Welcome to the Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Brew. By: Ethan Rice Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Pennsylvania one of 10 states holding elections for state treasurer 50 states in 25 days—Nevada and Louisiana What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College? Pennsylvania one of 10 states…
The 32nd Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) has officially unveiled its 2024 winners.The festival, which took place from October 4 through October 14, marked the U.S. premiere of John Crowley’s “We Live in Time,” with screenings of “Nightbitch,” “A Real Pain,” “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” and R.J. Cutler’s Martha Stewart Netflix documentary “Martha” among the acclaimed features.
Now, IndieWire can exclusively announce the films that the HIFF jury and audience members selected for the top awards. “Armand,” also Norway’s 2025 Oscar submission, won the HIFF Award for Best Narrative Feature. “Armand” stars “A Different Man” and “Worst Person in the World” breakout Renate Reinsve as a mother of a seemingly disturbed six-year-old; the film debuted at Cannes before screening at HIFF. “Armand” is directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, the grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman. IFC Films has U.S. distribution rights for “Armand.”
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“’Armand’ is an intense journey into the complexities of human nature,” narrative competition jury members Joanna Arnow, Wyatt Cenac, and Genevieve Villaflor said in a joint statement. “Halfdan Ullman Tøndel has skillfully crafted a narrative that grips you from start to finish, featuring Renate Reinsve in a stunning performance that lingers long after viewing. We are delighted to present Armand with the Best Narrative Feature award, celebrating its bold exploration of accountability and the tumultuous path to redemption.”
The film received a $2,500 cash prize and $72,500 in in-kind goods and services, as sponsored by Panavision, Hamptons Locations, and On Location Education.
The HIFF Best Documentary Feature award went to “Viktor,” directed by Olivier Sarbil. The film received a $2,500 cash prize and $20,000 in in-kind goods and services, sponsored by GreenSlate and 91 East Productions.
“Amid a remarkable selection of documentary films this year, we are privileged to present Best Documentary Feature to Olivier Sarbil’s ‘Viktor,’” jurors Ebs Burnough, Rachel Fleit, and Tomris Laffly said. “Sarbil’s innovative approach, fusing striking black-and-white imagery with inventive sound design, adds an extraordinary depth to Viktor’s journey, inviting audiences to engage with a conflict that remains inaudible to him yet resonates powerfully through his steadfast determination. This documentary not only illuminates the resilience of the human spirit but also reveals the intricate realities faced by those on the fringes of war.”
The narrative jury awarded special jury prizes to Nicolas Keppens’ “Beautiful Men” for its “comedy, originality, and thoughtful portrayal of masculinity.” The documentary jury also recognized “Walk with Me” with a Special Jury Prize for director Heidi Levitt’s “intimacy and generosity.”
Djiby Kebe’s “L’Avance” received the Award for Best Narrative Short Film, while Jacqueline Baylon’s “Until He’s Back” won for Best Documentary Short Film. Both films received $1,000 cash prizes and will qualify for Academy Awards consideration.
As for the Audience Awards, Hamptons International Film Festival attendees selected the narrative feature “Bob Trevino Likes It,” the documentary feature “The World According to Allee Willis,” and the short film “A Swim Lesson,” which was directed by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack.
Check out the full list of awards below.
