Latest news with #SXSWFilmFestival
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
AURA ENTERTAINMENT Acquires Lilly Singh's
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AURA ENTERTAINMENT has acquired the fearless and laugh-out-loud sex-ed comedy Doin' It, produced and co-written by its star Lilly Singh (The Muppets Mayhem) in her first leading feature film role. The film will open in theaters across the U.S. on September 19. Singh's Unicorn Island Productions developed the project with Likely Story, bringing in Camelback Productions, who financed and co-produced the film. The film had its world premiere at 2024's SXSW Film Festival. Directed by Sara Zandieh (A Simple Wedding) and co-written by Singh, Neel Patel, and Zandieh, Doin' It follows Maya (Singh), a 30-year-old software engineer from a conservative Indian family who moonlights as a high school substitute teacher while working on a teen-focused app. When she's unexpectedly assigned to teach sex education—despite never having had sex herself—chaos and comedy ensue. With whip-smart cultural commentary and fun, raunchy humor, the inclusive Doin' It puts a fresh, sex-positive, spin on the classic coming-of-age comedy through the South Asian lens. The ensemble cast includes Sonia Dhillon-Tully (Wedding Season), Sabrina Jalees (I Used to Be Funny), Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live), Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto), Mary Holland (Ghosts), Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect Franchise), and Trevor Salter (She Hulk: Attorney at Law). The film is produced by Anthony Bregman (In The Heights), Erica Matlin (The Half of It), Singh, Polly Auritt (The Kingdom), and Anita Verma-Lallian, under Likely Story, Unicorn Island Productions, and Camelback Productions. ' Doin' It is exactly the kind of fresh, authentic comedy that defines our slate,' said Marc Goldberg, CEO of AURA ENTERTAINMENT. 'It's wildly funny, sex-positive, and refreshingly honest. Lilly Singh shines as both filmmaker and performer, cementing herself as one of the most exciting voices in film comedy today.' 'I've always wanted to tell stories that break boundaries and bring joy,' said Lilly Singh. ' Doin' It does both. We laughed our asses off making it, and I can't wait for audiences to see a comedy that puts brown girls, awkward moments, and cultural taboos front and center.' "South Asian stories have been underrepresented in mainstream comedy for far too long,' said Anita Verma-Lallian, CEO of Camelback Productions. 'Lilly's fearless approach to tackling cultural taboos creates groundbreaking conversations that matter to us and our audiences.' Doin' It joins AURA's dynamic 2025 slate, which includes the high-octane action film Trap House starring Dave Bautista (releasing November 14), the buddy comedy Code 3 with Rainn Wilson, Lil Rel Howery, and Aimee Carrero (releasing September 12), and the heartfelt family film K-Pops! with Anderson .Paak (releasing January 2026). ABOUT AURA ENTERTAINMENT AURA ENTERTAINMENT is a U.S.-based distribution company built to bring bold, culturally resonant films to audiences everywhere. With an in-house marketing and promo team, AURA delivers high-impact theatrical and digital campaigns designed to meet audiences where they are—and where they're going. With a growing pipeline of titles across genres and budget levels, AURA will release 10–15 films annually. The company has already acquired 14 titles for its 2025–2026 slate, with additional acquisitions in the works. ABOUT LIKELY STORY Likely Story is a bi-coastal film and television production company founded by Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu in 2006. Their films have won awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Gothams, Indie Spirits, and Cannes, Berlin, Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals, among others. Likely Story's films include the product of years-long relationships with filmmakers such as John Carney, Nicole Holofcener, Charlie Kaufman, and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, and includes the Academy Award-winning 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'Foxcatcher', 'Sing Street', "Do Revenge", "In the Heights", "Things Heard and Seen", 'Indignation', 'Begin Again', 'Enough Said', 'American Ultra', 'Our Idiot Brother', 'Synecdoche, New York', 'Please Give', 'The Savages', 'Lovely & Amazing', 'Thumbsucker', 'Collateral Beauty', 'The Circle', "The Land of Steady Habits", "Private Life", "Topside", "The Half of It", 'Every Secret Thing', 'The Whole Truth', "Wild Mountain Thyme", 'Downhill", "Someone Great", and many others – most recently "Flora and Son" written and directed by John Carney, "Eileen" directed by William Oldroyd, and "You Hurt My Feelings' written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. In TV, Bregman executive produced the series "Living With Yourself', and re-teamed with John Carney on the second season of "Modern Love". Likely Story's upcoming 2025 & 2026 releases include the series 'American Classic' at MGM+ starring Kevin Kline, Israel's entry for the 2025 US Academy Awards 'Come Closer' written and directed by Tom Nesher, 'Doin' It' directed by Sara Zandieh, 'Power Ballad' written and directed by John Carney, and David Wain's upcoming 'Untitled Celebrity Pass Project'. ABOUT UNICORN ISLAND PRODUCTIONS Founded by Lilly Singh in 2018, Unicorn Island Productions extends Lilly's passion and commitment to break boundaries in storytelling and representation. Unicorn Island Productions showcases the stories of people long underrepresented and underestimated in