The 14th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will run from December 6 to 13
Film fans and industry professionals can now register for the 14th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which will run from December 6 to 13.
Festival attendees can get early bird offers until October 1 and receive priority tickets for DIFF’s line-up of local, regional and international premieres, along with attending its red carpet galas, press conferences, forums, masterclasses, VR experiences and panel sessions at the Madinat Jumeirah.
Shining a spotlight on the future of the industry, students and industry professionals from the film, broadcast and advertising industries are also being encouraged to register to be connected with DIFF’s roster of international filmmakers, producers, scriptwriters and other high profile individuals.
The Dubai Film Market (DFM) also returns this year – which gathers over 4,000 delegates from more than 60 countries to connect projects and create partnerships.
Shivani Pandya, DIFF Managing Director said in a statement to Gulf News: “Every year we strive to ensure the festival provides an unforgettable experience – introducing audiences to the broadest range of compelling, challenging and entertaining films from a generation of new exciting talent and acclaimed filmmakers from around the world.”
Visit the DIFF website for registration and more information
Source: Gulf News (Tabloid)
Charlize Theron recently starred as a roughhousing MI6 agent in ‘Atomic Blonde’, whilst Jennifer Lawrence is set to play a ballet dancer turned spy in ‘Red Sparrow’.
Violent women are all the rage this season — so long as they are highly trained and impeccably dressed. Charlize Theron is a ruthless MI6 agent in Atomic Blonde, Jennifer Lawrence a seductive Russian in Red Sparrow and Taraji P. Henson a slick hit-woman for the mob in Proud Mary.
Atomic Blonde – which released in the UAE on July 27, is based on the graphic novel (The Coldest City) and is directed by David Leitch, a stunt man and co-director of Keanu Reeves vehicle John Wick, which gives us a fair idea of his priorities. Theron is Lorraine Broughton, a British spy who is sent to Berlin to retrieve a valuable list of agents.
Yes, Atomic Blonde is darkly funny in places, and the well-choreographed action is brilliantly performed by Theron, who did most of her own stunts. It’s also stylish, in a garish 80s way: think neon-lit hotels rooms, off-the-shoulder jumper dresses and thigh-high boots to a soundtrack including New Order covers and — of course — Nena’s 99 Red Balloons.
But we know as much about our heroine as her opponents do: that she is beautiful, lethal, clever and has a raft of secrets. As with any genre, the best female killer thrillers give you a reason to care. We had a run of these in the 90s: Luc Besson’s Nikita and its remakes concerned a young convict who was given a choice between death or life as an assassin, and trained up for dangerous jobs (training being an altogether more satisfying type of makeover than your usual montage).
The Long Kiss Goodnight saw Geena Davis playing an amnesic mother suddenly recalling her past as a hit-woman while trying to protect her daughter from her enemies. This was a woman juggling two identities, struggling to come to terms with a revelation that was both thrilling and emotionally engaging.
Thematically, this was a precursor to the Bourne films, even if the Bourne novels came first. The Long Kiss Goodnight also managed to work a decent conspiracy story into its plot, while the cold war hokum in Atomic Blonde just seems to get in the way.
Given the nasty nature of killing for a living, it helps to give a character a strong motivation, whether it is coercion, revenge or threat. Angelina Jolie had a tragic past in 2010 thriller Salt, while Jennifer Lawrence’s Red Sparrow (releasing March 2018) isn’t given much choice by handler Charlotte Rampling, who states: “If you cannot be of service to the state, I am to put a bullet through your head.”
Red Sparrow teaser footage and Jason Matthews’ source novel suggest more character detail: Lawrence is a ballet dancer who breaks her leg before being recruited. She is trained “to determine a target’s weakness and exploit that weakness through seduction”, then meets a CIA agent (Joel Edgerton) who will test her allegiances. I usually find Lawrence rather cold, but this may work for the role, and she’s teamed with Francis Lawrence, who directed her in three Hunger Games movies.
Proud Mary (releasing January 2018) comes from Babak Najafi, the director of London Has Fallen, which rings a loud warning bell, although the trailer is fun and the premise promises the cosy notion that Mary’s “life is completely turned around when she meets a young boy”. It stars Henson, and of course black gun-toting heroines are even rarer than their white counterparts in mainstream movies – hence, the use of Foxy Brown-style typeface for the film’s title, reaching back all the way to the rash of female-fronted blaxploitation movies in the 70s.
In a Hollywood dogged by its fair share of blank action heroes, a blank action heroine is certainly a statistical improvement.
