News

Colombian auteur Ana Maria Hermida (“The Firefly”) is directing an all-star cast in Catalyst Studios’ “Alix.”

The film introduces Cristal Aparcio (“Enfermeras”) to international audiences in the title role of Alix. Based on Hermida’s script, the film also stars Natalia Reyes (“Terminator Dark Fate”), Roberto Urbina (“Snowpiercer”), Carlos Bardem (“El Cid”) and Carolina Guerra (“Animal Kingdom”). Principal photography has begun in the jungles of Rio Claro, Colombia.

A redemptive coming-of-age tale about the discovery of inner strength and new beginnings, the film is a magic realist tale that tells the story of Conejo (Urbina), a skilled soldier, and a young girl, Alix (Aparicio), who he recruits to be a child soldier in the Colombian jungle under the command of the charismatic Ramon (Bardem). Alix, innocent and optimistic, deals with the trauma of her hard circumstances by letting her imagination journey to a magical realm.

“Alix” is produced by Lemore Syvan,...

Network: TNT

Episodes: 75 (hour)

Seasons: Six

TV show dates: June 14, 2016 -- August 28, 2022

Series status: Ended

Performers include: Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Daniella Alonso, Molly Gordon, Carolina Guerra, Sohvi Rodriguez, Leila George, Jon Beavers, and Rigo Sanchez.

TV show description:

A gritty dramatic series, this TV show is inspired by the 2010 Australian movie of the same name. It revolves around a 17-year-old who moves in with relatives -- a family clan of criminals.

Joshua "J" Cody (Finn Cole) moves in with his freewheeling relatives in their Southern California beach town after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Thanks to the shielding of his mother, he hasn’t seen this family in over a decade. Surrounded by men (his uncles) for the...

"I've got the vision, I just need someone who can help me execute. Gravitas has released an official trailer for an action movie + crime thriller titled Narco Soldiers, which is about exactly what the title says it's about. Narco Soldiers is a timely, action-packed crime thriller that explores the resurgence of the Caribbean drug routes and one couple's violent, Bonnie and Clyde-style rise to power. Nothing more to this than just that. The film stars Rafael Amaya, Carolina Guerra, Ricardo Chavira, Rafael Amaya, and Carolina Guerra. There's actually more action in this trailer than I expected, but it still has all the cliche action junk tropes: guns galore, drugs, women, sex, violence, terrible dialogue. Same as always. This one you can ignore. Here's two official trailers (+ poster) for Felix Limardo's Narco Soldiers, direct from YouTube: Narco Soldiers is a timely, action-packed crime thriller that explores the resurgence of...

Vinny Chhibber (The Red Line) is set for a recurring role on the upcoming fourth season of TNT’s flagship drama series Animal Kingdom. Chhibber will portray Rahul, an arrogant billionaire used to getting what he wants; be it luxury items or women. When he’s told he can’t have something, he’ll spend any amount of money to have it. He enlists the help of Frankie (Dichen Lachman) and the Cody Boys. Berglund will play Olivia, a pretty, young, wealthy college freshman who shares a statistics class with ‘J’ (Finn Cole) and knows how to charm. Animal Kingdom stars Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody crime family, along with Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra. Chhibber will next be seen as a series regular on CBS’ The Red Line with Noah Wyle and Noel Fisher. His previous credits include the...

Kelli Berglund (Now Apocalypse) is set for a recurring role on the upcoming fourth season of TNT’s flagship drama series Animal Kingdom. Berglund will play Olivia, a pretty, young, wealthy college freshman who shares a statistics class with ‘J’ (Finn Cole) and knows how to charm. Animal Kingdom stars Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody crime family, along with Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra. Berglund will next be seen in a leading role on Starz’s upcoming coming-of-age comedy Now Apocalypse. She’s also set to guest star as a young Gwen Verdon on FX’s upcoming Fosse/Verdon limited series. Berglund is repped by United Talent Agency, Industry Entertainment and Bloom Hergott Diemer.

C. Thomas Howell has booked a recurring role on Season 2 of AMC’s anthology series The Terror. Co-created by Alexander Woo (True Blood) and Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island) with Woo,...

Emily Deschanel has joined the fourth season of TNT’s drama “Animal Kingdom” in her first TV role since “Bones” ended, TheWrap has learned.

Deschanel has signed on as a recurring guest star, playing Angela. Here is the official character description for the part: Recently released from prison, Angela is Julia’s (Pope’s deceased twin sister) former best friend, a recovering junkie who arrives at the Cody house trying to snake her way back into the family’s good graces. She’s a survivor, scrappy, manipulative and an addict. Angela’s history as Julia’s drug buddy gives her power, as she tries to seduce Pope (Shawn Hatosy), is hated by J (Finn Cole) and under suspicion by Smurf (Ellen Barkin).

The part marks Deschanel’s first TV role since she and David Boreanaz-led “Bones” wrapped its 12-season run on Fox in March 2017.

Also Read: 'Mortal Engines...

Exclusive: In her first TV role since the end of Bones, Emily Deschanel is set for a major season-long arc on the upcoming fourth season of TNT’s flagship drama series Animal Kingdom.

Deschanel will play the recurring role of Angela. Recently released from prison, Angela is Julia’s (Pope’s deceased twin sister) former best friend, a recovering junkie who arrives at the Cody house trying to snake her way back into the family’s good graces. She’s a survivor, scrappy, manipulative and an addict. Angela’s history as Julia’s drug buddy gives her power as she tries to seduce Pope (Shawn Hatosy), is hated by J (Finn Cole) and under suspicion by Smurf (Ellen Barkin).

Animal Kingdom stars Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody crime family, along with Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra.

Season 3 began with the...

Vulture Watch

Has the Cody family staved off the latest threat? Is the Animal Kingdom TV show cancelled or renewed for a fourth season on TNT? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Animal Kingdom, season four. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A TNT crime drama, Animal Kingdom stars Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, and Carolina Guerra. Denis Leary joins the main cast in season three as Billy, Deran's (Weary) drifter dad, who claims he has returned to atone for past sins. Last season closed with Baz (Speedman) framing Smurf (Barkin) for murder, then getting shot as he fled...

I’m standing in the middle of a downtown Los Angeles warehouse, wearing a bulletproof vest under my wardrobe, sweating. It’s mid-May 2018. The sun is setting.

Today I’m a first-time director on production day three of eight for TNT’s “Animal Kingdom,” currently in our third season. I’m also playing the role of Pope (a complicated psycho with a heart of gold).

