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2021-09-23

StudioFest’s 2021 Festival Happened Inside Virtual Reality Headsets (Video)

StudioFest held this year’s film festival virtually. No, not on Zoom — inside the fantasy world of virtual reality headsets.

To pull off the virtual festival, each of the guests, including the 10 competing filmmakers, the StudioFest team, and industry professionals Evan Glodell and Patricia Vidal Delgado, were sent brand-new Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets. They used them to experience all of the weekend’s events, including watching movies in a virtual theater and mingling with other attendees via their avatars. You can get a glimpse of what the festival looked like from the inside via the video above.

“We wanted to ensure that we could host an event regardless of the state of the world, which is why we took the event this year into VR. It was so cool and we want to keep at least some VR component around in years to come,” said StudioFest co-founder Jess Jacklin.

Marking the third year of the festival, the 2021 event, which took place from Sept. 17-19, was a big departure from past years. The inaugural year of the festival took place in person in Phoenicia, New York, and the following year’s event took place in Ojai, California. Both involved soirees, readings, and screenings in which finalists were able to meet and interact with industry guests. Last year’s festival was postponed due to the pandemic, so those submissions were rolled into this year’s virtual festival, which gave finalists the next best experience to being there in person.

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“When it’s tough to bring people to film festivals, we thought, why not bring the film festival to filmmakers? We couldn’t be happier with how the weekend went. The VR experience absolutely rivaled our in-person events in the past,” said co-founder Charles Beale. “It felt like you were in the room with everyone.”

The 10 finalists hailed from the U.S., Canada, and Thailand, and the top prize was awarded to Courtney Hope Thérond. Her prize? Making a film with StudioFest.

The first StudioFest winners Anna Mikami and Matthew Sorvillo, made the film Souvenirs, which was acquired by A+E Networks. Jessica Liu and Lowam Eyasu are slated to go into production on a feature film later this year.

For those curious to learn more about StudioFest, MovieMaker partners with them on a documentary series called Demystified, which chronicles the journey of each StudioFest feature film from concept to distribution.

Main Image: A glimpse inside of StudioFest’s VR Experience 2021, courtesy of StudioFest.

The post StudioFest’s 2021 Festival Happened Inside Virtual Reality Headsets (Video) appeared first on MovieMaker Magazine.

2021-09-222021-09-27

An animated music video from The French Dispatch revives a pop classic

Say what you will about Wes Anderson, but there’s no denying that he’s got an eye for detail. The theatrical release of his latest film The French Dispatch is fast approaching, and for him, a normal promotional campaign simply won’t do; he’d rather re-record an obscure gem of Euro-pop with a legend of modern alternative music, and set it all in a meticulously assembled cartoon world.

In a new music video released today, Jarvis Cocker croons out his own take on “Aline,” the ’60s love anthem from singer-songwriter Christophe. You may have previously heard the song featured prominently in the film’s trailer, or when Cocker first released this recording as a single last week.

That release came packaged with the announcement that Cocker had assembled a full album of covers in cooperation with Anderson to accompany the new film, the singer offering his take on cuts from Francoise Hardy, Serge Gainsbourg, Brigitte Bardot, and others from the ye-ye pop scene in France. It’s not the first time the musician and filmmaker have joined forces, either, Jarvis having already appeared on the soundtrack for The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

In the video, Cocker’s character Tip-Top makes his way through the fictitious setting of Ennui-sur-Blasé and passes by animated likenesses of the massive ensemble cast, including writers J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton), Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand), and Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright). They’re all on staff at the magazine that lends the film its title, a mockup of the New Yorker made clear through the hand-drawn style cribbed from the vintage covers of the real-life publication.

In her review of the film, our dutiful Cannes reporter Hannah Strong was positive about “Anderson’s most impressionistic and unusual film in quite some time.” She wrote that “this is the Wes we know and love, with his artful considerations of love, liberty and what lives on after we die.” The fans know who they are by this point, and this new link-up between Anderson and Cocker has given them plenty to look forward to.

The French Dispatch comes to cinemas in the UK and US on 22 October, the same day that Cocker’s album hits shelves.

2021-09-222021-09-27

Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe Teases “Heartbreaking” Season 6

Outlander star Caitríona Balfe is sharing some new details about the upcoming return of the acclaimed Starz drama series, divulging that the sixth season will be, as she describes it, “heartbreaking.” In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Balfe, who plays series lead Claire Fraser alongside Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, also praised some of the newest additions to the series in Jessica Reynolds as Malva Christie, the daughter of Jamie’s old adversary Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones).

“Outlander does baddies and villains quite well,” Balfe said. “[The Christies] aren’t your typical villains, which is great and refreshing.” She also went on to say that “Claire and Malva build a great relationship and bond. “It’s very destabilizing for Claire. It’s a really heartbreaking, but a really twisted narrative that they all get embroiled in.” The interview also included some of Balfe’s thoughts on her role in Belfast, which is a performance that has gotten high praise in early screenings.

