Over one day across the streets of L.A., three lives will change forever.
In this breakneck thriller from director-producer Michael Bay, decorated veteran Will Sharp (Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Candyman, The Matrix Resurrections), desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn’t—his adoptive brother Danny (Oscar® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, Zodiac, Spider-Man: Far From Home). A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history: $32 million. With his wife’s survival on the line, Will can’t say no.
But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop clinging to life and ace EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza González, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Baby Driver) onboard. In a high-speed pursuit that never stops, Will and Danny must evade a massive, city-wide law enforcement response, keep their hostages alive, and somehow try not to kill each other, all while executing the most insane escape L.A. has ever seen.
Ambulance is produced by Michael Bay, p.g.a., Bradley J. Fischer, p.g.a. (Zodiac, Shutter Island) for New Republic Pictures, James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, 2022’s Scream) and William Sherak (Ready or Not, 2022’s Scream) for Project X, and Oscar® nominee Ian Bryce (Transformers franchise, Saving Private Ryan).
The screenplay is by Chris Fedak (Prodigal Son, Chuck), based on the original story and screenplay for the 2005 Danish thriller Ambulancen by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen.
MONSTER FEST returns to Cinema Nova from December 2 – 12 to celebrate their 10th Anniversary with 10 Days of the latest and greatest genre and cult cinema programming from around the world along with Filmmaker Q&As, Panel Discussions and Special Events.
Opening Monster Fest 2021, RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY, directed by Monster Fest alumni Johannes Roberts (THE STRANGERS – PREY AT NIGHT, 47 METRES DOWN) and starring Kaya Scodelario (CRAWL) and Robbie Amell (THE BABYSITTER), this instalment returns to the very roots of the RESIDENT EVIL franchise.
With equal lashings of laughs and gore, Danishka Esterhazy‘s satirical slasher SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE can join a short list of films that includes THE BLOB (1988), HOUSE ON HAUNTED HIL (1999) and MANIAC (2012) as rare reimaginings that genuinely work and arguably eclipse their original source.
Devon Sawa (IDLE HANDS), Michael Jae White (DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE) and genre legend Bruce Campbell (EVIL DEAD) lead a motley crew of embattled retail employees who must rise against bloodthirsty bargain-hunters in Casey Tebo’s BLACK FRIDAY.
Kiah Roache-Turner & Tristan Roache-Turner‘s highly anticipated follow up to 2014’s WYRMWOOD, WYRMWOOD APOCALYPSE follows Rhys (Luke McKenzie, WENTWORTH), a soldier who in a dystopic zombie-infested Australia, has dedicated his life to tracking and capturing survivors for the Surgeon General in hopes of finding a cure.
As if puberty weren’t enough, imagine discovering at such a formative age that you’re also a witch, such is the case for Izzy (Zelda Adams), in the Fantasia Film Festival award-winner, HELLBENDER, the latest work from the auteur family of filmmakers John Adams, Zelda Adams & Toby Poser (THE DEEPER YOU DIG).
From Oscar-winning visual effects artist and filmmaker Phil Tippett, comes his highly anticipated masterwork MAD GOD, an experimental stop-motion extravaganza set in a Milton-esque world of monsters, mad scientists, and war pigs.
Every year Monster Fest attempt to program at least one film in which the violence, gore and obscenity is that visceral and extreme that it may give even the most seasoned Monster Fest patron pause. This year, that film is THE SADNESS, fresh from its Fantastic Fest win for ‘Best Horror Film’, Rob Jabbaz‘s debut feature sees a nation fall as a rampant plague turns it citizens into depraved, unconscionable and ruthless sadists.
What do you get when you cross two New York City hipsters, a surprisingly affordable apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Jeffrey Epstein’s ghost? Dasha Nekrasov‘s Berlinale award–winning THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST, a giallo-infused and conspiracy-fuelled pitch-black comedy.
NOVA STAR is the long-awaited and highly anticipated fifth feature from Monster Fest alumni Daniel Armstrong (TARNATION), an intergalactic comedy that sees Mack, a space janitor, tasked with saving the universe from Kill-Bots, Space Pirates, Bounty Hunters and an evil Space Queen who plans to flush the entire cosmos out of reality through a black hole.