Loren Yaconelli, our director of photography, taps me on my shoulder and points to a wall of west facing windows. “We have an hour and thirty minutes left to film in here…”, she whispers, then hustles off. This is s–ty news. I have at least three and a half hours worth of filming to complete this scene. There’s a good chance I’m not going to make my day, and it feels like everything is riding on this moment. My future directing career?...

The cunning Cody crime family is back in the third season of the Animal Kingdom TV show on TNT. Will viewers return? Although its demo ratings leave this TV series among the cable network's lower ranked originals, last year, it still drew a pretty good sized audience for Turner's drama outlet. How long will that suffice? Will Animal Kingdom be cancelled or renewed for season four? Stay tuned. **Status update below. A TNT crime drama, Animal Kingdom stars Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, and Carolina Guerra. Denis Leary joins the main cast in season three as Billy, Deran's (Weary) drifter dad, who claims he has returned to atone for past sins. Last season closed with Baz (Speedman) framing Smurf (Barkin) for murder, then getting shot as he fled for Mexico. The third season of...

Is the Cody family still good at being bad during the third season of the Animal Kingdom TV show on TNT? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether the TV show Animal Kingdom is cancelled or renewed for season four. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of the Animal Kingdom season three episodes. **Status update below. A TNT crime drama, Animal Kingdom stars Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, and Carolina Guerra. Denis Leary joins the main cast in season three as Billy, Deran’s (Weary) drifter dad, who claims he has returned to atone for past sins. Last...

Looks like the Cody family is still running the jungle. TNT has renewed the Animal Kingdom TV show for a fourth season, with a start date Tbd. The early renewal comes about halfway into Animal Kingdom season three ,and the ratings, which are up over last year, make it unsurprising. A TNT crime drama, Animal Kingdom stars Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, and Carolina Guerra. Denis Leary has joined the main cast in season three as Billy, Deran’s (Weary) drifter dad, who claims he has returned to atone for past sins. Inspired by the 2010 Australian movie of the same name, the series centers on a young man who has to move in with his criminal family. Read More…...

Coming off strong ratings for their season premieres, TNT has renewed hit drama series Animal Kingdom for a fourth season and Claws for a third go-round.

The two-night, two-telecast season three launch of Animal Kingdom drew 4.3M Total Viewers and 2 million 18-49 viewers so far in Live +7, with the premiere alone drawing 978,000 18-49 in L+7. The season two premiere of Claws drew 1.3 million 18-49 in L+7, up 38% from last year’s series debut. Season two is now tracking +9% ahead of season one, ranks among the top 5 cable dramas this year, and is currently posting the largest year-over-year growth among all returning cable dramas, according to TNT.

In digital views, Animal Kingdom‘s Season 3 premiere increased more than four times Yoy. On social, Animal Kingdom sparked more than one million engagements in its first week, up 18% Yoy. Digital views for Claws’ season premiere were more than two times higher Yoy, and...

TNT has renewed both “Claws” and “Animal Kingdom.” “Claws” will be returning for a third season while “Animal Kingdom” will be back for a fourth.

Season 3 of “Animal Kingdom,” stars Ellen Barkin, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, Carolina Guerra and special guest star Denis Leary. In last season’s finale, Baz (Scott Speedman) was shot while on his way to Mexico after framing Smurf (Barkin) for murder. His fate was revealed in the season premiere, which opens with Smurf still in jail and her grandson J (Cole) in charge of the family business. The Cody men find themselves increasingly divided as they fight for both control and their independence, but have to come together when outside threats emerge. Denis Leary made his series debut as Billy, Deran’s (Weary) drifter dad who comes back to make amends, but may have other motives.

The series is...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for TBS and TNT from Turner Networks. Comedy newcomer “The Last O.G.”, limited series “The Alienist” (Daniel Bruhl) and returning comedy “Search Party” (Alia Shawkat) are among the shows in their 2018 campaign.

SEEDakota Fanning (‘The Alienist’): ‘I tend to be drawn to darker subject matter’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Below, the list of TBS and TNT lead and supporting submissions for their comedies, dramas and limited series along with several other genres. More names might be added by the network before final Emmy paperwork deadlines. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

“AFI Tribute To Diane Keaton”

Variety Special

“The Alienist”

Limited Series

Movie/Limited Series Actor – Daniel Bruhl

Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actress – Dakota Fanning

Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor – Luke Evans, Ted Levine,...

In today’s roundup, YouTube Red ordered a pilot for a comedy series starring Danny Pudi, and Netflix released the trailer for the second season of “Dear White People.”

Dates

Netflix will launch a new documentary series in partnership with BuzzFeed titled “Follow This,” to premiere on July 9. In each 15-minute episode, BuzzFeed reporters invite viewers into their working lives as they explore stories on a variety of global and domestic topics. Participating BuzzFeed staffers include reporter Scaachi Koul, senior culture writer Bim Adewunmi, senior national correspondent John Stanton, reporter and podcast host Ahmed Ali Akbar, science reporter Azeen Ghorayshi, BuzzFeed India editor-in-chief Rega Jha, and senior tech writer Charlie Warzel.

“Golden State Killer Caught: People Magazine Investigates” will air Friday at 10 p.m. Et/Pt and Sunday at 8 p.m. Et/Pt on Investigation Discovery. The first installment of the investigative series’ sophomore season follows People editor-in-chief Jess Cagle...

The Cody crime family finds itself in deeper trouble as the third season of TNT’s “Animal Kingdom” returns. With Smurf (Ellen Barkin) in jail after being framed for murder by Baz (Scott Speedman), she has trusted her grandson J (Finn Cole) with control of the family business.

But the Cody men are divided on control — and have other problems as well, including the return of Billy (Denis Leary), the drifter dad of Deran (Jake Weary), who has his own motives.

Read More:Angie Tribeca’ Earns Fourth Season Renewal, While ‘Animal Kingdom’ Gets a Season 3 — Here’s When They’re Back

Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra also star in “Animal Kingdom,” which returns on Tuesday, May 29, at 9 p.m. Et on TNT. The show averaged 4.1 million viewers across multiple platforms in Season 2.

John Wells is executive producer on the series. “Animal Kingdom” was developed and executive produced...

In an evening of storytelling, formerly homeless individuals took center stage in Hancock Park throughout “Stories from the Frontline: Ending Homelessness through Supportive Housing.”

Through story, spoken word, and song, individuals shared their experiences on the path from struggle to resilience, in partnership with The Ebell of Los Angeles. With First Lady of Los Angeles Amy Elaine Wakeland as the guest speaker, the event also featured advocacy groups which enlisted volunteers on-site to take immediate action: Csh Speak Up!, Imagine La, Aviva Family and Children’s Services, The United Way, League of Women Voters and Safe Parking La.

