Jim Wilhelm, a theatrical agent who represented actors including Olivia de Havilland, Daniel Dae Kim, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga and Cybill Shepherd, has died. He was 68.
Wilhelm died Monday in New York after a brief battle with cancer, a publicist announced.
Wilhelm was one of the original founding partners of Douglas, Gorman, Rothacker & Wilhelm, one of New York’s most preeminent theatrical agencies since its inception in 1988. In 2010, he became the first theatrical agent to be made a voter for the Tony Awards.
Over the years, Wilhelm also counted as clients Lynn Cohen, Sandy Duncan, Lainie Kazan, Alice Ripley, Kathleen Chalfant, Elaine Paige, Sierra Boggess, Douglas Sills, Keala Settle, Paige O’Hara and Jodi Benson.
He served as the vice president of the board of directors of the National Association of Talent Representatives and was an active participant in, and a founding board member of, Broadway Cares, which assists those with HIV and AIDS.
Wilhelm died Monday in New York after a brief battle with cancer, a publicist announced.
Wilhelm was one of the original founding partners of Douglas, Gorman, Rothacker & Wilhelm, one of New York’s most preeminent theatrical agencies since its inception in 1988. In 2010, he became the first theatrical agent to be made a voter for the Tony Awards.
Over the years, Wilhelm also counted as clients Lynn Cohen, Sandy Duncan, Lainie Kazan, Alice Ripley, Kathleen Chalfant, Elaine Paige, Sierra Boggess, Douglas Sills, Keala Settle, Paige O’Hara and Jodi Benson.
He served as the vice president of the board of directors of the National Association of Talent Representatives and was an active participant in, and a founding board member of, Broadway Cares, which assists those with HIV and AIDS.
- 4/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Hunger Games” movies are a series of films based on “The Hunger Games” trilogy of novels by the American author Suzanne Collins. The first book, “The Hunger Games,” was released in 2008. If you’re a fan of the Hunger Games movies, then you know that they can be hard to keep track of.
The Hunger Games Complete 4-film Collection Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)Francis Lawrence (Director) (Playback Language) $13.99 Check Reviews
With four movies released in less than five years, it can be tough to remember which to watch first. And if you’ve never seen the film before, it can be even harder to figure out where to start.
We’ve put this list of all “The Hunger Games” movies in order. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual observer, this list will help you understand it all.
So without further ado, let’s dive into it.
The Hunger Games Complete 4-film Collection Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)Francis Lawrence (Director) (Playback Language) $13.99 Check Reviews
With four movies released in less than five years, it can be tough to remember which to watch first. And if you’ve never seen the film before, it can be even harder to figure out where to start.
We’ve put this list of all “The Hunger Games” movies in order. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual observer, this list will help you understand it all.
So without further ado, let’s dive into it.
- 7/30/2022
- by Israr
- buddytv.com
Brooklyn’s Bushwick Film Festival has set the lineup for its hybrid 14th edition, which will return to live screenings and special events from October 20-24, showcasing the digital artworks known as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) for the first time in its history.
This year’s festival features more than 135 indie features from 27 countries. While it’s long presented such awards as Best Feature (Narrative & Documentary), Best Short (Narrative & Documentary), and Best Series, it will now also welcome screenplays into competition.
Notable works screening at this year’s festival include Lissette Feliciano’s Women Is Losers, starring Lorenza Izzo, Simu Liu and Liza Weil; Elias Plagianos’ indie TV series Hudson Falls, starring William Sadler, Richard Kind and Jessica Hecht; Nicolas Minas’ Emma Without Edmond, starring Lynn Cohen; Kate Beacon and Louis Legge’s Rehab Cabin; Elizabeth D. Costa’s Bangla Surf Girls; Prashanth Kamalakanthan’s Have a Nice Life; Ashish Pant...
This year’s festival features more than 135 indie features from 27 countries. While it’s long presented such awards as Best Feature (Narrative & Documentary), Best Short (Narrative & Documentary), and Best Series, it will now also welcome screenplays into competition.
Notable works screening at this year’s festival include Lissette Feliciano’s Women Is Losers, starring Lorenza Izzo, Simu Liu and Liza Weil; Elias Plagianos’ indie TV series Hudson Falls, starring William Sadler, Richard Kind and Jessica Hecht; Nicolas Minas’ Emma Without Edmond, starring Lynn Cohen; Kate Beacon and Louis Legge’s Rehab Cabin; Elizabeth D. Costa’s Bangla Surf Girls; Prashanth Kamalakanthan’s Have a Nice Life; Ashish Pant...
- 9/29/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy of dystopian YA novels by Suzanne Collins, that were adapted into a four-film series, with the third book being split into two films. The story follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who volunteers for the annual battle royale, the Hunger Games, after her sister Prim’s name is drawn. Like the gladiators of old, Hunger Games tributes are compulsorily drafted to fight to the death in dangerous arenas, for the amusement and appeasement of the masses. The games are both a reminder and a warning to the people of Panem to stay in line and what happens when you don’t.
With the Hunger Games series, Collins was looking to explore some themes of revolution, depicting the games as a political arena as much as a literal one. We see this depiction of the Hunger Games as a tool of political...
With the Hunger Games series, Collins was looking to explore some themes of revolution, depicting the games as a political arena as much as a literal one. We see this depiction of the Hunger Games as a tool of political...
- 5/21/2021
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
If your memories of Aziz Ansari’s Emmy-winning romantic comedy series, “Master of None,” are a little hazy, you’re not alone. In the four years since its last season premiered, there’s been a global pandemic (just in case you forgot), the entire Trump presidency, and an accusation of misconduct against its creator.
The long-awaited follow-up, “Master of None Presents: Moments in Love,” will primarily focus on Dev’s (Ansari) pal Denise (Lena Waithe). Although Ansari is not starring in the project, he did serve as director, co-writer and executive producer.
A statement from Netflix describes the season as, “tethered to the previous seasons while breaking new storytelling ground on its own.” Watch the trailer here.
Before you stream the show’s third chapter, get yourself up to speed on seasons one and two.
Netflix
Season 1
S1E1: Plan B
Dev (Ansari) is a commercial actor best known for hawking “GoGurt.
The long-awaited follow-up, “Master of None Presents: Moments in Love,” will primarily focus on Dev’s (Ansari) pal Denise (Lena Waithe). Although Ansari is not starring in the project, he did serve as director, co-writer and executive producer.
