Salma Hayek-Starrer “Without Blood” to World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

Posted on July 22, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek’s latest film is headed to Canada’s largest film festival…

Organizers of the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival have announced the full lineup of Galas and Special Presentations, with the 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actress and film producer’s war drama Without Blood set to make its world premiere at the event.

Directed by Angelina Jolie and based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco, the film also stars Demián Bichir.

Among the feature directorial debuts at the fest, there’s Argo editor William Goldenberg’s Amazon sports biopic Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez.

There’s a lot of this past Cannes Film Festival’s greatest hits as well, including the award-winning Spanish musical noir Emilia Perez, starring Selena Gomez.

In total, the Galas and Special Presentations section counts 63 movies from 25 countries.

Per TIFF, “The Gala and Special Presentations programs are recognized for celebrating the very best of contemporary cinema across all genres and styles, from all corners of the world.”

Here are the TIFF films revealed so far:

Galas 2024

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK
World Premiere

Better Man Michael Gracey | USA
Canadian Premiere

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa
Canadian Premiere

*Eden Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere

*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere

*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere

Meet the Barbarians Julie Delpy | France
International Premiere

*Nutcrackers David Gordon Green | USA
World Premiere

Oh, Canada Paul Schrader | USA
North American Premiere

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny | USA
World Premiere

*Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere

*The Deb Rebel Wilson | Australia
World Premiere

The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
International Premiere

The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo | Spain/United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Return Uberto Pasolini | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Shrouds David Cronenberg | Canada/France
North American Premiere

*The Wild Robot Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere

Unstoppable William Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere

Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum | USA
International Premiere

Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order)

40 Acres R.T. Thorne | Canada
World Premiere

All of You William Bridges | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia | France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere

Anora Sean Baker | USA
Canadian Premiere

Bird Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews | Ireland/Belgium
World Premiere

Can I Get a Witness? Ann Marie Fleming | Canada
World Premiere

Carnival is Over Fernando Coimbra | Brazil/Portugal
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Caught by the Tides Jia Zhang-Ke | China
North American Premiere

Conclave Edward Berger | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere

Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
Canadian Premiere

Hard Truths Mike Leigh | United Kingdom/Spain
World Premiere

Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Heretic Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Canada
World Premiere

I’m Still Here Walter Salles | Brazil/France
North American Premiere

I, the Executioner Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere

*K-Pops Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere

Love in the Big City E.oni | South Korea
World Premiere

Millers in Marriage Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere

Misericordia Alain Guiraudie | Spain/Portugal/France
Canadian Premiere

*Nightbitch Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni | Zambia/United Kingdom/Ireland
North American Premiere

Piece by Piece Morgan Neville | USA
International Premiere

Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe | Norway
International Premiere

Relay David Mackenzie | USA
World Premiere

Rez Ball Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere

Riff Raff Dito Montiel | USA
World Premiere

Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada/Germany
North American Premiere

Sharp Corner Jason Buxton | Canada/Ireland
World Premiere

*Shepherds Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere

Sketch Seth Worley | USA
World Premiere

The Assessment Fleur Fortuné | United Kingdom/Germany/USA
World Premiere

The Cut Sean Ellis | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The End Joshua Oppenheimer | Denmark/UK
Canadian Premiere

The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison | USA
World Premiere

The Girl with the Needle Magnus von Horn | Denmark/Poland/Sweden
North American Premiere

The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola | USA
World Premiere

*The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere

The Order Justin Kurzel | Canada/USA
North American Premiere

The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington | USA
International Premiere

*We Live in Time John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere

Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven | New Zealand/Australia
World Premiere

Without Blood Angelina Jolie | USA/Italy
World Premiere

Young Werther José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço | Canada
World Premiere

*previously announced

Louis Vuitton Revives Its Core Values Campaign with Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is embracing legend-making journeys…

Louis Vuitton has revived its Core Values campaign with the 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis player and his longtime tennis rival and friend Roger Federer.

The campaign, shot by iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, features the former ATP World No. 1 players, a rare off-the-court pairing, ascending to the summit of Italy’s Dolomites mountain range. The imagery fits the campaign’s tagline: “There are Journeys that turn into Legends.”

The newly released campaign features Federer and Nadal 3,000 meters high, standing tall on the mountain peak. In the imagery, Federer sports a Monogram Christopher backpack while Nadal is pictured with the Monogram Eclipse version.

For the campaign, Nadal and Federer are not competitors but instead companions for one another on the journey up the mountain — a visual metaphor for their careers which have been “marked by deep mutual respect and friendship,” according to the luxury brand.

“I know how many important icons have been part of this campaign, so for me personally, being part of it is something that I am very proud of, especially sharing it with Roger,” Nadal said in a release.

“He has been my biggest rival and now a close friend today,” Nadal continued. Federer shared similar sentiments.

“It’s a unique opportunity to be working on this campaign with Rafa,” Federer said in a release. “How we could be such rivals and then at the end of our careers be beside each other doing this campaign has been very cool. And where we are here today, I think it also embodies everything: at the peak of the mountains. For us it is something meaningful and special.”

