News

Imogen Heap’s 2005 album Speak for Yourself has lived many lives over the last two decades. Singles like “Hide and Seek” and “Goodnight and Go” were beloved and well-received on their own, then later used on popular series like The O.C. and Saturday Night Live or reimagined by artists like Jason Derulo and Ariana Grande. Now, the song “Headlock” off that album is getting its own second life — thanks to TikTok.

Billboard reported that “Headlock” began taking off on the app. Fans of the thriller video game Mouthwashing have been...

Snail Mail will mark the upcoming second anniversary of her sophomore album, Valentine, with an EP featuring a handful of stripped-down, home-recorded demos.

Ahead of the November 3 release of the appropriately titled Valentine Demos EP, Lindsey Jordan has shared the demo for “Easy Thing,” an unreleased track that she penned while working on what would become Valentine.

“Without further ado, here are the demo versions of some of the songs that would become integral to the making of Valentine,” Jordan said in a statement.

“A little over three years ago,...

Snail Mail is marking the second anniversary of her sophomore LP, Valentine, with the appropriately titled Valentine Demos EP, due out November 3rd. Ahead of the project’s release, she’s shared the previously unreleased song “Easy Thing,” which you can listen to below.

Lindsey Jordan looked back at the making of Valentine — released during the pandemic — in a statement. “Without further ado, here are the demo versions of some of the songs that would become integral to the making of Valentine,” she said.

“A little over three years ago, holed up at my parents’ house in Maryland, with just a minilogue synth, an interface, a mic, and a guitar, I started working on writing my second full length record. I prefer some of the demos to what actually came out on the record because of how intimate and solitary the process was. You can kind of hear me crying in one of them.

Kcet, the Los Angeles public broadcaster, announced the student finalists and eight industry judges who will take part of the 23rd Fine Cut Festival of Films. The festival will broadcast as a series of six one-hour episodes starting Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. on Kcet in Southern California and on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 11 p.m. Et/Pt on Link TV nationwide.

In addition to the student films making their broadcast debut, all winners will have their short films screened as part of a student showcase at the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival on Oct. 20. Three winners in the categories of Documentary, Animation and Narrative short films will receive a variety of prize packages valued to be over 30,000, and the Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award will recognize one student winner’s strength as a storyteller.

An industry panel of eight esteemed experts determined the finalists and winners, including director and producer Lynne Southerland,...

Click here to read the full article.

Murmur, the new horror movie from indie filmmaker Mark Polish, will have its world premiere at the Oldenburg Film Festival, the fall event known as “Germany’s Sundance.”

Polish is best known as one half, with brother Michael, of the writing/directing team The Polish brothers, whose credits include Sundance hit Twin Falls, Idaho (1999), Jackpot (2001), The Astronaut Farmer (2006) and The Smell of Success. Michael Polish has typically taken over directing duties on Polish brothers films, with Mark playing a lead role and both siblings sharing screenwriting credits.

Mark Polish first stepped behind the camera for Headlock (2019), his feature debut starring Andy Garcia, Dianna Agron and James Frain.

Murmur, which he wrote and directed, follows a group of social media stars who become guinea pigs for a new app that breaks down the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Polish’s daughter Logan Polish, of...

Stars: Erin Brown, Hannah Fierman, Marilyn Light, Seth Michaels, Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, Melissa Haas, Charis Jeffers, Daniel Rashid, Logan Creed, Tommy Grillo, Linnea Quigley | Directed by Davi Crimmins, Eric Davis, Hannah Fierman, Greg Garrison, Melissa Haas, Torey Haas, Jay Holloway, Jenna Kanell, Anissa Matlock, Tony Reames

Dead by Midnight (Y2Kill) is the unexpected follow-up to Dead by Midnight (11pm Central). And I say unexpected because despite being a fun collection of stories, it pretty much stayed under everyone’s radar. But enough people did see it that a second film got greenlighted, and with a big enough budget to include a couple of genre heavyweights.

