If you missed Kanye West’s “Yeezus” tour, which ended its North American run on Sunday (Feb. 23), there’s still a chance to experience it. Today, West posted a new trailer for a “Yeezus” concert film that’s set to hit theaters. Watch it here or below. The glimpse into West’s tour is as dramatic as the man himself. Over the soundtrack of his “808s & Heartbreak” song “Coldest Winter,” the preview flashes footage of his current show, including its couture masks, massive set and gothic nature graphics. The film was directed by Hype Williams, who previously worked with West on his music videos for "Stronger,” “Gold Digger” and “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.” There’s no word yet on when the movie will be released. Novelist Bret Easton Ellis revealed to Vice last week that he’s collaborating with West on a film project. Whether the two are related is unknown.
- 2/28/2014
- by Whitney Phaneuf
- Hitfix
Yes, he's got a big mouth, bigger ego and can let himself get in the way of his undeniable talent, but Kanye West knows how to put on a show. His current Yeezus tour is certainly a sensation, a massive spectacle, with costumes, lights and yes, great songs. And if you think it's positively cinematic, well, there's some good news for you. The rapper has dropped the teaser trailer for "Yeezus," a concert film of the same name that will be hitting theaters at some point in the near future. There's no other details yet, other than it was directed by music video veteran Hype Williams (who has helmed "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," "Gold Digger," "Drive Slow," "Stronger," "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Homecoming," "Heartless" and "Runaway" for West). And in case you're wondering, no, this isn't the project Kanye is working on with Bret Easton Ellis. @VanityFair it isn't based on yeezus.
- 2/27/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Everest
Clive Standen ("Robin Hood," "Vikings") has joined the cast of Baltasar Kormakur's "Everest" at Working Title and Universal.
The action-adventure drama deals with the 1996 multi-expedition assault on Everest that left eight climbers dead. Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal also star. [Source: Variety]
A Sort of Homecoming
Parker Mack ("Divergent") will join Laura Marano and Katherine McNamara in Maria Burton's indie movie "A Sort of Homecoming". The story follows a news producer still wrestling with problems stemming from a national debate tournament in high school.
Flashing back to her teenage years, Mack plays a star debater who teams up with her at debate camp before the two end up competing for a national championship. [Source: The Wrap]
Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story
Chad Lindberg ("The Fast and The Furious," "Supernatural") has been cast in Randall Miller and Jody Savin's music biopic "Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story" for Open Road Films.
Clive Standen ("Robin Hood," "Vikings") has joined the cast of Baltasar Kormakur's "Everest" at Working Title and Universal.
The action-adventure drama deals with the 1996 multi-expedition assault on Everest that left eight climbers dead. Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal also star. [Source: Variety]
A Sort of Homecoming
Parker Mack ("Divergent") will join Laura Marano and Katherine McNamara in Maria Burton's indie movie "A Sort of Homecoming". The story follows a news producer still wrestling with problems stemming from a national debate tournament in high school.
Flashing back to her teenage years, Mack plays a star debater who teams up with her at debate camp before the two end up competing for a national championship. [Source: The Wrap]
Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story
Chad Lindberg ("The Fast and The Furious," "Supernatural") has been cast in Randall Miller and Jody Savin's music biopic "Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story" for Open Road Films.
- 2/5/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Oscar winners Louis Gossett Jr and Cuba Gooding Jr, Aunjanue Ellis (Ray, The Help) and Lyriq Bent (Rookie Blue, Home Again) have been tapped to star in The Book Of Negroes miniseries, based on Lawrence Hill’s bestselling 2007 novel. The project from Conquering Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment and Entertainment One Television will air on Bet Networks in the U.S. and CBC in Canada. The story centers on Aminata Diallo, who is taken by slave traders from West Africa to South Carolina. It follows her through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia and the jungles of Sierra Leone, before she ultimately secures her freedom in England in the early 1800s. Cast also includes Ben Chaplin, Allan Hawko and Jane Alexander. The mini-series is co-written by Clement Virgo and Lawrence Hill. Virgo will direct. Principal photography begins this week in South Africa.
- 2/4/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Almin Karamehmedovic has been named executive producer of Nightline, ABC News said this morning. Current Ep Jeanmarie Condon has been named senior exec producer of content and development for the news division. Both will report to James Goldston, ABC’s Svp News. Condon will develop a range of special projects and series for broadcast, digital and cable, focusing on enterprise reporting and on the division-wide deep-dive journalism she is known for spearheading, ABC president Ben Sherwood said in this morning’s announcement. She will continue to oversee Nightline Primetime. Karamehmedovic has been senior producer, then senior broadcast producer of Nightline for the past four years. In 2001, he became one of the first journalists to gain access to Tora Bora, Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden was holed up, and in 2003 he embedded with the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq and spent much of the next three years there.
- 2/4/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Scarlett Johansson chose SodaStream over Oxfam, but do charities really need famous ambassadors?
Already preoccupied with the Syria crisis and the South Sudan crisis, the aftermath of the Philippines typhoon and growing conflict in the Central African Republic, Oxfam is confronted by a fresh global emergency, moreover one that is the subject of greater international concern: the replacement, at short notice, of the twice-voted Esquire Sexiest Woman Alive.
The departure for SodaStream, a company that produces machines to carbonate drinks, of Scarlett Johansson, until last week one of the charity's most treasured ambassadors, leaves a void in Oxfam's vital celebrity team. It's a void that must seem – unless Angelina Jolie can be made to jump ship from the Un – virtually impossible to fill. But even if Ms Johansson is strictly irreplaceable as a charity envoy, since nobody else can also be Woody Allen's "first option", current third-sector thinking dictates...
