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The Daily Wire wants to make conservative movies to take on liberal Hollywood, which might sound like a lost cause from the start. But today it’s releasing a movie based on a Black List screenplay with a compelling genre hook that almost looks commercial — and just happens to sneak conservative values into the heart of its story.

The right-wing publication sells Leftist Tears travel mugs and hosts a podcaster who believes doctors who perform gender-affirmation surgeries are “treating kids like Frankenstein’s monster.” However, it might be able to succeed where Dinesh D’Souza, Steve Bannon, and other conservative filmmakers failed: Adapt a red-state approach to movies that sublimates politics into the story rather than turning it into obvious propaganda.

Today the site premieres its first original feature, “Shut In,” a thriller from “Disturbia” director DJ Caruso. Rainey Qualley stars as a single mother who, after being locked in her...

You might not expect Cinestate — the right-leaning Dallas production company responsible for “Dragged Across Concrete,” “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” and allegedly enabling a pattern of sexual abuse by producer Adam Donaghey — to create a sensitive and thought-provoking film about America’s epidemic of school shootings, but even if you lowered the bar down to the ninth layer of hell the company’s latest and least defensible effort would still manage to slink under it. An unholy cross between “Elephant” and “Die Hard” that depicts an armed attack on a Texas high school with all the realism of Dana Loesch’s wet dreams, “Run Hide Fight” is . It’s a movie made by someone who’s seen too many movies, and now made at least one too many as well.

Poor Thomas Jane. No one who brought us “The Mist” and that one scene at the end of “Boogie Nights...

No one was more surprised than director Kyle Rankin when his new film “Run Hide Fight” was added to the Venice Film Festival lineup after the first group of titles had already been announced.

The “Night of the Living Deb” filmmaker knew the story of the victims of a school shooter might draw controversy, but he wasn’t sure if it would resonate as much internationally, given that school shootings are far more prevalent in American than anywhere else.

Isabel May stars in the action thriller as a teenager who must try to survive a group of armed assailants who are live-streaming an attack on her high school. Thomas Jane is her father, an ex-special forces member who bonds with her on hunting trips after the death of her mother. “Prince of the City” star Treat Williams plays the town sheriff. Voltage Pictures handles international sales.

The film’s subject matter was already controversial,...

Cinestate is facing internal backlash after a recent report by The Daily Beast that details the independent Texas movie studio’s alleged complicity in several instances of sexual misconduct. Editors of two publications owned by the company, Birth.Movies.Death. and Fangoria, on Monday publicly shared a letter they have shared with their bosses demanding Cinestate take several measures in the realm of anti-harassment. They’re refusing to work until the company meets the demands. (The full letter is available below.)

Over the weekend, The Daily Beast published a deep-dive investigation titled “How a Right-Wing Movie Studio Enabled the ‘Harvey Weinstein’ of Indie Film,” referencing producer Adam Donaghey, who is currently facing a charge of sexual assault of a child, and produced several of Cinestate’s films. The article also offers a new look into allegations that Cinestate enabled a pattern of harassment not just by Donaghey, but by others...

Last month, “A Ghost Story” producer Adam Donaghey made headlines after he was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a minor after a woman, who was 16 at the time of the incident, came forward and spoke to police. Donaghey was eventually released on $25,000 bail. But that incident has turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg, as a film studio, Cinestate, is now under fire because of numerous other allegations, and film websites that are owned by the company are now making demands in light of the news.

Continue reading Cinestate Film Site Brands Demand Change From Their Owners Following Sex Abuse Scandal at The Playlist.

Texas-based independent film producer Adam Donaghey made headlines last month when a woman came forward to say the filmmaker sexually assaulted her when she was 16. While Donaghey (best known for producing David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story”) was arrested and charged, he was released from custody on $25,000 bail on April 28. A new report from Marlow Stern in The Daily Beast, where several interview subjects compare him to Harvey Weinstein, reveals that Donaghey had a pattern of abuse prior to the charge. According to the report, his toxic behavior was well known within, and even abetted by, certain members of the Dallas film scene, including movie studio Cinestate.

“The first time I was ever on set I was warned about Adam Donaghey,” one female filmmaker told The Daily Beast. “I was told he was the Harvey Weinstein of Dallas.”

One individual, Cristen Leah Haynes, revealed that she was sexually harassed by...

Adam Donaghey, a Texas-based producer and film festival co-founder, was arrested in Dallas recently on a charge of sexual assault of a child. He was released from custody on April 28 after posting $25,000 bond.

Publicly available court documents from his April 28 arraignment do not indicate when or where the alleged incident occurred, though the charge applies to an adult accused of assaulting a person 16 or younger. There is no statute of limitations for that charge.

Donaghey did not respond to requests for comment.

Donaghey and his accuser, now in her 20s, have worked together for over a decade, including on several independent films he produced. IndieWire is not naming her out of respect for her privacy.

Her most recent on-camera role was in the 2017 film “A Ghost Story,” on which Donaghey is credited as a producer. Director David Lowery offered support for the young woman in a statement.

“I’m devastated by this news.

Exclusive: Voltage Pictures has boarded international sales on writer-director Kyle Rankin’s (Night Of The Living Deb) upcoming thriller Run Hide Fight, starring Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea), Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill) and Isabel May (Alexa & Katie). The U.S. firm will present the project to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market.

Run Hide Fight follows 17-year-old Zoe Hull (May) who uses her wits, survival skills, and compassion to fight for her life, and those of her fellow classmates, against a group of live-streaming school shooters.