In addition to Wakeland, speakers throughout the evening included event co-chairs Marilyn Wells and Allison Schallert, Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu, Csh Speak Up! Advocates Emily Martiniuk, Sam Randolph, and Hector Curiel, Singer Songwriter Mike Jelks, Imagine La Mentor Scott Sale M.D., and United Way of Greater Los Angeles Director of Public Affairs Tommy Newman.

Former Rescue Me star Denis Leary has joined the season 3 cast of TNT’s hit drama series Animal Kingdom, which is set to return this summer. Leary will be recurring on on the drama, joining series regulars Ellen Barkin, who plays the matriarch of the Cody clan, along with Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra. Leary will play Billy, Deran's (Weary) drifter dad who Smurf (Barkin) kicked out years ago. Inspired by…...

The Codys are coming back. TNT has renewed its Animal Kingdom TV show for a third season. The season two finale is slated for August 29th. Season three should premiere in 2018.A TNT family crime drama, Animal Kingdom stars Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, and Carolina Guerra. In season two, the recurring cast includes Alex Meraz, Jennifer Landon, and Tembi Locke. Read More…...

TNT has renewed their original drama series Animal Kingdom for a third season. The series stars Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, and Carolina Guerra. The finale of the second season will air on August 29 with the third season eyeing a 2018 launch date. “The Cody family’s drama keeps bringing more and more viewers back for more,” said Sarah Aubrey, executive vice president of…...

Carolina Guerra has booked a recurring role on TNT's upcoming drama series Animal Kingdom, from John Wells Prods. in association with Warner Horizon Television. It centers on 17-year-old Joshua "J" Cody (Finn Cole), who moves in with his wild, freewheeling grandmother (Ellen Barkin) and uncles in their Southern California beach town after his mother ODs. He is pulled into their life of indulgence and excess and soon discovers that it's all being funded by the bank…...

I programmed Ana Maria Hermida's short film "El Elefante Rojo," a coming of age story about a 15 year old girl who lives in a brothel in Bogota, Colombia who falls in love with her first client, about 8 years ago for the New York International Latino Film Festival. It was clear that Hermida had a vision and the camera empowered her. The awards she garnered were no surprise to anyone. I was elated to find out she had made her first feature film, "La Luciérnaga" (The Firefly), which is nominated for Beat Foreign Film, Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting actress at the upcoming Madrid International Film Festival and We spoke to Ana Maria about was behind the making of the film and the inspiration behind her work.

"La Luciérnaga" screens Sunday March 27 at 9:00 Pm as part of the Colombian International Film Festival in the East Village and tickets can be purchased Here

LatinoBuzz: Why Film?

Ana Maria Hermida: I keep asking myself that question. Why film? Why? It's so hard but the answer is always the same. Film making involves every single creative process that I love. Allow me to explain, I discovered in my early twenties I wanted to be a filmmaker by "accident". Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a story teller but the only "story telling" I knew growing up, apart from watching my mom tell us amazing stories of her childhood, were the dramatic stories I heard in the local news. So when I was around 8 years-old, I decided I wanted to be a journalist. That quickly changed once I started Journalism school around 10 years later. The reality of journalism, that I could only tell the objective facts of a story, was frustrating. I couldn't alter a story or exaggerate the details to make it exciting. I had no creative control and just as importantly, I couldn't reach the hearts and souls of my audience the way I wanted. It was no fun to be a journalist; I realized then and there that I not only wanted to tell stories but I wanted to create stories and wanted to make people feel something. I was always good at Fine Arts, I love drawing, painting, and taking pictures so I decided to change my major from Journalism to Fine Arts.

Once again, I quickly realized this wasn't for me either, because it felt very lonely; I spent days talking to brushes and canvases. I wanted to be part of a team, a living, breathing, talking team. I needed to collaborate, so once again I was lost and decided to move to NYC. Of course my parents weren't too happy about it. Long sidebar: NYC is the perfect city to find yourself, it constantly gives you clues and answers in so many different ways, you just have to be open to them. When I moved to New York in the fall of 2003, I applied to Cooper Union mainly because it was free. I had an Associate Degree in Fine Arts with a minor in Journalism, and even though I wasn't sure I wanted to become a painter, I decided to give it a second chance. During the application process, I had to take a creative test with six random questions. One of those questions was to show a room from one of its corners. I made a drawing and thinking it wasn't enough, I decided to make a short film. I had access to a little handy camera and with the help of a few friends, I made my first (and favorite) short film. It's called "Another Problem" and it tells the story of a girl who lives inside a tiny TV and writes a letter to the owner requesting her to buy a bigger TV. You can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/2963422.

This experience "accidentally" taught me all the steps to make a film. I was able to write a story, film it with friends, edit it with other friends and then show it around. Film making had all the components I love to do so I graduated with honors from the School of Visual Arts in 2009 and my thesis film "El Elefante Rojo" won Outstanding Film of the Year and Best Director. When actor Kevin Kline gave me the Best Director award, he told me to hire him someday. I will; have to keep my word. I hope he keeps his :) "El Elefante Rojo" was inspired by Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book "Memories of My Melancholic Whores" and you can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/21403482

LatinoBuzz: What was it about this story that you had to tell it?

Ana Maria: "La Luciérnaga" is my first feature film and it comes from an event in my life. Even though it's not autobiographical, it has very personal moments. My younger brother passed away in a car accident in December 2007. This has been the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. It changed my life. It broke me but at the same time, it inspired me. After burying him, I came back to New York to finish school but I barely went to class as it was too hard to even get out of bed. One day, his long time girlfriend called me to tell me she wanted to spend some time with me in my (tiny) apartment in the Upper East side. Knowing she was coming gave me strength. I was able to get out of bed, buy groceries, clean up, and do all the things that seem impossible when you are deeply depressed. She stayed with me for over a month and during that time, I was able to see her discovering my brother through my eyes, and vice-versa. I would see her staring at me and saying thinks like, "you look just like him." This made me feel uncomfortable at first, mainly because it reminded me he was gone, but as time went by, I was able to turn it around and felt inspired to write a love story his death had inspired. "La Luciérnaga" tells the story of two women, who although are not lesbians, fall in love after going through a mourning process together.

LatinoBuzz: Some of the scenes in the film are stunning. What influenced the aesthetics?

