Author: CWB News Department

TORONTO, ON — Many of the expected conventions of music biopics are present in “Piece by Piece,” about the producer-turned-pop star Pharrell Williams, and “Better Man,” about the British singer Robbie Williams. There’s the young artist’s urge to break through, fallow creative periods and regrettable chapters of fame-addled excess. But there are a few, little differences. In “Piece by Piece,” Pharrell is a Lego. And in “Better Man,” Williams is played by a CGI monkey. If the music biopic can sometimes feel a little stale in format, these two movies, both premiering this week at the Toronto International Film Festival,…

Danish director Frederik Louis Hviid makes his solo feature debut with an action-packed crime-thriller that doesn’t quite live up to its potential In a gripping cold open, a failed heist results in the death of two security professionals by a group of well-prepared criminals. Years later, they prepare for their next operation: the greatest heist in Danish history. With this premise, Frederik Louis Hviid makes his solo feature debut after his first film, Shorta  (Venice International Film Critics’ Week 2020), co-directed with Anders Ølholm. Hviid stays in-genre with his newest film, The Quiet Ones, a crime-drama-slash-thriller inspired by the true…

The not-for-profit organization Film Heritage Foundation, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai, Axis Bank and Education Partner – IED Istituto Europeo di Design are proud to present a first-of-its-kind Italian film festival titled ‘Cinema Italian Style – Celebrating Tornatore And The Masters Of Italian Cinema’. The cultural extravaganza will be conducted from September 27 – 29, 2024 in Mumbai at Regal Cinema, Mumbai. With a long-term vision to celebrate the legends of Italian cinema and exhibit restored Italian classics from over the past decades, the festival will be headlined by legendary Italian filmmaker and Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore for its…

Los Angeles documentary filmmaker , Susan Morgan Cooper has a new short documentary, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love [ The Jimmy McHugh Story] The film opens at the Music Hall, Beverly Hills on Sept 12 for one week for Academy Award Consideration. Director/Producer Susan Morgan Cooper has tackled several serious issues in her films. Susan’s film To the Moon and Back [ How President Putin held hostage 350 Russian orphans, and their American parents with the Russian Adoption Ban ] had a Congressional Screening leading to the passage of the Intercountry Adoption Law, making international countries more accountable…

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language movie, The Room Next Door, which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and the climate crisis, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival on Saturday. Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week – one of the longest in recent memory.Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language movie, The Room Next Door, which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and the climate crisis, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival on Saturday. Starring…

Gatefield Caustival, a Nigerian arts and film festival focused on social justice, will launch its inaugural edition this month. The festival, themed State of Nigeria Live, will explore and challenge the current political and social landscape of Nigeria through the lens of art and film. It will address critical issues facing Nigeria’s democracy, including themes around press freedom, human rights, free speech and civic participation, particularly in the face of rising authoritarian trends. Attendees can expect film screenings, art installations and exhibitions, live music and spoken word performances, panel discussions, and elaborate networking segments. Some of the films that will be…

The loss of a star the caliber of John Boyega mid-shoot would usually be the death knell for a lot of productions. But Jeremy Saulnier’s powerhouse thriller Rebel Ridge comes away shining with Aaron Pierre, who gives a breakout performance that should solidify him as an action star. Under another filmmaker’s guidance, the blandly-titled Rebel Ridge would’ve been a forgettable, straight-to-VOD movie starring Frank Grillo or something. But not under Saulnier, who has proven with Blue Ruin, Green Room, and even the underwhelming Hold the Dark that he isn’t someone who makes forgettable movies. Everything he does packs a mean punch, and this one hits harder than most. Saulnier is…

Familia by Francesco Costabile, an Italian film in competition in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival, is based on an autobiographical book that tells a true story. This title was chosen because, as the filmmaker has explained, “the Latin language refers to something worrying; the pater familias of Antique Rome was in fact the patron of slaves but also of mothers and children”. This film is indeed a chronicle of domestic violence that begins in the 1980s and lasts for over 15 years. In Rome, Franco is about to get out of jail (9 years for robbery) and…

A result of an eight-year documentary journey, the film inhabits the lives of these young girls, leaving the audience to witness firsthand the rippling effects of their fathers’ absence, as well as the love their fathers have for them. What unfolds is an intimate, healing portrait of a generation of youth bearing the weight of mass incarceration, while still showing what is possible. In-person visitation for these families has been systematically shut down across the U.S. since 2014. The only way to connect with incarcerated family members is through costly video calls, creating barriers for families to stay connected while…

Slobodan Maksimović is a Slovenian filmmaker whose body of work covers different types and formats of cinema. He has directed three fiction features, a number of shorts, several documentaries and TV series episodes, such as the popular crime show The Cases of Inspector Vrenko. He has so far received more than 50 international awards for his work. His newest feature-length documentary Praslovan [+], about the life and career of the appreciated Slovenian singer-songwriter Zoran Predin and the legacy of his cult band Lačni Franz, has just premiered in the Open Air section of the Sarajevo Film Festival, in Maksimović’s home…