“Some people believe in God,” declares Erez (an excellent Omer Perelman Striks) when he arrives at training camp to compete for Israel’s Olympic swim team. “I believe in Madonna.” And thus, both he and writer-director Adam Kalderon (“Marzipan Flowers”) announce their intentions with “The Swimmer”: neither plans to stay in his own lane.
Kalderon lingers so long on the swimmers’ bodies — in and out of their Speedos — that the movie could easily be taken for a cheerfully gratuitous indulgence. Which much of it is, and with no excuses. But if you can look past the shower scenes, it suddenly becomes clear that he’s telling just as much as he’s showing.
If Erez has staked his personal ethos on Madonna, his trainers are focused on other directions entirely. “Swimming is an individual sport,” his severe coach Dima (Igal Reznik) warns, when he notices Erez eyeing his competitor...
Kalderon lingers so long on the swimmers’ bodies — in and out of their Speedos — that the movie could easily be taken for a cheerfully gratuitous indulgence. Which much of it is, and with no excuses. But if you can look past the shower scenes, it suddenly becomes clear that he’s telling just as much as he’s showing.
If Erez has staked his personal ethos on Madonna, his trainers are focused on other directions entirely. “Swimming is an individual sport,” his severe coach Dima (Igal Reznik) warns, when he notices Erez eyeing his competitor...
- 10/6/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announced on Tuesday that the institution, which is now under construction in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park, will open in 2025.
In 2017, Los Angeles won the location sweepstakes over San Francisco for George Lucas’ one-of-a-kind museum, which will house art from films including Lucas’ own “Star Wars,” as well as photography, Renaissance paintings, and ancient Roman mosaics. When construction began in 2018, it was expected to open in 2022, then was delayed to 2023.
Sandra Jackson-Dumont, director and CEO of the museum, shared the “significant progress” already made on the five-story, 300,000-square-foot building, which will be surrounded by a park and gardens on its 11-acre campus.
Also Read:
Actor and Activist Omar Sharif Jr. Takes on New Role at Holocaust Museum LA (Exclusive Photos)
She also told The Hollywood Reporter that the museum, which will include two 299-seat movie theaters, will house the Lucasfilm archive.
“It’s humbling...
In 2017, Los Angeles won the location sweepstakes over San Francisco for George Lucas’ one-of-a-kind museum, which will house art from films including Lucas’ own “Star Wars,” as well as photography, Renaissance paintings, and ancient Roman mosaics. When construction began in 2018, it was expected to open in 2022, then was delayed to 2023.
Sandra Jackson-Dumont, director and CEO of the museum, shared the “significant progress” already made on the five-story, 300,000-square-foot building, which will be surrounded by a park and gardens on its 11-acre campus.
Also Read:
Actor and Activist Omar Sharif Jr. Takes on New Role at Holocaust Museum LA (Exclusive Photos)
She also told The Hollywood Reporter that the museum, which will include two 299-seat movie theaters, will house the Lucasfilm archive.
“It’s humbling...
- 9/21/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Omar Sharif Jr. got early career advice from his celebrated grandfather, the legendary Hollywood actor Omar Sharif best known for his Golden Globe-winning performances in 1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia” and the title role in 1965’s “Dr. Zhivago”: Acting is not enough.
“My grandfather used to always say there’s nothing more boring than being an actor,” the 38-year-old Sharif told TheWrap with a chuckle. “Later on in his life, he used to take roles just literally to pay off gambling debts. It wasn’t for anything else. It was to cover costs at the racetrack.”
Despite his grandfather’s words, Omar Sharif Jr. did become an actor — and he recently joined the cast of the long-running Israeli rom-com series “Beauty and the Baker.” But being a performer is indeed not enough for the younger Sharif, who has been an outspoken LGBTQ activist since famously coming out as gay in...
“My grandfather used to always say there’s nothing more boring than being an actor,” the 38-year-old Sharif told TheWrap with a chuckle. “Later on in his life, he used to take roles just literally to pay off gambling debts. It wasn’t for anything else. It was to cover costs at the racetrack.”