Ana Maria: Colombia, my country. We are used to seeing horrible things about it, but Colombia is actually beautiful. I wanted to show that.Villa De Leyva for instance is one of my favorite Colonial towns, three hours away from Bogotá, the city in which I was born and raised. When I wrote the script, I had these locations in mind and working with Alonso Homs (my talented Dp) we were able to define the aesthetics of the film together. As far as filmmakers that inspire me, I love Jean-Luc Godard, Lucrecia Martel, Claudia Llosa, Spike Jonze, Miranda July, to name a few.

LatinoBuzz: You are Colombian but have lived in many cities - which one inspires you the minute you wake up?

Ana Maria: Ha! Good question. Every city I love inspired me in a different way. Bogotá for instance, it's all about family. When I wake up there I can smell my mom's home cooking or hear the little voices of my nephews. It inspires me to love and be loved, to be open emotionally and let my guard down. It reminds me of who I am and that's very helpful when writing. When I'm in NYC, I usually wake up with the city noise: a mix of cars driving by, people talking, sirens, the bus stopping. This "noise" inspires me to work harder and to not give up. It makes me feel invincible and capable of doing anything I put my mind into. When I'm in Los Angeles, the city where I live right now, it's usually the sun-rays that inspire me. It sounds cliché but all that vitamin D really makes me want to move, to go outside, to climb mountains (physically and mentally). It makes me feel positive and motivated. Those are the three cities I spend most of time in. I love waking up in little towns too because everything is new and unexpected. You never know what's going to move you or inspire you.

LatinoBuzz: What was the collaboration process like with your two leads?

Ana Maria: It was amazing and a blessing. They gave their 110%. Carolina Guerra (Lucia) and Olga Segura (Mariana) both loved the project and understood it from the moment they read the script. This made my job easier, and even though we were making a dramatic movie, we had a lot of fun shooting it. It's always nice to work with friends especially when they are so talented. We didn't have a lot of time to rehearse but together we were able to find the voice of each character and I'm very happy with their work - Thank you girls!

LatinoBuzz: Do you think Latin American cinema has become more accepting to financing films with Lgtb themes?

Ana Maria: I'm not sure. I think investors and studios (not only in Latin America but also around the world) are still uptight about investing in films that tell unique stories. In my case, I was very lucky to find investors that loved the story and believed in it. Some are from North America, others from South America. Lgtb themes are still a taboo in many Latin American places and that's another reason why I wanted to make this film. As a Colombian, I wanted to shake things up a bit down there, not in a preachy way but in an understanding way. At the end, we are all people and we were made to love one another regardless of your physical appearance.

LatinoBuzz: Ok, pick a book to turn into a film. who are the leads?

Ana Maria: Good timing! That's exactly what I'm doing right now for my next film. I took Alice in Wonderland and mixed it with the true story of an ex-guerrilla leader who was taken away from home by the guerrilla when she was just a little girl. The movie is called Alicia, and tells the story of an eleven year-old girl who lives in a very remote area of Colombia. One day she meets El Conejo (The Rabbit), a man with big frontal teeth, who convinces her to go with him. Together, they go through what seems to be a magical journey through the Colombian jungle, but it isn't until the end that Alicia finds out that this beautiful place she imagined is not what she thought it would be. The back drop is guerrilla warfare and the recruitment of child soldiers.

LatinoBuzz: What is the best advice has anyone given you regarding making films?

Ana Maria: I've gotten great advice throughout my (short) career but the one thing that really helped me especially during the post production process of "La Luciernaga" was, "Take your time." There is a Spanish saying: “Del afán no queda sino el cansancio". It roughly translates to "Rushing leaves you tired or you are left with tiredness after rushing" or something like that. Time is one (if not the most) important factor when making films. We all know "time is money" so rushing to get a shot or get everything you need is very important, however, there are moments during this creative process when it is very (very) important to take your time. We are artists and we need that time to make our art the best we can. Only with time can one recognize what's working or what's missing - I'm talking from my personal experience - so if you can take your time, do it. Don't rush the creative process especially when you're editing.

LatinoBuzz: What's next?

Ana Maria: Next is Alicia, my second feature, as well as a TV series that is cooking. I wish I could talk more about it but I can't - Please cross your fingers! That way I can tell you everything about it when it gets into production. Yeah. One last note, I wanted to let you know this movie was made mainly by women. I wrote it, directed and produced it with the help of my friend and fellow producer Luisa Casas. The main leads were women too as well as many crew members. It is important to mention the need of equality in the film industry. I don't blame anyone for it, but I do want to be part of the change and in order to have change, we need to create awareness and talk about it.

Give the film lots of love here:

Facebook

Twitter - @LuciernagaMovie

Written by Juan Caceres . LatinoBuzz is a feature on SydneysBuzz/Indiewire that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...

Another month, another horror film about possession.

This one takes us down to Columbia where a dysfunctional family finds themselves trapped in a secluded house that has a dark evil within. Best known for horror film sequels, Spanish director Victor Garcia was tapped to direct The Damned (formerly known as Gallows Hill) to bring a certain authenticity to the film. But not even he can breathe any life into this imitation horror film. American David Reynolds (Peter Facinelli) comes to Bogota with his British fiancé Lauren (Sophia Myles) to find his disapproving daughter Jill (Nathalia Ramos) who is hiding from life with her boyfriend Ramon (Sebastian Martinez), a cameraman, and her Columbian aunt Gina (Carolina Guerra), an eager journalist. But a terrible storm leaves this group stranded in the middle of nowhere, with only an isolated house as refuge. The owner of the house, Felipe (Gustavo Angarita), is wary of...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. It was a dark and stormy night. Five travelers on a remote mountain road get caught in a flash flood and their car runs off the road. Even though they were warned not to take the road they are on by local law enforcement. Some are slightly injured; the only building for miles around is a strangely isolated, forebodingly huge house high on a hill.

Wait, it gets better. The old man who appears to be the only inhabitant does not want them to come in the house; they beg and plead since some in their group are injured. The bearded old man reluctantly lets them in to give them shelter, but orders them not to go anywhere in the building but the lobby. The building is an inn but nobody has signed the register since 1978 you see.

Naturally the American (Peter Facinelli,...

Damned If You Do: Garcia’s Creepy House Horror a Non-Entity

For some strange reason, IFC Midnight decided to release direct-to-dvd pro Victor Garcia’s latest film, The Damned (originally, and more colorfully titled Gallows Hill) in theaters, even though its questionable quality clearly doesn’t support such conviction. Tiredly cliché and doggedly dull, its existence begs one to inquire, who the hell is the audience for these lifeless films, filled with cheap flourishes and routines so commonplace that you can sleepwalk through its checklist of events?

