Musician and film-maker’s story about a Belgian-Congolese man who takes his white wife to Drc to meet the family is complex, risky and bold
Congolese-born rapper, musician and film-maker Baloji (né Serge Baloji Tshiani) was a prizewinner at Cannes last year with this feature directing debut: a dynamic, teemingly populated, multistranded and tonally elusive picture which I initially thought would benefit from comparisons with Jordan Peele’s horror classic Get Out. In fact, it’s more complicated than that.
Koffi (Marc Zinga) is a Congolese man living in Belgium and married to a white woman, Alice (Lucie Debay). They are about to have twins and Koffi feels that he cannot put it off any further: whatever his family will think, the couple must journey back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to let them see Alice and let them get used to the idea. It particularly means propitiating...
Congolese-born rapper, musician and film-maker Baloji (né Serge Baloji Tshiani) was a prizewinner at Cannes last year with this feature directing debut: a dynamic, teemingly populated, multistranded and tonally elusive picture which I initially thought would benefit from comparisons with Jordan Peele’s horror classic Get Out. In fact, it’s more complicated than that.
Koffi (Marc Zinga) is a Congolese man living in Belgium and married to a white woman, Alice (Lucie Debay). They are about to have twins and Koffi feels that he cannot put it off any further: whatever his family will think, the couple must journey back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to let them see Alice and let them get used to the idea. It particularly means propitiating...
- 4/24/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
When considering a film, it can be healthy to have some skepticism, no matter what genre or subject matter is at hand. With regards to Omen, we have a Belgian-Congolese co-production, a highly intriguing contradiction to consider between the colonizer and the colonized that is itself part of the film’s text. Seeing a bevy of Western names in the end credits didn’t do much to ease these concerns about playing into the assumptions of a, say, European festival audience. Yet Omen is a respectable work all the same, an assured first feature by rapper-turned-actor Baloji Tshiani that never falters in ambition or surprise.
Our main character is Koffi (Marc Zinga), introduced with his afro being trimmed by his pregnant fiance Alice (Lucie Debay) as we see the pressure of assimilation haunting him, even though the film largely excises whiteness outside of Alice (in what seems like a somewhat...
Our main character is Koffi (Marc Zinga), introduced with his afro being trimmed by his pregnant fiance Alice (Lucie Debay) as we see the pressure of assimilation haunting him, even though the film largely excises whiteness outside of Alice (in what seems like a somewhat...
- 4/12/2024
- by Ethan Vestby
- The Film Stage
In Omen, one fractured family attempts to reconcile two irreconcilable yet inextricable realities, that of the Republic of the Congo and its one-time colonial possessor, Belgium. In his feature directorial debut, Belgian-Congolese rapper Baloji avoids romanticizing either, preferring to depict their uneasy relation as it manifests in family squabbles.
The film is broken up into four sections, each with their own mood and color palette, titled after the central characters: Koffi (Marc Zinga), Paco (Marcel Otete Kabeya), Tshala (Eliane Umuhire), and Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua). These sections intersect one another, though Koffi remains the overall protagonist. Ostracized for a port-wine stain birthmark that his family sees as a sign of evil sorcery, he returns from Belgium to the Congo after many years, hoping to obtain his parents’ blessing to marry Alice (Lucie Debay), his white Belgian fiancée, who’s pregnant with twins. From the outset, nothing goes as planned.
Omen makes...
The film is broken up into four sections, each with their own mood and color palette, titled after the central characters: Koffi (Marc Zinga), Paco (Marcel Otete Kabeya), Tshala (Eliane Umuhire), and Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua). These sections intersect one another, though Koffi remains the overall protagonist. Ostracized for a port-wine stain birthmark that his family sees as a sign of evil sorcery, he returns from Belgium to the Congo after many years, hoping to obtain his parents’ blessing to marry Alice (Lucie Debay), his white Belgian fiancée, who’s pregnant with twins. From the outset, nothing goes as planned.
Omen makes...
- 4/7/2024
- by William Repass
- Slant Magazine
Omen is the official submission from Belgium for the International Feature Oscar category and comes from multi-hyphenate interdisciplinary artist Baloji, who makes his feature directing debut. The film had its world premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section this year where it won the New Voice Prize, before going on to play myriad festivals. Utopia is the North American distributor.
Omen uses magical realism to examine the intricacies of identity, culture and belief systems. It kicks off with, and often returns to, the story of Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man who has spent years living in Belgium. With his pregnant wife in tow, he returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront his family and homeland culture. But secrecy and sorcery erupt when a nosebleed is mistaken for a curse.
His family includes independent spirit sister Tshala played by Eliane Umuhire, and mother Mama Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua). Along...
Omen uses magical realism to examine the intricacies of identity, culture and belief systems. It kicks off with, and often returns to, the story of Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man who has spent years living in Belgium. With his pregnant wife in tow, he returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront his family and homeland culture. But secrecy and sorcery erupt when a nosebleed is mistaken for a curse.
His family includes independent spirit sister Tshala played by Eliane Umuhire, and mother Mama Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua). Along...
- 12/9/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
At first glance, “Omen” appears to be another entry in the long tradition of immigrant narratives dedicated to the old adage that you can’t go home again. Returning to the country of his birth, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgian resident Koffi (Marc Zinga) finds himself not just a stranger in a strange land, but a pariah in his own family. But things are more nuanced than that in this hazy, head-turning first feature from Belgian-Congolese rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji: The deeper it delves into and across Koffi’s tortured family history, the clearer it becomes that his homeland was never a home to him at all. In “Omen,” cultural tradition is as much a force in dividing families as the gentrifying pull of the west, though Baloji lets viewers draw their own political conclusions amid a mist of vividly realized folklore.
A boldly outward-looking pick from Belgium as...
A boldly outward-looking pick from Belgium as...
- 12/8/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
16 nominees in each category will compete in the first round of voting.
France’s Cesar Academy has revealed the breakout stars selected for its annual Revelations list of local up-and-coming talent who will vie in the most promising actor and actress categories at the 2024 awards set for February 23 in Paris.
