Freestyle Digital Media — the neutral film arm of Byron Allen’s Leisure Studios — has acquired the distribution rights to “A Spartan Dream” and may launch it in select theaters for one week, starting Aug. 15.
“A Spartan Dream” is a romantic-comedy journey film riddled with fantasy and delusion. Based totally on an actual story, the film follows an ancient-Greece-obsessed American who travels to the land of his ancestors to advertise his outdated family homestead. However, plans go awry when he falls in love with a horny Greek woman; he modifies course to salvage the village and alter historic previous.
The film stars Peter Bundic, Georgia Mesariti, Katerina Didaskalou, Renos Haralambidis and Nikos Tsergas, and is the operate directorial debut for M. Achilles. It gained consideration after worthwhile Best Attribute Film on the 2025 Prague Actors and Filmmakers Film Pageant.
The movie’s theatrical run will occur in 5 cities between Aug. 15 and Aug. 22. It’s going to concurrently become obtainable on VOD platforms, and the DVD will launch in September.
Thursday, July 10
Supernatural Horror-Thriller ‘Klifhaus’ Wraps Manufacturing
Principal footage for “Klifhaus,” a psychological horror-thriller starring Nick Stahl (“Carnivàle, Throughout the Mattress room”), Ana Ularu (“Emerald Metropolis,” “Siberia”), and Rade Sherbedgia (“Snatch,” “The Outdated Man”) has formally wrapped manufacturing. The film relies on “Residence of Horrors,” a short story by Ben Monetary establishment, who moreover serves as an govt producer on the film. The screenplay was written by Almagor, who will direct the film, Michael HarPaz, and Marat Parkhomovsky.
“Klifaus” is about in “a decaying Stalin-era property deep throughout the Jap European Forest, the place the White family confronts buried trauma and supernatural unrest.”
Stahl will play William, a rising politician drawn into the shadows of his authoritarian lineage, whereas Ularu will play Katie, his psychologically unraveling partner. Sherbedgia will play Levan, the property’s haunting caretaker.
“”Klifhaus” began with a question that haunted me: what if the true horror isn’t the house, nonetheless the actual individual you share it with?” says Almagor. “I acquired all the way down to make a horror film the place the true monster is emotional neglect, and the house turns into every a lure and a mirror. It’s a slow-burn descent into madness, a couple of marriage eroded by silence, administration, repression, and unmet need, the place the supernatural is solely the echo of each factor that’s gone unsaid.”
The film is looking for world product sales and distribution companions.
Wednesday, July 9
Leonardo DiCaprio and Fisher Stevens’ ‘We Are Guardians’ Documentary Raises Over $1 Million For Amazon Rainforest Security
The “We Are Guardians” film affect advertising and marketing marketing campaign employees has raised over $1 million in help of the Indigenous-led movement to protect the Amazon rainforest and its people.
The overwhelming majority of the affect advertising and marketing marketing campaign funds may be directed to the forest guardians featured throughout the film and Indigenous-led initiatives, along with initiatives and training for Indigenous girls. The money will even be used to assemble the infrastructure compulsory to comprehend the film’s long-term affect targets, help the film’s launch, fund accessible neighborhood events, tutorial theatrical experiences and alternate options for viewers to work together specifically individual with Indigenous movement leaders.
“The film’s affect advertising and marketing marketing campaign is a crucial part of the mission,” Edivan Guajajara, the film’s director, acknowledged. “It’s not practically displaying the story, nonetheless mobilizing people, creating strategic partnerships, influencing insurance coverage insurance policies, and scary all people to affix this battle. The world desires to know that defending Indigenous peoples is defending the planet. Every viewer can change right into a guardian. That’s our mission.”
Produced by Fisher Stevens with Leonardo DiCaprio as govt producer, “We Are Guardians” is an environmental documentary that follows the Indigenous forest protectors of the Amazon as they menace their lives to fend off illegal loggers and land invaders.
Together with elevating money, the affect advertising and marketing marketing campaign has delivered drones, radios, firefighting gear and cameras to forest guardians along with setting up monitoring bases.
Following its premiere in June, the theatrical launch of “We Are Guardians” opens in New York on Friday and may proceed its showings nationwide by means of September.