Passion, hope and destiny collide when two men from opposite sides of the world work together to bring Wakaliwood’s unique blend of action and comedy not only to screens throughout Africa but to the wider world in Cathryne Czubek & Hugo Perez‘s crowd-pleasing documentary ONCE UPON A TIME IN UGANDA.
Filmmakers Sarah Appleton & Phillip Escott explore the origins, impact and legacy of a sub-genre of cinema that despite its popularity and strong box office, rarely gets it due, in the gripping documentary THE FOUND FOOTAGE PHENOMENON.
BAFTA-winner Paul Andrew Williams‘ BULL is a brutal, subversive and wickedly suspenseful story of a wronged man (Neil Maskell, KILL LIST) who returns home after a decade-long absence to seek revenge on those who double-crossed him and left him for dead.
Following on from sold-out screenings at TIFF, Fantastic Fest and Beyond Fest, Ruth Paxton‘s A BANQUET is an unsettling, thought-provoking and hyper-tense psychological thriller about mother attempting to cope with a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter’s behaviour.
OFFSEASON is the latest offering from prolific genre filmmaker Mickey Keating (DARLING), that follows Marie (Jocelin Donahue, DOCTOR SLEEP) who ventures to a remote island to see to some family business but soon realises that may never be able to leave.
Australia has had many entries in the found footage sub-genre but to date none have equaled the sheer scale and genuine scare of 2011’s critically acclaimed THE TUNNEL. Now ten years on, go behind-the-scenes of the film that helped redefine a sub-genre globally and discover not only how the film was made but the impact its had since its release in THE TUNNEL: THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS.
When two cocky door-to-door salesman happen to call upon the wrong household, what ensues is an escalation dark comedy of the highest order in director Josh Wallace‘s KEEPING COMPANY.
Filmmakers Samuel Gonzalez Jr. & Bridget Smith‘s THE RETALIATORS craft a refreshingly original and unsparingly brutal tale of a pastor on the hunt to find his daughter’s murderer/s but will his faith in God prevent him from extracting the revenge he rightly deserves.
Horny jocks, battle-hardened nerds and hot milfy mums abound in Pierce Berolzheimer‘s CRABS, a loving ode to the OTT eco-horror movies of the 70s and 80s.
Kevin Kopacka‘s DAWN BREAKS BEHIND THE EYES is an experimental horror with the gothic chills of Mario Bava and the visceral excess of Lucio Fulci that sees a couple inherit a rundown castle from which they find time and reality shift around them.
Twists and tension collide in writer/director Christopher Donaldson‘s DITCHED, that finds an ambulance crew besieged by a mysterious and malicious presence in the woods.
Adam Stilwell‘s sophomore feature, THE FREE FALL, is psychological horror that follows Sara (Andrea Londo, NARCOS) who wakes from a coma to a life she doesn’t remember and perhaps is best not to.
Following a robbery, an expectant mother searches for her family’s stolen dog but soon finds her hunt leading to the seedy and dangerous underworld of illegal dog fighting, in Samuel Galloway‘s MUTT.
THE DUNES is a psychological thriller from writer/director Martin Copping about a journalist who returns to his hometown to investigate a disappearance but encounters a mysterious figure who threatens his very own existence.
Josh Conn‘s survival thriller CROW VALLEY follows Benny, who after suffering from a hit and run, wakes to find himself in a cabin with a woman whose grip on reality and edge of sanity is slowly slipping away.
They say you can’t go home again and for Lily she will soon wish she hadn’t. Filmmakers Paul Anthony Nelson & Perri Cummings‘ APPARITIONS is a multi-layered suspense horror that explores fear, family and identity.
Zeke Dixon-Kitt‘s debut feature THE LONESOME ROOM is a single-location thriller that follows an author suffering writer’s block who finds herself trapped in a scenario not too dissimilar to one from her novels.
If there were any good to come out of Melbourne’s seemingly never-ending lockdowns, it may just be that it afforded the time to search, discover and assemble Cameron McCulloch‘s thought-to-be-lost debut feature, SCAM. Shot in the early 2000s, this loving ode to and entry in a bygone era of crime capers centres around Kim (Kesti Morassi, WOLF CREEK), a small-time scam artist looking to level up in the underworld, which is unfortunately run by her disapproving father.
