Incredible iconography emerges from the most unexpected places, as master of the slice-of-life, Asghar Farhadi, has shown throughout his catalogue of delicate features of the familial variety. The Oscar-nominated director often uses a palette of restrained colours and textures, decidedly relying on the explosive performances of his stellar cast to translate the gritty and forceful side of the human experience onto the silver screen. For His 2016 feature film, Farhadi examines the two sides of a coin to the victim of physical assault.
For Shahab Hosseini's Emad, life is clad in the tedious humdrum of routine beats. A stint of being a lecturer for cheeky schoolkids by day and a progressive screenwriter at night, sees him having his life entwined with actress-wife, Rana(Taraneh Alidoosti), who becomes the subject of this haunting scene, when a series of tumultuous events rocks their world upside-down.
The setting is cloistered within an intimate...
For Shahab Hosseini's Emad, life is clad in the tedious humdrum of routine beats. A stint of being a lecturer for cheeky schoolkids by day and a progressive screenwriter at night, sees him having his life entwined with actress-wife, Rana(Taraneh Alidoosti), who becomes the subject of this haunting scene, when a series of tumultuous events rocks their world upside-down.
The setting is cloistered within an intimate...
- 2/19/2024
- by Leon Overee
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Silver Lining Entertainment has signed Niousha Noor, the star of Maryam Keshavarz’s multiple prize-winning Sundance dramedy The Persian Version, for representation.
Currently in theaters via Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films, The Persian Version centers on Leila (Layla Mohammadi), an aspiring Iranian American filmmaker who reunites with her family in New York City amidst her father’s heart transplant, coming into conflict with her mother when a personal secret is revealed. Drawing strong reviews out of Sundance 2023, where it laid claim to the fest’s Audience Award and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, the film has Noor portraying Leila’s conservative mother, Shireen.
Noor can also currently be seen starring alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Jai Courtney and more in Kaleidoscope, Netflix’s heist show from creator Eric Garcia, which premiered in January. She was seen prior to that in IFC Midnight’s horror thriller The Night,...
Currently in theaters via Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films, The Persian Version centers on Leila (Layla Mohammadi), an aspiring Iranian American filmmaker who reunites with her family in New York City amidst her father’s heart transplant, coming into conflict with her mother when a personal secret is revealed. Drawing strong reviews out of Sundance 2023, where it laid claim to the fest’s Audience Award and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, the film has Noor portraying Leila’s conservative mother, Shireen.
Noor can also currently be seen starring alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Jai Courtney and more in Kaleidoscope, Netflix’s heist show from creator Eric Garcia, which premiered in January. She was seen prior to that in IFC Midnight’s horror thriller The Night,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Mammoth Pictures has inked a deal out of Cannes with the Bulgarian production company Bazuka to exclusively develop and produce a narrative feature take on the cultural tradition spotlighted in Kukeri, their documentary short produced for The New Yorker which was just unveiled at the beginning of the month. (View it above.)
Set to direct the as-yet-untitled new film, described as a folkloric horror thriller, is Mammoth’s Kourosh Ahari (Parallel).
Helmed by Killian Lassablière, the Bazuka doc spotlights an enigmatic Bulgarian tradition known as “Surva” that has united small villages across the country once a year for centuries — a festival that has residents known as “Kukeri” dress up in otherworldly costumes in the hopes of driving away evil spirits. The animalistic costumes, covering most of the body, are often made from the fur and skins of goats or sheep, and can also include toothed wooden masks — sometimes, peppered with horns,...
Set to direct the as-yet-untitled new film, described as a folkloric horror thriller, is Mammoth’s Kourosh Ahari (Parallel).
Helmed by Killian Lassablière, the Bazuka doc spotlights an enigmatic Bulgarian tradition known as “Surva” that has united small villages across the country once a year for centuries — a festival that has residents known as “Kukeri” dress up in otherworldly costumes in the hopes of driving away evil spirits. The animalistic costumes, covering most of the body, are often made from the fur and skins of goats or sheep, and can also include toothed wooden masks — sometimes, peppered with horns,...
- 5/31/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Production underway in Guadalajara.
Mira Sorvino and Joseph Sikora are attached to join Ruben Islas’ Atypical Pirate Movie, which is currently filming in Mexico and Grandave International has introduced to Cannes buyers.
The feature centres on a savant who gets caught up in the theft of a valuable thumb drive and is on the run from its owners in Guadalajara where he hooks up with the leader of a gang of thieves.
The cast includes previously announced Julio Macias, Danube Hermosillo, Emiliano Zurita, Herńan Mendoza, Gigi Guerrero, Casper Smart, and Mario Escalante.
Sorvino recently starred opposite Courteney Cox in Starz...
Mira Sorvino and Joseph Sikora are attached to join Ruben Islas’ Atypical Pirate Movie, which is currently filming in Mexico and Grandave International has introduced to Cannes buyers.
The feature centres on a savant who gets caught up in the theft of a valuable thumb drive and is on the run from its owners in Guadalajara where he hooks up with the leader of a gang of thieves.
The cast includes previously announced Julio Macias, Danube Hermosillo, Emiliano Zurita, Herńan Mendoza, Gigi Guerrero, Casper Smart, and Mario Escalante.
Sorvino recently starred opposite Courteney Cox in Starz...
- 5/19/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Grandave Intl. has acquired the international sales rights of sports drama feature film “Sweetwater,” starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award winner Jeremy Piven and Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss.
Other cast include SAG Award nominated actor Cary Elwes, SAG Award winner Kevin Pollak, and rising star Everett Osborne.
The film will be released in the U.S. by Universal and Briarcliff Entertainment, in partnership with the NBA. It is written and directed by Martin Guigui.
The producers are Tim Moore (“American Sniper”), Dahlia Guigui (“9/11”), Darren Moorman (“Blue Miracle”), and Josi Konski (“Babette’s Feast”).
Scott Pomeroy, Tom Ortenberg, Mike Durden, Scott Helms, David Cuddy, Craig Cheek, Stanley Preschutti and Ruben Islas are serving as executive producers.
“I am excited to screen this strong and commercial sports feature,” Tamara Nagahiro, Grandave Intl.’s head of sales, said.
Grandave Intl. will introduce the title to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market,...
Other cast include SAG Award nominated actor Cary Elwes, SAG Award winner Kevin Pollak, and rising star Everett Osborne.
The film will be released in the U.S. by Universal and Briarcliff Entertainment, in partnership with the NBA. It is written and directed by Martin Guigui.
The producers are Tim Moore (“American Sniper”), Dahlia Guigui (“9/11”), Darren Moorman (“Blue Miracle”), and Josi Konski (“Babette’s Feast”).
Scott Pomeroy, Tom Ortenberg, Mike Durden, Scott Helms, David Cuddy, Craig Cheek, Stanley Preschutti and Ruben Islas are serving as executive producers.
“I am excited to screen this strong and commercial sports feature,” Tamara Nagahiro, Grandave Intl.’s head of sales, said.
Grandave Intl. will introduce the title to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Grandave Intl. has acquired worldwide sales rights for the drama mystery feature “Wild Berries,” starring Shahab Hosseini, best actor award winner at Cannes for “The Salesman,” and Sepideh Moafi, whose credits include “The Killing of Two Lovers” and “The L Word: Generation Q.”
In addition to his Cannes award, Hosseini received the Berlinale acting prize for his role in “A Separation.” Moafi stars in the Golden Globe nominated Apple TV+ series “Black Bird,” and the FX series “Class of 09.”
