Spike Lee Paid $3M to Head Red Sea Film Festival Jury

The Saudis now have their own film event— the Red Sea Film Festival. This year, Spike Lee is president of the jury, and Puck’s Matt Belloni is reporting that they paid the filmmaker close to $3M to accept the position. Last year, it was president Oliver Stone.

The Red Sea Film Festival was created in 2021, and they now have their tentacles firmly planted in numerous film festivals around the world, including Cannes. The Red Sea program lacks movies from the west — mostly Middle Eastern fare that conforms to the country’s conservative values.

The 2024 edition of the fest has also lured Michael Mann to show up for a 30th anniversary screening of “Heat.” The “International” section is where you might find U.S. and European films, this year you have “Better Man,” “Kraven the Hunter,” “Maria,” and “We Live in Time” showcased. No sign of Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer.”

The Red Sea Film Festival will showcase 120 films from 81 territories from December 5 to 14 in the port city of Jeddah.

Andrew Schulz Joins Joseph Kosinski's ‘Miami Vice '85’ Alongside Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler

The “Miami Vice '85” cast keeps growing. Andrew Schulz has boarded Joseph Kosinski's big-screen reboot for Universal, per Deadline, joining leads Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler.

Richard Linklater Gives ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ Filming and Release Update: “See You in 2040”

The project, shot intermittently, began production in 2019, allowing the actors to age naturally in real time. This same approach earned Linklater acclaim for “Boyhood” in 2014.

‘The Social Reckoning' First Reaction: Aaron Sorkin Blames Facebook for January 6 in His ‘Social Network' Follow-Up

This was always going to be a message movie first. The question is whether that's enough to carry it through awards season. ‘Chicago 7’ managed six Oscar nominations with a similar formula.

‘La Bola Negra' Trailer: Spain's 3-Hour Queer Epic Is an Oscar Contender Heavy on Ambition ..and Kitsch

It took the Audience Award at San Sebastián this weekend, won the People's Choice Award at TIFF just a week ago, topped the Telluride poll a week before that, and of course, won the Cannes best director prize.

‘Miami Vice' Gets a “Significantly Recut” Final Act in Michael Mann's New Director's Final Cut — 4k Release on December 15

Moments have been “refined,” scenes have been reordered, and most intriguingly, there's a heavily reworked final act built from unseen footage to reflect "Mann's preferred ending."

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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