Monster Fest dare you to experience producer Andy Warhol & director Paul Morrissey‘s BLOOD FOR DRACULA & FLESH FRANKENSTEIN as a Double Feature on the big screen with all-new 4K Restorations from their original camera negatives.
In honour of its 10th Anniversary, Monster Fest is pleased to host a celebratory screening of the Australian found footage classic THE TUNNEL, that finds a tv crew on the hunt for a story that quickly becomes clear is hunting for them.
Alright you Tapeheads, listen up! Monster Fest is pleased to premiere VIDEO HOARDERS SEASON 3 in its entirety, all five episodes back-to-back up on the big screen. Series creator and host Rob Taylor is headed north…North America, Canada in fact, as he raids the VHS stashes of some serious Canuck collectors and gives us an inside look at their convention scene too.
When you think of canine companions as seen in cinema, instantly you are reminded of loving and loyal best pals however in the horror film, dogs serve a very different purpose. Film critic and author Lee Gambin will take you on a walk through the history of Dog-Horror cinema with his lecture THEY’RE NOT PETS ANYMORE: DOGS IN THE HORROR FILM.
Following on from Lee Gambin’s fascinating talk, Monster Fest is beyond excited to showcase three of the finest examples of Dog-Horror ever made with our DOGSPLOITATION MARATHON. The films themselves are, at present, a closely guarded secret but suffice to say there will be enough gnashing of teeth, slobbering jaws and high-pitched barks to satisfy all comers. And if that’s not enough, intersperse between the screenings will be a little thing they like to call MONSTER FEST TRIVIA.
FROM SHORT TO FEATURE: THE CREATIVE JOURNEY OF BUTTON MAN presents not only the Worl Premiere of the BUTTON MAN Short but will also be a Filmmaker Q&A and Panel session to discuss the journey of the film so far and the next steps the filmmaking team will take to get the feature to market.
As always Monster Fest are thrilled to bring you the very best Short Films from around the world. With one Short playing prior to all Feature programming and two dedicated sessions of Shorts this year: MONSTER FEST SHORTS & MONSTER FEST STUDENT SHORTS.
And no Monster Fest would be without Dick Dale’s TRASHARAMA. Bursting at the seams with gross-out horror, bad taste comedies, sick n’ twisted animations, science-fiction scat and other genres not even invented yet, Trasharama is Monster Fest tradition and not to be missed. Trash ain’t trash when it’s in Trasharama!
Finally Monster Fest have a SURPRISE SESSION. We’ve been working furiously behind the scenes to bring you a super special addition to this years’ program. Take a leap of faith and grab a ticket now or wait until all is revealed, either way they guarantee it’ll be worth it.
TICKETS:
VIP Pass – $330 Valid for 28 sessions including Opening Night, Closing Night and Special Events at Monster Fest from Thursday December 2nd through Sunday December 12th. It cannot be used for multiple tickets to the same session or for sessions that run concurrently.10 Film Pass – $150 The 10 Film Pass may be used for any 10 Monster Fest film sessions from Thursday December 2nd to Sunday December 12th including Opening Night, Closing Night and Special Events. It cannot be used for multiple tickets to the same session or for sessions that run concurrently.5 Film Pass – $75 The 5 Film Pass may be used for any five Monster Fest film sessions from Thursday December 2nd to Sunday December 12th including Opening and Closing Night but excluding ‘The Andy Warhol 4K Double Feature’ and ‘The Dogslpoitation Marathon’. It cannot be used for multiple tickets to the same session or for sessions that run concurrently.SPECIAL EVENTS
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne.
Starring alongside Pattinson (“Tenet,” “The Lighthouse”) as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (“Big Little Lies,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”) as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy,” “12 Years a Slave”) as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright (“No Time to Die,” “Westworld”) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the “Transformers” films, “The Plot Against America”) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (“The Magnificent Seven,” “Interrogation”) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson (“Farewell Amor”) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the “Planet of the Apes” films, “Black Panther”) as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (“The Gentlemen,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”) as Oswald Cobblepot.
Reeves (“The Planet of the Apes” franchise) directed from a screenplay by Reeves & Peter Craig, based on characters from DC. Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. Dylan Clark (the “Planet of the Apes” films) and Reeves produced the film, with Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo and Simon Emanuel serving as executive producers.
