When a town of cats is in danger, an unlikely hero rises:
a dog named Hank!
PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK
IS IN THEATRES JULY 15, 2022
A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs! Also starring Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka, and Cathy Shim, PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK pounces into theatres July 15, 2022.
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies and Align and Aniventure Present In association with HB Wink Animation and GFM Animation A Flying Tigers Entertainment Production in association with Aniventure In association with Cinesite.
PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK has been rated:
PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language.
During the 2010s, the Awards continued to highlight the exacting artistry of international filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival, from Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) to Bong Joon-ho (Parasite).
In 2013, a personal favorite, Blue is the Warmest Color, took home the Palm D’Or.
In 2015, another personal favorite took home the Palm D’Or, Dheepan.
In 2017 industry leaders and businesses, the public, and around 100 artists, all gathered for an extraordinary festival, and to celebrate the 70th Cannes Film Festival.
In 2018 the festival had its first all-female presentation team led by Kate Blanchett and Agnes Varda.
Cate Blanchett – President of the Feature Films Jury (Image Credit : François Silvestre De Sacy /FDC)
By 2020, a “Special Session” was in order as the coronavirus was rampaging the global community. A unique selection of 56 feature films and 28 short films were distributed around the planet under the banner: Cannes 2020. The solidarity achieved over the years between the Cannes Film Festival and major film events allowed for a continuance.
Stay tuned as the countdown to the 75th Festival de Cannes is on!
On April 8, 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an “Open Letter to Our Academy Family.” Here it is:
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.
During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.
Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.
We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”
Today’s AFI Movie Club pick is a madcap (screwball comedy) story of a boy, a girl, and a leopard, BRINGING UP BABY (1938) features Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant – both ranked by AFI among the greatest screen legends of all time. The film alsoappears on AFI’s lists of the greatest American films – both the original iteration and the 10th-anniversary edition – as well as among the greatest filmed comedies and love stories of all time. Although not truly a remake, the 1972 film What’s Up Doc?, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, was inspired by Bringing Up Baby, according to interviews with its director, Peter Bogdanovich. In 2007 Bringing Up Baby was ranked 88th on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies–10th Anniversary Edition list of the greatest American films, moving up from the 97th position it held on AFI’s 1997 list. Available for Screening on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Google Play among others such as Microsoft, Vudu, and iTunes. Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!
About AFI Movie Club
AFI has created a global, virtual gathering of those who love the movies. As a non-profit, AFI Movie Club is a member-powered organization, dependent upon the support of its movie fans. To support AFI Movie Club please consider becoming a member or donating. AFI Movie Club was launched as a free program to raise the nation’s spirits by bringing artists and audiences together. AFI shines a spotlight on an iconic movie each day. Audiences can “gather” at AFI.com/MovieClub to find out how to watch the featured movie of the day with the use of their preexisting streaming service credentials. (Source: AFI News Release)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Stars Dee Wallace and Robert Macnaughton Join TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night Screening
More Exclusive Programming and Stars Announced
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) today announced Emmy-nominated actor Dee Wallace and actor Robert Macnaughton will appear at the 40th-anniversary screening of the iconic film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival. They will join director Steven Spielberg, producer Kathleen Kennedy, and stars Drew Barrymore and Henry Thomas on the red carpet during Opening Night of the Festival, held in Hollywood from April 21 – 24, 2022. The 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival will feature more than 100 screenings, special events, and panels over the course of four days.
As a special treat for fans, the TCM Classic Film Festival will also feature a live script read of the 1958 B movie I Married a Monster from Outer Space, presented by TCM Underground and SF Sketchfest, on Sunday, April 24. The cast will include Dana Gould, Charlene deGuzman, David Koechner, Laraine Newman, Jonah Ray, Eban Schletter, Janet Varney, and Baron Vaughn.
Plus, director and choreographer Adam Shankman will appear at the screening of The Gay Divorcée on Friday, April 22, to discuss the 1934 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film.
TCM recently updated the health protocols and safety measures for the event. Get the latest guidelines here: tcm.com/festival.
About the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival
Movie lovers from around the globe will descend on Hollywood for the 13th edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2022 Festival will take place Thursday, April 21 – Sunday, April 24, 2022. Over four packed days and nights, attendees will be treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events and more.
TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz will serve as official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The Festival’s official hotel and central gathering point will be The HollywoodRoosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony. Screenings and events during the Festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the HollywoodLegion Theater at Post 43, and the El Capitan Theatre. For the latest news and information, follow us on social at #TCMFF.
This year’s theme is “All Together Now: Back to the Big Screen.” In 2022, reunite with fellow fans, the movies, the memories, the stars, and the glamour. It’s all back live and in person, just as it should be and where it all began in Hollywood. From high school reunions to homecomings, TCM will celebrate milestones from the past as we look forward to making new memories together.
