Haile Gerima on ‘Sankofa,’ Working With Ava DuVernay and Why Film School Is ‘Hopeless’

The Association Of Motion Picture Sound, the UK body representing more than 550 professionals in the fields of film, TV and game sound, has responded to AMPAS’s decision to remove the Best Sound Oscar from its live broadcast.

Vladimir Putin, announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine.Explosions were soon heard in cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa - with the Ukraine military claiming 40 people have been killed. Russia declaring war on democratic Ukraine is a clear sign of the detest Putin feels towards the West.So with that in mind, what must Seagal be thinking?After all, he’s been incredibly complimentary towards Putin in recent times, even describing him as a "brother".These words are now coming back to haunt him - with Arnold following up his earlier tweet with: “If Steven Seagal violently chokes out Vladimir Putin tonight he might get one last chance to work in Hollywood.”Below, we take a look inside one of the strangest friendships in the world.Seagal, now 69, started out as a martial arts instructor before becoming a 90s action hero in blockbuster Hollywood movies.He then enjoyed a profitable spell of producing and starring in his own Hollywood films - including Sniper: Special Ops.But his career has often been plagued with controversy - and his friendship with Putin is right up there.He once described fearsome Putin as “one of the greatest living world leaders” while also identifying the Russian president as being “like a brother” to him.It is believed the pair struck up a friendship because of their passion for martial arts.Seagal is a 7th-dan black belt in aikido and he became the first foreigner to open an aikido dojo in Japan.

The Academy’s plan unveiled yesterday to cut Best Editing and seven other categories from this year’s live Oscar telecast to resuscitate viewership has received reactions of shock, disappoint and outrage – and that’s from the people who are being polite.

Tool have announced plans to mark the 30th anniversary of their classic 1992 EP ‘Opiate’ with a re-imagined and extended version of the title track.The new version of the song, which is available to stream from March 1, will also be celebrated with a short film and 46-page art book featuring behind-the-scenes and making-of photos, interviews and more, on March 18.Visual artist Dominic Hailstone, who has previously worked on the sci-fi movie Alien: Covenant, teamed up with guitarist Adam Jones for the 10-minute-plus video, which is the band’s first in 15 years.You can listen to a snippet of the new version of ‘Opiate’ below and order the physical release here.A post shared by Tool (@toolmusic)Meanwhile, the band angered fans earlier this week after announcing plans to sell an ultra-deluxe vinyl version of their 2019 album ‘Fear Inoculum’ for $810 (£595).The album will only be available to fans who bought the Toolarmy VIP tickets to the forthcoming dates on their tour. For $810, the collection includes five discs of 180-gram vinyl, with music on one side and etched art on the other.

Lynwen Brennanm, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm, will be the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society (VES) in recognition of her contributions to visual arts and filmed entertainment.

Naman Ramachandran Iran’s Leila Hatami, Berlin best actress winner for Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “A Separation,” has called for a wider range of Iranian cinema to be represented internationally.“More various films should be shown internationally from Iran because usually as everything is commercial, people choose the films which are more touristic [because] it gives you an aspect of the society,” Hatami told Variety. “What I would like is that the art of Iran would be shown more, because you see facts, events, moods in Iran – but you can see that everywhere. You can see it in the news.” “It’s good to have films about problems of society and such things, but what I appreciate especially is the art of Iranian cinema,” Hatami said.

Reese Witherspoon is venturing into the metaverse — but not everybody is thrilled about it.

EXCLUSIVE:  Finnish filmmaker Hanna Bergholm, whose latest body-horror coming of age movie, Hatching, made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, has inked with CAA.

Film Independent has set animator Javier Barboza, cinematographers Gemma Doll-Grossman, Phillip Jackson, Garland McLaurin, Lidia Nikonova, Michael Tanji and Akina Van de Velde, directors Hannah Bang, Jaime Castañeda, Logan Jackson and San-San Onglatco, editors Calvin Chin, Marcus Heleker, Christopher Ma, Ziyang “Lucia” Wang and Skylar Zhang, executives T’Essence Minnitee, Eboni Robinson and Danni Xin, producers Sarah Al-Qatou, C.A. Barrow, Ebony Elaine Hardin, Trent Nakamura, Jera Wang and Rui Xu, writers Danielle Ellen, Henry Alexander Kelly, Justin Omori and Tumelo Tladi, and writer-director Jesus Celaya as the filmmakers for the 2022 edition of Project Involve, a free nine-month program for creatives from diverse backgrounds.

EXCLUSIVE: Sharon Stone (The Flight Attendant, Ratched) has optioned the rights to Lisa Barr’s upcoming novel Woman on Fire, inking a deal to produce and star in a film adaptation.

EXCLUSIVE: All3Media-backed Little Dot Studios’ Head of Arts Catherine Bray has departed to focus on UK indie Loop.