All eyes on Red Sparrow and Proud Mary to raise the game — although, looking further ahead, the smart money is on The Rhythm Section (release date TBC), a Blake Lively espionage thriller that’s currently in pre-production with the Bond producers, Eon. Why this one? It’s directed by The Handmaid’s Tale Reed Morano, who just happens to be … a woman. Imagine that!
Don’t miss out on these upcoming movies! Stay tuned for more updates.
The teaser trailer for Tamil-Telugu spy-thriller Spyder was released on the occasion of Mahesh Badu’s 41st birthday.
The action-packed teaser was released in both Tamil and Telugu, and going by the visuals, the film assures an epic clash between Mahesh Badu (who plays an Intelligence Bureau officer) and S.J. Suryah (rumoured to be donning the role of a bio-terrorist).
Interestingly, Mahesh has dubbed his own voice for the Tamil version of the teaser trailer.
Produced A.R. Murugadoss, Spyder is tentatively slated for release on September 28 across cinemas in the UAE.
The movie also stars R.J Balaji, Priyadarshi Pullikonda and Rakul Preet Singh.
Watch the trailer below:
Source: Gulf News (Tabloid)
The buddy-action movie genre has become a tried and true Hollywood premise. Whether it’s Lethal Weapon or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the formula has worked for decades. That said, there’s always room for tweaks as far as any movie is concerned. On that note, Conner Schwerdtfeger recently sat down with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson to ask them how The Hitman’s Bodyguard sets itself apart from a typical buddy-action flick, and Reynolds opened up the conversation by explaining that it’s a smart deconstruction of the genre, saying:
We live in an era in which self-awareness has become a hot commodity. It doesn’t matter what genre you’re dealing with; the ability to look at conventions and ideas of a traditional action movie (such as nail guns being effective weapons) and subvert them often proves helpful. Jordan Peele’s Get Out did it for the horror genre, and even Ryan Reynolds’ own work on Deadpool did it for superhero movies last year. The trick is simply knowing which clichés to lean into and which ones to deviate from when the rubber hits the road.
However, Samuel L. Jackson seemed to have a more focused reason on his mind. Building off of what Reynolds said, Jackson highlighted the fact that The Hitman’s Bodyguard leans far more heavily on romance than a standard buddy movie, saying:
He has a point. Although romance is something that pops up in buddy movies from time to time, the central relationship of any given buddy story tends to be the one shared between the two (often male) protagonists. By contrast, The Hitman’s Bodyguard plays with that trope by expanding the lives of its two heroes and focusing on the strained relationships and estranged lovers in their respective worlds. In the grand scheme of buddy movies, that is not something that we see very often (if ever).
Click here to check out a clip from Conner Schwerdtfeger’s interview with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson and hear everything they had to say about their work on The Hitman’s Bodyguard, as well as the buddy-action genre as a whole.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard – presently screening across cinemas in the UAE.
Source: CinemaBlend
Emirati director Abdulla Al Kaabi’s Iran-set drama Only Men Go to the Grave (Al-Rijal Faqat End Al-Dafn) released to the public at DIFF365@VOX on August 10 and will screen until August 23.
Movie Synopsis: After the Iraq-Iran war ended in 1988, a blind mother welcomes her estranged daughters to tell them a secret. Unfortunately, she accidentally dies while sharing it. During the funeral, the daughters try to deal with their mother’s sudden death and also work together to unveil her secret by looking for clues from visitors, but they end up uncovering more than they bargained for.
Genre: Drama
Producer: Mahoutforoush Farshad
Scriptwriter: Abdulla Al Kaabi
DOP: Peyman Shadmanfar
Editor: Meysam Mollai
Composer: Peyman Yazdanian
Cast: Saleema Yaqoub, Hebe Sabah, Abdelreza Nasari
Contains: Adult references
The film won Abdulla Al Kaabi the best Director of a Muhr Emirati Feature at the Dubai International Film Festival last year, and the film was his debut feature.
Tickets are available online at the box office. DIFF365@VOX is located at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates – Screen 9. Visit DIFF and Only Men Go to the Grave for more information on the film.
Sources: Gulf news (Tabloid) and DIFF
From Aquaman to Venom, the Marvel and DC Comic cinematic universe is expanding!
There’s no stopping film adaptations of comic books, which have proven their worth at the box office worldwide.
