: Studiocanal has been rolling out sales on the first instalment of Germany-language film trilogy Woodwalkers in Cannes.
A joint production between Blue Eyes Fiction and Studiocanal Germany, it is one the most ambitious German-language productions to date for both partners.
The franchise is adapted from the best-selling novels by German writer Katja Brandis about a group of teenagers with secret shapeshifting abilities, known as ‘Woodwalkers’.
Blue Eyes Fiction MD and founder Corinna Mehner is lead producing, with Berlin-based Studiocanal exec Sandrine Mattes, EVP German Production & Acquisition, spearheading her company’s involvement.
Mattes says the Woodwalkers ticks a number of boxes for Studiocanal.
“Studiocanal’s DNA is truly European so we’re always looking for European content that can work on the global market. The ‘Woodwalkers’ books are a perfect fit. They’re one of the biggest IPs we have for family and kids in the German market, both in...
A joint production between Blue Eyes Fiction and Studiocanal Germany, it is one the most ambitious German-language productions to date for both partners.
The franchise is adapted from the best-selling novels by German writer Katja Brandis about a group of teenagers with secret shapeshifting abilities, known as ‘Woodwalkers’.
Blue Eyes Fiction MD and founder Corinna Mehner is lead producing, with Berlin-based Studiocanal exec Sandrine Mattes, EVP German Production & Acquisition, spearheading her company’s involvement.
Mattes says the Woodwalkers ticks a number of boxes for Studiocanal.
“Studiocanal’s DNA is truly European so we’re always looking for European content that can work on the global market. The ‘Woodwalkers’ books are a perfect fit. They’re one of the biggest IPs we have for family and kids in the German market, both in...
- 5/18/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is expanding its membership.
According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.
Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline
There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.
According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.
Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline
There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.
- 6/28/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Those who accept will be only additions to Academy’s membership in 2023.
Vicky Krieps, Paul Mescal, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Aftersun writer-director Charlotte Wells, She Said director Maria Schrader, and Kerry Condon are among 398 who have been invited to join the Academy.
Some 40% of the 2023 class identify as women, 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 52% are from 50 countries and territories outside the United States. There are 76 Oscar nominees including 22 winners among the invitees.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership. Should they all accept, the total number of members...
Vicky Krieps, Paul Mescal, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Aftersun writer-director Charlotte Wells, She Said director Maria Schrader, and Kerry Condon are among 398 who have been invited to join the Academy.
Some 40% of the 2023 class identify as women, 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 52% are from 50 countries and territories outside the United States. There are 76 Oscar nominees including 22 winners among the invitees.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership. Should they all accept, the total number of members...
- 6/28/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan, Daniel Kwan, and Daniel Scheinert, recent acting nominees Austin Butler, Paul Mescal, and Stephanie Hsu, and bold-face names for the extremely online like Taylor Swift, Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd), and Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav were among the 398 people announced as new members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday.
“The academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang in a joint statement.
This year’s class of new members is heavy on 2022 breakouts, like the aforementioned Kwan and Scheinert – invitees in both the directors’ brand and the producers’ branch. In keeping with academy practice,...
“The academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang in a joint statement.
This year’s class of new members is heavy on 2022 breakouts, like the aforementioned Kwan and Scheinert – invitees in both the directors’ brand and the producers’ branch. In keeping with academy practice,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The Academy has invited 398 artists across cinematic disciplines to join its membership, including Taylor Swift, Keke Palmer and this year’s Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.
Also scoring invitations are actors Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Ram Charan, Kerry Condon, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Stephanie Hsu, Noémie Merlant, Paul Mescal, Nt Rama Rao Jr. and Paul Reiser, directors Joseph Kosinski, Maria Schrader and Michael Showalter, writers Josh Friedman, Kazuo Ishiguro and Charlotte Wells.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” duo The Daniels (Credit: Getty Images)
Eight people were invited to join the Academy by multiple branches and must choose which...
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.
Also scoring invitations are actors Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Ram Charan, Kerry Condon, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Stephanie Hsu, Noémie Merlant, Paul Mescal, Nt Rama Rao Jr. and Paul Reiser, directors Joseph Kosinski, Maria Schrader and Michael Showalter, writers Josh Friedman, Kazuo Ishiguro and Charlotte Wells.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” duo The Daniels (Credit: Getty Images)
Eight people were invited to join the Academy by multiple branches and must choose which...
- 6/28/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay and Libby Hill
- The Wrap
Austin Butler, Ke Huy Quan, Keke Palmer, Nt Rama Rao Jr and music superstar Taylor Swift are among the 398 artists and executives invited to join the membership of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. If all of this year’s invitees accept membership, it will bring the total number of overall Academy members to 10,817, with 9,375 eligible to vote for the 96th Oscars, set to take place on March 10, 2024.
The 2023 class is 40% women. 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 52% hail from 51 countries and territories outside the United States. There are many recent Oscar nominees among the invitees, such as Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”), Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”). The list also includes many of the 95th ceremony’s winners, such as Ke Huy Quan (supporting actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) cinematographer James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front...
The 2023 class is 40% women. 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 52% hail from 51 countries and territories outside the United States. There are many recent Oscar nominees among the invitees, such as Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”), Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”). The list also includes many of the 95th ceremony’s winners, such as Ke Huy Quan (supporting actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) cinematographer James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front...
- 6/28/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Singer-songwriters Taylor Swift and David Byrne, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, Everything Everywhere All at Once filmmakers Daniels (Kwan and Scheinert), Nobel Prize-winning writer Kazuo Ishiguro, former SXSW chief Janet Pierson, WME co-chairs Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz, and actors including Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Bill Hader, Paul Mescal, Nicholas Hoult, Keke Palmer, Ke Huy Quan and Rrr stars Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. are among the 398 artists and executives from around the world who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year, the Oscar-dispensing organization announced Wednesday.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a statement. “They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion...
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a statement. “They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion...
- 6/28/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the names of its newest round of invitees, increasing the number of voting members past 10,000, should everyone accept.
With the addition of the 398 artists and executives that the Academy extended invitations to (totaling one more invite than last year), the Academy now boasts a membership that is 34 percent women, 18 percent from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities, and 20 percent from countries or territories outside of the United States. Though their invites have a rolling deadline, they must accept them and pay dues in order to vote for the Oscars and gain access to benefits like the Academy Screening Room.
Among the list of possible new members are, predictably, many of the filmmakers behind Best Picture winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” including Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress nominee Stephanie Hsu, Best Film Editing winner Paul Rogers,...
With the addition of the 398 artists and executives that the Academy extended invitations to (totaling one more invite than last year), the Academy now boasts a membership that is 34 percent women, 18 percent from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities, and 20 percent from countries or territories outside of the United States. Though their invites have a rolling deadline, they must accept them and pay dues in order to vote for the Oscars and gain access to benefits like the Academy Screening Room.
