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Exclusive: Chinese producer-distributor Hishow Entertainment has been on an acquisitions spree, snapping up several prestige festival titles for distribution in mainland China, including Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, which it plans to give a wide theatrical outing before the end of the year.

The film, which premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival, will first screen at China’s Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, taking place in Xiamen, November 13-16.

Hishow has also acquired French director Laetitia Dosch’s Dog On Trial, a highly-acclaimed debut feature that premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard; Rooney Mara starrer La Cocina, from Mexico’s Alonso Ruizpalacios, which premiered in Berlin; and Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano, a Venice 2023 competition title that was nominated in the Best International Feature category of this year’s Oscars.

Starting with Megalopolis, the company is planning to roll these titles out theatrically in...

Hungary has picked Lajos Koltai’s biopic Semmelweis as its contender for the 2025 Oscars in the best international feature category.

The feature traces the life of Hungarian doctor Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, an early pioneer of antiseptic procedures who became known as “the savior of mothers” for his efforts in fighting deadly infections following childbirth. Set in 19th-century Vienna, it shows Semmelweis, played by Miklós H. Vecsei as a passionate, if short-tempered, doctor determined to find the cause of puerperal fever, a mysterious epidemic decimating patients after childbirth. Even after he discovers the cause of the infection and a means to prevent it, his peers and superiors work to discredit him.

Semmelweis was a commercial hit back home, selling more than 350,000 tickets and grossing more than $2 million on its theatrical release, becoming the most successful Hungarian movie of the past five years. Nfi World Sales is handling world sales on the title.

This coming weekend, the Saxophone Museum in Fiumicino will become a focal point for music enthusiasts as it hosts two days dedicated to celebrating the rich sounds of one of the most revered wind instruments, the saxophone. The events, scheduled for Saturday, May 4th, and Sunday, May 5th, aim to blend music, education, and jazz history in a dynamic showcase.

The weekend kicks off on Saturday at 6:30 Pm with a performance by the Jam Session band, an exceptional ensemble comprised of thirteen young musicians. This free concert is open to the public and stands as a homage to the power of music as a universal language, a cultural bridge, and a tool for social integration. Featuring a vibrant and energetic repertoire that includes some of the most celebrated pieces by Duke Ellington, Robert Johnson, Joan Tizol, Dizzy Gillespie, Walter Donaldson, Kansas J McCoy, and Herbie Hancock, the performance is...

At a time when viewers around the world remain wary of returning to cinemas, the Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) once again can’t keep up with local audiences. Demand is so high that viewers are paying enormous sums to get hold of scalped tickets, including more than $300 to see an art house film released more than two decades ago.

The festival sparks an annual online crush as film lovers vie Black Friday-style for its limited tickets the moment they’re released for sale. Siff sold nearly 150,000 tickets within five minutes on the first day of sales in 2019, and more than 100,000 tickets in ten minutes last year, despite occurring as an in-person event just weeks after cinemas reopened for the first time post-covid-19.

With theater capacity still capped at 75%, the event’s 2021 iteration set to run from June 11-20 has proved just as popular, despite the full line-up being announced...

Clarence Williams III, the actor who portrayed Linc Hayes on TV’s The Mod Squad as well as played Prince’s father in Purple Rain, has died at the age of 81.

Williams management confirmed the actor’s death to Variety, adding that Williams died following a battle with colon cancer.

The New York City-born Williams, the grandson of jazz great Clarence Williams, made his acting debut on Broadway and other theatrical productions in the mid-Sixties before he was cast in The Mod Squad, the influential counterculture police series that ran for five seasons on ABC.

Clarence Williams III, an actor known for portraying Linc Hayes on “The Mod Squad” and Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” died on June 4. He was 81.

Williams’ management confirmed his death to Variety, citing the cause as colon cancer.

Williams broke through in 1968 as one of the stars of the counterculture cop show “The Mod Squad,” also starring then-unknown actors Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole. He was a mainstay of the series until its end in 1973, and went on to have a career in film, television and theater spanning four decades.