Who Are The Marcuses? is a soon-to-be-released documentary feature about a mysterious couple whose more than half a billion-dollar gift to Ben Gurion University of the Negev ignites a re-imagining of conflict resolution in the Middle East and peace through the Earth’s most precious resource: water.
Currently, the film has an eye on festival play starting in late summer through the fall of 2022.
Today’s AFI Movie Club selection received a Best Picture Academy-award-winning Oscar and is based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney.
From writer/director Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT was also honored in 2016 with an AFI AWARD, recognizing it as one of the year’s most outstanding achievements in the art of the moving image – with the official rationale stating that, “MOONLIGHT illuminates the peerless power of cinema to inspire empathy for others and embrace a greater understanding of ourselves. Barry Jenkins’ poetic tour de force presents a deeply emotional triptych — the journey of boy to man searching for connection amidst the labyrinth of societal boundaries. An extraordinary ensemble lights the way in this sublime realization of a world where the question ‘Who is you?’ echoes in the pain of dreams deferred and the strength of an inner truth.”
Available to watch on Kanopy, Hoopla, Fubu Tv, and Showtime. Highly recommended viewing!
Australian director, screenwriter, and producer Baz Luhrmann will be at the Cannes Film Festival to present the world premiere of his latest film, Elvis, along with Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and Olivia DeJonge. Elvis will be released in North America on June 24, 2022, and worldwide from June 22, 2022.
Elvis focuses on the life and work of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), through the prism of his complex relationship with his mysterious manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
AUSTIN BUTLER as Elvis and TOM HANKS as Col. Tom Parker in Warner Bros. Drama “ELVIS” Pictures, a film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker over more than 20 years, from Presley’s rise to stardom to his unprecedented stardom, as America experiences major socio-cultural upheaval and loses its innocence. At the heart of this journey is one of the most important and influential people in Elvis’ life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
A flamboyant filmmaker, Baz Luhrman is the only director to present two feature films at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival with Moulin Rouge! in 2001, selected in Competition, and Gatsby the Magnificent in 2013. In 1992, he caused a sensation at the 45th edition of the Festival with his first film Ballroom Dancing, screened in the Un Certain Regard section.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis is being produced by Bazmark and The Jackal Group and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Picture worldwide.
At the start of the 21st century, Cannes was the premier cinema event in the world. It stood out from the other international film festivals events such as the Berlinale and Venice festivals.
And, to further strengthen the indissoluble link that united Cannes with the most important cultural event in the world, the International Film Festival became the Cannes Film Festival in 2002, under the impetus of Cannes’ Mayor and Member of Parliament, Bernard Brochand.
The arrival of the new millennium brought about changes in awareness under the filmgoer’s trained eye. After the creation of the Caméra d’Or, awarded to the Best First Film, the Festival went a step further by recognizing the best film-school short films with the creation of Cinéfondation in 1998.
In 2000, the Festival continued to show its support for new talents by creating a new initiative called The Residence to welcome young filmmakers and help them develop their projects. 2005 saw another innovation called the Children’s Session, a class for the youngest fans to encourage their curiosity about cinema.
In 2002, for the 55th anniversary of the Festival, the top award went to alternative American director, Michael Moore, for Bowling for Columbine. Two years later Moore received a second Palme d’Or for Fahrenheit 9/11.
American cinema d’auteur was still in favor in 2003 when Gus Van Sant won the Palme d’Or and the award for Best Director. His film Elephant recounted the day that two teenagers gunned down their fellow students in a school in Columbine in America.
The Festival thus had to encourage relations between cinema professionals and defend its interests against outside influences. Furthermore, historical events were seared into the public’s mind, in this case, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States, or the bomb threats of 2002, demonstrating the importance of the tensions weighing on the event as it was happening.
Fahrenheit 9/11
Nonetheless, the Festival was not immune to such media/political phenomena, as can be seen with the release of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004, with took a position favorable to France during the Iraq conflict and the wrong-minded American strategy.
In 2005, the Festival emphasized its International dimension. The Festival’s Atelier (Workshop), organized by the Cinéfondation, invited 18 filmmakers from around the world to come to Cannes to present their projects to producers during the Festival. A new program, called ‘All the cinemas of the World’, offered different countries the chance to present their films.
Thierry Fremaux
Thierry Fremaux, who was appointed Delegate General in 2007, said: “The Festival is also a market for international buyers and sellers; today it is the culmination, not the starting point. It used to be that films were discovered here. Now, everything is done upstream and the selections are known to the professionals one month before they are made public. But sales are often finalized after screening at Cannes.”
