Former Sundance CEO Joana Vicente and her partner, the Oscar-nominated producer Jason Kliot, have launched a new tech-focused film accelerator and production company. Called Open Cities, the new shop seeks to empower independent filmmakers on a global stage with ethical AI tools, financing and creative mentorship. Based in Portugal and New York, the company was…
Motion Picture Exchange (MPX) is launching worldwide sales at Berlin’s upcoming European Film Market on slasher film “Big Baby,” which is directed by Spider One and executive produced by Cher. Spider One — who besides being a director is the founder and frontman of the rock band Powerman 5000 and is also Rob Zombie’s younger brother…
Oscar winners Sean Baker and Michelle Yeoh have secretly teamed up for a new project, which will world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival later this month. In collaboration with the London-based fashion house Self-Portrait, the “Anora” director returns to his iPhone-shooting roots for “Sandiwara,” described in a press release as an “immersive cinematic experience.”…
H264, a Montreal-based film distribution and international sales company, has acquired the international rights to “La Portraitiste,” the first narrative feature film written by Florence Longpré, and directed by Annie St-Pierre, her first narrative feature as a director. It is a period dramedy with touches of magical realism, set in Montreal in 1962. It follows…
Though Apple is still on an award season run with “F1,” the tech monolith popped the hood on numerous new movies it will release in 2026. At a blowout media event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Apple Studios took over Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar to unveil footage and conversations from its forthcoming slate. Cameron Diaz,…
Introduction In a bold move that challenges the very craft of filmmaking, Istanbul-based Spongeworthy is pushing deeper into uncharted cinematic territory. Fresh from the buzz of its AI-generated documentary ‘Post Truth,’ the pioneering studio is set to unveil its second synthetic feature, ‘A Woman Asleep,’ at the European Film Market in Berlin. This announcement signals…
Introduction Forget the standard director’s Q&A. Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh is orchestrating a far more immersive experience, blending celluloid dreams with centuries-old spirits. In a unique collaboration with Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema and his own Singani 63 brand, Soderbergh will host a nine-week cinematic salon, offering a personal portal into the influences that shaped his iconic…
Introduction In the shadowed canyons of New York, a unique species is nearing extinction. Noah Segan’s latest film, anchored by a mesmerizing John Turturro, isn’t just a crime thriller—it’s a poignant eulogy for a vanishing urban craft. It explores the quiet desperation of a small-time hustler whose entire world is being erased by technology and…
Introduction In a metropolis defined by relentless change, some professions fade into myth. John Turturro’s mesmerizing performance in Noah Segan’s new film, ‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,’ embodies this obsolescence. He plays a small-time hustler whose delicate, anachronistic craft is being erased by a digital, cashless world and omnipresent surveillance. Image: cottonbro studio…
Introduction For documentarian Tom Fassaert, the final cut of his searing family portrait, ‘A Family Affair,’ was meant to be a conclusion. He had meticulously dissected generations of dysfunction and believed the camera could finally be turned away. But life, as it so often does, had a compelling sequel in store, pulling him back into…