HIFF Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature“Armand,” directed by Halfdan Ullman Tøndel
HIFF Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature“Viktor,” directed by Olivier Sarbil
HIFF Best Documentary Feature Special Mention“Walk with Me,” directed by Heidi Levitt
HIFF Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film“L’Avance,” directed by Djiby Kebe
HIFF Award Winner for Best Documentary Short Film“Until He’s Back,” directed by Jacqueline Baylon
HIFF Best Narrative Short Film Special Mention“Beautiful Men,” directed by Nicolas Keppens
HIFF Audience Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature“Bob Trevino Likes It,” directed by Tracie Laymon
HIFF Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature“The World According to Allee Willis,” directed by Alexis Spraic
HIFF Audience Award Winner for Best Short Film“A Swim Lesson,” directed by Rashida Jones & Will McCormack
The Peter Macgregor-Scott Memorial Award“Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” directed by Julia Aks and Steve Pinder
The 2024 Brizzolara Family Foundation Award to Films of Conflict and Resolution“Antidote,” directed by James Jones
Victor Rabinowitz and Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice“I’m Your Venus,” directed by Kimberly Reed
The Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award“Checkpoint Zoo,” directed by Joshua Zeman
Suffolk County Next Exposure Grant “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” directed by Tyler Taormina
The Sherzum Award“A Nice Indian Boy,” directed by Roshan Sethi“Sabbath Queen,” directed by Sandi DuBowski
New York Women in Film & Television Award for Excellence in Narrative Filmmaking“Bob Trevino Likes It,” Tracie Laymon
New York Women in Film & Television Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking“The Last Women of the Sea,” Sue Kim
University Short Film Awards“Praeis,” directed by Dovydas Drakšas (London Film School)“Tornado,” directed by Jack Kendrick (NYU)“Bug Diner,” directed by Phoebe Jane Hart (California Institute of the Arts)“My Morning,” directed by Liav Tamuz (Minshar School for Art, Israel)“The Truck,” directed by Elizabeth Rao (NYU)
Previously Announced Awards:
Career Achievement in Acting AwardDemi Moore
Dick Cavett Artistic Champion AwardLiev Schreiber
Breakthrough Performer AwardClarence Maclin
Breakthrough Director AwardMalcolm Washington
Achievement in Screenwriting AwardMeg LeFauve and Dave Holstein
For a budget-friendly weekend activity with the entire family, head over to your local Cineplex cinema.The chain is offering movies at its theatres across Canada this month for just $3.99.
“Weekend plans for the whole gang just got easier!” Cineplex said. “Our Family Favourites program runs movies Saturdays for only $3.99 plus applicable taxes (in-theatre price).”
Check out the $3.99 movies available in October:
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October 26 — Batman
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Supermassive’s hit video game Until Dawn is headed to the big screen with a horror movie adaptation from director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle Creation, Shazam), and Sony’s Screen Gems has announced the recently wrapped movie’s official release date tonight.
Until Dawn will be unleashed in theaters on April 25, 2025.
Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Michael Cimino (“Never Have I Ever”), Ji-young Yoo (“Expats”) and Odessa A’zion (Hulu’s Hellraiser) will star in the upcoming horror film.
Peter Stormare (Clown, John Wick 2) will be reprising his role from the Until Dawn video game, while Maia Mitchell and Belmont Cameli will also appear in the movie.
Blair Butler (The Invitation) wrote the original draft, and Gary Dauberman (Salem’s Lot) worked on the script. The film is said to be “an R-rated love letter to the horror genre.”
Until Dawn centers around a group of eight teenagers who decide to vacation for a night in a cabin on the fictional Blackwood Mountain, exactly one year after the disappearance of two girls, the twin sisters of a member of their group. Shortly after arriving, the gang find themselves under attack by a psychopath, and must attempt to survive until sunrise.
Throughout the adventure, players alternate between all eight characters, making critical decisions as the story advances which drastically affects the game’s outcome, leading to hundreds of different scenarios.
The Until Dawn movie is being made by Screen Gems and PlayStation Productions.
Producers include Dauberman, Sandberg and Lotta Losten, as well as Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
The success of Until Dawn led Supermassive Games to create The Dark Pictures Anthology, an anthology series of horror video games with a similar interactive approach.
Supermassive was also behind the slasher video game The Quarry.
Nickelodeon brought the 1990s horror anthology series “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” back to television with a reboot season back in 2019, which subsequently spawned two follow-up seasons that each told their own unique stories with different “Midnight Society” kids.
For Halloween, Nickelodeon has packaged all three of those “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” reboot seasons into a three-season limited series DVD set, selling for just $13.39 on Amazon!
The seasons are titled “Carnival of Doom,” “Curse of the Shadows” and “Ghost Island.”
In the first installment, Rachel must tell a truly terrifying tale in order to join the secret Midnight Society. When the chilling events of her “Tale of Mr. Tophat and the Carnival of Doom” start to come true, Rachel must face her fears to end Mr. Tophat’s reign of terror.