Currently in post-production, the film also stars Eli Brown (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists), Olly Sholotan (All American), Cyrus Arnold (Zoolander 2), Britton Sear (Boy Erased), Catherine Davis (S.W.A.T.), Treat Williams (Deep Rising), and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator).

The project’s subject matter is a highly sensitive one. The filmmakers discussed their rationale for making the film and its journey when we broke news about it late last year.

If you've listened to Corpse Club or read Daily Dead over the years, you may know that I'm not shy about sharing my eternal love for the 2008 zombified horror comedy Dance of the Dead, directed by Gregg Bishop from a screenplay by Joe Ballarini (I even had the undying pleasure of helping put together 10th anniversary screenings for the film). It's with immense pleasure and plenty of anticipation that we share the news that Bloody Disgusting and Fangoria are teaming up for Bishop's next movie, The Sisters of Samhain, which features a "rogue coven" running amok on Halloween night.

Announced by Bloody Disgusting and Deadline, The Sisters of Samhain will be directed by Bishop from a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (the writing duo behind Super Dark Times and the recent Sundance hit The Night House). According to Bloody Disgusting, the film "follows a group of friends who...

Exclusive: Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, the hot writing duo behind $12m Sundance pic The Night House, are joining forces with genre label Fangoria on horror movie The Sisters Of Samhain. The script follows a group of friends who team up with a witch on Halloween night to prevent a rogue coven from bringing about the end of the world.

Fangoria’s owner Cinestate is financing the pic and will handle distribution. The Texas-based studio is teaming with Chicago-based media company Bloody Disgusting on the project, as well as Final Destination producers Practical Pictures and Grade A Entertainment. The latter two companies developed the script with director Gregg Bishop, who is set to helm.

As a pair, Collins and Piotrowski broke out with their 2017 indie hit Super Dark Times. Their latest feature, The Night House, starred Rebecca Hall as a widow who begins to uncover...

Exclusive: Cast has been rounded out on The Seventh Day, the horror pic starring Guy Pearce and Mexican actor Vadhir Derbez in the story of a renowned exorcist who teams up with a rookie priest for his first day of training.

Joining them are Stephen Lang (Avatar), Keith David (The Thing), Chris Galust (Give Me Liberty), Robin Bartlett (City Of Angels), and Brady Jenness (The Sinner).

Lang will co-star as serious and deeply pious archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of New Orleans. David will portray Father Louis, a mentor to Father Peter (Pearce) in his youth. Bartlett is set to portray Helen, a New Orleans social worker. Galust will play young Father Peter, and Jenness will portray Charlie Giroux, a young boy accused of a heinous crime while allegedly under the influence of demonic possession.

The project is shooting next month in Dallas and New Orleans. Justin P. Lange is directing from his own script,...

Exclusive: Mike Colter has joined the cast of thriller pic Till Death, which is being helmed by Big Bad Wolves director Aharon Keshales.

As we revealed back in November, Jason Sudeikis and Evangeline Lilly are top-lining the project. Ahead of shooting this month in Texas, Shea Whigham (Joker), Jeremy Bobb (Russian Doll), Michael Paré (Streets Of Fire), and Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) have rounded out the cast.

Universal Content Group has world distribution rights to the pic.

The film was written by Keshales, Navot Papushado and Kai Mark. It follows convicted felon Jimmy (Sudeikis) who gets early parole after serving twelve years for armed robbery. Upon his release from prison, he vows to give Annie (Lilly), his childhood love, now dying from cancer, the best last year of her life.

“The response to this project has been truly amazing. When you’re writing a script, you imagine...

Exclusive: Vadhir Derbez, the Mexican actor whose credits include Netflix series Sense8 and the box office hit How To Be A Latin Lover, will co-star with Guy Pearce in Justin P. Lange’s exorcism horror movie The Seventh Day.

The project is being produced by Fangoria, the horror brand owned by Dallas-based producer Cinestate. Shoot is planned for February in Dallas and New Orleans.

Pitched as “Training Day meets The Exorcist,“ pic follows a renowned exorcist who teams up with a rookie priest for his first day of training. As they plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge.

Lange is directing from his own script. His credits include 2018 Tribeca premiere The Dark, which was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best First Feature in 2019.

Dallas Sonnier (Dragged Across Concrete) and Amanda Presmyk (Vfw) are producing for Cinestate and Fangoria.

Exclusive: Kyle Rankin, the filmmaker behind Night Of The Living Deb and The Witch Files, has completed a secretive project, Run Hide Fight, about a 17-year-old girl who must use her wits to survive a school-shooting.

Isabel May (Young Sheldon) leads the cast of the action-drama, which filmed in Red Oak, Texas this October and November in a recently closed junior high school. Also starring are Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea) and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill) as the lead character’s parents. The film sees the protagonist and her fellow classmates attempting to survive an assault from a group of school shooters, who live stream their attack.

Eli Brown (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists), Olly Sholotan (All American), Cyrus Arnold (Zoolander 2), Britton Sear (Boy Erased), Catherine Davis (S.W.A.T.), Treat Williams (Deep Rising), and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) are also in the cast.

Rankin has been working on the project for several years and,...

Exclusive: I hear that Jason Sudeikis and Evangeline Lilly have been cast in Till Death, the action thriller being helmed by Aharon Keshales, who co-directed 2013 breakout Israeli horror Big Bad Wolves.

In the film, convicted felon Jimmy gets early parole after serving twelve years for armed robbery. Upon his release, he vows to give Annie, his childhood love, now dying from cancer, the best last year of her life – unfortunately it’s not that simple. Keshales penned the script with Navot Papushado and Kai Mark.