A statement from Netflix describes the season as, “tethered to the previous seasons while breaking new storytelling ground on its own.” Watch the trailer here.
Before you stream the show’s third chapter, get yourself up to speed on seasons one and two.
Netflix
Season 1
S1E1: Plan B
Dev (Ansari) is a commercial actor best known for hawking “GoGurt.
- 5/20/2021
- by Alex Noble
- The Wrap
Even though Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will be shortened to just one pre-taped hour on TNT and TBS, the special In Memoriam segment will still be a highlight. Since the 2020 event aired on January 19, it will be over 14 months until the one on April 4. That means even more actors, actresses and members of SAG/AFTRA will hopefully be honored than the 40 people in the tribute last year.
Chadwick Boseman died last August and is a four-time nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The two individual nominations are for his leading role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and his supporting performance in “Da 5 Bloods.” Those two films also are nominated for the top ensemble category.
Oscar winners who have died in the past 14 months include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Academy Award nominees include Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm,...
Chadwick Boseman died last August and is a four-time nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The two individual nominations are for his leading role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and his supporting performance in “Da 5 Bloods.” Those two films also are nominated for the top ensemble category.
Oscar winners who have died in the past 14 months include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Academy Award nominees include Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm,...
- 4/2/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
They are called shomers, folks who sit by a recently deceased family member or loved one, often in shifts, to watch over the body before burial. It’s a centuries-old Jewish tradition, designed to keep the soul of the dead safe from harm. Should a relative be unwilling or unable to perform this duty, it’s possible to pay a professional to sub in. It’s an honor and a calling, though there are some pitfalls in the shomer-for-hire business one needs to be aware of. The likelihood of extreme...
- 2/25/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
“Lingua Franca” filmmaker Isabel Sandoval has signed with CAA.
In 2019, Sandoval made history as the first trans woman of color to direct and star in a film screening in competition at the Venice Film Festival, where “Lingua Franca” premiered. The film was acquired and released by Ava DuVernay’s Array and is now streaming on Netflix.
Sandoval directed, wrote, edited, produced and acted in “Lingua Franca,” which she shot in 16 days in Brooklyn, New York. Eamon Farren and the late Lynn Cohen also star in the film, in which Sandoval portrays an undocumented Filipina trans woman who secures a job as a live-in caregiver for an elderly Russian woman named Olga (Cohen) in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. But when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Farren), issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threaten her very existence.
Since its debut, the critically acclaimed project...
In 2019, Sandoval made history as the first trans woman of color to direct and star in a film screening in competition at the Venice Film Festival, where “Lingua Franca” premiered. The film was acquired and released by Ava DuVernay’s Array and is now streaming on Netflix.
Sandoval directed, wrote, edited, produced and acted in “Lingua Franca,” which she shot in 16 days in Brooklyn, New York. Eamon Farren and the late Lynn Cohen also star in the film, in which Sandoval portrays an undocumented Filipina trans woman who secures a job as a live-in caregiver for an elderly Russian woman named Olga (Cohen) in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. But when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Farren), issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threaten her very existence.
Since its debut, the critically acclaimed project...
- 2/16/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Vigil Trailer — Keith Thomas‘ The Vigil (2019) movie trailer has been released by IFC Midnight. The Vigil Trailer stars Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Lynn Cohen, Malky Goldman, Fred Melamed, Nati Rabinowitz, Moshe Lobel, Lea Kalisch, Ethan Stone, Spencer Zender, Dun Laskey, and Rob Tunstall. Crew Keith Thomas wrote the screenplay for The Vigil. [...]
Continue reading: The Vigil Trailer: A Jewish Burial Ritual turns Sinister in Keith Thomas’ 2019 Supernatural Horror Thriller...
Continue reading: The Vigil Trailer: A Jewish Burial Ritual turns Sinister in Keith Thomas’ 2019 Supernatural Horror Thriller...
- 2/12/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
The Vigil: "Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov (Dave Davis) reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante (Menashe Lustig) to take on the responsibility of an overnight "shomer," fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the recently departed's dilapidated house to sit the vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong."
Written and Directed by Keith Thomas, Starring Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen
Opens in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on February 26th
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Safer At Home: "Two years into the pandemic, a group of friends throw an online party with a night of games,...
Written and Directed by Keith Thomas, Starring Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen
Opens in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on February 26th
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Safer At Home: "Two years into the pandemic, a group of friends throw an online party with a night of games,...
- 2/10/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
"It won't let you leave..." "Mrs. Litvak - what won't let me leave?" IFC Midnight has unveiled the full-length official trailer for the supernatural horror film titled The Vigil, which originally premiered back at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival. Marking the feature directorial debut of writer / director Keith Thomas, the horror film is set in the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and steeped in Jewish lore and demonology. A young Brooklyn man who agrees to be a "shomer", hired to sit in overnight to watch over a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community, finds himself opposite a malevolent entity. Starring Dave Davis as Yakov, with Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Lynn Cohen, Fred Melamed, Ronald Cohen, and Nati Rabinowitz. This looks utterly terrifying. There's not even a lot shown in this trailer, but it seriously creeps me out anyway. Horror fans of all kinds should definitely keep an eye on this.
- 2/10/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Following its well-received run on the festival circuit (including its recent Audience Award win at Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend virtual Halloween celebration), Keith Thomas' The Vigil is coming to select theaters, Digital, and VOD on February 26th from IFC Midnight, and ahead of its release, a haunting new poster has been revealed.
You can check out the new poster below, and in case you missed it, read Lindsay Traves' in-depth interview with Thomas, who is also directing the new adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter.
Written and directed by Thomas, The Vigil stars Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, and Lynn Cohen.
Synopsis: "Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante...
You can check out the new poster below, and in case you missed it, read Lindsay Traves' in-depth interview with Thomas, who is also directing the new adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter.
Written and directed by Thomas, The Vigil stars Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, and Lynn Cohen.
Synopsis: "Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante...
- 1/15/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The Vigil Opens February 26th in theaters and VOD. It will be available on these platforms:
Digital Platforms: iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Vudu, PlayStation, Xbox. Cable Platforms: Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, Altice (Optimum), Cox, DirecTV, AT&T, Bend Broadband, Buckeye, Guadalupe Valley, Hotwire Communications, Metrocast, Suddenlink, Wow Internet Cable, Rcn, Midcontinent Communications
The Critics love The Vigil!