Next, Curse of Shadows features an all-new Midnight Society and a spooky new seaside location. When the group’s leader suddenly vanishes, the remaining members must uncover the truth behind the town’s terrifying curse before it’s too late.
And in Ghost Island, four best friends and members of the Midnight Society get more than they bargained for when their fun summer vacation on a resort island turns into something sinister. They are pulled into the mystery of the island’s ghosts leading them to the terrifying and shocking revelation of room 13!
At this time, there are no current plans for “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” to return for a fourth season, but the franchise has also recently spawned new books as well as graphic novels.
An official Audible podcast was also launched last Halloween season.
While Terrifier 3 continues to top the box office, four more brand new horror movies were just released at home today. Additionally, a hit anthology series returns with new episodes.
Here’s all the new horror released on Tuesday, October 15, 2024!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
From the team behind the Terrifier movies, Stream was released in theaters back in August and the gory horror movie made its debut on digital outlets including Amazon today.
Director Michael Leavy‘s Stream comes from Fuzz on the Lens Productions, with the film’s makeup FX being handled by Terrifier and Terrifier 2 director Damien Leone!
The film’s cast is stacked with familiar faces and horror icons including Tony Todd (Candyman), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator / Would You Rather), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4, 5 / Hatchet 2), Tim Reid (Stephen King’s IT / WKRP Cincinnati), Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial / The Howling), Mark Holton (Leprechaun), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp / A Nun’s Curse), Daniel Roebuck (The Fugitive / Final Destination), Dave Sheridan (Scary Movie / The Devil’s Rejects), Terry Alexander (Day of the Dead / Night of the Living Dead II), David Howard Thornton (Terrifier / Terrifier 2), Charles Edwin Powell (Exorcist III/Screamers), Bob Adrian (The Conjuring 2), Sydney Malakeh (Cheer Camp Killer), Wesley Holloway (Terrifier 2), and Damian Maffei (The Strangers: Prey at Night).
Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects) will also appear in the upcoming gore-fest.
“Stream is a modernized slasher made by horror fans for horror fans and we are extremely excited and honored to be bringing this movie to the big screen for audiences to enjoy together,” Leavy tells Variety. “We have an incredible cast of genre greats who deliver stellar performances, and of course having Terrifier’s Damien Leone and Phil Falcone heading the gore FX we made sure we delivered the goods for our incredible fanbase, but something we are most proud of is its story and arching character development.”
In the film, “As the Keenan’s try to bring their family closer together, they unwittingly enter themselves into a game of life or death. With four deranged killers patrolling the halls of their hotel and competing for the most creative kills, the odds are definitely stacked against them.”
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After scaring up $350 million at the box office, Alien: Romulus has been unleashed at home via all major Digital retailers (Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) this week.
The movie is next hitting 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on December 3.
Director Fede Alvarez takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its iconic roots in the next jaw-dropping installment heralded by critics as “sheer terror” (Brian Truitt, USA Today) and “utterly breathtaking” (Andrew J. Salazar, Discussing Film).
In Alien: Romulus, “While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Cailee Spaeny (The Craft: Legacy, Pacific Rim Uprising) leads the cast alongside Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu.
Fede Alvarez co-wrote the script with Rodo Sayagues (Evil Dead). Ridley Scott is on board as producer for the film, the first movie in the franchise to be released by Disney.
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Looking like a twist on Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller classic Rear Window… for the screenlife generation… 9 Windows is now available on VOD outlets at home from Gravitas Ventures.
Written and directed by Lou Simón, the new screenlife-style horror movie stars William Forsythe, Michael Paré, Diana Garle, Christopher Millan and Jason Hignite.
“On the day of her graduation, Liza and her parents are driving to a restaurant to celebrate when a truck slams into their car. Eighteen months later, Liza is unable to walk and lives alone after her parents’ death. Feeling responsible, Liza spends her days trolling vloggers on a local website. Late one night, a new video is uploaded in which a man sets fire to a dog. She reports it to the police, but the police detective, Boyle, cannot be bothered with a misdemeanor.
