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The inaugural Mediterrane Film Festival will take place June 25-30 in Malta

Adrian Wotton, CEO of Film London and British Film Commission, will head the international jury of Malta Film Commission’s inaugural Mediterrane Film Festival, taking place on the island from June 25 to 30.

Further jury members are Triangle Of Sadness actor Zlatko Burić, Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali, French actor and director Vahina Giocante, Greek producer Amanda Livanou, Italian journalist Boris Sollazzo, Maltese critic Mario Azzopardi, Portuguese journalist and programmer José Vieira Mendes, Slovenian journalist Tina Poglajen and Spanish programmer Carlos Reviriego.

The nine films in the competition include Alice Diop...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the list of eligible films for the animated, documentary and international feature categories for this year’s 95th Oscars. Among the films in the running are Amazon’s documentary “Good Night Oppy,” Netflix’s German remake “All Quiet on the Western Front” and Apple’s animated collaboration with Skydance, “Luck.”

Both major and independent studios are well represented across the board. A24 is going forth with confidence after its NYFCC win for animated gem “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” which qualified for consideration. Documentaries are littered with harrowing stories from Neon (“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”), Sony Pictures Classics (“Turn Every Page – The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb”) and IFC Films (“Bad Axe”).

The international feature category has the strongest slate of contenders in years, including Belgium’s “Close,” Denmark’s “Holy Spider,” France’s “Saint Omer,...

Ninety-two films have been entered in the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film, one less than the category’s record of 93 set in 2020 and tied last year.

The 92 films do not constitute the Academy’s official list of qualifying films, which will likely be announced in early December before the start of shortlist voting. But Academy members who volunteered to participate in that first round of voting have been split into 11 different groups, and those 92 movies make up the films that voters have been asked to view and consider.

The group assignments were emailed to Academy members on Friday, and TheWrap has assembled this list from the films assigned to the 11 different groups.

There is still a chance that some films could fail to meet all of the qualifying criteria and be dropped from the final list. Last year, though, every one of the 93 films assigned to voters ended...

Award-winning filmmaker Valerie Buhagiar has commenced principal photography on “The Dogs,” an adaptation of Allan Stratton’s bestselling novel.

“The Dogs” revolves around a 13-year-old boy named Cameron and his mother, who have spent years escaping Cameron’s mentally ill father. Although sometimes, Cameron suspects his mother may have kidnapped him. Eventually the pair settle into a dilapidated farmhouse near Wolf Hollow, a property whose previous owner, Frank McTavish, was killed by his guard dogs after his wife ran off with their son, Jacky, and her lover.

The film is currently shooting in Northern Ontario. It is produced by Wild Media Entertainment in association with 2ofaMind Productions and funded in part by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Producers include James Milligan, Anthony Artibello, Sheila Rogerson and Jason Jallet. Paul Flint, Kevin C. Bjerkness, Perry Dellelce and Brad Pelman serve as executive producers.

The cast includes Donovan Colan (“Spirit Halloween”), Kathleen Munroe...

Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.

Entries for the 2023 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 3, 2022.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is...

Carmen Review — Carmen (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Valerie Buhagiar and starring Natascha McElhone, Michela Farrugia, Steven Love, Richard Clarkin, Andre Agius, Paul Portelli, Henry Zammit Cordina, Mikhail Basmadjian and Angie Balzan. Natascha McElhone has a very juicy leading role in the new film, Carmen, about a timid woman who [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Carmen (2022): Natascha McElhone is Terrific in a Slight but Entertaining Little Film...

Carmen Gde Good Deed Entertainment Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Valerie Buhagiar Screenwriter: Valerie Buhagiar Cast: Natascha McElhone, Michela Farrugia, Steven Love, Richard Clarkin, Henry Zammit Cordina, Peter Galea Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, Opens: September 23, 2022 Americans are generally more religious than Europeans, but there […]

The post Carmen Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Set in Malta in the 1980s, veteran director and accomplished actor Valerie Buhagiar’s latest film outing “Carmen,” will focus on a woman finding a new start in life through romance. The titular character Carmen spends most of her life serving the church. However, when her brother passes, she realizes her own mortality and leaves her life behind to compensate for lost time.

Although a well-versed actor, Buhagiar is no stranger to the directing chair.

Continue reading ‘Carmen’ Trailer: Natascha McElhone Stars As An ’80s Church Lady Turned Wild Woman In Love at The Playlist.