“Proof that bible-thumping priests and haunted converts can’t have all the spooky fun. The filmmaking maintains its gripping spell all the way through; A remarkable showcase for Dave Davis, who commands every scene.”– Eric Kohn, IndieWire
“A devilish, bone-crunching chiller. The Exorcist comes to Borough Park. “– Jordan Mintzner, The Hollywood Reporter
“A fresh take on the religious/demon possession film. Feels like a breath of fresh air.”– Joe Lipsett, Bloody Disgusting
“Cultural context enhances an effectively creepy chiller. Anything might be (and usually is) hiding in the shadows. Davis is excellent.”– Dennis Harvey,...
Digital Platforms: iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Vudu, PlayStation, Xbox. Cable Platforms: Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, Altice (Optimum), Cox, DirecTV, AT&T, Bend Broadband, Buckeye, Guadalupe Valley, Hotwire Communications, Metrocast, Suddenlink, Wow Internet Cable, Rcn, Midcontinent Communications
The Critics love The Vigil!
“Proof that bible-thumping priests and haunted converts can’t have all the spooky fun. The filmmaking maintains its gripping spell all the way through; A remarkable showcase for Dave Davis, who commands every scene.”– Eric Kohn, IndieWire
“A devilish, bone-crunching chiller. The Exorcist comes to Borough Park. “– Jordan Mintzner, The Hollywood Reporter
“A fresh take on the religious/demon possession film. Feels like a breath of fresh air.”– Joe Lipsett, Bloody Disgusting
“Cultural context enhances an effectively creepy chiller. Anything might be (and usually is) hiding in the shadows. Davis is excellent.”– Dennis Harvey,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Tagline: "He Did Not Leave You." The Vigil is a horror movie steeped in Jewish tradition. Set in Brooklyn, Yakov offers to spend the night with a corpse, to ward off evil. But, this ancient practice leads to the discovery of a demonic force. As well, this title is from director Keith Thomas (Arkane) and stars: Dave Davis ("The Walking Dead"), Malky Goldman (The Alien), Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen. The film's official movie poster and trailer are here. The trailer shows Yakov (Davis) with the body under a sheet. Strange events take place as this character confronts a sinister evil. IFC Midnight will show The Vigil this February 26th. On this date, this thriller will be available across the United States, with the film set to show in more territories soon. Release Date: February 26th, 2021 (Digital). Director/writer: Keith Thomas. Cast: Dave Davis, Malky Goldman, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen.
- 1/11/2021
- by noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Invites You to Celebrate the First Night of Hanukkah with an Early Look at Written and Directed by Keith Thomas Starring Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen Opens in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on February 26th “The Vigil is proof that bible-thumping priests and haunted converts can’t have all the spooky …
The post The Vigil, A Tale of Supernatural Horror Steeped in Ancient Jewish Tradition, Opens Feb 26th | New Teaser Trailer appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post The Vigil, A Tale of Supernatural Horror Steeped in Ancient Jewish Tradition, Opens Feb 26th | New Teaser Trailer appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 12/28/2020
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Stars: Dave Davis, Fred Melamed, Ronald Cohen, Lynn Cohen, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman | Written and Directed by Keith Thomas
The debut feature from writer-director Keith Thomas, engaging and atmospheric horror The Vigil centres on Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis), a young man who has recently joined a self-help group for Jews struggling to adjust after leaving a tight-knit Orthodox community. In addition to processing a deeply traumatic event, Yakov is also struggling financially, so when his former rabbi Reb Shulem (Menashe Lustig) offers him $400 to sit as shomer and watch over the body of a recently deceased Holocaust survivor (Ronald Cohen), he is more or less forced to accept.
As The Vigil explains up front with captions, being a shomer means protecting the recently deceased person from evil spirits or demons. Unfortunately, Mr Litvak had spent most of his life being haunted by a Mazzik (similar to a Dybbuk), so Yakov...
The debut feature from writer-director Keith Thomas, engaging and atmospheric horror The Vigil centres on Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis), a young man who has recently joined a self-help group for Jews struggling to adjust after leaving a tight-knit Orthodox community. In addition to processing a deeply traumatic event, Yakov is also struggling financially, so when his former rabbi Reb Shulem (Menashe Lustig) offers him $400 to sit as shomer and watch over the body of a recently deceased Holocaust survivor (Ronald Cohen), he is more or less forced to accept.
As The Vigil explains up front with captions, being a shomer means protecting the recently deceased person from evil spirits or demons. Unfortunately, Mr Litvak had spent most of his life being haunted by a Mazzik (similar to a Dybbuk), so Yakov...
- 12/24/2020
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
"There is something very, very wrong here..." IFC Midnight has revealed a teaser trailer (to celebrate the start of Hanukkah today) for the supernatural horror film titled The Vigil, which originally premiered at last year's Toronto Film Festival. Marking the feature directorial debut of writer / director Keith Thomas, the horror film is set in the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and steeped in Jewish lore and demonology. A Brooklyn man who agrees to be a "shomer", hired to sit in overnight to watch over a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community, finds himself opposite a malevolent entity. Starring Dave Davis as Yakov, with Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Lynn Cohen, Fred Melamed, Ronald Cohen, and Nati Rabinowitz. This looks super creepy! The premise is scary to begin with, but the glimpses of horror we get in this (and that poster!) are very scary. Already nervous about watching this.
- 12/10/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Following its well-received run on the film festival circuit (including recently winning the Audience Award at Popcorn Frights' Wicked Weekend), Keith Thomas' The Vigil is coming out in select theaters and on Digital platforms and VOD on February 26th from IFC Midnight, and a new teaser trailer has been unveiled ahead of its release.
Written and directed by Thomas, The Vigil stars Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen. You can watch the new teaser trailer below, and in case you missed it, check out Lindsay Traves' in-depth interview with Thomas, who is also directing the new adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter.
Synopsis: "Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov (Dave Davis) reluctantly accepts an offer from...
Written and directed by Thomas, The Vigil stars Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen. You can watch the new teaser trailer below, and in case you missed it, check out Lindsay Traves' in-depth interview with Thomas, who is also directing the new adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter.
Synopsis: "Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov (Dave Davis) reluctantly accepts an offer from...
- 12/10/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Premiering at last year’s TIFF in its Midnight Madness section, Keith Thomas’ horror feature The Vigil takes place over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn’s Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Starring Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen, we follow an overnight “shomer,” the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member, though with a supernatural twist. Ahead of a February release, and timed with the first night of Hanukkah, IFC Midnight has now debuted the first trailer.
