More from Alex Ritman
International Dark Horse Contenders Making Waves Ahead of Oscars Shortlist Announcement
Denmark The Promised Land Mads Mikkelsen stars in this Nordic Western as a low-born military man determined to tame the wild Jutland heath, whatever the costs. Touching on themes of class, racism and labor exploitation, it’s an old-fashioned period romp with stunning set pieces, plenty of romance and a satisfying villain in Simon Bennebjerg’s scene-chewing […]
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Bertie Carvel on Playing Two Roles in ‘The Crown’ and His Tony Blair in Final Episodes
Queen Elizabeth has been played by numerous actors over the years — three in Netflix’s The Crown alone. But tracking not far behind when it comes to onscreen depictions of major British figures is former prime minister Tony Blair. Among the names to have stepped into the shiny brogues of the divisive politician are the likes […]
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18 Weeks to Shoot 30 Seconds: Behind the Scenes of ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’
Aardman’s celebrated, box office-smashing, stop-motion animated chickens are finally being allowed back into the wild. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the sequel to 2000’s Chicken Run, is due to hatch on Netflix globally on Dec. 15, having had its world premiere at the London Film Festival back in October. The feature, a six-year labour […]
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Paul Mescal, ‘All of Us Strangers’ Take Home Top Prizes at British Independent Film Awards
Andrew Haigh’s acclaimed gay romance All of Us Strangers took home the lion’s share of the honors at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards. The Searchlight title, starring Andrew Scott, won best British independent film, best director and best screenplay for Haigh, and one of two best supporting performance awards for Paul Mescal. The feature […]
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How ‘Mandoob’ Takes Saudi’s Nascent Cinema Industry Into Uncharted, Un-Comedic Waters
Ali Kalthami jokingly asserts that Telfaz11, the Saudi Arabia production company he helped co-found more than 10 years ago — long before the country announced it was reopening cinemas for the first time in 35 years — is currently the “hot thing” in the local film industry. He’s not exactly wrong. The company’s first feature Sattar […]
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Baz Luhrmann Admits He Hasn’t Watched ‘Priscilla’ Yet
Among the big-name Hollywood titles screening at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is Sofia Copolla’s Venice-bowing Priscilla, starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, that tells the story of Priscilla Presley and her tumultuous relationship with Elvis. Of all the high-profile attendees at the festival who many might expect to have watched […]
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Head of New Saudi Distribution and Production Companies on Wanting to “Be A Part” of the Country’s Cinematic Evolution
Just a few weeks ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, it was unveiled that a new regional distributor and sales operation was launching. Riyadh-based TwentyOne Entertainment, led by British former Universal and Disney executive Paul Chesney, would be coming to the festival with its first acquisition, Red Sea competition entry Norah, […]
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“We Love You Johnny!”: Depp Gets Rock Star Treatment in Saudi Arabia
Johnny Depp underlined his growing relationship with Saudi Arabia on Friday by taking part in a Q&A at the country’s Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah following a screening of his feature Jeanne du Barry. The actor had been due to attend the screening itself, but as director Maïwenn explained, he’s “always late.” Not that […]
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Former Mister Smith Exec Antone Saliba Launches Regional Management Company, Signs Filmmakers Abu Bakr Shawky, Bassel Ghandour, Amjad Al Rasheed
Former Mister Smith Entertainment exec Antone Saliba is spearheading a newly launched management and production company focused on the Middle East and the South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. Untamed Entertainment, unveiled from the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, comes with backing from Dubai-based Front Row Productions, the joint venture between […]
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‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’ Composer Harry Gregson-Williams on Returning to Aardman’s Flock 23 Years After the First Film
Aardman’s flock of clay chickens is back. And so is their composer. 23 years after Chicken Run became a stop-motion smash hit, Ginger, Rocky, Babs, Mac and the rest of the coop are returning for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, landing on Netflix on Dec 15. If the music sounds similar, it’s because Harry […]
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‘Hiding Saddam Hussein’ Director Halkawt Mustafa on Keeping His Project Secret for 14 Years
It was one of the largest manhunts in history. Having been ousted from power following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, the country’s once all-powerful and ruthless leader, went into hiding as an estimated 150,000 troops scoured the land for the individual known as “High-Value Target Number One.” Incredibly, Hussein evaded capture for […]
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Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Diane Kruger, Sharon Stone Help Open Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival
Will Smith and Johnny Depp brought some A-list firepower to the opening night of the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. Smith was mobbed by selfie hunters as he entered the vast and glitzy Ritz Carlton hotel in the city of Jeddah on Thursday night, dutifully posing for as […]
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