Latest news with #HarryLighton
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Element Pictures claims double win at Cannes Film Festival for second year running
Dublin and London-based film company Element Pictures have won two awards for a second year running at the Cannes Film Festival. The company behind Poor Things and Normal People won awards for Akinola Davies Jr.'s feature debut, My Father's Shadow, and Harry Lighton's feature debut Pillion. Davies Jr. received the Caméra d'Or Special Mention at Saturday night's Cérémonie du Palmarès for his film - the first Nigerian film in Official Selection in the festival's history - and is the first Nigerian Director to be honoured with the award. Lighton was awarded 'Best Screenplay during last night's Un Certain Regard awards ceremony. Hippo the Dachshund, the dog who stars in Pillon, also received a special mention, winning the 'Mutt Moment' award at the Palm Dog contest. The news marks the fourth prestigious win in two years for Element Pictures, with Jesse Plemons winning Best Actor for Kinds Of Kindness and Rungano Nyoni winning 'Best Director' for On Becoming A Guinea Fowl at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. My Father's Shadow is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis and was described as "A thrillingly vital account of the moment when everything changes" by Screen Daily review. Commenting on the award, the film's producer Rachel Dargavel said: "It's hard to express the pride I'm feeling that My Fathers Shadow has received this accolade. "It was made with so much love and energy and with an ambition to create something that resonated on an emotional level with anyone who took the time to watch it. "For it to have been received in this way is all at once so validating of the human spirit and all at once mind blowing - the first Nigerian film in official selection and the first Nigerian Director to be honoured with the Caméra d'Or Special Mention. "Thank you Cannes Film Festival and the Jury for shining a light on our beautiful film, I couldn't be more proud of Akinola." Pillion tells the story of "a timid man (Harry Melling) who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Alexander Skarsgard) takes him on as his submissive". Reacting to the Best Screenplay win, the film's producer Emma Norton notes "This is the most amazing end to a remarkable festival experience. We've all been so blown away by the reception of Pillion and this recognition for Harry's work - from the Un Certain Regard jury - is such an honour. The icing on the cake!"
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Pillion' Review: Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling Are Magnificent in a Wildly Explicit and Strangely Sweet BDSM Romance
Dick-sucking, boot-licking, and ball-gagging are de rigueur for a movie like writer/director Harry Lighton's wildly graphic and strangely moving BDSM romance, 'Pillion.' But for a British queer film that puts the particulars of a gay dominant-submissive affair (or arrangement, better yet) up front and up close, actors Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling find the sweet center of a story marked by clamps, cages, and assless unitards. No doubt comparisons will arise to another A24 movie, 'Babygirl,' which last year put Nicole Kidman on all fours, crying out to Harris Dickinson that 'I'm gonna pee!' when actually she was just having an orgasm with another person for the first time. Lighton, adapting Adam Mars-Jones' book 'Box Hill,' really does take us there in the delightful 'Pillion,' with Skarsgård getting more emotionally naked than ever and almost physically more than he ever got as Eric Northman on TV's 'True Blood.' But not without, at first, this leather-clad biker, who seeks a submissive with seemingly disinterested vibes, radiating aloof energy when he first meets barbershop quartet singer Colin (Melling, in a truly special and wonderful breakout performance). A parking garage attendant by day and dandied-up singer by night who's just a bit too old to still be living with his parents — though his mum (Lesley Sharp) is dying of cancer, which in part keeps him home — Colin isn't so much looking for love or companionship or sex as much as he finally happens to fall into it when on Christmas Eve he's asked for a date, of sorts, by Ray (Skarsgård, who looks and sounds more and more like his father with each day). More from IndieWire Jodie Foster: 'Silence of the Lambs' Filmmaker Jonathan Demme Is My 'Favorite Feminist Director' LA Mayor Karen Bass Wants to Cut the Red Tape Required to Get a Movie Made in Hollywood Ray is an enigma and a mystery, a man