Raúl Castillo to Star in Paramount‘s “Smile” Sequel

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Raúl Castillo has a new reason to smile…

The 46-year-old Mexican American actor has been cast in Paramount‘s Smile sequel.

Castillo is among a list of new cast additions that includes Miles Gutierrez-Riley, who starred in The Wilds.

The film’s plot and character details are being kept under wraps.

The duo joins the previously announced cast: Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, Kyle Gallner, Rosemarie DeWitt and Dylan Gelula.

Smile writer and director returns for the second installment to again direct from his own script, with Temple Hill producing.

Smile 2 is currently slated for release on October 18, 2024, when it will go up against a still-unnamed title from Universal Pictures.

Going on to gross over $217M in theaters, even if it was initially set up for release on Paramount+, Smile was one of the great, unexpected box office successes of 2022. One of several original studio horror films of late to expand into a franchise, it tells the story of Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), a psychiatrist who becomes increasingly convinced she is being threatened by an uncanny entity, after witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient.

Castillo most recently starred in the Amazon film Cassandro opposite Gael Garia Bernal. He’s set to appear in HBO‘s Mark Ruffalo-led series, the Untitled Brad Ingelsby Task Force Project (w/t), currently in pre-production.

Prior television credits also include HBO’s Looking, Starz’s Vida and Netflix’s Atypical to name a few; Army of the Dead, Cha Cha Real Smooth, Knives Out and We The Animals are among his film credits.

Gutierrez-Riley made his TV debut in the second season of Prime Video’s The Wilds, where he portrayed Ivan. In September 2022, Miles he starred in Paramount’s film adaptation of On The Come Up, which made its world premiere on the opening night of TIFF. Next up, he will star opposite Corey Fogelman in Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut I Wish You All the Best, premiering at SXSW in March. It has also been announced that Gutierrez-Riley will star in Disney+’s WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries.

Esai Morales Starring in the Western Thriller “Cottonmouth”

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales has a serious case of cottonmouth…

The 60-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star in the Western thriller Cottonmouth, which entered production last week in Oklahoma after receiving a SAG interim agreement.

In addition to Morales, who most recently appeared in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, the cast also includes Martin Sensmeier, Ron Perlman, Eric Nelsen, Jonathan Sadowski, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, James Landry Hébert and Kimberly Guerrero (The Glorias).

Brock Harris (Wild Game) is directing from a script he wrote alongside Jared Bonner.

Set in 1895, the film follows friends Ed and Frank (Sensmeier and Sadowski) who become brutal enemies in Oklahoma frontier territory when a rivalry develops over a woman (Wapanatâhk) who is set to inherit a prominent saloon. After a bounty hunter (Nelsen) makes Ed disappear to a tortuous prison run by a sinister warden (Perlman), he must learn the ways of an outlaw from a prison-mate (Morales) to escape and exact his revenge.

“Making a western in my home state is the ultimate blessing. With these legendary performers, we’re delivering a tall tale on sacred land,” said Harris. “Revenge is a dish best served with a smoking gun.”

Concourse and Rebullium recently teamed up on thriller Model House, which sold to Shout! Studios at TIFF and will see a rollout across multiple platforms, starting with a theatrical launch in early spring 2024.

Harris’ comedy film Dance Dads (2022) took home the audience award at the Austin Film Festival.

A24 Acquires U.S. Theatrical Rights to Colman Domingo-Starrer “Sing Sing”

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo will be (sing) singing in U.S. theaters next year.

A24 has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to Sing Sing, the Greg Kwedar-directed drama that stars the 53-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and social justice activist.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to rapturous reviews and A24 is plotting a 2024 theatrical release.

Financed and produced by Black Bear, the Marfa Peach Company and Edith Productions, Sing Sing revolves around a theater group that escapes the reality of incarceration through the creativity of staging a play, with a cast that includes actors who have been incarcerated. Clint Bentley & Kwedar adapted the script from Brent Buell’s play, Breakin’ The Mummy’s Code and John H. Richardson’s The Sing Sing Follies.

Bentley and Kwedar produced with Monique Walton. Colman Domingo, Raul Domingo, Michael Heimler, Teddy Schwarzman, Larry Kalas, Larry Kelly, Nancy Schafer, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, and John “Divine G” Whitfield are the executive producers.