Grandave Intl. will be introducing “Wild Berries” to buyers at the Cannes Film Market, May 16-27.
The past, present, and future collide in this story of an immigrant Iranian couple’s annual road trip on their wedding anniversary, while a mysterious stranger is following them.
The screenplay, written and directed by Soudabeh Moradian, is adapted from “Language of Wild Berries,” written by the playwright Naghmeh Samini. The movie is being produced by Julie R. Snyder.
In addition to his Cannes award, Hosseini received the Berlinale acting prize for his role in “A Separation.” Moafi stars in the Golden Globe nominated Apple TV+ series “Black Bird,” and the FX series “Class of 09.”
Grandave Intl. will be introducing “Wild Berries” to buyers at the Cannes Film Market, May 16-27.
The past, present, and future collide in this story of an immigrant Iranian couple’s annual road trip on their wedding anniversary, while a mysterious stranger is following them.
The screenplay, written and directed by Soudabeh Moradian, is adapted from “Language of Wild Berries,” written by the playwright Naghmeh Samini. The movie is being produced by Julie R. Snyder.
- 5/10/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Mammoth Pictures has announced that it’s bringing back its Mammoth Pictures Screenplay Competition, for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
Mammoth looks with its competition to discover and support emerging writers, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. The competition is unique in that the Grand Prize-winning screenwriter will have their screenplay developed, financed and produced as a feature-length film by Mammoth Pictures, with the screenwriter receiving a standard pay scale. Mammoth Pictures has partnered with Coverfly for the first time this season to accept submissions for the competition on their platform, which can be entered now.
Mammoth’s new Head of Development Alexis Brontë is heading up this year’s competition, which is geared toward genre feature screenplays — particularly those under the speculative fiction umbrella in the categories of horror thriller, psychological thriller, mystery thriller, crime thriller, science fiction, dystopian and fantasy — though it remains...
Mammoth looks with its competition to discover and support emerging writers, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. The competition is unique in that the Grand Prize-winning screenwriter will have their screenplay developed, financed and produced as a feature-length film by Mammoth Pictures, with the screenwriter receiving a standard pay scale. Mammoth Pictures has partnered with Coverfly for the first time this season to accept submissions for the competition on their platform, which can be entered now.
Mammoth’s new Head of Development Alexis Brontë is heading up this year’s competition, which is geared toward genre feature screenplays — particularly those under the speculative fiction umbrella in the categories of horror thriller, psychological thriller, mystery thriller, crime thriller, science fiction, dystopian and fantasy — though it remains...
- 9/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Adding to its slate of auteurs from all over the world, Raphael Berdugo’s Cité Films has boarded “The Fire Doll,” from Chilean director-to-track Niles Atallah (“Rey”) and “Left Over,” from San Sebastian Gold Shell winning Turkish director Yesim Ustaoglu (“Pandora’s Box”).
Produced by Catalina Vergara at Chile’s Globo Rojo Films, “The Fire Doll” (“La muñeca de fuego”) is one of the 14 projects to be pitched at this month’s San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, one of the Spanish festival’s centerpiece industry events.
Atallah, whose second film, “Rey,” won a Rotterdam Special Jury Prize in 2017, turns in “The Fire Doll” to the transformation process experienced by a 9-year-old girl, Aurora, who loses part of her memory and goes to her the countryside to spend Easter wither father, an alcoholic in remission.
He lives in a mysterious house partially destroyed by fire decades ago. Aurora discovers a terrible...
Produced by Catalina Vergara at Chile’s Globo Rojo Films, “The Fire Doll” (“La muñeca de fuego”) is one of the 14 projects to be pitched at this month’s San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, one of the Spanish festival’s centerpiece industry events.
Atallah, whose second film, “Rey,” won a Rotterdam Special Jury Prize in 2017, turns in “The Fire Doll” to the transformation process experienced by a 9-year-old girl, Aurora, who loses part of her memory and goes to her the countryside to spend Easter wither father, an alcoholic in remission.
He lives in a mysterious house partially destroyed by fire decades ago. Aurora discovers a terrible...
- 9/1/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Mammoth Pictures has acquired film and TV rights to the bestselling novella Diary of a Murderer from award-winning Korean author Young-ha Kim. The company’s Creative Director Kourosh Ahari is set to direct an English-language feature adaptation, marking the first production under the deal, from a script by Henry Chaisson.
Diary of a Murderer tells the story of a former serial killer stricken with Alzheimer’s disease and suffering from escalating memory loss. When his now peaceful life with his daughter is threatened by new killings mimicking his murders of decades past, he sets his sights on one final kill before he loses his memory completely: the new serial killer he suspects is stalking his daughter – all told in a series of notes the narrator writes to himself throughout his psychological descent into dementia.
Kim’s novella was previously...
Diary of a Murderer tells the story of a former serial killer stricken with Alzheimer’s disease and suffering from escalating memory loss. When his now peaceful life with his daughter is threatened by new killings mimicking his murders of decades past, he sets his sights on one final kill before he loses his memory completely: the new serial killer he suspects is stalking his daughter – all told in a series of notes the narrator writes to himself throughout his psychological descent into dementia.
Kim’s novella was previously...
- 8/17/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In its first full-on post-pandemic edition, Locarno roared back into action as an industry hub over Aug. 3-9, smashing attendance records with delegates at industry arm Locarno Pro soaring from 2019’s prior record of 1,040 to 1,300.
That reflects the year-round work of festival artistic director Giona Nazzaro and industry head Markus Duffner at Locarno Pro, building on foundations laid by Nadia Dresti over 2010-19. Sky rocketing attendance also says much about the state of the international film industry as it is is rocked by titanic sea change propelled by global, regional and local streaming platforms. Following, 10 takes on Locarno as its turns its final bend towards Aug. 13’s awards announcement.
Latest Deals
A score or more of new deals announced since Sunday in exclusivity to Variety:
*Germany’s Pluto Film has been in negotiations with several theatrical distributors on Locarno Piazza Grande title “Semret,” ahead of its world premiere on Aug.
That reflects the year-round work of festival artistic director Giona Nazzaro and industry head Markus Duffner at Locarno Pro, building on foundations laid by Nadia Dresti over 2010-19. Sky rocketing attendance also says much about the state of the international film industry as it is is rocked by titanic sea change propelled by global, regional and local streaming platforms. Following, 10 takes on Locarno as its turns its final bend towards Aug. 13’s awards announcement.
Latest Deals
A score or more of new deals announced since Sunday in exclusivity to Variety:
*Germany’s Pluto Film has been in negotiations with several theatrical distributors on Locarno Piazza Grande title “Semret,” ahead of its world premiere on Aug.
- 8/10/2022
- by John Hopewell, Marta Balaga and Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
Shahab Hosseini, a Cannes best actor winner in 2016 for his layered, complex performance in Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “The Salesman,” is attached to star in “The Far Mountains,” from Mitra Tabrizian.
A nuanced coming-of-age tale with an allegorical undertow, “The Far Mountains” marks Tabrizian’s follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut feature “Gholam,” also starring Hosseini and selected by The Guardian/Observer’s Mark Kermode as Film of the Week on its release. “Gholam” was theatrically released in the U.K. and major VOD platforms internationally.
“Gholam” producer Zadoc Nava at London-based Stray Dog Films will be introducing “The Far Mountains” at Locarno’s Match Me! where it looks like one of its highlights. at the networking initiative.