who zips into town on a motorbike like a phantom and could just as easily evaporate at any minute. He's not at all giving of emotion toward Colin as their courtship — again, if we can call it that — turns into a serious but never sinister game of domination and submission. When Ray eventually brings Colin back to his ascetically composed apartment, he refuses to let Colin hang up his coat. He refuses Colin to have much volition at all. Ray also has a tattoo in the middle of his chest, inked with the names 'Ellen Wendy Rosie' for reasons never explained but all the more to add to his impenetrable allure. It's penetrating Colin — physically, psychically — that he eventually gets around to after some toying and coying. He won't let Colin sleep next to him, keeping him on the floor like a dog at the foot of the bed. Here's the kind of guy for whom Karl Ove Knausgård 's 'My Struggle' is light bedtime reading. Colin's mother is shocked when Ray makes him buy the groceries and cook his own birthday dinner. 'You couldn't upset me if you tried,' Ray, ever the implacable and gorgeous dominator, tells Colin at one point. What makes 'Pillion' so thrustingly good is how much the movie teases and tantalizes us, getting off on withholding, until finally unleashing in all its graphicness once Colin is face down, plunging his mouth on Ray's quite large, pierced cock, plunging ever deeper into Ray's expansive kinky social world. Scissor Sisters lead Jake Shears makes his acting entrance as one of the submissives orbiting Ray — and he ends up one of the stars of a very hot group sex scene splayed out over a picnic table, in which Ray fucks Colin face to face, eyes locked on eyes, for the first time. It warms the cockles of my heart still to think about Colin, having shaved his head and totally turned himself over to acts of devotion and in service of his master, wearing a locked chain around his neck, with Ray wearing the key around his own. 'Next to you, I'm nothing. When I'm yours, I'm the same,' Colin tells Ray, which sounds like the debased line of someone being desperately exploited by a partner. But Colin says it with the cadence of love, which his mother in her dying days simply cannot understand. Colin willingly puts himself in an abject position because what's happening between him and Ray is love, for him at least, even if that version of love doesn't comfortably conform to our understanding of what love is supposed to be, a system of back-and-forth flow in mutual directions. Colin craves Ray's command, and Ray would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling feelings about his boytoy, too. Which is when 'Pillion' takes an unexpected direction, Colin finally assuming more control over the relationship and becoming the emotional power bottom he was destined to be in their dynamic. What makes 'Pillion' work so well is that the film finally does give way to a big emotional release after so much cockteasing and edging of the audience and of Colin. Cinematographer Nick Morris has an eye for both sweaty intimacy in its hottest moments and the pooling reserves of desire and reined-in emotion that require a certain detachment. Until we are snapped back into what is ultimately a deeply moving love story, one where we become the submissives to Lighton's strange, beautiful, and sexy vision. It also never hurts to be anchored by two actors who are totally game and committed to that vision, and willing to go there, chains, gags, assless chaps and all. 'Pillion' premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. A24 will release the film at a later date. Want to stay up to date on IndieWire's film and critical thoughts? to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers. Best of IndieWire The 25 Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies, Ranked Every IndieWire TV Review from 2020, Ranked by Grade from Best to Worst
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo' Wins Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes 2025