CAA Media Finance brokered the domestic deal, and Black Bear is selling international territories.

Domingo turned in two strong performances in festival films, with the other being his turn as Bayard Rustin in Netflix’s Rustin. That is the George C. Wolfe-directed drama about how Rustin was the quiet organizational catalyst of the Civil Rights march on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic speech.

Sing Sing has quite a backstory.,

In keeping with the filmmakers’ deep respect for their collaborators, a concept that Kwedar and Bentley had initially developed for their film Jockey was employed on Sing Sing. The project is a SAG-AFTRA guild signatory but not members of other guilds, and the filmmakers wanted to ensure that everyone involved in the film felt like an equal, and shared in the upside of the film’s success. The filmmakers deployed a community-based model, where every member of the film was treated equally and became a profit participant.

“Everybody got paid the same rate, be it cast or crew, based on the SAG scale rate. And then, everyone shared in a piece of the equity. I’d never heard of an equity model that invited everyone to fully participate,” says producer Monique Walton. That approach appealed to cast members like Domingo, too. “There’s no money on the table for you,” he says. “But there’s a sense of purpose, and that’s the sort of art you make time for. There’s an understanding that, at the heart of it, everyone involved is in it for the right reasons.”

Each member of the cast and crew received a pro rata portion of the film’s equity pool, based on the amount of days worked and the period of creative services provided. Each member of the cast and crew, from Domingo to the PAs, were paid the same daily and weekly rate. Every single qualified member of the production meaningfully participates in the financial success. And because of that arrangement, “this radical transparency birthed a radical trust,” says Kwedar. “We realized that we rise and fall together, we all shared the same goals, and there was no hierarchy. It was a culture where the best ideas could come forward from anyone on the team and be heard.”

Trailer Released for Guillermo Arriaga’s Latest Project, “Upon Open Sky”

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

The sky’s the limit for Guillermo Arriaga’s latest project…

The first look trailer has been released for the 65-year-old Mexican novelist, screenwriter, director and producer’s film Upon Open Sky.

Arriaga’s film will be heading to Venice and TIFF.

Arriaga’s daughter, Mariana, and son, Santiago, co-directed the film, which is a Mexican-Spanish co-production, from his screenplay. Production companies are Kramer & Sigman Films and Clave Intelectual. Film Factory is selling.

The plot follows two teenage brothers who take a road trip to the border between Mexico and the United States to track down the man responsible for the car accident that caused their father’s death. Joined by their newly-met step-sister, the three siblings embark on a tense journey of revenge, which will ultimately see them come to terms with their father’s passing.

Upon Open Sky debuts in the Orizzonti sidebar at Venice before moving on to play TIFF en the Centrepiece lineup.

Arriaga is best known for his work with Mexican auteur Alejandro González Iñárritu, including the filmmaker’s two early acclaimed works, Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Guillermo also penned Iñárritu’s Babel, which earned him an Oscar nomination for best screenplay in 2007. He was awarded the Palma de Oro for best screenplay at the Cannes Festival in 2005 for his work on The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. As a producer, Guillermo won the Len de Oro at the Biennale de Venezia for Venezuelan filmmaker Lorenzo Vigas’s From Afar.

Colman Domingo to Receive TIFF Tribute Performer Award at Toronto International Film Festival

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo is getting a special tribute…

The 53-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and social justice activist will be honored with the Toronto International Film Festival‘s TIFF Tribute Performer Award, an accolade that has gone to many eventual Academy Award winners in the recent past.

Though the honor is billed as one for his overall career and for his performance in TIFF’s presentation of the new film Sing Sing, Domingo’s name has been heavily touted as one to watch in the upcoming race for the Best Actor Oscar, particularly for his work in director George C. Wolfe‘s Bayard Rustin biopic Rustin, which will also premiere at TIFF this year.

TIFF’s Tribute Awards have gone to significant contenders in past Oscar races, including Joker‘s Joaquin Phoenix, The Father star Anthony Hopkins, Nomadland director Chloé Zhao, The Eyes of Tammy Faye performer Jessica Chastain, and The Whale‘s Brendan Fraser — all of whom went on to win Oscars for their respective projects.