Despite his grandfather’s words, Omar Sharif Jr. did become an actor — and he recently joined the cast of the long-running Israeli rom-com series “Beauty and the Baker.” But being a performer is indeed not enough for the younger Sharif, who has been an outspoken LGBTQ activist since famously coming out as gay in...
- 9/9/2022
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) continued its yearlong centennial celebration with “100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service,” an unforgettable evening of musical performances, tributes, and inspirational storytelling at The Lot at Formosa in West Hollywood, CA.
During the show, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg received the Silver Medallion Award while Adam Scott, Jodie Foster, Yvette Nicole Brown, Harry Northup, Casey Wasserman, Jim Gianopulos, and Peter Goldwyn took to the stage. The evening featured musical performances by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Ledisi, Tori Kelly, and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies. Amanda Kloots, Cameron Monaghan, Carla Renata, Chuck Lorre, Heather Dowling, J. Lee, Kimberly Pierce, Mallory Weggemann, Natasha Bassett, Nicky Whelan, Omar Sharif Jr., Patrick Fabian, Pierson Fodé, Saxon Sharbino, and Tia Carrere also appeared at the benefit. The event was presented by City National Bank, Delta Air Lines, and UCLA Health, with support from Diamond sponsors Directors Guild of America,...
During the show, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg received the Silver Medallion Award while Adam Scott, Jodie Foster, Yvette Nicole Brown, Harry Northup, Casey Wasserman, Jim Gianopulos, and Peter Goldwyn took to the stage. The evening featured musical performances by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Ledisi, Tori Kelly, and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies. Amanda Kloots, Cameron Monaghan, Carla Renata, Chuck Lorre, Heather Dowling, J. Lee, Kimberly Pierce, Mallory Weggemann, Natasha Bassett, Nicky Whelan, Omar Sharif Jr., Patrick Fabian, Pierson Fodé, Saxon Sharbino, and Tia Carrere also appeared at the benefit. The event was presented by City National Bank, Delta Air Lines, and UCLA Health, with support from Diamond sponsors Directors Guild of America,...
- 6/22/2022
- Look to the Stars
Click here to read the full article.
When Jeffrey Katzenberg was a kid growing up in New York, his father Walter, “a very successful, man-about-town stockbroker,” always carried a wad of discreetly folded 100 bills. As he moved through the day, Walter would “quietly and stealthily” slip one to people in his orbit, whether it be “a doorman, a waiter, a valet, someone standing on the street with a sign about needing help, a maid, a taxi driver, a guitarist on a corner.”
One day, Jeffrey asked his father to explain the generous habit. “He asked me if I ever looked behind us. I said, ‘No,’ and he said, ‘Well, the next time we’re out together, please look back and tell me what you see,’” Jeffrey recalled from the stage Saturday night during the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s 100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service. “The next day, I...
When Jeffrey Katzenberg was a kid growing up in New York, his father Walter, “a very successful, man-about-town stockbroker,” always carried a wad of discreetly folded 100 bills. As he moved through the day, Walter would “quietly and stealthily” slip one to people in his orbit, whether it be “a doorman, a waiter, a valet, someone standing on the street with a sign about needing help, a maid, a taxi driver, a guitarist on a corner.”
One day, Jeffrey asked his father to explain the generous habit. “He asked me if I ever looked behind us. I said, ‘No,’ and he said, ‘Well, the next time we’re out together, please look back and tell me what you see,’” Jeffrey recalled from the stage Saturday night during the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s 100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service. “The next day, I...
- 6/20/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”
Playing a lesbian on the second season of Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” isn’t the first time that Julianna Margulies has taken on a gay role. She and Kyra Sedgwick played a couple in the 2000 indie “What’s Cooking?” However, that was years before there was a push for LGBTQ actors to be cast in LGBTQ roles. During an appearance on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast, I asked Margulies if she had any reservations about playing gay on “The Morning Show.” “Who’s to say I haven’t had my own gay experiences?” Margulies says. “We’re making assumptions.”