C.J. Prince said in our TIFF review, “If there’s anything going for The Vigil, it’s the setting. Aside from the title cards at the start, Thomas doesn’t spend much time giving exposition about the community he’s focusing on, which works to the film’s benefit for the most part. But no matter how much cultural specificity one can put in their film,...
C.J. Prince said in our TIFF review, “If there’s anything going for The Vigil, it’s the setting. Aside from the title cards at the start, Thomas doesn’t spend much time giving exposition about the community he’s focusing on, which works to the film’s benefit for the most part. But no matter how much cultural specificity one can put in their film,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Goofball specialist Justin Long stars in this likable tale about a young lecturer who causes uproar when he publicly humiliates one of his students
A young creative writing lecturer in New York listens impatiently to a young woman reading her story aloud in class: a so-so piece about a date. He gets her to admit in front of the other students that this is based on an actual experience in her life and there must be a more interesting, true story behind her insipid fiction that she is not revealing. Shyly, nervously, the young woman agrees. He impulsively demands that she tell everyone what it is. She shakes her head, blushes and looks down. But the professor won’t take no for an answer – and finally, not wanting to be artistically dishonest or a bad student, the woman explains that she took her date back to her place where he...
A young creative writing lecturer in New York listens impatiently to a young woman reading her story aloud in class: a so-so piece about a date. He gets her to admit in front of the other students that this is based on an actual experience in her life and there must be a more interesting, true story behind her insipid fiction that she is not revealing. Shyly, nervously, the young woman agrees. He impulsively demands that she tell everyone what it is. She shakes her head, blushes and looks down. But the professor won’t take no for an answer – and finally, not wanting to be artistically dishonest or a bad student, the woman explains that she took her date back to her place where he...
- 12/8/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
"Closure is the most detestable word..." Legacy Distribution has released the official trailer for The World Without You, an emotionally-charged indie familial drama marking the feature directorial debut of writer / director Damon Shalit. It first premiered at the Dances With Films Festival last year, and is finally getting a VOD release this fall. A family is brought together for the one-year anniversary of the death of their son Leo, a journalist killed while on assignment in Iraq. Old hurts and dark secrets emerge, threatening to tear the fragile threads that are holding the family together. Starring Radha Mitchell, Perrey Reeves, P.J. Byrne, Chris Mulkey, James Tupper, Suzanne C. Johnson, Annika Marks, Lyndie Greenwood, Joel Reitsma, and Lynn Cohen. This film looks like it has some brutally honest things to discuss at least. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Damon Shalit's The World Without You, direct from YouTube: A family...
- 10/15/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Before helming the upcoming new adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter, Keith Thomas directed The Vigil, which has been acquired by IFC Midnight and is slated for a February 26th, 2021 release.
You can read the press release with full details below, and in case you missed it, read Lindsay Traves' previous interview with Thomas.
From the Press Release: New York, NY - IFC Midnight announced today that it is acquiring U.S. rights to writer-director Keith Thomas’ feature debut, The Vigil, a supernatural horror film with a Hasidic Jewish twist. The Vigil stars Dave Davis (Bomb City), Malky Goldman (Unorthodox), Menashe Lustig (Menashe), Fred Melamed (A Serious Man), and Lynn Cohen (Munich). Producing is Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz of BoulderLight Pictures alongside Adam Margules (Menashe). Additional notable credits within the filmmaking team include editor Brett W. Bachman, composer Michael Yezerski (The Devil’S Candy), and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein.
IFC Films and BoulderLight,...
You can read the press release with full details below, and in case you missed it, read Lindsay Traves' previous interview with Thomas.
From the Press Release: New York, NY - IFC Midnight announced today that it is acquiring U.S. rights to writer-director Keith Thomas’ feature debut, The Vigil, a supernatural horror film with a Hasidic Jewish twist. The Vigil stars Dave Davis (Bomb City), Malky Goldman (Unorthodox), Menashe Lustig (Menashe), Fred Melamed (A Serious Man), and Lynn Cohen (Munich). Producing is Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz of BoulderLight Pictures alongside Adam Margules (Menashe). Additional notable credits within the filmmaking team include editor Brett W. Bachman, composer Michael Yezerski (The Devil’S Candy), and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein.
IFC Films and BoulderLight,...
- 10/7/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Exclusive, Updated: IFC Midnight has acquired U.S. rights to filmmaker Keith Thomas’ supernatural horror feature debut The Vigil after a bidding war for the pic. The movie, which is billed as having a Hasidic Jewish twist, made its world premiere at TIFF 2019 in the Midnight Madness Section and was slotted for SXSW 2020.
Blumhouse previously was set to distribute The Vigil. Thomas is directing the reboot of Stephen King’s Firestarter starring Zac Efron for Blumhouse, Universal and Weed Road Productions. IFC Midnight purchased the movie from BoulderLight. IFC Midnight and BoulderLight respectively had notable genre theatrical day and date pandemic mini-hits over the summer, IFC with The Rental and Relic and BoulderLight with Becky. Overall, IFC made close to $5M during the pandemic fueled by its genre fare. IFC Midnight is planning a Feb. 26, 2021 release date for The Vigil.
Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is...
Blumhouse previously was set to distribute The Vigil. Thomas is directing the reboot of Stephen King’s Firestarter starring Zac Efron for Blumhouse, Universal and Weed Road Productions. IFC Midnight purchased the movie from BoulderLight. IFC Midnight and BoulderLight respectively had notable genre theatrical day and date pandemic mini-hits over the summer, IFC with The Rental and Relic and BoulderLight with Becky. Overall, IFC made close to $5M during the pandemic fueled by its genre fare. IFC Midnight is planning a Feb. 26, 2021 release date for The Vigil.
Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is...
- 10/7/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Many TV legends and contributors were included for the “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony for ABC. But producers are always forced to omit some of the 100+ insiders who died since the last ceremony. Who was left out of the group that was honored?
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
- 9/21/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on ABC, producers will have the always difficult task of assembling a memoriam segment. Even though the event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will be virtual, it’s a certainty they will include the popular “In Memoriam” on the show.
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
- 9/20/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Isabel Sandoval’s “Lingua Franca” is a visually gorgeous drama from the auteur filmmaker who also stars in the film, now streaming on Netflix.
Sandoval plays Olivia, an undocumented Filipina trans woman who spends her days working as a caretaker for Olga (the late Lynn Cohen). Set in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach, the film delights in the unsaid with moments of silence adding to the emotional impact as Olivia soon finds herself in a relationship with Olga’s grandson, Alex.