Already preoccupied with the Syria crisis and the South Sudan crisis, the aftermath of the Philippines typhoon and growing conflict in the Central African Republic, Oxfam is confronted by a fresh global emergency, moreover one that is the subject of greater international concern: the replacement, at short notice, of the twice-voted Esquire Sexiest Woman Alive.
The departure for SodaStream, a company that produces machines to carbonate drinks, of Scarlett Johansson, until last week one of the charity's most treasured ambassadors, leaves a void in Oxfam's vital celebrity team. It's a void that must seem – unless Angelina Jolie can be made to jump ship from the Un – virtually impossible to fill. But even if Ms Johansson is strictly irreplaceable as a charity envoy, since nobody else can also be Woody Allen's "first option", current third-sector thinking dictates...
- 2/3/2014
- by Catherine Bennett
- The Guardian - Film News
A stern moralist may say one shouldn't need celebrity endorsement of good causes – but in the real world, it's wise to exalt the likes of Angelina Jolie
The term "celebrity culture" does to celebrity what "materialism" does to shopping: dismisses the whole thing as banal and evil. The only way clever people do celebrity is ironically: the chosen approach of many a smart, biting columnist, who wants to let you know she too has been thinking of Harry Styles, but only ironically, thankfully (given the degree from Balliol).
The elite implication is that there is something demeaning and childish about the need to hero-worship or dwell on a famous person who is our contemporary but who doesn't know us: it seems passive and inferior, a confession of inadequacy, a proof that we are insufficiently engaged with our own projects and have chosen to "escape" from our lives because we have...
The term "celebrity culture" does to celebrity what "materialism" does to shopping: dismisses the whole thing as banal and evil. The only way clever people do celebrity is ironically: the chosen approach of many a smart, biting columnist, who wants to let you know she too has been thinking of Harry Styles, but only ironically, thankfully (given the degree from Balliol).
The elite implication is that there is something demeaning and childish about the need to hero-worship or dwell on a famous person who is our contemporary but who doesn't know us: it seems passive and inferior, a confession of inadequacy, a proof that we are insufficiently engaged with our own projects and have chosen to "escape" from our lives because we have...
- 1/31/2014
- by Alain de Botton
- The Guardian - Film News
Friday, January 24
No Country for Old Men - 11.25pm, Film 4
Before he was touching up James Bond as the murderous Raoul Silva in Skyfall, Javier Bardem played a ruthless assassin in this critically acclaimed thriller. Vietnam War veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles across the aftermath of a drug deal gone sour and makes off with a suitcase containing $2 million. Bardem stars as the psychopathic killer trying to track him down.
Saturday, January 25
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - 8.15pm, BBC Three
Moodier than the first film in the series, Prince Caspian takes place a year after the Pevensies all fell out of the wardrobe - but when they re-enter the world of Narnia they discover that 1,400 years have passed. Stealing every scene he's in is Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep: a giant, talking CGI rat with a penchant for swordplay. Now there's a sentence you don't see every day.
No Country for Old Men - 11.25pm, Film 4
Before he was touching up James Bond as the murderous Raoul Silva in Skyfall, Javier Bardem played a ruthless assassin in this critically acclaimed thriller. Vietnam War veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles across the aftermath of a drug deal gone sour and makes off with a suitcase containing $2 million. Bardem stars as the psychopathic killer trying to track him down.
Saturday, January 25
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - 8.15pm, BBC Three
Moodier than the first film in the series, Prince Caspian takes place a year after the Pevensies all fell out of the wardrobe - but when they re-enter the world of Narnia they discover that 1,400 years have passed. Stealing every scene he's in is Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep: a giant, talking CGI rat with a penchant for swordplay. Now there's a sentence you don't see every day.
- 1/24/2014
- Digital Spy
Competing at this year's Oscars in the best Short Film Live Action category is Aquel no era yo (That Wasn't Me), written and directed by Esteban Crespo and set in Sierra Leon. Described as a story of redemption, the Spanish film tells the story of Paula (Alejandra Lorente), a social worker from Spain who follows her boyfriend to Sierra Leone to aid and rescue child soldiers. During tumultuous circumstances, Paula crosses paths and bonds with a child soldier named Kaney (Juan Tojaka). Here's the full synopsis: The short film Aquel No Era Yo (That wasn’t me), written and directed by Spanish director Esteban Crespo, tells the story of Paula and Kaney. Two characters, an African...
- 1/17/2014
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Lynne Cameron/Pa Archive/Press Association Images
Mohamed Bangura has returned to Lennoxtown Training Centre following his 1 year loan trip at Elfsborg, and the man from Sierra Leone has quite a bit to answer for. I’ll try not to criticise Mo too harshly, he plays for our green and white Hoops after all and we Celtic fans don’t like to put our own players down. However, it’s fair to say he’s been one of our more controversial signings. Despite Lennon giving Bangura his full backing recently, are the fans going to welcome him back as easily?
It’s been just over 20 months since Bangura last played for Celtic (in a 1-0 win over St Johnstone, 3rd May 2012) due to his loan stints over in Sweden, but he has not exactly proven much of the hype that surrounded him as he became a Celtic player back in...
Mohamed Bangura has returned to Lennoxtown Training Centre following his 1 year loan trip at Elfsborg, and the man from Sierra Leone has quite a bit to answer for. I’ll try not to criticise Mo too harshly, he plays for our green and white Hoops after all and we Celtic fans don’t like to put our own players down. However, it’s fair to say he’s been one of our more controversial signings. Despite Lennon giving Bangura his full backing recently, are the fans going to welcome him back as easily?
It’s been just over 20 months since Bangura last played for Celtic (in a 1-0 win over St Johnstone, 3rd May 2012) due to his loan stints over in Sweden, but he has not exactly proven much of the hype that surrounded him as he became a Celtic player back in...