16 nominees in each category will compete in the first round of voting among Academy members, that will then be whittled down to five in each category.
The Revelations committee is comprised of 18 casting directors active in French film production and is then validated by the board of the Academy.
Scroll...
France’s Cesar Academy has revealed the breakout stars selected for its annual Revelations list of local up-and-coming talent who will vie in the most promising actor and actress categories at the 2024 awards set for February 23 in Paris.
16 nominees in each category will compete in the first round of voting among Academy members, that will then be whittled down to five in each category.
The Revelations committee is comprised of 18 casting directors active in French film production and is then validated by the board of the Academy.
Scroll...
- 11/16/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
France’s César Academy has unveiled its annual Revelations list showcasing 32 emerging acting talents making their mark in the French-speaking cinema world.
The 16 selected actresses include Suzy Bemba for her performance year in Catherine Corsini’s Homecoming. Bemba was also seen in Venice Golden Lion winner Poor Things this year.
The selection also features Rebecca Marder for Corsica-set thriller Grand Expectations; Garance Marillier, for bio-pic Marinette about French female soccer pioneer Marinette Pichon, and Park Ji-min for her award-winning performance in Return To Seoul.
The actor list includes Milo Machado Graner, who plays the visually impaired son in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Marc Zinga’s for his performance in Belgium’s Oscar entry Omen and Samuel Kircher for Catherine Breillat’s taboo-breaking drama Last Summer. His brother Paul Kircher is also in the selection for The Animal Kingdom.
The talents were selected by a committee of...
The 16 selected actresses include Suzy Bemba for her performance year in Catherine Corsini’s Homecoming. Bemba was also seen in Venice Golden Lion winner Poor Things this year.
The selection also features Rebecca Marder for Corsica-set thriller Grand Expectations; Garance Marillier, for bio-pic Marinette about French female soccer pioneer Marinette Pichon, and Park Ji-min for her award-winning performance in Return To Seoul.
The actor list includes Milo Machado Graner, who plays the visually impaired son in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Marc Zinga’s for his performance in Belgium’s Oscar entry Omen and Samuel Kircher for Catherine Breillat’s taboo-breaking drama Last Summer. His brother Paul Kircher is also in the selection for The Animal Kingdom.
The talents were selected by a committee of...
- 11/16/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
"Here they tell you to do something, and you do it." Utopia has unveiled the first trailer for an atmospheric thriller from Africa titled Omen, the feature directorial debut of the artist / filmmaker known as "Baloji". This premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year as one of the most unique discoveries from the fest. It's also now Belgium's submission to the 2024 Academy Awards. "Zabolo. It means the mark of the Devil." After years in Belgium, a young Congolese man comes back to his hometown of Kinshasa to face the complexities of his family and his culture. Omen is an ensemble film about people accused of being witches & sorcerers. Despite their misfortune they find the way to guide each other away from their destinies and into the phantasmagoria of Africa. Starring Marc Zinga, Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Marcel Otete Kabeya. This trailer plays like a full-on horror movie,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed up Belgium’s buzzy rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji.
Baloji, who made his directorial debut earlier this year with Omen, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas and will continue to be represented by Juanita Fellag at As Talents.
Omen debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it picked up the New Voice Prize in Un Certain Regard. The pic has also secured 13 nominations from the African Movie Academy Awards, the highest number of nominations from Amaa this year.
Described as a “magical-realist drama” and set in Baloji’s native Congo, the film follows Koffi, a young Congolese man who — after spending years living in Belgium — returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen stars Marc Zinga, best known for his work with the Dardenne brothers alongside Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire,...
Baloji, who made his directorial debut earlier this year with Omen, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas and will continue to be represented by Juanita Fellag at As Talents.
Omen debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it picked up the New Voice Prize in Un Certain Regard. The pic has also secured 13 nominations from the African Movie Academy Awards, the highest number of nominations from Amaa this year.
Described as a “magical-realist drama” and set in Baloji’s native Congo, the film follows Koffi, a young Congolese man who — after spending years living in Belgium — returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen stars Marc Zinga, best known for his work with the Dardenne brothers alongside Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Belgium has picked Omen, the first feature from rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji to be its official entry for the 2024 Oscars in the best international feature category.
The magical realist drama follows Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man who, after years of living in Belgium, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa hoping to reconnect with his family. Koffi was born with a large Rorschach-esque birthmark that frightened his mother, Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua), who labeled him a sorcerer and banished him to Europe. Over the course of the film, Baloji intertwines four stories of people ostracized by their communities and navigating accusations of witchcraft and sorcery. Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire and Marcel Otete Kabeya co-star.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, where it won Baloji the New Vision Award. In her review, The Hollywood Reporter‘s Lovia Gyarkye called the film “an artful and intriguing take on the African diasporic experience.
The magical realist drama follows Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man who, after years of living in Belgium, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa hoping to reconnect with his family. Koffi was born with a large Rorschach-esque birthmark that frightened his mother, Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua), who labeled him a sorcerer and banished him to Europe. Over the course of the film, Baloji intertwines four stories of people ostracized by their communities and navigating accusations of witchcraft and sorcery. Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire and Marcel Otete Kabeya co-star.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, where it won Baloji the New Vision Award. In her review, The Hollywood Reporter‘s Lovia Gyarkye called the film “an artful and intriguing take on the African diasporic experience.
- 9/14/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Belgium has selected Omen, the debut feature from rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji, as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.
The pic, which debuted in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes 2023, follows Koffi, a young Congolese man who — after spending years living in Belgium — returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen picked up the New Vision Award at Cannes. Starring is Marc Zinga, best known for his work with the Dardenne brothers alongside Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Marcel Otete Kabeya.
The film is set for a theatrical release in Belgium on November 15. Pan Distribution is the French distributor, while Memento International is handling world sales. Production companies are Special Touch Studios, Wrong Men, New Amsterdam Film Company, Tosala Films, RadicalMedia, Serendipity Films, and Big World Cinema.