Among the list of possible new members are, predictably, many of the filmmakers behind Best Picture winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” including Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress nominee Stephanie Hsu, Best Film Editing winner Paul Rogers,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
by Cláudio Alves
At 88 years of age, Ellen Burstyn is back on the hunt for gold and she might just become the oldest acting Oscar nominee of all-time for her work in Kornél Mundruczó's Pieces of a Woman.. Burstyn's film, now streaming on Netflix, concerns Vanessa Kirby's Martha, a woman dealing with the unimaginable pain of having lost her newborn daughter. Burstyn plays the protagonist's mother, a severe matriarch whose disapproval of her daughter's life choices is an incandescent force, blinding in its intensity.
The actress breathes life into this supporting role, illuminating the brittleness, the scars of past woes, and the terror brought upon by the first signs of dementia. It's a showy performance, complete with an Oscar clip-ready monologue that unspools from Burstyn like a torrent of misdirected fervor. As we ponder if AMPAS will grace the thespian with another honor, let's look at her record with the Academy.
At 88 years of age, Ellen Burstyn is back on the hunt for gold and she might just become the oldest acting Oscar nominee of all-time for her work in Kornél Mundruczó's Pieces of a Woman.. Burstyn's film, now streaming on Netflix, concerns Vanessa Kirby's Martha, a woman dealing with the unimaginable pain of having lost her newborn daughter. Burstyn plays the protagonist's mother, a severe matriarch whose disapproval of her daughter's life choices is an incandescent force, blinding in its intensity.
The actress breathes life into this supporting role, illuminating the brittleness, the scars of past woes, and the terror brought upon by the first signs of dementia. It's a showy performance, complete with an Oscar clip-ready monologue that unspools from Burstyn like a torrent of misdirected fervor. As we ponder if AMPAS will grace the thespian with another honor, let's look at her record with the Academy.
- 1/8/2021
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Refresh for updates Diana Rigg is being remembered today by co-workers and colleagues as a “blazingly talented” actress who conquered television, film and the stage.
The Game of Thrones and The Avengers actress died Thursday at age 82.
“Dame Diana Rigg,” tweeted Thrones co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. “She always raised the bar with her incredible talent, intelligence and wit. An absolute joy and honor to work with. May her soul Rest In Peace.”
Game of Thrones co-stars Pedro Pascal, Liam Cunningham, John Bradley and Nathalie Emmanuel joined Coster-Waldau in tweeting their remembrances. See them below, along with a sampling of other tributes.
“What to say about Diana Rigg?” tweeted Edgar Wright, who directed Rigg’s final film, the upcoming psychological thriller Last Night in Soho. “I could talk about her incredible career, but for now I’ll just say as a lifelong fan, it was beyond a thrill to work with her on her final film.
The Game of Thrones and The Avengers actress died Thursday at age 82.
“Dame Diana Rigg,” tweeted Thrones co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. “She always raised the bar with her incredible talent, intelligence and wit. An absolute joy and honor to work with. May her soul Rest In Peace.”
Game of Thrones co-stars Pedro Pascal, Liam Cunningham, John Bradley and Nathalie Emmanuel joined Coster-Waldau in tweeting their remembrances. See them below, along with a sampling of other tributes.
“What to say about Diana Rigg?” tweeted Edgar Wright, who directed Rigg’s final film, the upcoming psychological thriller Last Night in Soho. “I could talk about her incredible career, but for now I’ll just say as a lifelong fan, it was beyond a thrill to work with her on her final film.
- 9/10/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Food is something we all need to sustain ourselves (obviously), but for Katie Lee, it’s something more than that. As a professional chef, Katie has built a brand and a career around creating delicious dishes. Over the years, she has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry while also becoming one herself. She is known for hosting the first season of Top Chef as well as appearing on shows like Martha, The Early Show, and Iron Chef America. With experience working in restaurants, stores, and on TV, Katie is a well-rounded professional who can do a little
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Katie Lee...
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Katie Lee...
- 7/7/2020
- by Camille Moore
- TVovermind.com
The phrase “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” which has often (and perhaps erroneously) been attributed to American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, was a familiar saying by about 1920. And it makes perfect sense that the phrase roughly coincides with the dawn of cinema, because filmmakers have been cinematically paraphrasing it for much of the last 100 years.
The latest example is “End of Sentence,” a road movie from first-time Icelandic feature director Elfar Adalsteins. The film drops John Hawkes and Logan Lerman in the northwest of Ireland for a father-son adventure that suggests that it’s not the journey or the destination – it’s the travelers who are on that road.
That’s because Hawkes and Lerman are subtle, naturalistic performers who spin gold out of settings that could easily seem clichéd. You pretty much know that these guys are on the road to understanding, acceptance and reconciliation,...
The latest example is “End of Sentence,” a road movie from first-time Icelandic feature director Elfar Adalsteins. The film drops John Hawkes and Logan Lerman in the northwest of Ireland for a father-son adventure that suggests that it’s not the journey or the destination – it’s the travelers who are on that road.
That’s because Hawkes and Lerman are subtle, naturalistic performers who spin gold out of settings that could easily seem clichéd. You pretty much know that these guys are on the road to understanding, acceptance and reconciliation,...
- 5/28/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Beta Cinema has exercised its first look rights option on “What Doesn’t Kill Us,” writer-director Sandra Nettelbeck’s return to German filmmaking and to the themes and even one character of the string of drama-comedies, particularly “Mostly Martha,” which founded her reputation.
With worldwide rights sold by Beta Cinema, “What Doesn’t Kills Us” will world premiere on Aug. 3 at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival, Europe’s biggest mid-Summer event, where it will play in the Piazza Grande, a showcase for the festival’s usually more audience-friendly fare.
To be released in German cinemas by Alamode, “What Doesn’t Kill Us” is an early production of the Ludwigsburg/Berlin-based production house Sommerhaus Filmproduktion (“In the Aisles”), launched in 2015 with Beta’s Jan Mojto on board as a founding partner. Beta Cinema has a first look but no obligation to handle word sales rights on Sommerhaus titles.
Fore-fronting “Mostly Martha’s...
With worldwide rights sold by Beta Cinema, “What Doesn’t Kills Us” will world premiere on Aug. 3 at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival, Europe’s biggest mid-Summer event, where it will play in the Piazza Grande, a showcase for the festival’s usually more audience-friendly fare.
To be released in German cinemas by Alamode, “What Doesn’t Kill Us” is an early production of the Ludwigsburg/Berlin-based production house Sommerhaus Filmproduktion (“In the Aisles”), launched in 2015 with Beta’s Jan Mojto on board as a founding partner. Beta Cinema has a first look but no obligation to handle word sales rights on Sommerhaus titles.
Fore-fronting “Mostly Martha’s...
- 7/16/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
“It’s your restaurant, but her kitchen. Without her, it’s just a pile of metal. It’s for her to decide.”
Mostly Martha (aka Bella Martha – German – 2001) screens Thursday September 14th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30pm.
Martha Klein (Martina Gedeck), a workaholic chef, has difficulty relating to the world other than through food. Her obsession leads to unpleasant confrontations with customers. Frida (Sibylle Canonica), the restaurant owner, requires her to see a therapist to work out her poor interpersonal skills. Martha’s therapy sessions, however, turn into monologues on food, and her approach to stress management usually involves briefly retreating to the restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator. Martha’s life and priorities change when her sister dies and she takes on the responsibility of caring for her niece.
Admission is:
$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from...
