#SPOTTED: MÅNESKIN IN TORONTO “THE LOUD KIDS TOUR”

Italian Rock Outfit Måneskin have their eyes set on world domination and they are well on their way! After finding success in their native Italy and throughout Europe, they exploded stateside with first single “Beggin‘” which peaked at the Top Ten on the Canadian Hot 100 and Top Twenty on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The Quartet consisting of Damiano David, Victoria De Angelis, Thomas Raggi and Ethan Torchio, have been able to follow-up on their success with singles “Supermodel” which has been a hit for them globally and now their current single, Rock Ballad “The Loneliest” starting to gain traction. Adore this song.

Hot off just winning an American Music Award this weekend for Best Rock Song for “Beggin‘” before jetting back to the City to play two consecutive sold-out shows at History as part of their THE LOUD KIDS TOUR. They also have been nominated for Best New Artist at the upcoming 65th Grammy Awards and deservedly so. They make amazing music and so exciting to watch!

Måneskin are prepping the release of their debut English LP “Rush!“, which is out via Sony Music Canada January 20, 2023, which will feature their current Tour’s same-titled track.

So thrilled to meet the Band and they are just amazing to fans and so giving, this their first visit to Toronto and in their stay, they even had time to visit Niagara Falls for some scenic views! While their Toronto stay saw them doing tons of Press between shows, they were able to take in a movie night in Montreal ahead of their show there a MTELUS.

Some Snaps from our interaction:

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(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Sony Music Entertainment)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF “ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED”

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see Academy Award-winning Director Laura Poitras’ latest film, ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED. The Documentary contains rare footage of Photgrapher and Activist Nan Goldin.

Details:

TIFF Bell Lightbox
Date: November 29 at 7pm

To enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for another chance.

Enter for a chance to see ALL THE BEAUTY AND BLOODSHED in Toronto at @TIFF_NET Bell Lightbox. This is the latest film by Academy Award winner Laura Poitras.https://t.co/9Pzf0Pepxi pic.twitter.com/xRjSheqla3

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) November 24, 2022

Rules and regulations here.

Elevation Pictures release ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED December 2, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Nominations were announced today for the 38th Annual FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS, set to take place March 4, 2023 in Santa Monica, California! The announcements were hosted by Raul Castillo (The Inspection) and Taylour Paige (Zola). Leading the pack with eight nominations this year is EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE!

Nominees are as follows:

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)

Bones and All
Producers: Timothée Chalamet, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Luca Guadagnino, David Kajganich, Lorenzo Mieli, Marco Morabito, Gabriele Moratti, Theresa Park, Peter Spears

Everything Everywhere All At Once
Producers: Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang

Our Father, the Devil
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono

Tár
Producers: Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan

Women Talking
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Frances McDormand

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

Aftersun
Director: Charlotte Wells
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Emily the Criminal
Director: John Patton Ford
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Aubrey Plaza, Drew Sykes

The Inspection
Director: Elegance Bratton
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon

Murina
Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Producers: Danijel Pek, Rodrigo Teixeira

Palm Trees and Power Lines
Director/Producer: Jamie Dack
Producer: Leah Chen Baker

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000; Award given to the writer, director, and producer)

The African Desperate
Writer/Director/Producer: Martine Syms
Writer/Producer: Rocket Caleshu
Producer: Vic Brooks

The Cathedral
Writer/Director: Ricky D’Ambrose
Producer: Graham Swon

Holy Emy
Writer/Director: Araceli Lemos
Writer/Producer: Giulia Caruso
Producers: Mathieu Bompoint, Ki Jin Kim, Konstantinos Vassilaros

A Love Song
Writer/Director/Producer: Max Walker-Silverman
Producers: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey

Something in the Dirt
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Benson
Director/Producer: Aaron Moorhead
Producer: David Lawson Jr.