David (Peter Facinelli), an estranged father attempts to retrieve his daughter Jill (Nathalia Ramos) in Bogota, where she is vacationing with her aunt (Carolina Guerra) and a cameraman (Sebastian Martinez) turned boyfriend. About to be remarried, this time to his fiancée, Lauren (Sophia Myles), there’s vague tension between father and daughter relating to the mysterious death of Jill’s mother. A...

Adding another spooky entry into the supernatural thriller genre comes The Damned.

The film follows American David Reynolds (Peter Facinelli), widowed from his Colombian-born wife, who flies to Bogota with his new fiancée (Sophia Myles) to retrieve his rebellious teenage daughter Jill (Nathalia Ramos).

En route to the city of Medellin, a car accident leaves them stranded in a rundown isolated inn. When they discover the old innkeeper has locked a young girl in the basement, they are determined to set her free. But have they made a terrible mistake?

aka Gallows Hill, the film is written by Richard D’Ovidio (Thirteen Ghosts) and directed by Victor Garcia (Return To House On Haunted Hill). Here’s a look at the trailer.

Stars Peter Facinelli (The Twilight Saga, Nurse Jackie), Sophia Myles (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Underworld), Nathalia Ramos, Carolina Guerra (Da Vinci’s Demons), and Sebastian Martínez.

IFC Films will...

Review Ron Hogan 5 May 2014 - 07:12

Leonardo faces a familiar gauntlet of traps and obstacles this week. Here's Ron's review...

This review contains spoilers.

2.7 The Vault Of Heaven

If you've seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you'll be familiar with this week's episode of Da Vinci's Demons. In that particular Indy adventure, he had out use his father's journal to outwit a series of traps laid for him (and the Nazis that followed him) to prevent the unworthy from seeking the holy grail. There was a doorway that decapitated people, a series of steps that would collapse beneath someone walking across them, and a well-camouflaged path over a bottomless pit. Strangely enough, The Vault Of Heaven takes these same puzzles and reuses them, with only a few minor tweaks: there's an Incan disco ball and some magic triangles, a keypad with a hundred different keyholes and a rock that...

Review Ron Hogan 28 Apr 2014 - 06:59

Pain, violence and hallucinatory drugs; here's Ron's review of this week's episode...

This review contains spoilers.

2.6 The Rope Of The Dead

Da Vinci's Demons is a show that loves to play with the concept of reality. In particular, it seems to hang onto the idea of a Jungian-type collective unconscious, a sort of pseudo/actual spiritual real in which everyone is connected on some sort of deep level. Leonardo and Lorenzo, who are blood brothers after that transfusion, seem to share some sort of deeper connection in this week's episode, which features both our major characters (and most of our minor characters) at serious risk of death from various torments. Beaten to a pulp or hallucinating due to a combination of snake venom and ayahuasca, Leonardo and Lorenzo are apparently on a shared spiritual quest. One's trying to recover the book that can either...

Costume designers shop for characters where they imagine the characters would buy clothes. That line of thinking has savvy designers going through the racks at Target for suburban moms and walking through the boutiques at Saks for executives.

Logical, but what's a costume designer to do when the show happens to be set during the Renaissance, and the main character happens to be a pivotal man in history?

For Starz's "Da Vinci's Demons," returning for its second season Saturday, March 22, it means creating. Da Vinci (Tom Riley) has a new jacket, since his last one was destroyed in the carnage of last season's cliffhanger.

"He has an effortless style; no great thought goes into what he wears, but because of his remarkable talent and genius, everything he picks has a uniqueness," costume designer Trisha Biggar tells Zap2it.

Da Vinci keeps a slim silhouette. The new jacket is dark brown...

(Cbr) Before "Da Vinci’s Demons" returns to Starz for its second season on March 22, the show’s cast visited the Cbr Tiki Room high above the show floor at New York Comic Con to tell Cbr TV’s Jonah Weiland what fans can expect from the sophomore series. In the first video interview, stars Tom Riley and Laura Haddock, who play Leonardo da Vinci and Lucrezia Donati, talk about the changing nature of the show, with Season 2 upping the adventure quotient and taking da Vinci to South America while other characters are scattered to other parts of the globe. Haddock talks about exploring Lucrezia’s past in flashback and what it’s like reaching so far back into her character. They also discuss their favorite moments from the first season and whether or not series creator David S. Goyer — recently involved in both “Man of Steel” and the “Dark...

You hear it all the time: Quality a bit soft. Not a lot of Big Titles. Not a lot of Big News. But Americans were buying all the same, and to quote Screen International: “The current market is focused on smart money and smart deals, not volume of product”. Business at Afm was also solid though unspectacular. Moreover, the pre-buying of projects may be below the radar of this $3 billion business of international film buying and selling. TrustNordisk’s CEO Rikke Ennis says that 70% of their films are pre-sold. As you look at the upcoming Winter Rights Roundup due out in two weeks from SydneysBuzz.com/Reports, you will notice many of the films have been pre-buys this market and many films screening were already pre-sold during Afm in November.

And for all the complaints about Berlin, many sales agents set up private screenings before the market kicked off. What is that about?

Beki Probst, who has run the Efm since 1988, responded to the many media reports of a quieter market in an interview with ScreenDaily which sounds almost the same as the one she gave in 2009.

Quoting her current statement which I take the liberty of quoting here as it appears in Screen:

“I think that there was a good movement of business this year,” she said. In the opinion of Probst, there had been a muddying of the distinction between the Efm and the more general term of the ‘market’.

“Daphné Kapfer of Europa International representing 35 sales agents said that it was a very good Berlin, and Glen Basner of FilmNation commented that it was ‘the best Berlin’.

“Even Harvey Weinstein came just for 24 hours to sign a $7m check, and Aloft was bought by Sony Pictures Classics.

“It’s the players, and not the market, that is important. The players come here if they have the right line-up. All we can do is provide the best infrastructure, but what happens after that is up to them.”

"Sales agents were not sitting idle at their stands if one takes the example of one company in the Martin Gropius Bau: the CEO met with 90 buyers and the members of staff responsible for marketing had no less than 180 meetings in addition to ad-hoc discussions at events in the evenings."

Coproductions are the engine driving the business these days.

This year’s Berlinale Co-Production Market ended after two-and-a-half days with awards handed out to projects from Kazakhstan and Belgium.

The €6,000 Arte International Prize went to Kazakh film-maker Emir Baigazin’s planned second feature The Wounded Angel, the second part of a trilogy after his Silver Bear-winning Harmony Lessons. The €1.2m Almaty-based Kazakhfilm Jsc production has already attracted France’s Capricci Production as a co-producer and has backing in place from the Doha Film Institute and the Hubert Bals Fund.