In “The Morning Show,” Margulies is an out television news reporter who ends up dating Bradley, played by Reese Witherspoon. “You’ve got Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon playing these two very strong characters, and in the...
Playing a lesbian on the second season of Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” isn’t the first time that Julianna Margulies has taken on a gay role. She and Kyra Sedgwick played a couple in the 2000 indie “What’s Cooking?” However, that was years before there was a push for LGBTQ actors to be cast in LGBTQ roles. During an appearance on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast, I asked Margulies if she had any reservations about playing gay on “The Morning Show.” “Who’s to say I haven’t had my own gay experiences?” Margulies says. “We’re making assumptions.”
In “The Morning Show,” Margulies is an out television news reporter who ends up dating Bradley, played by Reese Witherspoon. “You’ve got Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon playing these two very strong characters, and in the...
- 10/13/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
On Tuesday morning, just before President Biden addressed the United Nations for the first time, more than 80 celebrities and entertainment figures issued an open letter to world leaders calling for them to end “the Covid-19 pandemic now.”
The letter, which mentioned the United Nations General Assembly Session specifically, was posted on the website of Care, an organization dedicated to ending poverty worldwide. It was signed by a raft of boldfaced names, including Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Anne Hathaway, Malin Akerman, Debbie Allen, Jordana Brewster, Connie Britton, Ciara, Peter Dinklage, Richard Gere, Dolores Huerta, Joel McHale, Iman, Edward James Olmos, Laura Linney, Julianna Margulies, Joel McHale, Idina Menzel, Ana Ortiz, Adam Shankman, Michael Sheen, Adam Shulman and Sarah Silverman. For a full list of signatories, see below.
Specifically, the letter calls Covid “a manmade pandemic of apathy.” It states that “Only 2% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose.
The letter, which mentioned the United Nations General Assembly Session specifically, was posted on the website of Care, an organization dedicated to ending poverty worldwide. It was signed by a raft of boldfaced names, including Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Anne Hathaway, Malin Akerman, Debbie Allen, Jordana Brewster, Connie Britton, Ciara, Peter Dinklage, Richard Gere, Dolores Huerta, Joel McHale, Iman, Edward James Olmos, Laura Linney, Julianna Margulies, Joel McHale, Idina Menzel, Ana Ortiz, Adam Shankman, Michael Sheen, Adam Shulman and Sarah Silverman. For a full list of signatories, see below.
Specifically, the letter calls Covid “a manmade pandemic of apathy.” It states that “Only 2% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose.
- 9/21/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
On September 17, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (Etaf) honored Billy Porter, Dr. Anthony Fauci, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and Sandra Thurman with the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award at The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS fundraising gala.
Rising singer-songwriter, Jake Wesley Rogers performed at the event. The evening was generously supported by Presenting Sponsor, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Additional sponsors for the event were Diamond Sponsor Bvlgari and American Airlines, Etaf’s official airline.
During his speech, Billy Porter shared, “I came out in 1985. It was at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. We’ve been fighting for our lives ever since and I am proud to stand here, but I will say that in 2007, I had a secret – a secret that was so shameful that I held it in for 14 years. I had all the information, I was supposed to know better, and I got this anyway.
Rising singer-songwriter, Jake Wesley Rogers performed at the event. The evening was generously supported by Presenting Sponsor, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Additional sponsors for the event were Diamond Sponsor Bvlgari and American Airlines, Etaf’s official airline.
During his speech, Billy Porter shared, “I came out in 1985. It was at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. We’ve been fighting for our lives ever since and I am proud to stand here, but I will say that in 2007, I had a secret – a secret that was so shameful that I held it in for 14 years. I had all the information, I was supposed to know better, and I got this anyway.
- 9/21/2021
- Look to the Stars
The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (Etaf) today announced actor, activist and fashion icon Billy Porter will be honored at The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS fundraising gala on September 17, 2021, joining previously announced honorees Dr. Anthony Fauci, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and Sandra Thurman.