The New York of “Lingua Franca” is not the familiar setting — it’s a Russian-Jewish neighborhood that Sandoval and her Dp Issac Banks spent time scouting, looking for the perfect location.
Banks made his feature-length film debut with a style that lingers on interior shots, framing Olivia’s safe space and presenting the images in a picturesque way. When she leaves the safety of home, Banks composes beautiful shots but...
Sandoval plays Olivia, an undocumented Filipina trans woman who spends her days working as a caretaker for Olga (the late Lynn Cohen). Set in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach, the film delights in the unsaid with moments of silence adding to the emotional impact as Olivia soon finds herself in a relationship with Olga’s grandson, Alex.
The New York of “Lingua Franca” is not the familiar setting — it’s a Russian-Jewish neighborhood that Sandoval and her Dp Issac Banks spent time scouting, looking for the perfect location.
Banks made his feature-length film debut with a style that lingers on interior shots, framing Olivia’s safe space and presenting the images in a picturesque way. When she leaves the safety of home, Banks composes beautiful shots but...
- 9/9/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The struggles of outer borough working class folks is nothing new to NYC-set dramas. But, in the outsider eyes and busy hands of director/writer/producer/editor/actress Isabel Sandoval, one of the newest auteurs of Filipino cinema—who makes her English-language debut in her adopted city with her third narrative feature Lingua Franca—classic tropes are updated to reflect our current intersectional reality. The Venice International Film Festival 2019-premiering movie follows live-in caregiver Olivia (Sandoval), who, in the course of looking after an elderly Russian resident of Brighton Beach (Lynn Cohen), becomes romantically entwined with the woman’s ne’er-do-well grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), who labors under […]...
- 8/27/2020
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The struggles of outer borough working class folks is nothing new to NYC-set dramas. But, in the outsider eyes and busy hands of director/writer/producer/editor/actress Isabel Sandoval, one of the newest auteurs of Filipino cinema—who makes her English-language debut in her adopted city with her third narrative feature Lingua Franca—classic tropes are updated to reflect our current intersectional reality. The Venice International Film Festival 2019-premiering movie follows live-in caregiver Olivia (Sandoval), who, in the course of looking after an elderly Russian resident of Brighton Beach (Lynn Cohen), becomes romantically entwined with the woman’s ne’er-do-well grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), who labors under […]...
- 8/27/2020
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Although Lingua Franca is only Isabel Sandoval’s third film, she already has made her signature recognizable. Her work is astute, impeccably shot, and often invites the audience to fill in the gaps of what she refuses to digest for them. Her debut Señorita was about a transgender woman who realizes she might influence a political race through a connection she made as a sex worker. In Apparition, the resilience of nuns in a Filipino convent becomes an act of resistance in the midst of the brutal Marcos administration.
Combining the personal with the political, by reminding audience members that to be a person is to be political, in Lingua Franca Sandoval explores the dynamics of three characters in New York City. She plays Olivia, an undocumented trans woman who takes care of the elderly Olga (Lynn Cohen). Terrified of being deported, but faithful to her idea of love, Olivia...
Combining the personal with the political, by reminding audience members that to be a person is to be political, in Lingua Franca Sandoval explores the dynamics of three characters in New York City. She plays Olivia, an undocumented trans woman who takes care of the elderly Olga (Lynn Cohen). Terrified of being deported, but faithful to her idea of love, Olivia...
- 8/27/2020
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
The struggles of an undocumented immigrant who is also a trans woman in the Brighton Beach area of New York are given a subtle, delicate and ultimately powerful treatment in “Lingua Franca,” by filmmaker Isabel Sandoval.
Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing will virtually debut the film in select theaters and on Netflix Aug. 26.
Sandoval, who’s currently in North Carolina writing her next feature, made history last year when she became the first trans woman with a film in the Venice Film Festival.
She said although it was “nerve-wracking” being chosen by one of the most important A-list festivals in the world, it was also a vindication, “because I got pushback from investors.
The Venice selection was a true validation [of] my vision as a storyteller.”
Sandoval wrote, directed and starred in the film as Olivia, an undocumented trans woman working as a live-in caregiver to Olga (Lynn Cohen), who suffers from dementia.
Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing will virtually debut the film in select theaters and on Netflix Aug. 26.
Sandoval, who’s currently in North Carolina writing her next feature, made history last year when she became the first trans woman with a film in the Venice Film Festival.
She said although it was “nerve-wracking” being chosen by one of the most important A-list festivals in the world, it was also a vindication, “because I got pushback from investors.
The Venice selection was a true validation [of] my vision as a storyteller.”
Sandoval wrote, directed and starred in the film as Olivia, an undocumented trans woman working as a live-in caregiver to Olga (Lynn Cohen), who suffers from dementia.
- 8/27/2020
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
The austere climes of Brighton Beach always add a cold sense of isolation to film, in contrast to the more iconic bright hues of neighboring Coney Island. In “Lingua Franca,” sparsely traveled boardwalks and above-ground subway trains offers . The accomplished third feature from writer/director/editor/star Isabel Sandoval, “Lingua Franca” keeps a tight focus on its central figure, the fiercely independent and self-protective Olivia, played by Sandoval in an appropriately understated performance. The film is undoubtedly hers — though the supporting players are vital, Sandoval keeps the point of view securely in Olivia’s control.
“Lingua Franca” illustrates the woefully untapped potential of marginalized storytellers. Though the film is not autobiographical, Sandoval is herself a trans Filpina immigrant. She can take creative risks that would feel unnerving coming from a creator even one circle outside of Olivia’s intersecting identities, and she does. And while Olivia’s choices ensure the...
“Lingua Franca” illustrates the woefully untapped potential of marginalized storytellers. Though the film is not autobiographical, Sandoval is herself a trans Filpina immigrant. She can take creative risks that would feel unnerving coming from a creator even one circle outside of Olivia’s intersecting identities, and she does. And while Olivia’s choices ensure the...
- 8/26/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Olivia (writer-director Isabel Sandoval) takes care of an elderly Russian patient in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. A transgender woman from the Philippines, she’s managed to carve out a small space for herself within the borough’s Filipino diaspora. Like a lot of immigrants living in the United States, Olivia lives in fear that the shadow of Ice could darken her door at any minute; a man she’d been preparing to pay in exchange for a green-card marriage has unexpectedly backed out of the deal at the last minute.