The project comes from Dallas-based producers Cinestate and Arts District Entertainment, and is fully financed by London-based Media Finance Capital.

Uphe Content Group has already snapped up world rights to the package. Pic will go into production in January 2020.

SNL grad Sudeikis is making something of a genre departure on this high-octane action pic, following recent drama roles in Kodachrome and Driven, alongside his comedy work.

Guy Pearce is leading horror movie The Seventh Day for director Justin P. Lange and producers Cinestate and Fangoria.

Pitched as “Training Day meets The Exorcist“, pic follows a renowned exorcist who teams up with a rookie priest for his first day of training. As they plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge.

Voltage Pictures is handling international sales and is shopping the pic at Afm this week.

Justin P. Lange will direct his own script, his credits include 2018 Tribeca premiere The Dark, which was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best First Feature in 2019.

Dallas Sonnier (Dragged Across Concrete) and Amanda Presmyk (Vfw) are producing for Cinestate and Fangoria. Kimberly Hwang (Lucky) and Chelsea Davenport are also producing.

Voltage Pictures CEO Nicolas Chartier and President and COO Jonathan Deckter are executive producing, alongside Adam Donaghey (A Ghost Story...

Before Vfw makes its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, Rlje Films has grabbed up North American rights to release the movie in theaters and VOD in early 2020. Here's the official press release:

Los Angeles, Sept. 17, 2019 – Rlje Films has acquired North American rights to the action-horror feature Vfw ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin. The movie is scheduled to be released in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD first quarter 2020.

Written by Max Brallier (“The Last Kids on Earth”) & Matthew McArdle and directed by

Joe Begos, the film stars Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, George Wendt (“Cheers”), David Patrick Kelly (“Twin Peaks”), Tom Williamson (“The Fosters”), Sierra McCormick (The Vast of Night), Travis Hammer (“Godless”), and Dora Madison (“Friday Night Lights”).

“We are so excited to work with the legendary Stephen Lang,” said Mark Ward, Chief Acquisitions Officer for Rlje Films.

Exclusive: Rlje Films has acquired North American rights to Vfw, an action horror move with a tough-guy cast that includes Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Fred Williamson and Martin Kove. The deal comes as the pic, directed by Joe Begos, is prepping for its world premiere Saturday at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.

Rlje, which is coming off acquiring Richard Stanley’s Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness wo rld premiere Color Out of Space a couple weeks ago, will release Vfw in theaters on on-demand in first-quarter 2020.

Penned by Max Brallier & Matthew McArdle, Vfw revolves around a group of war veterans who must defend their local Vfw post and an innocent teen against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants. George Wendt, David Patrick Kelly, Tom Williamson, Sierra McCormick, Travis Hammer and Dora Madison also star.

Dallas Sonnier (Bone Tomahawk), Amanda Presmyk...

Last year, it was announced that makeup effects guru Tate Steinsiek will direct a reimagining of Castle Freak, and now the main cast has been revealed for Fangoria and Full Moon Features' new take on Stuart Gordon's 1995 horror film.

According to multiple outlets, including Bloody Disgusting, the Castle Freak reimagining will star Clair Catherine, Jake Horowitz (The Vast of Night), Chris Galust (Give Me Liberty), Kika Magalhães (The Eyes of My Mother), Emily Sweet (Syn), Elisha Pratt (True Detective), and Omar Brunson.

A collaboration between Fangoria and Full Moon Features (who teamed up for 2018's Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich), the new Castle Freak is expected to start production in Albania in July. Steinsiek will direct from a screenplay by Kathy Charles, with legendary composer Fabio Frizzi contributing an original score for the film.

According to Bloody Disgusting, the new Castle Freak "follows recently-blinded Rebecca, her boyfriend John, and...

Production underway in Dallas, Texas.

Voltage Pictures, riding high on the international box office success of Ya adaption After, has boarded international sales rights on Fangoria’s upcoming action-horror film V.F.W. in time for Cannes and will commence talks on the Croisette next week.

Genre specialist Joe Begos, who latest film Bliss premiered at Tribeca Film Festival last weekend, is directing from a screenplay by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle about Vietnam War veterans who take a stand against a deranged drug dealer and his army of punk mutants to defend their local V.F.W. (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post and an innocent teen.

Robert Klein (The Backup Plan), Andrea Navedo (Jane the Virgin), Willie Garson (Sex and the City), Craig Bierko (Unreal), Chris Perfetti (The Night Of), and Shaed lead singer Chelsea Lee have joined previously announced Annabella Sciorra in God The Worm from Mainstay Entertainment. Written and directed by Eric Schaeffer, the project began filming this week in New York City. The story centers on Samantha Miller (Sciorra), a talented singer-songwriter who, questioning life’s meaning, journeys through New York City’s colorful neighborhoods where chance encounters with a roster of eccentric and unforgettable characters who help illuminate her future path and restore her zeal for life and music. Klein plays Samantha’s hopeful and loving father, Jasper. Bierko (Walt), Garson (Francis), Navedo (Chloe) and Perfetti (Johnson) are among the dynamic New York City characters she meets along the way. Lee makes her acting debut here as a street artist. Mainstay’s...

With production underway on Chelsea Stardust's Satanic Panic and a movie adaptation of Preston Fassel’s Our Lady of the Inferno in development, Fangoria has exciting film projects on their upcoming slate, and they've now added another one to the macabre mix: the acton horror movie V.F.W., starring Stephen Lang and directed by Joe Begos.