All four will be honored with the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award. Rising singer-songwriter, Jake Wesley Rogers will perform at the event, which will be generously supported by Presenting Sponsor, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Additional sponsors for the event are Diamond Sponsor Bvlgari and American Airlines, Etaf’s official airline.
Billy Porter is an Emmy, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright. His electric portrayal of ‘Pray Tell’ in the FX’s breakthrough series “Pose,” earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, and Television Critics Association nominations.
All four will be honored with the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award. Rising singer-songwriter, Jake Wesley Rogers will perform at the event, which will be generously supported by Presenting Sponsor, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Additional sponsors for the event are Diamond Sponsor Bvlgari and American Airlines, Etaf’s official airline.
Billy Porter is an Emmy, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright. His electric portrayal of ‘Pray Tell’ in the FX’s breakthrough series “Pose,” earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, and Television Critics Association nominations.
- 9/2/2021
- Look to the Stars
Today is a special day for us at the site. Our chief film critic Nicholas Bell will see his first screenplay brought to the big screen with the likes of Fanny Ardant, Haaz Sleiman, Omar Sharif Jr., and Adam Davenport. Titled Personal Trainer the erotic thriller will be Stephen Riscica‘s directorial debut. Nicholas worked in collaboration with Davenport and Riscica. Production is set to take place in Serbia. The film is being produced by Martine Melloul of Kali Pictures and Davenport and Marko Ckonjevic for Fame Solutions, with Dragan Djurković of Vision Team overseeing production in Serbia. Lee Filipovski is associate producing, while Chris Myers of Global Resource Advisors and Gato Scatena and Jordan Rosner of Scatena & Rosner Films are on board as executive producers.…...
- 6/22/2021
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Erotic thriller “Personal Trainer” has chiseled out its cast.
The feature debut for director Stephen Riscica has cast legendary French actor Fanny Ardant, as well as “Visitor” star Haaz Sleiman, Omar Sharif Jr. and Adam Davenport in lead roles. Scatena & Rosner Films is handling international sales for the feature, kicking things off at the Cannes Film Market.
Described as being like Rob Reiner’s “‘Misery’ on steroids,” the film focuses on the relationship between an obsessive personal trainer and his client, and the extremes they are pushed to. It centers around Claude (Sleiman), an American expat who has used his privilege to sexually manipulate men, and has relocated to Serbia during the pandemic to avoid looming legal troubles following the accidental death of a man he spent an evening with. Claude moves into the estate of his mother Gwen (Ardant), a half-Serb, half-French retired entrepreneur with powerful connections.
Although committed to her son’s well-being,...
The feature debut for director Stephen Riscica has cast legendary French actor Fanny Ardant, as well as “Visitor” star Haaz Sleiman, Omar Sharif Jr. and Adam Davenport in lead roles. Scatena & Rosner Films is handling international sales for the feature, kicking things off at the Cannes Film Market.
Described as being like Rob Reiner’s “‘Misery’ on steroids,” the film focuses on the relationship between an obsessive personal trainer and his client, and the extremes they are pushed to. It centers around Claude (Sleiman), an American expat who has used his privilege to sexually manipulate men, and has relocated to Serbia during the pandemic to avoid looming legal troubles following the accidental death of a man he spent an evening with. Claude moves into the estate of his mother Gwen (Ardant), a half-Serb, half-French retired entrepreneur with powerful connections.
Although committed to her son’s well-being,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Captivated by the seemingly many personas of late actor Omar Sharif, Egyptian filmmaker Mark Lotfy and Swedish director Axel Petersén delved into the legendary star’s eventful career, tracing how the politics of 1950s Egypt formed the international star’s complex character.
Their new documentary, “The Life and Times of Omar Sharif,” shows in particular how the policies of President Gamal Abdel Nasser and the political climate of the time led him to change his name and convert to Islam, and later to become a cosmopolitan individual who was equally at home in Cairo, Paris or Los Angeles.