Written by Tabrizian and Cyrus Massoudi, the co-scribes of “Gholam,” “The Far Mountains” turns on Ali, a 12-year-old boy living in a small town in Iran whose mother disappeared when he was very young.
A nuanced coming-of-age tale with an allegorical undertow, “The Far Mountains” marks Tabrizian’s follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut feature “Gholam,” also starring Hosseini and selected by The Guardian/Observer’s Mark Kermode as Film of the Week on its release. “Gholam” was theatrically released in the U.K. and major VOD platforms internationally.
“Gholam” producer Zadoc Nava at London-based Stray Dog Films will be introducing “The Far Mountains” at Locarno’s Match Me! where it looks like one of its highlights. at the networking initiative.
Written by Tabrizian and Cyrus Massoudi, the co-scribes of “Gholam,” “The Far Mountains” turns on Ali, a 12-year-old boy living in a small town in Iran whose mother disappeared when he was very young.
- 8/6/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The darling of Iranian cinema. Being not only the country’s highest earner at the box office but also the first-ever to win a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, and the Golden Bear at the 61st Berlinale. The colossal success of this drama made Asghar Farhadi a household name both domestically and overseas, granting him a seat in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ‘A Separation’ is another fine example of Farhadi’s expertise in crafting stories that examine family conflict and turmoil.
on Amazon
Legal documents fill out the opening shot, bringing with it an air of apathy, foreshadowing the combustible relationship between Nader (Payman Maadi) and his wife Simin (Leila Hatami). The camera then pans to a Pov of a magistrate in the crossfire of a verbal spat between the couple, each person one-upping the other in a tense he-says-she-says over their impending divorce.
on Amazon
Legal documents fill out the opening shot, bringing with it an air of apathy, foreshadowing the combustible relationship between Nader (Payman Maadi) and his wife Simin (Leila Hatami). The camera then pans to a Pov of a magistrate in the crossfire of a verbal spat between the couple, each person one-upping the other in a tense he-says-she-says over their impending divorce.
- 6/27/2022
- by Leon Overee
- AsianMoviePulse
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is no stranger to success at the Cannes Film Festival. While the three films of his that have premiered at Cannes haven’t won the coveted Palme d’Or, two have won other prizes at the festival. In 2013, Berenice Bejo won the Best Actress Award for her performance in “The Past.” Three years later, Shahab Hosseini won the Best Actor Award for his role in “The Salesman,” while Farhadi won Best Screenplay.
Continue reading ‘A Hero’ Clip: Asghar Farhadi’s Latest Cannes Drama Centers On A Good Samaritan at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘A Hero’ Clip: Asghar Farhadi’s Latest Cannes Drama Centers On A Good Samaritan at The Playlist.
- 7/14/2021
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
While it may not be Friday the 13th, Tuesday the 13th is still shaping up to be a great day for horror fans, as we have a ton of great Blu-ray and DVD releases to look forward to. For all you Phans out there, Well Go USA has put together a new box set celebrating the Phantasm series, complete with a replica silver sphere to boot, and for those of you who have been looking forward to Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition Blu of the House of Wax remake, your wait is nearly over. In terms of new horrors headed home this week, Held, Monster Seafood Wars, Queen of Spades and The Night (2020) are being released on Tuesday as well. And if you happened to miss it in theaters or on HBO Max earlier this year, you can finally catch up with the new Mortal Kombat tomorrow on a variety of formats.
- 7/12/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Any Day Now is the debut feature of Finnish-Iranian director Hamy Ramezan and screened in Berlinale’s Generation Kplus.
New Europe Film Sales has added a trio of deals on Any Day Now, the debut feature of Finnish-Iranian director and screenwriter Hamy Ramezan.
The film has sold for France (Urban Distribution), Poland (New Horizons Association) and Taiwan (AVjet).
Any Day Now screened in Berlinale’s Generation Kplus and will soon travel to the competition selection in the Generator +13 section of Giffoni (July 21-31).
The story follows a 13-year-old Iranian boy in Finland as his family waits to hear news about their asylum application.
New Europe Film Sales has added a trio of deals on Any Day Now, the debut feature of Finnish-Iranian director and screenwriter Hamy Ramezan.
The film has sold for France (Urban Distribution), Poland (New Horizons Association) and Taiwan (AVjet).
Any Day Now screened in Berlinale’s Generation Kplus and will soon travel to the competition selection in the Generator +13 section of Giffoni (July 21-31).
The story follows a 13-year-old Iranian boy in Finland as his family waits to hear news about their asylum application.
- 5/17/2021
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Amazon Studios has acquired U.S. rights to two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero,” which shot in Shiraz, Iran, and is now in post production. Amazon Studios is planning to release “A Hero” later in the year with an eye towards a 2022 awards corridor.
UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal with Memento Films International on behalf of the filmmaking team.
“A Hero” is one of the prestige films in the pipeline for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film stars well-known Iranian actors and boasts a suspenseful plot that’s still under wraps. Memento Films International said the script “tackles many contemporary issues of our modern societies.”
The anticipated Farsi-language movie marks Farhadi’s return to Iran, his homeland, where he previously directed “A Separation,” winner of Berlin’s Golden Bear, and “The Salesman,” both of which won Oscars for best foreign-language film.
“A Hero” is...
UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal with Memento Films International on behalf of the filmmaking team.
“A Hero” is one of the prestige films in the pipeline for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film stars well-known Iranian actors and boasts a suspenseful plot that’s still under wraps. Memento Films International said the script “tackles many contemporary issues of our modern societies.”
The anticipated Farsi-language movie marks Farhadi’s return to Iran, his homeland, where he previously directed “A Separation,” winner of Berlin’s Golden Bear, and “The Salesman,” both of which won Oscars for best foreign-language film.
“A Hero” is...
- 4/30/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Iranian filmmaker Kourosh Ahari has been working in the industry in the US for almost a decade, covering different roles and directing few short movies. His latest work, the horror film “The Night”, is an Iran-us co-production, which he has directed, co-written and edited, bravely shot almost exclusively in Farsi with an excellent Iranian cast and crew. The film is making a bit of history as it is the first US-produced film to receive a license for theatrical release in Iran since the revolution, and also because it’s an extremely rare representative of the horror genre, in a country that produces and watches mainly social dramas and comedies.
Mirrors are fascinating and baffling beasts. Their strong symbolic significance has always inspired artists’ and filmmakers’ imaginative metaphors for self-discovery and introspection. They magically allow us to stare into our own eyes and look behind us, inviting us to go past the shiny surface.
Mirrors are fascinating and baffling beasts. Their strong symbolic significance has always inspired artists’ and filmmakers’ imaginative metaphors for self-discovery and introspection. They magically allow us to stare into our own eyes and look behind us, inviting us to go past the shiny surface.
- 4/15/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Psychological horror-thriller launched in US via IFC Midnight in January.
Premiere Entertainment Group (Peg) has closed key international deals on psychological horror-thriller The Night, the US production about an Iranian couple starring Cannes 2016 best actor winner Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Noor.
Peg has licensed rights in Germany and Italy (Koch Media), France (Fip), Poland (M2), Cis (Voxell), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), and Latin America (Star).
Deals also closed in South Korea (Entermode), Taiwan (Vie Vision), Malaysia (Suraya), Vietnam (Green Media), Thailand (Movie Copyright), Indonesia (Falcon), and the Middle East (E4).
As previously announced North American rights holder IFC Midnight...
