Pulsar Content has boarded “Mikado,” a heartwarming family film written and directed by Baya Kasmi, who previously directed “Iʼm All Yours” and “The (in)famous Youssef Salem.”
“Mikado” is produced by Karé Production (“The Presidentʼs Wife”) and Films Grand Huit (“Disco Boy”). The film stars Felix Moati (“No Manʼs Land”) alongside Ramzy Bedia (“Donʼt Die Too Hard!”) and Vimala Pons (“Vincent Must Die”), who previously worked with Kasmi.
Pulsar Content will be launching international sales at the European Film Market with an exclusive promo-reel.
The film follows Mikado and Laetitia, who lead an alternative lifestyle aboard a van with their home-schooled children Nuage and Zephir. One day, their van breaks down, forcing them to lead a somewhat “normal” life over summer.
“We immediately fell in love with Bayaʼs script,” said Pulsar Content co-founders Gilles Sousa and Marie Garrett. “It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and a wonderful role for Felix Moati.
“Mikado” is produced by Karé Production (“The Presidentʼs Wife”) and Films Grand Huit (“Disco Boy”). The film stars Felix Moati (“No Manʼs Land”) alongside Ramzy Bedia (“Donʼt Die Too Hard!”) and Vimala Pons (“Vincent Must Die”), who previously worked with Kasmi.
Pulsar Content will be launching international sales at the European Film Market with an exclusive promo-reel.
The film follows Mikado and Laetitia, who lead an alternative lifestyle aboard a van with their home-schooled children Nuage and Zephir. One day, their van breaks down, forcing them to lead a somewhat “normal” life over summer.
“We immediately fell in love with Bayaʼs script,” said Pulsar Content co-founders Gilles Sousa and Marie Garrett. “It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and a wonderful role for Felix Moati.
- 2/7/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Paris-based Pulsar Content has acquired world sales rights for Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar’s U.S. road movie Silver Star, co-starring Grace Van Dien and Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, for a launch at the upcoming EFM.
The production sees French duo Bessis and Amar reunite behind the camera for the first time since their 2013 SXSW breakout Swim Little Fish Swim, having first sparked attention with 2011 short film Checkpoint.
Johnson plays a young African-American Civil War reenactor freshly out of jail, who learns that the lives of her estranged parents are at risk and tries to help them by robbing a bank.
In her botched robbery attempt, she takes a hostage named Franny (Van Dien), who turns out to be a charmingly impulsive pregnant teenager with nothing left to lose.
Together, they embark on a twisted electric chase through scenic American landscapes, clashing and struggling...
The production sees French duo Bessis and Amar reunite behind the camera for the first time since their 2013 SXSW breakout Swim Little Fish Swim, having first sparked attention with 2011 short film Checkpoint.
Johnson plays a young African-American Civil War reenactor freshly out of jail, who learns that the lives of her estranged parents are at risk and tries to help them by robbing a bank.
In her botched robbery attempt, she takes a hostage named Franny (Van Dien), who turns out to be a charmingly impulsive pregnant teenager with nothing left to lose.
Together, they embark on a twisted electric chase through scenic American landscapes, clashing and struggling...
- 2/1/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Next up in our predictions list is a filmmaker tandem that gave us micro indie Swim Little Fish Swim – which was selected as a competition entry at SXSW in 2013. I remember getting Miranda July vibes from this sweet-natured film with heart. A full decade later, Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis re-teamed on Silver Star – which works within a completely different genre vibes. Production on the sophomore project would have taken place in New Jersey and Kentucky in October of 2022 in Grace Van Dien and Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson topline the crime road-trip type film.
Gist: Billie (Johnson) is a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root herself in today’s world.…...
Gist: Billie (Johnson) is a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root herself in today’s world.…...
- 11/16/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Shameik Moore, best known for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” is attached to lead “Silver Star,” opposite Sydney Sweeney. MK2 Films is handling international sales, with the U.S. rights being held by MK2 Films and the producers.
Moore will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
From his break-out role in the Sundance hit “Dope,” Moore led the voice cast of blockbuster “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and will again in the sequel currently in production. Moore is in production on Season 2 of Hulu Originals’ series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
Moore will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
From his break-out role in the Sundance hit “Dope,” Moore led the voice cast of blockbuster “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and will again in the sequel currently in production. Moore is in production on Season 2 of Hulu Originals’ series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
- 6/9/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Shameik Moore is newly attached to lead upcoming feature Silver Star opposite Sydney Sweeney, we can reveal.
The Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse and Wu-Tang: An American Saga actor will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America. We first revealed the project last year.
Filming is scheduled for fall 2021 in the U.S. London and Miami based Alacran Pictures (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote) have recently boarded the project as financing partners.
Mk2 is handling international sales and will be shopping the...
The Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse and Wu-Tang: An American Saga actor will play Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who is fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny (Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose, as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America. We first revealed the project last year.
Filming is scheduled for fall 2021 in the U.S. London and Miami based Alacran Pictures (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote) have recently boarded the project as financing partners.
Mk2 is handling international sales and will be shopping the...
- 6/9/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
MK2 Films has come on board “Silver Star,” a timely crime drama headlined by “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney and directed by Ruben Amar (“Swim Little Fish Swim”).
MK2 Films has acquired international sales to the indie road movie, and will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual American Film Market this week. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2021 in the U.S.
“Silver Star” tells the story of a Bonnie-and-Clyde-type couple, Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who’s fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world, and Franny (Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Sweeney’s credits include “Euphoria,...
MK2 Films has acquired international sales to the indie road movie, and will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual American Film Market this week. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2021 in the U.S.
“Silver Star” tells the story of a Bonnie-and-Clyde-type couple, Buddy, a 20-year-old Civil War re-enactor who’s fresh out of jail and struggling to root himself in today’s world, and Franny (Sydney Sweeney), an impulsive, pregnant 19-year-old with nothing to lose. Buddy is determined to reconnect with his estranged parents by saving their home from foreclosure, whatever it takes. During a botched bank robbery, Buddy takes Franny as his hostage and together they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Sweeney’s credits include “Euphoria,...
- 11/9/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has been set to star in feature crime drama Silver Star.
The film will chart the story of an unlikely couple: Buddy, a 20-year-old fresh out of jail, and Franny (Sweeney), a pregnant 19-year-old. After his botched robbery attempt at the bank that foreclosed on Buddy’s childhood home, he abducts her, triggering an unexpected journey together.
Casting for the male lead is underway, and filming is scheduled for early 2021 in the U.S.
The original screenplay will be directed by writer-director Ruben Amar (Swim Little Fish Swim), who is producing under his banner Les Films de la Fusée with actress-producer Lola Bessis (Picnic at Hanging Rock), Virginie Lacombe (Port Authority) of Virginie Films and Jamin O’Brien (Eighth Grade) of The Community.
Amar and Bessis wrote, produced and directed SXSW 2013 pic Swim Little Fish Swim. Lacombe produced 2019 Cannes Un Certain Regard entry Port Authority and...
The film will chart the story of an unlikely couple: Buddy, a 20-year-old fresh out of jail, and Franny (Sweeney), a pregnant 19-year-old. After his botched robbery attempt at the bank that foreclosed on Buddy’s childhood home, he abducts her, triggering an unexpected journey together.