Deadline reports that Begos will direct V.F.W. from a screenplay by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle, with Lang in the starring role.

Described as "The Wild Bunch meets Night of the Living Dead," according to Deadline, V.F.W. "follows Fred and his military buddies as they must defend their local Vfw post – and an innocent teen – against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants. These Vietnam vets have been to hell and back, but this will be the longest night of their lives."

V.F.W.

Exclusive: Stephen Lang, who played Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi Avatar, is set to star in V.F.W., an action-horror film with Brawl in Cell Block 99 producer Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk producing for Fangoria. Joe Begos is at the helm, directing from a screenplay by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle. Begos’ Channel 83 Films partner Josh Ethier is also producing.

Slated to go before cameras this month in Dallas, the film is described as The Wild Bunch meets Night of the Living Dead. It follows Fred and his military buddies as they must defend their local Vfw post – and an innocent teen – against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants. These Vietnam vets have been to hell and back, but this will be the longest night of their lives.

Executive producers are David Gilbery and Charles Dorfman of Media Finance Capital,...

Production underway in Dallas, Texas, on horror comedy.

Toronto-based Double Dutch International will launch international sales at Afm next week on the horror comedy Satanic Panic starring Rebecca Romijn.

Production is underway in Dallas, Texas, on the film about a pizza delivery girl who must fight for her life when her last order of the night leads her to a satanic society in need of a virgin sacrifice.

Romijn leads the satanists, while newcomer Hayley Griffith plays the delivery girl. Rounding out the cast are Ruby Modine, Arden Myrin, Jerry O’Connell, Aj Bowen, Jordan Ladd, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Hannah Stocking,...

When you deliver pizzas, you could encounter anyone on the other side of the front door, including murderous satanic cult members. Such is the case for a pizza delivery woman in Fangoria's new movie Satanic Panic, which now has a full cast, including Rebecca Romijn in the lead role.

Deadline reports the news of Romijn's casting, revealing that she will co-star as a Satanist leader opposite Hayley Griffith, who will play a pizza delivery worker, who, "at the end of her financial rope who has to fight for her life—and her tips—when her last order of the night turns out to be high society Satanists (led by Romijn) in need of a virgin sacrifice."

According to Deadline, the cast of Satanic Panic, which is expected to start production in Dallas next week, also includes "Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day), Arden Myrin (Insatiable), Jerry O’Connell (Carter), Aj Bowen...

Exclusive: Rebecca Romijn is set to star in Fangoria’s Chelsea Stardust-directed film, Satanic Panic, described as an after-hours-esque horror comedy with a healthy dash of imaginative gore.

Newcomer Hayley Griffith will co-star opposite Romijn with Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day), Arden Myrin (Insatiable), Jerry O’Connell (Carter), Aj Bowen (The Sacrament), Jordan Ladd (Cabin Fever), Jeff Daniel Phillips (The Lords Of Salem), Hannah Stocking (Boo 2! A Madea Halloween), Michael Polish (Some Kind Of Hate), Whitney Moore (House Of Demons) and Skeeta Jenkins (Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich) rounding out the supporting cast as production is set to being next week in Dallas, Texas.

Written by Grady Hendrix, based on a story by Hendrix and Ted Geoghegan, the plot follows a pizza delivery girl (Griffith) at the end of her financial rope who has to fight for her life — and her tips — when her...

Rlje Films has acquired North American rights to The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, the thriller written and directed by first-time feature director Henry Dunham that is making its world premiere tomorrow in the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness section. An early 2019 theatrical and VOD release is planned.

James Badge Dale stars as a reclusive ex-cop who, after a shooting at a police funeral, finds himself forced out of retirement when he realizes that the killer belongs to the same militia he joined after quitting the force. He quarantines his fellow militiamen in the remote lumber mill they call their headquarters intent on ferreting out the killer and turning him in.

Chris Mulkey, Brian Geraghty, Robert Aramayo, Patrick Fischler, Happy Anderson and Gene Jones also star. Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk produce via Cinestate alongside Sefton Fincham, Johnathan Brownlee and Adam Donaghey. Xyz Films’ Nate Bolotin and Todd Brown executive produce with Danielle Cox,...

Rlje Films has acquired all North American rights to the thriller “The Standoff at Sparrow Creek,” from Cinestate and Xyz Films.

Written by Henry Dunham who is also making his feature directorial debut, the film stars James Badge Dale, Chris Mulkey, Brian Geraghty, Robert Aramayo (“Game of Thrones”), Patrick Fischler (“Twin Peaks”), Happy Anderson and Gene Jones.

“The Standoff at Sparrow Creek” premiere Sept. 9 at Midnight Madness at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Rlje plans to release the film nationally in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD in early 2019.

“This is our seventh collaboration with Dallas Sonnier, the producer of ‘Bone Tomahawk’ and ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99,’” said chief acquisitions officer Mark Ward for Rlje Films. “With a Black List script by Henry Dunham and a talented cast led by James Badge Dale, we are confident we will not disappoint genre enthusiasts at this year’s Midnight Madness at Tiff.

Xyf Films in talks with international buyers in Toronto.

Rlje Films has acquired all North American rights to Cinestate and Xyz Films’ thriller The Standoff At Sparrow Creek ahead of its world premiere in Tiff Midnight Madness on Wednesday (12).

Xyz Films handles international sales and has introduced Toronto buyers to Henry Dunham’s feature directorial debut about the repercussions of a police funeral shooting.

When a former police officer realises the killer belongs to the same militia he joined after quitting the force, he fears the killing might set off a chain of copycat violence.

What follows is a gruelling...