- 1/14/2014
- by Mark James Cassidy
- Obsessed with Film
Belle
The 2014 Athena Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of narrative, documentary and short films.
The New York Premiere of Belle, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and directed by Amma Asante, is the Athena Film Festival’s Opening Film, screening on Thursday evening. Decoding Annie Parker, starring Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton and directed by Steven Bernstein, is the festival’s Centerpiece Film, and will be screened on Friday evening. Geraldine Ferraro: Paving The Way, directed by her daughter, Donna Zaccaro, is the festival’s Closing Film, screening on Sunday evening.
The festival honors extraordinary women in the film industry and showcases films that address women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. Now in its fourth year, the festival runs from Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, February 9 on the Barnard College campus in Morningside Heights. Artemis Rising Foundation is the Founding Sponsor of the Festival.
The Book Thief
Among...
The 2014 Athena Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of narrative, documentary and short films.
The New York Premiere of Belle, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and directed by Amma Asante, is the Athena Film Festival’s Opening Film, screening on Thursday evening. Decoding Annie Parker, starring Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton and directed by Steven Bernstein, is the festival’s Centerpiece Film, and will be screened on Friday evening. Geraldine Ferraro: Paving The Way, directed by her daughter, Donna Zaccaro, is the festival’s Closing Film, screening on Sunday evening.
The festival honors extraordinary women in the film industry and showcases films that address women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. Now in its fourth year, the festival runs from Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, February 9 on the Barnard College campus in Morningside Heights. Artemis Rising Foundation is the Founding Sponsor of the Festival.
The Book Thief
Among...
- 1/7/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Affrm + Array Releasing have announced the Netflix streaming release of Neil Drumming's crowd-pleasing, nostalgic dramedy, Big Words, starting today, January 6, 2014.Drumming's lauded Slamdance 2013 Official Selection enjoyed an international tour last year, that saw it released theatrically in the USA, followed by UK and Sierra Leone playdates. The Brooklyn-set Big Words centers on members of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30's, struggling with regret, disappointment and change, set against the backdrop of Election Night, 2008 - when Barack Obama was elected. The film stars Dorian Missick, Yaya Alafia, Gbenga...
- 1/6/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The topic of bridging the gap between Africa and the Americas is one of main interest to this site; it is a subject that fuels our passion in regards to the African diaspora. Therefore, it's no wonder we have been eagerly anticipating the fascinating new documentary They Are We, which follows the journey to the encounter between an Afro-Cuban family and their African ancestors in Sierra Leone. They Are We, directed by Emma Christopher, held an exclusive premiere in Havana, Cuba earlier this month. And according to its Facebook page, They will premiere stateside on the festival circuit next month at the San Diego Black Film Festival (although its full slate hasn't...
- 12/27/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Kanye West may dry hump Kim Kardashian in the "Bound 2" video, but a former child star says he's the one getting screwed in the song ... claiming Yeezus stole a sample from his old track and never paid up.The guy behind the lawsuit is Ricky Spicer -- an ex-member of the '70s soul group, "Ponderosa Twins Plus One" ... which recorded a song called "Bound" back in 1970. Spicer, who was 12 years old when he laid down the track,...
- 12/24/2013
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
As curator of the director’s eye project for lettera27 Foundation, I spoke with director and producer Victoria Thomas about internet platforms and crowdfunding. Victoria is from Sierra Leone and was raised in the UK, where she now lives and works. She is currently working on a new feature script, called "Kiloshe," and is also developing and launching a new internet platform called Trigah.com. The interview is the second part of a series of discussions with female African directors that focuses on funding and production strategies for contemporary cinema.Vanessa Lanari: Victoria, you are developing and launching a new film platform on the internet called Trigah.com. What is Trigah and...
- 12/13/2013
- by Vanessa Lanari
- ShadowAndAct
Michaela DePrince proudly declares herself a 'poppy among the daffodils', as Precious Adams reveals she was advised by a teacher to lighten her skin
One of the most extraordinary stories told in Bess Kargman's 2011 documentary First Position is of Michaela DePrince, the young girl horrifically orphaned by the civil war in Sierra Leone, who was inspired to become a ballerina after seeing a photograph of a dancer in an old torn magazine.
After DePrince was rescued from Sierra Leone, her adoptive American family willed her on to fulfill her ambition. Kargman's documentary only tracks DePrince to the point where she wins a prize to attend the American Ballet Theatre School: but since then she has embarked on a full professional career, first with Dance Theatre of Harlem, and then with Dutch National Ballet.
In the admirable interview posted here, DePrince combines a moving dedication to her art form, with...
One of the most extraordinary stories told in Bess Kargman's 2011 documentary First Position is of Michaela DePrince, the young girl horrifically orphaned by the civil war in Sierra Leone, who was inspired to become a ballerina after seeing a photograph of a dancer in an old torn magazine.
After DePrince was rescued from Sierra Leone, her adoptive American family willed her on to fulfill her ambition. Kargman's documentary only tracks DePrince to the point where she wins a prize to attend the American Ballet Theatre School: but since then she has embarked on a full professional career, first with Dance Theatre of Harlem, and then with Dutch National Ballet.
In the admirable interview posted here, DePrince combines a moving dedication to her art form, with...
- 11/28/2013
- by Judith Mackrell
- The Guardian - Film News
Idris Elba is mostly known to American audiences for his role as Russell "Stringer" Bell in HBO's hit series "The Wire" and as the titular cop in the BBC drama "Luther" -- but that's starting to change. Earlier this month, he reprised his role as the hulking Asgardian gatekeeper Heimdall in Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World," and he plays -- or, rather, embodies -- South African leader Nelson Mandela in the upcoming biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," directed by Justin Chadwick ("The Other Boleyn Girl") and co-starring Naomie Harris ( "Skyfall").
