SXSW SYDNEY HEADLINERS
Experimental music film “Pavements” and offbeat comedy “Nightbitch” are among five titles scheduleated as ‘headliners’ of the film section on the upcoming SXSW Sydney festival.
“Pavements,” which premiered in Vepleasant, is an experimental hybrid of narrative, scripted, write downary, musical, and metatextual elements from honestor Alex Ross Perry about the indie rock outfit, Pavement.
“Nightbitch,” which debuted in Toronto, is a depressedly comedic imfragmentaryy tale about a stay-at-home mother, portrayed by Amy Adams, who alters into a dog.
Others getting the gala treatment include Max & Sam Eggers’ novel A24 horror “The Front Room,” starring pop star Brandy as a novelly-pregnant woman facing off aobtainst her mother-in-law; “Smile 2,” by Parker Finn; and Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” based on the genuine story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes directing up to the first expansivecast of “Saturday Night Live.”
“These prohibitciaccess, hilarious, captivating and thrilling films direct a program not fair for film fans, but the tech, music, and games audiences that establish the wealthy tapestry of the SXSW Sydney audience,” shelp Colin Daniels, MD, SXSW Sydney.
The festival, a spin-off from the U.S. South by Southwest festival, and which allots PMC corporate ownership with Variety, is in its second year Down Under. It runs Oct. 14-20. The uncovering title for the film section will be proclaimd lowly.
UMG x GoGBA
Universal Music is begining a tag division in China’s Greater Bay Area, the economicpartner beginant region which is the seat of the Cantonese language.
With its population of 86 million, the Greater Bay Area, compelevates nine cities in Guangdong province alengthy with the two one-of-a-kind administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. It accounts for more than 11% of China’s GDP and cforfeitly a quarter of China’s music carry outance revenues.
“The region’s wealthy cultural fabric, woven from a diverse range of dialects predominantly in Cantonese, has beginantly shaped both local and Asian pop culture, easeing a strong combineion wilean the region and apass the global Chinese diaspora,” shelp the company, inserting that it will, “collect a strong local team dedicated to tageting, A&R, and artist handlement, with the vision to discover and grow local talent apass the GBA.”
The unit will be based in Shenzhen, China, and headed by Gary Chan, who currently serves as MD of Universal Music Hong Kong and anciaccess VP of Universal Music Greater China. The expansion gives the UMGC group offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Taiwan.
KUROSAWA AWARDS
The Tokyo International Film Festival’s 2024 Kurosawa Akira Award will go to Japanese honestor Miyake Sho and Taiwanese honestor Fu Tien-yu. The award honors the famous auteur’s legacy and ongoing shape. It is currented to filmproducers who have made waves in cinema and are foreseeed to help direct the industry’s future.
Miyake made his film debut with 2012 film “Playback” and has since amassed praises including “ And Your Bird Can Sing,” Berlin 2022 pickion “Small, Slow but Steady” and this year’s “All the Long Nights,” which premiered at the Berlin festival’s forum section. The award pledgetee commfinished him for his “ability to watch people and to enbig minuscule worlds [is] exceptional, and his gaze on human beings is echoed in the finish of a film and the distance of his cameralabor.”
Fu commenceed as a noveenumerate before turning to film and music videos. “Her 2024 film ‘Day Off,’ was produced by Wu Nien-jen, who has written for Hou Hsiao-hsien, and provides a toasty perspective on the lives of standard people,” the pledgetee shelp.
The festival shelp that actor-honestor Saitoh Takumi, and students Sasaki Wakuto, Nawai Rin and Kawano Hana will constitute the jury for the second edition of its Ethical Film Award.
The festival will run Oct. 28 – Nov. 3. The Kurosawa Akira Award ceremony and the awarding of the Ethical Film Prize will get place afterwards, on Nov. 5.