Ahead of the 2025 awards ceremony on Saturday, May 24, the festival has announced the winners for the Un Certain Regard section, with the top prize going to 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo.' A co-production between Chile, France, Belgium, Spain, and Germany, the 1980s-set drama marks the feature directorial debut of Chilean filmmaker Diego Céspedes. The Best Screenplay award for the Un Certain Regard section went to Harry Lighton for his feature directorial debut, A24's 'Pillion,' starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård. In his Critic's Pick review out of Cannes, IndieWire's Ryan Lattanzio said of the film, 'Dick-sucking, boot-licking, and ball-gagging are de rigueur for a movie like writer/director Harry Lighton's wildly graphic and strangely moving BDSM romance, 'Pillion.' But for a British queer film that puts the particulars of a gay dominant-submissive affair (or arrangement, better yet) up front and up close, actors Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling find the sweet center of a story marked by clamps, cages, and assless unitards.' More from IndieWire These Cannes 2025 Prize Winners Will Inspire Oscar Campaigns Cowboys vs. Accountants: The Real World of International Production Financing | Future of Filmmaking Summit at Cannes Simón Mesa Soto's 'A Poet,' another IndieWire Critic's Pick, went on to win the Jury Prize. Ben Croll wrote of the film, 'Split into four chapters and filmed on grainy, 16mm stock that leaves a mask of schmutz around the corners of the frame, 'A Poet' loops around questions of art and commerce in an endearingly loopy tone. The film's bawdy sense of humor plays off a non-professional star — himself a full-time teacher from a nearby school — that looks like he was drawn by Robert Crumb and acts the part just as well.' 'Urchin' star Frank Dillane shared the performance award with Cléo Diara for the Portuguese postcolonial drama 'I Only Rest in the Storm.' Dillane, who stars in 'Urchin' as a homeless London man succumbing to addiction, will end up in the fall awards conversation stateside if Harris Dickinson's debut finds the right distributor. 'I Only Rest in the Storm' is also looking for a buyer, as are 'Flamingo,' 'A Poet,' and Palestine's well-reviewed 'Once Upon a Time in Taza.' Yet to be announced is the Camera d'Or, the overall prize for the best first feature, which encompasses films throughout the official selection including Un Certain Regard. Candidates for this award still include Dickinson for 'Urchin' as well as Scarlett Johansson's 'Eleanor the Great' and Kristen Stewart's 'The Chronology of Water.' The Johansson and Stewart films didn't win any Un Certain Regard awards on Friday, but that doesn't eliminate them from potentially receiving the Camera d'Or on Saturday. Read the full list of winners for the Un Certain Regard section below. Prix Un Certain Regard: 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,' Diego Céspedes Jury Prize: 'A Poet,' Simón Mesa Soto Best Screenplay: Harry Lighton, 'Pillion' Best Performance: Cléo Diara, 'I Only Rest in the Storm' and Frank Dillane, 'Urchin' Best Director: Tarzan and Arab Nasser, 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza' Ryan Lattanzio contributed reporting. Best of IndieWire 2023 Emmy Predictions: Who Will Win at the Primetime Emmy Awards? 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Palm Dog: ‘The Love That Remains', ‘Sirât', ‘Pillion' And ‘Amores Perros' Honored
Before the Palme d'Or gets dished out and after power cuts took down the town's electricity for a day, Cannes was abuzz with the burning question: qui a gagné le Palm Dog? The answer came yesterday afternoon at a star-studded-collar event on the beach at The Members Club. In a woof-and-ready ceremony, jury member Peter Bradshaw noted that 25 films had come under consideration for this year's honors, pointing out that some were made by directors who hadn't even been born when the event first took place at the UK Pavilion back in 2000. • The top prize — The Palm Dog itself — went to sheepdog Panda, for her part in a film directed by her owner: The Love That Remains, Hlynur Pálmason's tragicomic, gentle family saga. More from Deadline Ethan Coen's 'Honey Don't!' Gets 6.5-Minute Ovation In Cannes Cannes Awards Predictions: Deadline's Critics Make Their Picks For This Year's Palme D'Or & Other Main Prizes Chilean Drama 'The Mysterious Gaze Of The Flamingo' Wins Top Un Certain Regard Prize - Cannes • Mutt Moment — for the year's best scene-stealer — went to the British Un Certain Regard film Pillion for its long-haired Dachshund Hippo and Rottweiler Rosie. • The Grand Jury prize went to the two dogs in Oliver Laxe's apocalyptic road movie Sirât. • The inaugural Four-Legged Fellowship went to Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores Perros, screening in Cannes Classics. Pillion director Harry Lighton was unable to attend, but sent a message saying, 'I'd like to thank the jury for recognizing the nuance, complexity and raw sex appeal in Hippo's 'performance. I hesitate to use that word. Hippo doesn't perform, she inhabits, and while Harry and Alexander do solid work, it's Hippo who carries the film on her little legs… This award is for every small dog out there with big dreams.' Sad news came