When you deliver pizzas, you could encounter anyone on the other side of the front door, including murderous satanic cult members. Such is the case for a pizza delivery woman in Fangoria's new movie Satanic Panic, which now has a director.

Deadline reports that Chelsea Stardust is set to direct Satanic Panic, a new horror comedy coming from Cinestate's Fangoria. Stardust, who has worked on a long list of Blumhouse projects and recently directed her first feature-length project (All That We Destroy), will direct from a screenplay by acclaimed author Grady Hendrix, who came up with the film's story idea with filmmaker Ted Geoghegan.

Renowned makeup artist Tate Steinsiek, who is directing the Castle Freak reboot for Cinestate, will take on the film's special effects, with Cinestate’s Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk on board to produce along with Adam Goldworm from Aperture Entertainment. Executive producing the movie are Fangoria...

Exclusive: Fangoria has set Chelsea Stardust to direct Satanic Panic, an After Hours-esque horror comedy with a dash of gore. The Grady Hendrix-penned script is about a pizza delivery girl at the end of her financial rope who has to fight for her life — and her tips — when her last order of the night turns out to be high society Satanists in need of a virgin sacrifice. Casting is already underway and principal photography is set for October in North Texas.

Cinestate’s Dallas Sonnier (Bone Tomahawk) & Amanda Presmyk (Dragged Across Concrete) will produce for Fangoria with Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm (Masters Of Horror). Fangoria’s Phil Nobile Jr. and Adam Donaghey will be exec producers. Hendrix wrote the story with Ted Geoghegan. Tate Steinsiek is on board to handle the special effects.

Stardust has been on a roll lately. After working for producer Jason Blum for several years,...

Following its well-received screening at the 2018 Overlook Film Festival, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (written by Bone Tomahawk director S. Craig Zahler) was acquired for North American distribution by Rlje Films. It's been playing the festival circuit and will be getting a Us theatrical and VOD release on August 17th. Having seen the movie at Fantasia, I can say that this movie has some of the most insane and bloody kills ever put on screen, and if you want to see some of that for yourself ahead of August 17th, take a look at the newly released red band trailer:

"The reimagining of the Full Moon Features cult classic stars Thomas Lennon (TV’s “Reno 911!”), Jenny Pellicer (TV’s “Cocaine Godmother”), Nelson Franklin (TV’s “Veep”), Charlyne Yi (This is 40), Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers), and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator). The iconic Udo Kier (Brawl in Cell Block 99) stars as the titular character.

Following its well-received screening at the 2018 Overlook Film Festival, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (written by Bone Tomahawk director S. Craig Zahler) was acquired for North American distribution by Rlje Films, and after screening at Fantasia, the film's list of theatrical screening locations has now been revealed.

The list of theatrical screenings list comes straight from Cinestate's official Twitter account, and we have the image and the previous press release below with full details. Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich will be released in Us theaters on August 17th, the same day it comes to VOD:

From the Press Release: "The reimagining of the Full Moon Features cult classic stars Thomas Lennon (TV’s “Reno 911!”), Jenny Pellicer (TV’s “Cocaine Godmother”), Nelson Franklin (TV’s “Veep”), Charlyne Yi (This is 40), Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers), and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator). The iconic Udo Kier (Brawl in Cell Block 99) stars as the titular character.

Following its well-received screening at the 2018 Overlook Film Festival, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (written by Bone Tomahawk director S. Craig Zahler) was acquired for North American distribution by Rlje Films. We knew that an August date was being targeted and now you can mark your calendars for August 17th!

This confirmation comes straight from the official Twitter account for the new Puppet Master movie, but we're still waiting on details regarding screening locations. Rlje acquired North American rights, so it's likely this date only applies to the United States and Canada.

We have more information on the new movie and recent acquisition below, and we'll provide additional screening details as soon as they become available:

Rlje Films, a brand of Rlj Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje), has acquired all North American rights to highly anticipated horror movie Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. The reimagining of the Full Moon Features cult...

Following its well-received screening at the 2018 Overlook Film Festival, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (written by Bone Tomahawk director S. Craig Zahler) has been acquired for North American distribution by Rlje Films, with a theatrical release planned for August:

Press Release: Los Angeles, April 23, 2018 – Rlje Films, a brand of Rlj Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje), has acquired all North American rights to highly anticipated horror movie Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. The reimagining of the Full Moon Features cult classic stars Thomas Lennon (TV’s “Reno 911!”), Jenny Pellicer (TV’s “Cocaine Godmother”), Nelson Franklin (TV’s “Veep”), Charlyne Yi (This is 40), Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers), and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator). The iconic Udo Kier (Brawl in Cell Block 99) stars as the titular character. Written by S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) and directed by Sonny Laguna (We Are Monsters) and Tommy Wiklund (Wither), Rlje Films plans to release the movie in...

Rlje Films has acquired North American rights to Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, the movie that serves as a reimagining of the 1989 Full Moon Features cult horror pic. Udo Kier toplines the new incarnation that co-stars Thomas Lennon, Jenny Pellicer, Nelson Franklin, Charlyne Yi, Michael Pare and Barbara Crampton. S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) penned the script and We Are Monsters‘ Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund co-directed.

The pic will now hit theaters in August 2018 via the resurrected Fangoria label after that horror mag was acquired by Cinestate’s Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk. They produced the pic with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and David Liljeblad. Adam Donaghey, Johnathan Brownlee, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones, Rick Prince and Red Sanders executive produced along with Charles Band, who was behind the original film.

The plot centers on Edgar (Lennon), recently divorced and reeling, who returns to his childhood home to regroup his life.