In Rustin, Domingo plays the titular queer activist as he plans the 1963 March on Washington, with Chris Rock, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, CCH Pounder, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald co-starring.

“Colman Domingo’s performances are a masterclass in the art of storytelling,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey in a press statement. “Domingo’s presence, on stage and on screen, is a gift to audiences, and his work continues to resonate, leaving an indelible impact. He is a true visionary in the world of performance, and we’re excited to honor him this year.”

The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7-17, with the TIFF Tribute Awards ceremony occurring on Sunday, September 10.

Rustin debuts in select theaters on November 3, 2023 and hits Netflix on November 17.

Ricardo Acosta to Serve on One of This Year’s Toronto International Film Festival Juries

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ricardo Acosta will be working at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The Latino film editor, script consultant and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Canadian Cinema Editors has been named to one of the juries for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Acosta, whose editing and story consulting credits include Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (2020), The Letter (2019), The Silence of Others (2018), Sembene! (2015) and Marmato (2014), will form part of the jury for TIFF’s Amplify Voices Awards.

Meanwhile, Diego Faraone will serve as a juror for 2023 FIPRESCI awards.

The Uruguayan film critic and journalist has collaborated in publications such as Dossier, El Boulevard, Guía 50 and Argentinian websites Revista Caligari and Otros Cines, among others.

The Toronto International Film Festival will run from September 7-17.

All awards will be announced on September 17 at the annual Awards Breakfast at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

“A crucial component of the film industry’s ecosystem, the annual awards presented by TIFF are dedicated to honouring creativity, vision, and excellence,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Every year, we unite to applaud the diverse array of cinematic voices with the support of respected colleagues from the global industry, and this year will be no exception.”

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD
Those titles in the running are the 27 Canadian feature films in Official Selection — ranging from debut features to documentaries to films from well-established directors — will be considered for the award.

AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE
Canada Goose will again present the Amplify Voices Awards to under-represented filmmakers in Canada. Feature films in Official Selection by Canadian BIPOC filmmakers are eligible for the Best Feature and Best First Feature Award. The Amplify Voices Award will also celebrate a Canadian BIPOC trailblazer, recognizing a producer who has made significant contributions to the Canadian film landscape. The three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose.

The jurors are:
V.T. Nayani is a multi-hyphenate storyteller working across the screen industries. She is an alumni of the
Canadian Film Centre, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, The Gotham, and BIPOC TV & Film.
Nayani’s feature directorial debut, This Place, premiered at TIFF in 2022

Nisha Pahuja’s documentary credits include To Kill a Tiger, which won the Amplify Voices Award for Best
Canadian Feature in 2022 and fifteen other awards. Other directorial credits include The World Before Her
(2012), which received an Emmy nomination, and Diamond Road (2008).

Ricardo Acosta is a film editor, script consultant, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences and the Canadian Cinema Editors. His editing and story consulting credits include Once Upon a
Time in Venezuela (2020), The Letter (2019), The Silence of Others (2018), Sembene! (2015), and Marmato
(2014). His films have premiered at Sundance, Cannes, and IDFA, among other international film festivals.

SHORT CUTS AWARDS
Films in the Short Cuts programme are eligible for three jury-selected Short Cuts Awards: Best Short Film, Best Canadian Short Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best short film by a woman filmmaker. These awards provide each of the three winners with a bursary of $10,000 CAD to help them continue achieving success in their careers. Short Cuts Awards Jurors are:

Aisha Jamal is an Afghan Canadian filmmaker and film programmer. Since 2016, she has been programming Canadian films for the Hot Docs Documentary Festival. Her feature debut A Kandahar Away premiered in 2019 and is now playing on Documentary Channel and screening on CBC Gem in Canada. Her previous short films have played at venues and festivals worldwide.