BEST DIRECTOR

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking

Halina Reijn
Bodies Bodies Bodies

BEST SCREENPLAY

Lena Dunham
Catherine Called Birdy

Todd Field
Tár

Kogonada
After Yang

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sarah Polley
Women Talking

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joel Kim Booster
Fire Island

Jamie Dack, Audrey Findlay; Story by Jamie Dack
Palm Trees and Power Lines

K.D. Dávila
Emergency

Sarah DeLappe, Story by Kristen Roupenian
Bodies Bodies Bodies

John Patton Ford
Emily the Criminal

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Cate Blanchett
Tár

Dale Dickey
A Love Song

Mia Goth
Pearl

Regina Hall
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Paul Mescal
Aftersun

Aubrey Plaza
Emily the Criminal

Jeremy Pope
The Inspection

Andrea Riseborough
To Leslie

Taylor Russell
Bones and All

Michelle Yeoh
Everything Everywhere All At Once

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Jamie Lee Curtis
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Brian Tyree Henry
Causeway

Nina Hoss
Tár

Brian d’Arcy James
The Cathedral

Ke Huy Quan
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Trevante Rhodes
Bruiser

Theo Rossi
Emily the Criminal

Mark Rylance
Bones and All

Jonathan Tucker
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Gabrielle Union
The Inspection

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE (New Award)

Frankie Corio
Aftersun

Gracija Filipović
Murina

Stephanie Hsu
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Lily McInerny
Palm Trees and Power Lines

Daniel Zolghadri
Funny Pages

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Florian Hoffmeister
Tár

Hélène Louvart
Murina

Gregory Oke
Aftersun

Eliot Rockett
Pearl

Anisia Uzeyman
Neptune Frost

BEST EDITING

Ricky D’Ambrose
The Cathedral

Dean Fleischer Camp, Nick Paley
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Blair McClendon
Aftersun

Paul Rogers
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Monika Willi
Tár

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast)

Women Talking
Director: Sarah Polley
Casting Directors: John Buchan, Jason Knight
Ensemble Cast: Shayla Brown, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Kira Guloien, Kate Hallett, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sheila McCarthy, Frances McDormand, Michelle McLeod, Liv McNeil, Ben Whishaw, August Winter

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

All That Breathes
Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Director/Producer: Laura Poitras
Producers: Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons

A House Made of Splinters
Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers: Monica Hellström

Midwives
Director/Producer: Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Ulla Lehmann, Bob Moore

Riotsville, U.S.A.
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Corsage
Austria/Luxembourg/France/Belgium/Italy/England
Director: Marie Kreutzer

Joyland
Pakistan/USA
Director: Saim Sadiq

Leonor Will Never Die
Philippines
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar

Return to Seoul
Cambodia
Director: Davy Chou

Saint Omer
France
Director: Alice Diop

PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 26th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Liz Cardenas

Tory Lenosky

David Grove Churchill Viste

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 29th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Adamma Ebo
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Nikyatu Jusu
Nanny

Araceli Lemos
Holy Emy

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 28th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Isabel Castro
Mija

Reid Davenport
I Didn’t See You There

Rebeca Huntt
Beba

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by the Official Spirit, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, and the Official Water, FIJI Water. Getty Images is the Official Photographer.

More here.

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ADVANCE PASSES TO SEE “THE INSPECTION”

levelFILM and Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to see TIFF ’22 selection THE INSPECTION, which has won raves on the Festival circuit.

The Screening takes places November 30, 2022 in Toronto at Cineplex Cinemas Varsity at 8:00 PM.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet the Contest Tweet below for an extra chance.

Enter for a chance to #win Advance Passes to see THE INSPECTION in Toronto.https://t.co/TY07UwuPsv pic.twitter.com/7h9zWXTx7Z

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) November 22, 2022

Rules and regulations here.

levelFILM release THE INSPECTION in theatres December 2, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: levelFILM/A24)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR “WHITE NOISE”

We know you’re excited about this one because we are! See the new official Trailer for Noah Baumbach‘s WHITE NOISE starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig! Also below, some new Artwork for the Film.

Logline: At once hilarious and horrifying, lyrical and absurd, ordinary and apocalyptic, White Noise dramatizes a contemporary American family’s attempts to deal with the mundane conflicts of everyday life while grappling with the universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world.

CAST: Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle, Raffey Cassidy, Sam Nivola, May Nivola, Lars Eidinger, Andre Benjamin, Jodie Turner-Smith

Artwork:

WHITE NOISE is coming soon to Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN “THE WOMAN KING” ON BLU-RAY

Hot off its #1 success at the Box Office, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of THE WOMAN KING on Blu-ray.

Synopsis:

The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for.

To enter for a chance to win a copy, please click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet the Contest Tweet below for an extra chance.

Enter for a chance to #win a copy of #TheWomanKing starring Viola Davis, on Blu-ray!

Details: https://t.co/VsxAvVo6XG pic.twitter.com/J9oNksljcf

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) November 22, 2022

Rules and regulations here.

