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Projects from Rwanda, Greece, Malta and Bulgaria were among the prize winners at the seventh edition of European Works in Progress (Ewip) in Cologne this week.

An international jury including Edinburgh International Film Festival director Paul Ridd and distributor Sophia Stejskal of Austria’s Filmladen awarded in-kind prizes worth a total of €60,000.

Greek filmmaker Alexis Alexiou and his producer Elina Psykou received €10,000 from K13 Studios for Dolby Atmos mixing of his €1.1m crime thriller Sea Of Glass, described as a cross between The Postman Always Rings Twice and Thelma And Louise.

Maja Classen’s documentary Truth Of Dare, exploring desire...

Twenty-nine film projects have been selected for the seventh edition of European Work in Progress Cologne (Ewip), the pitching event held from October 14-16.

Among the titles being pitched to an international audience of sales agents, distributors and festival programmers is Bulgarian filmmaker Stephan Komendarev’s seventh feature Made In EU, about a provincial town turning against a seamstress after it appears she is the first local to have contracted Covid.

Other projects include German director Frédéric Halambek’s second feature Marielle, starring child actor Laeni Geiseler as a girl with the telepathic ability to know what her parents are...

Exclusive: Tre Hale (Platonic), Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie), Vivian Bang (White Rabbit) and Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death) have wrapped in Oregon on Song of the Bigfoot, an indie dramedy written and directed by Brent Bishop, in his feature debut, in which they play lead roles.

Others in the cast include Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives) and newcomer Emily McEnroe (Ryan Murphy’s Monsters).

The film is described as an uplifting tale about three lovably quirky Bigfoot seekers who become desperately lost in the wilderness and are thrust into a life-and-death ordeal. They soon realize they’ve also been lost in life, and must not only save themselves, but commit to a life worth saving. Clinging to the wisdom of their Bigfoot Society’s eccentric, long-lost founder (Darby), and the guidance of its current matriarch (Strong), the trio wrestle with past traumas, personal demons, and lost...

The legendary Rita Moreno is the teacher of your nightmares in the dark comedy thriller The Prank, set for a UK release next week! Also starring Connor Kalopsis (Outmatched) and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), The Prank is written by Rebecca Flinn-White (Period’s Big Adventure) and Zak White (Creepshow) and directed by Maureen Bharoocha (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin).

Ben has a stern, mean and cruel physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler. She has been teaching at the school for decades and has a reputation for being the hardest, coldest, strictest faculty member. She fails Ben’s entire class unless a student who cheated comes forward. But when no one does, Tanner and Ben hatch a plan to ruin her life and frame her for murder on social media.

The Prank will be available on digital platforms June 24th, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Check out the trailer and poster below:...

"I lit the fuse, and now we watch Wheeler burn..." Uh oh! This sounds dangerous. Signature Ent. in the UK has revealed an official trailer for an indie dark comedy called The Prank, the second feature film directed by Maureen Bharoocha. This originally premiered back in 2022 at the SXSW Film Festival that year, and it also showed at the 2023 Santa Barbara Film Festival, but has never been released in the US. A bit strange. Ben and his slacker friend Tanner decide to play a prank on their high school physics teacher Mrs. Wheeler. When she fails the entire class after someone cheats on a test, they teach the demanding instructor a lesson by falsely accusing her of murder on social media. Of course, it ends up spinning wildly out of control. What will happen next? The film stars Egot winner Rita Moreno, with Connor Kalopsis, Ramona Young, Keith David, Kate Flannery,...

Exclusive: Apple Studios has announced the three participants selected for its inaugural Directors Program, described as an inclusive, new initiative focused on expanding opportunities for mid-career directors across the U.S.

Maureen Bharoocha, Yoko Okumura and Marshall Tyler were chosen to participate in the six-month program which offers masterclasses focused on building and sustaining a career as a working episodic director. The program also will feature discussions with seasoned industry professionals focusing on the craft and business of directing, opportunities to participate as shadowing directors on Apple Studios series, and a “one-of-a-kind experience” in Apple Park tailored to inspire innovation and creativity.