- 8/26/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Although the United States doesn’t have an official language, the Lingua Franca of Isabel Sandoval’s third feature-length refers to the English adopted by immigrants who arrive in America and need it to make their lives easier. However, one could argue it could also refer to the silences which often express much more of the characters’ heartaches and dreams than the English they use to communicate with each other in society.
The director stars as Olivia, an undocumented, transgender Filipina desperate to obtain the green card that would allow her to continue working in the United States. It’s not necessarily that she is in love with her job, although she’s exceptional and tender as the caretaker of Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly woman with dementia, who always seems to be expecting a call that will never come. What matters to Olivia is the relative security that the US offers her,...
The director stars as Olivia, an undocumented, transgender Filipina desperate to obtain the green card that would allow her to continue working in the United States. It’s not necessarily that she is in love with her job, although she’s exceptional and tender as the caretaker of Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly woman with dementia, who always seems to be expecting a call that will never come. What matters to Olivia is the relative security that the US offers her,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
Lingua Franca marks many firsts for filmmaker Isabel Sandoval. Originally from the Philippines, the drama marks Sandoval’s first feature shot in the United States and it made history at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program as the first film directed and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition. Although these are remarkable firsts, Lingua Franca is noteworthy turning point for Sandoval as it not only establishes her voice as an auteur but shines the light on narratives from the Filipino community — which are seldom seen in film and TV.
Sandoval’s previous films Senorita (2011) and Apparition (2012) served as stepping stones for Lingua Franca and since premiering at Venice, the filmmaker has left quite an impression with her distinct voice, which further showcases the importance of the diversity of stories and perspectives within the Asian and Asian American community — specifically the Filipino community. She...
Sandoval’s previous films Senorita (2011) and Apparition (2012) served as stepping stones for Lingua Franca and since premiering at Venice, the filmmaker has left quite an impression with her distinct voice, which further showcases the importance of the diversity of stories and perspectives within the Asian and Asian American community — specifically the Filipino community. She...
- 8/25/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
“Lingua Franca” opens with a phone call from across the ocean: A distant voice speaks plaintively in Tagalog over austere shots of a bleak Brighton Beach, a groggy woman awoken by her mother’s nagging in her mother tongue. This is Olivia, who works as an in-home caregiver to a deteriorating Russian woman named Olga. Olivia is played with graceful fortitude by Isabel Sandoval, who wrote, directed, produced, and edited the film. She’s already built a name for herself in Filipino cinema, with her work screening in top film festivals like Venice and Locarno.
“Lingua Franca” is Sandoval’s third feature, which made its world premiere at Venice Days and was the first Filipino film to be featured in the main competition at BFI London in its 63-year history. With a Netflix debut courtesy of Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing, “Lingua Franca” is poised to introduce the emerging auteur far and wide.
“Lingua Franca” is Sandoval’s third feature, which made its world premiere at Venice Days and was the first Filipino film to be featured in the main competition at BFI London in its 63-year history. With a Netflix debut courtesy of Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing, “Lingua Franca” is poised to introduce the emerging auteur far and wide.
- 8/24/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
An official selection at Venice, BFI London, Busan, AFI Fest, and more, Isabel Sandoval’s third feature Lingua Franca is now arriving this month, thanks to Ava DuVernay’s film distribution company Array as well as Netflix. Ahead of the release, a new trailer and poster have arrived.
In the story, Olivia (Isabel Sandoval) is an undocumented Filipino worker who longs for love and a green card in Brooklyn. When her plan to pay a man to marry her for a green card is unraveled, she’s frantic to find another way to obtain citizenship, which comes in the form of a meatpacking worker Alex (Twin Peaks: The Return‘s Eamon Farren).
Dennis Harvey in his review for Variety lauded the film, saying, “Lingua Franca is notable not just for the deftness of its overall assembly and performances, but for its approaching hot-button issues of the moment (the status/rights...
In the story, Olivia (Isabel Sandoval) is an undocumented Filipino worker who longs for love and a green card in Brooklyn. When her plan to pay a man to marry her for a green card is unraveled, she’s frantic to find another way to obtain citizenship, which comes in the form of a meatpacking worker Alex (Twin Peaks: The Return‘s Eamon Farren).
Dennis Harvey in his review for Variety lauded the film, saying, “Lingua Franca is notable not just for the deftness of its overall assembly and performances, but for its approaching hot-button issues of the moment (the status/rights...
- 8/13/2020
- by Margaret Rasberry
- The Film Stage
"You're safe now... you're here with me." "You don't know what you're talking about." Array has released an official trailer for the indie drama titled Lingua Franca, the third feature made by filmmaker Isabel Sandoval. This premiered last year at the Venice Film Festival in the Venice Days sidebar, becoming the first film directed by and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition. It also played at the London, Busan, and Stockholm Film Festivals, and stopped by AFI Fest in the fall. The film is a love story between an undocumented, transgender, Filipina caregiver and a Russian-Jewish slaughterhouse worker in Brooklyn. "Sensual and provocative, Lingua Franca is an unflinchingly candid chronicle of a disempowered woman's political and sexual awakening." The film stars Isabel Sandoval, Eamon Farren, Lynn Cohen, Ivory Aquino, and Lev Gorn. This looks ravishing - intimate and authentic, more than a story about love.
- 8/11/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Monday, Aug. 10
Drive-in Screenings Scheduled for Outfest
Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival will hold drive-in screenings at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, launching with the Los Angeles premiere of Sundance 2020 title “The Nowhere Inn,” starring Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein.
The 11-day festival kicks off Aug. 20. and features more than 160 films, including 35 world premieres with more than 70% of films directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers including Tribeca selections “P.S. Burn This Letter Please,” “Cowboys,” “Freedia Got A Gun,” “The Carnivores” and Outfest LA’s U.S. Centerpiece selection “Shiva Baby.” The digital portion of the festival will be powered by the Vimeo Ott platform.
The documentary centerpiece is “Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story.” International centerpiece is “Monsoon,” starring Henry Golding, ;and breakthrough centerpiece is “The Obituary of Tunde Johnson,” the feature directing debut of “Everybody Hates Chris” co-creator Ali LeRoi. The closing film will be the...
Drive-in Screenings Scheduled for Outfest
Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival will hold drive-in screenings at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, launching with the Los Angeles premiere of Sundance 2020 title “The Nowhere Inn,” starring Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein.