New beginnings can happen at any time in life. Whether you’re heading out into the world for the first time as an adult, or restarting your career or relationship in your 40s, the world is filled with chances to pick up and start anew. Valerie Buhagiar’s Carmen sets out to prove exactly that. At fifty years old, Carmen’s life has always been tied to the church and her family, but when she’s met with an unexpected encounter, her world is quickly flipped upside down.

"No one can blame you for falling in love." Good Deed Entertainment has revealed an official US trailer for the film Carmen, an empowering feminist drama from Malta starring Natascha McElhone. This just premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival and opens in theaters in September. Carmen is perhaps veteran director and accomplished actor Valerie Buhagiar's most joyous film outing yet. Set in a sun-dappled village in Malta in the 1980s, McElhone gives her career-best performance as a 50-year-old woman finding a new start in life through romance. In a small Maltese village, Carmen has looked after her brother, the local priest, for her entire life. When the Church abandons Carmen, she is mistaken for the new priest. Carmen begins to see the world, and herself, in a new light and find loves along the way. Also starring Michaela Farrugia, Steven Love, Richard Clarkin, and Henry Zammit Cordina. This looks a tad cheesy and obvious,...

All three projects currently in post.

Elisabeth Costa De Beauregard’s Los Angeles-based Storyboard Media has commenced EFM talks on Malta-set feelgood drama Carmen starring Natascha McElhone, psychological thriller 6:45, and horror Lair.

Valerie Buhagiar (whose acting credits include The Expanse) directed Carmen, about a woman approaching 50 who finds her voice when she embarks on her new life after many years looking after her brother, a priest at the local church.

McElhone and Steven Love star in the project from Aiken Heart Films and Falkun Films.

Psychological thriller 6:45 from Craig Singer centres on a young man who must find...

All three projects currently in post.

Elisabeth Costa De Beauregard’s Los Angeles-based Storyboard Media has commenced EFM talks on Malta-set feelgood drama Carmen starring Natascha McElhone, psychological thriller 6:45, and horror Lair.

Valerie Buhagiar (whose acting credits include The Expanse) directed Carmen, about a woman approaching 50 who finds her voice when she embarks on her new life after many years looking after her brother, a priest at the local church.

McElhone and Steven Love star in the project from Aiken Heart Films and Falkun Films.

Psychological thriller 6:45 from Craig Singer centres on a young man who must find...

From TorontoFilm.Net, here is the Toronto Film Production Update for November 2020, with local productions responding individually, based on best practices for businesses and employers to stop the spread of Covid-19:

A Christmas Set Up

Movies for Television

A Very Barry Productions Ulc

Prod.: Shane Boucher

Dir.: Pat Mills

An Ice Wine Christmas

Movies for Television

Cineflix (Ice Wine) Inc.

Prod.: Jeff Vanderwal

Dir.: Jill Carter

Coroner Season 3

Episodic Series – TV

Coroner 3 Prods. (Ontario) Inc.

Prod.: Suzanne Colvin-Goulding

Dir.: Adrienne Mitchell, Charles Officer, Gloria Kim, Samir Rehem

Flee The Light

Feature – Theatrical/Streaming

Mythic Trips Entertainment

Prod.: Jennifer Mancini

Dir.: Valerie Buhagiar

Frankie Drake Season 4

Episodic Series – TV

Shaftesbury Frankie IV Inc.

Prod.: Teresa Ho

Dir.: various

In The Dark Season 3

Episodic Series – Streaming

CBS Studio Inc.

Prod.: JJ Authors

Dir.: Tbd

Kim's Convenience Season 5

Episodic Series – TV

Kim V Productions Inc.

From TorontoFilm.Net, here is the Toronto Film Production Update for September 2020, including "Y: The Last Man", "Sneakerella", "Nightmare Alley" and a whole lot more, previously suspended due to the 'Covid-19' virus pandemic:

A Christmas Set Up

Movies for Television

A Very Barry Productions Ulc

Prod.: Shane Boucher

Dir.: Pat Mills

Sep 17 - Oct 8/20

An Ice Wine Christmas

Movies for Television

Cineflix (Ice Wine) Inc.

Prod.: Jeff Vanderwal

Dir.: Jill Carter

Sep 3 - Sep 25/20

Coroner Season 3

Episodic Series – TV

Coroner 3 Prods. (Ontario) Inc.

Prod.: Suzanne Colvin-Goulding

Dir.: Adrienne Mitchell, Charles Officer, Gloria Kim, Samir Rehem

Sep 14/20 - Jan 18/21

Flee The Light

Feature – Theatrical/Streaming

Mythic Trips Entertainment

Prod.: Jennifer Mancini

Dir.: Valerie Buhagiar

Sep 13 – Oct 2/20

Frankie Drake Season 4

Episodic Series – TV

Shaftesbury Frankie IV Inc.