Belgium’s Oscar pick...
The pic, which debuted in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes 2023, follows Koffi, a young Congolese man who — after spending years living in Belgium — returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen picked up the New Vision Award at Cannes. Starring is Marc Zinga, best known for his work with the Dardenne brothers alongside Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Marcel Otete Kabeya.
The film is set for a theatrical release in Belgium on November 15. Pan Distribution is the French distributor, while Memento International is handling world sales. Production companies are Special Touch Studios, Wrong Men, New Amsterdam Film Company, Tosala Films, RadicalMedia, Serendipity Films, and Big World Cinema.
Belgium’s Oscar pick...
- 9/14/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
A theatrical release is plotted for spring 2024.
Aya Films has picked up Cannes title Omen (Augure), the directorial debut from Belgium-Congolese rapper, Baloji, from Paris-based Memento International.
A theatrical release is plotted in the UK and Ireland for spring 2024.
The magic realist film will premiere in the UK at BFI London Film Festival this October, following Baloji’s win of the Un Certain Regard – new voice prize at this year’s Cannes.
It centres on a young Congolese man who travels back to his hometown in Kinshasa to reunite with his family and culture, alongside his European fiancée. Complexities abound...
Aya Films has picked up Cannes title Omen (Augure), the directorial debut from Belgium-Congolese rapper, Baloji, from Paris-based Memento International.
A theatrical release is plotted in the UK and Ireland for spring 2024.
The magic realist film will premiere in the UK at BFI London Film Festival this October, following Baloji’s win of the Un Certain Regard – new voice prize at this year’s Cannes.
It centres on a young Congolese man who travels back to his hometown in Kinshasa to reunite with his family and culture, alongside his European fiancée. Complexities abound...
- 9/5/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Belgian rapper and director Baloji is poised to make his feature directorial film ‘Omen’, a supernatural folk-drama. The movie is derived from his personal experiences as a Congolese-born European and deals with the complexities and emotions that come with inheriting two cultures, one of both his birth and the other of adopted homeland.
Witchcraft and magic are the centerpieces of the film.
Speaking to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Baloji said: “My name, Baloji, means ‘sorcerer’ in Swahili, which is a difficult name to live with. It’s like being an American named ‘devil’.”
“I did a lot of reading about witchcraft and the culture of witches in different societies. The origin of my name, actually, had meant man of science or woman of science. A healer might be the best translation in English,” he added.
He continued: “But when Christianity and the colonizers came, they gave the local science negative connotations,...
Witchcraft and magic are the centerpieces of the film.
Speaking to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Baloji said: “My name, Baloji, means ‘sorcerer’ in Swahili, which is a difficult name to live with. It’s like being an American named ‘devil’.”
“I did a lot of reading about witchcraft and the culture of witches in different societies. The origin of my name, actually, had meant man of science or woman of science. A healer might be the best translation in English,” he added.
He continued: “But when Christianity and the colonizers came, they gave the local science negative connotations,...
- 7/2/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The 2023 Cannes Market is behind us, and like clockwork, Neon managed to buy the winner of the Palme d’Or for the fourth straight year, Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall.”
But that wasn’t the only major sale. This year’s Marché du Film netted major domestic deals for some of the buzziest competition titles such as Todd Haynes’ “May December” and Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” as well as hot packages like “Paddington 3.” But uncertainty over the writers strike still loomed large, and distributors favored completed projects over packages.
Below are some of the deals we’ve tracked out of Cannes so far, and we’ll be updating this space with more sales as they come in.
Title: “Anselm”
Section: Special Screenings
Distributor: Sideshow and Janus Films
Wim Wenders had not one but two separate films play at this year’s Cannes, and now each have found a home.
But that wasn’t the only major sale. This year’s Marché du Film netted major domestic deals for some of the buzziest competition titles such as Todd Haynes’ “May December” and Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” as well as hot packages like “Paddington 3.” But uncertainty over the writers strike still loomed large, and distributors favored completed projects over packages.
Below are some of the deals we’ve tracked out of Cannes so far, and we’ll be updating this space with more sales as they come in.
Title: “Anselm”
Section: Special Screenings
Distributor: Sideshow and Janus Films
Wim Wenders had not one but two separate films play at this year’s Cannes, and now each have found a home.
- 6/28/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Utopia has acquired the North American rights to the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard New Voice Prize winner “Omen,” the debut feature from artist-musician turned director Baloji.
The film follows a young man, Koffi, played by Marc Zinga (“Spectre”), who after spending years in Belgium returns home to the Congo to find himself confronted by his past and culture at a family event.
Koffi visits his birthplace after being mysteriously shunned by his family and spending years abroad in Europe. With his soon-to-be wife and unborn child in tow, Koffi’s arrival sets in motion a sprawling, nightmarish and psychedelic fairy tale about ancestry, belief, wrestling, witchcraft and sorcery in Africa today.
Director Baloji was born in Lubumbashi, Congo, in 1978, and was sent to live with his step family in Belgium when he was 3 years old. Separated from his birth parents, he had a troubled childhood and dropped...
The film follows a young man, Koffi, played by Marc Zinga (“Spectre”), who after spending years in Belgium returns home to the Congo to find himself confronted by his past and culture at a family event.
Koffi visits his birthplace after being mysteriously shunned by his family and spending years abroad in Europe. With his soon-to-be wife and unborn child in tow, Koffi’s arrival sets in motion a sprawling, nightmarish and psychedelic fairy tale about ancestry, belief, wrestling, witchcraft and sorcery in Africa today.
Director Baloji was born in Lubumbashi, Congo, in 1978, and was sent to live with his step family in Belgium when he was 3 years old. Separated from his birth parents, he had a troubled childhood and dropped...
- 6/27/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
What’s in a name?
For the Congolese Belgian rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji, whose directorial debut, “Omen,” bows in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section on May 22, it’s a question that poses itself whenever flustered immigration officials inspect his passport at the airport in Congo. “Always the same question, every time,” Baloji tells Variety. “Do you know what it means?”