The 33rd Independent Spirit Awards took place on Saturday, March 3 in Los Angeles. The full winners list is below.

Best Feature

“Get Out”

Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele

“Call Me by Your Name”

Producers: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman

“The Florida Project”

Producers: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou

“Lady Bird”

Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O’Neill, Scott Rudin

“The Rider”

Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao

Best Female Lead

Frances McDormand

“Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Salma Hayek

“Beatriz at Dinner”

Margot Robbie

“I, Tonya”

Saoirse Ronan

“Lady Bird”

Shinobu Terajima

“Oh Lucy!”

Regina Williams

“Life and Nothing More”

Best Male Lead

Timothée Chalamet

“Call Me by Your Name”

Harris Dickinson

“Beach Rats”

James Franco

“The Disaster Artist”

Daniel Kaluuya

“Get Out...

The 2017 Oak Cliff Film Festival ran June 8-11 and I was fortunate enough to attend for the second time as a juror. I truly adore the Oak Cliff Film Festival as well as festival founders Adam Donaghey, Barak Epstein and Jason Reimer. Each of these guys is completely different from one another personality wise […]...

Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck supernatural drama set for August.

Us distributor A24 is partnering with Picturehouse Entertainment for the UK release of David Lowery’s A Ghost Story.

The supernatural drama, which stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, has been set for August 11.

A24 picked up the film ahead of its premiere at Sundance in January. There, Screen’s review called it a “small, simple story told with exquisite precision and control”.

The film stars Mara as a recently bereaved widow whose husband, played by Affleck, returns to their suburban home as a white-sheeted ghost.

Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston and Adam Donaghey produced. David Maddox was an executive producer.

A statement from A24 said that the company was “extremely extremely excited to be getting directly involved in UK distribution”.

“The UK is a vibrant and sophisticated market for cinema, and our films have consistently resonated with audiences there,” the statement read.

Clare Binns, Picturehouse...

Two weeks ahead of Sundance 2017, A24 has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Casey Affleck’s “A Ghost Story,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. Affleck stars alongside Rooney Mara in writer-director David Lowery’s film, which will premiere later this month as part of the festival’s Next section. Mara and Affleck previously starred in Lowery’s film titled “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” which debuted at the 2013 Sundance festival. Adam Donaghey, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston and Liz Franke produced the film, while Lowery also wrote the script. Also Read: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams to...

Elizabeth filled us in on the Austin and Texas feature films that are going to be playing at this year's SXSW Film Festival.  In an effort to keep you in the loop, as well as to proudly support our local filmmakers, we here at Slackerwood bring you the Lone Star short films that are playing in the 2014 film lineup. Most but not all are in the Texas Shorts block.

Texas Shorts

Dig -- Fellow contributor Debbie Cerda got to check out this film (her review), which premiered at Sundance last month. This is the directorial debut of Dallas-area producer Toby Halbrooks, and was produced by Dfw-based production company Sailor Bear. The film stars the very adorable Mallory Mahoney as Jenny, a young girl who is intrigued by the hole her father (Austin actor Jonny Mars) is digging in their backyard. 

Easy -- Dallas filmmaker Daniel Laabs brings us a short...

The Lone Star Film Festival kicks off tonight in Fort Worth, and it will live up to its name with a number of Austin and Texas selections, as well as some honored guests. The festival runs through Sunday, November 10.

The Austin Chronicle co-founder and SXSW director Louis Black, musician and actor Lyle Lovett and Fort Worth businessman Stephen Murrin, Jr. will be honored tomorrow for their role in film and the arts at the Fort Worth Club. In addition, the following movies all have Austin or Lone Star connections:

Bob Birdnow's Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self, about two friends who reunite at a conference, just won the Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award at this year's Memphis Indie fest. Writer/director Eric Steele and producer Adam Donaghey are owners of the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, Texas. Donaghey also produced Lsff selection Little Hope Was Arson.

This is one of those weekends where I've been actively creating an evolving list for myself to try and figure out how many movies I can realisically fit in over the next few days. While not much is happening in terms of new releases, there is a true embarrasment of riches when it comes to local classic film screenings.

Do you want to see A Clockwork Orange in 35mm at the Alamo Ritz on Saturday? Maybe you'd prefer a Keith Coogan double feature at the Ritz with Adventures In Babysitting and Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead tomorrow evening? How about catching Back To The Future and The Karate Kid in 35mm at the Paramount on Sunday? Those picks alone would fill up your weekend, but then you could try to squeeze in a double feature of digitally restored titles from the new Shintoho Mindwarp series followed by a 35mm...

