Ava DuVernay Named Guest Artistic Director of AFI Fest 2022 – Film News in Brief

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay will serve as the guest artistic director at this year’s AFI Fest, the American Film Institute announced Friday.

DuVernay has selected three independent films spotlighting women directors: Kat Candler’s “Hellion,” Aurora Guerrero’s “Mosquita y Mari” and Victoria Mahoney’s “Yelling to the Sky.” Along with the screenings, DuVernay will moderate a special panel with these directors, a trio who are part of the historic all-women directing roster for the OWN drama series “Queen Sugar.”

“AFI Fest holds a special place in my heart and career. My feature directorial debut ‘I Will Follow’ made its Los Angeles premiere at AFI Fest 2010,” said DuVernay in a statement. “I still remember the feeling of validation and encouragement. It meant so much to me as a first-time woman director to be seen and embraced. So, it is a true honor to be invited to serve as the guest artistic director.

DuVernay added, “With this programming, I want to wave a flag for what can happen when women have the opportunity and support that is consistent with our male counterparts. Beautiful things blossom. My thanks to AFI Fest for agreeing with and amplifying that notion.”

AFI Fest 2022 will take place in person in Los Angeles from Nov. 2 to 6.

‘Definition Please’ Director Sujata Day to Write the Next ‘American Pie’

“Definition Please” director-writer Sujata Day will develop and write the next installment of the “American Pie” franchise for Universal 1440 Entertainment.

Based on Day’s original pitch, the upcoming “American Pie” film will feature a new take on the sex comedy franchise, which originally starred Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan and Chris Klein, among others.

Day made her directorial debut with 2020’s “Definition Please,” which won several accolades including for narrative feature film at Next Generation Indie Film Awards. She is also known for her role as CeCe in Issa Rae’s “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” and had a recurring role in HBO’s “Insecure.”

Day is repped by WME, Mosaic and Myman Greenspan. Plot details of the upcoming “American Pie” film are currently under wraps.

Napa Valley Film Festival Returns With Film, Food and Wine Showcase

The Napa Valley Film Festival is returning to an in-person event in collaboration with the CIA at Copia to present the NVFF Film, Food and Wine Showcase. The event will run over four nights of films, culinary experiences and VIP guests from Nov. 10-13. The Showcase will be held at the CIA at Copia food and beverage hub in Napa, Calif.

The film line-up will be announced shortly, and will be accompanied by special culinary events with the screenings, celebrating the food and wine culture in each film.

“We are excited to announce the Napa Valley Film Festival 2022 Film, Food and Wine Showcase and are thrilled to continue our partnership with The CIA at Copia. We are eager to reconnect the Napa Community to storytellers. This one-of-a-kind weekend will re-establish our commitment to honor our legacy of connecting film, food and wine,” said Cinema Napa Valley (CNV) chair Rick Garber.

More information can be found at the festival’s website.

(Pictured: Co-host Alton Brown and Chef Marcus Samuelsson speak onstage during a screening, Q&A and dinner for Netflix’s “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend” hosted by Napa Valley Film Festival and the Culinary Institute of America at Copia)

Paramount+ Releases First Look at Marsai Martin’s ‘Fantasy Football

Paramount+ has unveiled the first look at the upcoming family sports comedy “Fantasy Football,” set to premiere Nov. 25 on the streamer.

Starring and produced by Marsai Martin, the sports fantasy film follows Callie A. Coleman (Martin), who discovers that she can magically control her father’s (Omari Hardwick) performance as a running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Along with Martin and Hardwick, the film stars Kelly Rowland, Rome Flynn, Elijah Richardson, Hanani Taylor, Abigail Killmeier, Tyla Harris and Isac Ivan.

“Fantasy Football” is produced in partnership with The SpringHill Company and Genius Entertainment. Based on an original screenplay by Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Loethen and Tim Ogletree, the film is directed by Anton Cropper and written by Zoe Marshall, Dan Gurewitch and David Young. LeBron James, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson, Marsai Martin, Joshua Martin and Timothy Bourne produce, while Maverick Carter, Jamila Jordan-Theus and Syrinthia Studer serve as executive producers.

ACE Eddies Sets Awards Timeline

The American Cinema Editors (ACE) has set their awards timeline with the 73rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards set for March 5.

Three special honors will be handed out at the ACE Eddie Awards ceremony including two Career Achievement recipients presented to film editors of outstanding merit and the Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year honor presented to a filmmaker who exemplifies distinguished achievement in the art and business of film. Honorary award recipients will be announced later this year.

Submissions for the ACE Eddie Awards open Nov. 28th and close on Jan. 9, 2023 at 5pm PT.

Key dates for the 73rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards

Nov. 28, 2022 Submissions for Nominations Begin
Jan. 9, 2023 at 5pm PT Submissions for Nominations End
Jan. 16, 2023 Nomination Ballots Sent
Jan. 22, 2023 at 12pm PT Nomination Ballots Due
Jan. 26, 2023 Nominations Announced
Jan. 30, 2023 Final Ballots Sent
Feb. 3, 2023 Deadline for Advertising
Feb. 6 – 13, 2023 Blue Ribbon Screenings
Feb. 13, 2023 at 5pm PT Final Ballots Due
March 5, 2023 73rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards

Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ to Shoot on Prysm Stages’ First LED Volume Stage

Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” will be the first feature shot on Prysm Stages’ inaugural LED volume stage at Trilith Studios.