The film opens with The Mistress of Midnight sitting around hell, googling for reviews of the first film and unleashing her wrath on those who didn’t give it a thumbs up.

From here we leap to The Temptress introducing the first segment...

As you may know Nerdly, the website, and our fledgling – but growing – YouTube channel are proudly latched on to the Romford Film Festival. I have loved working on the panels and having discussions about what we should and shouldn’t show, what should be nominated and what should win. However, I and my esteemed judges don’t always agree and sometimes you can see your favourite falling down the list. It’s not to say you were wrong to champion the flick just that something else just shone that little bit brighter, this my friends is the true magic of cinema.

I’ve already brought you my choices of Nerdly’s pick for the Best Feature Film, Best Actress and Best Actor. The thought process is that, honestly, I have a terrible memory and can’t actually remember what won what. I am going to go through some of the...

Exclusive: Reshma Shetty (Royal Pains), Damon Dayoub (Stitchers) and D.W. Moffett (Switched at Birth) have been cast in heavily recurring roles opposite Susan Sarandon, Anna Friel, Trace Adkins and Beth Ditto in Fox’s upcoming musical drama Monarch.

Created by Melissa London Hilfers, Monarch is described as a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about America’s first family of country music, the Romans. The Romans are headed by the insanely talented, but tough as nails Queen of Country Music Dottie Cantrell Roman (Sarandon). Along with her beloved husband Albie (Adkins), Dottie has created a country music dynasty. But even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown Nicolette “Nicky” Roman (Friel) will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom.

Virtual Cannes market slate includes Wired Shut, Hudson, Student Body, All In My Power.

Los Angeles-based sales agency Motion Picture Exchange (Mpx) has hired veteran sales agent Marcy Rubin as VP of international sales on the eve of the virtual Cannes market.

Rubin will oversee Mpx’s slate of documentary and completed films including Alexander Sharp’s newly acquired horror thriller Wired Shut; road trip dramady Hudson directed by Sean D. Cunningham; female-led thriller Student Body; and documentary All In My Power, a first-hand account of healthcare workers’ response to Covid during the initial weeks of the pandemic in Manhattan.

Exclusive: AMC Networks’ Rlje Films has taken North American rights to the Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby dramatic thriller No Man of God, based on real transcripts and conversations between serial killer Ted Bundy and FBI agent Bill Hagmaier. The deal for the Amber Sealey-directed feature went down ahead of the pic’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere in June. The pic is now scheduled to hit theaters in August.

In 1980, Bundy (Kirby) was sentenced to death by electrocution. In the years that followed, he agreed to disclose the details of his crimes, but only to one man, that being Hagmaier (Wood). Aleksa Palladino and Robert Patrick also star in the Kit Lesser-scripted feature.

No Man of God was produced by Wood, Daniel Noah, Lisa Whalen and Kim Sherman. Ward and Jess De Leo of Rlje Films negotiated the deal with Whalen and Stacy Jorgensen on behalf of Company X/SpectreVision and the filmmakers.

Following its Blu-ray and DVD release in March, the horror comedy PG: Psycho Goreman will be available to exclusively stream on Shudder beginning May 20th.

We have the official press release with additional details below, and in case you missed it, check out Heather Wixson's previous Practical-ly Perfect interview with writer/director Steven Kostanski.

Press Release: New York – April 12, 2021 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced that PG: Psycho Goreman will be available exclusively to stream on the platform starting on May 20, 2021. As a Shudder exclusive, the platform will be the only subscription service that will carry the film in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Written and directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void, The Divide, Father’s Day), PG: Psycho GOREMANstars Nita-Josee Hanna (Books of Blood, 4teen), Owen Myre (“NOS4A2,” Alternate Ground), Adam Brooks (The Return,...

Godfather of Harlem expands its cast with the addition of Justin Bartha, Annabella Sciorra and Ronald Guttman, who will take on recurring roles in season two of the Epix drama. Also set to recur are Gino Cafarelli and Isaach De Bankolé.