Outlander resumed production of its sixth season in February after taking a break through 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last episode airing back in May of that year.

Outlander is returning for its sixth season in early 2022. Starz renewed the series for a seventh season back in March. The series can be watched on Starz, Amazon, and Netflix. Belfast will debut in theaters on November 12. Watch the announcement for Season 7 of Outlander below:

Here’s the official synopsis for Outlander:

Follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world in which her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

2021-09-222021-09-27

The Flash Movie Image Teases a Batman Team-up

Director Andy Muschietti has taken to his Instagram to tease Batman’s involvement in The Flash. The photo clearly meshes the suits of both Flash and Batman, specifically that of Michael Keaton‘s Batman in the 1989 and 1992 original films. Flash’s iconic lightning bolt is also seen, though the tinge of red appears a bit brighter than has been seen in the suits worn thus far by Ezra Miller.

Images of this nature offer no plot points, though it is exciting for the potential of The Flash, which has faced some major hurdles in its arduous production process. Keaton entered negotiations to reprise his role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in June of 2020. Shortly after his confirmation, his latest successor to the cape and cowl, Ben Affleck, was announced to be appearing in the film. Affleck reported that his role would be small, and would help pave the way for Keaton’s re-introduction and the film’s concept of the multiverse.

Keaton is expected to have a larger role in this film, and the actor truly understands the importance of comic book films to audiences, saying the following:

“I never looked at it like, ‘Oh, this is just a silly thing.’ It was not a silly thing when I did Batman. But it has become a giant thing, culturally. It’s iconic. This is a big deal in the world to people. You’ve got to honor that and be respectful of that. Even I go, ‘Jesus, this is huge.’”

It’s not yet known how exactly the multiverse will impact the film, though Miller’s Barry Allen is expected to toy around with time travel in order to prevent the death of his mother. Production on The Flash has been lengthy and well-documented at this point, with several delays, script shuffles, and director changes plaguing its pre-production. A film was first announced in October 2014, with potential directors in Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), and John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night).

Aside from Miller, Keaton, and Affleck, the film will also see the debut of Supergirl, to be played by Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless). The actress will be making her film debut in The Flash. Though that’s certainly an intimidating prospect, if the set videos have been any indication she’s certainly on the right track. Kiersey Clemons, Maribel Verdú, and Ron Livingston are also on the cast list, playing the roles of Iris West, and Nora and Henry Allen, respectively.

The Flash will finally hit theaters on November 4, 2022. Check out Muschietti’s image below:

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A post shared by Andy Muschietti (@andy_muschietti)

2021-09-222021-09-27

Violet Evergarden: the Movie Trailer Reveals End of Netflix Anime

Netflix has released a trailer for their upcoming anime film Violet Evergarden: The Movie, which will be bringing an end to the tear-jerking story of the titular character and will be arriving on Netflix next month.

The much beloved series takes place in this alternate 20th century Europe and follows Violet Evergarden, a retired soldier that has only ever been treated as a weapon. When she is forced to integrate into civilian life after she loses her arms in battle, she goes to work as an Auto Memory Doll, a person (can be either human or mechanical) that helps others by writing for them.

Here she tries to learn how to understand human feelings, especially the phrase her presumed dead major, Gilbert Bougainvillea, said to her: “I love you.” Violet has struggled with the idea that Gilbert is dead, and is set on finding what it means for her to live and sharing it with him. The new trailer showcases her drive to reunite with her Major as well as the absolutely stunning animation from Kyoto Animation, who has also helmed the other adaptations of the story.

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The Violet Evergarden series began as a series of light novels that ran from 2015 to 2020 written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. The series was adapted into an anime series in 2018 by Kyoto Animation and also received a film called Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll. The series both in print and animation has won numerous awards, with the light novel winning the Kyoto Animation Award for “Best Novel” as well as winning “Best Animation” at the 2019 Cruchyroll Anime Awards.

Even Violet Evergarden: The Movie is already winning awards with it winning “Excellent Animation of the Year” at the Japanese Academy Awards and the “Excellence Award in Animation” at the Japan Media Arts Festival. Both the series and previous film are available on Netflix. Violet Evergarden: The Movie will be joining them and will also mark the last chapter in the tale of Violet. The film will star Yui Ishikawa as Violet Evergarden as well as Daisuke Namikawa, Takehito Koyasu, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Haruka Tomatsu, Koki Uchiyama, Aya Endô, Minori Chihara, Kaori Mizuhashi, and Rina Satô, all of who are reprising their roles from the previous anime adaptations.

Violet Evergarden: The Movie will premiere on Netflix on October 13. Watch the brand new official trailer for the film down below.