Latest news with #EasternPromises
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Karlovy Vary Film Fest Rejigs Industry Days With Launch of KVIFF Central Stage, Series Incubator
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is expanding its Industry Days program by a day, refocusing and adding some new offerings this year, including a series incubator. Running Sunday, July 6-Wednesday, July 9, the Eastern Promises industry section and market will have 'a sharpened focus on Central European co-production opportunities in an updated showcase format.' The extended program also broadens its scope with new presentations and events dedicated to the small screen and series development. More from The Hollywood Reporter Canadian Industry Rebuffs Trump's DEI Rollback Sony Music Publishing Acquires Hipgnosis Songs Group Trump's Trade War Will Loom Large Over the Banff World Media Fest In one significant change, the fest is launching a new format dedicated to showcasing film projects in the making. As a result, the previous Works in Progress pitches will be replaced by a KVIFF Central Stage showcase, thanks to a cooperation with the national film institutes of eight Central European countries, namely Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. The showcase, taking place on July 8, will feature 13 fiction films, to be unveiled later, by established filmmakers from these countries that are in late stages of development, in production or post-production. 'Instead of traditional pitches, the projects will be introduced through interactive talks, focusing on the filmmakers and co-production landscape in each of the participating countries,' KVIFF. 'We chose this new format because it addresses a real gap in the Central European film landscape,' explained Hugo Rosák, the head of the KVIFF Industry Office. 'There is significant support for emerging filmmakers across Eastern Europe, but mid-career filmmakers often lack the necessary spotlight and resources to secure financing, even though their projects are equally compelling.' Participating projects will be eligible for post-production benefits, thanks to a generous partnership with studios UPP and Soundsquare, which will also offer discounts to productions qualifying for the Czech Audiovisual Fund's 35 percent incentive for digital production. 'The most promising films in development, selected by an international jury, will also be eligible' for the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award. Also, via a partnership with broadcaster and entertainment giant Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME), the festival will introduce a Pop-Up Series Incubator featuring five original European series. 'The aim is to establish Karlovy Vary as a hub for co-productions and creative collaborations across diverse narrative forms,' organizers said. 'This collaboration aims at transforming Karlovy Vary into a comprehensive hub for television and streaming series development.' In line with this new 'Small Screen, Big Ambitions' push, KVIFF will feature showcases, panels, workshops, and talks by small-screen players and experts on July 8 and July 9. 'Television and streaming production in our region is undergoing a massive transformation – not only in content quality but also in creative ambitions. Partnering with KVIFF is a natural step for us,' said Daniel Grunt, CEO of CME's Czech unit Nova Group. 'We believe that the connection between the film and television worlds can bring crucial momentum to the entire Central and Eastern European region.' The Pop Up Series Incubator, presented and organized by Tatino Films, co-financed by the European Union and supported and hosted by La Région Grand Est, the city of Reims, and KVIFF, the eight-month-long program will in Karlovy Vary get a pitching session where the creative teams will present their series concepts to industry professionals and decision makers, followed by curated match-making sessions with professionals that look to finance or produce series. 'Most of the upcoming shows of streamers are adaptations of existing IPs – literary, audiovisual works or even true stories. The reason for that is simple: building an audience or generating attention from scratch is seen as way too risky and unlikely considering the financial implications of drama series production,' said Matthieu Darras, CEO of Tatino Films. 'This 'IP Adaptation Game' is mostly reserved to big players, but Pop Up Series wants to create opportunities for audiovisual talents that are not necessarily in the orbit of international behemoths, such as Banijay, Fremantle, or Mediawan, to adapt their own IPs into compelling series projects.' The five selected series projects that will be showcased in Karlovy Vary are Angelmaker (Romania), based on a true story of The Angel Makers of Nagyrév, a group of people in Hungary who were suspected of poisoning, Erotic Lives of the Superheroes (France), based on Italian novel La Vita Erotica Dei Superuomini by Marco Mancassola, The Night of the Beguines (France), based on French novel La Nuit des Béguines by Aline Kiner, The Three Burials of Irma (Greece), based on Greek novel Alfatride (O iatrodikastis) by Vassilis Vassilikos, and Therapies (Lithuania) vased on a play by Birutė Kapustinskaitė. Returning this year is a KVIFF Eastern Promises staple, the Midpoint Institute's Works in Development international script development program, which will showcase nine feature-length projects that are currently in development, as featured in more detail here, plus five projects, details for which are here, developed within Midpoint's Focus Queer, a program supporting filmmakers exploring queer narratives. Also returning, for its third edition, will be KVIFF Talents, a year-long program supporting talented Czech and Slovak filmmakers and their innovative projects. Its Creative Pool, focusing on identifying innovative ideas for audiovisual works of any genre or format — from short films and series to podcasts or game concepts, this year features as selected projects Mould, an animated series for children and adults, anime series Lost Boys, and live-action musical series Remake. The Feature Pool, dedicated to supporting the development of original auteur-driven feature-length fiction films, this year features Nameless, a feature debut combining live-action and stop-motion animation, thriller feature Spirit Moose, and Burnout, a feature debut based on a novel by Petr Šesták. 