Mostly Martha (aka Bella Martha – German – 2001) screens Thursday September 14th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30pm.
Martha Klein (Martina Gedeck), a workaholic chef, has difficulty relating to the world other than through food. Her obsession leads to unpleasant confrontations with customers. Frida (Sibylle Canonica), the restaurant owner, requires her to see a therapist to work out her poor interpersonal skills. Martha’s therapy sessions, however, turn into monologues on food, and her approach to stress management usually involves briefly retreating to the restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator. Martha’s life and priorities change when her sister dies and she takes on the responsibility of caring for her niece.
Admission is:
$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from...
- 9/11/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Features from Sandra Nettelbeck, Thomas Stuber, Caroline Link and Burhan Qurbani on slate for German outfit.
New features by Sandra Nettelbeck, Thomas Stuber, Burhan Qurbani and Oscar-winner Caroline Link are being lined up by the Ludwigsburg/Berlin-based production company Sommerhaus Filmproduktion, which was launched by producers Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach at the end of last year with Beta Film’s Jan Mojto as partner.
The first project to go into production this year will be the melancholic romantic comedy What Does Not Kill Us (Was Uns Nicht Umbringt) by writer-director Sandra Nettelbeck in August with a cast including August Zirner, Sophie Rois, Christian Berkel, Bjarne Mädel and Jenny Schily.
The German-language film will mark Nettelbeck’s return to filmmaking in Germany after working abroad for more than ten years on films including Helen and Mr. Morgan’s Last Love. It will also link to the director’s internationally successful romantic comedy Mostly Martha (Bella Martha) with...
New features by Sandra Nettelbeck, Thomas Stuber, Burhan Qurbani and Oscar-winner Caroline Link are being lined up by the Ludwigsburg/Berlin-based production company Sommerhaus Filmproduktion, which was launched by producers Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach at the end of last year with Beta Film’s Jan Mojto as partner.
The first project to go into production this year will be the melancholic romantic comedy What Does Not Kill Us (Was Uns Nicht Umbringt) by writer-director Sandra Nettelbeck in August with a cast including August Zirner, Sophie Rois, Christian Berkel, Bjarne Mädel and Jenny Schily.
The German-language film will mark Nettelbeck’s return to filmmaking in Germany after working abroad for more than ten years on films including Helen and Mr. Morgan’s Last Love. It will also link to the director’s internationally successful romantic comedy Mostly Martha (Bella Martha) with...
- 2/23/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
International co-production and co-production markets around the globe will not be the same now following the news that the internationally respected German producer-distributor Karl Baumgartner has died at the age of 65.
Known affectionately by friends and colleagues alike as ¨Baumi¨, Baumgartner hailed from the South Tyrol, but was ¨ at home¨ in different countries and cultures, working with film-makers on projects located in some of the seemingly most inaccessible or logistically nightmarish parts of the planet.
Hearing him recount the making of Bakhtiar Khudojnazarov’s Luna Papa at one of the countless co-production panels with his tales of the shooting being stopped by floods washing the set away, the outbreak of civil war and being evacuated by the Red Cross floods, one often wondered whether he purposely looked for such challenges.
Not to speak of the challenge of putting such delicate and time-consuming co-production structures together involving tried-and-tested production partners, public funders and broadcasters from across Europe and beyond...
Known affectionately by friends and colleagues alike as ¨Baumi¨, Baumgartner hailed from the South Tyrol, but was ¨ at home¨ in different countries and cultures, working with film-makers on projects located in some of the seemingly most inaccessible or logistically nightmarish parts of the planet.
Hearing him recount the making of Bakhtiar Khudojnazarov’s Luna Papa at one of the countless co-production panels with his tales of the shooting being stopped by floods washing the set away, the outbreak of civil war and being evacuated by the Red Cross floods, one often wondered whether he purposely looked for such challenges.
Not to speak of the challenge of putting such delicate and time-consuming co-production structures together involving tried-and-tested production partners, public funders and broadcasters from across Europe and beyond...
- 3/19/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Karl Baumgartner, the German producer and champion of arthouse cinema who only last month received the Berlinale Camera prize, has died.Click here for full obituary
Baumgartner was born in 1949 and after a stint working in Rome from 1967-70 he relocated to Germany where he eventually launched the producer-distributor Pandora Film with Reinhard Brundig in 1982.
Pandora established itself as a beacon for arthouse cinema and championed the likes of Kim Ki-duk, Aki Kaurismaki and Sally Potter.
As a producer he brought a handful of films to the Berlinale including Emir Kusturica’s Super 8 Stories and most recently Pia Marais’ 2013 entry Layla Fourie.
Baumgartner produced Mostly Martha and Samsara, among others, and his co-producer credits include Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. He served as executive producer on Kusturica’s 1995 Palme d’Or winner Underground.
A Tweet from the Locarno Film Festival read, “Very sad for the loss of great producer and Locarno’s friend Karl Baumgartner, Premio Raimondo...
Baumgartner was born in 1949 and after a stint working in Rome from 1967-70 he relocated to Germany where he eventually launched the producer-distributor Pandora Film with Reinhard Brundig in 1982.
Pandora established itself as a beacon for arthouse cinema and championed the likes of Kim Ki-duk, Aki Kaurismaki and Sally Potter.
As a producer he brought a handful of films to the Berlinale including Emir Kusturica’s Super 8 Stories and most recently Pia Marais’ 2013 entry Layla Fourie.
Baumgartner produced Mostly Martha and Samsara, among others, and his co-producer credits include Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. He served as executive producer on Kusturica’s 1995 Palme d’Or winner Underground.
A Tweet from the Locarno Film Festival read, “Very sad for the loss of great producer and Locarno’s friend Karl Baumgartner, Premio Raimondo...
- 3/18/2014
- ScreenDaily
Karl Baumgartner, the German producer and champion of arthouse cinema who only last month received the Berlinale Camera prize, has died.
Baumgartner was born in 1949 and after a stint working in Rome from 1967-70 he relocated to Germany where he eventually launched the producer-distributor Pandora Film with Reinhard Brundig in 1982.
Pandora established itself as a beacon for arthouse cinema and championed the likes of Kim Ki-duk, Aki Kaurismaki and Sally Potter.
As a producer he brought a handful of films to the Berlinale including Emir Kusturica’s Super 8 Stories and most recently Pia Marais’ 2013 entry Layla Fourie.
Baumgartner produced Mostly Martha and Samsara, among others, and his co-producer credits include Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. He served as executive producer on Kusturica’s 1995 Palme d’Or winner Underground.
A Tweet from the Locarno Film Festival read, “Very sad for the loss of great producer and Locarno’s friend Karl Baumgartner, Premio Raimondo...
Baumgartner was born in 1949 and after a stint working in Rome from 1967-70 he relocated to Germany where he eventually launched the producer-distributor Pandora Film with Reinhard Brundig in 1982.
Pandora established itself as a beacon for arthouse cinema and championed the likes of Kim Ki-duk, Aki Kaurismaki and Sally Potter.
As a producer he brought a handful of films to the Berlinale including Emir Kusturica’s Super 8 Stories and most recently Pia Marais’ 2013 entry Layla Fourie.
