Exclusive: Annette Bening has been tapped to narrate the documentary War Unfolding from Sypher Studios, with Eliza Bennett, Rachel Bloom, Gary Cole, Abigail Cowen, Laura Dern, Monique Edwards, Michael C. Hall, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Paul Walter Hauser, Thurn Hoffman, Richard T. Jones, Jay Lee, Erick Lopez, Sandra Seacat, Wes Studi and DeWanda Wise among those set to appear in the film from director John B. Benitz.
Based on three New York Times bestselling books by historian Andrew Carroll and inspired by the stage play If All the Sky Were Paper, the film tells the story of Carroll, who travels the world to seek out the greatest war letters ever written. Over the past 25 years, he has preserved more than 200,000 correspondences from troops, veterans and their families, dating from the American Revolution to the present day. The letters, performed in filmed readings by War Unfolding’s cast, capture unvarnished stories and...
Based on three New York Times bestselling books by historian Andrew Carroll and inspired by the stage play If All the Sky Were Paper, the film tells the story of Carroll, who travels the world to seek out the greatest war letters ever written. Over the past 25 years, he has preserved more than 200,000 correspondences from troops, veterans and their families, dating from the American Revolution to the present day. The letters, performed in filmed readings by War Unfolding’s cast, capture unvarnished stories and...
- 3/31/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
What is going on over at the Academy? For years, I have questioned whether it made sense for the organization to continue awarding short films, seeing as how they are no longer a routine part of the moviegoing experience (the category dates back to a time when newsreels and short subjects regularly preceded the main attraction). Except in rare cases, when an animation studio attaches one to its latest feature-length cartoon, it’s been decades since shorts got serious theatrical play. These days, they’re relegated to film festivals and small-screen formats — so why include them in the telecast, I wondered.
I was wrong. In recent years, as a rise in on-demand, at-home viewing points the way for the industry’s future, shorts are getting more exposure than ever. Streamers now embrace them: You can watch last year’s winner, “Two Distant Strangers,” on Netflix. And once the nominations are announced,...
I was wrong. In recent years, as a rise in on-demand, at-home viewing points the way for the industry’s future, shorts are getting more exposure than ever. Streamers now embrace them: You can watch last year’s winner, “Two Distant Strangers,” on Netflix. And once the nominations are announced,...
- 3/24/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
In its continued bid to provide compelling artist-forward stories, WarnerMedia OneFifty has picked up the live action Oscar-nominated short “Please Hold” to stream exclusively on HBO Max where it bows on March 17.
The directorial debut of Mexican-American screenwriter Kd Dávila, who co-wrote the short with Levin Menekse, “Please Hold” is a darkly comic dystopian tale set in the not-so-distant future.
It follows young Mateo Torres (played by Erick Lopez) who in a case of mistaken identity, is arrested by a police drone while on his way to work. He finds himself in a fully automated prison cell where he struggles to find a living human being to set things straight as his situation gets even more absurd and frustrating by the nanosecond.
“The idea for the film came to us after I read this article about a Latino man who got arrested and jailed by mistake because he had a common Spanish name,...
The directorial debut of Mexican-American screenwriter Kd Dávila, who co-wrote the short with Levin Menekse, “Please Hold” is a darkly comic dystopian tale set in the not-so-distant future.
It follows young Mateo Torres (played by Erick Lopez) who in a case of mistaken identity, is arrested by a police drone while on his way to work. He finds himself in a fully automated prison cell where he struggles to find a living human being to set things straight as his situation gets even more absurd and frustrating by the nanosecond.
“The idea for the film came to us after I read this article about a Latino man who got arrested and jailed by mistake because he had a common Spanish name,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Not many directors can say they got an Oscar nomination for their very first film, and certainly not for genre fare like a dystopian sci-fi comedy. For her futuristic prison satire “Please Hold,” writer and director Kd Dávila proved her considerable talents not only to the Academy, but to herself. As a screenwriter, Dávila’s debut feature “Emergency” recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to warm reviews, and “Please Hold” features many of the same themes that make her work so exciting. She specializes in dark comedies with absurdist premises; both “Please Hold” and “Emergency” send young men of color on Kafka-esque journeys through the punishing maze of systemic racism.
As a Mexican-American woman beginning her rise in Hollywood, Dávila excels at mapping her own experiences onto fictional characters, avoiding the autobiographical trap into which many women creatives often get pigeonholed. Despite her early success, she’s not immune to impostor syndrome.
As a Mexican-American woman beginning her rise in Hollywood, Dávila excels at mapping her own experiences onto fictional characters, avoiding the autobiographical trap into which many women creatives often get pigeonholed. Despite her early success, she’s not immune to impostor syndrome.