Williams portrayed Prince’s father in 1984’s “Purple Rain” and had a recurring role as FBI Agent Roger Hardy on beloved TV show “Twin Peaks.” He also had a long-running collaboration with director John Frankenheimer, playing Bobby Shy in 1986’s “52 Pick-Up,” Chaka in 1994’s “Against the Wall,” Archie in the 1997 TV movie “George Wallace” and Merlin in 2000’s “Reindeer Games.

“If you scroll through all the movies I’ve worked on, you can understand how I was a specialist in westerns, love stories, political movies, action thrillers, horror movies and so on,” said Ennio Morricone. “So in other words, I’m no specialist, because I’ve done everything. I’m a specialist in music.”

The specialist and legendary maestro has passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind an incredibly prolific body of work that included over 400 scores made for movies and television as well as classic work and many journeys across the world performing his music. While it’s impossible to encapsulate such a towering career––considering he began writing his first compositions at the age of six––if you’re looking to revisit or discover some of his finest scores in remembrance, we’ve gathered our twenty favorites below.

The round-up includes some of his most iconic scores,...

Italian composer Ennio Morricone — known for scoring spaghetti Westerns and more than 500 films — died Monday in Rome at the age of 91. His lawyer, Giorgio Assumma, confirmed his death after Morricone fell and fractured his femur last week, according to the New York Times.

Morricone had a diverse and impressive resume, having scored films for the likes of Quentin Tarantino, John Carpenter and, of course, Sergio Leone’s Sixties spaghetti Westerns: The Dollars Trilogy — A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), starring Clint Eastwood.

Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone has died in Rome following complications from a fall last week. He was 91.

The towering musical maestro composed more than 400 scores for cinema and TV, as well as more than 100 classical works. His score for The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966), one of a handful of successful collaborations with director Sergio Leone, is considered one of the most influential soundtracks in history.

His glittering filmography includes more than 70 award-winning films, including all Leone’s films, all Giuseppe Tornatore’s films from the much-loved Cinema Paradiso onwards, The Battle Of Algiers, Dario Argento’s Animal Trilogy, Days Of Heaven, The Thing, The Mission, The Untouchables, Bugsy and Ripley’s Game.

In 2016 he won an Oscar for his score for Quentin Tarantino’s film The Hateful Eight, at the time becoming the oldest person ever to win a competitive Oscar. He has been nominated for a further six Academy Awards.

China’s main state-owned distributor plans to issue a batch of half a dozen films, from which cinemas will keep all income, in order to get the country’s exhibition sector back on its feet after long closures due to coronavirus, it has said.

China Film Group on Tuesday detailed its selection of titles in a statement addressed to cinema operators and managers nation-wide circulating online and reported in the Chinese press.

They include four Chinese blockbusters: Peter Chan’s 2013 “American Dreams in China,” 2015’s “Wolf Totem,” directed by France’s Jean-Jacques Annaud, and two of the country’s highest grossing films of all time, the patriotic titles “Wolf Warrior 2” and sci-fi adventure “The Wandering Earth.”

The announcement mentioned one foreign film, Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s 2018 Cannes Jury Prize-winner “Capernaum.” Two others, Oscar-winner “Green Book” and heart-warmer “A Dog’s Purpose,” produced by Alibaba-backed Amblin Partners, are also apparently on the list.

Chinese pet drama, “Adoring” sauntered into 2020 at the head of China’s weekend box office with earnings of $16.8 million after debuting last Tuesday, the final day of the decade. The tear-jerking, but feel-good, ensemble drama about people and their companion cats, dogs and pigs has grossed a cumulative $62.4 million, according to consultancy Artisan Gateway.

China has seen a pack of pet movies hit theaters recent years, including at least three dog films in 2019. American title “A Dog’s Way Home” grossed $5.36 million after it hit in January, while the Dennis Quaid-starring “A Dog’s Journey” made $29 million in May. Chinese golden retriever film “Little Q” earned $16 million in September.