The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Dune,” “Lion”); Reeves’ “Planet of the Apes” production designer, James Chinlund, and editor, William Hoy; editor Tyler Nelson (“Rememory”); and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“1917,” “Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”). The music is by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (the current “Spider-Man,” “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars” films, “Up”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a 6th & Idaho/Dylan Clark Productions Production, a Matt Reeves Film, “The Batman.” The film is set to open in theaters beginning 3 March 2022 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Disney+ announced today that Season 18 of the award-winning medical drama series, “Grey’s Anatomy”, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ under the Star banner, on October 20 in Australia.
Recipient of the 2007 Golden Globe® Award for Best Drama Television Series and nominated for multiple Emmys®, including Outstanding Drama Series, “Grey’s Anatomy” is considered one of the great television shows of our time. The high-intensity medical drama, now in its 18th season, follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial who are faced with life-or-death decisions daily. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Kim Raver as Teddy Altman, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Chris Carmack as Atticus “Link” Lincoln, Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt, Richard Flood as Cormac Hayes and Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu.
The series was created and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Station 19”). Betsy Beers (“Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Station 19”), Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”), Krista Vernoff (“Shameless”), Debbie Allen, Zoanne Clack and Meg Marinis are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is produced by ABC Signature, one of the Disney Television Studios.
From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mum and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan.
The film stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Paul Rudd.
Director Scott Derrickson returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse with a new horror thriller. Finney “Finn” Shaw, a shy but clever 13 year old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
The film stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, James Ransone and Jeremy Davies.
Actors Leah Purcell, Essie Davis and Caleb Landry Jones have received nominations along with Australian feature When Pomegranates Howl in the region’s highest accolade in film, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Winners will be determined by the APSA International Jury, who will be announced in the coming weeks and announced on Thursday 11 November at the 14th APSA Ceremony on Australia’s spectacular Gold Coast, and streamed across the globe.
In 2021, 38 films from 25 Asia Pacific countries and areas were nominated, further highlighting the outstanding achievement of a nomination in the Awards, which encompass 70 countries and areas and represent half the world’s film output.
Two Australians are nominated for Best Performance by an Actress. Leah Purcell is nominated for her powerhouse performance in The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson which Purcell also wrote and directed. Essie Davis is nominated for her triumphant role in Gaysorn Thavat’s acclaimed social drama, The Justice of Bunny King (NZ). Both films are screening in the upcoming Brisbane International Film Festival, and Sydney Film Festival, ahead of their cinema release.
They are up against three remarkable actresses from the region. Alena YIV for her role in Asia, winner of Best Picture at Israel’s Academy Awards (Ophir Awards), Azmeri Haque Badhon for Rehana (Rehana Maryam Noor), the first Bangladeshi film to compete In Competition at Cannes, and from the remote Yakutia region of Russia Valentina Romana-Chyskyyray for Scarecrow (Pugalo).
Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor, Nitram star Caleb Landry Jones was awarded the Cannes Best Actor for this role, and he vies with Iran’s Amir Jadidi for Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes Grand Prix winner A Hero (Ghahreman), and two actors from Georgia – Levan Tediashvili for who recently won Best Actor at Tribeca for Brighton 4th and Merab Ninidze for his role in Alexsy German Jnr’s Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selected House Arrest (Delo). Completing the Actor category is Japan’s Hidetoshi Nishijima for Cannes-winner Drive My Car, who also stars in another film, nominated for Best Youth Feature Film, Voices in the Wind (Kaze no Denwa).
Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi’s stunning When Pomegranates Howl (Afghanistan, Australia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Netherlands) is also nominated for Best Youth Feature Film. Shot on the streets of Kabul in Afghanistan, the film follows a nine-year old boy who dreams of stardom, with the significance of this work is brought into sharp focus following the recent events in that country.
When Pomegranates Howl is produced by Moussavi with Melbourne-based Afghan-Australian Baheer Wardak, Iranian Marzieh Vafamehr and South Australian Christine Williams, and will also screen in Sydney Film Festival.
