News

In today’s TV news roundup, TBS announced the premiere date of “Wipeout,” and Netflix released the first look at Michelle Obama’s new children’s cooking show “Waffles + Mochi.”

Dates

TBS announced that its newly re-imagined version of the extreme obstacle course series, “Wipeout,” will premiere on April 1 at 9 p.m. The game show will be hosted by superstars John Cena and Nicole Byer, with Camille Kostek serving as field host. The 20-hour series “takes viewers on a white-knuckle ride, featuring new course elements that will push contestants’ athleticism, endurance and determination to even greater extremes as they fight to win the grand cash prize.” Endemol Shine North America has produced the series for TBS. Cena; Sharon Levy; DJ Nurre; Shyam Balsé; Keith Geller and Matt Kunitz, who also created the original series and serves as showrunner, executive produce. Watch a trailer below.

HBO Max announced that the first...

Exclusive: Hallmark has found the lead stars for its new Ireland-set romcom As Luck Would Have It. Sweet Magnolia‘s actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Downtown Abbey‘s Allen Leech will star in the film directed by Clare Niederpruem.

“JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Allen Leech are both immensely talented actors and we are delighted to welcome them to the Hallmark Channel family,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming, Crown Media Family Networks. “Between its charming leads and lushly-authentic Irish setting, viewers are sure to be captivated by this sweet, lighthearted romance.”

Lindsey (Swisher) travels to Ireland to acquire land that is perfect for a resort. She decides to enter the town’s matchmaking festival to prove her investment and win over a handsome local (Leech).

The all-new movie, which will be part of Hallmark Channel’s “Spring Fling” programming event this spring, has kicked off production with on-location filming in Ireland.

Salma Hayek has signed a two-year first-look deal with HBO Max. As part of the pact, the actress, producer, director and Oscar nominee will first bring projects to the WarnerMedia-owned streaming service for potential development via her Ventanarosa production company. Jose Tamez, President of Ventanarosa, serves as her producing partner and Siobhan Flynn is their Head of Production & Development.

Tamez and Hayek have worked together for the past 20 years on films such as Frida, nominated for six Oscars including a lead actress nom for Hayek, Annie Award-nominated Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet and Beatriz at Dinner. Together, they produced the Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning TV series Ugly Betty, as well as the TV movie In The Time Of The Butterflies.

“We are delighted to welcome the exceptionally multitalented powerhouse Salma Hayek and Ventanarosa into the HBO Max family,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max.

Salma Hayek and her production company, Ventanarosa, have signed a two-year first-look deal with HBO Max.

Under the deal, Hayek will bring projects to HBO Max first for potential development. Jose Tamez, president of Ventanarosa, will serve as her producing partner. Siobhan Flynn is the company’s head of production and development.

“We are thrilled to be joining HBO Max and Warner Media,” Hayek said. “Their team of passionate, talented and open-minded executives are a great support in our mission to make high quality global television that explores and celebrates diversity and inclusivity.”

Hayek is the founder and CEO of Ventanarosa. She is an Academy Award-nominated actress, getting the nod for best actress in 2003 for her role in “Frida.” She is also known for her roles in films like “Beatriz at Dinner,” “As Luck Would Have It,” and “Desperado.”

“Ventanarosa has a history of bringing the most lively and rich...

Watch new clips from As Luck Would Have It (La chispa de la vida) directed by Alex De La Iglesia, staring Jose Mota and Salma Hayek IFC's drama screenwritten by Randy Feldman opened in limited theaters and VOD on February 1st Juan Luis Galiardo, Fernando Tejero, Tallafé, Antonio Garrido, Carolina Bang and Eduardo Casanova co-star. In As Luck Would Have It, Roberto (famed Spanish comic José Mota) once had a promising career in advertising. But now out of work during the economic downturn, he struggles to keep his family afloat and their dire situation a secret from his adoring wife Luisa (Salma Hayek). After yet another dead end interview, it seems like reality will come crashing down on Roberto – until a freak accident places him at the center of a wild media storm. Realizing his opportunity, Roberto hires a brazen agent to help him leverage his new found fame into fortune,...

