Sundance Institute officially announced the Fellows and Advisors for the five-day 2020 Creative Producing Labs, redesigned digitally to take place for the first time ever on Sundance Co//ab. The Labs begin July 27th and is a flagship convening for the Institute’s Creative Producing Program, which champions and develops current and rising generations of independent producers across fiction and nonfiction film.
Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films will open on Wednesday August 5th with First Cow, the latest film from U.S. director and screenwriter Kelly Reichardt, who will also be one of three jurors judging the international projects in The Films After Tomorrow section.
Melina Leon’s award-winning debut feature Song Without A Name about deep corruption in 1980’s Peru will premiere on film movement August 7th and in participating theaters around the country.
Vertical Entertainment will release actor John Leguizamo’s Critical Thinking, which he stars in alongside Rachel Bay Jones (Ben is Back, Dear Evan Hansen) and Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, 12 Years A Slave). The film is Leguizamo’s feature directorial debut and set for release on VOD/Digital on September 4, 2020.
Venice International Film Festival announced the lineup for the 77th edition taking place from September 2 – 12, 2020. The festival will open with the Italian film Lacci, directed by Daniele Luchetti (La nostra vita, Mio fratello è figlio unico, Il portaborse).
An official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, Entwined will open in virtual theaters August 28th, with an on demand release to follow on September 8th.
The 24th Annual Flickers’ “Virtual” Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), running August 4-9, 2020, is a major destination on the Festival circuit and recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a Qualifying Festival in all short film categories. It is the only Festival in New England with this accolade. The Festival welcomes stellar filmmaking talents from all over the world to beautiful Providence, Rhode Island—one of America’s oldest and most beloved cities. This year, responding to the impact of COVID-19, the Festival will take a hybrid approach utilizing area Drive-In theatres with social distancing and protocols/guidance from the Rhode Island Governor’s Office and the Department of Health and for special screenings. Virtual programming will also take place online.
Domino’s announced their Homemade Film Festival contest, encouraging pizza-lovers to make a home movie showcasing their love of Domino’s pizza for the chance to win free pizza for a year.
The UK’s most popular horror and fantasy film festival celebrates its 21st bloody year with a special digital edition, showcasing 25 films, from August 27-31st, including: seven world premieres and 16 UK premieres, representing ten countries in a deadly, daring and diverse program exclusively presented to UK audiences.
Ahead of the new documentary The Fight releasing nationwide on July 31st, Intercept Editor-in-Chief Betsy Reed will moderate a conversation with the featured lawyers on civil rights in the Trump era.
Searchlight Pictures unveiled a series of global screenings to commemorate Chloé Zhao’s upcoming feature film NOMADLAND’s invitations to Venice, Toronto, Telluride, and New York Film Festivals. Zhao’s third film, an exploration of modern-day van dwelling life on the road, will World Premiere with simultaneous screenings on September 11th at the 77th Venice International Film Festival and the 45th Toronto International Film Festival, both of which will feature virtual introductions by producer, writer, editor, and director Zhao, and producer and actor Frances McDormand. Telluride, which canceled its 47th edition due to the global pandemic, will host a special “Telluride from Los Angeles” drive-in screening in Southern California later in the evening, featuring in-person appearances by Zhao and McDormand. Additionally, the New York Film Festival announced NOMADLAND as the Centerpiece Selection of the 58th edition of the festival, leading into a domestic theatrical release this fall, subsequently rolling out internationally.