“However, when videos start popping up showing the gruesome murders of humans, Boyle finally agrees to consult a retired FBI agent to help them track down the killer.
“As the murders continue, Liza figures out that the killer is copying the most gruesome serial killers of all time. She finds the killer’s reflection on the knife he used in the second murder and finds out the identity of the murderer. But has she inadvertently become his next target?”
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Victoria Justice and Dermot Mulroney star in Depravity, on Digital today from Paramount.
Paul Tamasy wrote and directed Depravity.
In the thriller, “When three residents suspect their reclusive neighbor is a serial killer, they break into his apartment only to uncover a hidden fortune in stolen art.
“But their discovery turns into a nightmare as they’re ensnared in a sadistic game of survival, where every corner hides a new horror. Outsmart the killer or become his next victim.”
Taylor John Smith, Devon Ross, Alex Roe, Adam Lazarre-White, and Sasha Luss also star.
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And finally, FX brings “American Horror Story” spinoff “American Horror Stories” back this week with a special five episode event as part of Hulu’s annual Huluween festivities.
All five episodes of the “Huluween” event will drop on Tuesday, October 15 on Hulu and via Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US. The series will also premiere October 15 on Disney+ in Canada and will be coming to Disney+ internationally.
The anthology series feature a different horror story each episode.
This year’s cast includes Michael Imperioli, Henry Winkler, Dyllón Burnside, Debby Ryan, Jeff Hiller, Jessica Barden, Angel Bismark Curiel, Guy Burnet, Victor Garber, and June Squibb.
“American Horror Stories” is created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
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Google is pushing onward in Big Tech’s chase for nuclear energy to power its data centers, alongside companies such as Microsoft and Amazon.
The California company that started as an internet search engine said this week it made the “world’s first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) to be developed by Kairos Power.”
Kairos Power said its master plant development agreement with Google would yield a “U.S. fleet of advanced nuclear power projects totaling 500 [megawatts] by 2035.”
“Under the agreement, Kairos Power will develop, construct and operate a series of advanced reactor plants and sell energy, ancillary services and environmental attributes to Google under power purchase agreements (PPAs),” Kairos Power said in a statement. “Plants will be sited in relevant service territories to supply clean electricity to Google data centers, with the first deployment by 2030 to support Google’s 24/7 carbon-free energy and net zero goals.”
Large tech companies are increasingly looking for nuclear solutions to support energy-thirsty data centers fueling the artificial intelligence overhaul.
Michael Terrell, Google’s energy and climate senior director, on Monday said the power grid needs new electricity sources to support artificial intelligence tech, and nuclear solutions represent a “clean, round-the-clock power source” that’s reliable.
Mr. Terrell said on Google’s blog that the company’s investment in nuclear power would ultimately “benefit everyone.”
“Advancing these power sources in close partnership with supportive local communities will rapidly drive the decarbonization of electricity grids around the world,” he wrote.
Big tech companies are singing from the same hymnal to portray their rush toward nuclear power as better for the environment rather than a risky endeavor.
Microsoft revealed last month itpartnered with Constellation Energy Corp. to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Constellation said the restored reactor is physically next to the separate reactor that infamously partially melted down in 1979.
When Microsoft Vice President Bobby Hollis announced the move on the company’s blog, he made no mention of Three Mile Island and instead identified the site as “an 835 megawatt (MW) nuclear facility in Pennsylvania that was retired in 2019.”
The tech sector is closely watching regulators’ responses to Big Tech’s moves, and some government officials may need persuading.
Amazon purchased a nuclear-powered data center in March, according to the American Nuclear Society.
After Amazon sought to expand the terms of its deal with Talen Energy, it faced challenges from utility companies asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take a closer look at the tech titan’s plans, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Microsoft, however, has already won praise from important policymakers from Washington to Pennsylvania. David Rosner, a regulator appointed to the FERC by President Biden, labeled the Microsoft move “cool” last week while noting he wouldn’t prejudge any matter he had to review.