Sharif’s life and career are described as a “dramatic balancing act, set on an East-West axis, illustrated by the hundreds of characters he played, on and off screen, in the changing political landscapes of Hollywood and the Middle East.”
Produced by Sigrid Helleday’s Stockholm-based Fedra in co-production with Lotfy’s...
Their new documentary, “The Life and Times of Omar Sharif,” shows in particular how the policies of President Gamal Abdel Nasser and the political climate of the time led him to change his name and convert to Islam, and later to become a cosmopolitan individual who was equally at home in Cairo, Paris or Los Angeles.
Sharif’s life and career are described as a “dramatic balancing act, set on an East-West axis, illustrated by the hundreds of characters he played, on and off screen, in the changing political landscapes of Hollywood and the Middle East.”
Produced by Sigrid Helleday’s Stockholm-based Fedra in co-production with Lotfy’s...
- 4/28/2021
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Actor and LGBTQ advocate Omar Sharif Jr. is set to join the third season of the Israeli series The Baker and The Beauty from Keshet Studios.
Created by Assi Azar, the series goes by the Hebrew name Lehiyot Ita and is one of the most popular and watched series in Israel. The romantic dramedy which debuted in 2013 follows the love story between a simple baker Amos (Avraham Aviv Alush) and a wealthy international superstar Noa (Rotem Sela Rotem Sela). Sharif Jr. will recur as a Hollywood agent from Lebanon.
The Baker and the Beauty became a global sensation when Keshet International sold the original series in Hebrew in multiple foreign markets, including to Britain’s Channel 4 VOD platform, Walter Presents. The show has inspired multiple adaptations and remakes, including an American version produced by Keshet Studios and Universal Television for ABC. The stateside version came from Dean Georgaris...
Created by Assi Azar, the series goes by the Hebrew name Lehiyot Ita and is one of the most popular and watched series in Israel. The romantic dramedy which debuted in 2013 follows the love story between a simple baker Amos (Avraham Aviv Alush) and a wealthy international superstar Noa (Rotem Sela Rotem Sela). Sharif Jr. will recur as a Hollywood agent from Lebanon.
The Baker and the Beauty became a global sensation when Keshet International sold the original series in Hebrew in multiple foreign markets, including to Britain’s Channel 4 VOD platform, Walter Presents. The show has inspired multiple adaptations and remakes, including an American version produced by Keshet Studios and Universal Television for ABC. The stateside version came from Dean Georgaris...
- 11/11/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney’s now somewhat unfortunately named Jungle Cruise has hit the rocks right out of the gate. The reason? Casting a straight actor and comedian in a role described by The Sun as “hugely effete, very camp and very funny.” Word is that this individual is going to be Disney’s first openly gay character, which is news to me as I distinctly remember them saying the exact same thing about LeFou in last year’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.
Casting a straight actor in a prominently gay role has, entirely foreseeably, kicked up an enormous stink online. Commentators have quite reasonably pointed out that there are a number of talented Lgbtq actors in Hollywood that are hungry for roles and casting a straight actor in the part runs the risk of being offensive. Particularly as the role’s apparently very camp.
There was an instant backlash against that backlash,...
Casting a straight actor in a prominently gay role has, entirely foreseeably, kicked up an enormous stink online. Commentators have quite reasonably pointed out that there are a number of talented Lgbtq actors in Hollywood that are hungry for roles and casting a straight actor in the part runs the risk of being offensive. Particularly as the role’s apparently very camp.
There was an instant backlash against that backlash,...
- 8/15/2018
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
Disney is facing backlash online after a report from the The Sun revealed English comic Jack Whitehall’s role in the family film tentpole “Jungle Cruise” is that of a gay man who is “hugely effete, very camp, and very funny.” The supporting role would make it one of Disney’s most significant gay film characters in history, which is why the casting of a straight male is angering some fans online.