In "Mandela," Elba tackles the icon's life, from his formative days as an anti-apartheid activist to his subsequent arrest, imprisonment, and groundbreaking election as president of South Africa.
Moviefone sat down with Elba earlier this month, just after the release of "Thor: The Dark World," and chatted with the actor about portraying an icon in "Mandela," his planned homecoming trip to Africa,...
In "Mandela," Elba tackles the icon's life, from his formative days as an anti-apartheid activist to his subsequent arrest, imprisonment, and groundbreaking election as president of South Africa.
Moviefone sat down with Elba earlier this month, just after the release of "Thor: The Dark World," and chatted with the actor about portraying an icon in "Mandela," his planned homecoming trip to Africa,...
- 11/27/2013
- by Tim Hayne
- Moviefone
“Great men are forged in fire.
It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame.
Whatever the cost.”
The Warrior Doctor (John Hurt), The Day of the Doctor, November 23, 2013
After all the press, after all the hype, after a week of BBC America’s Doctor Who Takeover, I was really afraid that actual episode was going to suck, that I was going to be miserably let down, wretchedly disappointed.
I. Was. Absolutely. Completely. Totally. Utterly. Positively.
Blown. Away.
The whole wide world became the whole wide Whovian world yesterday, as the BBC simulcast The Day Of The Doctor in over 75 countries – Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, the Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, the Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland,...
It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame.
Whatever the cost.”
The Warrior Doctor (John Hurt), The Day of the Doctor, November 23, 2013
After all the press, after all the hype, after a week of BBC America’s Doctor Who Takeover, I was really afraid that actual episode was going to suck, that I was going to be miserably let down, wretchedly disappointed.
I. Was. Absolutely. Completely. Totally. Utterly. Positively.
Blown. Away.
The whole wide world became the whole wide Whovian world yesterday, as the BBC simulcast The Day Of The Doctor in over 75 countries – Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, the Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, the Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland,...
- 11/25/2013
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
This past Friday Lionsgate held a press day for the highly anticipated second film in the Hunger Games trilogy, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Wamg was there.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson). Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on...
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson). Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on...
- 11/14/2013
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The twelfth edition of Open Doors, supported by the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s Agency for Development and Cooperation (Sdc), will be dedicated to Sub-Saharan African cinema, following the spotlight on Francophone African countries in 2012. 2014 will cover the following nations, which did not participate in 2012: Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Festival will select a dozen projects from the region to participate in Open Doors...
- 11/6/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Organized by Film Independent and the Lmu School of Film and Television in collaboration with Lacma, the film series Camera's d'Afrique has brought some of the best films from West Africa to audiences in Los Angeles.The series curator, Elvis Mitchell, a respected film critic and radio host of Kcrw's The Treatment, selected films from the region that best exemplify the continent's ancient storytelling traditions and that showcase the filmmakers' unique vision.
The series, running until the end of October, opened with the U.S. Premier of Cannes winner Grigris, a Chadian film from veteran director Mahamat Saleh Haroun, and which is now the countries Official Selection for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Mitchell expressed his excitement to bring these unique perspectives in World Cinema to Los Angeles and hopes that, if successful, the program can explore other regions of the African continent and even the world in future editions.
Read more about Cameras d'Afrique Here
Carlos Aguilar: Could you talk about the approach, and the selection process of the films, I had the chance to watch Grigris, during the opening night, which was great. How did you choose these films?
Elvis Mitchell: Grigris was pretty terrific wasn’t it? It all started with Steve Ujlaki, he is the dean at the Lmu Film School, and he wanted to do a project where we would bring some films over from the Fespaco Film Festival in Burkina Faso but we weren’t able to attend. We wanted to bring films from that festival, so that helped us to focus on West Africa and that part of the world. The problem is that Africa is an enormous continent, and there are so many different films being made in all those countries, so it made it easier for us, in terms of the selection process, to concentrate on films that came from that part of the continent.
Aguilar: Specifically speaking about Grigris, now that it is Chad’s Official Submission for the Academy Awards, how do you think an international audience will receive it?
Mitchell: First of all I think Haroun is a world-class filmmaker; he is basically the Chadian film industry. I think it is such a great piece of filmmaking. It starts off, and you think you are going to get one film, it starts off with all that energy, you get to see Soulémane Démé take to the screen like a movie star, and then it becomes a whole other different story. All his films have been about these lives in transition and this ambition to do something better with your life. I think this kind of encapsulates what he does so beautifully. I think in visual terms it is such a great film to watch. It won the Vulcan Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and I’m just thrilled that finally Chad is getting around to submitting a film. I can’t think of anybody who deserves the nomination as much as Haroun does.
The film demands that kind of attention, what I can tell you about the audience’s reactions to the film afterwards, us that people couldn’t stop talking about it. It was one of those great experiences at Lacma where people were just buzzing about it in the lobby afterwards. People want to stand around talking to other people about it, and that’s when I knew we had something remarkable, which of course is kind of obvious once you see the film. It deserves that kid of attention that it would get just by virtue of being nominated.
Aguilar: More than anything, Grigris is a film about hope. Sometimes it feels like people associate African stories with mere survival and films like the ones you have chosen don’t always get the attention they deserve. Of all the films that you considered, what attracted you to these selection?