Premiere Entertainment Group (Peg) has closed key international deals on psychological horror-thriller The Night, the US production about an Iranian couple starring Cannes 2016 best actor winner Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Noor.
Peg has licensed rights in Germany and Italy (Koch Media), France (Fip), Poland (M2), Cis (Voxell), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), and Latin America (Star).
Deals also closed in South Korea (Entermode), Taiwan (Vie Vision), Malaysia (Suraya), Vietnam (Green Media), Thailand (Movie Copyright), Indonesia (Falcon), and the Middle East (E4).
As previously announced North American rights holder IFC Midnight...
- 4/9/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Genre festival planned a physical event but had to shift online due to the pandemic.
Josh Wallace and Devin Das’s US horror satire Keeping Company has won best feature at the inaugural Easter edition of UK genre film festival Grimmfest.
The film received its European premiere at the virtual festiva and follows two salesmen who knock on the wrong door and find themselves trapped in a stranger’s basement.
A special mention went to Kourosh Ahari’s The Night, an Iranian psychological horror starring Cannes award-winner Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman), which IFC Films acquired for North America last year...
Josh Wallace and Devin Das’s US horror satire Keeping Company has won best feature at the inaugural Easter edition of UK genre film festival Grimmfest.
The film received its European premiere at the virtual festiva and follows two salesmen who knock on the wrong door and find themselves trapped in a stranger’s basement.
A special mention went to Kourosh Ahari’s The Night, an Iranian psychological horror starring Cannes award-winner Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman), which IFC Films acquired for North America last year...
- 4/7/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
A young Iranian couple and their baby are the sole occupants of a Shining-style hotel in this effective supernatural thriller
The fundamental creepiness of hotels is the driving force behind this very potent supernatural mystery-thriller from Iranian-American film-maker Kourosh Ahari: the creepiness of their deserted corridors, their stately or shabby lobbies, and their anonymous rooms, whose blankness keeps the secret of their previous occupants.
It’s a creepiness that predates and is independent of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, though that’s admittedly an influence here. In modern-day Los Angeles, a young Iranian couple with a baby – Babak (Shahab Hosseini) and Neda (Niousha Noor) – are at a dinner party with friends in an unfamiliar part of town. They are tired and quarrelsome on the way home; Babak is really too drunk to drive, and Neda has lost her licence after an earlier run-in with a traffic cop, so they...
The fundamental creepiness of hotels is the driving force behind this very potent supernatural mystery-thriller from Iranian-American film-maker Kourosh Ahari: the creepiness of their deserted corridors, their stately or shabby lobbies, and their anonymous rooms, whose blankness keeps the secret of their previous occupants.
It’s a creepiness that predates and is independent of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, though that’s admittedly an influence here. In modern-day Los Angeles, a young Iranian couple with a baby – Babak (Shahab Hosseini) and Neda (Niousha Noor) – are at a dinner party with friends in an unfamiliar part of town. They are tired and quarrelsome on the way home; Babak is really too drunk to drive, and Neda has lost her licence after an earlier run-in with a traffic cop, so they...
- 3/30/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Paradigm and Rain Management Group have signed Kourosh Ahari, the Iranian-American director of IFC Midnight’s The Night.
Ahari also co-wrote and produced the psychological-thriller through his LA-based production banner Mammoth Pictures, along with his producing partner, Alex Bretow.
Ahari’s feature directorial debut The Night, which is currently on release in the U.S., stars Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman) and Niousha Jafarian (Here And Now).
The Persian-language film follows an exhausted married couple, Babak (Hosseini), Neda (Jafarian) and their baby who take shelter in the grand, but eerie Hotel Normandie after a night out with friends. Throughout a seemingly endless night, mysterious disturbances ruin their night’s rest as the couple soon realize they’re locked-in with a malevolent force that hungers for the dark secrets they’ve kept from one another.
According to the film’s producers, the film recently became the first U.S.-produced film...
Ahari also co-wrote and produced the psychological-thriller through his LA-based production banner Mammoth Pictures, along with his producing partner, Alex Bretow.
Ahari’s feature directorial debut The Night, which is currently on release in the U.S., stars Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman) and Niousha Jafarian (Here And Now).
The Persian-language film follows an exhausted married couple, Babak (Hosseini), Neda (Jafarian) and their baby who take shelter in the grand, but eerie Hotel Normandie after a night out with friends. Throughout a seemingly endless night, mysterious disturbances ruin their night’s rest as the couple soon realize they’re locked-in with a malevolent force that hungers for the dark secrets they’ve kept from one another.
According to the film’s producers, the film recently became the first U.S.-produced film...
- 3/10/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
New Europe Film Sales handles sales for Hamy Ramezan’s debut feature.
Screen can exclusively reveal the trailer for Hamy Ramezan’s debut feature Any Day Now, which is selected for Berlinale’s Generation Kplus.
New Europe Film Sales handles sales for the Finnish feature.
The story follows 13-year-old Ramin Mehdipour and his Iranian family, who are living in a refugee centre in Finland. Just as Ramin starts to enjoy the school holidays, the family receives the terrible news their asylum application has been denied. The Mehdipours file a final appeal, and they continue with their everyday lives.
The cast...
Screen can exclusively reveal the trailer for Hamy Ramezan’s debut feature Any Day Now, which is selected for Berlinale’s Generation Kplus.
New Europe Film Sales handles sales for the Finnish feature.
The story follows 13-year-old Ramin Mehdipour and his Iranian family, who are living in a refugee centre in Finland. Just as Ramin starts to enjoy the school holidays, the family receives the terrible news their asylum application has been denied. The Mehdipours file a final appeal, and they continue with their everyday lives.
The cast...
- 2/25/2021
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: After its stateside theatrical release of the IFC Midnight’s The Night in January, the Kourosh Ahari-directed thriller is set to have its theatrical premiere in Iran on February 24. Mammoth Pictures and Ayat Film Company’s release of the pic marks a historic moment as it is the first U.S.-produced film to have a wide theatrical release in Iran since the country’s revolution 40 years ago.
The Night is the feature directorial debut of Kourosh Ahari and stars Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini (Cannes 2016 Best Actor Winner Oscar-winning The Salesman), Niousha Jafarian (Here and Now) and George Maguire (The Pursuit of Happyness). The film also marks Hosseini’s debut performance in a US-based production.
The psychological thriller is cut from the same cloth of The Shining and follows an exhausted married couple, Babak (Hosseini), Neda (Jafarian) and their baby who take shelter in the grand, but eerie...
The Night is the feature directorial debut of Kourosh Ahari and stars Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini (Cannes 2016 Best Actor Winner Oscar-winning The Salesman), Niousha Jafarian (Here and Now) and George Maguire (The Pursuit of Happyness). The film also marks Hosseini’s debut performance in a US-based production.
The psychological thriller is cut from the same cloth of The Shining and follows an exhausted married couple, Babak (Hosseini), Neda (Jafarian) and their baby who take shelter in the grand, but eerie...
- 2/23/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The Berlin International Film Festival has set its full slate for the upcoming 2021 edition. Berlinale usually follows Sundance with a February festival, but the pandemic has forced organizers to develop a new festival format for 2021. The 71st Berlin International Film Festival is set to take place with the “Industry Event” from March 1 to 5, which will include the European Film Market (EFM), the Berlinale Co-Production Market, the Berlinale Talents, and the World Cinema Fund in online forms. From June 9 to 20, 2021 the Berlinale will launch a “Summer Special” with numerous film presentations in Berlin, both at indoor and outdoor cinemas.