Also coming to the crime drama as guest stars are Method Man, Michael Rispoli, Neal Matarazzo and Grace Porter, who was previously announced to appear as Betty Shabazz. Erik Laray Harvey and Demi Singleton have also been upped to series regulars for season 2, which will premiere Sunday, April. 18.

Godfather of Harlem season 2 sees Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s...

Featuring the unexpected alliance between young siblings and a deadly extraterrestrial, the horror comedy PG: Psycho Goreman will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 16th, and we have a look at the cover art and list of more than two hours of bonus features!

We have the full release details in the official press release below, and in case you missed it, read Heather Wixson's Practical-ly Perfect article on the film!

Press Release: Los Angeles, – Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, and Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural will release the horror/comedy, PG: Psycho Goreman, on DVD and Blu-ray on March 16, 2021.

Written and directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void, The Divide, Father’s Day), PG: Psycho Goreman stars Nita-Josee Hanna (Books of Blood, 4teen), Owen Myre (“NOS4A2,” Alternate Ground), Adam Brooks (The Return, Father’s Day), Alexis Hancey (Silver...

Richard Lechartier, the former CEO of French producer and distributor Marco Polo, has launched new U.K. film distribution company Ily Films, with Bruce Willis actioner “Open Source” as its first acquisition.

Ily Films is focused on acquiring film rights for digital download releases.

Lechartier tells Variety that Ily Films will concentrate on buying English-speaking commercial, high concept and genre movies with an international cast.

“Open Source” is set for a late 2020 or early 2021 release. Starring Willis, as well as Jesse Metcalfe and Lala Kent, it was acquired through international sales agent Highland Film Group. Producers are Randall Emmett and George Furla at Emmett Furla Oasis Films. Vertical Entertainment has U.S. rights.

Other titles have been agreed and will be announced in the coming months. Ily Films is also working on striking output deals with producers, as well as looking at co-production opportunities.

Ily Films has also acquired the...

In today’s film news roundup, Andy Garcia’s spy thriller is sold, “Battlestar Galactica” gets a screenwriter, and Brooklyn Decker gets an award.

Acquisition

Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to spy thriller “Against the Clock,” starring Andy Garcia, Dianna Agron (“Glee”), and Justin Bartha, Variety has learned exclusively.

The film, formerly titled “Headlock,” is written and directed by Mark Polish and produced by Benaroya Pictures. “Against the Clock” will be available in theaters and on demand Jan. 11, 2019.

Polish plays a CIA agent who is seriously injured during a mission, and Agron portrays his wife, a former CIA operative who becomes determined to find out what happened — a truth the CIA director, played by Garcia, wants concealed at all costs.

“Mark has fused a mind-bending premise with stylish visuals and a strong female protagonist, delivering an experience that is both ahead of its time and of the moment,...

Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live), D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place), Neil Casey (Ghostbusters), Dot-Marie Jones (Glee), and Janicza Bravo (Camping) are attached to star in Greener Grass, a film from writing and directing duo Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe. The helmers will also star in the pic, based on their SXSW short film. It’s set in a timeless suburbia and tells the story of soccer moms Jill (DeBoer) and Lisa (Luebbe). While their children compete on the soccer field, the pair competes in the bleachers in this dark comedy where every adult wears braces on their straight teeth, couples coordinate meticulously pressed outfits, and coveted family members become pawns in the ultimate competition for acceptance. Mary Holland (Veep), Jim Cummings (Thunder Road), Lauren Adams (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Asher Miles Fallica (Ozark), Julian Hilliard (The Haunting of Hill House), and John Milhiser (SNL) co-star. Natalie Metzger is producing Greener Grass,...