EXCLUSIVE: BJ McDonnell, the director of the buzzed-about Foo Fighters horror-comedy Studio 666, set for release on February 25 via Open Road Films, has signed with UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorApple tapped Park Chan-wook, among Korea’s most successful and critically acclaimed directors, to make a movie shot entirely on its latest iPhones.Park’s “Life Is But a Dream” is the first project in Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” marketing campaign to be produced, shot and edited entirely in Korea. (Watch Park’s film below or at this link.)The film blends martial arts with romance, dark comedy and pansori (판소리) — Korea’s traditional musical storytelling technique — to tell a surreal tale featuring both a wedding and a funeral.In the 21-minute movie, an undertaker digs up an abandoned grave to steal a coffin for the burial of “White Marten,” a warrior who had died saving a village.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaReese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine has forged a storytelling partnership with World of Women (WoW), the NFT collective that is cracking open the male-dominated world of crypto currency while celebrating inclusivity and equality. World of Women launched in July 2021 with some 10,000 artworks from women creators, quickly becoming one of the most popular and profitable purveyors of non-fungible tokens.As part of the partnership, Hello Sunshine will build out the World of Women character universe and franchise into entertainment properties including feature films, scripted and unscripted TV series.

Zack Sharf Francis Ford Coppola went viral in 2019 after he was quoted calling Marvel movies “despicable” while supporting Martin Scorsese’s critical beliefs about comic book films hurting the film industry. Coppola later clarified that he wasn’t talking about Marvel movies specifically, saying it’s “despicable” how the film industry now values commerce over art.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer-director Andrew Semans (Resurrection, Nancy, Please) has signed with WME for representation.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe Visual Effects Society will present Guillermo del Toro with VES Award for Creative Excellence on March 8.del Toro will be honored for his consummate artistry and expansive storytelling that blends iconic visual effects and unforgettable narrative. Harnessing his intuitive vision, del Toro has created a distinctive cinematic style mixing the world of monster movies, comic books and exuberant visuals straight from his imagination.“Guillermo is a fiercely inventive storyteller, who has pushed the boundaries of filmmaking,” said VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke.

Jessica Kiang Perhaps you know the feeling, the strange tingle of vertigo you get when you’re having an entirely normal conversation with an acquaintance, and you suddenly realize that for seemingly no reason — and often about the most inconsequential things — they are lying to you. Jöns Jönsson’s “Axiom,” a standout in this year’s Berlinale Encounters section, is physically set in a comfortably well-educated, middle-class Austrian environment. But its psychological terrain is discomfort.

Wayne Rooney accidentally showcased an erotic piece of art he has hanging in his house after posting a photo of his son on social media.The former England and Manchester United skipper took to Instagram on Wednesday to upload a snap of his four-year-old, Cass, opening his birthday presents.Cass looked to be having the time of his life, wearing birthday cake sunglasses and clutching a brand new Power Ranger toy, though followers couldn't help but notice the nude paintings on the wall behind him.The huge artwork appears to feature various angles of the female form, with pretty much 'everything' on show."Happy 4th Birthday Cass," Rooney told his 15 million followers, who flooded in with well-wishes, with the post racking up over 42,000 likes.Wayne and his wife Coleen, along with their sons Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass moved into their brand new £20million Cheshire mansion just before Christmas.The family have all featured in the recently-released Amazon documentary 'Rooney', which details Wazza's rise to global superstardom as a youngster, his struggles with mental health as well some of the more controversial moments of his career.Is Wayne Rooney good enough to manage in the Premier League? Let us know what you think in the comments section below...Since retiring as a player, the 36-year-old has ventured into management and has been turning heads at Derby County, in spite of their torrid financial situation.The club are currently 23rd in the Championship, but would be in mid-table had they not been deducted 21 points after entering administration back in September.Rooney's handling of things at Pride Park saw boyhood club Everton consider him for the vacant managerial position following Rafa Benitez's sacking last month, but

Emiliano Granada Colombian-Canadian director Lina Rodríguez’s third feature, “My Two Voices”,  a 68 min documentary that through its short runtime  artfully orchestrates a polyphony of emotions, colors, textures and voices in its portrayal of three immigrant women.Produced by Canada’s Rayon Verde, the same production company behind her previous film “This Time Tomorrow,” Rodríguez’s meticulous approach interweaves the voices of Claudia Montoya, Marinela Piedrahita and Ana Garay Kostic as they share their experiences of immigrating to Canada. Energized by a rich soundscape, the film achieves a deep intimacy, while refusing to draw borders, between spaces, between voices, between there and here, who I was and who I am, between I and Us.

Lesley McKenzie Managing EditorInternational contemporary art fair Frieze Los Angeles descends upon the city with its third edition, bringing together more than 100 local and internationally renowned galleries for a series of events held around town and at the fair’s new Beverly Hills location at 9900 Wilshire Blvd.Here’s what to expect.Wednesday, Feb. 16Outland, Rhizome and Friends With Benefits Rooftop Party Newly launched digital art platform Outland teams up with Rhizome and Friends With Benefits for discussions and a rooftop party. NeueHouse Hollywood, 6121 Sunset Blvd., 7-11 p.m.Prada Mode Los Angeles Social Club Prada Mode Los Angeles brings its traveling members-only social club back to Los Angeles for the seventh year, including an immersive installation by artist Martine Syms.