'We believe that we have a unique opportunity to strengthen our position as the leading industry event dedicated to Central Europe, a region that also includes creative powerhouses like Poland, Germany or Austria, and deserves focused international attention,' said Kryštof Mucha, the executive director of KVIFF. 'Our aim is to serve as a central hub for producers, filmmakers, broadcasters, and platforms from Central Europe, alongside global industry professionals who wish to engage closely with this vibrant region. Recognizing the growing crossover of storytelling across various mediums, our expanded Industry Days now have the capacity and vision to fully embrace this evolution.' 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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lottery.com Appoints Acclaimed Actor and Director Tamer Hassan as President of Sports.com Studios
Tamer Hassan LONDON, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRY, LTRYW) (' or 'the Company'), a leading technology company transforming the intersection of gaming, sports and entertainment, today announced the appointment of internationally celebrated actor, producer, and entrepreneur Tamer Hassan as President of Studios, its newly formed content division focused on film, docuseries, and original programming. A Director for since June 2023, Mr. Hassan brings a distinguished career spanning over 25 years in international film and television. He is widely known for iconic roles in productions such as Layer Cake, The Business, The Football Factory, Eastern Promises and Game of Thrones. In his capacity as President of Studios, Hassan will lead the division's creative and strategic efforts to develop, produce and distribute compelling sports-focused films, docuseries, and premium digital content. This new arm of the business will serve as the cornerstone of global expansion into entertainment media and immersive storytelling.'Tamer is a force of nature — his experience, storytelling instincts, and deep connection to the world of sport make him uniquely suited to lead Studios. We're proud to have him at the helm as we build a slate of powerful content that inspires audiences and builds our global brand.' Studios is in pre-production on a number of titles, including a documentary series chronicling the acquisition and revival of a major British football club, behind-the-scenes access to elite athletes and original narratives exploring the heart of global sport.'I've always believed in the power of sport and film to unite, inspire and tell real human stories. As President of Studios, I'm excited to bring those worlds together and produce original, emotional, and authentic content for fans across the globe. We're just getting started.' This announcement signals a bold new chapter in the evolution of — blending sport, cinema and storytelling through the leadership of a creative icon. The Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRY, LTRYW) family of brands — including Tinbu and WinTogether, comprise a unified ecosystem that integrates gaming, entertainment, and sports. Follow the Company on X, Instagram and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding the Company's strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 8-K, the words 'could,' 'should,' 'will,' 'may,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'project,' 'initiatives,' 'continue,' the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. In addition, the Company cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, expectations related to the investigation of short selling or potential naked short selling, including the Company's analysis, its ability to take appropriate corrective action, or any potential investigations by regulators; any future findings from ongoing review of the Company's internal accounting controls; additional examination of the preliminary conclusions of such review; the Company's ability to secure additional capital resources; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to respond in a timely and satisfactory matter to the inquiries by Nasdaq; the Company's ability to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement; the Company's ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules; the Company's ability to become current with its SEC reports; and those additional risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading 'Risk Factors' in the Form 10-K/A filed by the Company with the SEC on April 22, 2025, and the other documents filed, or to be filed, by the Company with the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the reports that the Company has filed and will file from time to time with the SEC. These SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual. CONTACT: For more information, please visit or contact our media relations team at press@
Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
What to watch on TV and streaming today: Tracks and Trails, Eastern Promises and Welcome To Wrexham