Mitchell: Another thing about Grigris is that Haroun has made a career out of picking faces for his movies that have never acted before, but you never know that. Everybody in Grigris takes to the camera as if they were veteran actors and born to the medium. I think that is part of the excitement in seeing that movie. Specially seeing it in a theater in the United States for the first time. I think the excitement is transmitted to the audience, and the audience is infected by it. That was the thing I had in mind when we were selecting the films for the series, I just wanted people to get that kind of sense of sheer pleasure and acceleration that the filmmakers get from making these films. Filmmakers who think to the camera like Wong Kar-wai or Del Toro, these filmmakers, not just Americans, can transmute what they think to the camera, and Haroun is one of them. L’Absence by Mama Keita is another one of those films, I think all the films that are in the series are movies that do that, movies that you just basically get caught up in watching them.
Aguilar: Are there any plans to expand this project and do series on films from other regions of the world, or other parts of Africa?
Mitchell: Certainly we want to. We are looking at this first year of Cameras d’Afrique as just a way to introduce audiences to the idea, anything like this takes a while to catch on. Especially when it’s a part of the world that people don’t really know about, and unfortunately people don’t tend to think of Africa as a place for filmmakers. Like I said in my introduction, there is a storytelling tradition in Africa that’s older than in any other place in the world. I think there is a thrill in seeing that storytelling tradition combined with a relatively new technology as cinema for them. Hopefully we get some traction this year, hopefully we get enough attention, and audiences so we can do this again next year with another region of the continent and start looking to other places as well.
It’s funny that coming out of some screenings people said to me “Are they going to be more films from Mauritania? What about other parts of West Africa?” and I said “We are doing this a step at a time” The more success we have with this, the better place we will be for having more of these movies, and from other regions next time. It’d be great to have films from Cape Verde or Sierra Leone, but we do have films from Mali, Mauritania, and the Ivory Coast. I’m so excited about the idea of being able to continue this and moving on to another part of the continent for next year.
Aguilar: How would you summarize the Cameras d’Afrique series? What makes the films of this region unique or special in comparison to other currents in World Cinema?
Mitchell: There are storytelling traditions that come from Africa that are unique from anywhere else. We had a filmmaker from Burkina Faso, Idriss Diabate, and he was saying his last name, Diabate, is an old Burkina Faso name and it means storyteller. His very name lends itself to that tradition of storytelling. Each country has its own way of communicating a narrative and through that expressing family experiences in emotional stories. With these films we have a chance to see how there are differences, some are subtle, some not so subtle between each of the areas. Just the idea of seeing a type of narrative we’ve not seen before is a chance to be surprised. I think that’s what audiences want, to be stimulated by films and I think that’s what each of these films do in ways that maybe are new and unique to American audiences.
The takeaway is to remember how up everybody was after Grigris, that’s when I felt we had done something right. People didn’t want to leave, they wanted to share this with the people they’ve just seen it with “What did you think of that scene? What did you think of her? Wasn’t she a different person when she took that wig off? “ Everybody had something to say about it, and I think thus far that has been the reaction to all the films we’ve shown. We are hoping that is the reaction to everything we play so audiences can feel like they trust these films coming from a part of the world that they don’t know enough about and just come and take a chance on something new.
The series, running until the end of October, opened with the U.S. Premier of Cannes winner Grigris, a Chadian film from veteran director Mahamat Saleh Haroun, and which is now the countries Official Selection for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Mitchell expressed his excitement to bring these unique perspectives in World Cinema to Los Angeles and hopes that, if successful, the program can explore other regions of the African continent and even the world in future editions.
Read more about Cameras d'Afrique Here
Carlos Aguilar: Could you talk about the approach, and the selection process of the films, I had the chance to watch Grigris, during the opening night, which was great. How did you choose these films?
Elvis Mitchell: Grigris was pretty terrific wasn’t it? It all started with Steve Ujlaki, he is the dean at the Lmu Film School, and he wanted to do a project where we would bring some films over from the Fespaco Film Festival in Burkina Faso but we weren’t able to attend. We wanted to bring films from that festival, so that helped us to focus on West Africa and that part of the world. The problem is that Africa is an enormous continent, and there are so many different films being made in all those countries, so it made it easier for us, in terms of the selection process, to concentrate on films that came from that part of the continent.
Aguilar: Specifically speaking about Grigris, now that it is Chad’s Official Submission for the Academy Awards, how do you think an international audience will receive it?
Mitchell: First of all I think Haroun is a world-class filmmaker; he is basically the Chadian film industry. I think it is such a great piece of filmmaking. It starts off, and you think you are going to get one film, it starts off with all that energy, you get to see Soulémane Démé take to the screen like a movie star, and then it becomes a whole other different story. All his films have been about these lives in transition and this ambition to do something better with your life. I think this kind of encapsulates what he does so beautifully. I think in visual terms it is such a great film to watch. It won the Vulcan Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and I’m just thrilled that finally Chad is getting around to submitting a film. I can’t think of anybody who deserves the nomination as much as Haroun does.
The film demands that kind of attention, what I can tell you about the audience’s reactions to the film afterwards, us that people couldn’t stop talking about it. It was one of those great experiences at Lacma where people were just buzzing about it in the lobby afterwards. People want to stand around talking to other people about it, and that’s when I knew we had something remarkable, which of course is kind of obvious once you see the film. It deserves that kid of attention that it would get just by virtue of being nominated.
Aguilar: More than anything, Grigris is a film about hope. Sometimes it feels like people associate African stories with mere survival and films like the ones you have chosen don’t always get the attention they deserve. Of all the films that you considered, what attracted you to these selection?