- 3/11/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The five films nominated for live-action short at this year’s Oscars were shot and produced in five different countries around the world, and tell stories that have little in common with each other, from a satire to a romantic drama. But all were labors of love from talented directors who had to deal with numerous obstacles to get there, whether it was a limited budget or short-shooting times or harsh shooting conditions. The results are all deeply thought-provoking films, ones that reflect the issues and beliefs important to the storytellers behind them.
Ala Kachuu — Take and Run
Director: Maria Brendle
Zurich-based director Brendle was inspired after learning about the practice of ala kachuu in which thousands of women are kidnapped and forced into marriages in Kyrgyzstan, although it’s officially outlawed by the government. Brendle wanted to give a voice to these victims. Her short, “Ala Kachuu — Take and Run,...
Ala Kachuu — Take and Run
Director: Maria Brendle
Zurich-based director Brendle was inspired after learning about the practice of ala kachuu in which thousands of women are kidnapped and forced into marriages in Kyrgyzstan, although it’s officially outlawed by the government. Brendle wanted to give a voice to these victims. Her short, “Ala Kachuu — Take and Run,...
- 3/6/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Though rarely given their due at the ceremony, the Oscars marks the one time a year most American audiences encounter short films. With more government arts funding available in other countries, short film is a more respected endeavor internationally, seen as a valued art form on its own rather than a mere stepping stone to making a feature. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that only one of the five Oscars nominees for Best Live Action Short hails from a U.S. filmmaker.
Though not much ties the nominees together thematically, each film sheds light on some specific window of human suffering, from personal grief to long-endured discrimination. As with most compelling stories, the search for connection, belonging, and coping with the world’s cruelty pulls focus.
Ranging in tone from futuristic satire to gritty rural drama, the films in this section offer as broad a range of...
Though not much ties the nominees together thematically, each film sheds light on some specific window of human suffering, from personal grief to long-endured discrimination. As with most compelling stories, the search for connection, belonging, and coping with the world’s cruelty pulls focus.
Ranging in tone from futuristic satire to gritty rural drama, the films in this section offer as broad a range of...
- 2/25/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Jones stars in battle between space crew and alien.
Epic Pictures, fielding interest on its Toni Collette fishing trawler thriller Sea Fever, has added several sales titles to its Efm roster including sci-fi 5th Passenger starring Doug Jones from The Shape Of Water.
The team has launched talks here on Rajesh Golla’s English-Spanish drama Flavor Of Life, about a respectable Mexican restaurateur who reconnects with his estranged ex-con grandson and teaches him the ways of Mexican cuisine.
Erick Lopez, Pepe Serna, Roberto ‘Sanz’ Sanchez, Rene Moran, Lorena McGregor, Julia Vera and Eddie Martinez star.
Mark Brown’s comedy Sharon 1.2.3. from 10:10 Global Entertainment and JuntoBox Films centres on a tech star who must decide which women to settle down with. Matt Bush, Skyler Samuels, Erinn Hayes, Gina Rodriguez and Nadine Velazquez star.
Scotty Baker’s 5th Passenger takes place on board a spaceship where the crew race to find an alien that threatens to destroy them all. Tim Russ...
Epic Pictures, fielding interest on its Toni Collette fishing trawler thriller Sea Fever, has added several sales titles to its Efm roster including sci-fi 5th Passenger starring Doug Jones from The Shape Of Water.
The team has launched talks here on Rajesh Golla’s English-Spanish drama Flavor Of Life, about a respectable Mexican restaurateur who reconnects with his estranged ex-con grandson and teaches him the ways of Mexican cuisine.
Erick Lopez, Pepe Serna, Roberto ‘Sanz’ Sanchez, Rene Moran, Lorena McGregor, Julia Vera and Eddie Martinez star.
Mark Brown’s comedy Sharon 1.2.3. from 10:10 Global Entertainment and JuntoBox Films centres on a tech star who must decide which women to settle down with. Matt Bush, Skyler Samuels, Erinn Hayes, Gina Rodriguez and Nadine Velazquez star.
Scotty Baker’s 5th Passenger takes place on board a spaceship where the crew race to find an alien that threatens to destroy them all. Tim Russ...
- 2/17/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Rachel Bloom is nominated for a Golden Globe tonight and she’s found a way to make sure all her co-stars get in on the award show action.
The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator and star flaunted a one-of-a-kind manicure ahead of Sunday night’s awards on Instagram, showing the faces of her costars on each of her nails. Santino Fontana, Scott Michael Foster, Pete Gardner, Erick Lopez, Donna Lynne Champlin, Gabrielle Ruiz, Tovah Feldshuh, David Hull, Vincent Rodriguez III, and Vella Lovell are each represented.