Casting for the male lead is underway, and filming is scheduled for early 2021 in the U.S.
The original screenplay will be directed by writer-director Ruben Amar (Swim Little Fish Swim), who is producing under his banner Les Films de la Fusée with actress-producer Lola Bessis (Picnic at Hanging Rock), Virginie Lacombe (Port Authority) of Virginie Films and Jamin O’Brien (Eighth Grade) of The Community.
Amar and Bessis wrote, produced and directed SXSW 2013 pic Swim Little Fish Swim. Lacombe produced 2019 Cannes Un Certain Regard entry Port Authority and...
- 10/28/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
"He doesn't belong here..." FilmRise has unveiled an official trailer for an indie thriller titled Nighthawks, the latest from Tony-winning theater director / filmmaker Grant S. Johnson (Frat Star). Chace Crawford plays a "wide-eyed Midwest transplant" named Stan who agrees to be the wingman to his "calculating and privileged" roommate Chad as they embark upon an exploration of glittering New York City nightlife, whose darkest secrets are held captive by an elite group of millennials known as "Nighthawks". If you think that sounds boring, just wait until you watch the trailer. The cast includes Kevin Zegers, Janet Montgomery, Lola Bessis, Michele Weaver, Blue Kimble, Craig Castaldo, Melanie Blake Roth, Max Sheldon, Juliette Labelle, and Nicole Balsam. This looks way too extravagant and cliche and glitzy for my tastes. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Grant S. Johnson's Nighthawks, direct from FilmRise's YouTube: Wide-eyed Midwest transplant Stan (Chace Crawford) agrees to...
- 8/12/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Lars Eidinger, Nahuel Perez Biscayart lead the cast.
Clouds Of Sils Maria actor Lars Eidinger and Bpm (Beats Per Minute) actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart lead the cast of Persian Lessons, which Memento Films is launching at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.
The film is from director Vadim Perelman, whose credits include House Of Sand And Fog, which was nominated for three Oscars in 2004, and The Life Before Her Eyes, which was at Toronto in 2007. Set during the Second World War, the story follows a Jewish man who avoids being sent to a concentration camp by claiming to be Persian.
Clouds Of Sils Maria actor Lars Eidinger and Bpm (Beats Per Minute) actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart lead the cast of Persian Lessons, which Memento Films is launching at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.
The film is from director Vadim Perelman, whose credits include House Of Sand And Fog, which was nominated for three Oscars in 2004, and The Life Before Her Eyes, which was at Toronto in 2007. Set during the Second World War, the story follows a Jewish man who avoids being sent to a concentration camp by claiming to be Persian.
- 2/7/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Lars Eidinger, Nahuel Perez Biscayart lead the cast.
Clouds Of Sils Maria actor Lars Eidinger and Bpm (Beats Per Minute) actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart lead the cast of Persian Lessons, which Memento Films is launching at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.
The film is from director Vadim Perelman, whose credits include House Of Sand And Fog, which was nominated for three Oscars in 2004, and The Life Before Her Eyes, which was at Toronto in 2007. Set during the second world war, the story follows a Jewish man who avoids being sent to a concentration camp by claiming to be Persian.
Clouds Of Sils Maria actor Lars Eidinger and Bpm (Beats Per Minute) actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart lead the cast of Persian Lessons, which Memento Films is launching at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.
The film is from director Vadim Perelman, whose credits include House Of Sand And Fog, which was nominated for three Oscars in 2004, and The Life Before Her Eyes, which was at Toronto in 2007. Set during the second world war, the story follows a Jewish man who avoids being sent to a concentration camp by claiming to be Persian.
- 2/7/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
(Spoiler alert: Read at your own risk if you haven’t seen all of Amazon’s “Picnic at Hanging Rock.”)
By the end of the Amazon limited series “Picnic at Hanging Rock” audiences still don’t know what happened to the girls who went missing at the beginning. But showrunner and director Larysa Kondracki hopes her “enchanted chiller” will give fans an “emotionally satisfying conclusion” nonetheless.
If that’s not good enough for you, Kondracki told TheWrap she has her own “cockamamy idea” about what happened to the young ladies at the center of the TV adaptation based on Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel of the same name, which the director describes as “‘Heathers’ meets ‘The Breakfast Club,’ with a little bit of ‘The Shining.'”
Also Read: 'Picnic at Hanging Rock': Natalie Dormer Tells Us Why It Was 'Delicious' to 'Unravel' in Adaptation
Former...
By the end of the Amazon limited series “Picnic at Hanging Rock” audiences still don’t know what happened to the girls who went missing at the beginning. But showrunner and director Larysa Kondracki hopes her “enchanted chiller” will give fans an “emotionally satisfying conclusion” nonetheless.
If that’s not good enough for you, Kondracki told TheWrap she has her own “cockamamy idea” about what happened to the young ladies at the center of the TV adaptation based on Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel of the same name, which the director describes as “‘Heathers’ meets ‘The Breakfast Club,’ with a little bit of ‘The Shining.'”
Also Read: 'Picnic at Hanging Rock': Natalie Dormer Tells Us Why It Was 'Delicious' to 'Unravel' in Adaptation
Former...
- 5/29/2018
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Natalie Dormer is mad about her latest gig, “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” Partly because she gets to go mad in the new Amazon limited series based on Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel of the same name.
The former “Game of Thrones” star leads the cast of the adaptation as Mrs. Hester Appleyard, the enigmatic headmistress of Appleyard College, a boarding school that she established for young ladies isolated in Australian bushland. The story centers around the mysterious disappearances of three schoolgirls and one teacher on Valentine’s Day in 1900 and the subsequent investigation, covering its impact on students, families and staff at Appleyard College and the nearby town.
“It’s not so much the actual thing of what happened to them, it’s the ripple effect to this community and all these different personalities on what that event does to people. You know, that’s the drama,” Dormer said.
The former “Game of Thrones” star leads the cast of the adaptation as Mrs. Hester Appleyard, the enigmatic headmistress of Appleyard College, a boarding school that she established for young ladies isolated in Australian bushland. The story centers around the mysterious disappearances of three schoolgirls and one teacher on Valentine’s Day in 1900 and the subsequent investigation, covering its impact on students, families and staff at Appleyard College and the nearby town.
“It’s not so much the actual thing of what happened to them, it’s the ripple effect to this community and all these different personalities on what that event does to people. You know, that’s the drama,” Dormer said.
- 5/25/2018
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Picnic at Hanging Rock Trailer
Amazon Studios‘ Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) TV mini-series trailer stars Natalie Dormer, Samara Weaving, Madeleine Madden, Lola Bessis, and Lily Sullivan. Picnic at Hanging Rock‘s plot synopsis: “Picnic at Hanging Rock is a gripping reimagining of the 1975 film that plunges viewers into the mysterious disappearances of three schoolgirls and their [...]
Continue reading: Picnic At Hanging Rock (2018) TV Mini-series Trailer: A Dark Mystery Surrounds the Disappearance Three Schoogirls
The post Picnic At Hanging Rock (2018) TV Mini-series Trailer: A Dark Mystery Surrounds the Disappearance Three Schoogirls appeared first on FilmBook.