(L-r): Maureen Bharoocha, Yoko Okumura and Marshall Tyler; Courtesy of Apple

Successful participants will be positioned to direct content for Apple TV+.

Television projects hailing from Apple Studios include Masters of the Air from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone; Lessons in Chemistry,...

Rita Moreno took inspiration from her real-life experiences with Hollywood “bitches” for her role in The Prank.

The nonagenarian Egot winner dropped by The View on Monday to promote the upcoming comedic film, in which she plays a mean-spirited teacher who is accused of murder by two of her students after she threatens to fail the entire class.

“This is the best part I’ve had in years,” Moreno told the show’s panelists. “It’s hilarious. It’s really a little cult movie.”

While speaking about how she tapped into the role, the actress didn’t hold back. “Let me tell you what I did: I just thought, how am I going to play this terrible person? And I thought of all the women in my life — particularly in show business — who’d really been awful to me — all of these bitches,” said Moreno.

When co-host Ana Navarro asked...

Ready to mark your calendars and clear your schedules, horror fiends? March 2024 is shaping up to be an unforgettable month for the genre, with an eclectic mix of chills and thrills that promise to keep you glued to your seats. From eerie childhood toys turned sinister to spine-tingling supernatural encounters and monstrous team-ups, there’s something to satisfy every kind of scare-seeker. Let’s dive into the must-watch upcoming horror movies of March 2024, complete with all the juicy details to get your anticipation levels skyrocketing.

Imaginary (March 8 – Theaters)

Blumhouse Productions brings us a tale that blurs the lines between child’s play and unadulterated terror. When Jessica (DeWanda Wise) and her family move back to her old stomping grounds, little do they know that a seemingly innocent stuffed bear named Chauncey, discovered by Alice (Pyper Braun), harbors a malevolent spirit. As Alice’s games with Chauncey shift from innocent to insidious,...

Exclusive: Harvey Keitel (The Irishman), Rita Moreno (80 for Brady), Roselyn Sanchez (Fantasy Island) and Udo Kier (Hunters) have been set to star in Theirs, an indie horror thriller going into production in Tulsa, Oklahoma this summer.

Written by Juan Pablo Reinoso and to be directed by Sonja O’Hara (Mid-Century), the film centers on a mother who, after a lifetime of grappling with abusive men and a bitter divorce, finds hope for herself and her teenage daughter in a new home, only to quickly find their newfound freedom tested by malicious secrets within its walls.

Keli Price (Bandit) will produce for his Price Productions, alongside Reinoso (Mad Props) for LookBook, and David Bond (Huesera) for Dark Elegy Films. Tom Biolchini will serve as the film’s executive producer.

An Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Keitel has recently appeared in films like Lansky, The Irishman, The Painted Bird and Isle of Dogs,...

Play it again, Ken.

Jeopardy! Masters has been renewed for a second season, it was announced on Saturday during ABC’s appearance at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena.

More from TVLineGrey's Anatomy Bringing Back Jessica Capshaw for Season 20 Guest GigElisabeth Moss Spy Thriller, L.A. Clippers Drama Get Hulu Premiere Dates; Wrexham Return Set at FXAmerican Horror Story: Delicate Sets April Return Date for Part 2

Hosted by franchise Goat Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! Masters with each hourlong episode showcases some of the highest-ranked current Jeopardy! contestants, in two action-packed and high-stakes games.

The quizzer’s second tournament-style...

Exclusive: Iconic Events has taken domestic rights to The Prank, a dark comedy starring Egot winner Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Connor Kalopsis (Outmatched) and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), from Xrm Media and Sneak Preview Entertainment.

Directed by Maureen Bharoocha (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin), the SXSW 2022 crowd pleaser will hit approximately 200 screens on March 15. Myriad Pictures is selling international rights at EFM.