According to industry aggregator, Box Office Mojo, Marvel raked in a combined $2.6 billion (Dh9.5 billion) in earnings worldwide, riding on the back of two films alone — The Avengers (2012) and Captain America: Civil War (2016). Not to be left behind, DC Comics flexed its might with The Dark Knight, which topped the box office record for the highest grossing film of 2008, earning more than $1 billion.
Last year, 4 out of the 10 biggest money-spinners in Hollywood were film adaptations of comic book characters. If the fanfare at last month’s San Diego Comic Con was anything to go by, productions houses are pulling out all the stops to keep this bullish run going. The convention saw major announcements made by the comic books giants, and with a new roster of films announced that are centered on comic book characters, it’s safe to say that the DEMAND is far from over.
Here’s a list of Marvel and DC movies to watch out for over the next few years:
MARVEL
Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o
Release Date: February 8, 2018
About: After a brief appearance in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther returns to his fictional home country of Wakanda to serve as their new leader and finds out about political propaganda going on within. Unafraid of his enemies, he teams up with CIA and the country’s Special Forces to battle them.
What we know do far: Filming for Black Panther was completed in April 2017 and is going through post-production. At the San Diego Comic Con, an exclusive footage was presented to a standing ovation.
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed
Release Date: October 4, 2018
About: The standalone film will present Eddie Brock, a rival of Peter Parker, working hard to get a photographer’s job at the Daily Bugle. In an incident with an extra-terrestrial symbiote that attaches on his body, Brock attains superpowers that become a threat to the world.
What we know do far: Sony is aiming to make this film R-rated. Production of the film may start from this autumn and Venom will not have any connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nor will Spider-Man play a role in the film.
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson
Release Date: March 7, 2019
About: Carol Danvers, a United States Air Force pilot, is victim to a bomb blast caused by an alien race. She gets fused with one of its aliens, which gives her superpowers — she can fly, absorb and protect energy. She uses these superpowers to battle the antagonists Skrulls, with the help of Nick Fury.
What we know do far: Artwork concepts of Captain Marvel and Skrulls were revealed at the San Diego Comic Con. Since the film’s timeline is set in the ‘90s, Nick Fury will appear without an eye patch.
DC COMICS
Aquaman
Director: James Wan
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman
Release Date: December 20, 2018
About: Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.
What we know do far: Its ‘first look’ footage was presented at the San Diego Comic Con showing two fishermen sinking into Atlantis, facing its armies and warrior sharks. Also, actress Nicole Kidman makes a comeback to superhero films after last appearing in Batman Forever 22 years ago. She wanted to be part of the film because it was shot in Australia, where she is from.
Flashpoint (The Flash)
Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith
Cast: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons
Release Date: TBC
About: In the midst of a stormy night, Barry Allen, or The Flash, is soaked by a mix of chemicals struck by lightning due to which he gains the ability of run fast. With new abilities, he becomes obsessed with fighting crime.
What we know do far: The likes of Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pine were considered for playing The Flash until Ezra Miller was selected. Fans supported his casting by using the hashtag #supportezramiller. Besides, at the San Diego Comic Con, it was revealed that the film will be an adaptation of the Flashpoint comics in 2011.
Cyborg
Writer: George Pérez, Marv Wolfman
Cast: Ray Fisher
Release Date: April 2, 2020
About: Replaced by highly advanced mechanical parts in his body at a young age, one half of Cyborg’s body is human while the other half is robotic. His biggest strength is a high IQ, while his robotic abilities giving him superhero strength, stamina and speed. Yet, his weaknesses are his inability to resist the technology inside him and to stay human.
What we know do far: Set to appear in Justice League this November, Cyborg’s role will mostly be CGI and his origins will be the heart of the story in the film.
DID YOU KNOW?
In addition to the excitement around Justice League, the DC Extended Universe will release more films as part of their line-up till 2020, which will include the likes of Batgirl, Shazam and Green Lantern Corps. However, details about these projects are yet to be revealed. Whereas, Marvel has major upcoming releases with Thor: Ragnarok releasing this October and Avengers: Infinity War releasing next year.
Based on the Top 10 Movies in the UAE between 2012 and 2016, the Top 2 movie genres are Action and Adventure – proving UAE cinema audiences ‘gorge’ ACTION. Additionally, both Marvel and DC movies (on average) attract over 300K moviegoers in the UAE.
With a list of action packed Marvel and DC movies slated for release over the years ahead, don’t miss out on advertising your brand alongside these movies. Take note of the release dates and contact a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities.
Sources: Gulf News (Tabloid), IMDb
The fifth edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF) will be held from October 8 to 13.