media, with a focus on South Asian perspectives. The production house develops numerous projects across film and television including their animated kids series in partnership with Headspace Studios, The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island, which is available on YouTube. ABOUT CAMELBACK PRODUCTIONS Camelback Productions is a forward-thinking film production company based in Arizona, dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices for the next generation of moviegoers. Through innovative financing models and strategic collaborations, the company brings visionary filmmakers and diverse talent together to tell compelling stories with meaningful representation on screen. Camelback Productions is committed to building a more inclusive entertainment landscape where every voice has the power to inspire, entertain, and create lasting cultural impact. Founded by Anita Verma-Lallian, the company is based out of Arizona with Smita Mehta, MD and Jennifer Verma as partners.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney & Eric Dane Fight Over a Stolen Artifact in Americana Trailer
Lionsgate has shared the official Americana trailer for its forthcoming crime thriller, starring Euphoria vets Sydney Sweeney and Eric Dane. The movie is currently slated to arrive in theaters on August 22, 2025. Since making its world premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, it has received a perfect Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on six reviews. 'A highly prized Native American artifact leads a gallery of dynamic characters down a dangerous path in this wildly entertaining modern-day western,' reads the official synopsis. 'After the rare relic falls onto the black market, the lives of a small-town woman and her son become violently intertwined with a quirky local diner waitress, an offbeat military veteran, and a corrupt antiquities dealer. Crime and chaos follow when an indigenous group leader and his crew join the fray in order to reclaim the artifact and return it to its rightful place.' Check out the Americana trailer below (watch more trailers): The video features different kinds of characters, whose paths will cross due to a stolen precious Indigenous artifact that is worth half a million dollars. Because of this, chaos ensues as they fight over which one of them should have the artifact. The ensemble cast also includes Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Simon Rex, Eric Dane, Zahn McClarnon, Toby Huss, Gavin Maddox Bergman, and more. Americana is written and directed by Toby Tost. It is executive produced by Jason Cloth, Chris Cole, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Terry Dougas, David Gendron, Ali Jazayeri, Bavand Karim, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Suraj Maraboyina, Alison-Jane Roney, Steven Thibault, and Michael R. Williams. Producers are Aaron L. Gilbert and Alex Saks, with Nigel Bluck and Peter McNulty serving as the cinematographer and editor, respectively. The post Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney & Eric Dane Fight Over a Stolen Artifact in Americana Trailer appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SXSW Title ‘Odyssey' Heading To Cannes Market Kaleidoscope
EXCLUSIVE: Kaleidoscope Film Distribution has picked up world sales rights (excluding UK & Ireland and airlines) fonr Gerard Johnson's (Tony) Odyssey, which debuted at this year's SXSW Film Festival. Kaleidoscope will introduce the flick to buyers in Cannes. More from Deadline Alec Baldwin & Nick Cannon Flick 'Hollywood Heist' Heading To Cannes Market With VMI Michelle Rodriguez & Richard Gere Lead Survival Thriller 'Left Seat' For 'Highest 2 Lowest' Producer Jason Michael Berman & Mandalay; Anton & WME Launch For Cannes Market Paul Walter Hauser, Lili Reinhart, Tim Roth, Jake Lacy, Jai Courtney & Kerry Bishé Set For Comedic Thriller 'The Very Best People' Written by Johnson and Austin Collings, Odyssey follows an ambitious real estate agent called Natasha Flynn who lives every day on the verge of total success–or ruin. Her luxurious lifestyle of flashy clothes and hard partying is an unaffordable mask for the lonely void she's tried to fill with the hustle for success. Then, when a shady lender forces her complicity in a criminal scheme to settle a debt, Natasha seeks out a dangerous old friend for help. As pressure from colleagues and collectors escalates, so begins a wild ride through the city's criminal underworld. The film stars Polly Maberly (Muscle) alongside Mikael Persbrandt (Sex Education, The Kingdom, In A Better World), Guy Burnet (Oppenheimer, Ray Donovan), Charley Palmer Rothwell (Legend, Industry), Jasmine Blackborow (The Gentlemen, Marie Antoinette), Tom Davis (Murder in Successville, Free Fire) and Purab Kohli (Matrix Resurrections). 'We're very excited to be working with Gerard Johnson and the rest of the team on his latest film, as we are big fans of his previous work and the film is going to be a visceral delight for our partners and buyers globally after its SXSW premiere,' Kaleidoscope CEO Spencer Pollard said in a statement. Johnson added: 'Odyssey is true to the warped world we find ourselves in. It's a mirror to the madness—cutthroat ambition, corporate greed, and a culture that's losing its soul.' Best of Deadline Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Ben Affleck warns against handouts, joining Marie Osmond and Gordon Ramsay with tough love parenting