“Jungle Cruise,” directed by “Non-Stop” and “The Shallows” filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra, is based on the Disney Parks attraction of the same name. The adventure film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a boat captain who takes a brother and sister into the jungle on an expedition to find a tree with magical healing powers. Emily Blunt is starring as the female lead, while Whitehall is playing her character’s brother.
Actor and model Omar Sharif, Jr. reacted to...
“Jungle Cruise,” directed by “Non-Stop” and “The Shallows” filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra, is based on the Disney Parks attraction of the same name. The adventure film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a boat captain who takes a brother and sister into the jungle on an expedition to find a tree with magical healing powers. Emily Blunt is starring as the female lead, while Whitehall is playing her character’s brother.
Actor and model Omar Sharif, Jr. reacted to...
- 8/13/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Morgan Fairchild has been tapped to play the vindictive Vivian King in the new serialized half hour drama, Mélange. Using NYC as its backdrop, the show will center round the fight of ownership for a historic gay bar, Mélange, after its proprietor has suddenly and mysteriously died. The series will emulate the grand storytelling flair of 80’s primetime decadent dramas that pitted good vs. evil but in a contemporary, fast-paced style; exploring modern themes of sexuality, immigration, addiction, power, and inclusion. The ensemble cast of 17, lead by Morgan Fairchild, includes a roster of talent from television, Broadway, reality, and social media. Shooting for Mélange kicked off August 4th in New York City.
Scott Evans (One Life to Live) stars as Ryann Parker, the strikingly handsome young man whose once Utopian workplace has become infested with betrayal, corruption, and revenge. He fights to keep Mélange out of...
Scott Evans (One Life to Live) stars as Ryann Parker, the strikingly handsome young man whose once Utopian workplace has become infested with betrayal, corruption, and revenge. He fights to keep Mélange out of...
- 8/7/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
"Make up your mind, but leave me out of it!" Vertical Entertainment has debuted a brand new official Us trailer for the upcoming release of the romance film The Secret Scripture, the latest from filmmaker Jim Sheridan. Rooney Mara and Vanessa Redgrave play the same woman, named Roseanne McNulty, who grew up in the midst of the religious and political upheavals in Ireland during the 1920s and '30s. The story starts with Redgrave in a mental institution, where she has kept a diary of "secret scriptures" from her life. It flashes back to tell her story growing up, which is when Mara takes over. The cast also features Jack Reynor, Aidan Turner, Theo James, Eric Bana, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Omar Sharif Jr. This doesn't look any better than it did last year when the first international trailer arrived, and it's never a good sign when the film is delayed...
- 9/19/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Irish Showcase celebrating Celtic culture set for April 23.
The 18th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival (Nbff) will present the largest celebration of Irish Cinema on the West Coast during its eight-day run from April 20-27.
Highlights include an Irish Showcase event, numerous premieres, 12 narrative and documentary features, two shorts programmes, and the participation of Irish filmmakers and actors.
The Irish Showcase event will take place on April 23 and celebrate Celtic cinema and culture. Three films will premier during the event, including the Southern California premiere of A Date For Mad Mary and The Secret Scripture, and the North American premiere of Tomato Red, followed by a reception.
A Date For Mad Mary from Darren Thornton won Best Irish Feature Film and the Bingham Ray New Talent Award at the 2016 Galway Film Fleadh.
The film stars Seána Kerslake as Mary McArdle, who returns from prison to attend her best friend Charlene’s wedding and sets out to prove...
The 18th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival (Nbff) will present the largest celebration of Irish Cinema on the West Coast during its eight-day run from April 20-27.
Highlights include an Irish Showcase event, numerous premieres, 12 narrative and documentary features, two shorts programmes, and the participation of Irish filmmakers and actors.
The Irish Showcase event will take place on April 23 and celebrate Celtic cinema and culture. Three films will premier during the event, including the Southern California premiere of A Date For Mad Mary and The Secret Scripture, and the North American premiere of Tomato Red, followed by a reception.