In second place this weekend was Hong Kong martial arts film “Ip Man 4,” which added another $10.5 million to its tally to bring its current cume up to $131 million. Chinese drama “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” directed by Malaysia’s Sam Quah, came in third,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSLate last month, we were saddened by the death of Jean Douchet, whose criticism as co-editor-in-chief of Cahiers du cinéma and as a mentor figure for many in the French film community was invaluable. Recommended VIEWINGKino Lorber's first trailer for Kantemir Balagov's Beanpole, which follows the bond between two women in post-wwii Leningrad. Read Ela Bittencourt's Close-Up on the film, which received its online premiere in the UK on Mubi earlier this fall. Corneliu Porumboiu's The Whistlers, a crime thriller about a cop, a mob in the Canary Islands, and El Siblo, an intricate indigenous language that involves whistling. Recommended READINGMichael Cimino and Robert De Niro on the set of The Deer HunterThe Guardian has published an excerpt of One Shot: The Making of The Deer Hunter, which includes exclusive photos from Robert De Niro's personal collection.

Diao Yinan-directed film grosses $23m, while Giuseppe Tornatore classic The Legend Of 1900 is now on $20m.

Chinese filmmaker Diao Yinan’s Cannes competition title The Wild Goose Lake has had an impressive opening in mainland China, grossing $19.4m (RMB136.2m) on its opening weekend (Dec 6-9).

As of December 11 morning, the crime drama – about a gangster who crosses paths with a prostitute while on the run – had grossed $23.4m (RMB165m), coming in second only to Sony’s Jumanji 2: The Next Level, which scored $24.6m (RMB172.9m) on its opening weekend.

The Wild Goose Lake, which stars Hu...

Diao Yinan-directed film grosses $23m, while Giuseppe Tornatore classic The Legend Of 1900 is now on $20m.

Chinese filmmaker Diao Yinan’s Cannes competition title The Wild Goose Lake has had an impressive opening in mainland China, grossing $19.4m (RMB136.2m) on its opening weekend (Dec 6-9).

As of December 11 morning, the crime drama – about a gangster who crosses paths with a prostitute while on the run – had grossed $23.4m (RMB165m), coming in second only to Sony’s Jumanji 2: The Next Level, which scored $24.6m (RMB172.9m) on its opening weekend.

The Wild Goose Lake, which stars Hu...

“Frozen 2” iced out all its competitors in China this weekend, sliding out in front of the pack to top the local box office with a $53.2 million debut – the best ever for a Disney animated film in the Middle Kingdom. “Frozen 2” made more in three days than the original “Frozen” made during its entire Chinese theatrical run ($48 million) in 2014.

It was also the third-highest opening weekend ever for an animated film in China.

“Frozen 2” currently has viewer ratings of 9 and 7.3 out of 10 on the Maoyan and Douban platforms, respectively. Musicals have historically not been very popular in China, something reflected in the comments of those who gave less favorable reviews. “After five minutes there’s a short music video, after another 10 there’s another long one! Has Disney gone crazy?” wrote one on Douban.

Awkwafina’s “The Farewell” was initially scheduled to debut last Friday as well, but it was pulled at the last minute,...

The new “Charlie’s Angels” reboot was no match for a local romantic comedy or a 20-year-old Giuseppe Tornatore film at the Chinese box office, bringing in just $7.6 million in its debut weekend, according to figures from consultancy Artisan Gateway.

Directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, the film has had a lackluster start, with China’s day-and-date release failing to provide much of a boost to its $8.6 million three-day gross in the U.S. This installment of the franchise continues the story told in the 1970s TV show and two previous films, 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” and 2003’s “Charlie Angels: Full Throttle,” none of which was ever popular in the mainland. According to ticketing platform Maoyan, the latter movie received some sort of China release in 2003 that netted it just $2 million.

The fault clearly didn’t lie with Chinese audiences being impervious to nostalgia. In a surprise upset,...

Update, writethru: Fox/Chernin Entertainment’s Ford V Ferrari raced its way to a $21.4M start at the international box office this weekend. The Disney release went out in 41 material markets and came in slightly above pre-frame projections. This is a solid start that combines with domestic’s high-octane debut to make for a $52.4M global bow.

Key here is that this is seen as a marathon, and not a sprint. There is more play to come on the James Mangold-directed drama that is expected to have strong legs. The awards season contender is generating positive critical and social sentiment and was No. 1 in such markets as Italy, Mexico, Australia and Russia. Still to bow are Korea, Japan and China (the latter not yet dated) along with a handful of others.

Overall in like-for-like hubs, Fvf came in 73% ahead of Rush, 33% above Bridge Of Spies and 8% ahead of Sully.