SICFF takes place every October and it was launched in 2013. It is the first children’s film festival in the country and the region. The festival is dedicated to enhance the media literacy of children and young people, foster children’s creativity and showcase the very best in filmmaking for, by and about children and young people. The festival plays an essential role in bringing international films and new media content for youth and children in the region. It exposes them to world cultures and promote peace, tolerance and global understanding of how people from different cultures, religions and backgrounds live together in this world.
Organised by Funn – Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, an arts organization, the festival will showcase films, conduct movie workshops and host media arts activities.
“The festival plays an essential role in bringing international films and new media content to children and young people in the region and this year’s edition has a host of activities formulated to open up the wonderful world of movie-making to such creative young minds,” said Shaikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of Funn and SICFF.
“SICFF is more than just a celebration of the moving image; it was established to encourage children to work together, to share ideas and to undergo new experiences. It aspires to connect young people with world cultures and to enhance peace and tolerance, by showing through the medium of film how people from different regions, races and religions can live happily side by side,” added Shaikha Jawaher.
Funn aims to nurture future generations of creative artists in media and film and promote new works made by the United Arab Emirates’ young filmmakers at international film festivals and conferences worldwide.
Sources: Gulf News and SICFF
Ajay Devgn’s Baadshaho is set in the period of Emergency. It is the story of six ‘rebels’ who took that opportunity to bring a change in their destiny.
Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn says he always keeps his fans in mind when making films. “I think they are the ones who make you a star. They really love you and they know what they want from you, so their opinions should be considered,” he said.
Devgan was speaking at a media interaction for the film Baadshaho where the rest of the film’s cast and crew — including Emraan Hashmi, Ileana D’Cruz, Esha Gupta, Vidyut Jammwal and director Milan Luthria — were also present.
Baadshaho is set against the backdrop of the 1975 Emergency period in India.
Within two months, another film Golmaal 4 will also release, but Devgan doesn’t think it will affect their film.
“Both the films are of different genres so the audience will get a chance to watch two different films. I am not worried about that,” he said.
Producer Bhushan Kumar said the audience is looking for films that are entertaining and Baadshaho is one such project. “We have to make films as per the reliability factor of the audience. There have been commercial films that have come out [this year], but were too imaginative and they have not worked,” Kumar said.
“Baadshaho is not an imaginative film, it’s real and made in an entertaining way,” he added. “In Baadshaho, we have taken a relatable topic and we are hopeful people will connect with it. We are showing what happened during the Emergency period. Milan Luthria has given great visual to the film,” Kumar said.
According to Kumar, the selling point of Baadshaho is its genre — a period action film.
“Recently so many films have come — both big and small — and nothing really has worked and there is always a change that is needed. The audience is open to all kinds of films but the content has to be equally good,” he said.
The teaser trailer opens with some glimpses of the Emergency, when the announcement was made. Later, all the characters – Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Ileana D’Cruz, Esha Gupta, Vidyut Jammwal and Sanjay Mishra are introduced.
Baadshaho has been extensively shot in Rajasthan and has some high-octane stunts with a bit of romance between Emraan and Sunny Leone (yes, Sunny Leone comes as a surprise) and Ajay and Ileana.
Here’s the official teaser of Baadshaho:
Baadshaho will be Ajay Devgn’s first release of the year. He last starred in the 2016 film Shivaay. Meanwhile, this is the actor’s third film with Emraan. They have earlier co-starred in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (directed by Milan Luthria) and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji.
Baadshaho releases in cinemas across the UAE on August 31.
Is your target audience an Asian audience? If so, contact a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities alongside Baadshaho.
Sources: Gulf News, NDTV and ZOOMtv
The upcoming August – September period is set to deliver strong and consistent admissions with an action packed and diverse film release slate.
Some of the key titles that will drive audience delivery are:
Toilet Ek Prem Katha (August 10)
This Bollywood blockbuster stars Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar who take on the roles of Keshav and Jaya. Conflict comes knocking on the first day of their marriage, when Jaya leaves Keshav’s house for good after discovering that there is no toilet in the home. Distraught and desperate, Keshav sets out on mission to win back his love- by battling against the age old traditions, mind-set and value system of his country.
Hitman’s Bodyguard (August 17):
Starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, the movie is about the world’s top bodyguard who gets a new client – a hit man who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trail on time.
American Made (August 31):
Starring Tom Cruise and based on the unbelievable true story of Barry Seal – an American pilot who is recruited by the CIA to smuggle drugs and provide intelligence on Pablo Escobar.