Araya Mengesha is an Ethiopian Eritrean award-winning filmmaker and actor. His co-written/directed short film DEFUND was a TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten 2021 selection after its World Premiere at TIFF ’21, collecting wins and nominations along the festival circuit, as well as becoming a Vimeo Staff Pick. As an actor, he is a Gemini Award (now called Canadian Screen Award) winner, CSA Best Lead Performer (Digital Series), and multi–ACTRA Award nominee. Currently in development is the feature film The Section based on the short work TEF, which Mengesha wrote and starred in during his residency at the Canadian Film Centre. Shasha Nakhai is a Toronto-based storyteller with more than a decade of experience. Her work has aired on the BBC, CBC, ZDF, and Arte; screened at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); been nominated for 16 Canadian Screen Awards; named as part of TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten; and shortlisted for an Oscar.

CHANGEMAKER AWARD
The Changemaker Award is presented to a feature film in Official Selection that explores issues relevant to
young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment. The winning film is selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world. All Next Wave–selected films in Official Selection are eligible, and the winning director(s) receives $10,000 CAD. In 2022, the Changemaker Award went to Luis De Filippis’ Something You Said Last Night.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
It’s the 46th year for the Oscar Best Picture bellwhether award which is voted on by the TIFF audience. All feature films in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible for this Award. TIFF has two other Awards also voted on by the audience: the People’s Choice Documentary Award and the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. The 2022 winners are The Fabelmans, Black Ice, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

FIPRESCI JURY
The FIPRESCI Prize is presented by an international jury selected by the International Federation of Film Critics. Founded in 1930, the Federation awards the prize at international film festivals and film festivals of
particular importance to promote film-art and to encourage new and young cinema. The FIPRESCI Jury will award the Prize of International Critics, dedicated to emerging filmmakers for the 30th year, to one feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. Last year’s winner was A Gaza Weekend.

The 2023 FIPRESCI jurors are:

Cem Altinsaray is a film critic with 28 years of experience in writing, editing, creating, and publishing movie magazines. He is now focused on enjoying and spreading his love of cinema at MUBI.

Elijah Baron is a Montreal-based film critic, translator, and editor, mostly known for his affiliation with 24
images, one of Quebec’s leading and oldest French-language film magazines.

Jindřiška Bláhová is a film critic and film industry analyst for the leading Czech weekly Respekt, an
editor-in-chief of the film magazine Cinepur, and a film historian.

Diego Faraone is a Uruguayan film critic and journalist. He collaborated in publications such as Dossier, El Boulevard, Guía 50, and Argentinian websites Revista Caligari and Otros Cines, among others.

Jenni Zylka is a freelance writer focusing on film, media, and music. She is head of the Perspektive
Deutsches Kino section of the Berlinale.

NETPAC JURY
Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films
specifically from the Asian and Pacific region. The jury consists of three members of the international
community selected by TIFF and NETPAC, who award the prize to the best film by an emerging Asian and/or Pacific Islander filmmaker in the Centrepiece and Discovery programmes. In 2022, the NETPAC Award went to Sweet As.

The 2023 NETPAC Award jurors are:
Sung Moon, 2023 NETPAC Jury Chair, is a programmer at the Jeonju International Film Festival.

Haolun Shu is a Shanghai-based filmmaker and teaches film directing and screenwriting at Shanghai Film
Academy.

Lalita Krishna is the Co-Chair of Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. She is a critically
acclaimed documentary filmmaker.

John Leguizamo Starring in “Bob Trevino Likes It”

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo likes it!

The 63-year-old Colombian actor, comedian and film producer stars in Bob Trevino Likes It, which recently wrapped production in Louisville, Ky.

Bob Trevino Likes It marks the feature debut for writer and director Tracie Laymon.

In addition to Leguizamo, the film also stars Barbie Ferreira, best known for her work on Euphoria.

They appear alongside the previously announced French Stewart, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer and Rachel Bay Jones.

The film is inspired by Laymon’s life. It centers around a people-pleasing young woman who, while searching for her estranged father online, unexpectedly forms a close bond with a grieving, childless man with the same name on Facebook.

“This is a story about learning to let go of the people who continually hurt you to make room for the people who want to love and support you,” says Laymon. “Having personally experienced many of the events that inspired this film, I’ve witnessed how our small acts of kindness toward others create a ripple effect that can change the world for the better.”