Watch new clips from As Luck Would Have It (La chispa de la vida) directed by Alex De La Iglesia, staring Jose Mota and Salma Hayek IFC's drama screenwritten by Randy Feldman opened in limited theaters and VOD on February 1st Juan Luis Galiardo, Fernando Tejero, Tallafé, Antonio Garrido, Carolina Bang and Eduardo Casanova co-star. In As Luck Would Have It, Roberto (famed Spanish comic José Mota) once had a promising career in advertising. But now out of work during the economic downturn, he struggles to keep his family afloat and their dire situation a secret from his adoring wife Luisa (Salma Hayek). After yet another dead end interview, it seems like reality will come crashing down on Roberto – until a freak accident places him at the center of a wild media storm. Realizing his opportunity, Roberto hires a brazen agent to help him leverage his new found fame into fortune,...

Álex de la Iglesia's As Luck Would Have It (La chispa de la vida) has new images in the gallery. The drama stars José Mota and Salma Hayek as well as Blanca Portillo, Juan Luis Galiardo, Fernando Tejero, Manuel Tallafé, Antonio Garrido and Carolina Bang. The film opens Friday in select theaters, Cable VOD, SundanceNOW and other digital platforms. Roberto (famed Spanish comic José Mota) once had a promising career in advertising. But now out of work during the economic downturn, he struggles to keep his family afloat and their dire situation a secret from his adoring wife Luisa (Salma Hayek). After yet another dead end interview, it seems like reality will come crashing down on Roberto – until a freak accident places him at the center of a wild media storm. Realizing his opportunity, Roberto hires a brazen agent to help him leverage his new found fame into fortune,...

Álex de la Iglesia's As Luck Would Have It (La chispa de la vida) has new images in the gallery. The drama stars José Mota and Salma Hayek as well as Blanca Portillo, Juan Luis Galiardo, Fernando Tejero, Manuel Tallafé, Antonio Garrido and Carolina Bang. The film opens Friday in select theaters, Cable VOD, SundanceNOW and other digital platforms. Roberto (famed Spanish comic José Mota) once had a promising career in advertising. But now out of work during the economic downturn, he struggles to keep his family afloat and their dire situation a secret from his adoring wife Luisa (Salma Hayek). After yet another dead end interview, it seems like reality will come crashing down on Roberto – until a freak accident places him at the center of a wild media storm. Realizing his opportunity, Roberto hires a brazen agent to help him leverage his new found fame into fortune,...

All he wanted to do was surprise his loving, supportive wife with a reservation at the old hotel they had once stayed, but when Roberto, played by comedian Jose Mota, gets into a freak accident, he goes from being a nobody to an instant celebrity.

Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia’s film, As Luck Would Have It (La Chispa de la Vida), is an example of our society’s willingness to go as low to sell even our own dignity for the right price.

That old hotel has now become a museum and the outdoor coliseum is where Roberto is stuck after his unfortunate accident. The media, in attendance for the grand opening of the museum now swarm around Roberto, making him the news of the hour. Even his friend who rejects his job application earlier that day changes his mind and offers him the job.

It’s been...

14th Mumbai Film Festival (Mff) announced its complete lineup today in a press conference. Mff will be held from October 18th to 25th at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Ncpa) and Inox, Nariman Point, Liberty Cinemas, Marine Lines as the main festival venues and Cinemax, Andheri and Cinemax Sion as the satellite venues. Click here to watch trailers and highlights from the festival.

Here is the complete list of films to be screened during the festival (October 18-25)

International Competition for the First Feature Films of Directors

1. From Tuesday To Tuesday (De Martes A Martes)

Dir.: Gustavo Fernandez Triviño (Argentina / 2012 / Col. / 111′)

2. The Last Elvis (El Último Elvis)

Dir.: Armando Bo (Argentina / 2012 / Col. / 91′)

3. The Sapphires

Dir.: Wayne Blair (Australia / 2012 / Col. / 103′)

4. The Wall (Die Wand)

Dir.: Julian Pölsler (Austria-Germany / 2012 / Col. / 108′)

5. Teddy Bear (10 timer til Paradis)

Dir.: Mads Matthiesen (Denmark / 2012 / Col. / 93′)

6. Augustine

Dir.: Alice Winccour (France / 2012 / Col.

For even the most seasoned festival goer, the Fantasia Film Festival presents a daunting challenge. With over 160 films playing, it is impossible to see everything and compromise is not an option but a necessity. For the cinematic adventurer, however, Fantasia is a gold-mine: bringing to the forefront some of the strangest, smallest and craziest of genre cinema to the big screen. The success rate is not always high, but the joy of discovering an unexpected gem outweighs any disappointment that may be encountered on your adventures through the trenches of obscurity.

