The New Arab: Habibi Collective: Collating films made by Arab women. “…with Arab film continuing to be male-dominated from producers to leads, the prominence of female filmmakers from the past or present of the Arab world remains subdued. Irish-Iraqi curator Roisin Tapponi seeks to change that. Over years spent searching for and cataloguing films made by Arab women, Roisin set up the Habibi Collective – a digital archive and curatorial platform dedicated to promoting female filmmaking in the Middle East.”
movie making
BBC: India’s first ‘lockdown film’ is an edgy thriller
BBC: India’s first ‘lockdown film’ is an edgy thriller. “C U Soon, a suspense drama, is possibly India’s first ‘made-at-home, lockdown film’, as [Mahesh] Narayanan called it. Released last week on streaming giant Amazon Prime Video, it is an unusual Indian film. At 90 minutes, it has a runtime which is a third shorter than a usual commercial release, and it has no song and dances. One critic called it an ‘an immersive experience like no other’. Another said it was ‘a radical film that offers a unique viewing experience’. There was appreciation for the film’s ‘dynamic visual setting’.”
NY CaribNews: African Film Festival, Inc. launches AFF Digital Streaming Service and Film Archives
NY CaribNews: African Film Festival, Inc. launches AFF Digital Streaming Service and Film Archives. “African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF), the premier U.S. presenter of African cinema, has unveiled its new streaming platform and digital archives at its online home… The portal to the Continent includes more than 800 profiles of directors from across the diaspora, from veterans like Ousmane Sembène, Safi Faye, Souleymane Cissé and Tunde Kelani to emerging talents like Mamadou Dia, Nuotama Bodomo, Abba Makama, and Mariama Diallo as well as more than 1,000 film profiles, and interviews, articles, reviews, photographs and more.”
The Film Stage: Watch Movies Side-by-Side with Screenplay with New Extension for Netflix
The Film Stage: Watch Movies Side-by-Side with Screenplay with New Extension for Netflix. “The new tool ScreenplaySubs created by Egan Bisma is a nifty extension for Chrome and Firefox which a viewer can install, then head here for a list of films to watch on Netflix to toggle the screenplay on and off for select films. While more movies will be added on a weekly basis, the first batch includes The Social Network, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, Marriage Story, The Irishman, Zodiac, and Silver Linings Playbook (it looks Uncut Gems, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Steve Jobs are on their way too).”
Deadline: Alberto Belli, Aurora Guerrero, Joel Novoa And Diego Velasco Launch First-Ever Latinx Directors Database
Deadline: Alberto Belli, Aurora Guerrero, Joel Novoa And Diego Velasco Launch First-Ever Latinx Directors Database. “The site focuses on creating a simple user experience for both sides of the pipeline. Studio executives, producers, showrunners and agents will be able to find directors of all genres with specific heritage, specialties, and levels of experience. In addition, users can easily watch reels and access current representation. It’s essentially a valuable resource to seek out creators of Latinx descent.”
Variety: Studios and Movie Theaters Want to Reopen, but Coronavirus May Still Scramble Plans
Variety: Studios and Movie Theaters Want to Reopen, but Coronavirus May Still Scramble Plans. “From delaying ‘Tenet’ by two weeks to pushing the Oscars by two months, Hollywood is scrambling to adjust to a new reality. In the coronavirus era, it’s nearly impossible to predict what the world will look like next week, much less for the rest of the year and even into 2021. Because of this persistent fluidity, studios have been gripped by a new and growing sense of uncertainty.”