THE WOMAN KING will be available on Digital November 22, 2022 and on DVD and Blu-ray on December 13, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

#SPOTTED: RUBY CRUZ IN TORONTO FOR “WILLOW”

We grew-up loving 1988 Ron Howard film WILLOW and how exciting is it that an upcoming Lucasfilm series serving as a sequel to that Film, is on its way to us? The new Series centers on six heroes sent far away from home to face their inner demons and save the world!

Stars Tony Revelori (seen in the most recent Spider-Man films) and newcomer Ruby Cruz were in Toronto for a day of Press in support of the Series. Revelori plays young scholar Graydon, while Cruz plays Kit, who is out to rescue her twin brother Willow (Warick Davis). So amazing getting to meet Revelori and Cruz quickly as their stars continue to rise rapidly. Sad my snap with the former didn’t turn out for me to share.

Cannot wait to see this Series!

WILLOW streams November 30, 2022 only on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney/Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: A NEW FEATURETTE FROM “THE FABELMANS”

Universal Pictures Canada present “A LOOK INSIDE”, a new Featurette from TIFF ’22 People’s Choice Award winner, THE FABELMANS.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans is written by Spielberg and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America, Caroline, or Change), who has earned Oscar^® nominations for his screenplays for Spielberg’s Lincoln and Munich. The film is produced by three-time Oscar^® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger p.g.a. (West Side Story, The Post), Steven Spielberg p.g.a. and Tony Kushner p.g.a. The film is executive produced by Carla Raij (Maestro, co-producerWest Side Story) and Josh McLaglen (Free Guy, Logan).

The film stars Gabriel LaBelle (The Predator, American Gigolo series) as 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman; four-time Academy Award^® nominee Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea, My Week with Marilyn) as his artistic mother, Mitzi; Paul Dano (The Batman, There Will Be Blood) as his successful, scientific father, Burt; Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs, An American Pickle) as Bennie Loewy, Burt’s best friend and honorary “uncle” to the Fabelman children, and Academy Award^® nominee Judd Hirsch (Uncut Gems, Ordinary People) as Mitzi’s Uncle Boris. 

The ensemble cast includes Oscar^® nominee Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid, Inherent Vice) as Sammy’s paternal grandmother, Hadassah Fabelman; Julia Butters (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, 13 Hours) as Sammy’s sister Reggie; Robin Bartlett (Moonstruck, Lean on Me) as Sammy’s maternal grandmother Tina Schildkraut and Keeley Karsten (Hunters, Evil Lives Here) as Sammy’s sister Natalie. 

The music is by five-time Academy Award^® winner John Williams (Schindler’s List, Jaws), the costume designer is two-time Oscar^® winner Mark Bridges (The Artist, Phantom Thread) and the production designer is two-time Oscar^® winner Rick Carter (Lincoln, Avatar). The Fabelmans is edited by three-time Academy Award^® winner Michael Kahn ace (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) and Sarah Broshar (West Side Story, The Post). The film’s director of photography is two-time Academy Award^® winner Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan). 

Genre: Drama

Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle, Jeannie Berlin, Julia Butters, Robin Bartlett, Keeley Karsten and Judd Hirsch

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Screenplay by: Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner

Produced by: Kristie Macosko Krieger p.g.a., Steven Spielberg p.g.a., Tony Kushner p.g.a.

Executive Producers: Carla Raij, Josh McLaglen

#FIRSTLOOK: AVATAR DAY DETAILS ANNOUNCED

Today, The Walt Disney Company is celebrating “Avatar Day” with the debut of the final trailer for “Avatar: The Way of Water,” James Cameron’s highly anticipated follow-up to his Academy Award®-winning “Avatar,” tonight during “Monday Night Football” game, which airs at 8:15PM ET on TSN. Fans counting the days to the film’s December 16th theatrical release can purchase tickets wherever tickets are sold.  Now fans, communities and organizations can arrange group bookings and theatre buy-outs by visiting:  https://www.avatartickets.ca/

Celebration events are taking place all over the world, including Venice–where its famous canals were turned blue with a projection on the water and buildings, Sydney–where the iconic Bondi Beach Icebergs Pool was transformed into a giant blue birds’ eye view billboard for the film, and New York City’s famed Times Square, where at approximately 7PM EST, “Avatar: the Way of Water” will simultaneously light up 40 digital screens, immersing viewers in an anamorphic 3D, nearly 360 degree experience of Pandora’s breathtaking underwater world. 