Federer officially retired from tennis in 2022. Meanwhile, Nadal recently said that his own retirement is likely close.

Louis Vuitton originally launched the Core Values campaign in 2007 and has featured a slew of stars including Angelina Jolie, Bono, Sean Connery, Steffi Graf, Keith Richards, Muhammad Ali, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Sally Ride, Buzz Aldrid and more.

The luxury fashion house aims for every Core Values campaign, and every Louis Vuitton design, to echo a trio of values: a journey beyond the physical, a commitment to excellence and a transmission of dreams.

The Core Values campaign will be released on Louis Vuitton’s social media channels and in print insertions on May 18.

Pablo Larraín & His Brother’s Fabula Productions Renews First-Look Partnership with Freemantle

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Larraín and his brother are extending their Freemantle deal…

The 47-year-old Chilean filmmaker and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula Productions has renewed its their first-look partnership with Freemantle.

The agreement will reportedly result in the Larrain brothers working even more closely to develop a fresh slate of original dramas and films.

Under the accord, Fremantle’s international sales wing, FMI, will distribute the drama projects worldwide.

Global production and distribution company Fremantle and the Larraín’s Santiago, Chile-based banner Fabula struck their original first-look deal in 2019.

Under the accord, Fabula has produced prize-winning series La Jauría and Señorita 89 as well as the upcoming Midnight Family for Apple TV+, a 10-episode medical drama inspired by the award-winning documentary of the same name.

On the feature film front, Fabula and Fremantle have just wrapped production on Sebastián Lelio’s film musical The Wave, in partnership with Participant Media.

The drama tells the story of the mass university rallies that took place during Chile’s so-called “Feminist May” in 2018.

Further upcoming feature collaborations include Pablo Larraín’s upcoming bio-film Maria starring Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, produced alongside Komplizen Film.

The partners said in a statement that the Fabula team would continue to work closely with Fremantle’s CEO, Global Drama, Christian Vesper and Seb Shorr, COO, Global Drama.

“Pablo and Juan encapsulate the bold and inventive filmmaking we proudly support at Fremantle and I am delighted that that our renewed deal means working even closer with them. Fabula is such an exciting company creating original, passionate film and drama titles, and we are thrilled to have them as our valued partners,” said Vesper.

Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín, CCO and CEO of Fabula respectively said the past five years had been a period of “great collaboration” and “mutual growth on many levels.”

“Fremantle has given us many tools to understand the industry and how to move forward. They have been wonderful travel companions with fantastic taste. We are more than happy to go deeper into our partnership with them in the upcoming years.”

Pope Francis to be Honored at Upcoming Cinema for Peace Gala

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pope Francis is being receiving a special piece for bringing the peace…

The 87-year-old Argentine head of the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State will be honored at the upcoming Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin on February 19.

Pope Francis will be honored together with the film Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom by Evgeny Afineevsky, for his contributions to the freedom of Ukraine and humanitarian efforts to protect civilians and children.

Pope Francis, the first and only pontiff from the Americas, will be honored alongside Hillary Rodham Clinton and former UN chief Ban Ki-Moon.

The long-running gala run by the Cinema for Peace Foundation will be accompanied by the inaugural World Forum on the Future Of Democracy, Tech and Humankind.

The latter event will run from February 18 to 19 at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the aim of promoting the renewal of democracy and freedom at a time when both are under threat.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation was created in 2008 as an international non-profit organization with the goal to foster change through film. Over the years it has worked with a host of stars including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.

Pope Francis will be honored virtually by video-link, while Clinton and Ban will attend the February 19 gala in person.

They will be presented with their Cinema for Peace prizes by Sharon Stone, Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, and Irish singer-song writer and political activist Bob Geldof.

Pablo Larraín to Direct Angelina Jolie in Biopic About Opera Legend Maria Callas

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Larraín has lined up his next biopic…

The 46-year-old Chilean filmmaker will direct Maria, a biopic about the life of American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas as his next feature, and he’s locked in Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie in the starring role.

Based on true accounts, the film will tell the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.

The film was written by Oscar-nominee Steven Knight, who wrote Larraín’s Princess Diana biopic Spencer. The filmmaker’s brother and creative partner Juan de Dios Larraín will produce for Fabula Pictures, alongside Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment Pictures, a Fremantle Company, and Jonas Dornbach for Komlizen Film.

“Having the chance to combine my two most deep and personal passions, cinema and opera, has been a long-awaited dream,” said Larraín. “To do this with Angelina, a supremely brave and curious artist, is a fascinating opportunity. A true gift.”

“I take very seriously the responsibility to Maria’s life and legacy. I will give all I can to meet the challenge,” added Jolie. “Pablo Larraín is a director I have long admired. To be allowed the chance to tell more of Maria’s story with him, and with a script by Steven Knight, is a dream.”

Larraín is best known for features including Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, and Jackie, which had Natalie Portman portraying Jackie Kennedy.

He also directed and executive produced the Apple series Liseys’ Story, based on the Stephen King novel. Other notable directorial credits include Ema, Neruda, The Club and No.

