Author: CWB News Department

The 18th Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. (SFFLA) will continue on January 21 and 22. Here is the complete program of this weekendl. Saturday, January 211:00 Heartstone (feature)Hjartasteinn, (Iceland), 2016, 129 minutes, Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundssonn a remote fishing village in Iceland two teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer as one tries to win the heart of a girl while the other discovers new feelings toward his best friend. When summer ends and the harsh nature of Iceland takes back its rights, it’s time to leave the playground and face adulthood.3:30 An Empty Space (short)Tühi ruum, (Estonia), 2016, 10…

Pablo Trapero, one of Argentina’s most prominent filmmakers, has been tapped to direct his first English-language title, Thin Skinned Animal, for Euro major Studiocanal and Brit production powerhouse Working Title. The film, which will be produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner along with Tom Jacobson, is based loosely on Patrick Alexander’s book Death of A Thin Skinned Animal. It’s a story about love, friendship, espionage and government amorality. John Brownlow (Sylvia) has written the script, which follows a government agent who is betrayed by his superiors while on assignment, landing him in a nightmarish gulag. After years of imprisonment, he escapes and returns home to…

Currently President of Viacom International Media Networks’ operations in the UK, and Northern and Eastern Europe, David Lynn has been appointed President and CEO of the full VIMN group. He will have management oversight of all of Viacom’s media networks and related businesses outside the U.S., reporting to Bob Bakish. Bakish was previously CEO of VIMN and was promoted to President and CEO of Viacom Inc last month. VIMN is managed out of London where Lynn will be based. The group was formed in 2011 and has continued to expand Viacom’s global footprint across TV and digital with over 200 branded channels reaching 3.9B subscribers…

The 18th Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. (SFFLA) will be on January 14, 15, 21 and 22. Here is the complete program of the festival. Saturday, January 1412:00 The Crossing (documentary)Flukten, (Norway), 2015, 55 minutes, George KurianThe award winning documentary takes us along on one of the most dangerous journeys of our time with a group of Syrians fleeing war and persecution, crossing a sea, two continents and five countries, searing for a home to rekindle the greatest thing they have lost— hope.1:30 Sparrows (feature)Prestir, (Iceland), 2016, 99 minutes, Rúnar RúnarssonThe story follows a 16-year old Icelandic boy, Ari, who lives…

Sling TV announced “Optimized for Sling TV,” a new certification program designed to ensure Sling TV viewers have an optimal experience across platforms. Launching today, the program includes the AirTV Player and Xiaomi’s Mi Box, which may use the “Optimized for Sling TV” logo on future packaging and will be recognized on the Sling TV website.“We have set a high standard with our device partners to continually improve Sling TV’s performance,” said Ben Weinberger, chief product officer of Sling TV. “The ‘Optimized for Sling TV’ program is designed to elevate that standard and highlight our dedication to our device partners,…

As of Dec. 20, there were 40,917 screens in mainland China, according to a report that cited the film bureau of China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. China is now home to more movie screens than any other country in the world, Chinese state media reported Tuesday. As of Dec. 20, there were 40,917 screens in the Chinese mainland, according to the Global Times [2], which cited the film bureau of China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). The Chinese daily counted 40,759 screens in the U.S., referencing a May report from the National…

The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the first 11 films that will run in its Panorama section. The fest says two prominent themes have already emerged among the films selected to date: “a fresh historically reflective approach to the history of black people in North America, South America and Africa” and “Europa Europa,” which explores “how progressive forces might best defend themselves in light of a zeitgeist that makes it seem as if yesterday never went away.” Among the titles selected are Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro; Vazante, the solo directing debut of Walter Salles collaborator Daniela Thomas; and the James Schamus-produced, Casting…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a shortlist of nine pictures competing for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 89th Oscars, Asghar Farhadi’e Salesman is among the 9:Australia, “Tanna,” Bentley Dean, Martin Butler, directorsCanada, “It’s Only the End of the World,” Xavier Dolan, directorDenmark, “Land of Mine,” Martin Zandvliet, directorGermany, “Toni Erdmann,” Maren Ade, directorIran, “The Salesman,” Asghar Farhadi, directorNorway, “The King’s Choice,” Erik Poppe, directorRussia, “Paradise,” Andrei Konchalovsky, directorSweden, “A Man Called Ove,” Hannes Holm, directorSwitzerland, “My Life as a Zucchini,” Claude Barras, directo

Nominations for the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards were annouced today, Monday December 12th. Asghar Farhadi’s Salesman, were among nominees for the best Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language: Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language:“Divines” – France“Elle” – France“Neruda” – Chile“The Salesman” – Iran/France“Toni Erdmann” – Germany Other nominees: Best Motion Picture – Drama:“Hacksaw Ridge”“Hell Or High Water”“Lion”“Manchester By The Sea”“Moonlight”Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:“20th Century Women”“Deadpool”“La La Land”“Florence Foster Jenkins”“Sing Street”Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama:Casey Affleck – “Manchester By The Sea”Joel Edgerton – “Loving”Andrew Garfield – “Hacksaw Ridge”Viggo Mortensen – “Captain…

LOS ANGELES (December 8, 2016) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA), announced today the 2017 Stanley Kramer Award will honor the feature film LOVING produced by Ged Doherty, p.g.a. & Colin Firth, p.g.a.; Sarah Green, p.g.a.; Nancy Buirski, p.g.a.; and Marc Turtletaub, p.g.a. & Peter Saraf, p.g.a. The Focus Features release is written and directed by Jeff Nichols, and stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. The Stanley Kramer Award will be presented to LOVING at the 28th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. The Stanley Kramer Award was established in 2002 to…