Google, Microsoft and Amazon are not the only tech leaders looking to leverage nuclear power. OpenAI’s Sam Altman is chairman of the board at nuclear startup Oklo, which reportedly wants to build its first small modular nuclear reactor by 2027.
Oklo announced Tuesday that the Energy Department approved a conceptual safety design report for its fuel fabrication facility in Idaho.
Governments increasingly rely on algorithmic systems to support consequential assessments and determinations about people’s lives, from judging eligibility for social assistance to trying to predict crime and criminals. Latin America is no exception. With the use of artificial intelligence (AI) posing human rights challenges in the region, EFF released today the report Inter-American Standards…
Pioneering AI-Driven Innovation: Appinventiv Technologies at GITEX GLOBAL 2024 (brought to you by ZEX PR WIRE) As GITEX GLOBAL 2024 approaches, the event promises to unite the international tech community under the theme “Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy.” At the forefront of this revolution is Appinventiv Technologies, an industry leader in AI-driven…
From the mind-bending reality warps of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) to the breathtaking alien vistas of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), visual effects have transported us to worlds beyond imagination. Yet the future of visual effects (VFX) could hang in the balance as artificial intelligence is subsumed into screen production processes.
Lionsgate’s recent partnership with AI startup Runway has sparked controversy in the visual effects industry.
By allowing Runway to train AI on Lionsgate’s vast film and TV catalogue, the collaboration promises increased efficiency and financial savings – but at what cost?
Growing apprehension among workers
According to a research report published in January, 75% of 300 entertainment industry leaders surveyed said generative AI tools, software and models had contributed to the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs within their business divisions.
The report highlighted the visual effects sector as being particularly vulnerable, as AI techniques are often applied in post-production processes. This vulnerability was typified in our own research published today.
Our work reveals visual effects artists have serious concerns about generative AI’s integration into screen production. These include worries over job insecurity, creative devaluation, and the potential for AI to produce derivative content that fails to meet audience expectations.
Challenges of AI in the VFX industry
Our findings reflect growing concerns that AI’s use in filmmaking could magnify existing industry problems. It could, for instance, exacerbate unfair working conditions. Or it could undermine creativity if artists are expected to “clean up” AI-generated work rather than create their own.
Visual effects artists, who have typically been early adopters of new technologies, acknowledge AI could bring both opportunities and challenges. While it could help streamline certain tasks, it could equally impact on the overall quality of their work.
The artists we spoke to were worried a reliance on AI might stifle creativity and skill development, by making the work “more mechanical and less creative”. In a recent example, the AI-generated title sequence for Marvel’s Secret Invasion series was widely criticised for lacking artistic merit.
There were also questions about how artists would be compensated if their work is used to train AI models.
Some senior supervisors were particularly concerned about the ethical and legal considerations of using AI on commercial projects. They were uncertain around intellectual property rights for AI-generated content, as well as the potential for copyright infringement.
On the creative and technical front, artists recognised AI’s value in generating ideas and automating repetitive tasks. However, nearly all of them said AI tools weren’t yet production-ready, and highlighted difficulties with integrating said tools into existing pipelines.
The next steps
The VFX industry was already struggling with profits and sustainability before the AI boom. Visual effects companies often face bankruptcy – even Oscar-winning ones. In many cases, artists will get laid off once a project is complete.
Life of Pi (2012) won an Oscar for its visual effects work – but the company responsible for it went bankrupt.
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The partnership between Lionsgate and Runway represents the industry’s collective failure to address concerns over AI. But there’s still time to fix things.
The first step is developing clear industry guidelines for AI’s use in visual effects. Above all else, AI should help augment human creativity, rather than replace it. And artists should be fairly compensated if their work is used to train AI models.
Investment in training programs could also help artists adapt to new AI tools without compromising their creativity. As one interviewee told us, human expertise and creativity remain important in visual effects.
“Understanding the why behind certain choices, the creative decision making, that’s something I haven’t really seen AI effectively do,” they said.
As the industry stands at a technological crossroads, it must balance the pursuit of efficiency with genuine creativity. Otherwise, we risk losing the human touch that brings our favourite films to life.