In 2007, the Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary. It continued to denounce a fragile world in need of unity. Both 2007 and 2009, the Palme d’or was given to movies that referenced a painful past: 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days from director Cristian Mungiu told the story of two young girls, trying to abort in Ceaucescu’s Romania , and The White Ribbon from Michael Haneke darkly depicted society and family in a northern German village just before World War I.
However, in 2008, Jury President Sean Penn stated, he wanted to reward a filmmaker who was “very aware of the times within which he lives.” Consequently, The Class from Laurent Cantet received the Palme d’or in 2008. The film depicted a French teacher (François Bégaudeau, both teacher and writer, is acting his own part in the movie ), and his experience, during one whole school year, in teaching French class to racially mixed students in a tough Parisian neighborhood.
Although the commercial blockbusters were largely absent from the competition, their stars could often be seen on La Croisette, and independent films were also competitors to be reckoned with.
The 1990s ushered in a time of significant change globally and that change was reflected at the Cannes Film Festival. “Promotion” became the driving new buzzword. Hardly anyone was more creative than Madonna. After Italian politician, La Cicciolina, answered the age-old question of how to dress at Cannes, the former porn actress wore an outfit that seemed more appropriate for the bedroom than the red carpet, Madonna walked the steps and red carpet with her La Cicciolina-inspired outfit.
True to say cinema had broken loose and perpetual change was underway.
In 1990, Federico Fellini presented The Voice of the Moon at the Cannes Film Festival. Fellini had once declared that “Cannes is like a natural harbor for a film to moor in”. Despite having once said that he didn’t like ceremonies, this was his tenth film presented on La Croisette, after films such as The Nights of Cabiria in 1957, La Dolce Vita in 1960, Amarcord in 1974, and City of Women in 1980. The Festival paid tribute to him by presenting effigies of his characters on the Festival’s Louis Lumière theater stage curtain. The Voice of the Moon would be the last film by the legendary director who died in 1994.
Federico Fellini (Cr.Cannes_Festival)
In 1991, the award winners chosen under the presidency of Roman Polanski stirred up less debate but nevertheless set a precedent. The members of the jury, swept up by their enthusiasm, attributed all the major awards to the film Barton Fink. The Coen brothers won the Palme d’Or and the award for Best Director and the award for Best Actor went to its star John Turturro. From then on the Festival forbade future juries from attributing all the major awards to one film.
In 1993, the Palme d’Or was jointly awarded to Farewell, My Concubine by Chen Kaige, and to a woman, the director Jane Campion for The Piano. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first ‘Cinema & Liberty’ conference was held and attracted a hundred plus directors from all around the world. Tellingly, prizes were awarded to representatives from around the world: Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern European countries. The Festival also surpassed 20000 participants.
In 1995, American Sharon Stone was all the rage as she was on full display making a name for herself with controversial scenes in the neo-noir erotic thriller, Basic Instinct. The following year Quintin Tarantino premiered his Palme d’Or-winning, cult-classic, Pulp Fiction.
Quintin Tarantino (Cr. Cannes_Festival)
But, 1995 seemed to be a pivotal year in capturing the spirit of the time with new film genres utilizing the camera as a witness to history and capturing socio-cultural issues of the day such as the phenomenon of suburban slums with Matthieu Kassovitz’s film La Haine (Hate), which took the Best Director’s prize, or the fight against racism with the film Jungle Fever by the renowned Spike Lee. These new contemporary genres and accompanying film work created a buzz in public opinion as well as a source of controversy.
Cinema Paradiso
Undeniably, the recurrent reproach had been that the Festival rewards cinema d’auteur and not what the public wants to watch. The nineties largely proved this wrong. The decade saw the Palme d’Or going to The Piano, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Secrets and Lies by Mike Leigh, and other prizes going to Hate by Mathieu Kassovitz and The Eighth Day by Jaco van Dormael, all of which were big box office successes. In certain cases, the Cannes Festival has even helped a film to find its public. Cinema Paradiso initially met with very poor reception in Italy. In 1989, its director Giuseppe Tornatore shortened it by half an hour before presenting it at Cannes. It won the Jury Grand Prix and went on to be an international success.
With its worldwide reputation, the Festival continued to grow throughout the 1990s and left an indelible mark with such iconic moments as the Italian actor-director Roberto Benigni’s satisfaction, on his knees under the spotlights, after winning for his film Life is Beautiful at the end of the 90s. These films left their mark on the history of worldwide cinema, contributing to the democratization of various social phenomena such as homosexuality with the film Happy Together by Wong Kar-Wai.
50 years of promoting cinema
Growing over the years, the Cannes Film Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997. 1,289 films from all around the world had been part of the official selection since the first Festival in 1946, through 50 years of cinema that has captured the evolution of our societies.
Stay tuned for new awareness and the new millennium!
(Source: AFI News Release)