American Assassin (September 14):
Black ops recruit Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) – who is reeling from the death of his fiancée in a terrorist attack, is assigned to shadowy CIA figure Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) to receive special training in tracking terrorists. Rapp and Hurley are then dispatched to join a Turkish agent on a mission to stop a mysterious operative from unleashing chaos of international proportions.
Victoria and Abdul (September 14):
Judi Dench stars as Queen Victoria in the astonishing story of the curious friendship between the Queen and her Indian servant Abdul – played by Bollywood star Ali Fazal.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (September 21):
The highly anticipated sequel has a 99% ‘want to see’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The latest instalment brings in new cast members Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore and Halle Berry – so there’s something for everyone.
Don’t miss out on aligning your brand with these movies. Contact a member of our sales team for more information on advertising opportunities.
Every year, studios and television networks bring their biggest movies and stars to San Diego Comic-Con. The event welcomes more than 100,000 people – many dressed up as their favourite characters. Production companies release sneak peaks of their upcoming films, actors reveal their characters’ secrets, fans judge which films they will be lining up for at the cinema, and last but not least, the stars meet the fans.
This year, Marvel dropped new stunning footage from both Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, fans worshipped at the altar of Wonder Woman, Harrison Ford growled at some fans and Spielberg made a grand entrance with the much anticipated Ready Player One.
Here are some highlights from this year’s convention:
The Marvel vs DC debate rages on
Comic Con 2017 saw the second trailer of the much-awaited Thor: Ragnarok in which the God of Thunder joins hands with ‘Big Guy’ Hulk in his fight against Hela, the God of Death, played by the fantastic Cate Blanchett. Where there is Thor, there is Avengers and a poster for Avengers: Infinity War — along with a secret trailer that was shown only to a select audience — was released.
However, what garnered most of the attention at the event was the panel with Black Panther stars.
New footage from the highly-anticipated Black Panther movie — unfortunately not available online yet — received a standing ovation at Comic-Con. An exclusive trailer, set to the tune of Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA” promised fans a film filled with emotion and action. Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira stood out in a scene where they exchange blows with bad guys at a casino. Though we’re finally starting to get more female superheroes onscreen, there are far-to-few female fighters who aren’t white, so it’s fantastic to see these two women duking it out alongside Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan.
The news that Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel will be set in the 1990s and feature a two-eyed Nick Fury was also announced.
It was also made clear that fans could expect to see some big-screen team-ups (Thor and the Guardians! Iron Man and Doctor Strange!) – basically, what we’ve anticipated for years.
As for DC Studios, it was announced that a sequel to the blockbuster Wonder Woman is on the cards. However, DC played its cards close to its chest, and did not reveal if the sequel will star Gal Gadot or not and whether it will be helmed by Patty Jenkins.
Ben Affleck as Batman returns in Justice League and this time he has quite a few friends to help him. Along with Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman, Batman battles the bad guys in the DC universe.
Harrison Ford Promises to Reboot All of His Movies
Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Harrison Ford appears to be on a mission to relive the glory days of his career. He recently revived Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, stars opposite Ryan Gosling in the follow-up to Blade Runner this summer and will return as Indiana Jones in 2020. Still, it took quite a bit of courage for a fan to ask the legendary actor if he plans to reboot every major franchise he’s ever starred in.
Ford had the perfect answer: “You bet!”
Kingsman: The Golden Circle adds Halle Berry and Channing Tatum to Cast
Actors Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges and Pedro Pascal took the stage at a packed Hall H with screenwriter Jane Goldman and Kingsman co-creator Dave Gibbons on Thursday morning for an action- and “spirits”-fueled presentation to promote the upcoming film.
After wowing the crowd with a few clips from the movie — including the action-packed opening sequence in which Egerton’s character has to fight a foe in and around a speeding taxi, the panelists broke out the bourbon – unexpected and impressive!
Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One
The trailer of Steven Spielberg’s ambitious and much-awaited film Ready Player One was released during this year’s Comic Con. The film is based on Ernest Cline’s legendary novel.
The first look at the film is an impressively overwhelming one, envisioning a virtual world where The Iron Giant can exist alongside DeLoreans. It certainly looks like a fun place to exist, filled with pop culture of all stripes.
Joining Spielberg on the panel were Cline and the cast – including TJ Miller, who plays quirky Oasis dweller I-R0k. The director jokes that when he heard the book had been turned into a script, he admitted he figured they’d need “a younger director!”
The film is scheduled for release on March 30 2018.
Sources: Empire, Time (Entertainment), The Hindu and Rolling Stone