“We are so pleased to have been able to help Tracie Laymon and her team get through principal photography. The cast has provided extraordinary performances,” says executive producer Kirk D’Amico. “I think distributors will be pleasantly surprised to see this unique comedy with heart come to life on the screen. We look forward to introducing the film to distributors around the world during this upcoming TIFF.”

Myriad Pictures has acquired worldwide sales rights and will launch sales out of Toronto in September.

The film is one of the first independent productions to be approved for a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement during the actors strike.

Guillermo del Toro Set to Take Part in “Visionaries” Conversation at Toronto International Film Festival

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo del Toro will be sharing his vision…

The 58-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker and author will be making a special appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

For this year’s 48th edition of the festival, del Toro is scheduled to take part in an onstage conversation as part of the Visionaries section.

del Toro, a three-time Academy Award winner, will focus his talk on the liberating potential of fantastical worlds; the magic thatexists within the details; and his wide-spanning career crafting intricate and cinematic love letters.

del Toro’s talk is made possible with the support of the Directors Guild of Canada.

del Toro’s award-winning projects include Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Previously, T IFF announced that Pedro Almodovar, who is already receiving a tribute at the fest, would be taking part in a sit down conversation.

All the sessions for TIFF’s Industry Conference which spans the programming of Visionaries, Dialogues, Perspectives, Connections, Microsessions and Spotlights, will take place at the Glenn Gould Studio.

“Our Industry Conference aims to be a pivotal platform for thought-provoking discussions by industry leaders,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “The sessions and speakers reflect our commitment to diverse perspectives and creative exploration towards sparking innovation within the industry.”

“This year’s event offers something for everyone, whether you are an emerging creator or experienced
producer, and its scale and curation supports our growing industry attendance,” said Geoff Macnaughton, Senior Director, Industry & Theatrical.

Here’s a look at this year’s Industry Conference participants:

VISIONARIES
Inspirational onstage conversations with individuals who are forging creative and business pathways in the industry. Speakers include:

● Spike Lee — An in-depth conversation discussing the process of forging a distinct filmic language throughout his expansive, multi-decade career.
● Ladj Ly — A discussion on his bold approach and unwavering commitment to telling stories that explore deeply personal portraits about communities revolting against broken systems.
● Guillermo del Toro — A conversation about the liberating potential of fantastical worlds; the magic that exists within the details; and his wide-spanning career crafting intricate and cinematic love letters. Made possible with the support of the Directors Guild of Canada.
● See-Saw Films — A celebratory talk on the company’s remarkable 15 years of delivering critically acclaimed stories to global audiences, including The King’s Speech, Lion, The Power of the Dog, and many more.
● Nadine Labaki — With more than a decade’s worth of accolades under her belt, director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki will discuss her highly meticulous creative process, her devout interest in life’s peculiarities, and the capacity for cinema to bring about social change.
● Lucy Walker — A discussion on Doc Day, focusing on Walker’s incredible career, including her long friendship with Doc Society co-founder Jess Search, who died this summer. Programmed by Thom Powers.
● Anand Patwardhan — A talk on Doc Day with Patwardhan, a singular figure of independent documentary in India who has given inspiration to a flourishing of new directors today. Programmed by Thom Powers.

DIALOGUES
Conversations on the art and craft of storytelling, featuring screen-based creators (directors, producers, and series creators) and industry professionals. Dialogues sessions include:

● The Dead Don’t Hurt with Viggo Mortenson, Regina Solórzano, and Jeremy Thomas. Supported by Directors Guild of Canada Ontario.
● Feature Film Development with Sara Rastogi (Hoorae Media) and Kate Oh (Monkeypaw Productions).
● Directors Nora El Hourch (Sisterhood) and Katja Gauriloff (Je’vida). Programmed by Jason Ryle.
● Directors Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) and Lulu Wang (Expats).
● Producers Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral (Les Indésirables) and Farhana Bhula (How to Have Sex).
● Short Cuts to First Features with Fawzia Mirza and Andria Wilson Mirza (The Queen of My Dreams), Zarrar Kahn and Anam Abbas (In Flames). Programmed by Jason Anderson.
● What is the Documentary Marketplace Today? (Doc Day) A panel of industry figures analyze where opportunities still exist for creative documentaries. Programmed by Thom Powers.