Amazon Studios‘ Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) TV mini-series trailer stars Natalie Dormer, Samara Weaving, Madeleine Madden, Lola Bessis, and Lily Sullivan. Picnic at Hanging Rock‘s plot synopsis: “Picnic at Hanging Rock is a gripping reimagining of the 1975 film that plunges viewers into the mysterious disappearances of three schoolgirls and their [...]
Continue reading: Picnic At Hanging Rock (2018) TV Mini-series Trailer: A Dark Mystery Surrounds the Disappearance Three Schoogirls
The post Picnic At Hanging Rock (2018) TV Mini-series Trailer: A Dark Mystery Surrounds the Disappearance Three Schoogirls appeared first on FilmBook.
- 4/16/2018
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Welcome to Trailer Binge, a recurring feature where we get a chance to catch up on some of the recent trailer releases in the past week. Whether it be indie releases, or recent movie and TV trailers that may have otherwise slipped through the cracks, Trailer Binge allows us to catch up on the seemingly constant onslaught of new new content being released each week.
In this edition of Trailer Binge, we take a look at trailers for ‘Ocean’s 8‘, ‘American Animals‘ and ‘Hot Summer Nights‘. Also we showcase trailers for the amazon studios Series ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock‘ and ‘Rocky & Bullwinkle‘, along with a brand-new Tv spot for ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story‘. Let the Trailer binge begin!
‘Ocean’s 8’ Trailer #2
Gary Ross, the filmmaker behind The Hunger Games and Pleasantville, co-wrote the screenplay with Olivia Milch. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Sarah Paulson,...
In this edition of Trailer Binge, we take a look at trailers for ‘Ocean’s 8‘, ‘American Animals‘ and ‘Hot Summer Nights‘. Also we showcase trailers for the amazon studios Series ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock‘ and ‘Rocky & Bullwinkle‘, along with a brand-new Tv spot for ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story‘. Let the Trailer binge begin!
‘Ocean’s 8’ Trailer #2
Gary Ross, the filmmaker behind The Hunger Games and Pleasantville, co-wrote the screenplay with Olivia Milch. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Sarah Paulson,...
- 4/16/2018
- by Taylor Salan
- Age of the Nerd
Amazon is coming for the classics. The streaming outfit is now taking on Peter Weir’s twisted thriller “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” care of a brand-new six-part series. Like Weir’s film, the series is based on Joan Lindsay’s cult novel of the same name, which first spawned Weir’s take back in 1975. This new one doesn’t change the book’s setting — an isolated Australian boarding school in the year 1900 — or its pervasive sense of dread.
Featuring former “Game of Thrones” star Natalie Dormer, along with Lola Bessis, Yael Stone, Anna McGahan, Sibylla Budd, Ruby Rees, and Inez Curro, the series looks to have plenty to intrigue fans of creepy cinema, unsolved mysteries, and the strange magic that unspools when a bunch of hormonal young ladies are thrown together. At the secluded Appleyard College (led by Dormer as headmistress), students adore an annual tradition that involves a picnic at the eponymous Hanging Rock.
Featuring former “Game of Thrones” star Natalie Dormer, along with Lola Bessis, Yael Stone, Anna McGahan, Sibylla Budd, Ruby Rees, and Inez Curro, the series looks to have plenty to intrigue fans of creepy cinema, unsolved mysteries, and the strange magic that unspools when a bunch of hormonal young ladies are thrown together. At the secluded Appleyard College (led by Dormer as headmistress), students adore an annual tradition that involves a picnic at the eponymous Hanging Rock.
- 4/11/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
"Picnic at Hanging Rock" is the Australian TV drama, airing on Foxtel's Showcase, BBC and Amazon Prime in 2018, adapted from author Joan Lindsay's 1967 novel of the same name, starring Natalie Dormer ("Game of Thrones"), Lola Bessis, Yael Stone, Anna McGahan, Sibylla Budd, Lily Sullivan and Madeleine Madden:
"...set in 1900, the film focuses on a group of female students at an Australian girls' boarding school who inexplicably vanish at 'Hanging Rock' while on a 'Valentine's Day' picnic...
"...and the outlying effects the disappearances have on the school and local community..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...set in 1900, the film focuses on a group of female students at an Australian girls' boarding school who inexplicably vanish at 'Hanging Rock' while on a 'Valentine's Day' picnic...
"...and the outlying effects the disappearances have on the school and local community..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 2/13/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Seven series selected for TV strand.
The Berlin Film Festival (Feb 15-25) has unveiled the seven titles set to be screened in this year’s Berlinale Series programme.
Source: Hulu
The Looming Tower
Opening the festival’s TV strand is Australian series Picnic At Hanging Rock, FremantleMedia’s Natalie Dormer-starring TV adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel, which previously spawned Peter Weir’s Bafta-winning 1975 feature.
The series tells the story of a strict headmistress at a boarding school whose dark past catches up with her after three pupils mysteriously disappear during a school outing.
Also in the selection is Legendary Television and broadcaster Hulu’s The Looming Tower, which is based on Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer prize-winning book of the same name. Chronicling the lead-up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the series stars Jeff Daniels as counter terrorism expert John O’Neill and is being exec produced by Alex Gibney.
Further series in the...
The Berlin Film Festival (Feb 15-25) has unveiled the seven titles set to be screened in this year’s Berlinale Series programme.
Source: Hulu
The Looming Tower
Opening the festival’s TV strand is Australian series Picnic At Hanging Rock, FremantleMedia’s Natalie Dormer-starring TV adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel, which previously spawned Peter Weir’s Bafta-winning 1975 feature.
The series tells the story of a strict headmistress at a boarding school whose dark past catches up with her after three pupils mysteriously disappear during a school outing.
Also in the selection is Legendary Television and broadcaster Hulu’s The Looming Tower, which is based on Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer prize-winning book of the same name. Chronicling the lead-up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the series stars Jeff Daniels as counter terrorism expert John O’Neill and is being exec produced by Alex Gibney.
Further series in the...
- 1/18/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
The stalker genre gets a wryly funny indie treatment in Thirst Street, an experience of sustained worms-under-your-skin horror (with some dark laughs). Sometime after her boyfriend’s suicide, flight attendant Gina (Lindsay Burdge) apparently takes a Tarot reading way too seriously and decides that Jerome (Damien Bonnard, who also plays the boyfriend), a one-night stand during a layover in Paris, is her new soulmate. She quits her job, moves into the apartment building across the street from Jerome’s, and starts waitressing at the sleazy nightclub where he tends bar. This is not a scenario which improves for anyone as it progresses.
Writer/director Nathan Silver and co-writer C. Mason Wells aren’t content to merely wring cringes out of Gina’s increasing unhingedness. Many of the most disquieting (and funniest) bits are the small moments of weirdness and/or confusion between characters, as well as more universal details of expat blues.
Writer/director Nathan Silver and co-writer C. Mason Wells aren’t content to merely wring cringes out of Gina’s increasing unhingedness. Many of the most disquieting (and funniest) bits are the small moments of weirdness and/or confusion between characters, as well as more universal details of expat blues.