Ben Affleck is teaching his children that they shouldn't expect any handouts from their famous father. Last month, the 52-year-old actor made headlines after he and his son, Samuel, were featured in a viral video during which he shut down the 13-year-old's request for a $6,000 pair of Dior Air Force 1s. During a Tuesday appearance on "Today with Jenna & Friends," "The Accountant" star spoke out about his exchange with Samuel and opened up about his approach to parenting. "He wanted these sneakers, and I was like, 'These sneakers are $6,000, what are you talking about? What are you going to do: mow lawns? You got $6,000?'" Affleck quipped. "He was like, 'We have the money.' I was like, 'I have the money! You're broke.'" Affleck said it's important for his children to understand the value of hard work. "You love your kids. You want to give them everything and do everything for them, but I think you definitely do them a disservice by not connecting [if] you want something that you want, you have to work for that," he said. The Oscar-winner shares Samuel with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, along with two older kids. Affleck revealed that Violet, who is a freshman at Yale University, and high school student, Fin, are both already gainfully employed. "My oldest two have jobs. In fact, one just got a job, the kind of classic teenager working a shop job; I won't say what it is," he said. "My older one in college is working and trying to get an internship for the summer." "And yeah, my son, who's 13, he's reckoning with that reality right now. He's looking at no shoes in his closet. Well, he's got shoes, just no crazy-expensive, fancy shoes," Affleck continued. "And I'm like, 'Well, if you want that, you can work 1,000 hours,'" he added. "You know what I mean? Minimum wage. And once you work 1,000 hours, you may not want to spend that on a pair of shoes." In the original video that was shared on March 3, Affleck and Samuel could be seen browsing various pairs of shoes at a sneaker convention, where Samuel spotted the Dior shoes. Upon seeing the hefty price tag, Affleck told his son, "That's a lot of lawns you got to mow there." Affleck previously addressed the clip during an interview with Access Hollywood at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. "That's what happens when you tell a mother------ they have to mow a lawn," he told the outlet at the premiere of his movie "The Accountant 2." "All of a sudden, they don't want those shoes, and he was like, 'But I always said they were tough.' I'm like, 'Man, you do not need $1,000 shoes.'" Affleck was raised in a middle-class family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The actor's mother, Christopher "Chris" Anne Boldt, is a former elementary schoolteacher who received her master's degree from Harvard. Affleck's father, Timothy Affleck, who struggled with alcoholism for years, did not attend college and held a variety of jobs, including working as an auto mechanic, bartender and janitor at Harvard. Timothy and Chris Anne, who also share son Casey Affleck, 49, divorced when Affleck was 12. After moving to California, Timothy eventually embraced sobriety and worked as an addiction counselor. During a 2018 interview with Grazia Daily, Timothy told the outlet that he was proud of Ben and Casey for staying humble after rising to fame. "Both of my sons are hard workers. They have a tremendous amount of empathy, they don't forget where they came from, they're very kind and generous. Those are the qualities that I value," he said. Affleck is among several stars who have spoken out about their tough-love parenting style. Here's a look at other celebrities who are teaching their children to become financially independent. Marie Osmond made headlines in February 2020 when she revealed on an episode of "The Talk" that she doesn't plan to leave her eight children an inheritance. The 65-year-old entertainer echoed Affleck's words, saying it would be "a great disservice" to her children if she were to "hand them a fortune." "You take away the one most important gift you can give your children, and that's the ability to work," she explained. Osmond continued, "You see it a lot in rich families where the kids, they don't know what to do, and so they get in trouble. Let them be proud of what they make. I'm going to give mine to my charity." The "Paper Roses" singer doubled down on her stance in a January 2023 interview with Us Weekly. "Honestly, why would you enable your child to not try to be something? I don't know anybody who becomes anything if they're just handed money," Osmond said. "To me, the greatest gift you can give your child is a passion to search out who they are inside and to work. I mean, I've done so many things, from designing dolls [and much more]. I love trying [and] I want to try everything. I'm a finisher." Osmond shared her view that leaving her children an inheritance will just "breed laziness and entitlement." "I worked hard, and I'm going to spend it all and have fun with my husband," she said. Osmond clarified that she would lend her children a helping hand if they needed it, but she emphasized that it was important to her that they learn to be self-reliant. "I don't not help my children," she told Us Weekly. "I mean, [if] they need help [buying] a car or something, [I will pitch in]." "I love them to learn. You don't love something if you don't earn it. And so, even when they get their first car, you pay for half of it, get a job and learn that self-worth that [it] gives you," Osmond added. Osmond shares son Stephen Jr. with her husband, Stephen Craig Sr. The singer and her ex-husband, Brian Blosil, are parents to seven children: Rachael, Jessica, Michael, Brandon, Brianna, Matthew and Abigail. Gordon Ramsay