Included in the March event is the traditional film festival slate, which includes the main Berlinale Competition lineup as well as sidebar sections such as Berlinale Special & Berlinale Series, Encounters, Berlinale Shorts, Panorama, Forum & Forum Expanded, Generation, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, and Retrospective. With the exception of the Retrospective, the films will be shown at the March event.
Included in the March event is the traditional film festival slate, which includes the main Berlinale Competition lineup as well as sidebar sections such as Berlinale Special & Berlinale Series, Encounters, Berlinale Shorts, Panorama, Forum & Forum Expanded, Generation, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, and Retrospective. With the exception of the Retrospective, the films will be shown at the March event.
- 2/11/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Kourosh Ahari’s ‘The Night’ and Lluís Danés’ ‘The Barcelona Vampiress’ to open genre festival.
UK genre film festival Grimmfest has revealed the line-up for its first Easter edition, which will open with Kourosh Ahari’s The Night and Lluís Danés’ The Barcelona Vampiress.
The spin-off event to Grimmfest was established after its traditional October festival was moved online, due to the pandemic, and was meant to mark a return to physical screenings for the organisation. But ongoing cinema closures and restrictions will also see the Grimmfest Easter Edition go virtual from April 1-5.
The festival will open with psychological horror The Night,...
UK genre film festival Grimmfest has revealed the line-up for its first Easter edition, which will open with Kourosh Ahari’s The Night and Lluís Danés’ The Barcelona Vampiress.
The spin-off event to Grimmfest was established after its traditional October festival was moved online, due to the pandemic, and was meant to mark a return to physical screenings for the organisation. But ongoing cinema closures and restrictions will also see the Grimmfest Easter Edition go virtual from April 1-5.
The festival will open with psychological horror The Night,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Generation, the Berlin Film Festival’s section for youth-centric movies, has unveiled its lineup, with a majority of its films directed by women.
Sixty per cent of the films are directed by women, and many of them feature “strong willed” female protagonists, the festival said, such as “Ninjababy,” in which Rakel is six months pregnant, but doesn’t want to become a mother. Other such films include “Short Vacation,” “Mission Ulja Funk” and “Nelly Rapp – Monster Agent.”
Many of the films immerse themselves in the worlds of young people, such as “The White Fortress,” “Stop-Zemlia,” “The Fam” and “Fighter.”
Generation features eight world premieres across its two competition programs, Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus, with the films coming from 17 countries. With four contributions each, productions from the Asian and Scandinavian countries are particularly well represented.
“The 15 films in this year’s Generation selection are an open invitation to go beyond the obvious,...
Sixty per cent of the films are directed by women, and many of them feature “strong willed” female protagonists, the festival said, such as “Ninjababy,” in which Rakel is six months pregnant, but doesn’t want to become a mother. Other such films include “Short Vacation,” “Mission Ulja Funk” and “Nelly Rapp – Monster Agent.”
Many of the films immerse themselves in the worlds of young people, such as “The White Fortress,” “Stop-Zemlia,” “The Fam” and “Fighter.”
Generation features eight world premieres across its two competition programs, Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus, with the films coming from 17 countries. With four contributions each, productions from the Asian and Scandinavian countries are particularly well represented.
“The 15 films in this year’s Generation selection are an open invitation to go beyond the obvious,...
- 2/8/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The 71st Berlin International Film Festival unveils its program this week, with the Generation and Retrospective sections kicking off proceedings today.
A total of 15 films are selected across the two youth-focused Generation competitions – Kplus and 14plus. Of the titles chosen, 60% are directed by female directors. Scroll down for the full list.
The movies come from the likes of Canada, China, and Korea. There are eight world premieres and six debuts. Films arriving from other festivals include the animation Cryptozoo, which was at Sundance and features Lake Bell and Michael Cera in its voice cast.
The 2021 Retrospective program will focus on the comedic work of three actresses – Mae West, Rosalind Russell, and Carole Lombard during the era when the Motion Picture Production Code (“Hays Code”) was coming into effect. There are 27 films in total, released between 1932 and 1943. They are also listed below.
Buyers will get the chance to view these movies during the virtual EFM,...
A total of 15 films are selected across the two youth-focused Generation competitions – Kplus and 14plus. Of the titles chosen, 60% are directed by female directors. Scroll down for the full list.
The movies come from the likes of Canada, China, and Korea. There are eight world premieres and six debuts. Films arriving from other festivals include the animation Cryptozoo, which was at Sundance and features Lake Bell and Michael Cera in its voice cast.
The 2021 Retrospective program will focus on the comedic work of three actresses – Mae West, Rosalind Russell, and Carole Lombard during the era when the Motion Picture Production Code (“Hays Code”) was coming into effect. There are 27 films in total, released between 1932 and 1943. They are also listed below.
Buyers will get the chance to view these movies during the virtual EFM,...
- 2/8/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Audiences who feel like their movie options have been a little light on actual movie stars this past month get a boost of A-list energy this weekend, between the Justin Timberblake small-town ex-con drama “Palmer” on Apple TV Plus and Netflix’s feel-good “Penguin Bloom,” in which a disabled woman played by Naomi Watts bonds with a baby magpie.
But the really starry option is Warner Bros.’ “The Little Things,” a big-budget serial-killer thriller starring three Oscar winners: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. With many theaters still shut, the studio release will debut simultaneously via streaming on HBO Max.
Those who appreciate such intensity (and don’t mind risking a drive-in or megaplex visit) may also want to consider A24’s buzzy midnight movie “Saint Maud.” Meanwhile, the home-bound crowd can find their frights on demand in Iranian chiller “The Night.”
Smaller distributors continue to push international Oscar submissions,...
But the really starry option is Warner Bros.’ “The Little Things,” a big-budget serial-killer thriller starring three Oscar winners: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. With many theaters still shut, the studio release will debut simultaneously via streaming on HBO Max.
Those who appreciate such intensity (and don’t mind risking a drive-in or megaplex visit) may also want to consider A24’s buzzy midnight movie “Saint Maud.” Meanwhile, the home-bound crowd can find their frights on demand in Iranian chiller “The Night.”
Smaller distributors continue to push international Oscar submissions,...
- 1/29/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Beginning (Dea Kulumbegashvili)
Originally a Cannes selection, then coming to San Sebastian, TIFF, and NYFF where it picked up deserved awards, the Georgian film Beginning is a difficult, sometimes brutal film to watch and then unpack. Déa Kulumbegashvili’s debut is a look at the confines, both religious and familial, put on one woman’s (Ia Sukhitashvili) life as she wrestles with outer and inner demons. Both a lonely and patient film, Beginning acts as mirror and portal, creating turmoil and strife for audience and subject. Challenging yet rewarding, Beginning is phenomenal. – Michael F.
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
The Dig (Simon Stone)
When Simon Stone’s...
Beginning (Dea Kulumbegashvili)
Originally a Cannes selection, then coming to San Sebastian, TIFF, and NYFF where it picked up deserved awards, the Georgian film Beginning is a difficult, sometimes brutal film to watch and then unpack. Déa Kulumbegashvili’s debut is a look at the confines, both religious and familial, put on one woman’s (Ia Sukhitashvili) life as she wrestles with outer and inner demons. Both a lonely and patient film, Beginning acts as mirror and portal, creating turmoil and strife for audience and subject. Challenging yet rewarding, Beginning is phenomenal. – Michael F.
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
The Dig (Simon Stone)
When Simon Stone’s...