“A leading lady is nothing without her fellow actors, so I found a way to bring...
The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator and star flaunted a one-of-a-kind manicure ahead of Sunday night’s awards on Instagram, showing the faces of her costars on each of her nails. Santino Fontana, Scott Michael Foster, Pete Gardner, Erick Lopez, Donna Lynne Champlin, Gabrielle Ruiz, Tovah Feldshuh, David Hull, Vincent Rodriguez III, and Vella Lovell are each represented.
“A leading lady is nothing without her fellow actors, so I found a way to bring...
- 1/8/2017
- by Stephanie Petit
- PEOPLE.com
Warning: The following gives details from Friday’s episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Be sure to watch before proceeding.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” may have won an Emmy for its choreography last season, but this year one of its original songs ought to be a contender.
On Friday’s episode, a distraught Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) caught up to her erstwhile boyfriend Greg (Santino Fontana), who had recently admitted he was an alcoholic and was heading to a new life of recovery and higher education in Atlanta. The couple had had a tumultuous relationship full of intense chemistry but very little trust or comfort. Ultimately, Greg decided that together they were a toxic combination and crooned the following love song, which also served as his farewell. Here’s the first verse:
Read More: ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Video: Greg and Josh Sing ‘We Tapped That Ass’
I love you, yes, and I’ll confess
the thought of staying is so enticing.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” may have won an Emmy for its choreography last season, but this year one of its original songs ought to be a contender.
On Friday’s episode, a distraught Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) caught up to her erstwhile boyfriend Greg (Santino Fontana), who had recently admitted he was an alcoholic and was heading to a new life of recovery and higher education in Atlanta. The couple had had a tumultuous relationship full of intense chemistry but very little trust or comfort. Ultimately, Greg decided that together they were a toxic combination and crooned the following love song, which also served as his farewell. Here’s the first verse:
Read More: ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Video: Greg and Josh Sing ‘We Tapped That Ass’
I love you, yes, and I’ll confess
the thought of staying is so enticing.
- 11/12/2016
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Recently, ABC released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Castle" episode 12 of season 7. The episode is entitled, "Private Eye Caramba!" And it turns out that we're going to see some interesting stuff go down as Castle and Beckett hit up the world of telenovela for their latest case. Also, Castle gets another, separate private eye gig, and more. In the new, 12th episode press release: When a young actress is murdered, the investigation will lead Beckett and Castle into the flamboyant world of a telenovela. Press release number 2: When a young Latin telenovela actress is murdered, Beckett and the team are going to delve into a case that is as flamboyant and full of intrigue as any telenovela. In the meantime, Castle is going to get hired as a private investigator by the show's sultry star to pursue the case from another angle. Guest stars feature: Daya Vaidya as Sofia Del Cordova,...
- 1/12/2015
- by Chris
- OnTheFlix
MTV want to keep Faking It. The cable channel has ordered 10 more episodes of their high school dramedy series.
On Faking It, a pair of best friends -- Karma Ashcroft (Katie Stevens) and Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk) -- are outed when some of their high school classmates mistakenly believe they're a lesbian couple. Their popularity soars so they decide to go along with it. Karma attracts the attention of a handsome boy (Gregg Sulkin) while Amy starts to develop feelings for her friend. Others in the cast include Bailey De Young, Michael J. Willett, Courtney Kato, Rebecca McFarland, Senta Moses, Erick Lopez, Amy Farrington, and Breezy Eslin.
To date, the second season of Faking It is averaging 790,000 viewers with a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Compared to last season, that's down by 17% and 10% respectively.
The...
On Faking It, a pair of best friends -- Karma Ashcroft (Katie Stevens) and Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk) -- are outed when some of their high school classmates mistakenly believe they're a lesbian couple. Their popularity soars so they decide to go along with it. Karma attracts the attention of a handsome boy (Gregg Sulkin) while Amy starts to develop feelings for her friend. Others in the cast include Bailey De Young, Michael J. Willett, Courtney Kato, Rebecca McFarland, Senta Moses, Erick Lopez, Amy Farrington, and Breezy Eslin.
To date, the second season of Faking It is averaging 790,000 viewers with a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Compared to last season, that's down by 17% and 10% respectively.
The...
- 10/22/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Recently, CBS released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "NCIS" episode 5 of season 12. The episode is entitled, "The San Dominick," and it sounds like things will get very intriguing and dramatic as Gibbs finds himself trapped on a ship that's been taken over by pirates, and more! In the new, 5th episode press release: A man overboard investigation, is going to find Gibbs trapped on a ship that has been commandeered by pirates. Press release number 2: During a joint Coast Guard and NCIS training exercise at sea, Gibbs and Cgis Agent Borin are going to spot a deceased man overboard, who is discovered to be a missing crew member from a ship 60 nautical miles away. Upon boarding the ship for questioning, Gibbs will find himself on a vessel that has been commandeered by pirates. Diane Neal guest stars as Cgis Agent Abigail Borin and Jim Beaver guest...