The €10,000 Vff Talent Highlight Pitch Award was presented to Belgian director Bavo Defurne for his romantic dramedy Souvenir. The €2m co-production by Oostende-based Indeed Films with Belgium’s Frakas Productions and Germany’s Karibufilm already has backing from Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Cinefinance and public broadcaster Vrt/ Een.

India-Norway’s $55 million film to be directed by Hans Petter Moland (In Order of Disappearance)’s The Indian Bride is an exciting example of an unusual pairing of countries.

Bavaria and Senator’s joint venture Bavaria Pictures’ The Postcard Killers to be directed by Mexican director Everardo Gout shows the international expansion of talent.

The Hungary-Austria-Germany co-production of Stefan Zweig’s Beware of Pity, or U.K.-Lithuania action comedy Redirected being sold by Content brings unusual European partners together.

U.S. born Damian John Harper’s coproduction with the German producers, brothers Jakob and Jonas Weydemann, on Los Angeles will be followed by In the Middle of the River now being developed with Zdf’s Das Kleine Fernsehspiel unit.

Shoreline’s The Infinite Man produced with Australia’s Hedone Productions in association with Bonsai Films with investment from South Australia Film Corporation through its Filmlab funding initiative, development assistance from Screen Australia is also a new sort of pairing.

Film and Music Entertainment (F&Me), Bac Films, 20 Steps Productions and Bruemmer & Herzog’s The President is shooting in Tbilisi, Georgia and is being directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

Italian-Canadian producer Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi’s Sights of Death starring Danny Glover, Daryl Hannah, Rutger Hauer, Stephen Baldwin and Michael Madsen is directed by Allessandro Capone in Rome.

The Spain-u.K. co-production Second Origin is based on the best selling Catalan novel Mecanoscrit Del Segon Orgen.

The Golden Bear Winner Black Coal, Thin Ice is a Boneyard Entertainment (New York & Hong Kong) co-production with Boneyard Entertainment China (Bec), Omnijoi Media (Jiangsu, China), China Film co-production.

A sign of the times is the Swedish Film in Berlin advertisement which lists all Swedish co-productions:

In Competition: In Order of DisappearanceOut of Competition: NymphomaniacBerlinale Special: Someone You Love Generation Kplus: A Christmoose StoryPerspektive Deutsches Kino: Lamento

All are with European co-producers as is Antboy a Danish-German co-production.

One of my favorites is Gallows Hill, being sold by Im Global and already picked up by IFC for U.S. Starring Twilight actor Peter Facinelli, U.K. actress Sophia Myles, Nathalia Ramos and Colombian model and actress Carolina Guerra, it was entirely financed from within Colombia by television network Rcn’s affiliate Five 7 Media which produced with Peter Block's A Bigger Boat, David Higgins and Angelique Higgins' Launchpad Productions and Andrea Chung. The screenplay was written by Rich D’Ovidio ( The Call, Thir13en Ghosts) about a widower who takes his children on a trip to their mother’s Colombian hometown.

Another interesting combo is the Australian-Singapore co-production Canopy being sold by Odin’s Eye which was acquired by Kaleidoscope for U.K., by Kinosmith for Canada and Odin’s Eye itself for Australia. After its Tiff 2013 premiere, Monterrey acquired U.S. rights.

Cathedrals of Culture, was produced by Wim Wenders’ production company: Neue Road Movies in Germany and co-produced by Final Cut For Real (Denmark), Lotus Film (Austria), Mer Film (Norway), Les Films d'Ici 2 (France), Sundance Productions / RadicalMedia (U.S.), Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg In collaboration with Arte (Germany and France) and Wowow (Japan).

Grand Budapest Hotel is a co-production of Scott Rudin in U.S. and Studio Babelsburg in Germany.

Wouldn't you say there had to be an awful lot of business going on? If only the media knew where to look for it. Instead, they moan the same old tired tune, "Quality a bit soft. Not a lot of Big Titles. Not a lot of Big News". Oh well...

Efm Coproduction Market

Asian producer Raymond Phathanavirangoon, who was pitching the Hong Kong comedy Grooms by writer-director Arvin Chen at the Berlin Coproduction Market, announced that Germany’s augenschein filmproduktion will be a coproducer on Singaporean director Boo Junfeng’s second feature Apprentice. The film has already received backing from France’s World Cinema Support, the Film- und Medienstiftung Nrw of Germany and Germany's second network, Zdf’s Das kleine fernsehspiel unit. It also has Cinema Defacto as its French co-producer. Junfeng’s first film, Sandcastle, was screened at the Critics’ Week in Cannes in 2010.

Cologne-based augenschein, who produced Maximilian Leo’s My Brother’s Keeper, the opening film of this year’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino and is handled internationally by Media Luna, is currently in post-production on Romanian filmmaker Florin Serban’s Box, his second feature after the 2010 Berlinale Competition film If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle.

Argentinian filmmaker Santiago Mitre whose debut The Student established him as one of the brightest and most courted young directors in Latin America was in the Co-production Market with his untitled second feature which France’s Full House connected to along with Argentina’s Union de los Rio, Argentine broadcast network Telefe, Ignacio Viale and the ubiquitous Lita Stantic.

Full House was also at the Coproduction Market with Peter Webber’s Fresh about a young thief learning the art of pickpocketing in Bogota, Colombia. It will be co-produced with Rcn affiliate Five 7 Media and 4Direcciones in Colombia and by Webber himself.

Raymond van der Kaaij, the producer of Tamar van den Dop’s Panorama title Supernova, is now financing Sundance winner Ernesto Contreras’ next feature I Dream In Another Language. The Spanish-English language project will be produced with Mexico-based Agencia Sha, and it is now casting the American lead according to producer van der Kaaij of Revolver Amsterdam. Developed at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and the winner of the Sundance-Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, I Dream has already received support from Imcine in Mexico. Shooting is scheduled in Mexico for the end of 2014.

Revolver is now editing Bodkin Ras, the debut film of Iranian-Dutch director Kaweh Modiri, an English-language documentary-thriller set in North Scotland. The Dutch-Belgian-u.K. coproduction is set for release at the end of 2014.

Finnish film-maker Jukka-Pekka Valkeapaa’s is editing his latest feature They Have Escaped, which Revolver coproduced with Helsinki Film.

Trend of smart art genres

Another continuing trend, which began with Xyz and Celluloid Nightmares and continued with Memento, is the character-driven art genre films with tight budgets, like the Danish coming-of-age-werewolf-romance, When Animals Dream, directed by first timer Jonas Arnby, sold by Gaumont to Radius-twc for No. Americ. The Scandinavians, formerly making a mark with "Nordic Noir" are now making what they call "Nordic Twilight".