Baumgartner produced Mostly Martha and Samsara, among others, and his co-producer credits include Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. He served as executive producer on Kusturica’s 1995 Palme d’Or winner Underground.
A Tweet from the Locarno Film Festival read, “Very sad for the loss of great producer and Locarno’s friend Karl Baumgartner, Premio Raimondo...
- 3/18/2014
- ScreenDaily
Writer/director Sandra Nettelbeck discusses working with Michael Caine for her new movie Last Love. It’s been twelve years since German filmmaker Sandra Nettelbeck delivered her award-winning drama Mostly Martha, an intelligent and believable romance about a workaholic female chef and reluctant caregiver to her young niece who’s changed for the better by her handsome sous-chef and described by critics as a “Bridget Jones for the culinary set.” Nettelbeck remembers well visiting the set of the Hollywood remake No Reservations starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, a big-budget version of her story with additional helpings of Hollywood sentimentality and cuteness.
- 11/8/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Sleepy Time Love: Nettlebeck Underwhelms with Latest Character Study
German director Sandra Nettlebeck returns with her fourth feature, Last Love, adapted from a novel by writer/actress Francoise Dorner, a co-production effort that is mostly an English language feature, though not likely to reach the heights of acclaim achieved by her successful 2001 debut, Mostly Martha. As usual, Nettlebeck has amassed an interesting cast likely to attract attention, so it’s disheartening that the film is ultimately a rather ungainly and predictable familial drama with narrative dynamics similar to a slew of recent titles dealing with the loss, regret, and estrangement.
Matthew Morgan (Michael Caine) is a grief stricken American professor living in Paris, unable to get over the death of his wife Joan (Jane Alexander), who passed away in 2007. Life seems to have hit a standstill, with Matthew wallowing in an unkempt existence, refusing to learn the native language of...
German director Sandra Nettlebeck returns with her fourth feature, Last Love, adapted from a novel by writer/actress Francoise Dorner, a co-production effort that is mostly an English language feature, though not likely to reach the heights of acclaim achieved by her successful 2001 debut, Mostly Martha. As usual, Nettlebeck has amassed an interesting cast likely to attract attention, so it’s disheartening that the film is ultimately a rather ungainly and predictable familial drama with narrative dynamics similar to a slew of recent titles dealing with the loss, regret, and estrangement.
Matthew Morgan (Michael Caine) is a grief stricken American professor living in Paris, unable to get over the death of his wife Joan (Jane Alexander), who passed away in 2007. Life seems to have hit a standstill, with Matthew wallowing in an unkempt existence, refusing to learn the native language of...
- 10/31/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Much like Amour, 2012's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner, Last Love explores the effect losing a loved one has on a spouse, but unlike France's somber cinematic offering, the Michael Caine-fronted film also examines how a widower can move on in the aftermath of a profound loss.
Furthermore, Last Love examines at the familial fallout through the eyes of Justin Kirk and Gillian Anderson, who plays Caine's children. ETonline caught up with the charismatic actress to talk about this powerful new movie, her equally incredible Netflix series, The Fall, and the odds she'll ever play Agent Dana Scully again.
ETonline: What was the appeal of this project for you?
Gillian Anderson: It's not a film that Americans get to see very often. Last year there was Amour, a beautiful film, that was a slice of life and slow and French and beautiful. This is along those lines. We're all going to end up having to make...
Furthermore, Last Love examines at the familial fallout through the eyes of Justin Kirk and Gillian Anderson, who plays Caine's children. ETonline caught up with the charismatic actress to talk about this powerful new movie, her equally incredible Netflix series, The Fall, and the odds she'll ever play Agent Dana Scully again.
ETonline: What was the appeal of this project for you?
Gillian Anderson: It's not a film that Americans get to see very often. Last year there was Amour, a beautiful film, that was a slice of life and slow and French and beautiful. This is along those lines. We're all going to end up having to make...
- 10/30/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Exclusive: The Match Factory has signed a raft of deals for Sam Garbarski’s Vijay And I and David Wnendt’s Wetlands ahead of their world premieres in Locarno.
Garbarski’s romantic comedy, starring Patricia Arquette, Moritz Bleibtreu and Danny Pudi, has been sold to the Cis and Baltic states (Project Manometr) and Taiwan (Encore Film), with negotiations currently underway for “a number of territories“, including Italy and Korea.
The world premiere of the Belgium-Luxembourg-Germany co-production is due to be held on Locarno’s Piazza Grande open-air venue on Thursday evening (Aug 8) after the presentation of a Pardo alla carriera to Italian actor-director Sergio Castellitto, who starred in Vijay And I co-producer Pandora Film’s Mostly Martha which premiered on the Piazza Grande in 2001.
In addition, sales have been finalised on Wnendt’s Wetlands to Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Austria (Filmladen) and for a pan-Scandinavian deal (Future Film), with further deals under negotiation.
The adaptation...
Garbarski’s romantic comedy, starring Patricia Arquette, Moritz Bleibtreu and Danny Pudi, has been sold to the Cis and Baltic states (Project Manometr) and Taiwan (Encore Film), with negotiations currently underway for “a number of territories“, including Italy and Korea.
The world premiere of the Belgium-Luxembourg-Germany co-production is due to be held on Locarno’s Piazza Grande open-air venue on Thursday evening (Aug 8) after the presentation of a Pardo alla carriera to Italian actor-director Sergio Castellitto, who starred in Vijay And I co-producer Pandora Film’s Mostly Martha which premiered on the Piazza Grande in 2001.
In addition, sales have been finalised on Wnendt’s Wetlands to Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Austria (Filmladen) and for a pan-Scandinavian deal (Future Film), with further deals under negotiation.
The adaptation...
- 8/7/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winner Michael Caine and Clémence Poésy star in this lovely trailer for director Sandra Nettelbeck’s charming film Mr. Morgan’S Last Love – the bittersweet tale of a lonely American widower in Paris who learns to love life again after a chance encounter with a beautiful and vibrant young woman. They both spend a short but precious time together – a time that touches their hearts and changes their lives.
The film had it’s world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June and showed at the Munich International Film Festival in July where Caine received the lifetime achievement CineMerit Award.
The romantic drama has been picked up by Image Entertainment in the U.S.
From the day Pauline lends him a helping hand on the bus, the stubborn, weary Matthew Morgan stumbles back to happiness. Swept off his old feet by the young woman’s disarming vitality and unwavering optimism,...
The film had it’s world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June and showed at the Munich International Film Festival in July where Caine received the lifetime achievement CineMerit Award.
The romantic drama has been picked up by Image Entertainment in the U.S.
From the day Pauline lends him a helping hand on the bus, the stubborn, weary Matthew Morgan stumbles back to happiness. Swept off his old feet by the young woman’s disarming vitality and unwavering optimism,...
- 7/31/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Oh, God, there’s something in my eye. Not tearing up at all at the thought of Michael Caine being sad and lonely in his elderly years. Nope. Mr. Morgan’s Last Love centers on a sweet old widower living in Paris who finds a new lease on life when he meets a radiant younger woman (Clémence Poésy) who reminds him much of his wife. She teaches dance classes! She helps him lighten up! Oh, my God – Michael Caine has a manic pixie dream girl. But it looks like a sweet, heartwarming tale where we’ll surely discover that Poésy’s character is just as vulnerable and in need of a friend as Caine. Isn’t that how these always work? This almost looks like the happy version of Lost in Translation: older gentleman and younger woman strike up an unlikely friendship that doesn’t (appear to) end in mutual heartbreak and anguish. The...