In the pre-colonial era, baloji meant “man of science” in Swahili, but the word became corrupted by Christian evangelists during the years of Belgian colonial rule. Today it is more akin to a man of occult sciences and sorcery. “Some people of faith do not dare to say my name in public for fear of invoking evil spirits and the suspicions that may accompany it,” the director says. “In such an animistic culture it is equivalent to being called devil or demon in the West.”
He admits it...
For the Congolese Belgian rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji, whose directorial debut, “Omen,” bows in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section on May 22, it’s a question that poses itself whenever flustered immigration officials inspect his passport at the airport in Congo. “Always the same question, every time,” Baloji tells Variety. “Do you know what it means?”
In the pre-colonial era, baloji meant “man of science” in Swahili, but the word became corrupted by Christian evangelists during the years of Belgian colonial rule. Today it is more akin to a man of occult sciences and sorcery. “Some people of faith do not dare to say my name in public for fear of invoking evil spirits and the suspicions that may accompany it,” the director says. “In such an animistic culture it is equivalent to being called devil or demon in the West.”
He admits it...
- 5/26/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Baloji, the Belgian-Congolese rapper, explores a familiar set of themes with an artful and impressionistic touch in his directorial debut Omen (Augure).
Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, the magical-realist drama tackles displacement and belonging through four characters who’ve been ostracized by their communities. The musician pulls from his personal experiences and uses a visual language honed in his short films, like 2018’s Zombies, to craft a beguiling tale.
The journey begins with Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man living in Europe with his white fiancée Alice (Lucie Debay). We see him preparing for an upcoming trip to Democratic Republic of Congo, where he hopes to amend his relationship with his family. Koffi’s birthmark — a large Rorschach-esque blot — frightened his mother, Mujila (a sharp Yves-Marina Gnahoua), when he came out of the womb. She labeled him a sorcerer and sent him to Europe.
Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, the magical-realist drama tackles displacement and belonging through four characters who’ve been ostracized by their communities. The musician pulls from his personal experiences and uses a visual language honed in his short films, like 2018’s Zombies, to craft a beguiling tale.
The journey begins with Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man living in Europe with his white fiancée Alice (Lucie Debay). We see him preparing for an upcoming trip to Democratic Republic of Congo, where he hopes to amend his relationship with his family. Koffi’s birthmark — a large Rorschach-esque blot — frightened his mother, Mujila (a sharp Yves-Marina Gnahoua), when he came out of the womb. She labeled him a sorcerer and sent him to Europe.
- 5/24/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor’s Note: This review originally published during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Utopia will release “Omen” in theaters Friday, April 12.
One of the innumerable tragedies that have resulted from the decades-long strife in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the suffocation of any kind of national cinema. For most of this century, the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, has not even had a film theater; due to chronic funding difficulties and the instability that plagues much of the country, the handful of non-documentary features about Congo that emerge are largely financed by foreign players.
“Omen,” the feature debut by hip-hopper-turned-filmmaker Baloji, is a Belgian, Dutch, and Congolese co-production, and even as it offers a deeply felt look at Congolese customs, sensibilities, and family dynamics, it foregrounds its own European perspective. What results is an intriguingly ambivalent reckoning with Baloji’s mother country, a genre-hopping, beautifully slippery exploration of Congolese belief systems...
One of the innumerable tragedies that have resulted from the decades-long strife in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the suffocation of any kind of national cinema. For most of this century, the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, has not even had a film theater; due to chronic funding difficulties and the instability that plagues much of the country, the handful of non-documentary features about Congo that emerge are largely financed by foreign players.
“Omen,” the feature debut by hip-hopper-turned-filmmaker Baloji, is a Belgian, Dutch, and Congolese co-production, and even as it offers a deeply felt look at Congolese customs, sensibilities, and family dynamics, it foregrounds its own European perspective. What results is an intriguingly ambivalent reckoning with Baloji’s mother country, a genre-hopping, beautifully slippery exploration of Congolese belief systems...
- 5/22/2023
- by Arjun Sajip
- Indiewire
Memento International is set to represent global rights to “Omen,” the feature debut of Belgian-Congolese artist-turned filmmaker Baloji which is slated to world premiere at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.
Baloji previously directed several short films including “Zombies” which played at the BFI London film festival. Blurring the lines between reality and the realm of dreams, “Omen” follows Kofi, who return to his birthplace after being ostracized by his family. The movie explores the weight of beliefs on one’s destiny through four characters accused of being witches and sorcerers, all of them intertwined and guiding each other into the phantasmagoria of Africa.
The film stars Marc Zinga Lucie Debay (“Our Men”) and Eliane Umuhire (“Birds Are Singing in Kigali”).
“I like to describe ‘Omen’ as a chimerical film, an ode to the imaginary and the visceral, evoking the spirits of the departed as much as the boundless energy of childhood,...
Baloji previously directed several short films including “Zombies” which played at the BFI London film festival. Blurring the lines between reality and the realm of dreams, “Omen” follows Kofi, who return to his birthplace after being ostracized by his family. The movie explores the weight of beliefs on one’s destiny through four characters accused of being witches and sorcerers, all of them intertwined and guiding each other into the phantasmagoria of Africa.
The film stars Marc Zinga Lucie Debay (“Our Men”) and Eliane Umuhire (“Birds Are Singing in Kigali”).
“I like to describe ‘Omen’ as a chimerical film, an ode to the imaginary and the visceral, evoking the spirits of the departed as much as the boundless energy of childhood,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Sideshow and Janus Films have dropped the clip for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s “Tori & Lokita” which had a strong opening in New York and Los Angeles on March 24 and is expanding this weekend to additional markets.
The latest film by the two-time Palme d’Or winners, “Tori & Lokita” tells the timely story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. The humanist drama won the 75th Anniversary Prize at Cannes in 2022.