The 11-day festival kicks off Aug. 20. and features more than 160 films, including 35 world premieres with more than 70% of films directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers including Tribeca selections “P.S. Burn This Letter Please,” “Cowboys,” “Freedia Got A Gun,” “The Carnivores” and Outfest LA’s U.S. Centerpiece selection “Shiva Baby.” The digital portion of the festival will be powered by the Vimeo Ott platform.
The documentary centerpiece is “Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story.” International centerpiece is “Monsoon,” starring Henry Golding, ;and breakthrough centerpiece is “The Obituary of Tunde Johnson,” the feature directing debut of “Everybody Hates Chris” co-creator Ali LeRoi. The closing film will be the...
- 8/11/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
For thousands of years, religious Jews have practised “The Vigil”; a ritual that takes place after a member of the Orthodox community passes over. During this, the deceased’s remains are observed by a “Shomer” watchman who recites psalms to comfort the departed soul and protect it from “unseen evil”. This watchman is usually a friend or member of the family but you can also get paid Shomers who are hired to sit the vigil when no one else is available. This forms the basis of writer/director Keith Thomas’ debut feature, during which delectable dread is plaited and tent-pole terrors deployed.
The set up sees thirty-something protagonist Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis) leave his Orthodox Jewish community to start a new life in New York City. Yakov is then approached by an old community colleague who asks him to act as Shomer for late Holocaust survivor Ruben Litvak. Yakov accepts...
The set up sees thirty-something protagonist Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis) leave his Orthodox Jewish community to start a new life in New York City. Yakov is then approached by an old community colleague who asks him to act as Shomer for late Holocaust survivor Ruben Litvak. Yakov accepts...
- 7/30/2020
- by Daniel Goodwin
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Stars: Dave Davis, Fred Melamed, Ronald Cohen, Lynn Cohen, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman | Written and Directed by Keith Thomas
The debut feature from writer-director Keith Thomas, engaging and atmospheric horror The Vigil centres on Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis), a young man who has recently joined a self-help group for Jews struggling to adjust after leaving a tight-knit Orthodox community. In addition to processing a deeply traumatic event, Yakov is also struggling financially, so when his former rabbi Reb Shulem (Menashe Lustig) offers him $400 to sit as shomer and watch over the body of a recently deceased Holocaust survivor (Ronald Cohen), he is more or less forced to accept.
As The Vigil explains up front with captions, being a shomer means protecting the recently deceased person from evil spirits or demons. Unfortunately, Mr Litvak had spent most of his life being haunted by a Mazzik (similar to a Dybbuk), so Yakov...
The debut feature from writer-director Keith Thomas, engaging and atmospheric horror The Vigil centres on Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis), a young man who has recently joined a self-help group for Jews struggling to adjust after leaving a tight-knit Orthodox community. In addition to processing a deeply traumatic event, Yakov is also struggling financially, so when his former rabbi Reb Shulem (Menashe Lustig) offers him $400 to sit as shomer and watch over the body of a recently deceased Holocaust survivor (Ronald Cohen), he is more or less forced to accept.
As The Vigil explains up front with captions, being a shomer means protecting the recently deceased person from evil spirits or demons. Unfortunately, Mr Litvak had spent most of his life being haunted by a Mazzik (similar to a Dybbuk), so Yakov...
- 7/24/2020
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
Maybe it’s the quarantine. Or the extreme heat. The incendiary political climate certainly has not helped. Whatever the reason, we find ourselves really longing for Summer TV of yesteryear — those warm-weather guilty pleasures (or just plain pleasures) that were the perfect tonic to the dog days.
Since we can’t bring our favorite obsessions back from the dead, we at TVLine did the next best thing: We compiled a gallery highlighting the 15 summertime staples we are missing the most right now.
More from TVLineTeen Wolf Reunion Live Stream: Watch Tyler Posey, Dylan O'Brien and More Relive the Series' Biggest...
Since we can’t bring our favorite obsessions back from the dead, we at TVLine did the next best thing: We compiled a gallery highlighting the 15 summertime staples we are missing the most right now.
More from TVLineTeen Wolf Reunion Live Stream: Watch Tyler Posey, Dylan O'Brien and More Relive the Series' Biggest...
- 7/12/2020
- by Team TVLine
- TVLine.com
Less interesting subjects than Olympia Dukakis have been profiled in more compelling documentaries than Harry Mavromichalis’ “Olympia,” a fervently admiring but scattered and sometimes scatty portrait of a woman who is anything but. Although peppered with tantalizingly salty-mouthed anecdotes and wry observations on aging, sexuality, outsider status and the art of performance, the film is hampered by its overly fannish tone, too dazzled by the self-described “octogenarian motherf—er” to be able to meet her own forthright, iconoclastic, penetrating gaze without looking quickly away again.
A striking, blue-tinged extreme-shallow-focus closeup on Dukakis’ fantastic face, that brings out both the age lines and the luminosity of her skin, teases a much more intimate and impressionistic approach than is taken. Soon John Ryan Johnson and Federico Cesca’s photography settles into a more familiar and anonymous handheld vérité style, as we follow Dukakis from home to hotel room to car, from the...
A striking, blue-tinged extreme-shallow-focus closeup on Dukakis’ fantastic face, that brings out both the age lines and the luminosity of her skin, teases a much more intimate and impressionistic approach than is taken. Soon John Ryan Johnson and Federico Cesca’s photography settles into a more familiar and anonymous handheld vérité style, as we follow Dukakis from home to hotel room to car, from the...
- 7/10/2020
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has bought Isabel Sandoval drama “Lingua Franca” and will premiere the film on Netflix on Aug. 26 along with select cities theatrically.
Sandoval directed, wrote, produced, edited and stars in the film. “Lingua Franca” was the first movie directed by and starring a trans woman of color to screen in competition at 2019’s Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program. DuVernay announced the acquisition on Thursday.
Sandoval portrays an undocumented Filipina trans woman who secures a job as a live-in caregiver for an elderly Russian woman named Olga, played by Lynn Cohen, in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. But when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson, portrayed by Eamon Farren, issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threaten her very existence.
The Philippines-born Sandoval has also directed the award-winning films “Apparition” and “Senorita.”
“The release of Isabel Sandoval’s third film is...
Sandoval directed, wrote, produced, edited and stars in the film. “Lingua Franca” was the first movie directed by and starring a trans woman of color to screen in competition at 2019’s Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program. DuVernay announced the acquisition on Thursday.
Sandoval portrays an undocumented Filipina trans woman who secures a job as a live-in caregiver for an elderly Russian woman named Olga, played by Lynn Cohen, in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. But when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson, portrayed by Eamon Farren, issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threaten her very existence.
