SIR BILLI, the first full-length animated feature to be produced entirely in Scotland, will get its first international screening at the 15th annual Sonoma International Film Festival, April 11th-15th, 2012.                                      Sir Sean Connery, Tessa Hartmann and Sascha Hartmann in Sir B...

Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins lead British cast of venerable maestros for Hoffman’s directorial debut   Dustin Hoffman has assembled a cast of Britain’s most virtuoso actors for his feature film directorial debut QUARTET, which starts principal photography today, shooting for nine weeks in and around Buckinghamshire. BBC Films and DCM Productions present a Headline Pictures and Finola Dwyer Productions production in association with Decca and Han...

It was announced today that EIFF Chair Iain Smith has made the decision to leave the board of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.Smith joined the board in 2007 and took the leading position of Chair in 2008. He has been instrumental in guiding the film festival during a growth period following the UK Film Council’s investment in 2008. He has played a crucial role in shaping the Festival; bringing technology and digital initiatives to the forefront.Iain Smith said: “My growing commit...

        The competitive film, Another Year, by Mike Leigh, received two thumbs up from the audience that walked out of the Grande Theatre Lumierethis Saturday morning. Leigh’s premier was an ensemble comedy drama that starredhis usual cast of Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, and Lesley Manville.Happiness and the passing of time are the themes that seem to percolate throughthe movie. One viewer expressed that Leigh seemed to display what doesn’tchange in our lives than w...

With the election imminent, it is widely assumed that out of the 650 odd MP’s who represent their various constituencies up and down the UK, half of them will have to find new employment after the electorate have had their say. There will be a fair few MP’s doing their utmost to hold on to their jobs, those who are not tainted by the expenses affair to name but 1 plague on all the MP’s houses (in some cases, literally). And whilst issues such as housing, immigration, jobs and the economy...

Footage from the Closing Night Gala of "Nowhere Boy"  featuring interview with Kristin Scott Thomas, Aaron Johnson, Anne-Marie Duff, Thomas Sangster, David Morrissey, Matt Greenhalgh &  Sam Taylor-Wood              Kristin Scott Thomas at the premiere of Nowhere Boy Getty Images   Official London Film Festival Vodcast - Day 15 - kewego Catch up with all the action from Day 15 of The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival...

Frost/Nixon by Ron Howard Directed by: Ron Howard Written by: Peter Morgan Produced by: Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard Executive Producer: Matthew Byam-Shaw, Karen Kehela-Sherwood, David Bernardi, Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin, Todd Hallowell Cast: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones   Synopsis: For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-ch...

SYNOPSIS:For three years after being forced from office, Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) remains silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agrees to a series of interviews -at a price - with David Frost (Michael Sheen) intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a better place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harbours doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as the cameras roll, a charged battle of wits ...

For three years after being forced from office, Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) remains silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agrees to a series of interviews -at a price - with David Frost (Michael Sheen) intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a better place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harbours doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as the cameras roll, a charged battle of wits ensues. D...

The Edinburgh International Film Festival today confirmed that actor Robert Carlyle has accepted the role of Festival Patron. Carlyle was invited by Sir Sean Connery to join him and Tilda Swinton, the Festival’s two other Patrons, at the close of this year’s successful EIFF.The announcement comes after the Festival concluded its box-office breaking 12 day run in the new calendar-slot of June. Commenting on the Festival’s new Patron, EIFF Artistic Director Hannah McGill said: “Robert Carl...

Guests of this year’s The South Bank Show Awards at The Dorchester Hotel were thrilled to see J.K. Rowling collect the award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts in recognition of the author’s incredible literary success with the much-loved Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling joins a list of illustrious previous winners of this prestigious award including Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter, Richard Eyre, Helen Mirren, Richard Attenborough and The Who. The top prize of the night was accompanied by...

The 44th edition of the New York Film Festival opens on a royal note with the North American premiere of THE QUEEN, the latest film from UK director Stephen Frears (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, THE SNAPPER, HIGH FIDELITY, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE). The film stars Oscar nominee Helen Mirren in a tour-de-force performance as Queen Elizabeth II. Also featured are James Cromwell as Prince Phillip, Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Sylvia Syms as the Queen Mother, in a revealing and often acidly funny portrai...

7th Annual BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS Announces the winners for 2004The contentious story of an abortionist in 1950s England swept the board tonight at the 7th annual British Independent Film Awards. Vera Drake scooped a massive six awards including the prestigious Best Film and Best Director.Mike Leigh and actress Imelda Staunton repeated their Venice Film Festival triumph where the film was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Film and Best Actress award for Staunton. Again, Leigh, who has en...

Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake" won the coveted "Leone d’Oro" - Golden Lion - at the 61st Venice International Film Festival, presided over by John Boorman, jury president. The awards were announced at the closing ceremony September 11. Imelda Staunton who plays Vera Drake, a midwife in the 1950's prosecuted for "helping young girls and women in trouble" won the Coppa Volpi, best actress award. There is an irony in the award of the Golden Lion to Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake". Tod Solondz "Palindro...

This is the first time in Mike Leigh's nine feature films that he has used the name of a character in the title. There is a reason for this. Most of his other films had various characters revolving around a central theme. Here, everything revolves around one protagonist, Vera Drake, a cheerful cleaning lady, who helps everybody she can. She is a loving wife and mother. However, sornething else she does out of the goodness of her heart, though unknown to her family, is help young girls get aborti...

The 48th London Film Festival has selected Mike Leigh’s VERA DRAKE as its Opening Night Gala, and David O. Russell’s I HEART HUCKABEES as Closing Night Gala.The Opening Night Gala, on Wednesday 20th October, will be the UK Premiere of Mike Leigh’s VERA DRAKE starring Imelda Staunton and Phil Davis, it will be released in the United Kingdom by Momentum Pictures early in the New Year.The Closing Night Gala, on Thursday 4th November, will showcase the International Premiere of I HEART HUCKABE...