“’Tori Lokita’ is one of the most devastating cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time,” said Martin Scorsese in a statement sent to Variety. “I’ve always admired the way that Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne make movies—their mastery is inseparable from their spiritual and ethical commitment to their characters, trying to make their way through an unforgiving world,” Scorsese continued. He went on to describe the film as “one of the Dardennes’ most harrowing films,...
The latest film by the two-time Palme d’Or winners, “Tori & Lokita” tells the timely story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. The humanist drama won the 75th Anniversary Prize at Cannes in 2022.
“’Tori Lokita’ is one of the most devastating cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time,” said Martin Scorsese in a statement sent to Variety. “I’ve always admired the way that Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne make movies—their mastery is inseparable from their spiritual and ethical commitment to their characters, trying to make their way through an unforgiving world,” Scorsese continued. He went on to describe the film as “one of the Dardennes’ most harrowing films,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The much-maligned Richard III finally gets the royal treatment in Stephen Frears’ The Lost King as amateur historian Philippa Langley unearths the monarch’s five-century-old remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England, in 2012. Two books and a documentary later, IFC Films presents the feature film version in 750+ theaters.
“It took eight years from starting the search to cutting the tarmac. To see it telescoped into a hundred or so minutes made it really powerful for me,” Langley, who’s played in the film by Sally Hawkins, told Deadline.
Related Story Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin Pic ‘Moving On’ Sees $800K Opening – Specialty Box Office Related Story Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin Reunite In 'Moving On' – Specialty Preview Related Story 'The Magic Flute', With A 'Harry Potter' Feel And YA Cred, Hopes To Hit A High Note – Specialty Preview
Richard III (1461-1483) is one of Shakespeare’s most malevolent villains,...
“It took eight years from starting the search to cutting the tarmac. To see it telescoped into a hundred or so minutes made it really powerful for me,” Langley, who’s played in the film by Sally Hawkins, told Deadline.
Related Story Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin Pic ‘Moving On’ Sees $800K Opening – Specialty Box Office Related Story Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin Reunite In 'Moving On' – Specialty Preview Related Story 'The Magic Flute', With A 'Harry Potter' Feel And YA Cred, Hopes To Hit A High Note – Specialty Preview
Richard III (1461-1483) is one of Shakespeare’s most malevolent villains,...
- 3/24/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Despite their stock seemingly falling in the decade since the widely acclaimed Two Days, One Night, a new film by the Dardennes will always have our curiosity; even better that our critic was a major fan at Cannes. Winner of the 75th Anniversary Prize at the festival, Tori and Lokita, set to arrive from Sideshow and Janus Films starting March 24, follows the story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. Ahead of the release, the first U.S. trailer has now arrived.
As David Katz said in his review, “Tori and Lokita, the latest from the eerily consistent Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, pulls you in opposite directions when assessing it. It is as consummately made and passionately intended as anything they’ve done, but the filmmakers, as is apparent in less-successful films, can really undermine themselves with choices in plotting. I’ll never forget viewing my first,...
As David Katz said in his review, “Tori and Lokita, the latest from the eerily consistent Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, pulls you in opposite directions when assessing it. It is as consummately made and passionately intended as anything they’ve done, but the filmmakers, as is apparent in less-successful films, can really undermine themselves with choices in plotting. I’ll never forget viewing my first,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"This is best for us and for you." Sideshow & Janus Films have unveiled another new US trailer for the indie drama from Belgium titled Tori and Lokita, the latest film from acclaimed Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (aka Dardenne Brothers). This premiered at last year's 2022 Cannes Film Festival to mixed & negative reviews, with only a few saying good things. Set in Belgium today, a young boy and an adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the cruel conditions of their exile. They work for a drug dealer who also moonlights as an Italian chef, and things get bad when Lokita tries to earn more money working in the depths of a grow warehouse. The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu as Tori and Lokita, with Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. It's finally opening in the US this March,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"Why won't they give me my papers, Tori?" Picturehouse in the UK has revealed an official trailer for an indie film from Belgium titled Tori and Lokita, the latest film from acclaimed Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (aka the Dardenne Brothers). They're regulars at the Cannes Film Festival so of course this one premiered there earlier this year. It didn't get great reviews, it's a rather manipulative and obvious film pointing out how horrible African immigrants are treated by white Belgians. Set in Belgium today, a young boy and an adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the cruel conditions of their exile. They work for a drug dealer who also moonlights as an Italian chef, and things get bad when Lokita tries to earn more money working in the depths of a grow warehouse. The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu...
- 10/25/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights for “Tori and Lokita,” the latest film by two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, which world premiered in competition at Cannes. The movie was one of the best reviewed films of the competition and earned the Dardenne brothers the festival’s special 75th Anniversary Prize.
A story of human perseverance, the film is set in contemporary Belgium and follows a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa and pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
“Tori and Lokita” stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. “Tori and Lokita” was produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films are planning to release the film theatrically across the country.
A story of human perseverance, the film is set in contemporary Belgium and follows a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa and pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
“Tori and Lokita” stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. “Tori and Lokita” was produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films are planning to release the film theatrically across the country.
- 6/2/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Nationwide theatrical release planned.
Sideshow and Janus Films have announced their second Cannes acquisition in two days, taking North American rights to Tori And Lokita by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The Competition entry won the festival’s special 75th anniversary Prize and takes place in Belgium where young boy Tori and adolescent girl Lokita try to survive after making the long journey alone from Africa.
Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu star alongside Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The Dardenne brothers produced with Delphine Tomson and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films plan a...
Sideshow and Janus Films have announced their second Cannes acquisition in two days, taking North American rights to Tori And Lokita by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The Competition entry won the festival’s special 75th anniversary Prize and takes place in Belgium where young boy Tori and adolescent girl Lokita try to survive after making the long journey alone from Africa.
Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu star alongside Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The Dardenne brothers produced with Delphine Tomson and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films plan a...
- 6/2/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Tori and Lokita which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and was lauded with the Festival’s Special 75th Anniversary Prize. A theatrical release from Sideshow and Janus is being planned.
Tori and Lokita stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The film is produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
In Belgium today, a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
Sideshow and Janus Films said: “Tori and Lokita is an immediate classic and shows these master filmmakers working at their highest level, focused with a newfound intensity on the issues plaguing our time. The Dardenne...