The Philippines-born Sandoval has also directed the award-winning films “Apparition” and “Senorita.”
“The release of Isabel Sandoval’s third film is...
- 7/9/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing is adding to its library of inclusive narratives with the critically acclaimed drama Lingua Franca directed, written, produced, edited by and starring Isabel Sandoval. The film will debut on Netflix and open theatrically in select cities on August 26.
Lingua Franca made history at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program as the first film directed and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition. The film follows the story of an undocumented Filipina trans woman Olivia (Sandoval) who is the live-in caregiver for Olga (the late Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. Olivia’s main priority is to secure a green card to stay in America, but when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threatens Olivia’s very existence.
“The release...
Lingua Franca made history at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program as the first film directed and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition. The film follows the story of an undocumented Filipina trans woman Olivia (Sandoval) who is the live-in caregiver for Olga (the late Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. Olivia’s main priority is to secure a green card to stay in America, but when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threatens Olivia’s very existence.
“The release...
- 7/9/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
As BroadwayWorld previously reported, actress Lynn Cohen who gained fame in 'Sex and the City' and 'The Hunger Games' died on February 14th. Cohen has appeared in over 120 movies as well as a string of Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and television appearances. She was 86. Today, BroadwayWorld remembers Cohen with a look back at some photos from our archives...
- 2/19/2020
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
Veteran screen and stage actor Lynn Cohen, who was best known for her role as “Magda” on HBO’s Sex and the City and its two film versions, died today at age 86. No cause of death was given in the announcement by her management company.
Cohen’s television resume includes recurring roles on the shows Damages, Nurse Jackie, The Affair, and Law & Order. She also guest-starred on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, God Friended Me, Chicago Med and Master of None.
In film, Cohen co-starred as Golda Meir in the Academy Award-nominted Steven Spielberg film Munich. She also appeared in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Eagle Eye, Across The Universe, and Vanya on 42nd Street, among others.
Her stage roles on Broadway included Orpheus Descending and Ivanov. She was a staple in the New York Theater community, earning her Lucille Lortel and Drama League Award nominations, along with the New Dramatists’ Bowden Award,...
Cohen’s television resume includes recurring roles on the shows Damages, Nurse Jackie, The Affair, and Law & Order. She also guest-starred on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, God Friended Me, Chicago Med and Master of None.
In film, Cohen co-starred as Golda Meir in the Academy Award-nominted Steven Spielberg film Munich. She also appeared in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Eagle Eye, Across The Universe, and Vanya on 42nd Street, among others.
Her stage roles on Broadway included Orpheus Descending and Ivanov. She was a staple in the New York Theater community, earning her Lucille Lortel and Drama League Award nominations, along with the New Dramatists’ Bowden Award,...
- 2/15/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Lynn Cohen, best known for her role as Magda on Sex and the City, died on Friday at the age of 86.
The news was originally reported by Broadway World. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
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In addition to her 13 episodes of Sex and the City, Cohen — whose character served as both a nanny and a maternal figure to...
The news was originally reported by Broadway World. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
More from TVLineSex and the City 'Sequel' Series In the Works at Paramount TelevisionTV's Hottest Triangles: Sex and the City — Were You Team Aidan or Team Big?Carrie Bradshaw, The Dude Return in Stella Artois Super Bowl Ad -- Watch
In addition to her 13 episodes of Sex and the City, Cohen — whose character served as both a nanny and a maternal figure to...
- 2/15/2020
- TVLine.com
Lynn Cohen, a veteran stage and screen actor who played Magda on “Sex and the City,” died Friday. She was 86.
Magda was Miranda Hobbe’s (Cynthia Nixon) housekeeper and eventually her nanny, and Cohen also appeared in both film adaptations of the show.
She talked to Cosmopolitan about her role in 2018. “It showed a woman of a different age who was smart as the devil, very bossy, and also understood sexuality, and they needed that. It enlarged the canvas on which they were working, that they would not have a typical old lady molding away in some retirement home somewhere, but a woman who worked, and didn’t suffer fools,” she said.
On the big screen, Cohen played Golda Meir in in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” and Mags in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” She also appeared in “Eagle Eye,” “Across the Universe,” “Vanya on 42nd Street,” “The Station Agent,...
Magda was Miranda Hobbe’s (Cynthia Nixon) housekeeper and eventually her nanny, and Cohen also appeared in both film adaptations of the show.
She talked to Cosmopolitan about her role in 2018. “It showed a woman of a different age who was smart as the devil, very bossy, and also understood sexuality, and they needed that. It enlarged the canvas on which they were working, that they would not have a typical old lady molding away in some retirement home somewhere, but a woman who worked, and didn’t suffer fools,” she said.
On the big screen, Cohen played Golda Meir in in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” and Mags in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” She also appeared in “Eagle Eye,” “Across the Universe,” “Vanya on 42nd Street,” “The Station Agent,...
- 2/15/2020
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Sex and the City star Lynn Cohen has died at age 86. The actress, who played Miranda's Ukrainian housekeeper and nanny Magda in the hit HBO series and movies, passed away on Friday, her rep confirmed to E! News. "Beautiful Lynn Cohen. Miranda's dear and necessary Magda. Our dear Satc colleague. Talent, grace, inspiration. Rip X, Sj," Sarah Jessica Parker, who played main character Carrie Bradshaw, wrote on Instagram. Willie Garson, who played her Bff Stanford, commented with a series of red heart and crying emojis. Cohen, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, began her onscreen acting career in the '80s, when she also made her Broadway debut in a revival of...
- 2/15/2020
- E! Online
Lynn Cohen, best known for her role as Magda on HBO's Sex and the City, died Friday morning, her representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 86.
Cohen began her acting career in regional theater, appearing on New York stages since the late 1970s. She made her screen debut in the 1983 film Without a Trace, which starred Kate Nelligan and Judd Hirsch, and went on to appear on TV shows such as NYPD Blue, Law and Order, Damages and Nurse Jackie.
She joined the cast of Sex and the City as Miranda's housekeeper in 2000 and reprised her role ...
Cohen began her acting career in regional theater, appearing on New York stages since the late 1970s. She made her screen debut in the 1983 film Without a Trace, which starred Kate Nelligan and Judd Hirsch, and went on to appear on TV shows such as NYPD Blue, Law and Order, Damages and Nurse Jackie.
She joined the cast of Sex and the City as Miranda's housekeeper in 2000 and reprised her role ...
- 2/15/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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