Tele München Group’s world sales unit, Tm International, has sold its high-end television series “The Name of the Rose,” starring John Turturro, to multiple territories, including the BBC in the U.K., Sky in Germany and Ocs in France.

Additionally it has been acquired by Yle in Finland, Nrk in Norway, Dr in Denmark, Sbs in Australia, Vrt in Belgium, Rtp in Portugal, Ceska TV in Czech Republic, Sky in New Zealand, and Iti in Poland. As previously announced, AMC’s SundanceTV holds the rights for the U.S. and Canada, and Rai will air the show in Italy.

As well as Turturro, the cast of the eight-hour series includes Michael Emerson, Rupert Everett (“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”), Damian Hardung (“Red Band Society”), Sebastian Koch (“Homeland”), James Cosmo (“Game of Thrones”), Richard Sammel (“Inglourious Basterds”), Fabrizio Bentivoglio (“Human Capital”) and Greta Scarano (“In Treatment”).

The series...

Celebrated Italian filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore doesn't exactly crank them out, and while he made waves on American shores in the late '80s and '90s with "Cinema Paradiso," "The Star Maker," "The Legend Of 1900" and "Malena," it has been over a decade since the latter and the subsequent movies -- "The Unknown Woman" and "Baaria" -- have made the same splash.  But his next effort is gearing up, and drawing upon two well-known names, it could see him once again back in American arthouses in bigger form.

Geoffrey Rush and Jim Sturgess are set to star in "The Best Offer." Details are pretty scarce, but the film is said to be an "art auction world drama" set in Vienna and the Alps that will start shooting at the end of the month. But adding a bit of excitement to the news is the mentoin that 83-year-old master composer...

Legend of the Guardians – The Owls of Ga’Hoole (which I’m not going to say again) stands out as nothing so much as a missed opportunity, though one which may be serviceable enough for a sufficiently young demographic. Following the story of a young owl who is abducted and forced into slave labor, Legend of the Guardians quickly becomes a quest film (which utterly abandons that quest), as our owlet Soren must escape and find his way to the titular warriors, who may or may not really exist.

Opening on a normal family of owls, and Soren’s first lessons in flight, we are told the history and mythos of owl life, and learn that a mighty battle in the not so distant past is responsible for the peaceful life the owls now enjoy. Soren dreams of being a Guardian, but the legend has turned to fairy tale for most,...

Over the weekend I was hard at work adding additional titles debuting at this year's 2010 Cannes Film Festival in an effort to make sure once I am in town it is all about seeing the movies and working as little as possible on the asset process. As a result, I now have 17 of the 18 films in competition in the database as information on Sergei Loznitsa's Schastye Moe (My Joy) doesn't seem to be available. However, information on the other 17 is now readily available along with some new pictures and trailers for several of them.

First off, to the right is one of the first three images available for Mathieu Amalric's Tournee, of which I also have the official synopsis for the film from the man most of you know as the villain from Quantum of Solace or Jean-Dominique Bauby from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

In Tournee...

If you're a fan of movies, and I mean a real fan, one of the things you love most is sharing those lesser-known titles. Now sure, everyone likes talking movies and sharing their thoughts about them to some degree or other. Most people play critic on Monday, talking up (or wildly trashing) whatever they happened to catch that weekend. But, if you've ever thrown out that virtual unknown as a recommendation, and had your... victim... return singing its praises, then you have an idea what it's all about. There's that little, instant in-group bias that kicks in. That curious sense of added depth of relationship that seems to come from suddenly "knowing" someone who liked that film that didn't make it to mainstream awareness for one reason or another. You can get a certain sense of the same thing when people love or hate the mainstream big shots, but it's...

Model turned TV, theatrical and film actress Melanie Thierry began her early ascent by mesmerizing French audiences in national productions, until scoring her first international crossover hit, The Legend Of The Pianist On The Ocean. Continuing her rise to stardom, Thierry starred in Chrysalis and Pardonnez-moi until landing a part opposite Vin Diesel in Mathieu Kassovitz.s upcoming sci-fi action-adventure film, Babylon A.D.. Making her Hollywood debut, the French beauty plays a young...