A Date For Mad Mary from Darren Thornton won Best Irish Feature Film and the Bingham Ray New Talent Award at the 2016 Galway Film Fleadh.
The film stars Seána Kerslake as Mary McArdle, who returns from prison to attend her best friend Charlene’s wedding and sets out to prove...
- 4/20/2017
- ScreenDaily
"Do you not understand the power you have over men?" An official international trailer has debuted for an indie drama titled The Secret Scripture, a drama that recalls the life of one woman in Ireland. Rooney Mara and Vanessa Redgrave play the same woman, named Roseanne McNulty, who grew up in the midst of the religious and political upheavals in Ireland during the 1920s and '30s. The story starts with Redgrave in a mental institution, where she has kept a diary of "secret scriptures" from her life. It flashes back to tell her story growing up, which is when Mara takes over. The cast also features Jack Reynor, Aidan Turner, Theo James, Eric Bana, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Omar Sharif Jr. This looks like a passionate film that evokes every kind of emotion, with an evocative story about the struggle to live a life entirely your own. Here's the first...
- 11/15/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Omar Sharif in 'Doctor Zhivago.' Egyptian star Omar Sharif, 'The Karate Kid' producer Jerry Weintraub: Brief career recaps A little late in the game – and following the longish Theodore Bikel article posted yesterday – below are brief career recaps of a couple of film veterans who died in July 2015: actor Omar Sharif and producer Jerry Weintraub. A follow-up post will offer an overview of the career of peplum (sword-and-sandal movie) actor Jacques Sernas, whose passing earlier this month has been all but ignored by the myopic English-language media. Omar Sharif: Film career beginnings in North Africa The death of Egyptian film actor Omar Sharif at age 83 following a heart attack on July 10 would have been ignored by the English-language media (especially in the U.S.) as well had Sharif remained a star within the Arabic-speaking world. After all, an "international" star is only worth remembering...
- 7/24/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Omar Sharif Jr., grandson of the Doctor Zhivago star, is currently in the news because he has come out as a gay man who happens to be half-Jewish (on his mother's side) in an essay found in The Advocate — one accompanied by a photograph showing a hairy, buffed-up, bare-chested man (Sharif Jr.?) holding the Egyptian flag. In the essay, the 29-year-old Montreal-born actor explains he wrote the piece out of "fear for my country, fear for my family, and fear for myself." As per Sharif Jr., the problem is that in Egypt "the full spectrum of equal and human rights are now wedge issues used by both the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Islamist parties, when they should be regarded as universal truths." Further down in his piece, he adds: And so I hesitantly confess: I am Egyptian, I am half Jewish, and I am gay.
- 3/20/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
In a new piece published in The Advocate, actor Omar Sharif's grandson, Omar Sharif Jr., writes that he fears returning to Egypt after coming out as gay and half-Jewish.
"I write this article in fear. Fear for my country, fear for my family, and fear for myself. My parents will be shocked to read it, surely preferring I stay in the shadows and keep silent, at least for the time being. But I can't," writes Sharif.
He goes on to describe the failure of 2011's Egyptian uprising that, he says, has not resulted in a more tolerant society but has instead beeen "hijacked" by those who look to deny basic human rights, not grant them.
"I anticipate that I will be chastised, scorned, and most certainly threatened," he writes. "From the vaunted class of Egyptian actor and personality, I might just become an Egyptian public enemy."...
"I write this article in fear. Fear for my country, fear for my family, and fear for myself. My parents will be shocked to read it, surely preferring I stay in the shadows and keep silent, at least for the time being. But I can't," writes Sharif.
He goes on to describe the failure of 2011's Egyptian uprising that, he says, has not resulted in a more tolerant society but has instead beeen "hijacked" by those who look to deny basic human rights, not grant them.
"I anticipate that I will be chastised, scorned, and most certainly threatened," he writes. "From the vaunted class of Egyptian actor and personality, I might just become an Egyptian public enemy."...
- 3/19/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
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