Mitchell: Another thing about Grigris is that Haroun has made a career out of picking faces for his movies that have never acted before, but you never know that. Everybody in Grigris takes to the camera as if they were veteran actors and born to the medium. I think that is part of the excitement in seeing that movie. Specially seeing it in a theater in the United States for the first time. I think the excitement is transmitted to the audience, and the audience is infected by it. That was the thing I had in mind when we were selecting the films for the series, I just wanted people to get that kind of sense of sheer pleasure and acceleration that the filmmakers get from making these films. Filmmakers who think to the camera like Wong Kar-wai or Del Toro, these filmmakers, not just Americans, can transmute what they think to the camera, and Haroun is one of them. L’Absence by Mama Keita is another one of those films, I think all the films that are in the series are movies that do that, movies that you just basically get caught up in watching them.
Aguilar: Are there any plans to expand this project and do series on films from other regions of the world, or other parts of Africa?
Mitchell: Certainly we want to. We are looking at this first year of Cameras d’Afrique as just a way to introduce audiences to the idea, anything like this takes a while to catch on. Especially when it’s a part of the world that people don’t really know about, and unfortunately people don’t tend to think of Africa as a place for filmmakers. Like I said in my introduction, there is a storytelling tradition in Africa that’s older than in any other place in the world. I think there is a thrill in seeing that storytelling tradition combined with a relatively new technology as cinema for them. Hopefully we get some traction this year, hopefully we get enough attention, and audiences so we can do this again next year with another region of the continent and start looking to other places as well.
It’s funny that coming out of some screenings people said to me “Are they going to be more films from Mauritania? What about other parts of West Africa?” and I said “We are doing this a step at a time” The more success we have with this, the better place we will be for having more of these movies, and from other regions next time. It’d be great to have films from Cape Verde or Sierra Leone, but we do have films from Mali, Mauritania, and the Ivory Coast. I’m so excited about the idea of being able to continue this and moving on to another part of the continent for next year.
Aguilar: How would you summarize the Cameras d’Afrique series? What makes the films of this region unique or special in comparison to other currents in World Cinema?
Mitchell: There are storytelling traditions that come from Africa that are unique from anywhere else. We had a filmmaker from Burkina Faso, Idriss Diabate, and he was saying his last name, Diabate, is an old Burkina Faso name and it means storyteller. His very name lends itself to that tradition of storytelling. Each country has its own way of communicating a narrative and through that expressing family experiences in emotional stories. With these films we have a chance to see how there are differences, some are subtle, some not so subtle between each of the areas. Just the idea of seeing a type of narrative we’ve not seen before is a chance to be surprised. I think that’s what audiences want, to be stimulated by films and I think that’s what each of these films do in ways that maybe are new and unique to American audiences.
The takeaway is to remember how up everybody was after Grigris, that’s when I felt we had done something right. People didn’t want to leave, they wanted to share this with the people they’ve just seen it with “What did you think of that scene? What did you think of her? Wasn’t she a different person when she took that wig off? “ Everybody had something to say about it, and I think thus far that has been the reaction to all the films we’ve shown. We are hoping that is the reaction to everything we play so audiences can feel like they trust these films coming from a part of the world that they don’t know enough about and just come and take a chance on something new.
- 10/25/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The 12th edition of Locarno’s Open Doors co-production forum to focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Open Doors co-production lab will take run from August 9-12 as part of the 67th Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16, 2014).
According to the festival: “Open Doors aims to support and highlight films and filmmakers from the South and the East, where independent filmmaking is vulnerable, via a focus on a different region every year.”
The next edition will explore Sub-Saharan Africa, following the spotlight on Francophone African countries in 2012.
It will cover the following nations, which did not participate in 2012: Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Festival will select a dozen projects from the region to participate in Open Doors in a bid to bring the finalist projects’ directors and producers together...
The Open Doors co-production lab will take run from August 9-12 as part of the 67th Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16, 2014).
According to the festival: “Open Doors aims to support and highlight films and filmmakers from the South and the East, where independent filmmaking is vulnerable, via a focus on a different region every year.”
The next edition will explore Sub-Saharan Africa, following the spotlight on Francophone African countries in 2012.
It will cover the following nations, which did not participate in 2012: Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Festival will select a dozen projects from the region to participate in Open Doors in a bid to bring the finalist projects’ directors and producers together...
- 10/14/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Yo! Listen up! I'll make this short and sweet! Nikyatu Jusu (you know her, right?) is fundraising for her feature film debut, a thriller she compares to contemporary classics like City Of God and Amores Perros, titled Free The Town, set in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Simple premise: the lives of 3 strangers collide in the midst of witch-hunting "season" in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Amongst its early accolades, the script was one of 10 projects selected for Film Independent's 11th annual Fast Track program at the Los Angeles Film Festival, this year, and was also picked for the 4th edition of the Durban FilmMart, in July. Nikyatu needs to raise $15,000 in...
- 10/8/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
(1945-53, StudioCanal, PG)
A public school boy from the professional middle-class, the ruggedly handsome Trevor Howard (1913-88) was the first new British star to emerge after the second world war, usually playing middle-class professionals – doctors, lawyers, military men, colonial officials. He was, however, Oscar-nominated as Paul Morel's hard-drinking, working-class father in Sons and Lovers (1960).
His movie career lasted more than 40 years, but his most memorable star parts came early on. Five of these are in this excellent box set, starting with his decent doctor caught up in a chaste but passionate affair with housewife Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter (1945), a classic example of British understatement, and the first of his three films with David Lean. This is followed by his cynical intelligence officer pursuing black marketeer Harry Lime through the sewers of postwar Vienna in the Carol Reed-Graham Greene masterpiece The Third Man (1949).
In the third film,...
A public school boy from the professional middle-class, the ruggedly handsome Trevor Howard (1913-88) was the first new British star to emerge after the second world war, usually playing middle-class professionals – doctors, lawyers, military men, colonial officials. He was, however, Oscar-nominated as Paul Morel's hard-drinking, working-class father in Sons and Lovers (1960).