- 7/30/2013
- by Samantha Wilson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Italian actor, director and screenwriter Sergio Castellitto is to be honoured at the 66th edition of the Locarno Film Festival (August 7-17).
The tribute to Castellitto will include a conversation with him that is open to the public, and screenings of five films spanning his career: Jacques Rivette’s Va Savoir (Who Knows?) (2001), Marco Bellocchio’s My Mother’s Smile (2002), Alessandro Angelini’s Raise Your Head (2009), as well as Love & Slaps (2010) and the Swiss premiere of Twice Born, directed by Castellitto.
Locarno artistic director Carlo Chatrian said: ”This recognition of actor and director Sergio Castellitto is a way to honour a career that has bridged two distinct eras in Italian cinema - that of the ‘sacred monsters’ (Monicelli, Ferreri, Mastroianni…) and the new (Amelio, Bellocchio, Virzì) - before finding his own creative trajectory.
“Whether in the service of Italian or foreign filmmakers, or involved in his own productions, Sergio Castellitto represents the kind of quality Italian cinema...
The tribute to Castellitto will include a conversation with him that is open to the public, and screenings of five films spanning his career: Jacques Rivette’s Va Savoir (Who Knows?) (2001), Marco Bellocchio’s My Mother’s Smile (2002), Alessandro Angelini’s Raise Your Head (2009), as well as Love & Slaps (2010) and the Swiss premiere of Twice Born, directed by Castellitto.
Locarno artistic director Carlo Chatrian said: ”This recognition of actor and director Sergio Castellitto is a way to honour a career that has bridged two distinct eras in Italian cinema - that of the ‘sacred monsters’ (Monicelli, Ferreri, Mastroianni…) and the new (Amelio, Bellocchio, Virzì) - before finding his own creative trajectory.
“Whether in the service of Italian or foreign filmmakers, or involved in his own productions, Sergio Castellitto represents the kind of quality Italian cinema...
- 6/7/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
First Images & Poster From Michael Caine Vehicle 'Mr. Morgan's Last Love,' Hans Zimmer To Score Film
Michael Caine routinely threatens retirement, and there's always the possibility that his next film will be his last (especially after the actor turned 80 last week; read our pick of his best performances here), but frankly we don't see it coming any time soon, nor can we imagine him ever saying no to Christopher Nolan. As well as Louis Leterrier's "Now You See Me," Caine has Sandra Nettelbeck's ("Mostly Martha," "Helen") "Mr. Morgan's Last Love" set for release in 2013, and now we have some new posters, images and one very interesting new update about the project. That interesting update is that Hans Zimmer will be providing the score for the German director's picture. So that's another to add to Zimmer's 2013 scored movies which also includes "Winter's Tale," "Rush," "The Lone Ranger" and "Man of Steel." The new images from the movie, meanwhile, show a lot of Caine and his...
- 3/22/2013
- by Joe Cunningham
- The Playlist
Having starred in one of the year’s biggest and best films, The Dark Knight Rises, Michael Caine has two very promising films in which he’ll be returning to the big screen next year: the comedy/drama, Mr. Morgan’s Last Love, and the heist/thriller, Now You See Me.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck (Helen, Mostly Martha), the first images of Caine and his co-stars in Mr. Morgan’s Last Love have made their way online.
“Mr. Morgan’S Last Love is the bittersweet tale of a lonely American widower in Paris who learns to love life again after a chance encounter with a beautiful and impulsive young woman. They both spend a short but precious time together – a time that touches their hearts and changes their lives.
From the day Pauline (Clémence Poesy) lends him a helping hand on the bus, the suicidal, stubborn Matthew Morgan...
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck (Helen, Mostly Martha), the first images of Caine and his co-stars in Mr. Morgan’s Last Love have made their way online.
“Mr. Morgan’S Last Love is the bittersweet tale of a lonely American widower in Paris who learns to love life again after a chance encounter with a beautiful and impulsive young woman. They both spend a short but precious time together – a time that touches their hearts and changes their lives.
From the day Pauline (Clémence Poesy) lends him a helping hand on the bus, the suicidal, stubborn Matthew Morgan...
- 10/19/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Some of my favorite movies happen to feature wonderful child actors, such as A Little Princess (the Cuarón version), About a Boy, Mostly Martha and Little Miss Sunshine. I say that to preface this statement: I can't recall the last time I've been so annoyed by a child actor as I was during the preview screening of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. This is a problem, as precocious Oskar Schell (played by newbie Thomas Horn) is in most of the film. And it may have been the character as much as (if not more than) the actor that made me want to walk out of the theatre halfway through.
Oskar is a very troubled child. His father Thomas (Tom Hanks) was killed on 9/11, and they had an extremely close relationship. Thomas had told his son about a lost sixth borough of New York, and Oskar began investigating what had happened to it.
Oskar is a very troubled child. His father Thomas (Tom Hanks) was killed on 9/11, and they had an extremely close relationship. Thomas had told his son about a lost sixth borough of New York, and Oskar began investigating what had happened to it.
- 1/20/2012
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment will co-finance and co-produce German writer/director Sandra Nettlebeck's comedic melodrama “Mr. Morgan’s Last Love” reports Reuters.
Based on Françoise Dorner's novel “La Douceur Assassine” and set in Paris, the film follows on a retired and lonely American widower (Michael Caine) whose chance encounter with a free-spirited, beautiful young French woman brightens his life.
Clémence Poésy ("127 Hours"), Justin Kirk ("Weeds" ), Jane Alexander ("All the President's Men"), Anne Alvaro ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") and Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files") also star.
Nettlebeck (“Mostly Martha") wrote the screenplay and shooting kicked off in Paris this week with Bavaria Pictures, Kaminski Stiehm Film and Senator Film producing.
Based on Françoise Dorner's novel “La Douceur Assassine” and set in Paris, the film follows on a retired and lonely American widower (Michael Caine) whose chance encounter with a free-spirited, beautiful young French woman brightens his life.
Clémence Poésy ("127 Hours"), Justin Kirk ("Weeds" ), Jane Alexander ("All the President's Men"), Anne Alvaro ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") and Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files") also star.
Nettlebeck (“Mostly Martha") wrote the screenplay and shooting kicked off in Paris this week with Bavaria Pictures, Kaminski Stiehm Film and Senator Film producing.
- 11/15/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment is set to co-finance and co-produce “Mr. Morgan’s Last Love,” starring Michael Caine, the company announced Monday. Adapted from the novel “La Douceur Assassine” by Françoise Dorner, the comedic melodrama is being directed by German writer/director Sandra Nettlebeck (“Mostly Martha"). Nettlebeck wrote the screenplay. Set in Paris, the film centers on a retired, lonely American widower (Caine) whose chance encounter with a free-spirited, beautiful young French woman brightens his life. Despite pushing 80, Caine has been busy of late. After appearing in "Inception" and "Cars 2," he has lined up...