The film scripted by Rebecca Flinn-White (Period’s Big Adventure) and Zak White (Creepshow) follows Ben (Kalopsis), who is your typical high-school overachiever. He’s organized, careful, goal-oriented and extremely dedicated to school. His best friend, Tanner (Young), couldn’t be more opposite. She is a lackadaisical, messy, slacker, who lives in the moment. They aren’t popular, but they don’t seem to care that much because they have each other.

Ben has a stern, mean and cruel physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler (Moreno). She...

Exclusive: Saban Films has set the U.S. release date for Knox Goes Away, the thriller marking Michael Keaton’s second feature behind the camera, in which he also stars opposite Al Pacino, James Marsden, Marcia Gay Harden and more. Pic will bow exclusively in theaters nationwide on March 15, having launched out of last year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Scripted by Gregory Poirier (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), Knox Goes Away has Keaton playing John Knox, a hit man attempting to make amends before his recently discovered dementia takes over. Aided by a trusted friend (Pacino) with his own shady past, Knox races against the police — and his own rapidly deteriorating mind — to save his estranged son (Marsden) from a vengeance-fueled mistake and “cash out” before it’s too late.

Also starring in the pic are Suzy Nakamura, John Hoogenakker, Joanna Kulig, Ray McKinnon and Lela Loren. In addition to Keaton,...

Katy Mixon (American Housewife), Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs), Cree Cicchino (And Just Like That…) and Connor Kalopsis (The Grinder) are set as leads in Unplanned in Akron, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from Schuyler Helford (Call Me Kat), Erik Feig’s Picturestart and CBS Studios.

Written by Helford with Emily R. Wilson supervising, Unplanned In Akron is a series about teenagers Brianna and Tyler (Cicchino and Kalopsis), who are navigating parenthood in the best way they know how. With a little help from their friends and parents, they’ll learn that mistakes in life don’t have to derail your life – they will learn that no matter what age you are, taking care of a child is no joke — but sometimes, you just gotta laugh (or cry) your way through it.

Mixon will play Wendy, Tyler’s mom, and a barista at a coffee counter where Brianna works as a cashier.

Cree Cicchino, Connor Kalopsis, Katy Mixon and Christopher Gorham have been cast in “Unplanned in Akron,” CBS’s teen-parenting comedy pilot from Schuyler Helford.

The series follows two teenagers navigating parenthood in the best way they know how. With a little help from their friends and parents, they’ll learn that mistakes in life don’t have to derail your life — that no matter what age you are, taking care of a child is no joke — but sometimes, you just have to laugh (or cry) your way through it.

Cicchino plays Brianna, who is sharp-witted, outspoken and unfiltered. She’s emotionally mature beyond her years because she basically grew up playing “mom” to her four younger siblings. Now, she has an 8-month-old of her own. She and Tyler have an unbreakable bond and find each other hilarious. Cicchino is known for starring in “And Just Like That,” “Mr. Iglesias” and “The Sleepover.

The Prank Review — The Prank (2022) Film Review from the 29th Annual South By Southwest Film Festival, a movie directed by Maureen Bharoocha, starring Rita Moreno, Connor Kalopsis, Ramona Young, Keith David, Kate Flannery, Meredith Salenger, Jonathan Kimmel, Nathan Janak, Betsy Sodaro, Ahmed Bharoocha, Talia Jackson, Armani Jackson, Romel [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: The Prank: A Predictable Teen Horror-Comedy With Some Campy Charm [SXSW 2022]...

Everyone has that one teacher they absolutely loathe. The kind who inspires ridiculous yet horrible rumors because kids just want to justify their illogical anger with a darker truth. When some wild rumor spreads about a teacher like this, it becomes all too easy to believe. The best part about Maureen Bharoocha's "The Prank" is seeing how blatantly and quickly everyone in this quiet, small-town jumps at the chance to believe the local physics teacher is a cold-blooded murderer.

The film focuses on two high school seniors with squeaky voices. There's Ben (Connor Kalopsis), an...