Exclusive: Mark Polish, the writer-director-actor who is just wrapping up postproduction on his directorial debut Headlock, has signed with Apa. Headlock stars Dianna Agron, Andy Garcia and James Frain and centers on a severely injured intelligence trafficker, played by Polish, whose former operative-wife (Agron) finds out more than she bargained for when investigating her husband's last mission. Polish arrived on the indie film scene at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival…...

Exclusive: Mark Polish, the writer-director-actor who is just wrapping up postproduction on his directorial debut Headlock, has signed with Apa. Headlock stars Dianna Agron, Andy Garcia and James Frain and centers on a severely injured intelligence trafficker, played by Polish, whose former operative-wife (Agron) finds out more than she bargained for when investigating her husband's last mission. Polish arrived on the indie film scene at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival…...

Exclusive: Indie filmmakers take note: film and finance company Night Fox Entertainment, which is the entity behind such projects as Z For Zachariah starring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine and the film Headlock starring Andy Garcia, Justin Bartha and Diana Agron, is now opening an acquisitions arm. The four-year-old company which spent its first two years identifying projects before starting to finance films in 2014, said they are opening the acquisitions…...

Exclusive: WestEnd boards recently wrapped feature Hollow In The Land, exec produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Insidious, Sinister).

WestEnd Films has boarded international sales on thriller Hollow In The Land, whose cast is led by Glee star Dianna Agron.

Writer-director Scooter Corkle’s feature debut follows a young woman who finds herself pushing the boundaries of the law as she attempts to uncover the truth about her brother’s involvement in a brutal murder.

Screen can also reveal the first still from the film [pictured], which co-stars Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: Days Of Future Past) and Rachelle Lefevre (The Twilight Series).

Producers are Jesse Savath (Come And Find Me) and Marlaina Mah (Come And Find Me) while executive producers are Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Insidious, Sinister), Daniel Levin (Lion) and Christopher Ferguson.

The film, shot in Canada, is in post-production with WestEnd showing a promo at Efm.

Agron recently has appeared in the features Tumbledown, Bare and [link...

Whether you are a filmmaker, or one of the Sundance programmers whose task it is to identify the films that make up a line-up, it is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. The 32nd edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicks off on January 21st with Park City and Salt Lake City. Two decades back, Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan’s Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern was the Grand Jury Prize winner in the Documentary section while Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse beat out the likes of Nicole Holofcener’s Walking and Talking, Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott’s Big Night, Mary Harron’s I Shot Andy Warhol and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth for the Grand Jury Prize dramatic.

As per our tradition here on the site and as we all get ready for the festival, we like to propose an overview of the films we...

Get ready stateside filmgoers, because the “phoners” (aka “crazies”) are coming to the Us. Stephen King fans know that the master of macabre doesn’t like using cell phones. His 2006 novel, Cell, is a cautionary tale about what can go wrong by pressing portable phones to our ears and keeping them close at hand in our pockets, and its unflinching subject matter contains flocks of murderous lunatics that would be right at home in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, George A. Romero’s The Crazies, or Simon Clark’s Blood Crazy.

We knew this unique King novel was getting the adaptation treatment, with King co-writing the screenplay and John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in the lead roles, but we’re now one big step closer to seeing it on the silver screen, as Clarius Entertainment has acquired the Us rights to the movie.

Slated to hit theaters this year,...

Coverage of ISAs (international sales agents) resumed for the American Film Market. This segment follows leaders, innovation and successful new startups in the world of international film sales and distribution.

The Beverly Hills based International Film Trust (Ift) was started in April 2013 by co-founders Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures and Miscellaneous Entertainment principals D. Todd Shepherd and George Waud.

Since its inception at Cannes in 2013, Ift has acquired 12 films with another set for Berlin 2015. The first titles were successfully presold last year and have since been scheduled for theatrical release.

Ift President Christian De Gallegos brings a wealth of wisdom and experience from his background in the talent agencies and as a sales agent for Voltage Pictures, working on Oscar winners like “The Hurt Locker” and “Dallas Buyers Club”.