His movie career lasted more than 40 years, but his most memorable star parts came early on. Five of these are in this excellent box set, starting with his decent doctor caught up in a chaste but passionate affair with housewife Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter (1945), a classic example of British understatement, and the first of his three films with David Lean. This is followed by his cynical intelligence officer pursuing black marketeer Harry Lime through the sewers of postwar Vienna in the Carol Reed-Graham Greene masterpiece The Third Man (1949).
In the third film,...
- 10/5/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
News Louisa Mellor 1 Oct 2013 - 22:30
Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special is confirmed to be broadcasting simultaneously around the world and in UK cinemas...
Consider this a shoring up of expected news rather than a big, ground-breaking announcement, but it's good to have the official word all the same.
The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, will indeed be simultaneously broadcast to at least 75 countries around the world from Europe and the Us, to Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. See the full list of countries, which is still being added to, below:
Europe Germany (Fox), Finland (Yle), Poland (BBC Entertainment), Russia (Karousel and Nks)
North America USA (BBC America), Canada (Space)
Latin America (on BBC Entertainment and BBC HD) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay,...
Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special is confirmed to be broadcasting simultaneously around the world and in UK cinemas...
Consider this a shoring up of expected news rather than a big, ground-breaking announcement, but it's good to have the official word all the same.
The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, will indeed be simultaneously broadcast to at least 75 countries around the world from Europe and the Us, to Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. See the full list of countries, which is still being added to, below:
Europe Germany (Fox), Finland (Yle), Poland (BBC Entertainment), Russia (Karousel and Nks)
North America USA (BBC America), Canada (Space)
Latin America (on BBC Entertainment and BBC HD) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay,...
- 10/1/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
New York based filmmaker Mojisola Sonoiki, who is also the founder of the Women of Color Arts & Film (Wocaf) Festival in Atlanta, has just released the first episode of her new interview web series entitled Indigo Voices.The premise behind the series is “to showcase influential game changers from Africa and the Diaspora, exploring with them their unique challenges of excelling at what they do in “developing” nations.”And this first segment of the series “Women in Media” will feature interviews with women in the media from Nigeria, Kenya, Jamaica, Sierra Leone and Guadeloupe.The debut interview profiles Funmi Iyanda who is Nigeria’s foremost TV host and internationally recognized...
- 9/25/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
In 341 robberies, the Pink Panther gang have stolen jewels worth £276m. But who are they? Havana Marking meets them
Hidden cameras on the walls of the exclusive Wafi shopping mall in Dubai captured, in 2007, two Audi S8s smashing through its glass doors. The first – white with silver wheels – crashes through in reverse, while the second – a black car with a woman at the wheel – drives head on. The white car pauses briefly as a man in a black bodysuit and balaclava jumps out before the driver hits the gas again. You have to imagine the screeching of tyres as they speed on through the public atrium and reverse the car into the door of the Graff jewellery store.
The man in black runs into the shop and another joins him; both are carrying revolvers in one hand and small pickaxes in the other, and have pouches attached to their bodies.
Hidden cameras on the walls of the exclusive Wafi shopping mall in Dubai captured, in 2007, two Audi S8s smashing through its glass doors. The first – white with silver wheels – crashes through in reverse, while the second – a black car with a woman at the wheel – drives head on. The white car pauses briefly as a man in a black bodysuit and balaclava jumps out before the driver hits the gas again. You have to imagine the screeching of tyres as they speed on through the public atrium and reverse the car into the door of the Graff jewellery store.
The man in black runs into the shop and another joins him; both are carrying revolvers in one hand and small pickaxes in the other, and have pouches attached to their bodies.
- 9/22/2013
- by Havana Marking
- The Guardian - Film News
To mark the release of the Trevor Howard Box Set on 23rd September. We’ve been given three copies to give away. The box set contains numerous classic movies including Brief Encounter, The Third Man (Special Edition), Odette, Outcast of the Islands and Heart of the Matter.
The inimitable, gravelly voiced Trevor Howard was one of Britain’s finest character actors, and an important figure in post-war British cinema. With a career spanning over 40 years, on both stage and screen, Howard starred in some of the finest films in cinematic history. A celebrated actor within the industry he was Oscar, Bafta, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated many times for his work, winning twice.
This collection brings together some of his finest work, with five of the very best films from his illustrious career. The much loved classic Brief Encounter, directed by Noël Coward, was the film that launched his career,...
The inimitable, gravelly voiced Trevor Howard was one of Britain’s finest character actors, and an important figure in post-war British cinema. With a career spanning over 40 years, on both stage and screen, Howard starred in some of the finest films in cinematic history. A celebrated actor within the industry he was Oscar, Bafta, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated many times for his work, winning twice.
This collection brings together some of his finest work, with five of the very best films from his illustrious career. The much loved classic Brief Encounter, directed by Noël Coward, was the film that launched his career,...
- 9/13/2013
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
This Golden Globe winner for his role as troubled detective John Luther on the BBC drama Luther also portrays iconic South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela in the upcoming biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Here are five things you may not know about this versatile British star!
1. Born September 6, 1972 in London, England. His parents were both from Africa -- his father from Sierra Leone and his mother from Ghana.
Pics: Star Sightings
2. Told Details magazine that while growing up in Britain, he learned a lot about American culture by watching classic TV shows including Happy Days, Magnum P.I. ane Starsky & Hutch.
3. Is also a music producer, lyricist and vocalist and performs as a DJ under the name Big Driis the Londoner. He even shares a co-producing credit for working on Jay-z's 2007 album American Gangster.