The post The Prank Review: Rita Moreno Is Deliciously Evil In a Black Comedy About a Teacher Framed For Murder [SXSW] appeared first on /Film.

23 years ago, Kevin Williamson wrote and directed Teaching Mrs. Tingle, a film that saw a good student (Katie Holmes) hold a vindictive teacher (Helen Mirren) hostage in her own home after she is caught cheating. It was a dark comedy, but due to its proximity to the Columbine High School massacre it was a watered-down […]

The post ‘The Prank’ Review – Rita Moreno Dazzles, But This Dark Comedy Plays It Too Safe appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

By Abe Friedtanzer

We should all aspire to be as active as Rita Moreno when we turn ninety years old. The legendary actress had her own documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, premiere at Sundance last year (it’s now available on Netflix), and co-starred in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, the film that won her an Oscar back in 1961. While her latest film, The Prank, isn’t anywhere near the caliber of her previous work, it’s great to see her still at it and enhancing any film she’s in…...

If you go to see this, The Prank’s on you.

Unspeakably lame in every department—writing, directing, acting and intent—this immature little goof on a high school murder mystery is notable only for the presence of Rita Moreno, looking and sounding some twenty years younger than her actual 90 as a sinister school teacher who should have retired and abandoned her wicked ways while she was still ahead. Absurdly plotted and handicapped by two massively unappealing lead teen characters, this is a very unlikely entry in any film festival, but it nonetheless did debut at South by Southwest.

None of Maureen Bharoocha’s three previous films over the past seven years—Fatal Flip, I Am Watching You and the decently reviewed Golden Arm—has served to put her firmly on the map, and matters are not bound to change due to the dim-witted plot, lame dialogue and thoroughly obnoxious...

Despite releasing a retrospective documentary about her astounding eight-decade career, Rita Moreno shows no signs of slowing down. The 90-year-old Egot winner has reinvented herself many times over the years, but she dons yet another beguiling disguise as a psychopathic physics teacher in the dark teen comedy “The Prank.” Her sleek black Cadillac may be an obvious nod to Cruella de Vil, but Moreno’s severe Mrs. Wheeler looks more like a Bond villain in her precise grey bob and black leather gloves.

Most of “The Prank” revolves around two squeaky-voiced teenagers: floppy-haired overachiever Ben (Connor Kalopsis) and ditzy-but-brilliant slacker Tanner (Ramona Young), broadly sketched types we’ve seen a million times. The outsized caricatures work when it comes to Mrs. Wheeler, whose slight stature collides playfully with the outsized fear she instills in her students. But the tired Gen Z tropes and cheesy one liners suck the life out...

Rita Moreno stars in an upcoming dark comedy feature titled The Prank, and ahead of the film’s premiere at SXSW 2022 this weekend, Deadline had scored a first-look clip. Maureen Bharoocha directed The Prank, wherein legendary actress Moreno stars as a “stern, mean, and cruel physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler. She has been teaching at the […]

The post ‘The Prank’ Clip – First Look at Rita Moreno in SXSW Dark Comedy appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Well, retirement didn’t last long.

Just weeks after announcing his retirement from the NFL, legendary quarterback Tom Brady announced he will star in and produce road trip comedy “80 for Brady,” starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno as four friends who travel to the 2017 Super Bowl Li to see the New England Patriots quarterback play.

Based on a true story, “80 for Brady” will be directed by Kyle Marvin, who also co-wrote the script with Michael Covino, using a draft by “Booksmart” screenwriting duo Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins.

Marvin and Corvino will also serve as executive producers under their Watch This Ready banner, along with Jeff Stott.

While Brady has briefly dabbled in Hollywood, playing himself in both “Entourage” and “The Simpsons,” the all-star quarterback most recently produced ESPN Original documentary “Man in the Arena” about his own football career.

“80 for Brady” will begin production in spring 2022, The Hollywood Reporter wrote.