- 1/29/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While playing a game of “mafia,” Babak (Shahab Hosseini) and Neda (Niousha Noor) are tasked with figuring out who amongst them (it’s an evening with friends rounded out by two more couples) are gangsters and who are citizens. The idea is to therefore lie if you’re the former. Pretend you’re innocent and point your finger elsewhere in hopes that the majority of players choose to “kill” the wrong person. A poker face is king and in this case salvation for those searching for one last victory before kababs are grilled and conversations move to more serious matters. That’s not to say this sort of deceit doesn’t also bleed into those matters too. Secrets are inevitable. They sometimes prove necessary. The question becomes whether you can stomach the guilt.
As a sudden toothache reveals, Babak’s constitution for keeping his shame at bay might not be as strong as he thought.
As a sudden toothache reveals, Babak’s constitution for keeping his shame at bay might not be as strong as he thought.
- 1/26/2021
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Director Kourosh Ahari made a big splash in the movie world last year as the director of the first US-produced film to receive a theatrical release in Iran since the revolution. The movie in question: The Night.
After a night spent with friends, Babak and Neda (Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Noor respectively) decide to take a break from the drive home and give their baby, and themselves, a bit of rest at the Hotel Normandie, a nice but creepy hotel – the only one nearby. The pair settle in for the night only to have their baby wake up. This is far from abnormal but what follows is a series of progressively stranger and creepier events that suggest an evil force has enticed the young family there for a reason.
While I'm not sure if it's simply the edit of t...
After a night spent with friends, Babak and Neda (Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Noor respectively) decide to take a break from the drive home and give their baby, and themselves, a bit of rest at the Hotel Normandie, a nice but creepy hotel – the only one nearby. The pair settle in for the night only to have their baby wake up. This is far from abnormal but what follows is a series of progressively stranger and creepier events that suggest an evil force has enticed the young family there for a reason.
While I'm not sure if it's simply the edit of t...
- 1/7/2021
- QuietEarth.us
"Where were you, just now?" IFC Films has debuted a new official US trailer for an indie film titled The Night, made by Iranian filmmaker Kourosh Ahari. This originally premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival last year, and it later screened at the Fajr, Sitges, Cinequest, and Nightstream Film Festivals as well. This unsettling horror is about an Iranian couple living in the US that becomes trapped inside a hotel when insidious events force them to face the secrets that have come between them. It becomes a night that never ends... The Night stars Shahab Hosseini, Leah Oganyan, Niousha Jafarian, George Maguire, and Gia Mora. This still looks heavily inspired by The Shining in many ways, but re-invented as an intriguing immigrant horror film about Iranians and the demons haunting their relationship. This one is worth a look. Here's the full-length US trailer (+ poster) for Kourosh Ahari's The Night,...
- 1/7/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
In her 4-star Nightstream review, Emily von Seele wrote that "Kourosh Ahari’s The Night is a deeply unsettling film that is both a haunting ghost story and affecting morality play," and you can now get an idea of what to expect in the official trailer ahead of its forthcoming release from IFC Midnight.
Written and directed by Kourosh Ahari, The Night stars Shahab Hosseini, Niousha Jafarian, and George Maguire. IFC Midnight will release the film in select theaters and on Digital and VOD beginning January 29th.
Synopsis: "The Night is a psychological thriller that follows an Iranian couple, Babak and Neda, and their one-year-old daughter, Shabnam. Returning home from a friend’s gathering, Babak drives drunkenly, too stubborn to let Neda drive with a suspended license. When Babak’s driving threatens the safety of the family, Neda insists they stay the night at a hotel. Once they check-in, Babak and Neda find themselves imprisoned,...
Written and directed by Kourosh Ahari, The Night stars Shahab Hosseini, Niousha Jafarian, and George Maguire. IFC Midnight will release the film in select theaters and on Digital and VOD beginning January 29th.
Synopsis: "The Night is a psychological thriller that follows an Iranian couple, Babak and Neda, and their one-year-old daughter, Shabnam. Returning home from a friend’s gathering, Babak drives drunkenly, too stubborn to let Neda drive with a suspended license. When Babak’s driving threatens the safety of the family, Neda insists they stay the night at a hotel. Once they check-in, Babak and Neda find themselves imprisoned,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman) is set to star as Iranian-American physicist and inventor Ali Javan in an upcoming biopic to be written and directed by Kourosh Ahari (The Night).
Javan first proposed the concept of the gas laser in 1959 at the Bell Telephone Laboratories. A successful prototype, constructed by him in collaboration with W. R. Bennett, Jr. and D. R. Herriott, was demonstrated in 1960. Javan also contributed to the fields of quantum physics and spectroscopy. His original 1960 helium neon-laser device is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History.
Ahari, Hosseini and producer Alex Bretow’...
Javan first proposed the concept of the gas laser in 1959 at the Bell Telephone Laboratories. A successful prototype, constructed by him in collaboration with W. R. Bennett, Jr. and D. R. Herriott, was demonstrated in 1960. Javan also contributed to the fields of quantum physics and spectroscopy. His original 1960 helium neon-laser device is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History.
Ahari, Hosseini and producer Alex Bretow’...
Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman) is set to star as Iranian-American physicist and inventor Ali Javan in an upcoming biopic to be written and directed by Kourosh Ahari (The Night).
Javan first proposed the concept of the gas laser in 1959 at the Bell Telephone Laboratories. A successful prototype, constructed by him in collaboration with W. R. Bennett, Jr. and D. R. Herriott, was demonstrated in 1960. Javan also contributed to the fields of quantum physics and spectroscopy. His original 1960 helium neon-laser device is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History.
Ahari, Hosseini and producer Alex Bretow’...
Javan first proposed the concept of the gas laser in 1959 at the Bell Telephone Laboratories. A successful prototype, constructed by him in collaboration with W. R. Bennett, Jr. and D. R. Herriott, was demonstrated in 1960. Javan also contributed to the fields of quantum physics and spectroscopy. His original 1960 helium neon-laser device is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History.
Ahari, Hosseini and producer Alex Bretow’...
"Did you hear that, too?" Mammoth Pictures has unveiled an official US trailer for an indie film titled The Night, made by Iranian filmmaker Kourosh Ahari. This originally premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival at the beginning of the year, and it screened at the Fajr, Sitges, Cinequest, and Nightstream Film Festivals. This unsettling horror is about an Iranian couple living in the US that becomes trapped inside a hotel when insidious events force them to face the secrets that have come between them. It becomes a night that never ends. Starring Shahab Hosseini, Leah Oganyan, Niousha Jafarian, George Maguire, and Gia Mora. This looks like it's inspired quite a bit by The Shining, playing on cultural differences and using the freakiness of a US hotel to seriously scare this couple. And it certainly does look freaky and unsettling. Here's the official US trailer (+ poster) for Kourosh Ahari's The Night,...
- 11/12/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Demons of the mind come alive in a cavernous Los Angeles hotel in “The Night,” a scary and stylish psychological horror thriller by Iranian American director Kourosh Ahari. Featuring excellent performances by Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Jafarian (“Here and Now”) as a married couple with a baby daughter and a frayed relationship, this predominantly Farsi-language production sneaks up on viewers and delivers a knockout final act.
The first U.S. production approved for commercial exhibition in Iran since 1979, “The Night” has been acquired by IFC Midnight, which aims to release it in North American cinemas in January 2021. Comparisons with Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” are inevitable for just about any film about people stuck in a haunted old hotel building. Ahari and co-writer Milad Jarmooz take this in stride, nodding here and there to Kubrick’s classic while stamping this visit to a hostile hostelry with its own distinct personality.