That being said, my most anticipated films of the festival combine the more highly anticipated works with some stranger more unpredictable entries. Be sure to check out the Fantasia website for a full list of films and leave a comment with your own list of anticipated features!

Excision (Richard Bates Jr.)

A hit at Sundance and featuring an all-star cast of cult acting favourites,...

Cine Latino covers, well, all things relating to Latino culture and the movies, every Friday. This year’s Tribeca Film Festival has an outstanding Latino movie lineup. The 2012 film selection includes feature films from 32 different countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Mexico. We’ve selected the cream of the top with performances by Oscar Isaac, Salma Hayek, Mario Casas and many more so grab your tickets and get going. The 11th edition of the Festival started on April 18 and will end April 29 at locations around New York City. As Luck Would Have It (La Chispa de la Vida) Director: Alex de la Iglesia This satirical melodrama explores the greedy nature between the media and public consumption. Roberto (José Mota) has been out of work for a long...

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2012 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Film Selections

For Spotlight And Cinemania Sections And Special Screenings

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Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival Lineup Also Revealed

The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 11th edition of the Festival will take place from April 18 to April 29 in New York City.

The Spotlight section screens 34 films, 22 narratives and 12 documentaries that demonstrate the breadth of films at the Tribeca Film Festival. Nineteen films in the selection will have their world premieres at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers a largely international assortment of seven thrilling narrative films.

.The Spotlight program is a wonderful encapsulation of the originality and diversity of filmmaking that Tribeca seeks to highlight. We have films from emerging filmmakers as well as seasoned veterans, narratives that...

A new big batch of films have been added to the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival line-up, and while there aren't a lot of big premieres in the bunch, there's a lot to catch up with for those of you (and us) who didn't attend Tiff 2011, Sundance 2012, etc. etc.

Highlights for us include Sarah Polley's sophomore directorial effort "Take This Waltz," starring Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams, Julie Delpy's "2 Days In New York," starring herself and Chris Rock in a sequel to "2 Days in Paris," Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's "Chicken With Plums," their directorial follow-up to the very excellent 2007 animated film "Persepolis," Lynn Shelton's "Your Sister's Sister" starring Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt and Mark Duplass, and "Lola Versus," Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister Jones' follow-up to the celebrated 2009 micro-budgeted indie "Breaking Upwards" starring Lister Jones herself alongside Greta Gerwig, Joel Kinnaman (AMC's "The Killing," the new "RoboCop"), Bill Pullman,...

After an initial unveiling earlier this week, Tribeca Film Festival 2012 have announced the rest of their feature film line-up and it is a surprisingly strong one. We’ve got lots of great films that have premiered at previous fests.

There is July Delpy‘s 2 Days In New York (our Sundance review here), Sarah Polley‘s Take This Waltz (our Vancouver review here), the awesome action thriller Sleepless Night (our Tiff review here), as well as one of my favorites from Toronto, Chicken with Plums (our Tiff review here), from the Persepolis directors. We’ve also got premieres of Jenna Fischer‘s Mechanical Man and Chris Colfer‘s Struck by Lightning, as well as docs by Billy Corben, Morgan Spurlock and Keanu Reeves‘ filmmaking doc Side by Side. Check them all out below.

Spotlight Section

2 Days in New York, directed and written by Julie Delpy. (France) – New York Premiere, Narrative. This...

HollywoodNews.com: The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 11th edition of the Festival will take place from April 18 to April 29 in New York City.

The Spotlight section screens 34 films, 22 narratives and 12 documentaries that demonstrate the breadth of films at the Tribeca Film Festival. Nineteen films in the selection will have their world premieres at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers a largely international assortment of seven thrilling narrative films.

‘The Spotlight program is a wonderful encapsulation of the originality and diversity of filmmaking that Tribeca seeks to highlight. We have films from emerging filmmakers as well as seasoned veterans, narratives that showcase stellar performances and insightful writing, and documentaries that challenge and inform their audiences,’ said Frédéric Boyer, newly appointed Artistic...