Tori and Lokita stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The film is produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
In Belgium today, a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
Sideshow and Janus Films said: “Tori and Lokita is an immediate classic and shows these master filmmakers working at their highest level, focused with a newfound intensity on the issues plaguing our time. The Dardenne...
- 6/2/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
"We're still in Africa, right?" Film Movement has debuted an official US trailer for a film from Congo titled The Mercy of the Jungle, from Rwandan filmmaker Joël Karekezi. This initially premiered back in 2018 at the Toronto FIlm Festival, and is finally getting a US release this year. It also played at the 2019 Seattle Film Festival. The Mercy of the Jungle is a road movie that deals with wars in Congo through the eyes of two lost soldiers in the jungle by showcasing their struggle, weakness and hope. It tells the story of two Rwandan soldiers separated from their military unit at the beginning of the Second Congo War and their struggle to survive in a hostile jungle environment amidst intense armed conflict. Starring Marc Zinga and Stéphane Bak, with Ibrahim Ahmed "Pino", Nirere Shanel, Abby Mukiibi Nkaaga, and Michael Wawuyo. This looks like an impressively immersive film about the...
- 5/20/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Marc Zinga stars in war drama.
Paris-based sales agent Other Angle has boarded Gabriel Le Bomin’s Second World War drama Our Patriots about real-life Senegalese resistance fighter Addi Bâ.
Marc Zinga plays Bâ, who was nicknamed “der schwarze terrorist” (the black terrorist) by the Germans for his role in a French resistance division operating in the Vosges in eastern France.
Louane Emera, who shot to fame in the role of the talented musical daughter Paula Belier in box office hit La Famille Belier, and Alexandra Lamy are also in the cast as the women who helped hide Bâ from the Germans. Further cast members include Pierre Deladonchamps.
Other Angle chief Olivier Albou says the film is in a similar vein to Rachid Bouchareb’s Days Of Glory.
“There aren’t that many films looking at the role Africans played in fighting the Germans and none, as far as I know, about black resistance...
Paris-based sales agent Other Angle has boarded Gabriel Le Bomin’s Second World War drama Our Patriots about real-life Senegalese resistance fighter Addi Bâ.
Marc Zinga plays Bâ, who was nicknamed “der schwarze terrorist” (the black terrorist) by the Germans for his role in a French resistance division operating in the Vosges in eastern France.
Louane Emera, who shot to fame in the role of the talented musical daughter Paula Belier in box office hit La Famille Belier, and Alexandra Lamy are also in the cast as the women who helped hide Bâ from the Germans. Further cast members include Pierre Deladonchamps.
Other Angle chief Olivier Albou says the film is in a similar vein to Rachid Bouchareb’s Days Of Glory.
“There aren’t that many films looking at the role Africans played in fighting the Germans and none, as far as I know, about black resistance...
- 2/11/2017
- ScreenDaily
Dheepan Sundance Selects Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Shockya Grade: B+ Director: Jacques Audiard Written by: Noé Debré, Thomas Bidegain, Jacques Audiard Cast: Antonythasan Jesuthasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby, Vincent Rottiers, Marc Zinga Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 4/18/16 Opens: May 6, 2016 Jacques Audiard may not have gone a giant step further with “Dheepan” than he did with the searing “Un prophèt,” which finds a teen French-Arab man trying to find his way in a jail beset with gang violence between Corsicans and Muslims, but he comes close enough. “Dheepan,” which is named for the principal character Dheepan Sivadhasan (Antonythasan Jesuthasan), may deal with the aftermath of a civil war [ Read More ]
The post Dheepan Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Dheepan Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/2/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
With an early taste of the upcoming summer movie season arriving with "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice," and with "X-Men: Apocalypse" and "Captain America: Civil War" yet to come, you might feel the need for a cinematic palate cleanser somewhere in there. Well, how about a Palme d'Or winner? Read More: Cannes Review: Jacques Audiard's 'Dheepan' Is An Excellent, Searing & Compassionate Drama Starring Jesuthasan Antonythasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby, Vincent Rottiers, and Marc Zinga, Jacques Audiard's Palme d'Or winner tells the story of three Sri Lankans who pose as a family so they can start their lives over in France. However, the horrors of the past aren't soon forgotten, and emerge in some surprising ways as they try to find footing in their new home. Here's the official synopsis: Dheepan is a Tamil freedom fighter, a Tiger. In Sri Lanka, the Civil War is reaching its end,...
- 3/30/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Jacques Audiard has been on an incredible run since 2005's "The Beat That My Heart Skipped," releasing the powerful "A Prophet" in 2009, and following it with "Rust And Bone" in 2012. Last spring, he returned with "Dheepan," the Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, and after a lengthy journey on the festival circuit, it's finally coming to stateside cinemas. Read More: Cannes Review: Jacques Audiard's 'Dheepan' Is An Excellent, Searing & Compassionate Drama Starring Jesuthasan Antonythasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby, Vincent Rottiers, and Marc Zinga, the story follows three refugees from Sri Lanka — a man, woman, and child — who pose as a family to gain entry to France and start a new life. However, they soon discover that life in their new home has its own unique set of threats, setting off series of events that only grow in intensity. Here's the official synopsis: Dheepan...
- 2/23/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The American Film Institute announced today the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema’s Legacy programs at AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We’ll be better able to assess whether this Jacques Audiard’s seventh feature film was triumphant, faltered or flatlined when more results trickle in, but for the time being this looks to situate itself quality-wise underneath 2009’s Grand Prix winning A Prophet. It got his Cannes debut back in 1994 with Regarde Les Hommes Tomber in the Critics’ Week, saw 1996’s Un héros très discret land him Best Screenplay, and his last showing was for Rust & Bone in 2012. Starring relative unknowns in Antonythasan Jesuthasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan and Claudine Vinasithamby, (supporting players also include Vincent Rottiers and Marc Zinga), Dheepan has all the earmarks from his other films: the immigrant story, criminal underpinnings, protagonist with odds against them, Paris, a visceral photography and on the tech side: a continued partnership with co-writer Thomas Bidegain. Make sure to click on the chart below for a larger version.