- 9/20/2017
- by Daniel Schindel
- The Film Stage
"Who is the girl? Did you two have sex?" Samuel Goldwyn Films has debuted the official Us trailer for a new indie film titled Thirst Street, a psychosexual drama that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. The film stars Lindsay Burdge (star of the indie film A Teacher) as a flight attendant still reeling over the suicide of her boyfriend, who hooks up with a bartender in Paris on one of her layovers. But she soon gets sucked into this lust and then falls even further into madness when his ex shows up and messes with everything. The film's full cast includes Damien Bonnard, Anjelica Huston, Esther Garrel, Lola Bessis, Alice de Lencquesaing, and Jacques Nolot. This looks very 70s in story and in color palette, which seems like an interesting if not cliched choice. It also seems totally twisted and insane, so watch out. Here's the official...
- 8/10/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
There’s one thing that connects some of my favorite American independent films of the last few years: cinematography of Sean Price Williams. Following Listen Up Philip, Kate Plays Christine, Heaven Knows What, Golden Exits, Marjorie Prime, Queen of Earth, and Good Time, his latest project is Thirst Street, from director Nathan Silver. Ahead of a September release, the first trailer has landed for the film following an American flight attendant who tries to make a romantic connection in Paris and things don’t go as planned.
“Sean [Price Williams] and I were talking and one key image was that crazy image from Fassbinder’s Lola (1981) where she’s sitting in bed and there are a million different colours on her,” Silver tells The Seventh Art. “We talked about always looking for ways to heighten the lighting and we used anamorphic lenses in Paris and then when we were in the U.
“Sean [Price Williams] and I were talking and one key image was that crazy image from Fassbinder’s Lola (1981) where she’s sitting in bed and there are a million different colours on her,” Silver tells The Seventh Art. “We talked about always looking for ways to heighten the lighting and we used anamorphic lenses in Paris and then when we were in the U.
- 8/9/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Anjelica Huston has come aboard as the voice-over narrator for Thirst Street, the Nathan Silver-directed pic that will have its world premiere next month at the Tribeca Film Festival. The retro-style psychodrama, written by Silver and C. Mason Wells, centers on a flight attendant (Lindsay Burdge) grieving over a lover's suicide who loses her grip on reality after falling for a suave Parisian bartender. Damien Bonnard, Esther Garrel, Lola Bessis, Jacques Nolot and…...
- 3/9/2017
- Deadline
Natalie Dormer, Yael Stone and French actress Lola Bessis will headline the cast of Australian paynet Foxtel’s original period drama Picnic at Hanging Rock, which goes into production in the state of Victoria next month.
Dormer will star as English headmistress Hester Appleyard; Stone is Miss Dora Lumley, mistress of deportment and Bible studies; and Bessis plays Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers, mistress of French conversation, music and dance, all teachers at the Appleyard College for Young Ladies.
The limited series, based on Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel of the same name, centers on the mysterious disappearance of three schoolgirls ...
Dormer will star as English headmistress Hester Appleyard; Stone is Miss Dora Lumley, mistress of deportment and Bible studies; and Bessis plays Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers, mistress of French conversation, music and dance, all teachers at the Appleyard College for Young Ladies.
The limited series, based on Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel of the same name, centers on the mysterious disappearance of three schoolgirls ...
- 2/17/2017
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Natalie Dormer..
Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer will play English headmistress Mrs. Hester Appleyard in Foxtel.s upcoming.Picnic at Hanging Rock miniseries..
FremantleMedia.s six-parter begins shooting later this month. Amanda Brotchie (Agony, This is Littleton, Lowdown).will direct alongside the previously announced Michael Rymer and Larysa Kondracki.
Brotchie joins after the Australian Directors' Guild criticised FremantleMedia over the import of Kondracki, a Canadian, to shoot the series.
In late December, following a protest staged by the Adg and Wift Nsw outside FremantleMedia.s Sydney office, the production company announced it would bring on an Aussie female director to shoot one episode.
Joining Dormer as the teachers of Appleyard College are.Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), French actress Lola Bessis (Cassandra, Swim Little Fish Swim),.Anna McGahan (The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Anzac Girls) and Sibylla Budd (Tomorrow When The War Began, Winners & Losers).
Schoolgirls will be played by Lily Sullivan (Camp,...
Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer will play English headmistress Mrs. Hester Appleyard in Foxtel.s upcoming.Picnic at Hanging Rock miniseries..
FremantleMedia.s six-parter begins shooting later this month. Amanda Brotchie (Agony, This is Littleton, Lowdown).will direct alongside the previously announced Michael Rymer and Larysa Kondracki.
Brotchie joins after the Australian Directors' Guild criticised FremantleMedia over the import of Kondracki, a Canadian, to shoot the series.
In late December, following a protest staged by the Adg and Wift Nsw outside FremantleMedia.s Sydney office, the production company announced it would bring on an Aussie female director to shoot one episode.
Joining Dormer as the teachers of Appleyard College are.Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), French actress Lola Bessis (Cassandra, Swim Little Fish Swim),.Anna McGahan (The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Anzac Girls) and Sibylla Budd (Tomorrow When The War Began, Winners & Losers).
Schoolgirls will be played by Lily Sullivan (Camp,...
- 2/17/2017
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Films from notables Nick Cave, Kevin Smith and Terry Gilliam, and another featuring Downton Abbey vet Dan Stevens are helping fill this weekend’s box office, despite studio blockbuster debuts for The Maze Runner and This Is Where I Leave You.
In all, 14 specialty films are debuting this weekend, at the front edge of awards season and the time of year when “serious” films hit the screens left and right. We have The Guest, with Stevens; The Zero Theorem by Gilliam; Smith’s Tusk; Tracks, the latest from the producers of The King’s Speech; and Cave’s doc 20,000 Days On Earth.
And, like a TV informercial, there’s more: the doc Pump, boundary-jumper Stop The Pounding Heart; and Swim Little Fish Swim. Just to fill out the marquees, we also have Tribeca-winning doc Keep On Keepin’ On; Flamenco, Flamenco; Hector And The Search For Happiness; Iceman; Hollidaysburg; and Not Cool.
In all, 14 specialty films are debuting this weekend, at the front edge of awards season and the time of year when “serious” films hit the screens left and right. We have The Guest, with Stevens; The Zero Theorem by Gilliam; Smith’s Tusk; Tracks, the latest from the producers of The King’s Speech; and Cave’s doc 20,000 Days On Earth.
And, like a TV informercial, there’s more: the doc Pump, boundary-jumper Stop The Pounding Heart; and Swim Little Fish Swim. Just to fill out the marquees, we also have Tribeca-winning doc Keep On Keepin’ On; Flamenco, Flamenco; Hector And The Search For Happiness; Iceman; Hollidaysburg; and Not Cool.
- 9/19/2014
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
From its crackpot opening — a tied-up, prostrate girl in lingerie poses for a creepy, buck-naked painter — you wouldn't expect Swim Little Fish Swim to play like a New York-set Reality Bites crossed with the most cloying elements of mumblecore cinema (uke players, quaint pop lyrics like "Let's pretend we're radiators," Ballantine-swigging hipsters). But that's exactly what co-writer/directors Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar have pulled off in their coy debut. As in Bites, that earlier war cry for respecting artistic slacker integrity, the heroes are a struggling experimental video auteur (Bessis) and a proudly unemployed musician (Dustin Guy Defa). Bessis's character, who is French, has 10 days to throw together a project for a P.S.1 gallery...