The Tribeca Film Festival announced its Spotlight and Cinemania programs today, including Morgan Spurlock’s latest documentary, Mansome, period drama Cheerful Weather for the Wedding with Like Crazy’s Felicity Jones (right), and Struck By Lightning, written by Glee’s Chris Colfer. “It was important that we head into Tribeca’s second decade highlighting projects that were attuned to the pulse of our cultural climate,” said director of programming Genna Terranova, in a release. “That said, both consciousness and levity play a prominent role in this year’s selection. We are also eager to introduce audiences to a group of...

Fernando Tejero, Salma Hayek, As Luck Would Have It No Rest For The Wicked, The Artist, Un Cuento Chino: Goya Award Winners Pt.1 Best Actor Daniel Brühl, Eva Antonio Banderas, The Skin I Live In Luis Tosar, Mientras duermes * José Coronado, No Rest for the Wicked Best Actress Verónica Echegui, Katmandu: un espejo en el cielo * Elena Anaya, The Skin I Live In Inma Cuesta, The Sleeping Voice Salma Hayek, La Chispa de la vida / As Luck Would Have It Best Supporting Actor Juan Diego, 23-f: la película * Lluís Homar, Eva Juanjo Artero, No Rest for the Wicked Raúl Arévalo, Cousins Best Supporting Actress Goya Toledo, Maktub Maribel Verdú, De tu ventana a la mía Pilar López de Ayala, Intruders * Ana Wagener, The Sleeping Voice Best New Actor José Mota, As Luck Would Have It * Jan Cornet, The Skin I Live In Adrián Lastra, Cousins Marc Clotet, The Sleeping...

In his follow up to The Last Circus, As Luck Would Have It (La Chispa de la Vida), Álex De La Iglesia moves out from under the literal big top and sets his sites on the mass media -- probably as close to a modern circus as you can get, save for maybe the U.S. Republican primaries. De la Iglesia reigns in his style this time around and delivers a totally watchable takedown of greed and media obsession that certainly delivers a few madly inspired moments. But while he tips his hat knowingly to films like Network and Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole, the end result is curiously toothless, and far less outrageous, intense and angry than either of those media-satire hallmarks. Interestingly,...

Salma Hayek is in Berlin this week promoting her new movie at the city’s annual film festival, Berlinale.

The Spanish-language film “La Chispa De La Vida,” or “As Luck Would Have It,” follows an unemployed advertising executive (Jose Mota) as he looks for work, ultimately becoming the focal point of media attention when he falls into a precarious situation. Hayek plays the encouraging wife who is horrified when she discovers the media circus that surrounds her husband.

Hayek walked the red carpet at the festival alongside her costars — one of which is much taller than the 5-foot-2-inch actress. Caroline Herrera Bang towered over Hayek, effectively dwarfing her, as The Daily Mail reports. (See the photo in the slideshow below).

But the Mexican-born actress certainly makes up for her short stature with her performance in the film, receiving much praise for her role. Variety called her “the real standout...

A flurry of press releases from the Berlinale today, and the one you may find most interesting isn't the newsiest. You already knew that the Retrospective, The Red Dream Factory, will be featuring Eisenstein's October (Oktjabr, 1928), but today's announcement has details on the new restoration and the presentation on February 10: "Conducted by Frank Strobel, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform the original score as composed by Edmund Meisel."

The second release of the day reveals that 12 titles have been added to the lineup of the Berlinale Special program, in addition to the six previously announced (here and here). Seems we can assume the first three events will be happening on Potsdamer Platz:

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the film journal Positif: Volker Schlöndorff's Der Fangschuss (Le coup de grâce, 1975) with Matthias Habich, Margarethe von Trotta, Rüdiger Kirschtein, Mathieu Carrière and Valeska Gert.

The European premiere of...

The Skin I Live In (La piel que habito) and the other nominations for the 2012 Goya Awards (Premios Goyas) have been announced. The 26th Annual Goya Awards (Premios Goyas), presented by the Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences), is “Spain’s main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards.” The awards will be handed out on February 19, 2012 in Madrid, Spain.

The full listing of the 2012 Goya Awards (Premios Goyas) nominations is below.

Film

La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In), Pedro Almodovar

No habrá paz para los malvados (No Rest for the Wicked), Enrique Urbizu

La voz dormida (The Sleeping Voice), Benito Zambrano

Blackthorn. Sin destino (Blackthorn), Mateo Gil

Director

Pedro Almodovar, La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In)

Benito Zambrano, La voz dormida...