Tracks and Trails RTÉ One, 8pm Doireann Ní Ghlacáin meets ex-rugby player Barry Murphy of folk rock band Hermitage Green, who wants to show off the delights of his Co Limerick home during a cycle ride along the Limerick Greenway from Abbeyfeale to Rathkeale. Alison Hammond's Big Weekend BBC One, 8.30pm New series in which the host gets to know various celebrities by spending an entire weekend with them, beginning with singer Perrie Edwards. The Zoo RTÉ One, 8.30pm Phantasmal poison frogs are on their way from the Amazon, and zookeeper Garth is determined to make them feel at home by creating a special eco-habitat. Plus, a garter snake and a southern white rhino require treatment from the vet team. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris RTÉ One, 9.35pm Lesley Manville stars in this light-hearted tale set in the 1950s. She plays a widowed cleaning lady who journeys to the French capital after setting her sights on a couture Dior dress; it's a trip that will change her life. Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson and Jason Isaacs co-star. Eastern Promises BBC Two, 11pm Director David Cronenberg's tough thriller stars Naomi Watts as a London midwife searching for the family of a Russian teenager who died in childbirth. Viggo Mortensen also appears as a gangster who tries to help, unwittingly introducing her to the city's underworld in the process. Welcome To Wrexham Disney+, streaming now It's season four, you know the score. Overcompensating Prime Video, streaming now Meet Benny and Carmen. He's a closeted former football legend, she's a determined outsider, as they navigate hook-ups, flavoured vodka and fake IDs on the college campus. If you're in a dystopia loop, The Assessment might be a better fit. Two of the UK's most prolific killers are once again under the microscope due to recently unearthed police recordings. Untold: The Liver King Netflix, streaming now By ritualistically horsing into raw meat on social media, The Liver King created an enterprise around supplements. And he supposedly had the muscles to show it. How did he get so enormous...? Speaking of ripped physiques: in the week following WrestleMania, last night saw WWE superstars seeking retribution against past opponents and beginning new rivalries. Even Cena isn't safe. Bad Thoughts Netflix, streaming now If you fancy Black Mirror vibes but with bloody slapstick humour, this collection of wildly disturbing stories pushes the boundaries of decency in ways only Tom Segura could conjure. Expect tales from a country music star who mines people's misery in exchange for spoiled prawns, a tortured barista, and lots of other delightful weirdness. Speaking of which, a new volume of Love, Death and Robots landed yesterday. A Deadly American Marriage Netflix, streaming now The story of Jason Corbett and Molly Martens was always going to be made into a Netflix documentary. Corbett, a widower, got married in 2008 to Martens, his Tennessee au pair. They left Ireland to start over in North Carolina with his kids, Jack and Sarah. Their story took a dark turn in August 2015, when Molly and her dad, former FBI agent Thomas Martens, were in an altercation resulting in Jason's death. Molly later entered a no-contest plea, claiming self-defence, while Thomas was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in 2023. After their 2024 prison release, uncertainty remained about certain facets. Directed by Jessica Burgess and Jenny Popplewell, this documentary includes exclusive interviews providing insight into the divergent perspectives of those involved, leaving some grappling with the question of: 'Who was the real victim?' And, given Jack and Sarah's unbelievably brave contributions, the answer to that would be: the kids. Octopus! Prime Video, streaming now Narrated by Phoebe Fleabag Waller-Bridge, this marvellous mash-up chronicles being killed by a lover, losing yourself in Mexico, spotting a unicorn, befriending a competitive quilter, exploring our connection with aliens, and extra Tracy Morgan. This is how all nature documentaries ought to be produced from now on. Rose International Dance Prize Marquee TV, streaming now For those unfamiliar with Marquee TV, it's your global streaming platform for the arts. This 60-minute film, narrated by Fiona Shaw (Bad Sisters, Harry Potter, plus too many more to mention), sees internationally acclaimed choreographers compete for dance's version of the Oscars. The Match Netflix, streaming now If you're watching season two of The Devil's Plan and wondering why there's always a Go master in the line-up, this cut-throat drama could give you some context. For something at the other end of the spectrum entirely, Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon and a rake load of other famous people star in Nonnas.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘The Shrouds' review: David Cronenberg mixes eroticism, body horror in his wildest film yet
It's one thing to be a little bit nuts, but to be a little bit nuts in the exact same way for 50 years — that's worthy of respect. At this point, it's clear that David Cronenberg has not been trying to gross us out purely for effect. He has been coming from a real place inside, and that place has never seemed more honest and raw than in 'The Shrouds,' his best film since 2007's ' Eastern Promises.' It's the story of a businessman, Karsh, who is grieving the death of his wife to such a degree that he wishes he could crawl into the grave with her. Instead he invents a new kind of cemetery, in which bodies are buried with multiple cameras all around them, so that loved ones can monitor the deceased's decomposition. Cronenberg's wife died in 2017, and he has said that this film comes indirectly out of that harrowing, anguished experience. As if to emphasize the personal connection between the lead character and the director, Vincent Cassel as Karsh wears his hair in the distinctive Cronenberg style: white, combed straight back and shaped like a parabola. There are scenes of decomposition here that are genuinely disgusting and disturbing. (I did mention this is a Cronenberg movie, right?) But what is surprising is that the movie has an erotic component, as well. When his wife (Diane Kruger) was alive, Karsh was obsessed with her body. It was the locus and meaning of his life. Now in death, while she appears to him in dreams and flashbacks, he has his wife's lookalike sister (also played by Kruger) and there's definitely an erotic element to their interactions. But