Video: Idris Elba: Mandela Role Was 'Massive Challenge'
4. If he wasn't an actor, has said he'd...
1. Born September 6, 1972 in London, England. His parents were both from Africa -- his father from Sierra Leone and his mother from Ghana.
Pics: Star Sightings
2. Told Details magazine that while growing up in Britain, he learned a lot about American culture by watching classic TV shows including Happy Days, Magnum P.I. ane Starsky & Hutch.
3. Is also a music producer, lyricist and vocalist and performs as a DJ under the name Big Driis the Londoner. He even shares a co-producing credit for working on Jay-z's 2007 album American Gangster.
Video: Idris Elba: Mandela Role Was 'Massive Challenge'
4. If he wasn't an actor, has said he'd...
- 9/10/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
World Bank study recommends 51 films using development as a plot device - sometimes at expense of accuracy and complexity
International development is just about at the bottom of the list of things that the average westerner thinks about each day. News organisations are closing their foreign bureaus. One of the big Us television networks turned down more money for global health reporting after a series, entirely funded by grants, led to a dip in viewers. In other words ratings were so bad that the network turned down millions of dollars. It is that tough.
Aside from advocacy efforts like (the much-criticised) Kony 2012 and Oxfam advertisements, how do people learn about the world around them? The answer could be Hollywood. Reporting on Africa does not get much attention in the Us, but a film staring Leonardo DiCaprio about Sierra Leone does.
A film like Blood Diamond, setting aside its problems, brings...
International development is just about at the bottom of the list of things that the average westerner thinks about each day. News organisations are closing their foreign bureaus. One of the big Us television networks turned down more money for global health reporting after a series, entirely funded by grants, led to a dip in viewers. In other words ratings were so bad that the network turned down millions of dollars. It is that tough.
Aside from advocacy efforts like (the much-criticised) Kony 2012 and Oxfam advertisements, how do people learn about the world around them? The answer could be Hollywood. Reporting on Africa does not get much attention in the Us, but a film staring Leonardo DiCaprio about Sierra Leone does.
A film like Blood Diamond, setting aside its problems, brings...
- 9/5/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
The Englishman lands Behind Enemy Lines, Die Hard 5 director John Moore for adaptation of Will Scully book. John Moore will direct The Englishman which will be filmed in South Africa early next year, reports Variety. The film is based on the 1997 book written by Will Scully called "Once a Pilgrim: The True Story of One Man's Courage Under Rebel Fire." Budget for the Foresight Unlimited and Envision Entertainment produced-and-financed project is in the $30 million range. Mark Damon, Benedict Carver, James Gibb. Tim Paternel and John Moore produce. The Englishman tells of ex-Special Air Service soldier Scully and his regiment called the "Pilgrims" who evacuated civilians during a coup which took place in Sierra Leone.
- 8/9/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The last time he filmed the story of a man dealing with events spiralling out of control, director John Moore made A Good Day To Die Hard. But Africa-set action drama The Englishman promises to be something very different from Bruce Willis running around Russia kvetching at Russians.Terminator 2’s William Wisher has adapted the script from former Sas soldier Will Scully’s book Once A Pilgrim: The True Story Of One Man’s Courage Under Rebel Fire. That's not an unauthorized biography of a Tie Fighter pilot but the story of Scully’s efforts to help the hopeless during a military coup in Sierra Leone.Scully, along with his former regiment the “Pilgrims,” evacuated civilians as the conflict raged around him. “The Englishman is one of those rare stories, the details and circumstance of which are so bizarre and mesmerizing, it created a compulsion in us to tell it,...
- 8/8/2013
- EmpireOnline
I’m not a businessman / I’m a business, man! —“Diamonds From Sierra Leone” Last week, the twelfth solo studio album by the rapper Jay-z, Magna Carta … Holy Grail, burst forth from a cloud of calculated obfuscation. The release came with little of the usual promotional buildup: no radio single, no Rolling Stone cover. Instead, it was announced via a three-minute commercial during game five of the NBA Finals. Shot in vérité style, the ad purported to show the artist in his studio, his Brooklyn Nets cap slung backward, as he made gnomic pronouncements to producers Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, and the graybeard Rick Rubin. “We need to write the new rules,” Jay-z declared. The nature of those rules was revealed in the spot’s final second, when the words Samsung Galaxy flashed on the screen. Viewers were directed to a website, where they could make out—amid stylized...
- 7/15/2013
- by Andrew Rice
- Vulture
Idris Elba goes from maverick cop Luther to commander in Guillermo del Toro's new film Pacific Rim. The actor is now a household name in the UK and Us thanks to his multiple roles in hits such as Ultraviolet and The Wire.
Elba's characters have a hit-first, ask-questions-later policy, but it's his wicked qualities that have kept fans hooked. Here, Digital Spy gives you ten things you might not have known about the Thor actor.
1. Idrissa Akuna Elba was born on September 6, 1972 in Hackney, London. His father Winston is from Sierra Leone and his mother Eve is from Ghana - they married in West Africa before moving to London.
2. After helping his uncle out at his wedding DJ business, Elba set up his own DJ company with his friends. This was the start of his love of music as he won a place at the National Youth Music Theatre...
Elba's characters have a hit-first, ask-questions-later policy, but it's his wicked qualities that have kept fans hooked. Here, Digital Spy gives you ten things you might not have known about the Thor actor.
1. Idrissa Akuna Elba was born on September 6, 1972 in Hackney, London. His father Winston is from Sierra Leone and his mother Eve is from Ghana - they married in West Africa before moving to London.
2. After helping his uncle out at his wedding DJ business, Elba set up his own DJ company with his friends. This was the start of his love of music as he won a place at the National Youth Music Theatre...
- 7/9/2013
- Digital Spy
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