The first U.S. production approved for commercial exhibition in Iran since 1979, “The Night” has been acquired by IFC Midnight, which aims to release it in North American cinemas in January 2021. Comparisons with Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” are inevitable for just about any film about people stuck in a haunted old hotel building. Ahari and co-writer Milad Jarmooz take this in stride, nodding here and there to Kubrick’s classic while stamping this visit to a hostile hostelry with its own distinct personality.
- 10/27/2020
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
Kourosh Ahari’s The Night is a deeply unsettling film that is both a haunting ghost story and affecting morality play.
When Babak (Shahab Hosseini) and Neda (Niousha Jafarian) get lost after leaving a friend’s dinner party, they decide to stop at a hotel for the night. They check into the Hotel Normandie and try to settle their infant daughter for a night’s rest. The hotel is a peculiar one—it has the makings of a once classy destination, but has fallen into a state of disrepair, which gives it an overall eerie feeling.
Babak and Neda begin to get settled and eventually go to sleep, but it is to be a short repose. Soon, they hear banging on their door, noises from above, and the occasional, insistent cry of a child calling for his mother. Their investigation yields few results, and their attempt to contact the front...
When Babak (Shahab Hosseini) and Neda (Niousha Jafarian) get lost after leaving a friend’s dinner party, they decide to stop at a hotel for the night. They check into the Hotel Normandie and try to settle their infant daughter for a night’s rest. The hotel is a peculiar one—it has the makings of a once classy destination, but has fallen into a state of disrepair, which gives it an overall eerie feeling.
Babak and Neda begin to get settled and eventually go to sleep, but it is to be a short repose. Soon, they hear banging on their door, noises from above, and the occasional, insistent cry of a child calling for his mother. Their investigation yields few results, and their attempt to contact the front...
- 10/13/2020
- by Emily von Seele
- DailyDead
IFC Midnight to release in North America in January 2021.
Premiere Entertainment Group (Peg) has boarded international sales on The Night ahead of the psychological horror film’s international premiere at Sitges.
North American rights holder IFC Midnight plans a January 2021 launch for the film starring Cannes best actor winner Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman), said to be the first US-produced film to receive a license for theatrical release in Iran since 1979.
Kourosh Ahari directed the story about an Iranian couple and their one-year-old daughter on the way home from a social event who spend the night in a hotel where they...
Premiere Entertainment Group (Peg) has boarded international sales on The Night ahead of the psychological horror film’s international premiere at Sitges.
North American rights holder IFC Midnight plans a January 2021 launch for the film starring Cannes best actor winner Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman), said to be the first US-produced film to receive a license for theatrical release in Iran since 1979.
Kourosh Ahari directed the story about an Iranian couple and their one-year-old daughter on the way home from a social event who spend the night in a hotel where they...
- 10/7/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Premiere Entertainment handles international sales.
IFC Midnight has picked up North American rights to Iranian psychological horror The Night starring Shahab Hosseini, winner of the Cannes best actor prize for The Salesman.
The distributor said The Night is the first US-produced film to receive a license for theatrical release in Iran since 1979, and also marks Hosseini’s debut performance in a US-based production.
Further details about the Iranian release were unavailable at time of writing.
Mammoth Pictures produced in association with 7Skies Entertainment, Indie Entertainment, Orama Filmworks, Leveller Media and Supernova8 Films.
IFC Midnight plans a January 2021 for the story...
IFC Midnight has picked up North American rights to Iranian psychological horror The Night starring Shahab Hosseini, winner of the Cannes best actor prize for The Salesman.
The distributor said The Night is the first US-produced film to receive a license for theatrical release in Iran since 1979, and also marks Hosseini’s debut performance in a US-based production.
Further details about the Iranian release were unavailable at time of writing.
Mammoth Pictures produced in association with 7Skies Entertainment, Indie Entertainment, Orama Filmworks, Leveller Media and Supernova8 Films.
IFC Midnight plans a January 2021 for the story...
- 9/16/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Kourosh Ahari’s The Night made history as the first U.S.-produced film to receive a license receive a theatrical release in Iran. Now, IFC Midnight has acquired the North American rights to the psychological thriller which will be released January 2021.
The Night marks Ahari’s feature directorial debut and stars Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Jafarian as an Iranian couple who find themselves locked inside an old hotel with their one-year-old daughter. While attempting to make the best of this creepy hotel, an outside force pushes them to share the secrets they’ve hidden from each other. How, and if, they check out depends on how carefully they question everything and anyone that comes across their path. The film also features George Maguire.
“We feel elated that we have found...
The Night marks Ahari’s feature directorial debut and stars Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Jafarian as an Iranian couple who find themselves locked inside an old hotel with their one-year-old daughter. While attempting to make the best of this creepy hotel, an outside force pushes them to share the secrets they’ve hidden from each other. How, and if, they check out depends on how carefully they question everything and anyone that comes across their path. The film also features George Maguire.
“We feel elated that we have found...
- 9/16/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Kourosh Ahari-directed psychological thriller The Night has landed a license for theatrical release in Iran. This is a historic benchmark for the country’s filmmaking community as it is the first U.S.-produced film to receive a license for theatrical release in Iran since the revolution.
Iran’s strict guidelines about what can be released theatrically in the country and its impact on artistic expression has received backlash from Iranian filmmakers including Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil), Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) as well as Rakhshan Bani Etemad. The country’s guidelines also require films to obtain a permit on a script before going into production. The Night, which is a U.S. and Iran co-production, managed to receive this permit before the Trump Administration’s new Iran sanctions at the end of 2018.
Shot stateside, The Night marks Ahari’s feature directorial debut and stars Shahab Hosseini...
Iran’s strict guidelines about what can be released theatrically in the country and its impact on artistic expression has received backlash from Iranian filmmakers including Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil), Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) as well as Rakhshan Bani Etemad. The country’s guidelines also require films to obtain a permit on a script before going into production. The Night, which is a U.S. and Iran co-production, managed to receive this permit before the Trump Administration’s new Iran sanctions at the end of 2018.
Shot stateside, The Night marks Ahari’s feature directorial debut and stars Shahab Hosseini...
- 7/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
For its first edition the International Migration Film Festival has assembled a diverse lineup of eight titles tackling the plight of refugees and migrants around the world and running the gamut from feelgood comedy to gut-wrenching dramas and docs.
They will vie for a best feature film award worth €15,000 and also a prize for most inspiring script worth €5,000, both to be decided by a prestigious international jury comprising Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who serves as jury president, American actor Danny Glover, Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini, Bosnian actor Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig, and British costume designer Sandy Powell.
The selection, which will be visible in Turkey June 14-21 on the FestivalScope platform, serves as a nice primer of recent pics tackling the topic, but also as “a reminder to not let people forget about refugees” during this time when the coronavirus pandemic – which has also greatly added to...
They will vie for a best feature film award worth €15,000 and also a prize for most inspiring script worth €5,000, both to be decided by a prestigious international jury comprising Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who serves as jury president, American actor Danny Glover, Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini, Bosnian actor Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig, and British costume designer Sandy Powell.
The selection, which will be visible in Turkey June 14-21 on the FestivalScope platform, serves as a nice primer of recent pics tackling the topic, but also as “a reminder to not let people forget about refugees” during this time when the coronavirus pandemic – which has also greatly added to...