Trend of remake rights

Another trend is that of remake rights. Film Sharks reports it makes more from selling remake rights than from licensing distribution rights.

The Intouchables is selling remake rights to more countries than only India as is the sale of Other Angle’s Babysitting remake rights. Negotiations are underway with Russia, Italy and Germany.

Fruit Chan is considering an English language remake of his 2004 cult horror film Dumplings.

The market is bit too calm?…Then let us look at Cannes…

Usually by Afm you can begin the Tipped for Cannes List (which Gilles Jacob detested), but even that is a little on the quiet side. I begin to question whether all media fueled news is accurate: the slow sales being reported, the lack of pre-Cannes buzz… Is the media really investigating deeply?

Of all the trades, while Screen has the most international news and deepest analyses, Variety reports things no other trade is covering. But…still the non-news of a quiet market persists as if it were headline news. We always hear this and we are still in an economic slump, so what we wish for is not apparent, but this is not news.

Tipped for Cannes

Tipped for Cannes are Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home staring Gong Li and to be sold by Wild Bunch, Stealth’s First Law starring Mads Mikkelsen (Cannes 2012 Best Actor Award for The Hunt); Self Made (Boreg) by Shira Geffen and to be sold by Westend, shot in Hebrew and Arabic by the production and sales team behind Oscar nominated 2011 drama Footnote, the second film after Geffen’s 2007 debut Jellyfish which won the Cannes Camera d’Or. MK2’s Clouds of Sils Maria by Olivier Assayas and starring Juliette Binoche, Chloe Grace Moretz and Kristen Stewart, and Naomi Kawase’s Still the Water will be delivered in time for Cannes. Pyramide International is plannng for Leviathan, a modern retelling of the biblical story which deals with some of Russia’s most important social issues to be ready for Cannes. It is directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev and produced by Alexander Rodnyansky (Stalingrad) as their followup to Elena. Gaumont-cj co-production, The Target, the Korean remake of Fred Cavaye’s action thriller Point Blank will be ready in time for Cannes.

Rumors and truths about people changing positions

Rumors about Dieter Kosslick replacing Berlin’s Culture Secretary who resigned after a tax evasion scandal in which he admitted to stashing $575,000 in a Swiss bank account…Charlotte Mickie has left eOne and knowing her, she is bound to find something good elsewhere as she's too good to lose...StudioCanals Harold van Lier now leads eOne’s newly ramped international sales team and Montreal based Anick Poirier leads its subsidiary label, Seville International. Jeff Nuyts is leaving Intramovies. Nigel Sinclair and Guy East seem to be leaving Exclusive Media the company they founded as discussions with partners from Dasym Investment Strategies Bv move forward. Kevin Hoiseth from Voltage Pictures has joined International Film Trust as their director of international sales...and of course, Nadine de Barros has founded her own company, Fortitude, and was holding court at the Ritz Carlton the buzziest spot outside of the Martin Gropius Bau.

What I Saw and What I Thought

For what it's worth, here is my limited list of screenings of films seen only in the last 3 days of the festival when I was no longer "working". I am including some I actually saw at Sundance.

First and foremost -- and to be written about further in a "thought piece" as I term the articles I think long about before writing and to include my interview with the director Goran Hugo Olsson's (The Black Power Mixtapes winner of Sundance 2011 World Cinema Documentary Film Editing Award) -- Concerning Violence (Isa: Films Boutique, U.S.: Cinetic), based on Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth and seen at Sundance this year next to Stanley Nelson's outstanding Freedom Summer (PBS) and Greg Barker's We Are The Giant (Submarine), is a call to action for new societal models ringing out loud and clear.

Golden Bear Winner, Black Coal, Thin Ice by Diao Yinan, a Chinese noir, lacked the momentum and substance I would have expected in a winning film, though it was a fascinating way to see today's urban China. Had I been on the jury, I would have chosen the Best Director Award winning Boyhood (Isa: IFC) by Richard Linklater. But perhaps because James Schamus, an American who loves Chinese films, was President of the Jury, there might have arisen a question of disinterested objectivity. I would have to hear what jurists Barbara Broccoli, Trine Dyrhom, Chistoph Waltz, Tony Leung, Greta Gerwig, Mitra Farahani and Michel Gondry would have to say about the deliberations.

Speaking of jury prizes, it was a surprise the much acclaimed '71 (Isa: Protagonist, now headed by our dear Mike Goodridge) won nothing, and good Alain Renais' Life of Riley (Isa: Le Pacte) received recognition. I found Christophe Gans' La belle et la bete (Beauty and the Beast) (Isa: Pathe) an overproduced unwieldy special effects-ridden mess, even though it was exec-produced by Jérôme Seydoux who also produced the masterpiece La Grande Belleza (The Great Beauty), and starred his granddaughter Lea Seydoux. I'll stand by Cocteau's versoin. I heard Claudia Llosa (Milk of Sorrow)'s Aloft was also not widely admired.

About the best actress winning film The Little House (Isa: Shochiku could have marketed it more widely), I heard nothing at all, though it sounds really good. Kreuzweg (Stations of the Cross) (Isa: Beta) by brother and sister team Anna and Dietrich Brueggemann (any relation to our own Tom Brueggeman?) had a satisfying denouement and was quite engrossing with moments of humor lightening the heavy weight of the cross carried by 14 year old Maria played by Lea van Acken, a picture face out of a George de la Tour painting (Magdeline with a Smoking Flame or A Piece of Art). Macondo (Isa: Films Boutique - again! ) by Sudabeh Mortezai of Austria was a window on a world never seen before and very engrossing although the coming of age story was one we have seen before.

Not sorry to say I missed The Monuments Men and Nymphomaniac Volume I, but sorry that I missed Beloved Sisters (Isa: Global Screen) of Dominik Graf, The Grand Budapest Hotel (will see it in U.S.), Argentinian Benjamin Naishat's History of Fear (Isa: Visit) -- I'll catch it in Carthegena, Guadalajara or San Sebastian I'm sure, Jack, In Order of Disappearance which sounds like the sleeper hit of the festival, Argentinan (again!) La tercera orilla (The Third Side of the River), Lou Ye's Tui Na (Blind Massage) and Rachid Bouchareb's Two Men in Town (Isa: Pathe - again!), which I heard was rather flat which is not surprising, for when non-Americans try to make an American genre, it usually misses a certain verve, but still is such an interesting subject for him to tackle, Zwischen Welten (Inbetween Worlds) (Isa: The Match Factory) from Germany, another "American" subject, but here about a German soldier in Afghanistan, not an American one.