Moussavi is one of three women directors whose films are nominated in this category, along with Yoon Dan-bi for Moving On (Nam-mae-wui Yeo-reum-bam, Republic of Korea) and Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia). The fifth film in this category is Ferit Karahan’s Turkish drama Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tıraşı).
The APSA Ceremony on November 11 will also launch the 3rd Asia Pacific Screen Forum, an action-packed six-day program of industry-led networking opportunities, designed to facilitate relationships and collaborations between filmmakers across Asia Pacific. Like the ceremony, the forum will take place both in-person and virtually, with many nominees and APSA Academy Members participating from around the globe.
Films from Japan and Islamic Republic of Iran lead the field with seven nominations each. Two films, both winners at Cannes this year, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car and Asghar Farhadi’sA Hero (Ghahreman), achieved the most nominations, with both films up for the same four categories – Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Best Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actor.
Another Cannes winner, Payal Kapadia’s breakthrough A Night of Knowing Nothing (India) is also nominated for Best Feature Film, as is Russian director Natalya Nazarova’sThe Pencil (Prostoy karandash) and Iranian Mohammad Rasoulof’s Golden Bear winner There is No Evil (Sheytan vojud nadarad).
Given the impact of COVID on the region, the eligibility of films in competition this year was extended back to the end of 2019, increasing the field and calibre of competition significantly.
Best Youth Feature Film award features three emerging women directors with their debut or second feature nominated. They are Yoon Dan-bi for Moving On (Nam-mae-wui Yeo-reum-bam, Republic of Korea), Granaz Moussavi’sWhen Pomegranates Howl (Afghanistan, Australia) and Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia) who follows in the footsteps of Haifaa al-Mansour, the first Saudi woman filmmaker who was nominated in this category in 2013.
Competing the nominations for Best Youth Feature Film are Ferit Karahan’s Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tıraşı, Turkey, Romania) andNobuhiro Suwa’s Voices in the Wind (Kaze no Denwa, Japan) which also features Drive My Car Best Actor nominee Hidetoshi Nishijima.
Best Animated Feature Film offers a diverse selection of themes, cultures and disciplines of animation amongst the five nominees: Bashir El Deekand Ibrahim Mousa’sThe Knight and The Princess (Saudi Arabia, Egypt), Beauty Water (Gigigoegoe Seonghyeongsu, Republic of Korea), Ayumu Watanabe’s Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyoko no Nikuko-chan, Japan), Andrey Khrzhanovsky’sThe Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh, Russian Federation) and Ari Folman’sWhere is Anne Frank (Belgium).
As always, the Best Documentary Feature Film nominations represent some of the most important stories of Asia Pacific, and often made in the most difficult circumstances. The nominees in 2021 are Vitaly Mansky’sGorbachev. Heaven (Latvia, Czech Republic), Eliane Raheb’sMiguel’s War (Aanaf Hob, Lebanon, Spain, Germany), Hogir Hirori’sSabaya (Sweden), Mohammed Abugeth and Daniel Carsenty’sThe Devil’s Drivers (Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany) and finally Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’sWriting With Fire (India).
Nominations for Achievement in Directing, Best Screenplay, Achievement in Cinematography and Best Performance categories for Actress and Actor follow in the list below. The winners will be determined by the APSA International Jury, who will be announced in the coming weeks.
Winners will also be announced in APSA’s three special categories, the Cultural Diversity Award under the patronage of UNESCO, the Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC and GFS, and the FIAPF Award for Contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema.
The APSA Ceremony will include the annual announcement of recipients of the four MPA APSA Academy Film Fund grants for 2021.
The 25 Asia Pacific countries and areas represented in the nominees are Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and, for the first time, Vietnam.
The 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the 3rd Asia Pacific Screen Forum is presented by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, with the support of the City Of Gold Coast, Screen Queensland, Netflix, Motion Picture Association, Griffith University Griffith Film School.