- 11/14/2011
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Yesterday, Jack Giroux over at Film School Rejects wrote an interesting piece on Ten Not-So-Heroic Heroes In Recent Memory. It's a good list with some provocative choices (Cobb is a d*ck, isn't he?), but I had a rather predictable reaction. "No ladies on your list, Giroux? Not even one? Ladies can be d*cks too!" But then I thought about it and couldn't come up with any female heroes who were unheroic. To be honest, I didn't think long and hard about it because my mind kept drifting to Sucker Punch and that is a deceased horse (an ex-horse, a pining for the fjords horse), that doesn't need anymore beating. Then my brain started toeing the more typical gender lines and I recalled all the d*ckish chicks in films that have been pissing me off of late. They're the unlovable love interests.
Listen, the course of true love never did run smooth.
Listen, the course of true love never did run smooth.
- 7/7/2011
- by Joanna Robinson
As you've likely heard by now, today is International Women's Day. In fact, it's the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Perhaps I haven't been clued in enough in past years but this is the first I remember hearing of it. So I dutifully trundled over to Wikipedia to stuff my brain with facts (ya know, for any future trivial and competitive pursuits) and found out that International Women's Day was originally called International Working Women's Day. The day (which has, as Wikipedia notes, lost the labor association and is now some sort of Valentine's and Mother's Day hybrid) was meant to celebrate women in the workforce and shed some light on the poor working conditions of the Industrial Revolution.
It doesn't need to be International Women's Day in order for me to bemoan the lack of strong female characters in film and television (getting better all the time), or,...
It doesn't need to be International Women's Day in order for me to bemoan the lack of strong female characters in film and television (getting better all the time), or,...
- 3/8/2011
- by Joanna Robinson
If any old hoagie can romance a younger fox, it’s Michael Caine. The character actor is set to star in Mr. Morgan’s Last Love, which will be written/directed by Sandra Nettelbeck (Mostly Martha, which became the just fine No Reservations in the States). The film is based on Francoise Dorner‘s French novel La Douceur assassine.
Here’s the gist: “[The film will] revolve around a retired and widowed American philosophy professor in Paris whose life is changed when he meets a much younger woman, and a special relationship develops between the two.” [Variety]
What about this doesn’t sound like Bertolucci’s Last Tango In Paris? Exactly none of it. But this is more of a good thing than a bad thing. There aren’t enough films like Last Tango, as Mr. Eric D. Snider over at Film.com so deftly points out here.
All that said, Nettelbeck’s films...
Here’s the gist: “[The film will] revolve around a retired and widowed American philosophy professor in Paris whose life is changed when he meets a much younger woman, and a special relationship develops between the two.” [Variety]
What about this doesn’t sound like Bertolucci’s Last Tango In Paris? Exactly none of it. But this is more of a good thing than a bad thing. There aren’t enough films like Last Tango, as Mr. Eric D. Snider over at Film.com so deftly points out here.
All that said, Nettelbeck’s films...
- 2/11/2011
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Michael Caine has joined the cast of "Mr. Morgan's Last Love" for Kaminski Stiehm Film, Bavaria Pictures and Elzevir Films reports Variety.
A €6 million adaptation of Francoise Dorner's novel "La douceur assassin", the story centers on a widowed and retired American philosophy professor who meets a much younger woman in Paris. The pair form a special relationship, not about sex but more than friendship, and rekindle the lost joy in both their lives.
Sandra Nettelbeck ("Mostly Martha") will direct the project and adapted the script, changing the French Monsieur Armand character to the American Mr. Morgan.
Shooting kicks off in August around Paris and Cologne. It's expected to be Caine's first project after he finishes shooting "The Dark Knight Rises" starting in May.
A €6 million adaptation of Francoise Dorner's novel "La douceur assassin", the story centers on a widowed and retired American philosophy professor who meets a much younger woman in Paris. The pair form a special relationship, not about sex but more than friendship, and rekindle the lost joy in both their lives.
Sandra Nettelbeck ("Mostly Martha") will direct the project and adapted the script, changing the French Monsieur Armand character to the American Mr. Morgan.
Shooting kicks off in August around Paris and Cologne. It's expected to be Caine's first project after he finishes shooting "The Dark Knight Rises" starting in May.
- 2/10/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Once he’s finished being all butlery and snarktastic to Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises, Michael Caine is looking to move on to something a little more romantic, taking on the lead in Mr Morgan’s Last Love.German director Sandra Nettelbeck, the writer/director behind Mostly Martha and, more recently, 2009's Helen, has adapted Francoise Dorner’s French novel La Douceur assassine (loosely translated as The Sweetness Murders). While she’s maintained the Parisian setting, she’s made the protagonist a retired, widowed American philosophy professor living in the city whose life is forever altered by meeting a much younger woman.Of course, it’s not all croissants and roses – there’s heartbreak and unhappiness in their future too, which shouldn’t really be surprising considering that the book’s title comes from a quote used within: “I knew very well that the slightest attention to a...
- 2/10/2011
- EmpireOnline
Shia Labeouf and Michael Douglas have not proved especially bankable of late, but Money Never Sleeps has roused audiences to their charms
The winner
There had been plenty of skepticism over how a sequel to Wall Street would perform after an interlude of 23 years, and many questioned the wisdom of moving the release back from April to autumn to accommodate a world premiere at the Cannes film festival in May. In the end, backers 20th Century Fox will be reasonably happy with a debut of £1.78m for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, including two days of previews totalling £583,000.
Lead actor Shia Labeouf had previously not proved especially bankable outside his Transformers and Indiana Jones franchises, with UK debuts for Eagle Eye and Disturbia running at a respective £1.10m (2008) and £728,000 (2007). Nor can Michael Douglas be relied on to deliver audiences: his thriller The Sentinel bowed to £628,000 in 2006, while comedy The In-Laws was even more lacklustre,...
The winner
There had been plenty of skepticism over how a sequel to Wall Street would perform after an interlude of 23 years, and many questioned the wisdom of moving the release back from April to autumn to accommodate a world premiere at the Cannes film festival in May. In the end, backers 20th Century Fox will be reasonably happy with a debut of £1.78m for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, including two days of previews totalling £583,000.
Lead actor Shia Labeouf had previously not proved especially bankable outside his Transformers and Indiana Jones franchises, with UK debuts for Eagle Eye and Disturbia running at a respective £1.10m (2008) and £728,000 (2007). Nor can Michael Douglas be relied on to deliver audiences: his thriller The Sentinel bowed to £628,000 in 2006, while comedy The In-Laws was even more lacklustre,...
- 10/12/2010
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Triage" (2009)
Directed by Danis Tanovic
Released by National Entertainment Media
Although a largely tepid reception at last year's Toronto Film Festival and a downer of a subject matter prevented "No Man's Land" director Danis Tanovic's English-language debut from getting American theatrical distribution, Colin Farrell delivers an award-worthy performance as a photojournalist recovering from the ravages of war and the loss of his friend and colleague in this direct-to-dvd drama. Even with Paz Vega to come home to, Farrell's photographer tries to make sense of the horrors he witnessed as his wife (Vega) and the wife of his dead friend (Kelly Reilly) try to get him to open up.