Among the Berlinale Specials, I wish I had seen Nancy Buirski's Afternoon of a Faun which everyone said was good (Isa: Cactus Three the doc production company of Krysanne Katsoolis and Caroline Stevens) and Volker Schloendorff's 1969 Brecht piece Baal starring Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Margarethe von Trotta. I did see his Diplomacy (Isa: Gaumont) which was a great treat, erudite, intimate and reminiscent of the novels of Sandor Marai (Embers and Casanova in Bolzano). Wish I could have seen Wim Wenders' Cathedrals of Culture (Isa: Cinephil), Diego Luna's Cesar Chavez (Isa: Mundial) and In the Courtyard aka Dans la cours (Isa: Wild Bunch) starring Catherine Deneuve and The Kidnapping of Michel Houllebecq (Isa: Le Pacte - again!!). I will see The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (Isa: The Film Sales Company) by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller, produced by Jonathan Dana, Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller and Celeste Schaefer Snyder (Ballets Russes), back home. The Turning (Isa: Level K), an experimental omnibus produced by my favorite Australian producer, Robert Connelly who also directed in part and Maggie Myles, is also a must-see as is Errol Morris' companion piece to The Fog of War, The Unknown Known (Isa: HanWay) and Houssein Amini's Two Faces of January (Isa: StudioCanal) starring my favorites Viggo Mortenson and Kirsten Dunst. We Come as Friends (Isa: Le Pacte), by Hubert Sauper whose earlier film Darwin's Destiny astounded me, was worth watching although so often his films plunge one into a hopeless helplessness. Fresh from Sundance, it was raising controversy and the story of the Sudan is worth knowing. His particular and peculiar Pov is valuable. Watermark (Isa: Entertainment One), another social issue worth knowing about will have to wait for a more propitious time. Personally I'm hoping Israel's current venture into desalination of water will lead the world into peace and that I will rejoice watching the doc about that.

Difret (Isa: Films Boutique - again!), fresh from Sundance where I saw it was really good and it sold well. I got to hang out with the team at the Panorama party. Gueros (Isa: Mundial - again!), was a disappointment -- too like The Year of the Nail (though different) in tone. But what a great company Canana is!

Panorama's Finding Vivian Maier (Isa: HanWay - again!) is brilliantly interesting. It is about to be released in U.S. by IFC. I highly recommend seeing this documentary about an eccentric, unknown photographer. It premiered at Tiff 2013. Fresh from Sundance where it won a Special Jury Prize, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (Isa: Submarine) was a treasure; Velvet Terrorists was about the oddest piece I have ever seen. About three former opponents of the Czechoslovakian Soviet Regime, each has continued to enjoy blowing up things. One is still training the next generation in urban guerilla warfare. They are otherwise unremarkable, sweet even, but twisted. What an odd documentary.

A quick look at the Market Films I have seen: of the 400+ premieres: Zero -- no I did see German Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Two Lives (Isa: Beta), and I will soon be home to celebrate its nomination at the famous Villa Aurora, the former home of German expatriate writer Leon Feuchtwanger. So many more films look sooooo attractive! A pity I may never get to see them. I would need all the time in the world, and I have so little. I have so much and yet I want more!

Da Vinci’s Demons Season 2 arrives next month and to help us prepare, the lovely people at Starz have released a new Season 2 poster and related teaser that depicts a freefalling Leonardo da Vinci (Tom Riley) “as he endeavors to reach new heights like the legend of Icarus. The story of Icarus is a metaphor for da Vinci’s journey in season two of Da Vinci’s Demons, as he continues to put himself and those he loves in danger in his unending quest for truth and knowledge.”

Teaser: Da Vinci’s Demons – Season 2: Icarus/Live Action

The network also released a Season 2 sneak peak video featurette with interviews from series creator/executive producer David S. Goyer and returning cast members Tom Riley, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Lara Pulver, Blake Ritson and Gregg Chillin. New cast members Carolina Guerra (who plays Ima, the seductive Inca High Priestess) and Kieran Bew (portrays Duke Alfonso,...

Exclusive: IFC takes North American rights to Victor Garcia’s genre outing.

IFC has picked up North American rights to Victor Garcia’s genre title Gallows Hill following a strong buyer response at a recent Los Angeles screening.

Im Global’s Octane division handles international sales at Efm.

The film screens in the market tomorrow (Feb 8) and stars Peter Facinelli, the UK’s Sophia Myles, Nathalia Ramos and Colombian model and actress Carolina Guerra, part of a large Colombian contingency.

Gallows Hill was financed entirely within Colombia by television network RCN¹s affiliate Five 7 Media, who produced with A Bigger Boat and Launchpad Productions. Peter Block, David Higgins and Andrea Chung produced.

Rich D’Ovidio, whose credits include The Call and Thir13en Ghosts, wrote the screenplay about a widower who takes his children on a trip to their mother’s Colombian hometown.

En route, the family are involved in an accident and take refuge in a secluded...

Starz today released new key art from the upcoming second season of their historical fantasy series "Da Vinci.s Demons," created by David S. Goyer ( Man of Steel , The Dark Knight trilogy). The new art is available below in both video and still versions along with a new sneak peak video featurette that offers interviews from Goyer and returning cast members Tom Riley, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Lara Pulver, Blake Ritson and Gregg Chillin. New cast members Carolina Guerra (who plays Ima, the seductive Inca High Priestess) and Kieran Bew (portrays Duke Alfonso, the son of Ferrante and Future King of Naples) are also introduced. The image showcases a freefalling Leonardo da Vinci (Riley), as he endeavors to reach new heights like the legend of Icarus. The story of Icarus...

'The Twilight Saga's very own Carlisle Cullen is joining the cast of new supernatural thriller 'Gallows Hill'. Actor Peter Facinelli has signed up to the latest horror project from 'Return to House on Haunted Hill' and 'Mirrors 2' helmer Victor Garcia. 'Gallows Hill' be the Spanish directors first attempt at an original feature. In addition to Facinelli, Diego Cadavid, the sexy 'House of Anubis' Spaniard Nathalia Ramos (below), Colombian model and actress Carolina Guerra and the equally stunning British actress Sophia Myles -below ('Spooks', 'Underworld: Evolution') are also signed up to appear. Garcia will direct from a script penned by Richard D'Ovidio ('Thirteen Ghosts') and fingers crossed its a step up from the car crash that was last years 'Hellraiser: Revelations'....