14th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS – FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS
BEST FEATURE FILM
A Hero (Ghahreman) Islamic Republic of Iran, France Directed by Asghar FARHADI Produced by Asghar FARHADI, Alexandre MALLET-GUY
A Night of Knowing Nothing India, France Directed by Payal KAPADIA Produced by Thomas HAKIM, Julien GRAFF, Ranabir DAS
Drive My Car Japan Directed by Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI Produced by Teruhisa YAMAMOTO
The Pencil (Prostoy karandash) Russian Federation Directed by Natalya NAZAROVA Produced by Maxim DASHKIN, Anna VON DZIEMBOWSKA, Boris FRUMIN, Danil FERBIKOV, Denis KOVALEVSKIY
There is No Evil (Sheytan vojud nadarad) Islamic Republic of Iran, Czech Republic, Germany Directed by Mohammad RASOULOF Produced by Mohammad RASOULOF, Kaveh FARNAM, Farzad PAK
BEST YOUTH FEATURE FILM
Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tıraşı) Turkey, Romania Directed by Ferit KARAHAN Produced by Kanat DOĞRAMACI
Moving On (Nam-mae-wui Yeo-reum-bam) Republic of Korea Directed by YOON Dan-bi Produced by YOON Dan-bi, KIM Gi-hyeon
Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr) Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia Directed by Shahad AMEEN Produced by R Paul MILLER, Stephen STRACHAN, Rula NASSER
Voices in the Wind (Kaze no Denwa) Japan Directed by Nobuhiro SUWA Produced by Eiji IZUMI
When Pomegranates Howl Afghanistan, Australia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Netherlands Directed by Granaz MOUSSAVI Produced by Granaz MOUSSAVI, Baheer WARDAK, Marzieh VAFAMEHR, Christine WILLIAMS
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Beauty Water (Gigigoegoe Seonghyeongsu) Republic of Korea Directed by CHO Kyung-hun Produced by JEON Byung-jin
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyoko no Nikuko-chan) Japan Directed by Ayumu WATANABE Produced by Sanma AKASHIYA, Eiko TANAKA, Shu KAMIGASO, Mitsugu YAMADA
The Knight and The Princess Saudi Arabia, Egypt Directed by Bashir EL DEEK, Ibrahim MOUSA Produced by Alabbas BIN ALABBAS
The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh) Russian Federation Directed by Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY Produced by Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY
Where is Anne Frank Belgium Directed by Ari FOLMAN Produced by Jani THILTGES, Yves KUGELMANN, Ari FOLMAN, Alexander RODNYANSKY
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Gorbachev. Heaven Latvia, Czech Republic Directed by Vitaly MANSKY Produced by Natalia MANSKAIA, Filip REMUNDA, Vít KLUSÁK
Miguel’s War (Aanaf Hob) Lebanon, Spain, Germany Directed by Eliane RAHEB Produced by Eliane RAHEB
Sabaya Sweden Directed by Hogir HIRORI Produced by Antonio RUSSO MERENDA, Hogir HIRORI
The Devil’s Drivers Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany Directed by Mohammed ABUGETH, Daniel CARSENTY Produced by Daniel CARSENTY, Felix BLUM
Writing With Fire India Directed by Rintu THOMAS, Sushmit GHOSH Produced by Sushmit GHOSH, Rintu THOMAS
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Asghar FARHADI for A Hero (Ghahreman) Islamic Republic of Iran, France
Dea KULUMBEGASHVILI for Beginning (Dasatskisi) Georgia, France
Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI for Drive My Car Japan
P S VINOTHRAJ for Pebbles (Koozhangal) India
Kamila ANDINI for Yuni Indonesia, Singapore, France
BEST SCREENPLAY
Asghar FARHADI for A Hero (Ghahreman) Islamic Republic of Iran
Nasim AHMADPOUR, Shahram MOKRI for Careless Crime (Jenayat-e bi deghat) Islamic Republic of Iran
Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI, OE Takamasa for Drive My Car Japan
Dana IDISIS for Here We Are (Hine Anachnu) Israel, Italy
Asif RUSTAMOV, Roelof Jan MINNEBOO, Ilgar NAJAF for Sughra’s Sons Azerbaijan, France, Germany
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
FENG Yuchao Robbin for A New Old Play (Jiao ma tang hui) Hong Kong, France
Phuttiphong AROONPHENG for Anatomy of Time (Wela) Thailand, Singapore, France, Netherlands
Vignesh KUMULAI, Che PARTHIBAN for Pebbles (Koozhangal) India
NGUYỄN Vinh Phúc for Taste (Vị) Vietnam, Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany
Akiko ASHIZAWA for Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas) Indonesia, Singapore, Germany
Today, Disney+ released the gripping trailer and key art for the highly anticipated drama series “Dopesick”. The series will premiere with 2 episodes on Disney+ Day, November 12th, in Australia with new episodes releasing on Wednesdays. The eight-episode series stars Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, with Kaitlyn Dever and Rosario Dawson.