"Children of Invention" (2009)
Directed by Tze Chun
Released by Indieblitz Releasing
An alum of Sundance 2009, Chun's feature debut centers around a Chinese immgrant single mother's determination to give her children a better life...
"Triage" (2009)
Directed by Danis Tanovic
Released by National Entertainment Media
Although a largely tepid reception at last year's Toronto Film Festival and a downer of a subject matter prevented "No Man's Land" director Danis Tanovic's English-language debut from getting American theatrical distribution, Colin Farrell delivers an award-worthy performance as a photojournalist recovering from the ravages of war and the loss of his friend and colleague in this direct-to-dvd drama. Even with Paz Vega to come home to, Farrell's photographer tries to make sense of the horrors he witnessed as his wife (Vega) and the wife of his dead friend (Kelly Reilly) try to get him to open up.
"Children of Invention" (2009)
Directed by Tze Chun
Released by Indieblitz Releasing
An alum of Sundance 2009, Chun's feature debut centers around a Chinese immgrant single mother's determination to give her children a better life...
- 8/10/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
I didn't really know much about Helen (except that it was going to be released this summer) until I got an email from Sandra Nettelbeck, the director asking me what I knew about when her film was coming out. I was surprised to get the email from a woman who has a track record (Mostly Martha) and has a film that premiered at Sundance and that has a very high profile star (Ashley Judd.) But that's the business and films get lost and lots of time don't even get released. The good news is that 18 months after its premiere at Sundance, Helen will finally see the light of day this weekend in NYC and shortly thereafter on DVD. Sandra Nettelbeck answered some questions about the film. Women & Hollywood: In the press notes you talk about how you...
- 8/1/2010
- by Melissa Silverstein
- Huffington Post
Normally, when we do video interviews with filmmakers or actors, we try to keep things light by making jokes, but when we had the opportunity for a rare and intimate sit-down with actress Ashley Judd for her new movie Helen , directed by German filmmaker Sandra Nettelbeck ( Mostly Martha ), it didn't seem appropriate to make light of the serious condition her character faces in the dark drama. Judd plays Helen Leonard, a professor of music, who has secretly suffered from depression for many years, unbeknownst to her husband (Goran Visnjic from "E.R.") and daughter (Alexia Fast). When she has a sudden breakdown, her condition comes out in a way that drives her family apart, and Helen ends up finding a friend and confidante in Lauren Lee Smith's Mathilda, a talented...
- 7/30/2010
- Comingsoon.net
Oscar-winner Penélope Cruz is in talks to star in Sergio Castellitto's upcoming drama "Venuto al Mondo" (Into the World).
Variety says the film is set in Sarajevo and centers on a single mother. The project is based on the book by Margaret Mazzantini, Castellitto's wife.
If Cruz signed on, "Mondo" would mark her second collaboration with Castellitto, after 2004's excellent drama "Non ti muovere" (Don't Movie). Cruz won two major awards for her performance in that film.
Cruz was last seen in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," for which she won an Oscar. She will soon be seen in Pedro Almodóvar's "Los Abrazos rotos" (Broken Embraces).
You may also know Castellitto from his excellent performance in "Bella Martha," the beautiful European film that was recently remade into "No Reservations."...
Variety says the film is set in Sarajevo and centers on a single mother. The project is based on the book by Margaret Mazzantini, Castellitto's wife.
If Cruz signed on, "Mondo" would mark her second collaboration with Castellitto, after 2004's excellent drama "Non ti muovere" (Don't Movie). Cruz won two major awards for her performance in that film.
Cruz was last seen in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," for which she won an Oscar. She will soon be seen in Pedro Almodóvar's "Los Abrazos rotos" (Broken Embraces).
You may also know Castellitto from his excellent performance in "Bella Martha," the beautiful European film that was recently remade into "No Reservations."...
- 3/14/2009
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
No Reservations is that rare thing -- an almost literal American remake of a foreign film, in this case writer-director Sandra Nettelbeck's Mostly Martha. Which means that no one on this side of the Atlantic solved the problems of the original film, and therefore they carry over into this character-driven comedy about food, love and gourmet chefs. With Catherine Zeta-Jones top-billed and key art that suggests Taming of the Shrew in the kitchen, Warner Bros. Pictures should see solid middle-range business domestically. In Europe, the film could get mileage out of curiosity over what the Yanks did with the original German-Austrian-Swiss-Italian co-production.
Transferred from a trendy restaurant in Hamburg, Germany, to Manhattan's West Village, this American version hits a perfectionist female head chef, Kate (Zeta-Jones), with the same double whammy: The death of her sister in a car crash saddles the childless Kate, who shuns any and all personal relationships, with her 9-year-old niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin). Meanwhile, the restaurant's owner, Paula (Patricia Clarkson), hires a new sous-chef, free-spirited and Italian-trained Nick (Aaron Eckhart), without telling Kate.
Predictably, the Kate-Zoe relationship hits many bumps before they become a family, while Nick and Kate battle one another until they fall in love. It's a pity, though, that we can see everything coming, especially when many of the dust-ups between each pair feel so damned contrived. The same held true with the European film, yet first-time writer Carol Fuchs and director Scott Hicks stick to the original with near slavish devotion.
So even small details remain: The chef still berates a customer who thinks her foie gras is faulty. She cools out in the freezer and regularly sees a shrink (Bob Balaban), a mundane device to suck more back story out of the character. One wise omission from the original is the niece's long-lost father, a character that can only get in the way.
Thus, No Reservations, like its predecessor, has a very thin comic crust covering a very shallow dish. The chef is anal-retentive, the niece grumpy and the sous-chef aggressively jovial without any investigation into what inspires these characteristics. No one seems to have a life outside the kitchen.
Worse, the film feels miscast. Neither Zeta-Jones nor Eckhart look the least bit comfortable in a restaurant kitchen. More troubling, they look downright uncomfortable with each other. Sparks not only don't fly, their pairing is like kung pao sauce with pasta.
At one point, Zoe tells her aunt not to try so hard to be nice, but the problem is everyone is trying too hard. Zeta-Jones is a solid and beautiful presence, yet handcuffed by a basically colorless character. Eckhart is more a collection of characteristics than a flesh-and-blood character. Breslin is asked to pitch too many fits over nothing.
No Reservations also apes the original film in its blatant theft from that terrific restaurant comedy, Big Night, by swamping the soundtrack in Italian "classics" ranging from pop songs to opera. There is scarcely any room for the most minimalist and atypical film score of Philip Glass' career, consisting of a few brief, upbeat bars that play over montages and scene transitions. Stuart Dryburgh's camera moves in the kitchen and restaurant are inventive without being distracting, while Barbara Ling's design is always eye-catching.