- 10/14/2014
- by Megan
- OnTheFlix
Last season, Faking It had mediocre ratings on MTV but the cable channel renewed it for a second season. Will viewership rise this time around or fall? Will this comedy be cancelled or renewed for a third season? Stay tuned.
On Faking It, a pair of best friends -- Karma Ashcroft (Katie Stevens) and Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk) -- are outed when some of their high school classmates mistakenly believe they're a lesbian couple. Their popularity soars so they decide to go along with it. Karma attracts the attention of a handsome boy (Gregg Sulkin) while Amy starts to develop feelings for her friend. Others in the cast include Bailey De Young, Michael J. Willett, Courtney Kato, Rebecca McFarland, Senta Moses, Erick Lopez, Amy Farrington, and Breezy Eslin.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show's chances of staying on the air. The...
On Faking It, a pair of best friends -- Karma Ashcroft (Katie Stevens) and Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk) -- are outed when some of their high school classmates mistakenly believe they're a lesbian couple. Their popularity soars so they decide to go along with it. Karma attracts the attention of a handsome boy (Gregg Sulkin) while Amy starts to develop feelings for her friend. Others in the cast include Bailey De Young, Michael J. Willett, Courtney Kato, Rebecca McFarland, Senta Moses, Erick Lopez, Amy Farrington, and Breezy Eslin.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show's chances of staying on the air. The...
- 9/30/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Network: MTV
Episodes: Ongoing (half-hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: April 22, 2014 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Rita Volk, Katie Stevens, Gregg Sulkin, Bailey Buntain, Michael Willett, Rebecca McFarland, Senta Moses, Erick Lopez, Courtney Kato, Breezy Eslin, and August Roads.
TV show description:
This romantic TV series revolves around two female best friends who attend Hester High School in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.
Karma Ashcroft (Katie Stevens) and Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk) have tried everything to become popular at their school. Under the mistaken impression that the pair are actually closeted lesbians, their popular and openly gay classmate Shane Harvey (Michael Willett) invites them to his party.
The duo are subsequently "outed" and involuntarily nominated to becoming homecoming Queens. They want to tell the...
Episodes: Ongoing (half-hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: April 22, 2014 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Rita Volk, Katie Stevens, Gregg Sulkin, Bailey Buntain, Michael Willett, Rebecca McFarland, Senta Moses, Erick Lopez, Courtney Kato, Breezy Eslin, and August Roads.
TV show description:
This romantic TV series revolves around two female best friends who attend Hester High School in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.
Karma Ashcroft (Katie Stevens) and Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk) have tried everything to become popular at their school. Under the mistaken impression that the pair are actually closeted lesbians, their popular and openly gay classmate Shane Harvey (Michael Willett) invites them to his party.
The duo are subsequently "outed" and involuntarily nominated to becoming homecoming Queens. They want to tell the...
- 6/10/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Dallas writer/filmmaker Clay Luther made his feature directorial debut at this year's Dallas International Film Festival (Diff) with Cry, a drama that explores several timely topics including bullying and homophobia. Luther effectively portrays the complexity of his main characters and avoids the formulaic and simplistic Hollywood ending.
Cry focuses on two neighbors on the opposite ends of life -- Cable (Bill Flynn) is a despondent widower who has lost the will to live and is estranged from his daughter, and Carson (Skyy Moore) is a high-school student who is bullied by fellow basketball player Micah (Erick Lopez).
Carson may not have experienced life, but he has suffered the death of his mother and lives with his openly homosexual uncle, Jeremy (Del Shores). Although Carson has his girlfriend Grace (Cherami Leigh), he's emotionally troubled from the almost daily beatings he receives from Micah. It is inferred that Micah and Carson had been best friends,...
Cry focuses on two neighbors on the opposite ends of life -- Cable (Bill Flynn) is a despondent widower who has lost the will to live and is estranged from his daughter, and Carson (Skyy Moore) is a high-school student who is bullied by fellow basketball player Micah (Erick Lopez).
Carson may not have experienced life, but he has suffered the death of his mother and lives with his openly homosexual uncle, Jeremy (Del Shores). Although Carson has his girlfriend Grace (Cherami Leigh), he's emotionally troubled from the almost daily beatings he receives from Micah. It is inferred that Micah and Carson had been best friends,...
- 4/9/2013
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
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