Prod.: Teresa Ho

Dir.: various

Sep 8 - Dec /20

In The Dark Season 3

Episodic Series – Streaming

CBS Studio Inc.

Shooting for the film is underway on location in Malta.

UK actress Natascha McElhone has joined the cast of Valerie Buhagiar’s Maltese-Canadian drama Carmen in the titular role, with shooting underway on location on Malta.

Carmen is Maltese-Canadian filmmaker Buhagiar’s third feature, after 2014’s The Anniversary and 2018’s It’s Hard To Be Human.

McElhone most recently starred with Sean Penn in Hulu and Channel 4 series The First. She joins Steven Love, Michaela Farrugia, Richard Clarkin, Henry Zammit Cordina and Peter Galea on the film.

Shooting began on location in Malta at the start of this month.

Denis Villeneuve will have two films in the festival as it emerged that Canadian Features world premiere Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man and his doppelganger [pictured] has joined the previously announced Prisoners, also starring Gyllenhaal.

The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce. Also receiving its world premiere is All The Wrong Reasons featuring the final performance by the late Glee star Cory Monteith.

Festival organisers also unveiled Producers Lab Toronto participants and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, the shorts programme and participants in the tenth Tiff Talent Lab.

“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever...

Denis Villeneuve will have two films in the festival as it emerged on Wednesday [7] that Canadian Features world premiere Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man and his doppelganger [pictured] has joined the previously announced Prisoners, also starring Gyllenhaal.

The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce.

“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever, biting satire to intimate social commentary, powerful dramas and even a truly magical comedy, the settings and themes vary, but the perspectives are always uniquely Canadian.”

The City Of Toronto and Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film will be given to one of many outstanding...

The art-house crowd will hitch if they have to, but they'll find a way to get to a theater showing this soon-to-be cult favorite. And the fact that this journey takes us from Canada down to New Orleans, treating us to a broad taste of music in the process, might widen its appeal to include non-metropolitan dwellers. While certainly not mainstream, "Highway 61'' does have an allure that might entrance a wider spectrum of potential viewers.

As written by, and starring, Don McKellar, this opus has the feel of what a "Northern Exposure'' episode directed by Jim Jarmusch would be like. It has a likable quirkiness to it that keeps the viewer in a contented state throughout.

McKellar plays Pokey Jones, a small-time barber in a small-time Canadian town. Pokey, who thinks he can play the trumpet, has larger ambitions, though you'd never know it by looking at him. His calm demeanor is one step above death. Still, he throws his belongings into the back of his '63 Ford Galaxy 500 and heads out for the open road, only to return immediately. Apparently, Pokey does this a lot.

One morning he finds a dead body in his backyard and tries to revive it with a blow dryer. He then meets thrill-seeking rock 'n' roll roadie Jackie Bangs (Valerie Buhagiar), who claims the dead guy is her brother and that she must take him to New Orleans for his funeral.

Jackie's lying. She just wants to use the body to transport some illicit drugs. But innocent Pokey believes her and since he's always wanted to visit the birthplace of the Blues, he gives her and her casket a lift to New Orleans. It's an eventful ride.

Meanwhile, Mr. Skin (Earl Pastko), a guy who may or may not be Satan, is buying souls left and right. He claims the guy in the casket is his, and chases after Pokey and Jackie. Pastko, who looks like a cross between Keith Carradine and a young Jack Elam, is a sleazy charmer as the guilt-free devil who loves to play bingo.

Along the way they meet a pair of strange U.S. Customs guards, a scary-looking Peter Breck as a deluded single father of three tone-deaf singing girls, and a drugged-out, whacked-out rock 'n' roll couple who hunt chickens in their mansion.

These well-written bizarre characters are what make this film so memorable. There is an unpredictability about the film, in general, that is as refreshing as it is unusual. "Highway 61'' may make a wrong turn here and there, but just getting lost within this funky film is a trip in itself.

HIGHWAY 61

A Skouras Pictures Release

Director Bruce McDonald

Writer Don McKellar

Story Bruce McDonald, Don McKellar, Allan Magee

Cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak

Editor Michael Pacek

Original music score Nash the Slash

Color

Cast:

Key Jones Don McKellar

Jackie Bangs Valerie Buhagiar

Mr. Skin (aka Satan) Earl Pastko

Mr. Watson Peter Breck

Otto Art Bergmann

Customs agent No. 1 Jello Biafra

Customs agent No.2 Hadley Obodiac

Running time -- 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: R

(c) The Hollywood Reporter...