- 9/17/2014
- Village Voice
Updated: As political tensions escalate, a number of film festival guests have cancelled their trips to Jerusalem.
Austrian director Ulrich Seidl and his collaborator Maria Hofstaetter, who were due to get a tribute and have a public talk, have cancelled their travel to the 2014 Jerusalem Film Festival. Seidl’s films Dog Days and Import/Export will screen as scheduled.
Beki Probst of Berlin’s European Film Market, who was also due for a festival tribute, has also cancelled.
Other directors who are no longer planning to attend the festival include Dietrich Brüggemann (Stations of the Cross), Alice Rohrwacher (The Wonders),Johannes Holzhausen (The Great Museum), Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis (Swim Little Fish Swim), Marcelo Gomes (The Man of The Crowd), Lloyd Handwerker (Famous Nathan), and Georges Gachot (O Samba).
Industry attendees who cancelled their visits include Serge Toubiana, Michel Zana, Felix Moller, Leslie Siegel, Bruce Goldstein, Roberto Olla, Marie-Pierre Valle, Andreas Eicher, [link...
Austrian director Ulrich Seidl and his collaborator Maria Hofstaetter, who were due to get a tribute and have a public talk, have cancelled their travel to the 2014 Jerusalem Film Festival. Seidl’s films Dog Days and Import/Export will screen as scheduled.
Beki Probst of Berlin’s European Film Market, who was also due for a festival tribute, has also cancelled.
Other directors who are no longer planning to attend the festival include Dietrich Brüggemann (Stations of the Cross), Alice Rohrwacher (The Wonders),Johannes Holzhausen (The Great Museum), Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis (Swim Little Fish Swim), Marcelo Gomes (The Man of The Crowd), Lloyd Handwerker (Famous Nathan), and Georges Gachot (O Samba).
Industry attendees who cancelled their visits include Serge Toubiana, Michel Zana, Felix Moller, Leslie Siegel, Bruce Goldstein, Roberto Olla, Marie-Pierre Valle, Andreas Eicher, [link...
- 7/12/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Directors are among the high-profile international guests at this year’s festival.
Directors Spike Jonze, Park Chan-wook, Ulrich Seidl, Chantal Akerman and actress Martina Gedeck are among the high-profile international guests due to attend the Jerusalem Film Festival.
The festival said in statement: “Despite the security situation, more than 100 distinguished international guests are on their way to Jerusalem…The Festival’s international guests have expressed their support of the non-cancellation of the Festival and are due to arrive in Jerusalem in the coming days.”
Jonze, who recently won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for his sci-fi romance Her, will give a masterclass following a screening of his Oscar-nominated fantasy comedy Being John Malkovich — which marks its 15th anniversary this year.
It is the first time Jonze, whose father was descended from a German Jewish family, has visited Israel.
Korea’s Park will also give a masterclass and participate in a panel on his country’s cinema...
Directors Spike Jonze, Park Chan-wook, Ulrich Seidl, Chantal Akerman and actress Martina Gedeck are among the high-profile international guests due to attend the Jerusalem Film Festival.
The festival said in statement: “Despite the security situation, more than 100 distinguished international guests are on their way to Jerusalem…The Festival’s international guests have expressed their support of the non-cancellation of the Festival and are due to arrive in Jerusalem in the coming days.”
Jonze, who recently won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for his sci-fi romance Her, will give a masterclass following a screening of his Oscar-nominated fantasy comedy Being John Malkovich — which marks its 15th anniversary this year.
It is the first time Jonze, whose father was descended from a German Jewish family, has visited Israel.
Korea’s Park will also give a masterclass and participate in a panel on his country’s cinema...
- 7/10/2014
- ScreenDaily
The definition of the little indie film that finally could, Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar’s debut swam against Short Term 12 at the SXSW Narrative Comp and a little more than a year later, has finally found a bit from Under The Milky Way folks. Swim Little Fish Swim will receive a September theatrical release.
Gist: This is about a NYC couple whose lives are upended when a 19-year-old French artist (Lola Bessis) moves into their apartment.
Worth Noting: This actually premiered at the Rotterdam Film Fest before hitting Austin. It recently had a theatrical run in France this past month – in some of those MK2 theaters.
Do We Care?: I actually sat on the 2013 Narrative Comp SXSW jury on this one. I thought it was a well-intentioned, inoffensive, a cute little number with the fresh faced Bessis.
Bessis scripted with Amar and plays the young ingenue alongside...
Gist: This is about a NYC couple whose lives are upended when a 19-year-old French artist (Lola Bessis) moves into their apartment.
Worth Noting: This actually premiered at the Rotterdam Film Fest before hitting Austin. It recently had a theatrical run in France this past month – in some of those MK2 theaters.
Do We Care?: I actually sat on the 2013 Narrative Comp SXSW jury on this one. I thought it was a well-intentioned, inoffensive, a cute little number with the fresh faced Bessis.
Bessis scripted with Amar and plays the young ingenue alongside...
- 7/1/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Under The Milky Way has picked up Us theatrical and worldwide VOD rights to SXSW premiere Swim Little Fish Swim.
The film will open theatrically in theatres in September followed by digital release.
Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar’s feature directorial debut stars Dustin Guy Defa, Bessis and Brooke Bloom in the New York-set tale of a young couple at a crossroads.
Under The Milky Way previously orchestrated day-and-date releases for What’s In A Name? and the 2013 Tide Experiment.
French company Jour2Fête handles international sales on all remaining territories.
The film will open theatrically in theatres in September followed by digital release.
Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar’s feature directorial debut stars Dustin Guy Defa, Bessis and Brooke Bloom in the New York-set tale of a young couple at a crossroads.
Under The Milky Way previously orchestrated day-and-date releases for What’s In A Name? and the 2013 Tide Experiment.
French company Jour2Fête handles international sales on all remaining territories.
- 6/30/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
International digital distributor Under The Milky Way is diving in with Swim Little Fish Swim, the feature film debut of directors Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar about a NYC couple whose lives are upended when a 19-year-old French artist moves into their apartment. Bessis scripted with Amar and plays the young ingenue alongside Dustin Guy Defa (Summer of Love, Red Flag) and Brooke Bloom (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close). Pic premiered at SXSW in March and is set for a September theatrical release, to be followed by a VOD debut. Jour2Fête is repping international sales. Under The Milky Way previously […]...
- 6/30/2014
- Deadline
It’s almost a little too precious to be taken as an honest exploration of the difficulties of living an artistically genuine life. Or else that’s where it finds a lost romance. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
It’s almost a little too precious to be taken as, I think, it wants to be taken: as an honest exploration of how difficult it can be to live an artistically genuine life. Could an unemployed — apparently unemployable — musician like Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa: Computer Chess) afford to live in Manhattan’s Chinatown these days, even with a wife, Mary (Brooke Bloom: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), who works as a nurse, and even though they take in strays to sleep on their couches and (presumably) kick in with the rent? I mean, they have an actual separate bedroom!
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
It’s almost a little too precious to be taken as, I think, it wants to be taken: as an honest exploration of how difficult it can be to live an artistically genuine life. Could an unemployed — apparently unemployable — musician like Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa: Computer Chess) afford to live in Manhattan’s Chinatown these days, even with a wife, Mary (Brooke Bloom: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), who works as a nurse, and even though they take in strays to sleep on their couches and (presumably) kick in with the rent? I mean, they have an actual separate bedroom!