Andrés Delgado to Star in Hulu’s Limited Series “La Máquina”

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Andrés Delgado is an acting machine…

The Latino actor has landed a recurring guest star role in Hulu’s limited series La Máquina.

Delgado — whose credits include Gabriel Ripstein’s Prime Video series An Unknown Enemy directed by Gabriel Ripstein, HBO Max’s Sierra Madre and Netflix’s Pedal to the Metal — has been cast as Saul, an obedient right-hand man to Diego Luna’s Andy in the Searchlight TV and 20th Television boxing drama.

The character’s described as too sweet for the cut-throat world of professional sports but with sincere affection for Andy and Esteban (Gael García Bernal).

La Máquina follows aging boxer Esteban, whose crafty manager Andy secures him one last shot at a title only to find they have to first deal with a mysterious underworld force to make fight night.

Delgado’s other roles include appearing in Angelina Jolie’s Without Blood opposite Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir and No Man’s Land, in which he’s starring opposite Andie MacDowell, Frank Grillo and Jorge A Jiménez.

Salma Hayek to Star in Angelina Jolie-Directed Film “Without Blood”

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek has landed her next project…

The 55-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actress has joined the cast of Angelina Jolie’s Without Blood, alongside fellow Mexican actor Demian Bichir.

It’s the debut film from Jolie’s three-year deal with Fremantle.

Hayek and Bichir will lead the project, which kicked off principal photography in Southern Italy and Rome this month.

Based on the international bestselling novel by Alessandro Baricco, it’s a fable set in the aftermath of an unidentified conflict in a farmhouse deep in the Italian countryside.

Without Blood is Jolie’s fifth directing project and the first under her Fremantle mega-deal, which will see the Changeling star produce, direct and star in a slate of films, TV series and documentaries.

“I’m honored to be here in Italy to bring this very special material to film, and to have been entrusted by Alessandro Baricco with the adaptation of his book — with its unique poetry and emotion and way of looking at war, and the questions it poses about what we search for after trauma or loss or injustice,” said Jolie.

The film is produced by Fremantle, Jolie Productions, Fremantle-backed The Apartment Pictures and De Maio Entertainment.

Hayek is filming Magic Mike’s Last Dance, while Bichir is preparing to enter production on Let the Right One In.

Disney/Marvel Releases New Trailer for Salma Hayek’s “Eternals”

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek is eternally yours…

Disney/Marvel has released a new trailer that teaches non-fanboys who the Eternals, gods who lived among humans on Earth for the last 7K years, really are, including the 54-year-old Mexican actress.

What were they doing here? And why did they stand on the sidelines while Thanos was snappin’ people away? The new Marvel film takes place five years after the bad guy’s big snap.

As Gemma Chan’s Eternal Sersi explains, “We were instructed not to interfere in any human conflicts unless Deviants were involved.”

Deviants are monstrous creatures who’ve returned to Earth, long thought to be gone.

When they mysteriously come back, it’s time for this godly gang to get back together again to protect the humans they love, including Ajak (Hayek), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington), Kingo ( Kumail Nanjiani), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Phastos (played by Brian Tyree Henry), and Druig (Barry Keoghan).

“We have loved these people since the day we arrived,” says Thena about humanity, “When you love something, you protect it.”

The film, directed by Nomadland Oscar winner Chloe Zhao, is still on track to open November 5, exclusively in theaters.

Marvel Studios Releases Trailer for Salma Hayek’s Superhero Film “Eternals”

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek’s burning an Eternals flame…

Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Eternals, the epic superhero film starring the 54-year-old Mexican actress.

Hailing from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao and based on the comics of the same name, the film follows a diverse group of heroes – technically aliens from an immortal race who have secretly lived on earth for thousands of years – who team up to protect humanity from a new threat.

In addition to Hayek, the film also stars Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harington and Angelina Jolie.

The film is one of the first in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is set after an unexpected tragedy following the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Stick around until the post-title of the trailer for a jokey tease about what we can expect from a post-Avengers world.

Disney has the film slated for release on November 5.

del Toro to Receive Heart of Sarajevo Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Benicio del Toro has a little extra heart…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actor, an Academy Award and Golden Globe winner, will receive the Heart of Sarajevo Award for his contribution to the art of cinema at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival.

Previous recipients for the award, which was designed by French designer, filmmaker and festival patron Agnes B, include Angelina Jolie, Gael Garcia Bernal and Steve Buscemi.

del Toro will present Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s drama A Perfect Day, in which he has a starring role alongside Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko, at the festival’s open-air screening venue, where del Toro will receive the award in front of a 3,000-strong crowd. The film premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

The actor will also hold a master class for the participants of Talents Sarajevo, a networking and training platform for emerging film professionals from South-East Europe and the Southern Caucasus.

del Toro won an Academy Award for supporting actor for his role in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, and an Oscar nomination for his work in Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu’s 21 Grams.

Reteaming with Soderbergh to star in Che, the biography of Che Guevera, del Toro’s performance won him the best actor award at Cannes in 2008.

Del Toro can be seen next starring in Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, alongside Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin, which is scheduled for a September 18 release by Lionsgate in the U.S.

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