From executive producer Danny Strong and starring and executive produced by Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. The series takes viewers to the epicentre of America’s struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Big Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA. Defying all the odds, heroes will emerge in an intense and thrilling ride to take down the craven corporate forces behind this national crisis and their allies. The limited series is inspired by the New York Times bestselling book by Beth Macy.
“Dopesick” is written by Emmy® winner, Danny Strong (“Empire,” “Recount,” “Game Change”) and directed by Oscar® winner, Barry Levinson (“Paterno,” “Rain Main”). Executive producers for “Dopesick” include Strong, John Goldwyn (“Dexter”), Keaton, Levinson, Warren Littlefield (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Fargo,” “The Old Man”), Beth Macy (“Dopesick”) and Karen Rosenfelt (“Twilight”).
Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049”) directs Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name. A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).
Villeneuve directed “Dune” from a screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Villeneuve and Eric Roth based on the novel of the same name written by Frank Herbert. Villeneuve also produced the film with Mary Parent, Cale Boyter and Joe Caracciolo, Jr. The executive producers are Tanya Lapointe, Joshua Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert. Behind the scenes, Villeneuve reteamed with two-time Oscar-nominated production designer Patrice Vermette (“Arrival,” “Sicario,” “The Young Victoria”), two-time Oscar-nominated editor Joe Walker (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Arrival,” “12 Years a Slave”), two-time Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert (“First Man,” “Blade Runner 2049”), and Oscar-winning special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer (“Blade Runner 2049”). He also collaborated for the first time with Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Lion,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”); three-time Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (“The Revenant,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Quills”) and co-costume designer Bob Morgan; and stunt coordinator Tom Struthers (“The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception”). Oscar-winning and multiple Oscar-nominated composer Hans Zimmer (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Inception,” “Gladiator,” “The Lion King”) is creating the score.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present a Legendary Pictures Production, a Film by Denis Villeneuve, “Dune.” The film is slated to be released in Australian theaters beginning 2 December 2021
Stan, Australia’s unrivalled home of original productions, today announced the Stan Original Film Nitram will premiere Wednesday, 24 November on Stan. The film is also screening in select cinemas now (where cinemas are open).
Nitram depicts the events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history in an attempt to understand why and how this atrocity occurred. Directed by Justin Kurzel (Stan Original Film True History of the Kelly Gang, Snowtown) andwritten by Shaun Grant (Penguin Bloom, Snowtown), the film stars Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Get Out), Essie Davis (The Babadook, Stan Original Film True History of the Kelly), Judy Davis(My Brilliant Career, The Dressmaker) and Anthony LaPaglia(Lantana, Balibo).
Nitram screened in Official Selection for Competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was the first Australian film to compete for the Palme D’Or in a decade. Nitram marks Kurzel’s third feature film to screen at Cannes and his second in competition. The film received a standing ovation following its world premiere screening at Cannes, with Caleb Landry Jones recognised with Best Actor honours for his performance. Nitram was also awarded the CinefestOZ Film Prize in August, in addition to being selected for competition at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.
In a statement, the filmmakers commented: “Nitram was written as a response to the proliferation of regular mass shootings across the world and is an exploration of the issues and events that led to this atrocity, rather than a re-enactment of it, to bring the gun control debate to the fore and to try to ensure history does not repeat itself.”
Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones) lives with his mother (Judy Davis) and father (Anthony LaPaglia) in suburban Australia in the mid-1990s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in. That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen (Essie Davis). However, when that friendship meets its tragic end, and Nitram’s loneliness and anger grow, he begins a slow descent into a nightmare that culminates in the most nihilistic and heinous of acts.
A GoodThing Productions film in conjunction with Stan, the Stan Original Film Nitram is produced by GoodThing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell (2040, The Australian Dream), alongside Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant. Madman Entertainment are handling theatrical distribution, with Wild Bunch International handling worldwide sales of the film.
The Stan Original Film Nitram is in select cinemas now and will premiere Wednesday, 24 November on Stan.