- 4/15/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
London’s Birds Eye View Film Festival will include 10 UK premieres and titles from Girls star Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The Birds Eye View Film Festival (April 8-13), celebrating women’s work in film, has revealed details of its 2014 programme including works by British director Destiny Ekaragha and Laura Checkoway to films by Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The festival will also celebrate inspiring female filmmakers and actors of recent times including the late pioneering animator Joy Batchelor, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch and award-winning British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.
The festival will comprise 19 features including 10 UK premieres such as German director Katrin Gebbe’s debut Nothing Bad Can Happen and the London premiere of Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s Watermark, the follow-up to their 2006 documentary hit Manufactured Landscapes.
The programme also includes an American Indie strand featuring Kelly Reichardt’s thriller Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning; Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and the...
The Birds Eye View Film Festival (April 8-13), celebrating women’s work in film, has revealed details of its 2014 programme including works by British director Destiny Ekaragha and Laura Checkoway to films by Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The festival will also celebrate inspiring female filmmakers and actors of recent times including the late pioneering animator Joy Batchelor, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch and award-winning British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.
The festival will comprise 19 features including 10 UK premieres such as German director Katrin Gebbe’s debut Nothing Bad Can Happen and the London premiere of Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s Watermark, the follow-up to their 2006 documentary hit Manufactured Landscapes.
The programme also includes an American Indie strand featuring Kelly Reichardt’s thriller Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning; Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and the...
- 3/10/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Festival dedicated to showcasing work by women film-makers to screen films from Georgia and the Us
• Women successful yet sidelined in film writing and directing
The Birds Eye Film Festival has announced its opening and closing night films, along with details of its International Women's Day gala.
Celebrated as a major discovery at the 2013 Berlinale, Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross's In Bloom will kick off proceedings on April 8 with its UK premiere. A drama about two young girls growing up in newly-independent Georgia in 1992, it sets the girls' life trajectory against that of the country, which is in the midst of a civil war. Eka and Natia are best friends who like to talk about music and boys, but are forced to grow up quickly as insecurity invades their everyday lives.
The six-day festival will close with another UK premiere, a screening of Swim Little Fish Swim, which debuted at SXSW last year.
• Women successful yet sidelined in film writing and directing
The Birds Eye Film Festival has announced its opening and closing night films, along with details of its International Women's Day gala.
Celebrated as a major discovery at the 2013 Berlinale, Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross's In Bloom will kick off proceedings on April 8 with its UK premiere. A drama about two young girls growing up in newly-independent Georgia in 1992, it sets the girls' life trajectory against that of the country, which is in the midst of a civil war. Eka and Natia are best friends who like to talk about music and boys, but are forced to grow up quickly as insecurity invades their everyday lives.
The six-day festival will close with another UK premiere, a screening of Swim Little Fish Swim, which debuted at SXSW last year.
- 1/24/2014
- by Ellie Violet Bramley
- The Guardian - Film News
Nana Ekvtimishvili’s and Simon Groß’s award-winning feature to receive its UK premiere, as will Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar’s Swim Little Fish Swim as this year’s closing film.
In Bloom will receive its UK premiere as the opening film of the tenth Birds Eye View Film Festival.
Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Groß’s award-winning Georgian feature will open the festival on April 8, while Lola Bessis & Ruben Amar’s family drama Swim Little Fish Swim will also receive its UK premiere as the festival’s closing film on April 13.
With the full programme to be announced in February, this year’s edition will also feature a 20th anniversary screening of Gurinder Chadha’s Bhaji on the Beach on April 12, with Chadha in attendance.
The festival has also revealed that Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s Wonder Women!, a film which traces the birth, evolution and legacy of the Wonder Woman figure, will be its...
In Bloom will receive its UK premiere as the opening film of the tenth Birds Eye View Film Festival.
Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Groß’s award-winning Georgian feature will open the festival on April 8, while Lola Bessis & Ruben Amar’s family drama Swim Little Fish Swim will also receive its UK premiere as the festival’s closing film on April 13.
With the full programme to be announced in February, this year’s edition will also feature a 20th anniversary screening of Gurinder Chadha’s Bhaji on the Beach on April 12, with Chadha in attendance.
The festival has also revealed that Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s Wonder Women!, a film which traces the birth, evolution and legacy of the Wonder Woman figure, will be its...
- 1/24/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2014
Bright Future
World Premieres
Above: The Pinkie
About Sarah (Elisa Miller, Mexico, United Kingdom)
Bella Vista (Vera Brunner-Sung, USA)
Creator of the Jungle (Jordi Morató (Spain)
La distancia (Sergio Caballero, Spain)
Dzma/Brother (Téona Mghvdeladze & Thierry Grenade, France, Georgia)
L’éclat furtif de l'ombre (Alain-Pascal Housiaux & Patrick Dechesne, Belgium, Germany)
Edén (Elise DuRant, USA, Mexico)
Helium (Eché Janga, Netherlands)
History of Eternity (Camilo Cavalcante, Brazil)
Hotel Nueva Isla (Irene Gutiérrez & Javier Labrador, Cuba, Spain)
The Iranian Film (Yassine el Idrissi, Morocco, Netherlands, Egypt)
Jacky au royaume des filles (Riad Sattouf, France)
L for Leisure (Lev Kalman & Whitney Horn, USA, Mexico, France, Iceland)
Little Crushes (Aleksandra Gowin & Ireneusz Grzyb, Poland)
Masked Monkey - The Evolution of Darwin’s Theory (Ismail Fahmi Lubish, Indonesia)
Oilfields Mines Hurricanes (Fabian Altenried, Germany, Iceland)
The Pinkie (Lisa Takeba, Japan)
The Quiet Roar (Henrik Hellström, Sweden, Norway)
Sitzfleisch (Lisa Weber, Austria)
The Songs of Rice (Uruphong Raksasad,...
Bright Future
World Premieres
Above: The Pinkie
About Sarah (Elisa Miller, Mexico, United Kingdom)
Bella Vista (Vera Brunner-Sung, USA)
Creator of the Jungle (Jordi Morató (Spain)
La distancia (Sergio Caballero, Spain)
Dzma/Brother (Téona Mghvdeladze & Thierry Grenade, France, Georgia)
L’éclat furtif de l'ombre (Alain-Pascal Housiaux & Patrick Dechesne, Belgium, Germany)
Edén (Elise DuRant, USA, Mexico)
Helium (Eché Janga, Netherlands)
History of Eternity (Camilo Cavalcante, Brazil)
Hotel Nueva Isla (Irene Gutiérrez & Javier Labrador, Cuba, Spain)
The Iranian Film (Yassine el Idrissi, Morocco, Netherlands, Egypt)
Jacky au royaume des filles (Riad Sattouf, France)
L for Leisure (Lev Kalman & Whitney Horn, USA, Mexico, France, Iceland)
Little Crushes (Aleksandra Gowin & Ireneusz Grzyb, Poland)
Masked Monkey - The Evolution of Darwin’s Theory (Ismail Fahmi Lubish, Indonesia)
Oilfields Mines Hurricanes (Fabian Altenried, Germany, Iceland)
The Pinkie (Lisa Takeba, Japan)
The Quiet Roar (Henrik Hellström, Sweden, Norway)
Sitzfleisch (Lisa Weber, Austria)
The Songs of Rice (Uruphong Raksasad,...