previously expressed his disinterest in giving his kids a free ride. During a 2024 appearance on the show "Last Meals," the 58-year-old celebrity chef shared that his children received "a couple hundred dollars" allowance every month. "If they save that up across the 12-month period, I would match that at Christmas for them," he explained. "They got to stay true to their form by saving every dollar. And so when you start that practice – at sort of 10, 11, 12, 13, they got their part-time jobs – all of a sudden their minds are focused about their career paths," Ramsay said. "And so, yeah, that was the opposite way that I grew up. They are super-disciplined, and they are on it, man." Ramsay shares six children with wife Tana Ramsay. In a 2017 interview with the Telegraph, Ramsay revealed that he does not plan to leave his fortune to his children. "It's definitely not going to them, and that's not in a mean way; it's to not spoil them," he said. "The only thing I've agreed with Tana is that they get a 25% deposit on a flat, but not the whole flat." Ramsay continued, "I've never been really turned on about the money. That's not my No. 1 objective, and that's reflected in the way the kids are brought up." In addition, the "Hell's Kitchen" star shared that his children don't sit in first class with himself and Tana on family holidays since they "haven't worked hard enough" to afford it yet. He said, "I turn left with Tana, and they turn right, and I say to the chief stewardess, 'Make sure those little f------ don't come anywhere near us; I want to sleep on this plane.' I worked my f--king a-- off to sit that close to the pilot, and you appreciate it more when you've grafted for it." Guy Fieri has made it clear his children will not be handed anything, unless they have worked for it. The 57-year-old TV host shares sons Hunter and Ryder with his wife, Lori Fieri. "I've told them the same thing my dad told me. My dad says, 'When I die, you can expect that I'm going to die broke, and you're going to be paying for the funeral,'" the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" star said during a December 2023 interview with Fox News Digital. "And I told my boys, none of this that we've been – that I've been building are you going to get unless you come and take it from me," he added. Fieri explained that he does not plan to leave his children an inheritance unless they graduate from college and get a postgraduate degree, a stipulation that he said Ryder thinks is "unfair." The restaurateur added that Ryder also initially found his dad's choice for his first car to be unfair. "Held the key up, and I go, 'Here you go, son.' Smiling ear to ear, pushes the button, and the alarm goes off on my parents' 1994 champagne Chrysler minivan," Fieri recalled. "Because I bought my mom a new car that day, and they took their van from them. And he's like, "No way, no way, I'm not driving the minivan. … Took him about a week, he softened up and then, then he loved the minivan. He was the coolest guy cruising that." His older son, Hunter, is pursuing a master's degree at the University of Miami. He also has his own contract with Food Network and is one of the top sales representatives at Fieri's wine brand, Hunt & Ryde. When speaking about Hunter, Fieri told Fox News Digital, "I think the kid's going to explode."
Express Tribune
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Blake Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds all smiles in new selfie amid Justin Baldoni legal drama
Blake Lively shared a sweet, loving moment with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, on Sunday evening, as she posted a selfie on social media. In the photo, the couple looks happy and content, with Ryan in a striped jumper and blue Wrexham lager beanie, while Blake, 37, rests her head on his shoulder. Their heartwarming display comes amid Blake's ongoing legal battle with It Ends With Us director, Justin Baldoni. The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment and retaliation, which Baldoni denies, and the case has garnered significant public attention. Blake has been actively promoting her new movie Another Simple Favor, but its promotional tour has been overshadowed by the legal drama. The film, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, has already received some harsh reviews from major Hollywood outlets. The Hollywood Reporter criticized the movie for being "silly and sometimes trying," while Variety echoed similar sentiments, calling it 'samey-sameness' and noting that it 'drags on.' To make matters more complicated, rumors of tension between Blake and co-star Anna Kendrick have been circulating, though Blake has yet to address the speculation. In the latest legal developments, Blake secured a modified protective order in her case against Justin Baldoni. However, the court limited the scope of the restrictions, meaning that much of the sensitive material could still be exposed if the case goes to trial. According to Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, "We are fully in agreement with the Court's decision to provide a narrow scope of protections." Despite these setbacks, Blake shared her excitement about the film's promotion and praised her co-stars, though she avoided any direct interactions with Anna Kendrick in behind-the-scenes photos. This indicates that the tension surrounding the set may be more than just rumors. As Blake navigates the public fallout from both her movie and legal battle, she continues to receive support from her fans and her husband, Ryan, who has been by her side throughout the entire ordeal.