Worldwide Cinematographers Guild Announce Rising Honoree Recipients
The Worldwide Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Native 600) has chosen eight honorees to acquire the 2025 Rising Cinematographer Awards (ECAs). Amongst honorees are Isaac Banks, “The Trophy King,” John B. Barrett, “Recall,” Daniel Cotroneo, “Yae: Blind Samurai Girl,” Eythan Maidhof, “Class Clown,” Mariscela Beatríz Méndez, “The Middle,” Josh Pickering, “Boundless | HomeAid,” Steven Jacob Russell, “Hammer” and Alexa Wolf, “To Fade Away.”
The ECAs help the next period of seen storytellers by spotlighting and honoring early-career and rising Directors of Photos.
“The Rising Cinematographer Awards mirror the important values that ICG stands for — fostering experience, mentorship, and supporting a strong inventive neighborhood,” says John Lindley, ASC, Nationwide President of the ICG. “These honorees characterize the best way ahead for our craft, and we’re privileged to boost their visions at this pivotal second of their careers.”
“By recognizing glorious experience on the earliest phases of their careers, the ICG is proud to help open doorways and create alternate options for rising Directors of Photos to thrive on this dynamic commerce,” says Steven Poster, ASC, Chair of the Guild’s ECA committee.
Eduardo Fierro, SVC, 2013 ECA alumnus who now joins this 12 months because the model new Co-Chair of the ECA committee, supplies, “It’s an honor to step into this place and help proceed the customized of uplifting current voices in cinematography. As an ECA alumnus, this has been a full circle experience for me. The ECAs have a great time every ingenious excellence and the spirit of mentorship that defines our neighborhood.”
The twenty seventh annual awards gala and reception may be held on the Television Academy Saban Media Center Wolf Theatre, on Sept. 28.
Vimeo Publicizes First Transient Film Grant Winners
Vimeo has launched the whole guidelines of their first Transient Film Grant winners. This method, which was launched earlier this 12 months in March, is about to supply aspiring filmmakers with commerce entry and the possibility for distribution to Vimeo’s world viewers.
“For 20 years, Vimeo has served and impressed a whole bunch of hundreds of filmmakers and film fanatics everywhere in the world,” says Philip Moyer, the CEO of Vimeo. “We’re extraordinarily proud to confederate with commerce leaders, Nikon and RED, on this new grant program to hurry up the best way ahead for storytelling and launch a model new period of filmmakers. Collectively we’ll current filmmakers with belongings, mentorship, and a trusted platform to create distinctive fast motion pictures and be a part of with a world viewers.”
The 2025 winners had been chosen by a jury of commerce professionals along with David Lowery (“The Inexperienced Knight), Charlotte Wells (“Aftersun”), Sean Wang (“Didi”), Savanah Leaf (“Earth Mama”) and cinematographer Adam Bricker. Recipients of this 12 months’s award will get hold of $30,000 each in funding for his or her motion pictures, along with personal mentorship alternate options with the selection jury and the Vimeo Curation Workforce. Winners will even get hold of the newest Z CINEMA line {{of professional}} gear and a Vimeo Regular subscription.
See beneath for the whole winners guidelines.
“Spaceboi,” directed by Andrew J. Rodriguez
“La Selva,” directed by Sofia Camargo
“I Take note the Residence Was Purple,” directed by Carmen Pedrero
“The Solely Man to Ever Exist,” directed by Annie Ning
“The Ineffable Hum,” directed by John C. Kelley
Monday, July 7
“Sheepwell” Wraps Manufacturing As Michole Briana White, Alix Lapri and Additional Lead Cast
Pathway Photographs and SheNYC Arts have wrapped manufacturing on the darkish comedy operate film “Sheepwell,” starring Michole Briana White, Alix Lapri, Connor Paolo and producer Lauren Elizabeth Harris.
Based totally on the Off Broadway play of the equivalent title by Margaret Rose Caterisano, director Kim Caicedo tailor-made the story proper right into a screenplay alongside Danielle DeMatteo. “Sheepwell” is described as a feminist thriller that reveals what happens when an overconfident traveler messes with the unsuitable woman. Denise Grayson moreover acted throughout the film.
“Upon learning the script for the first time, I was immediately consumed by these girls and the eerie, twisted Southern panorama that they’re attempting to survive in,” Caicedo acknowledged. “This film is larger than solely a thriller and a thriller. It’s a real-life depiction of what girls in our society must concern and battle for day-after-day.”
DeMatteo, who might be the founder and ingenious director of SheNYC Arts, added, “Sheepwell” is a particularly specific story that’s saved all of us up at night at SheNYC, ever since we first be taught the distinctive play script. We had the privilege of bringing it to life on an off-Broadway stage once more in 2023, and it’s going to be far more thrilling and shocking on show display.”