NO RESERVATIONS
Warner Bros. Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment in association with Village Roadshow Pictures
Credits:
Director: Scott Hicks
Screenwriter: Carol Fuchs
Based on the screenplay Mostly Martha by: Sandra Nettelbeck
Producers: Kerry Heysen, Sergio Aguero
Executive producers: Susan Cartsonis, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Stuart Dryburgh
Production designer: Barbara Ling
Music: Philip Glass
Co-producer: Mari Joe Winkler-Ioffreda
Costume designer: Melissa Toth
Editor: Pip Karmel
Cast:
Kate: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Nick: Aaron Eckhart
Zoe: Abigail Breslin
Paula: Patricia Clarkson
Leah: Jenny Wade
Therapist: Bob Balaban
Sean: Brian F. O'Byrne
Running time -- 103 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Transferred from a trendy restaurant in Hamburg, Germany, to Manhattan's West Village, this American version hits a perfectionist female head chef, Kate (Zeta-Jones), with the same double whammy: The death of her sister in a car crash saddles the childless Kate, who shuns any and all personal relationships, with her 9-year-old niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin). Meanwhile, the restaurant's owner, Paula (Patricia Clarkson), hires a new sous-chef, free-spirited and Italian-trained Nick (Aaron Eckhart), without telling Kate.
Predictably, the Kate-Zoe relationship hits many bumps before they become a family, while Nick and Kate battle one another until they fall in love. It's a pity, though, that we can see everything coming, especially when many of the dust-ups between each pair feel so damned contrived. The same held true with the European film, yet first-time writer Carol Fuchs and director Scott Hicks stick to the original with near slavish devotion.
So even small details remain: The chef still berates a customer who thinks her foie gras is faulty. She cools out in the freezer and regularly sees a shrink (Bob Balaban), a mundane device to suck more back story out of the character. One wise omission from the original is the niece's long-lost father, a character that can only get in the way.
Thus, No Reservations, like its predecessor, has a very thin comic crust covering a very shallow dish. The chef is anal-retentive, the niece grumpy and the sous-chef aggressively jovial without any investigation into what inspires these characteristics. No one seems to have a life outside the kitchen.
Worse, the film feels miscast. Neither Zeta-Jones nor Eckhart look the least bit comfortable in a restaurant kitchen. More troubling, they look downright uncomfortable with each other. Sparks not only don't fly, their pairing is like kung pao sauce with pasta.
At one point, Zoe tells her aunt not to try so hard to be nice, but the problem is everyone is trying too hard. Zeta-Jones is a solid and beautiful presence, yet handcuffed by a basically colorless character. Eckhart is more a collection of characteristics than a flesh-and-blood character. Breslin is asked to pitch too many fits over nothing.
No Reservations also apes the original film in its blatant theft from that terrific restaurant comedy, Big Night, by swamping the soundtrack in Italian "classics" ranging from pop songs to opera. There is scarcely any room for the most minimalist and atypical film score of Philip Glass' career, consisting of a few brief, upbeat bars that play over montages and scene transitions. Stuart Dryburgh's camera moves in the kitchen and restaurant are inventive without being distracting, while Barbara Ling's design is always eye-catching.
NO RESERVATIONS
Warner Bros. Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment in association with Village Roadshow Pictures
Credits:
Director: Scott Hicks
Screenwriter: Carol Fuchs
Based on the screenplay Mostly Martha by: Sandra Nettelbeck
Producers: Kerry Heysen, Sergio Aguero
Executive producers: Susan Cartsonis, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Stuart Dryburgh
Production designer: Barbara Ling
Music: Philip Glass
Co-producer: Mari Joe Winkler-Ioffreda
Costume designer: Melissa Toth
Editor: Pip Karmel
Cast:
Kate: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Nick: Aaron Eckhart
Zoe: Abigail Breslin
Paula: Patricia Clarkson
Leah: Jenny Wade
Therapist: Bob Balaban
Sean: Brian F. O'Byrne
Running time -- 103 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 7/23/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount's new, still-untitled specialty films division has promoted Robert Schulze to executive vp distribution, the label said Thursday. Schulze, who will report to president John Lesher, was senior vp distribution at the formerly dubbed Paramount Classics. In his new post, he will oversee all aspects of the art house label's film sales and distribution. "Robert is a consummate professional with a sterling reputation and excellent relationships with exhibitors," Lesher said. "His extensive experience in distributing groundbreaking films makes him a huge asset to our group." Schulze joined Paramount Classics in 2001 as senior vp and was responsible for the division's film sales and distribution, including forecasting, development of theatrical strategies and serving as a liaison with Paramount Picture Commercial Film Distribution Group. Among the titles he supervised were Mad Hot Ballroom, Mostly Martha and Man on a Train.
- 1/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
COLOGNE, Germany -- Germany's largest regional film subsidy board, the Filmstifftung NRW, announced Wednesday that it has extended the contract of managing director Michael Schmid-Ospach for another five years. Schmid-Ospach took over as managing director in 2001, replacing Dieter Kosslick who moved to Berlin to become director of the Berlin International Film Festival. Under Schmid-Ospach's direction, the Filmstifftung has backed a wide range of German productions, from such local boxoffice hits as Manitou's Shoe and 7 Dwarves to international crossover successes including Good Bye, Lenin! and Mostly Martha.
- 6/29/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BERLIN -- German independent distributor Ottfilm has filed for insolvency just two years after launching amid much fanfare. Managing director Christoph Ott blamed the bankruptcy on "breach of contract on the part of investors," indicating that legal proceedings could follow, according to German media reports. Ottfilm has been ailing for months and it was clear to most in the industry that the end was near. Despite a major dose of hype and Ott's proven talents as a distributor, seen in his years at Buena Vista International and Senator Entertainment, Ottfilm failed to find a breakout hit. Successes like Mostly Martha, which earned some 2.8 million($3.6 million) in Germany, failed to paper over the cracks of a slate of mostly flops.
- 2/13/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar dominated the 2002 European Film Awards on Saturday night - with his acclaimed drama Talk To Her being named Best Film. The All About My Mother filmmaker was also awarded the Best Director award for the controversial film, which centers on a male nurse's love for his comatose patient. The 51-year-old said at the ceremony, held at Rome's Parco Della Musica, "I give thanks to the public. Without them none of this would have been possible. It is important to know that someone else is moved by my work." The ensemble cast of 8 Women, including Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart and Fanny Ardant, shared the European Actress awards, while Italian Sergio Castellitto picked up the Best Actor awards for his performances in Mostly Martha and The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile). Victoria Abril, star of Almodovar's 1990 film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! among many others, won the award for Achievement in World Cinema, while Blowup screenwriter Tonino Guerra, won the Lifetime Achievement prize.
- 12/9/2002
- WENN
U.K. independent distributor Optimum Releasing has snapped up U.K. theatrical rights to a trio of pictures, led by Sandra Nettelbeck's Mostly Martha, the company has announced. Martha, which secured the award for outstanding individual achievement for actress Martina Gedeck at the German Film Awards earlier this year, was acquired by Optimum from Paramount Classics. Written and directed by Nettelbeck, the film details the story of a chef whose life is changed by the arrival of her 8-year-old niece and a flamboyant Italian chef in her kitchen. Optimum also picked up U.K. theatrical rights to Personal Velocity, directed by Rebecca Miller (Angela). The British distributor said the film's acquisition continues a relationship with MGM that has included six U.K. theatrical releases to date. Previous pictures include What's the Worst That Could Happen? and This Is Spinal Tap. Optimum also has secured theatrical rights to Caroline Link's Nowhere in Africa from German sales company Bavaria Films International.
- 10/19/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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