The problem with the top festivals is that no matter what you are doing, you feel you should be doing something else. Whether to stay home and write or be out seeing films or partying/ networking, sometimes you feel like you're missing out of the really important things. And I lost my hat! If any readers find my white Russian fox hat that I bought in a Berlin flea market, please return it to me! Yesterday I missed the inauguration brunch Acme PR hosted in conjunction with the film Citizen Koch about Mayor Koch because I was trying to send out photos from my camera to my new MacBook Pro to my blog! I also missed Occupy Wall Street. But the truth of that is I am no longer in the mood for issue docs. Inequality For All satisfied my need for understanding that issue, God Loves Uganda repelled me, though one of the volunteers I was talking to was so incensed at the film's message of homophobia that I realized its value. I am going to write more on the docs in the coming days, but now just for fun, I'm going to do a survey of how many deal with personal subjects and how many with social issues. I did find a great parking lot for $5, but it was so far away that I was unable to see the films Big Sur (sold out) and C.O.G., but I did catch the buzz film Fruitvale about the New Years Eve shooting of Oscar, a 22 year old Bay Area resident. Starring the superb Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz and directed by Ryan Coogler, it captured the family life so beautifully, Oscar was so sympathetic, so human, so young that at its end, I was totally depressed by the gun violence done in this film and in so many incidents over this past year. Another film about guns, Valentine Road by Sasha Alpert is getting very good buzz as well. Seeing Fruitvale because it was a buzz film and was so easy to enter with my press pass meant missing out of Gideon's Army which I really wanted to see but did not realize a ticket had been reserved for me and so I missed out on seeing it. Gideon's Army follows three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the Deep South challenging the assumptions that drive a criminal justice system strained to the breaking point. I wanted to share it with my Pd friends in L.A. And the issue of justice and idealism would have taken me out of the depression over Fruitvale where the security guard who shot Oscar twice got off after serving 18 months in prison. Since this doc is an HBO doc, I might not get another chance to see it. At 4:00pm in Sundance (and Berlin, Cannes and Afm), the cocktail hour begins and we put aside watching films and switch to networking, catching up with news, meeting new people, etc. and so I went off to parties: The Louisiana Film Festival , Ifp, Film Independent and Indiewire, Kofic (the Korean film organization) and "The Party" of Sundance hosted by John Sloss and Cinetic were all on the calendar. Starting at the Riverhorse on Main, the Film Independent / Indiewire party was so exciting that I missed the Ifp party up the street. At the Find/ Indiewire party, I got to catch up with so many people including Bob and Jeannie Berney who will be opening their new company Picturehouse (2) with a Metallica film in 3D which sounds like a perfect Bob Berney film. I met Adam Donaghey, a partner of Aviation Cinemas who had been at the Arthouse Convergence. His theater is where they arrested up Lee Harvey Oswald and was originally the flag ship theater created by Howard Hughes as part of the Rko Theaters chain. They also have started the Oak Cliff Film Festival which is a festival of festivals, much like Toronto was in its early days before becoming the showcase and discovery festival it is today. We spoke of a new sort of festival scam that filmmakers need to heed, called Awards Festivals. You can buy an award so you can show your film to be a winner of a festival where it never even needs to screen! Withoutabox even lists these festivals without warning. Adam wishes Withoutabox would curate chosen festivals a bit more. I agree because uneducated filmmakers often tend to think that quantity not quality of film festivals their films show at makes the look better than it might be. For uneducated audiences who might then watch the film, disappointment may result. For the trade, it gives the film a tawdry look.

Michele Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program of the Sundance Institute and Paul Federbush, International Director of the Feature Film Program invited me to tomorrow's Mahinda Global Filmmaking Awards Reception which awards $10,000 to 4 filmmakers with projects which give voice to issues needing to be heard. Again I have to miss something if I go there…Narco Cultura plays at 6:30pm, the Awards ceremony starts at 6pm, And I have been invited to my host's dinner party. I hope I can catch Narco Cultura (Isa: K5) on Cinando! The winners are Sarthak Dasgupta,The Music Teacher from India; Jonas Carpignano, A Chjana from Italy-us; Aly Muritiba, The Man Who Killed My Dead Beloved from Brazil; and Vendela Vida & Eva Weber, Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name UK-Germany-us. See more here

Rick Allen, Founder and CEO of Snagfilms (the owner of Indiewire) and I spoke of their ever-growing developments and I was startled and very happy to hear him praise my blog. Stefanie Sharis, COO and Andrew Mer, VP Content Partnerships of Snagfilms and I spoke of our plans in Berlin and Cannes.

Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program party where, for the second time during this festival, I caught a fantastic musical performance. The first was at the New York Film Lounge. This one was a "love riot" performance by jazz pianist extraordinaire, actor and educator Jonathan Batiste . Both the groups are represented by N.Y. Attorney Stephen Beers . I was with Ula again, and Indiewire's James Israel, doing the party circuit. I hope Ula will bring this fine New Orleans jazz pianist Jon Batiste to The American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland. He had the room rocking with a sax, drums and -- was that a tuba? -- backing him up. I have filmed both groups and hope I can upload them for your enjoyment! The Louisiana Film Festival will be held in April and includes a mentorship program. It is being organized by our friends Jeff Dowd and Dan Ireland. Dan is now working on his next feature which sounds great with a cast of great actors. I want to go to this new festival to celebrate my birthday especially since my parents met in New Orleans as university students there, married and moved to L.A. where I was born, so it means a lot to me. Coincidently, when I mentioned this to the Executive Director and filmmaker Chesley Heymsfield, telling her my father was in med school at Lsu, she told me her father was Chancellor of the Lsu Medical School. In addition I am thinking that perhaps we can join forces with their Mentorship Program with The Literacy Project, which I began 4 years ago at El Centro del Pueblo in Echo Park. Their Mentorship Program, from what I understood, is headed by a Nobel Prize Winning Scientist. I may have heard wrong however, because the noise at this party was horrendous and the speech given was too long for sustained silence. Ula, James and I proceeded to the Korean party was a different group of folks gathering of the trade. While there I could do some matchmaking, one of my favorite pastimes, introducing Ula to Kiril of the Moscow Film Festival, seeing Clay Epstein, party organizers Henry Eshelmann and Mark Rabinowitz, being introduced by Ula and Kiral to the Busan International Film Festival/ Asian Film Market's Steering Committee Deputy Director (who is responsible for international marketing of the market, Chanil Jeon, who then introduced me to the programmer for North American films, Dosin Pak whose email is "Program [At] biff.kr" for all you North American filmmakers looking to break into Asia. I have written about Busan several times because I think South Korea's development and support of filmmaking, film education and film financing through its pre-sales market is a model other countries would be wise to follow. I would personally love to create an educational initiative there about cross-cultural competence. During one Cannes Festival, I spoke to their education director about that. So perhaps, with a little more time, I will be able to speak of how to actualize this idea. From the Korean party we went (Early) to John Sloss's Cinetic party, The Hot Ticket party for me. I know I'll see old friends there and meet new and not only interesting but important people in the business, and sure 'nuff, I did. I also know that if you come late to this party you are liable to spend a long time shivering in the cold waiting to be admitted. There was Anne Thompson holding court, Christine Vachon holding court and I am sure many others. I got some good face time with Cotty Chubb who has 3 films nearing completion, and Carol (whose last name I have forgotten regrettably without her card to jolt my memory) whom I last saw in Paris many years ago and has now returned to filmmaking. She in turn introduced me to the L.A. Based Rio Film Commissioner who works with the Rio-based Steve Solet. We gathered with old friends Tom Davia (of Shoreline) and Rodrigo Bellot whose film he wrote, We Are What We Are (Isa: Memento), just sold to eOne for U.S. for a low 6 figures. Eone already has Canada and U.K. That's enough for now. See you tomorrow!!