The following gala premieres for the film were announced:

London – December 6 (World Premiere)

Seoul – December 9

Tokyo – December 10

Los Angeles – December 12

Disney also revealed that Snapchat has created an augmented reality Lens that turns any Snapchatter into a Na’vi. Every Snapchatter will get a personalized experience. The Lens uses machine learning to transform in real-time their mouth, eyes, head shape, hair and skin – complete with blue-striped texture – as if they came straight from Pandora.

World class global promotional partners, including Mercedes-Benz, NYX Professional Makeup – L’Oréal Groupe, will support the film with massive media campaigns and first to market activations.

And finally, beginning today in celebration of “Avatar Day,” the original 2009 “Avatar” is once again available to stream on Disney+.

With “Avatar: The Way of Water,”  the cinematic experience reaches new heights as Cameron transports audiences back to the magnificent world of Pandora in a spectacular and stirring action-packed adventure.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive,  and the tragedies they endure. 

Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the Lightstorm Entertainment Production stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno. David Valdes and Richard Baneham serve as the film’s executive producers.

#FIRSTLOOK: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS CANADA 2022 HOLIDAY PREVIEW & “STRANGE WORLD” REVIEW

Our George Kozera had the pleasure of attending Walt Disney Studios Canada’s 2022 Holiday Preview, highlighting some of the Studio’s exciting upcoming theatrical and theatrical releases. Here’s a little sneak peek what we can expect after some first looks were offered at the event.

Highlights:

After a two-year absence due to COVID restrictions, it was pure joy to attend the Walt Disney Studios Canada press event for a light breakfast, previews of 2023 releases and a screening of STRANGE WORLD. Disney will be celebrating its 100^th Anniversary in 2023 and from what we saw, it will be a banner year for the studio and its audience, either theatrically or streaming on Disney+. Some of the preview highlights had us salivating in anticipation.

The Cinematography in the upcoming live action version of THE LITTLE MERMAID is astonishing and it will be spectacular viewing on the big screen. The same can be said for the Animated Feature ELEMENTAL, its vibrancy and colour palette is hypnotic. ANT MAN & THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA appears darker in tone and execution from the previous two movies, but any film with Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Evangeline Lilly and Bill Murray will have me first in line! Snippets of season three of THE MANDALORIAN has inspired me to binge-watch the first two seasons and WILLOW looks very interesting. But what really yanked my crank was SECRET INVASION, the Marvel mini-series starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and award-winning magnet, Olivia Colman.

STRANGE WORLD is Disney’s first foray into the Animated Science-Fiction genre and it is a rollicking success. Jaeger Clade and his young son Searcher go on an expedition to cross the mountains to see what’s on the other side. Searcher comes across a mysterious plant, stays behind to extradite and harvest it back home and Jaeger continues on the journey solo. Fast-forward 25 years…Searcher is now the town’s most successful farmer as this plant has miraculous components and alongside his wife Meridian, his 16-year-old son Ethan and their three-legged dog, their life is blissful. Until they are told by Callisto that the roots source of this plant is being ambushed and they all need to explore the treacherous landscapes of Avalonia inhabited by surreal lifeforms to save it.

There is a myriad of reasons why I fell in love with STRANGE WORLD. The voice work from Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu and, especially, Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan is exceptional. The animated world of Avalonia is visually intoxicating and I genuinely appreciated that innumerable creatures there were not given annoyingly cute human characteristics. They don’t periodically break into song; they enhance the story and illicit smiles or dreaded anticipation. However, first and foremost, with a standing ovation and bouquets of flowers thrown onto the stage, Disney tackles diversity with gusto, class and bravado. From a “blink and you might miss it” scene of a background character in a wheelchair, to the fact that Searcher and Meridian are a biracial married couple, impressed me to the hilt. Most importantly, taking into account the controversy Disney experienced when it was alleged that one of the characters in its monster hit FROZEN may have been gay, Ethan has a schoolboy crush and it is a another boy. Kudos to Disney for not sensationalizing this and giving space to tell a story that can only be a learning opportunity to some young audience members struggling internally.

Excluding Animated Features from Pixar, STRANGE WORLD is my favourite Disney movie since BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Whereas I tend to abhor cinematic sequels, I would relish another opportunity to spend more time with the Clade family.

Walt Disney Studios Canada release STRANGE WORLD November 23, 2022.