Cronenberg is not so creepy as to suggest that Karsh is attracted to his wife's corpse. Rather, there's the suggestion that this man's love for his wife and his obsession with her as a physical entity preclude the possibility of him ever being grossed out by her — even in a decomposed state. For Kruger, 'The Shrouds' is quite a showcase, in that she plays two sisters with very different styles and personalities. Both roles are extremely frank in terms of nudity and sexuality, and yet one can see why Kruger thought the movie worthy of such intense investment. There's nothing salacious about it. In its own deeply weird and appalling way, it's a film about something beautiful. This is Cronenberg's version of ultimate romance, of eternal love. And yet, I've revealed very little about the story here. It's hard to make much sense of it, anyway. There's something to do with computer hacks, and a plot by the Chinese and the Russians. Originally conceived as a series for Netflix, 'The Shrouds' might have thrived in that format had the streaming giant taken him up on it. Instead, what we get in this film is what would have been the first episode — and it feels like it. It's the worst thing that can be said for 'The Shrouds,' which ends on a diminuendo and with very little resolved. That's what keeps it from being the great film it might have been. But still, it's an absolutely original vision. It's a wail of grief, an expression of love, a testament to the body. Cronenberg puts it all on the line here, and he gets his actors to put it all on the line with him. If you don't feel its visceral charge, you're not paying attention.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Shrouds' Review: For Cronenberg, Grief Is an Obsession
In David Cronenberg's latest film, 'The Shrouds,' the lines between life and death, emotion and pathology, biology and technology, become blurred. Even the movie's tone lands in a liminal space where gravitas slips into comedy — I couldn't help but snicker when someone tells the main character, 'Karsh, don't crash!' A dry macabre humor has long run through Cronenberg's work, and the uncertainty behind some of his intentions here creates thought-provoking ambiguity. Since an important source of inspiration was the death of Cronenberg's wife from cancer, in 2017, are we really supposed to find this funny? I would argue, yes — among other details in keeping with the Canadian director's approach, a woman is revealed to find conspiracy theories sexually arousing — but there is still enough doubt to mess with viewers' heads. The aforementioned Karsh (an understated Vincent Cassel, in his third Cronenberg movie after 'A Dangerous Method' and the terrific 'Eastern Promises') is a Tesla-driving Toronto entrepreneur. His business, GraveTech, involves burying the dead in shrouds that transmit images to screen-embedded headstones. At his cemetery, you can, in effect, watch a livestream of a decomposing body. (This is not so far-fetched, considering recent developments in both wearable technology and invasive voyeurism.) Karsh is personally invested in this corpse cam because his wife, Becca (Diane Kruger), died of cancer four years earlier. She is buried in one of his shrouds, and he can check on her decay's progress. This we all learn in a surreal introductory scene in which Karsh explains GraveTech to a lunch date, Myrna (Jennifer Dale), at a restaurant overlooking his wired-up cemetery. He even shows her Becca's feed, which might not beat brandy as a digestif. Before long the plot properly kicks into gear. Thanks to his technology's high resolution, Karsh notices odd growths on Becca's corpse. They don't look organic, so then what are they? Who put them there? Shortly thereafter, the graves are vandalized. Again: Who? Why? With each new plot development, the movie lurches in a different direction before then abandoning it. 'The Shrouds' is about a disturbing new gizmo. No, it's about grief, a force as mighty as it is paralyzing. Wait, it's about surveillance and espionage, and could involve Russia or China. Or maybe it is about fixating not so much on the dead as on death itself, and the need to accept it. A hint perhaps: In 2021, Cronenberg, with his daughter, directed a minute-long film, 'The Death of David Cronenberg,' in which he kisses then hugs his own corpse. Amid scenes that are plain baffling (we expect those from Cronenberg), there are plot switchbacks and red herrings that don't add up. Still, the movie keeps returning to reality and fantasy, fetishism and desire, and the moment when love becomes obsession becomes stalking. That last progression, in particular, feels like an inevitability in the world Karsh inhabits. Many of those themes are common in Cronenberg's movies, and if anything, 'The Shrouds' is almost conventional compared with its perversely erotic predecessor, 'Crimes of the Future' (2022). Karsh's relationships with women follow a pattern; he seems to experience them solely as his wife's proxies. As in Hitchcock's 'Vertigo,' romantic fixation is a necrophiliac fever dream. Those women include Becca's look-alike sister Terry (Kruger), a vet turned dog groomer with whom he has a push-pull connection; and the blind Soo-Min (Sandrine Holt), a prospective client's wife. The scariest of all is an avatar: Karsh's artificial-intelligence assistant, Hunny (Kruger, again), a creepily perky glorified emoji who knows all, controls all, and might be even more invasive than the Russian secret service. It makes sense, then, that the key counterpoint to our lead is Terry's ex-husband, Maury (Guy Pearce, in yet another memorable supporting turn). An old-fashioned hacker who clickety-clacks away on his computer, Maury is as greasy and rumpled as Karsh is glossy and smooth. They feel like two sides of one coin, though. 'The Shrouds' is overstuffed and often clunky, but if there is a takeaway, it's that some men engage with technology to disengage with reality. And that is more unsettling than any body horror.