In the battle of the Andersons, it was Wes who beat P.T for Best Feature at the 2012 Gotham Awards. Moonrise Kingdom would go 1 for 2 as Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister easily among the year’s the best, for its natural, on-screen chemistry was handsomely awarded the Best Ensemble Performance prize. Making it an almost all Sundance Film Festival takes Gotham kind of year, in the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You it’s Terence Nance’s An Oversimplification of Her Beauty which gets an extra boost for theatrical play. Pic was produced by Andrew Corkin who is lining up Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are for festival play next year.

The heavy favorite in all categories combined was Beasts of the Southern Wild‘s Benh Zeitlin as Best Breakthrough Director and Audience award, while in the Breakthrough Actor category, it’s Emayatzy Corinealdi...

Bernie, Middle of Nowhere, Moonrise Kingdom and Beasts of the Southern Wild each received a pair of nominations for the 22nd Gotham Independent Film Awards, but the big surprise has to be the Best Picture snub of Benh Zeitlin’s Sundance and Cannes winner. The jury of five favored Moonrise Kingdom, Bernie, Middle of Nowhere, The Loneliest Planet and The Master over other well-received truly indie titles such as Craig Zobel’s Compliance and James Ponsoldt’s Smashed. The awards will be handed out on November 26th.

Best Feature

Bernie

Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, producers (Millennium Entertainment)

The Loneliest Planet

Julia Loktev, director; Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Helge Albers, Marie Therese Guirgis, producers (Sundance Selects)

The Master

Paul Thomas Anderson, director; Joanne Sellar, Daniel Lupi, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, producers (The...

The Master, Bernie, and Moonrise Kingdom were nominated by the Gotham Independent Film Awards for Best Feature. One of the first major awards ceremonies of the Oscar season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards focus attention on worthy independent films and breakthrough performances. Mike Birbiglia, who was nominated for a Breakthough Actor award for his performance in Sleepwalk With Me, will also host the ceremony on Nov. 26.

Click below for complete nominations.

Best Feature

Bernie

The Loneliest Planet

The Master

Middle of Nowhere

Moonrise Kingdom

Best Documentary

Detropia

How to Survive a Plague

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present

Room 237...

New York, NY – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers announced today the nominees for the Gotham Independent Film Awards™. Signaling the kick-off to the film awards season, IFP’s Gotham Independent Film Awards™ nominations were given to a total of 26 films across six competitive categories for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You.

The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 26th at Cipriani Wall Street. In addition to the competitive awards, actors Marion Cotillard and Matt Damon, director David O. Russell, and Participant Media founder Jeff Skoll will each be presented with a career tribute.

As the first major awards ceremony of the film season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ provide critical early recognition and media attention to worthy independent films. Previous winners...

We're deep in the heart of the 18th Austin Film Festival we've been spotlighting the Austin films, but Uncertain, TX has so many Texas filmmakers working on it, we just had to do a quick interview with director Eric Steele and producer Adam Donaghey, both based up in the Dfw area. Austin's Clay Liford (Wuss, Earthling) did the cinematography. Uncertain, TX may be Steele's first feature film, but he's been active in the local film community. Steele, Donaghey, Barak Epstein and Jason Reimer are all part of Aviation Cinemas, which revived the historic Texas Theatre in 2010.

Describe your film for us, in a quick and dirty paragraph.

Eric Steele: Uncertain, TX is, in essence, the worst bed and breakfast experience imaginable. Two drifters happen upon an old bed and breakfast in a bayou town near the Louisiana/Texas border and encounter a very odd family who psychologically torments them during their stay.

"…and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!. Just how many episodes of "Scooby Doo" ended with that line? And did anyone ever wonder why the criminals were able to bamboozle the entire town and police squad with their schemes only to be foiled by a dog and four stoner kids who rolled into town two days earlier in a van that had to smell like malted hops, bong resin and dog farts? We’ve got some info on a new movie where the meddling kids don't necessarily fare so well.

Directed by Spencer Parsons and starring Ashley Spillers, Josephine Decker and Jonny Mars, Saturday Morning Massacrefollows some meddling paranormal investigators trying to make a buck. From the information we've managed to glean thus far, there is no talking dog in this film.

The film is currently in post-production and the official website titsandaxe.