- 5/21/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Strand Releasing’s healthy appetite for French cinema is made once again apparent with the pick-up of Abd Al Malik’s Tiff-preemed, double nominated (Best First Feature and Most Promising Actor) Césars debut. Starring Marc Zinga and Sabrina Ouazani (who got her big break in acting in Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2003′s Games of Love and Chance) , May Allah Bless France! will be released theatrically in the fall and will receive a showing (Q&A with the director) at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2015.
Gist: The true story of a French teenager rising out from the underprivileged suburbs through love, education and rap music. Regis is a culturally gifted boy who dreams of success for his rap band through hard work and loyalty, but he must accept the drug money for the sake of his project. Discovering Islam and love, he bears with the harsh loss and paybacks of delinquency, until...
Gist: The true story of a French teenager rising out from the underprivileged suburbs through love, education and rap music. Regis is a culturally gifted boy who dreams of success for his rap band through hard work and loyalty, but he must accept the drug money for the sake of his project. Discovering Islam and love, he bears with the harsh loss and paybacks of delinquency, until...
- 2/26/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Daniel Craig is back to work on the new James Bond film "Spectre" in the U.K. following an accident earlier in the week. Movie extras were reportedly told to go home on the day Craig was injured.
Craig sprained his knee while shooting a fight scene at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. However the shoot has not lost any time or filming days according to a source, with Craig returning to work on Saturday.
In other news about the film, Jesper Christensen has reportedly completed all his work on the film as Mr. White. Christensen apparently shot all of his work in the UK for a scene that was "damn fine" he tells BT.
A few more casting additions have been made to the film with Belgian actor Marc Zinga, German actor Detlef Bothe and British actress Brigitte Millar having scored roles as adversaries in the upcoming movie.
Millar's scenes...
Craig sprained his knee while shooting a fight scene at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. However the shoot has not lost any time or filming days according to a source, with Craig returning to work on Saturday.
In other news about the film, Jesper Christensen has reportedly completed all his work on the film as Mr. White. Christensen apparently shot all of his work in the UK for a scene that was "damn fine" he tells BT.
A few more casting additions have been made to the film with Belgian actor Marc Zinga, German actor Detlef Bothe and British actress Brigitte Millar having scored roles as adversaries in the upcoming movie.
Millar's scenes...
- 2/8/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
It was a battle of Yves Saint Laurent biopics at the Césars (the French Oscars, if you will) this year as both the French foreign language Oscar submission "Saint Laurent" (leader of the pack with 10 nods) and "Yves Saint Laurent" picked up a ton of mentions. Oscar players that popped up include "Two Days, One Night" star Marion Cotillard and animated feature "Song of the Sea." Foreign film Oscar nominee "Timbuktu" also had a major showing. And of course, in the Césars' foreign category, films like "Boyhood," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "12 Years a Slave" are duking it out. Check out the full list of nominees below, and remember to keep track of it all at The Circuit. Best Film "Les Combattants" "Eastern Boys" "La Famille Bélier" "Saint Laurent" "Hippocrate" "Sils Maria" "Timbuktu" Best Director Céline Sciamma, "Bande De Filles" Thomas Cailley, "Les Combattants" Robin Campillo, "Eastern Boys" Thomas Lilti,...
- 1/28/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Designer biopic leads the pack with 10 nominations; Kristen Stewart, Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche in the running for actress awards.Scroll down for full list of nominees
Bertrand Bonello’s Saint Laurent and Olivier Assays’ Sils Maria are the hot favourites in France’s 40th annual Cesar awards.
France’s Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences unveiled the nominations for this year’s César Awards at its traditional news conference at Le Fouquet’s restaurant on the Champs Elysées on Friday morning.
Biopic Saint Laurent - exploring fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s life from 1967 to 1976 - led the pack with 10 nominations including best film, best director for Bonello, best actor for Gaspard Ulliel and best supporting actor for Louis Garrel.
Jalil Lespert’s rival biopic, Yves Saint Laurent, secured seven nominations. While it missed out in the best film and director categories, it scored nods with Pierre Niney for best actor, Charlotte Le Bon for best...
Bertrand Bonello’s Saint Laurent and Olivier Assays’ Sils Maria are the hot favourites in France’s 40th annual Cesar awards.
France’s Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences unveiled the nominations for this year’s César Awards at its traditional news conference at Le Fouquet’s restaurant on the Champs Elysées on Friday morning.
Biopic Saint Laurent - exploring fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s life from 1967 to 1976 - led the pack with 10 nominations including best film, best director for Bonello, best actor for Gaspard Ulliel and best supporting actor for Louis Garrel.
Jalil Lespert’s rival biopic, Yves Saint Laurent, secured seven nominations. While it missed out in the best film and director categories, it scored nods with Pierre Niney for best actor, Charlotte Le Bon for best...
- 1/28/2015
- ScreenDaily
Update, 2:25 Am Pt: Last year’s dueling Yves Saint Laurent biopics each picked up several nominations this morning for France’s César Awards. Bertrand Bonello’s Saint Laurent, the country’s entry for the Foreign Language Oscar, leads the pack with 10 mentions, followed by Thomas Cailley’s Directors’ Fortnight title Les Combattants with nine, and Oscar nominee Timbuktu with eight. Yves Saint Laurent, from helmer Jalil Lespert, took seven nods. Otherwise, there are a number of usual suspects in the batch including Best Actress Oscar nominee Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night, as well as Juliette Binoche for Olivier Assayas’ Sils Maria. In something of a departure — and a first — for the French Académie, they nominated American actress Kristen Stewart for her supporting turn in that Cannes competition entry. (Adrien Brody won the Best Actor prize in 2003 for The Pianist.) There are also six nominations for late 2014 release La Famille Bélier.