- 6/15/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Turkey, which hosts the largest number of migrants in the world, is launching the International Migration Film Festival that aims to boost awareness of their plight and will also serve as a primer of global cinematic output on this timely topic.
There are currently an estimated roughly 4 million migrants in Turkey, most of whom are refugees from war-torn Syria. The festival is a Turkish government initiative being organized by a team of independent local film event professionals. For its first edition the team has assembled a rich lineup of more than 40 films from 25 countries and recruited some big names including Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who serves as jury president (see interview), F. Murray Abraham, Danny Glover, Lone Scherfig, Matt Dillon and Turkish star Tuba Buyukustun, her country’s first International Emmy Award Nominee, also known across the Middle East as Lamiss.
Abraham, who is the son of a Syrian migrant and...
There are currently an estimated roughly 4 million migrants in Turkey, most of whom are refugees from war-torn Syria. The festival is a Turkish government initiative being organized by a team of independent local film event professionals. For its first edition the team has assembled a rich lineup of more than 40 films from 25 countries and recruited some big names including Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who serves as jury president (see interview), F. Murray Abraham, Danny Glover, Lone Scherfig, Matt Dillon and Turkish star Tuba Buyukustun, her country’s first International Emmy Award Nominee, also known across the Middle East as Lamiss.
Abraham, who is the son of a Syrian migrant and...
- 6/15/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Shahab Hosseini, director Kourosh Ahari and producer Alex Bretow have formed the company Pol Media. With "pol" translating to "bridge" in Farsi, the distribution and production company aims to "bridge the gap" between Iranian and international art, culture and cinema with that of the U.S.
Pol Media will distribute Iranian and other international films both within the U.S. and abroad while also producing live events, including appearances from Iranian and international actors and filmmakers, as well as other artistic, cultural and cinematic programs.
The newly formed company already has produced a live masterclass ...
Pol Media will distribute Iranian and other international films both within the U.S. and abroad while also producing live events, including appearances from Iranian and international actors and filmmakers, as well as other artistic, cultural and cinematic programs.
The newly formed company already has produced a live masterclass ...
- 4/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor Shahab Hosseini, director Kourosh Ahari and producer Alex Bretow have formed the company Pol Media. With "pol" translating to "bridge" in Farsi, the distribution and production company aims to "bridge the gap" between Iranian and international art, culture and cinema with that of the U.S.
Pol Media will distribute Iranian and other international films both within the U.S. and abroad while also producing live events, including appearances from Iranian and international actors and filmmakers, as well as other artistic, cultural and cinematic programs.
The newly formed company already has produced a live masterclass ...
Pol Media will distribute Iranian and other international films both within the U.S. and abroad while also producing live events, including appearances from Iranian and international actors and filmmakers, as well as other artistic, cultural and cinematic programs.
The newly formed company already has produced a live masterclass ...
- 4/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Jan Naszewski’s Warsaw-based sales company has boarded Finnish-Iranian Hamy Ramezan’s debut feature “Any Day Now,” to be shown as a work in progress at Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market, Which Runs Jan 30.-Feb 2.
Ramezan’s drama, produced by Aamu Film Company (“The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki”), already enjoys a strong buzz from earlier industry pitch events such as Helsinki’s Finnish Film Affair where the film was handed the Best Project Award.
The realistic drama is inspired by the director’s own experience as a refugee who fled the Iran-Iraq conflict with his family and landed in Finland in 1990.
Co-written by Ramezan and Antti Rautava, the story follows 13-year-old Ramin Mehdipour, of Iranian origin, who is enjoying a perfect summer in a small Finnish town. A few weeks before the new school year, his family gets the news that the Finnish Immigration Service has...
Ramezan’s drama, produced by Aamu Film Company (“The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki”), already enjoys a strong buzz from earlier industry pitch events such as Helsinki’s Finnish Film Affair where the film was handed the Best Project Award.
The realistic drama is inspired by the director’s own experience as a refugee who fled the Iran-Iraq conflict with his family and landed in Finland in 1990.
Co-written by Ramezan and Antti Rautava, the story follows 13-year-old Ramin Mehdipour, of Iranian origin, who is enjoying a perfect summer in a small Finnish town. A few weeks before the new school year, his family gets the news that the Finnish Immigration Service has...
- 1/17/2020
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
The proejct won the Best Pitch Award at Tallinn Black Nights in 2018.
A year after winning the Screen International Best Pitch Award at the Baltic Event co-production market in Tallin, the Finnish filmmakers behind immigration drama The Oasis Of Now are now shooting the film in Finland.
Director Hamy Ramezan and his producers Emilia Hauka and Jussi Rantamäki of Helsinki-based Aamu Film Company shot the film on locations in Finland from mid-August until the end of September and it is now in post-production. They are aiming to submit the film to Cannes 2020.
Inspired by Ramezan’s own experiences as his...
A year after winning the Screen International Best Pitch Award at the Baltic Event co-production market in Tallin, the Finnish filmmakers behind immigration drama The Oasis Of Now are now shooting the film in Finland.
Director Hamy Ramezan and his producers Emilia Hauka and Jussi Rantamäki of Helsinki-based Aamu Film Company shot the film on locations in Finland from mid-August until the end of September and it is now in post-production. They are aiming to submit the film to Cannes 2020.
Inspired by Ramezan’s own experiences as his...
- 11/28/2019
- by 158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦
- ScreenDaily
Hamy Ramezan’s immigration drama in post-production
A year after winning the Screen International Best Pitch Award at the Baltic Event co-production market in Tallin, the filmmakers behind immigration drama The Oasis Of Now are getting the feature ready for release.
Director Hamy Ramezan and his producers Emilia Hauka and Jussi Rantamäki of Helsinki-based Aamu Film Company shot the film at locations in Finland from mid-August until the end of September and it is now in post-production.
Inspired by Ramezan’s own experiences as his family fled from persecution in Iran before arriving in Finland in 1990, it centres on the...
A year after winning the Screen International Best Pitch Award at the Baltic Event co-production market in Tallin, the filmmakers behind immigration drama The Oasis Of Now are getting the feature ready for release.
Director Hamy Ramezan and his producers Emilia Hauka and Jussi Rantamäki of Helsinki-based Aamu Film Company shot the film at locations in Finland from mid-August until the end of September and it is now in post-production.
Inspired by Ramezan’s own experiences as his family fled from persecution in Iran before arriving in Finland in 1990, it centres on the...
- 11/28/2019
- by 158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦
- ScreenDaily
Maria Pirkkalainen now heads the Helsinki event, which attracted 400 industry attendees.
The Finnish Film Affair wraps today with its best project award going to Oasis Of Now, the debut feature of Finnish-Iranian director and screenwriter Hamy Ramezan. The story follows a family seeking asylum in Finland, and Shahab Hosseini will lead the cast.
Jussi Rantamäki and Emilia Haukka of Aamu Film Company will produce; the company’s credits include Cannes award-winner The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki. The best project prize comes with a cash award of €3000 ($3320) to support the film’s international marketing.
“The film has...
The Finnish Film Affair wraps today with its best project award going to Oasis Of Now, the debut feature of Finnish-Iranian director and screenwriter Hamy Ramezan. The story follows a family seeking asylum in Finland, and Shahab Hosseini will lead the cast.
Jussi Rantamäki and Emilia Haukka of Aamu Film Company will produce; the company’s credits include Cannes award-winner The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki. The best project prize comes with a cash award of €3000 ($3320) to support the film’s international marketing.
“The film has...
- 9/19/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
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