De Gallegos talks about the progress of this fairly new sales agency and shares some of Ift’s upcoming films:

How did Ift start?

Michael Benaroya had been an active producer and financier for years, outsourcing international sales to the leading independent companies. His slate was growing and international distribution remained crucial to his business model, so he knew that starting an international sales agency would be financially efficient and would give him a more thorough market awareness which is invaluable when packaging.

Mb: I worked with the top international distributors at Voltage who have thankfully supported Ift since day one and we’ve been lucky to partner with powerhouse companies like Sony, eOne and Universal who are currently scheduled to release half our slate, having come on board in pre-production.

The majority of our lineup to date has been within the Us$ 10 million dollar range, shot with soft money and internationally viable casts, keeping budgets to a reasonable level so presales without confirmed U.S. theatrical distribution are realistic. We comfortably retain production value which validates theatrical upside.

We’re excited to step up to the next level this year. We have two films in which we’re involved with financing and distribution: one at Us$ 33 million and another at Us$ 35 million.

What are some new projects that you’re excited about?

“You Shall Know Our Velocity”, based off Dave Eggers best-selling novel, will start shooting April 2015 with Daniel Radcliffe. Also, we have a film called “Cymbeline” with Dakota Johnson as the lead (from “Fifty Shades of Grey”), which premiered at Venice this year. Grindstone will theatrically release it in early 2015.

What do you look for when considering a film?

Interesting concepts and relevant topics with the right financing structure. I’ve been involved with the passion projects of A-list actors which can be exciting as they attract great ensembles, cameos, crew and their enthusiasm usually leads to a better movie.

How did you enter the business?

I started in the talent agency world, working at Paradigm in film, music and TV. The agencies are the epicenter of the entertainment industry; there you’re exposed to all sides of the business, so it was just a matter of time before I learned about international sales and figured it would suit me best. I found an opportunity at Voltage Pictures working as Nicolas Chartier’s assistant in 2007. After a few months he promoted me to sell on his behalf. I worked there for six years, sold about 100 movies and was lucky enough to be part of great films like “The Hurt Locker”, which won eight Oscars, “Don Jon”, and “Dallas Buyer’s Club”. The founders of Ift approached me early 2013 and I’ve been thrilled to be a part of our growing company ever since.

What do you love the most about your work?

I love deal making and the satisfaction it brings me, whether it’s a quick handshake or a challenging spin on a tough topic. I love the partnerships I’ve formed and friendships I’ve developed, with both clients and competitors. I love the markets but prefer visiting what is a very nice network of people on their home turf, traveling the world to see firsthand where our influence reaches.

More about International Film Trust:

International Film Trust (Ift) is an international sales and distribution company launched by co-founders Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures and Miscellaneous Entertainment principals D. Todd Shepherd and George Waud to represent the theatrical feature film productions from the founding company’s own banners as well as titles from other producers and third party productions. With over twenty years experience in producing, finance, international sales and distribution, Ift has the knowledge and relationships to cultivate strategic partnerships with A-list producers and filmmakers. Transparent by design in their business practices, Ift is a company that understands and honors the four pillars that sustain the global film marketplace: Creativity, Finance, Sales and Distribution.

Making its debut at Cannes 2013, Ift’s slate includes You Shall Know Our Velocity based on Dave Egger's best-selling novel and starring Daniel Radcliffe; Mark Polish's Headlock starring Polish, Andy Garcia, Dianna Agron and Justin Bartha; Michael Almereyda’s Cymbeline starring Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Dakota Johnson and Milla Jovovich; the action thriller Cell starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, and to be directed by Tod Williams (Paranormal Activity 2); The King Of The Kastle starring Clive Owen, Academy Award Nominee Jacki Weaver and Asa Butterfield; Your Voice In My Head based on Emma Forrest's best-selling novel; and the horror thriller Exists directed by Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project) and which was released by Lionsgate in October.