The Prysm Stage at Trilith Studios includes practical lighting, grip and camera, integrated with state-of-the-art digital options for filmmakers. In addition to using virtual production through the NEP Virtual Studios company, Coppola intends to incorporate never-before-seen techniques to create his upcoming epic feature, which stars Adam Driver, Forest Whittaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight and Laurence Fishburne.

Prysm Stages offers a virtual production experience, featuring a modular stage designed with an open framework that can adapt to any production needs. The new facility is led by Prysm Stages virtual production designer Jason Davis in partnership with Barry Williams, Trilith Studios director of creative technologies.

Academy Museum to Host ‘The Magical Films of Laika’ Screening Event

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will screen the animated films of Laika Studios throughout October for “The Magical Films of Laika,” presented as part of the museum’s Family Matinees series.

“The Magical Films of Laika” marks the first studio program partnership in which the Academy Museum will screen the studio’s entire filmography, including remastered versions of Laika Studio’s five award-winning features. In addition to the screenings, Laika artists will visit the studio to share their craft and expertise.

The screenings will be held during the following dates in October at 11 a.m. PT (unless otherwise noted):

“Missing Link” (Oct. 1)

“Kubo and the Two Strings” (Oct. 8)

“The Boxtrolls” (Oct. 22)

“ParaNorman” (Oct. 29)

“Coraline” (Oct. 30)

“ParaNorman” 10th Anniversary (Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.)

Brendan Fraser to Receive Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s American Riviera Award 

Brendan Fraser will be honored with the American Riviera Award at the 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 14, 2023. The award is bestowed upon actors who have made a significant contribution to American cinema. 

Along with receiving the American Riviera Award, Fraser will also discuss his career during an in-person conversation, including his recent performance as Charlie in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” Up next, Fraser is set to star in Legendary Pictures’ “Brothers” with Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, as well as Martin Scorsese’s western film “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

The 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place Feb. 8 to Feb. 18, 2023.

Newport Beach Film Festival to Open With ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,’ Close With ‘Glass Onion’

Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) has announced the opening and closing night films of the festival’s 23rd edition.

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” will kick off NBFF on Thursday, Oct. 13, with Netflix’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” closing the film fest Oct. 20. This year’s festival will showcase over 350 films, with nightly special events, world premieres, red carpet galas, awards contenders and conversations with filmmakers.

Festival highlights include festival honors celebrating Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch, along with International Spotlight events, shorts programs and other special programs. The film screenings will be held in four venues: The Lot at Fashion Island, Edwards Big Newport, New Port Theater and Starlight Triangle Cinemas.

The Newport Beach Film Festival will take place from Oct. 13 to 20. “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” will screen at 7 p.m. PT at Edwards Big Newport, while “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” will screen at 7:45 p.m. at The New Port Theater.

Academy Announces 2022 Recipients of 5th Gold Fellowship for Women

Karishma Dube and Oleksandra Kostina have been selected to be the domestic and international recipients, respectively, of the 2022 Academy Gold Fellowship for Women. The fellowship is part of the Academy Gold global talent development and inclusion initiative, and the Fellowship for Women is a one-year program that combines direct support, personalized mentorship and access to prestigious networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their pursuits in the field. 

The Academy currently awards two fellowships annually, one in the U.S. with a prize amount of $35,000 and one internationally in the amount of €20,000. The fellowship, presented this year in partnership with CHANEL, is now in its fifth year.

Fellows also receive lifelong career advancement support through the Gold Alumni Program, which provides continued access, opportunity, professional development and education for alumni of Academy Gold programs, including Gold Rising, the Student Academy Awards and the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

Hola México Film Festival Returns to Los Angeles

The 14th annual Hola México Film Festival will take place from Oct. 2-10 timed to Hispanic Heritage Month. The opening night screening is Gustavo Moheno’s “Lecciones Para Canallas” and will take place at the Montalban Theater. Among the programming is the Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today program, which connects emerging Latino filmmakers with mentors in the industry. The program’s centerpiece screening is “Single Mother By Choice” from Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today alumnus Selina Ringel and will take place Oct. 5 at Regal L.A. Live. Find information and tickets here.

Critics Choice Association Announces Honoree Slate for Inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television

The Critics Choice Association announced honorees for its inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television, which will take place on November 4 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA.

This year’s honorees include the following:

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, which will assist with funding a Film Production Grant for one rising filmmaker.

Beth McCarthy-Miller to Return as Chair of 75th Annual DGA Awards

DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter announced Thursday that Beth McCarthy-Miller will return as awards chair for the 75th Annual DGA Awards, which will take place at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 18, 2023.

Known for directing “SNL” for 11 seasons, McCarthy-Miller first served as DGA awards chair last year. Additional directing credits include episodes of “30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” “The Good Place,” “Veep” and “The Kominsky Method.” McCarthy-Miller also helmed the pilots for such series as “Great News,” “Reno 911” and “Bob Hearts Abishola.”