The Berlin International Film Festival has just announced the first five films lined up for the Competition and five more for the Berlinale Special. The 62nd edition runs from February 9 through 19.

Update: The Berlinale's also announced that the members of the International Jury, presided over by Mike Leigh, will be Anton Corbijn, Asghar Farhadi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jake Gyllenhaal, François Ozon, Boualem Sansal and Barbara Sukowa.

Competition

Captive

France/Philippines/Germany/Great Britain

By Brillante Mendoza (Serbis, Kinatay, Lola)

With Isabelle Huppert, Katherine Mulville, Marc Zanetta

World premiere

From Ioncinema: "Based on a real-life event that occurred in 2001. It centers on Thérèse Bourgoin (Huppert), a French woman who works for a humanitarian organization on Palawan Island in the Philippines. While she is transporting equipment to Puerto Princesa, she is kidnapped by mistake with a colleague by Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf, who are fighting for Mindanao independence."

Dictado (Childish Games)

Spain

By Antonio Chavarrías (Susanna,...

Now that the fall “awards festival” circuit is finally at a close — but with Sundance looming in the distance — it’s easy to forget about Biff — the Berlin International Film Festival, that is. (See, I even have to give the name.) This might have something to do with their less-than-huge lineup; in terms of films playing in competition, last year’s biggest art house title was The Turin Horse, while the most mainstream was probably Margin Call. Nothing too slim, but not much compared to Cannes, Venice, or Tiff.

The first round of titles to play this coming February (via Twitch) do carry a few major titles, though. Among them are The Flowers of War (which we were quite ecstatic about), Guy Maddin‘s Keyhole, Extremely Loud…, Kevin Macdonald‘s Bob Marley documentary, and an expansion of Werner Herzog‘s Into the Abyss. A few other foreign titles carry potential,...

Less than a year since word first surfaced that The Last Circus director Alex de la Iglesia would be shooting a black comedy with Salma Hayek the film is now complete - or close to it - and among the first selections for the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.Titled La Chispa De La Vida - literally The Spark Of Life in English, though it was announced with the English title of As Luck Would Have It - the picture stars Hayek as the wife of Jose Mota who plays a down on his luck publicist who slips and falls in an old Roman era forum, impaling his head on a metal rod. He does not die but cannot be moved. And, bizarrely, he views...

Alex De La Iglesia recently commented on his chosen screen pair for the still-in-production La Chispa de La Vida, “I know it's an unbelievable starring couple: the top Latin representative in the Spanish-speaking star system and a Spaniard comedian. I know they do not match up, but because of this they're going to be the perfect couple. I chose them because I am fed up with all that is conventional, I am tired of films having to be coherent and I believe it is going to be very funny to have them together.” Apparently the filmmaker hasn't heard of either Javier Bardem or Penélope Cruz, as the big star he is referring to is Salma Hayek and comedian José Mota. Unlike his previous films, this one wasn't scripted by De La Iglesia or long time collaborator Jorge Guerricaechevarría, but Randy Feldman (Tango & Cash). More specific plot details were revealed: Mota plays Roberto,...

After the cold reception at the box office, mixed reaction from critics and only two tech award wins at the recent Goya awards with A Sad Trumpet Ballad a.k.a The Last Circus, director Alex de la Iglesia has commenced filming on “La Chispa De La Vida”. Based on an original screenplay by Randy Feldman (“Tango & Cash”), the film stars Salma Hayek (“Frida”) and Spaniard comedian José Mota. Although De la Iglesias has claimed this will be a dramatic feature film, in his own words ”…it has a lot in common with “The Last Circus” intentions wise. A strange story that also makes to think about “La Cabina” by Antonio Mercero in which it resembles story wise since it's about a man that has an accident and is left trapped in such a way that nobody knows how to rescue him, but in this case, the character being a publicist,...

Madrid, Feb 8: Mexican actress Salma Hayek is the star of the new film by moviemaker and president of the Film Academy of Spain, Alex de la Iglesia.

Willy Toledo, Javier Gutierrez, Jose Mota, Juan Luis Galiardo and Santiago Segura complete the cast of ‘La Chispa de la Vida’ (The Spark of Life) to be filmed in Madrid and Cartagena,.