Exclusive: La-based Night Fox Entertainment has pacted with Playing With The Enemy author Gary W. Moore to finance and produce his upcoming 2015 novel The Final Service. The story follows Sandy Richards, a 40-year-old music teacher burdened by her damaged relationship with her father and her unfulfilled dreams, who gets an unexpected visit from an unfathomable source that shakes her belief system and changes her life forever. Moore will adapt his own book with author James Riordan (Break On Through, Stone). Night Fox is fully financing the feature film, which will likely shoot next summer, and is also eyeing additional projects based on Moore’s books.

“I am delighted to work with Night Fox Entertainment and look forward to a relationship that possibly moves beyond The Final Service,” said Moore, whose baseball-themed Playing With The Enemy is in its 17th printing with Penguin. “We are completely in sync artistically and feel...

Here’s a first look at Dianna Agron (‘Glee’) in writer/director Mark Polish’s Headlock starring Oscar Nominee Andy Garcia, Justin Bartha (The Hangover Trilogy) and Mark Polish (For Lovers Only).

After new CIA recruit, Kelley Chandler (Polish) is seriously injured during a mission, surviving only on life support, his wife Tess (Agron), a former CIA operative, becomes determined to find out what happened to her husband. As the details of Kelley’s last mission unravel, showing that his accident was an inside job, Tess puts everything on the line to keep Kelley out of harm’s way, even if that comes with dangerous consequences.

The film is produced by Michael Benaroya (Margin Call, Kill Your Darlings) for Benaroya Pictures and Janet Du Bois (Stay Cool), with Tim Christian, Ryan Johnson and Ben Sachs executive producing.

International Film Trust is handing international rights.

The post First Look Photo Of...

Outside of the success of the musical comedy series "Glee," Dianna Agron hasn't really had much success on the big screen. The Family and I Am Number Four were both misfires and weren't loved by audiences or critics. So now she's doing something completely different than her previous big screen or small screen efforts with Headlock, an action thriller that marks the directorial debut of The Astronaut Farmer scribe Mark Polish. And now we have a first look photo that features Agron with her hair blown back, a sly smile on her face and a gun in her hand. Could this turn the actress into another female action star? Look below! Here's the first photo from Mark Polish's Headlock from International Film Trust: Headlock is written and directed by Mark Polish (writer of The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho, Stay Cool). After new CIA recruit, Kelley Chandler (Polish) is seriously injured during a mission,...

International Film Trust is handling sales in Toronto on Mark Polish’s solo directorial debut Headlock, the first of two from the director that Benaroya Pictures will fully finance.

Andy Garcia, Dianna Agron, Justin Bartha and Polish star in the story of a former CIA operative who attempts to rescue her husband, an injured Agency recruit, from internal enemies.

CAA and Xyz Films represent Us rights to Headlock, which is currently shooting in a number of countries.

Michael Benaroya produces with Janet Du Bois, Tim Christian, Ryan Johnson and Ben Sachs serving as executive producers.

She’s been a busy lady as of late, and on Tuesday afternoon (July 29) Dianna Agron was hard at work on her new movie “Headlock.”

The “Family” female took a break from the indie spy-fi flick, written and directed by Mark Polish, and strolled around the Beverly Hills set while photographers snapped up pictures.

In career news, Ms. Agron’s next project is called “Bare” and she’ll get to work alongside hotties like Riley Keough and Imogen Poots.

Per the synopsis, “Bare” is about “a young girl living in Nevada who starts a complicated relationship with a female drifter who introduces her to a darker world and forces her to grow.”...

We’ve rounded up some of the best and most insightful celebrity tweets from the past 24 hours. Dianna Agron looking gorgeous on set, Jared Leto has some famous friends, Jessica Biel‘s wish, plus more fascinating celeb twitter posts and words of wisdom below. Location. @Headlock_MOVIE pic.twitter.com/otR1Wwx40A — Dianna Agron (@DiannaAgron) July 22, 2014 Me...Read more»...