- 1/28/2015
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
The nominations for France's Lumière Awards were announced this morning, and leading the way was the film's Oscar foreign film entry "Saint Laurent" (which sadly didn't make it past the initial culling with the Academy). The film picked up four nominations and will compete for best film with Cannes hit "Girlhood," "La Famille Bélier," "Pas son genre," fellow Oscar foreign hopeful "Timbuktu" and "Three Hearts." Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Feb. 3. And oh yeah: The Circuit. Best Film "Girlhood" "La Famille Bélier" "Pas son genre" "Saint Laurent" "Timbuktu" "Three Hearts" Best Director Lucas Belvaux, "Pas son genre" Bertrand Bonello, "Saint Laurent" Benoît Jacquot, "Three Hearts" Cédric Kahn, "Wild Life" Céline Sciamma,"Girlhood" Abderrahmane Sissako, "Timbuktu" Best Actor Guillaume Canet, "La prochaine fois je viserai le cœur," "In The Name of My Daughter" Romain Duris, "The New Girlfriend" Mathieu Kassovitz, "Wild Life" Pierre Niney,...
- 1/13/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Two Days, One Night, Mommy and Fevers nominated in French-language foreign film category.Scroll down for full list of nominations
The Lumière Awards, France’s version of the Golden Globes, has announced the nominations for its 20th anniversary edition. There is no clear front-runner this year.
Bertrand Bonello’s Yves Saint Laurent biopic Saint Laurent, Benoît Jacquot’s 3 Hearts, starring Gainsbourg and Chiara Mastroianni as sisters who unwittingly fall for the same man, and Eric Lartigau’s Christmas hit La Famille Bélier, about an aspiring singer growing up in deaf family, lead the field with four nominations each including best film.
Céline Sciamma’s gritty urban drama Girlhood (Bande de Fille) and Lucas Belvaux’s chalk-and-cheese romance Not My Type(Pas Mon Genre) and, which were also nominated in the best film category, followed behind with three nominations.
Franco-Mauritanian Abderrahmane Sissako Timbuktu about the impact of Islamic fundamentalism on a rural community in Mali, is the sixth...
The Lumière Awards, France’s version of the Golden Globes, has announced the nominations for its 20th anniversary edition. There is no clear front-runner this year.
Bertrand Bonello’s Yves Saint Laurent biopic Saint Laurent, Benoît Jacquot’s 3 Hearts, starring Gainsbourg and Chiara Mastroianni as sisters who unwittingly fall for the same man, and Eric Lartigau’s Christmas hit La Famille Bélier, about an aspiring singer growing up in deaf family, lead the field with four nominations each including best film.
Céline Sciamma’s gritty urban drama Girlhood (Bande de Fille) and Lucas Belvaux’s chalk-and-cheese romance Not My Type(Pas Mon Genre) and, which were also nominated in the best film category, followed behind with three nominations.
Franco-Mauritanian Abderrahmane Sissako Timbuktu about the impact of Islamic fundamentalism on a rural community in Mali, is the sixth...
- 1/12/2015
- ScreenDaily
AFI Fest 2014 presented by Audi today announced this year’s Jury and Audience Awards for features and short films included in the festivals New Auteur and Shorts programs. The New Auteurs section highlights first and second-time feature film directors and the Shorts selections represent diverse and varied international perspectives. Grand Jury Awards were presented to Self Made (Boreg), which received the New Auteurs Critics’ Award, and to The Tribe (Plemya), which received the Vizio Visionary Special Jury Award. Buffalo Juggalos by Scott Cummings received the Live Action Short Award, and Yearbook by Bernardo Britto received the Animated Short Award. Special Jury Award winners went to GÜEROS and Violet. Red Army, GÜEROS, 10,000 Km and The Midnight Swim received Audience Awards.
Select award-winning films will screen again today at the Chinese 6 Theatres. Admission is available to AFI Fest 2014 pass holders and the general public via the rush line, which begins forming one...
Select award-winning films will screen again today at the Chinese 6 Theatres. Admission is available to AFI Fest 2014 pass holders and the general public via the rush line, which begins forming one...
- 11/14/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The lineups for the Mavericks, Discovery, and Tiff Kids parts of the Toronto Film Festival were announced, wrapping up a series of lineup announcements for the Toronto International Film Festival.
With the added films, the festival’s entire slate is now a whopping 393 movies. Two hundred eighty-five of those movies are feature films, of which 143 are world premieres.
The Mavericks portion of the festival includes onstage discussions following the screening of each film. Do I Sound Gay? will be followed by a talk between director David Thorpe and sex-advice guru Dan Savage. Also premiering in that space is The 50 Year Argument,...
With the added films, the festival’s entire slate is now a whopping 393 movies. Two hundred eighty-five of those movies are feature films, of which 143 are world premieres.
The Mavericks portion of the festival includes onstage discussions following the screening of each film. Do I Sound Gay? will be followed by a talk between director David Thorpe and sex-advice guru Dan Savage. Also premiering in that space is The 50 Year Argument,...
- 8/19/2014
- by Jacob Shamsian
- EW - Inside Movies
Bill Murray is coming to Toronto folks. Actually, the film he stars in (Theodore Melfi’s St. Vincent) is having its official World Premiere launch at the jaw-dropping 285 feature film 2014 Tiff line-up. In the final batch of items we finally get the confirmation that 2014′s Palme d’Or Winner Winter Sleep (which gets added along with a trio of others to the Masters Programme) will show, and Tomm Moore’s highly anticipated Song of the Sea (among the four item line-up for Tiff Kids) also lands. Worth mentioning are the sprinkling of add-ons to the various other sections (Marjane Satrapi’s Sundance preemed The Voices, Matt Shakman’s Cut Bank and the world preem of Danis Tanovic’s Tigers) with a Studio Ghibli docu item being fitted into the Tiff Docs, but it is the Discovery Programme that finally takes shape.
The “up-and-comers” include Berlin Film Fest (and future Nyff...
The “up-and-comers” include Berlin Film Fest (and future Nyff...
- 8/19/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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