“Germ-Zapping Robots”: How Hollywood Might Kill Coronavirus Fears on Set (Hollywood Reporter)
Hollywood Reporter: “Germ-Zapping Robots”: How Hollywood Might Kill Coronavirus Fears on Set. “With plans for safely revving up production underway in Hollywood, the industry is looking at creative ways to make sure sets are sanitary in the age of COVID-19. One newly emerging strategy might have people wondering whether the pandemic is turning Hollywood into one of the sci-fi films it churns out: ‘germ-zapping robots.’ Yes, really. Hollywood has begun to take interest in a lab-certified disinfecting robot that uses pulses of ultraviolet (UV) light to kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”
CNET: Coronavirus shut down Hollywood, but there may be a silver lining
CNET: Coronavirus shut down Hollywood, but there may be a silver lining. “Last month the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that, at least for next year’s Oscars ceremony, movies no longer need to fulfill a one-week run in a Los Angeles theater to be eligible for best picture. As long as a film had a scheduled theatrical release, it qualifies for a chance at an Oscar nomination. Out of the few films trickling out during the pandemic, several of the standouts were directed by women. These films could bring long-overdue recognition for female directors at the next Oscars, where women have historically missed out on nominations in the best director category.”
Coronavirus movie delays: New release dates for 2020 and 2021 blockbusters (CNET)
CNET: Coronavirus movie delays: New release dates for 2020 and 2021 blockbusters. “For many, it came as a shock to hear that the latest James Bond premiere was being called off because of the coronavirus outbreak. But the Bond announcement was just the first in a cascade of movie blockbusters being canceled or postponed, causing a huge reshuffle of the release schedule throughout 2020 and into 2021.”
The Guardian: ‘Over one hour everything was cancelled’ – how coronavirus devastated the film industry
The Guardian: ‘Over one hour everything was cancelled’ – how coronavirus devastated the film industry. “This time last week, it still seemed feasible the film industry might weather coronavirus. Only a handful of big-name blockbusters had been postponed in the UK and US, Cannes remained bullish and box office numbers weren’t wobbling too much. By Monday, the picture was radically cracked.”
Cinema 5D: ShotDeck – Collaborative Searchable Online Library of Movie Images by Lawrence Sher, ASC
Cinema 5D: ShotDeck – Collaborative Searchable Online Library of Movie Images by Lawrence Sher, ASC. “ShotDeck is a new collaborative online library of movie images created by cinematographer Lawrence Sher, ASC. The library is fully searchable as each image is tagged with over 50 keywords. There are categories based on the genre of the movie, lighting, frame size, type of scene, etc. Created decks of images can be shared with other members. ShotDeck is now accepting free registrations for beta testing.”
The Guardian: Viral social media moments that deserve the Hollywood treatment
The Guardian: Viral social media moments that deserve the Hollywood treatment. “The breakout hit at this year’s Sundance festival was Zola (pictured, above), a comic thriller about a stripper who travels to Florida for a weekend of sex and violence. Zola earned rave reviews from attendees, but the most interesting thing about it is that it was based on a Twitter thread.”
SHOOT Publicity Wire (PRESS RELEASE): American Society of Cinematographers Appoints Terry McCarthy as CEO
SHOOT Publicity Wire (PRESS RELEASE): American Society of Cinematographers Appoints Terry McCarthy as CEO. “McCarthy [said] that there will be special events throughout the year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American Cinematographer. ‘This magazine continues to have iconic status, and by the end of this year we will have every one of its 1,200 issues available in a searchable online database – a real treasure trove of 100 years of cinematography!'”
Ubergizmo: Warner Bros. To Use AI To Determine The Best Time To Release Movies
Ubergizmo: Warner Bros. To Use AI To Determine The Best Time To Release Movies. “There is a reason why movies aren’t released the moment they are ready. This is because there are a variety of factors to consider, such as whether or not there are movies that are similar in nature that could potentially distract from the release, how many people are free to watch the movie (such as during the holiday season), and so on. So far studios have had no issues deciding on a release date, but in the future, picking a release date could be a lot easier and more efficient, at least in the case of Warner Bros.”
Bustle: Meet The Women Who Pioneered The Film Industry
Bustle: Meet The Women Who Pioneered The Film Industry. “Created by film scholar Jane Gaines in 1993, Columbia University’s Women Film Pioneers Project (WFPP) is now an online database dedicated to documenting the contributions women made to the silent film era beyond acting. Today, the database has over 280 profiles of women who worked across six continents in roles ranging from accountants and agents to screenwriters, editors, producers, art directors, camera operators, casting directors, composers, cinematographers, costume designers, and even animal trainers and stunt performers. There are 117 profiles of female directors alone.”