from Sirât star Jade Oukid, who revealed that Pipa, the dog in the film, was actually her own, and had passed away after the shoot. However, director Laxe kindly added that, thanks to the power of cinema, Oukid's dog had become 'eternal'. And in a move so new that disorganizer Toby Rose forgot to mention it on the Palm Dog press release, this year also saw the inauguration of a brand new award, The Four-Legged Fellowship. This went to the team behind Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores Perros (2000), which, like the Palm Dog, celebrated a quarter of a century at the festival this year and is about to get a shiny new re-release courtesy of Mubi. Iñárritu was a bit too tied up, shooting Tom Cruise in London, to attend, but producer Martha Sosa sent a message saying, 'We are truly honoured to receive this recognition from the Palm Dog Awards, for the beloved canine stars of Amores Perros, who are sadly no longer with us. This year marks a significant double celebration: the 25th anniversary of your awards and 25 years since the premiere of Amores Perros at Cannes. A heartfelt thank you to the entire Palm Dog Awards team from all of us.' Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
X-rated BDSM film starring Harry Potter actor edited down due to extreme sex scenes and nudity
One of the most critically-acclaimed movies to screen at Cannes this year has been edited down due to its graphic nature. Pillion, which stars Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling, 36, who played Dudley Dursley, is a gay BDSM-themed romance from first-time feature writer-director Harry Lighton. The movie received an eight-minute standing ovation, but Lighton admits that the version screened at the iconic film festival had been edited down significantly due to its graphic sex scenes. 'It was purely because I didn't want to push the audience into feeling they were being deliberately shocked by an image,' he explained to Variety. 'So for example, there was one close up of a d**k, a hard d**k … like down the barrel of the lens. And after watching the film on that "f**k-off" screen I thought, yeah, cutting it was probably the right decision!' Skarsgard chimed in, 'There's definitely a raunchier version of this movie … what you've seen is the family friendly version… there's also the Alexander Skarsgard cut.' Lighton admits that Pillion may need to undergo even more edits to ensure that it can get a US release. The film explores the BDSM relationship between a gay biker and a parking attendant - with the project earning rapturous applause at the premiere. A synopsis reads: 'Colin, a timid man, meets Ray, a confident biker gang leader, who initiates him into a submissive relationship, challenging Colin's mundane existence and prompting personal growth through their unconventional dynamic.' Before the screening, director Lighton said he wanted the film 'to make you laugh, make you think, make you feel and make you horny.' The film features explicit sex scenes and kinky BDSM costumes but Cannes audiences were still lapping it up. Melling stars as shy Colin, whose humdrum life in the suburbs is blown apart when he meets Skarsgard's character Ray. Ray strikes up a sexual relationship with Colin and integrates him into his queer biker milieu, injecting his life with a fresh dose of excitement and mystique. However Colin eventually starts to feel stifled by the fact that he always has to occupy the submissive role in his dynamic with Ray. Skarsgard has spoken freely in the past about how comfortable he is playing nude scenes, quipping to uInterview: 'I'm Scandinavian, godda***it! We love to be naked.' The Swedish hunk is also no stranger to gay sex scenes, thanks to his star-making turn on the vampire show True Blood. One of the scenes was with heterosexual actor Theo Alexander, whose anxiety Alexander had to help assuage before they shot the sequence. 'He's also a straight guy and he was nervous; he had never kissed a guy before,' Alexander explained in an interview with PrideSource. He said to Theo, 'Look at the scene. It's this nemesis and he comes in and then it gets seductive and you think they're gonna make love and it gets into that and then suddenly my character stabs him in the back and he explodes.' The actor added, 'In two minutes, look at this emotional rollercoaster we're taking the audience on. If we commit to this, it's going to be an amazing scene and we're going to be very happy with it forever. If we hold back, that's when it gets awkward.' Skarsgard is himself heterosexual and is in a long-term relationship with Swedish actress Tuva Novotny, with whom he welcomed a baby in 2022.
