Sidney Poitier Apple TV+ Documentary Gets First Trailer — Film News in Brief
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The first trailer for “Sidney,” Apple TV+’s upcoming documentary on legendary film icon Sidney Poitier, has been released.
The film examines the legacy of Poitier, who died earlier this year at 94. One of the most acclaimed and recognizable movie stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and the first Black man to receive a best actor award, Poitier was also a director and an activist for the Civil Rights Movement. Interview subjects featured in the film include Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Lenny Kravitz, Barbra Streisand and Spike Lee.
More from Variety
“Sidney” is directed by Reginald Hudlin, from a script by Jesse James Miller. Oprah Winfrey produces with Derik Murray for Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment. Hudlin executive produces with Poitier family members Joanna Shimkus Poitier and Anika Poitier, as well as Terry Wood, Catherine Cyr, Brian Gersh, Paul Gertz and Barry Krost.
“Sidney” releases Sept. 23. Watch the full trailer below.
Framestore Adds New VFX Supervisor François Dumoulin
Framestore, the VFX company behind projects like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “The Sandman,” has added VFX Supervisor François Dumoulin to its Montreal team. He is the latest creative to join the company’s Canadian team, which had recently been bolstered by the admission of six other VFX supervisors.
Dumoulin joins from Rodeo FX, where he recently worked on projects including “Dune,” “The Sandman” and “Loki.” Thanks to his work on “Lovecraft Country,” Dumoulin has been recognised with both Emmy and VES Award nominations. Now, Dumoulin joins a roster of talented Canada-based VFX supervisors including Phil Brennan, Christian Emond, Pete Dionne, Mathew Krentz, Sean Schur and Ross McCabe.
“It’s no secret that Canadian VFX talent is in hot demand at the moment, and when you look at the collective resumes of François, Phil, Christian, Pete, Mathew, Sean and Ross you can see precisely why,” Chloe Grysole, MD in Canada of film and episodic, said. “Between them they have an incredible wealth of creativity, knowledge and expertise, from working on-set with top directors to delivering stunning final images for award-winning features and episodic projects. It’s a pleasure to welcome them all to Framestore, and we can’t wait to see their work on screen.”
UTA Study Shows Entertainment Helps Children Overcome Pandemic-related Issues
UTA conducted a study with parents and their Generation Alpha children (ages 3-12) and found that Gen Alpha’s media consumption has surged following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly focusing on entertainment content that promotes learning and awareness of important issues like mental health.
The study also found that parents largely want the content they show to their children to address issues like climate change, diversity and representation, while also encouraging their children to channel their creativity. Further evidence of the surge in children’s media consumption was highlighted in the fact that four of the five top Netflix films in 2021 were kids’ titles (“The Mitchells vs. The Machines,” “Vivo,” “We Can Be Heroes” and “Home”).
Additionally, statistics show that viewing hours of the top ten monthly kids’ content channels on YouTube grew by 15% in the first half of 2022, which is 9.5 billion more viewing hours compared to the six months prior, according to Tubular. And since 2021, the average number of people spending time listening to artists who have released kids-focused music on Spotify has increased by 16%, per Chartmetric. 50% of Gen Alpha children also listen to podcasts, and one-third of parents want to see more audio-based content tailored for their children.
David O’Russell’s “Amsterdam” Moves Premiere Date to October
“Amsterdam,” David O’Russell’s upcoming period comedy film, is set to launch in theaters earlier than expected. 20th Century will now premiere the film on Oct. 7, almost a month before its previously announced Nov. 4 release date.
Set in the ’30s, the film stars Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington as three friends who become the prime suspects in a murder and attempt to clear their names. The star-studded ensemble also includes Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Zoe Saldaña and Rami Malek.
“Amsterdam” will now join several other films premiering in theaters on Oct. 7, including family flick Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile from Sony, 2022 Cannes festival Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” and Todd Field’s return to filmmaking “Tár.”
“God’s Creatures” Trailer: Paul Mescal, Emily Watson Star in A24 Thriller
A24 dropped the first trailer for its upcoming psychological thriller “God’s Creatures” on Tuesday. The film from directing duo Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer stars Paul Mescal, Aisling Franciosi and Emily Watson.
Set in a quiet Irish fishing village, “God’s Creatures” follows the strained relationship between Brian O’Hara (Mescal) and his mother, Aileen (Watson). When Brian suddenly returns home to his family after living abroad in Australia for seven years, he is accused of a horrible crime. Now, Aileen is in a downward spiral toward madness as she has to choose between protecting her son or her own sense of right and wrong. The first trailer seems to promise a brooding, tense tale with stirring performances from Watson and company.
Davis and Holmer previously helmed “The Fits,” which premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival and was nominated for multiple awards including best first feature at the Spirit Awards and Gotham Awards. It also won the Critics Award at the Deauville Film Festival.
“God’s Creatures” will release in theaters on Sept. 30. Watch the full trailer below.
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival Brings Back Inclusion Fellowship for Third Year
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) announced today that it is accepting submissions for its third annual LALIFF Inclusion Fellowship.
With support from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, the program, which aims to champion underrepresented filmmakers within the Latino community, will award five Indigenous Latino and five Afro/Black Latino directors with a $30,000 grant. Their films will also premiere at LALIFF 2023.
In addition to the production grants, the selected Fellows will receive one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders on production, distribution, networking opportunities and more. Netflix mentors will also offer support throughout the development of their films.
To see the full requirements of the Inclusion Fellowship, see: https://laliff.org/fellowship/2023_submissions/. The call for submissions is now open and the deadline is Sept. 16.
Janek Sirrs Joins DNEG as Visual Effects Supervisor
Janek Sirrs has joined the creative leadership team at VFX house DNEG as visual effects supervisor.
Sirrs’ credits include “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” With over three decades of VFX work behind him, his other credits include “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Batman Begins.”
He won an Academy Award in 2000 for his work on “The Matrix” and received two more nominations for “The Avengers and “Iron Man 2.”
“I am proud to announce that Janek Sirrs is joining DNEG’s creative leadership team,” said Namit Malhotra, DNEG chairman and CEO. “I have admired Janek’s work for many years, and he is a truly outstanding creative leader who pushes the boundaries of what is possible on all of his projects.”
Sirrs, who has worked with DNEG for several decades, added: “One of my goals in designing and worldbuilding for movies is to create something that has never been seen before, and I am looking forward to working with interesting and esoteric filmmakers to help bring a different take and a unique approach to the craft of storytelling.”
Best of Variety
From 'The Sandman' to 'Blonde': Books Made Into Movies and TV Series That You Should Read
Jennette McCurdy's Provocative Book 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' Is Already a No. 1 Bestseller
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