- 1/13/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Picks include the latest documentary from Ai Weiwei [pictured].
The International Film Festival Rotterdam has unveiled the selections for its Bright Future and Spectrum programmes (list of premiere titles below).
Across both sections there are 37 world premieres.
Bright Future is comprised of 63 films, all first and second features. Bright Future includes five films supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, including Carlos Armella’s Las voces.
Five films from Bright Future will compete in the Big Screen Award Competition, including telepathic dwarf thriller La distancia by Sergio Caballero; and Riad Sattouf’s Jacky au royaume des filles starring Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Other notable seelctions include Burrowing director Henrik Helstrom’s second feature The Quiet Roar, about a dying woman who reconnects with her past through an acid trip.
Spectrum, focusing on artistic and experimental cinema, includes 69 films, including three supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. Five Spectrum Films, including Jos de Putter’s See No Evil and Oxana Bychkova’s Another...
The International Film Festival Rotterdam has unveiled the selections for its Bright Future and Spectrum programmes (list of premiere titles below).
Across both sections there are 37 world premieres.
Bright Future is comprised of 63 films, all first and second features. Bright Future includes five films supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, including Carlos Armella’s Las voces.
Five films from Bright Future will compete in the Big Screen Award Competition, including telepathic dwarf thriller La distancia by Sergio Caballero; and Riad Sattouf’s Jacky au royaume des filles starring Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Other notable seelctions include Burrowing director Henrik Helstrom’s second feature The Quiet Roar, about a dying woman who reconnects with her past through an acid trip.
Spectrum, focusing on artistic and experimental cinema, includes 69 films, including three supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. Five Spectrum Films, including Jos de Putter’s See No Evil and Oxana Bychkova’s Another...
- 1/13/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
As the title suggests, Swim Little Fish Swim is about the importance of giving loved ones the freedom and support to do what they want to do. The more Lilas (Lola Bessis) and Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) are held back, the more they rebel; the more they rebel, the more frictional the relationships with their loved ones become. Regardless, writers-directors Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar thankfully do not make Lilas and Leeward out to be artistic martyrs. Instead, they are equally at fault for refusing to take the advice of others out of sheer stubbornness. By immersing themselves in the independent film community in New York, Bessis and Amar clearly thrive off of the creativity and experimentation that is going on around them. They also bring an outsider perspective into the mix, as Swim Little Fish Swim is a novel view of New York City from a European vantage point.
- 3/24/2013
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
I got the chance to attend the SXSW Film Festival for my first time this year, and was impressed with the enthusiastic and respectful vibe of the festival, the warm reception from Austin locals and out-of-town festival goers alike, and -- importantly! -- the films. Below, my four takeaways from covering SXSW, and my rundown of best of the fest, buzzy titles I missed, and disappointments. 1. Strong lineup. Of all the films I saw, I would approximate that half I really liked, and none I disliked. As anyone who's been to a festival knows, these are pretty good odds. The Narrative Competition section was a particular standout, boasting titles like Chris Eska's "The Retrieval," a meditative and lushly paced African-American Civil War drama featuring good performances and gorgeous cinematography, and Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis' "Swim Little Fish Swim," a portrait of artistic idealism clashing with the realities of grown-up life,...
- 3/19/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
Anyone pursuing a career in the arts will appreciate Swim Little Fish Swim, a film about the perennial battle between art and commerce, between dreams of success and the unkind reality that shatters those dreams.
An engaging and appealing movie by French filmmakers Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis, Swim Little Fish Swim is the story of Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) and Mary (Brooke Bloom), a struggling young couple living in a tiny Chinatown apartment with their three-year-old daughter, Maggie (Olivia Costello) -- or "Rainbow," as her always creative father prefers to call her.
That Leeward and Mary cannot agree on what to call their daughter speaks volumes about their troubled relationship. A talented musician, Leeward considers himself a misunderstood artist and refuses to accept paid gigs for The Man, fearing they will stifle his creativity. (He won't even record a CD of his songs; that would be much too mainstream.
An engaging and appealing movie by French filmmakers Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis, Swim Little Fish Swim is the story of Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) and Mary (Brooke Bloom), a struggling young couple living in a tiny Chinatown apartment with their three-year-old daughter, Maggie (Olivia Costello) -- or "Rainbow," as her always creative father prefers to call her.
That Leeward and Mary cannot agree on what to call their daughter speaks volumes about their troubled relationship. A talented musician, Leeward considers himself a misunderstood artist and refuses to accept paid gigs for The Man, fearing they will stifle his creativity. (He won't even record a CD of his songs; that would be much too mainstream.
- 3/19/2013
- by Don Clinchy
- Slackerwood
Another year and another great festival wraps up deep in the heart of Texas. As the curtains draw to a close on the Paramount and the music fades, Friday marked the end of another great festival at South by Southwest. With over a hundred films screened, this year’s festival has introduced a plethora of great films to audiences. The festival has been a chance to showcase big headliners like Evil Dead as well as highlight fantastic indies like Zero Charisma. The greatest thing about these festivals is the air of collaboration between various artists, admirers, and professionals alike. Hearing a conversation between a music badge holder, film badge press, and interactive entrepreneurs sums up South by Southwest succinctly. It really captures the spirit of South by Southwest and reminds us why Austin is a true Mecca for creativity and collaboration. Signing off from Austin, TX, see y’all next year!
- 3/17/2013
- by David Tran
- SoundOnSight
The opening moment of Ruben Amar & Lola Bessis' Swim Little Fish Swim (his feature directorial debut, her directorial and feature acting debut) finds Bessis in a rather precarious position: hogtied and posing for a grizzly-bearded naked painter. This moment clues us in quite quickly and literally to just how wayward yet stuck Bessis' character Lilas is in her life. It also says a lot about the stubbornness, resilience, naivety and narrow-minded absurdity and idealism of artists; in other words, a veritable palette of anxieties and malaise that largely come from the fears of being seen or being unseen. Taking matters into her own hands, Lilas sets out across the vibrant and colorful streets of NYC. With a portable projector in hand, no home and...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/14/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Swim Little Fish Swim
Directed by Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis
Written by Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis, Brian Paccione (script consultant)
Us/France, 2013
There have been many meditations on the relationship between people and the creation of art. Swim Little Fish Swim takes a stab at this, examining how some people use art to connect to reality and how art can also cause disconnect, especially when it comes to doing what feels right versus what must be done. This is done by following the dichotomic couple Mary (Brooke Bloom) and Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) trying to make ends meet with their daughter Rainbow (Olivia Costello) as young French artist, Lilas (Lola Bessis) moves into their lives. The two form intertwining storylines for an emotional backdrop of art, reality, and relationships. The main catalyst lays in the main characters and through their relationships.
As Mary is working as nurse and trying to...