PERSPECTIVES
Moderated and focused discussions on the current state and future of the industry. The Media Partner for Perspectives is Screen International. Perspective sessions include:

● AI and Film: Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Responsibility — Leading experts on AI discuss the technology’s long-term sustainability in the industry as it relates to data, ethics, and filmmaking. Programmed by Manal Siddiqui.
● The Current Landscape of International Series Production — Yi Qiao, Director Drama, ZDF; Navi Lamba, Head of Development, BBC Comedy; Jamie Lynn, EVP Co-Production & Distribution, Fremantle; and Joe Lewis, CEO, Amplify Pictures.
● Celebrating the Cinema of the Korean Diaspora — Guests include: outstanding filmmakers Anthony Shim (dir. Riceboy Sleeps), Albert Shin (dir. Disappearance at Clifton Hill, In Her Place), and Christina Oh (prod. Minari, Okja). Presented by The Korean Film Council.
● On African Cinemas and its Industries — Apolline Traoré (dir. Sira), Chioma Onyenwe (prod. I Do Not Come To You By Chance), Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri (prod. Death of a Whistleblower), and Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development & Partnerships, Realness. Programmed by Nataleah Hunter-Young, International Programmer (Africa & Arab West Asia).
● Seize Control of Your Distribution (Doc Day) — Peter Broderick, who has spent decades helping independent filmmakers design and implement cutting-edge distribution strategies, returns with a new manifesto, along with case studies of documentary projects that made far-reaching impact and profits using strategies to build sustainable careers. Programmed by Thom Powers.
● DOC’s “Getting Real” Report (Doc Day) — The Documentary Organization of Canada will share their findings for the first time and explain why this latest edition of their “Getting Real” reports could be a game-changer for documentary filmmakers. Programmed by Thom Powers

Pedro Almodóvar to Take Part in Toronto International Film Festival’s Conversation With… Series

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Almodóvar is preparing for a special conversation…

The 73-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning film director and screenwriter will appear as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Conversation With… (ICW) series for this year’s fest.

In addition to Almodovar, others taking part in the series include Hong Kong actor Andy Lau and Concrete Utopia Korean stars Lee Byung-hun and Park Seo-jun.

“TIFF’s 2023 In Conversation With… series exemplifies our belief that film can ignite perspectives and fuel transformation,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “We are delighted to welcome a powerhouse lineup of international iconoclasts from Spain, South Korea, and Hong Kong for film lovers of all genres.”

Almodóvar is already set to receive TIFF’s Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media this year at the fest’s Tribute Awards. His short, Strange Way of Life, which played at Cannes, will also make its North American premiere at TIFF. Short follows the relationship between a sheriff (Ethan Hawke) and a rancher (Pedro Pascal) and their shared past.

See-Saw Films Releases First Look Images of James Hawes’ “One Life,” Starring Helena Bonham-Carter

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Here’s a first look at Helena Bonham-Carter’s one life…

See-Saw Films has released first look images of James Hawes’ One Life, starring the 57-year-old part-Spanish English actress, which will receive its world premiere as a Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) special presentation in September.

Written by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake, the film is based on the book, If it’s not impossible… The life of Sir Nicholas Winton by Barbara Winton.

It tells the true story of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London banker who, on the eve of World War II, saved 669 children from the Nazis – more than the number of children who survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia.

With war fast approaching, Winton visited a recently annexed Prague and witnessed first-hand Jewish refugee families with little to no shelter and food. He immediately realized it was a race against time to see how many children he and his friends could rescue before time ran out.

Fifty years later, in 1988, Winton is haunted by the fate of the children he wasn’t able to bring to safety in England. It’s not until a live television show That’s Life surprises him with the surviving children – now adults – seated all around him that he can finally make peace with the loss he had carried for five decades.

Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn both play Nicholas Winton at different stages of his life. Bonham-Carter plays Winton’s mother, Babi. The cast also includes Jonathan Pryce, Lena Olin, Romola Garai and

The film is a Warner Bros. Pictures, BBC Film and MBK Productions presentation in association with Cross City Films, Filmnation Entertainment and Lipsync and is a See-Saw Films Production.

TIFF takes place September 7-17.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: TIFF