Directed by Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis
Written by Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis, Brian Paccione (script consultant)
Us/France, 2013
There have been many meditations on the relationship between people and the creation of art. Swim Little Fish Swim takes a stab at this, examining how some people use art to connect to reality and how art can also cause disconnect, especially when it comes to doing what feels right versus what must be done. This is done by following the dichotomic couple Mary (Brooke Bloom) and Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) trying to make ends meet with their daughter Rainbow (Olivia Costello) as young French artist, Lilas (Lola Bessis) moves into their lives. The two form intertwining storylines for an emotional backdrop of art, reality, and relationships. The main catalyst lays in the main characters and through their relationships.
As Mary is working as nurse and trying to...
- 3/13/2013
- by David Tran
- SoundOnSight
The plight of the idealistic young woman growing disillusioned in the big city is a familiar tale told most prominently in recent times by Lena Dunham. In her breakout feature "Tiny Furniture" and HBO's "Girls," Dunham explores the awkward and sometimes devastating chasm between fantasy and reality that often defines the trajectories of aspiring urban professionals. "Swim Little Fish Swim," the confident debut feature from writing-directing duo Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar, provides a gentler alternative to this same mold. Though less of a crowdpleaser than it may first appear, that's the key strength that makes this admittedly uneven first feature stand out. The filmmakers juxtapose their character's struggles against an older couple facing the practical issues of their livelihood, establishing a thoughtful examination of the harsher challenges styming the blind idealism of youth. Though the framework is familiar, the movie has a delicate, personal quality that sets it apart from.
- 3/11/2013
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Not succumbing to a child’s “I want” is one of the hardest things a parent faces. And in the clip below from the SXSW Film Festival movie Swim Little Fish Swim, we see two of the “fish” in question — the young girl, and an actual, well, fish.
The movie, a brainchild of the French creative team Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis, premieres Monday morning at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and focuses on a couple (played by Dustin Guy Defa and Brooke Bloom) in New York City whose lives are disrupted when a young French artist (played by Bessis) comes to stay.
The movie, a brainchild of the French creative team Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis, premieres Monday morning at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and focuses on a couple (played by Dustin Guy Defa and Brooke Bloom) in New York City whose lives are disrupted when a young French artist (played by Bessis) comes to stay.
- 3/11/2013
- by Laura Hertzfeld
- EW - Inside Movies
Director Ruben Amar is no newb to the world of film festivals, what with his slew of short films, including Checkpoint, playing the likes of Slamdance, Saraosta and Palm Springs. Teaming up with his fellow French compatriot Lola Bessis for her directorial debut (as well as first starring role), the duo bring their feature Swim Little Fish Swim to the narrative competition at this year's SXSW. With the world premiere going down tomorrow, March 11th, we've got the trailer to share with you today. The film centers on a young married couple in New York who encounter familial shifts when a young french woman comes to stay with them. Yes, yes, I know how it may seem to read, but the film looks rather wonderful....
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- 3/10/2013
- Screen Anarchy
In Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis’s Swim Little Fish Swim, Lilas (Bessis) defiantly flees her coddled Parisian life for a nomadic walkabout in New York. An aspiring visual artist, desperate to strike out from the shadow cast by her famous mother (Anne Cosigny), Lilas falls in with Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa), his wife (Brooke Bloom), and their daughter (Olivia Costello). Quick to align herself with Leeward and his band of musicians, Lilas’ presence as an added distraction for her hapless husband unnerves Bloom’s breadwinning nurse. Amar and Bessis spoke to Filmmaker about the method to their collaboration in advance of …...
- 3/10/2013
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The creative pair behind "Swim Little Fish Swim," Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis, split their time between New York and Paris. Amar is a French filmmaker who has produced and directed six short films shot in London, New York, Paris, Israel and Palestine that have been selected at 150+ festivals around the world, and broadcasted on several TV channels. Bessis is a 23-year-old French filmmaker and actress. She attended Ucl (London), The New School and Nyu. She has worked on several documentaries and TV shows, and co-wrote the short film "Checkpoint." This is the first feature film for the pair. What it's about: Swim Little Fish Swim is about the journey from childhood to adulthood. It’s a surreal, dreamlike story filled with unusual characters, art and magic tricks. What it's really about: The main idea was to get the 3 main characters to live together in order to observe them closely,...
- 3/9/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
This is one of the rare moments in one’s life when jury duty calls…. you emphatically say, yes. Yours truly is headed to the 2013 edition of the SXSW Film Festival as one-third of jury for the fest’s Narrative Feature Competition. On this site, we heart film festivals for their uniqueness, quirks, rebel attitude, flamboyancy, spirit and how the top fests all individually contribute in shaping up a given year in film – and the cornerstone signs are that when you’re running a quality fest is when you look back at the previous editions and take inventory of the gem discoveries that were offered.
As film critics we can’t help but continually rank, sort, classify the films we see… so this juror gig doesn’t come across as unfamiliar terrain, but its definitively a privileged position when you care about film and the filmmakers the way we all...
As film critics we can’t help but continually rank, sort, classify the films we see… so this juror gig doesn’t come across as unfamiliar terrain, but its definitively a privileged position when you care about film and the filmmakers the way we all...
- 3/8/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
While the SXSW Film Festival isn't the only thing happening in town this week, it's almost the only thing happening.
Heading to the festival? You know the drill: Avoid driving and parking downtown if you can (MetroRail has become a popular alternative), get in line much earlier than you think you need to, and consult Slackerwood's über-handy SXSW Film Fest Omnibus Survival Guide for everything you need to know about navigating the madness of Austin's largest film festival. Godspeed, indie film fans -- and I hope you catch a glimpse of Matthew McConaughey or your favorite film celebrity or at least one of Austin's bicycle thong guys.
The SXSW Community Screenings offer free films that anyone can see, first-come, first-served, at the Boyd Vance theater in the Carver Museum. The Afs Shortcase, which our contributor Debbie Cerda helps program, is one of the highlights. The Carver Museum is not quite downtown,...
Heading to the festival? You know the drill: Avoid driving and parking downtown if you can (MetroRail has become a popular alternative), get in line much earlier than you think you need to, and consult Slackerwood's über-handy SXSW Film Fest Omnibus Survival Guide for everything you need to know about navigating the madness of Austin's largest film festival. Godspeed, indie film fans -- and I hope you catch a glimpse of Matthew McConaughey or your favorite film celebrity or at least one of Austin's bicycle thong guys.
The SXSW Community Screenings offer free films that anyone can see, first-come, first-served, at the Boyd Vance theater in the Carver Museum. The Afs Shortcase, which our contributor Debbie Cerda helps program, is one of the highlights. The Carver Museum is not quite downtown,...
- 3/8/2013
- by Don Clinchy
- Slackerwood
Among the crop of heavily anticipated films from already established filmmakers at festivals, there's always the potential of being pleasantly surprised by great work from new blood. We have an exclusive first look from one such debut film, which makes its world premiere on March 11th in the narrative competition at SXSW in Austin. Writer/directors Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis collaborated on the award winning short film "Checkpoint" last year, and now they're back on the festival circuit with their first feature, "Swim Little Fish Swim." Starring Dustin Guy Defa from Andrew Bujalski's current festival breakout hit "Computer Chess," as well as co-director Bessis, the film follows a young married Chinatown couple who finds the balance of their relationship thrown into turmoil by the appearence of a bubbly 19-year-old French artist (Bessis). You can check out a set of five exclusive stills from the film below:...
- 2/21/2013
- by Mark Lukenbill
- Indiewire
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