Latest news with #directorialdebut
CTV News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Comedian John Early's directorial debut ‘Maddie's Secret' to premiere at TIFF
People walk the closed-off streets at the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO — Comedian John Early will make his directorial debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF announced Wednesday that the satire 'Maddie's Secret' will open the festival's Discovery program, which spotlights first-time and sophomore directors. Early, who is best known for his starring role on the TBS and HBO Max show 'Search Party,' had not previously announced he was making the movie. Programmer Dorota Lech says the film, which was also written by Early, is about a content creator on a food network who's trying to hide her dark past. She says the movie is both a showcase for some of comedy's brightest stars, including Early's frequent collaborator Kate Berlant, and a 'really sincere portrait of girlhood and trauma.' The Discovery lineup includes Canadian filmmaker Eva Thomas's 'Nika & Madison,' a feature-length adaptation of her short film 'Redlights.' The movie follows two Indigenous women who flee their reserve after a violent encounter with a police officer. 'It's a really relevant social drama,' Lech said in a call last week to preview the lineup. Other films in the program include '100 Sunset' by Canadian director Kunsang Kyirong, a noir about Toronto's Tibetan community, and 'The Man in My Basement' from director Nadia Latif, a thriller starring Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins and based on the novel by Walter Mosley. TIFF, which holds its 50th edition this year, runs from Sept. 4 to 14. Earlier this week, festival organizers dropped their most robust lineup announcement to date, touting films from big-name directors including Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine' and Scarlett Johansson's feature directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Early's Surprise Directorial Debut ‘Maddie's Secret' Will Open TIFF 2025's Discovery Section
This year's Toronto International Film Festival Discovery lineup is getting off to a secretive start, as the section, dedicated to new work from first- and second-time filmmakers, will open with John Early's surprise feature directorial debut 'Maddie's Secret.' Billed by TIFF in today's announcement 'as an unmissable directorial debut satirizing and skewering content culture from iconic alt-comedian John Early,' the filmmaker stars in the film alongside long-time compatriot Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, Eric Rahill, Claudia O'Doherty, Chris Bauer, Kristen Johnston, and Conner O'Malley. More from IndieWire 'Or Something' Trailer: 'Subway Takes' Host Kareem Rahma Debates the Meaning of Life in 'Before Sunrise'-Inspired Adventure Romance 'Oh, Hi!' Review: Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman Take a Hilarious Weekend Trip Straight Into Rom-Com Hell The Discovery program has championed a number of major names over the years, such as Ildikó Enyedi, Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Dash, Jean-Marc Vallée, Christopher Nolan, Maren Ade, Yorgos Lanthimos, Barry Jenkins, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Emma Seligman, and Elegance Bratton. The 2025 Discovery selection was programmed by Dorota Lech, Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, June Kim, and Jason Ryle. The lineup includes 23 World Premiere titles, spanning 30+ countries, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. Over the past few weeks, TIFF has rolled out some early picks for its selection, including Colin Hanks' opening night documentary 'John Candy: I Like Me,' plus new films from Steven Soderbergh, Nia DaCosta, Chandler Levack, Alejandro Amenábar, and Sung-hyun Byun, the addition of 11 starry titles in the Gala and Special Presentations program just last week (plus that full lineup), and yesterday's release of the Platform jury and lineup. 2025 Discovery Program (in alphabetical order): '100 Sunset' | Kunsang Kyirong | Canada | World Premiere 'Amoeba' | Siyou Tan | Singapore/Netherlands/France/Spain/South Korea | World Premiere 'As We Breathe' | Şeyhmus Altun | Turkey/Denmark | World Premiere 'Babystar' | Joscha Bongard | Germany | World Premiere 'Bayaan' | Bikas Ranjan Mishra | India | World Premiere 'Dinner with Friends' | Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada | World Premiere 'Egghead Republic' | Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Sweden | World Premiere 'Forastera' | Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain/Italy/Sweden | World Premiere 'Ghost School' | Seemab Gul | Pakistan | World Premiere 'Julian' | Cato Kusters | Belgium/Netherlands | World Premiere 'Laundry' | Zamo Mkhwanazi | Switzerland/South Africa | World Premiere 'Little Lorraine' | Andy Hines | Canada | World Premiere 'Maddie's Secret' | John Early | USA | World Premiere 'Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand | World Premiere 'Nika & Madison' | Eva Thomas | Canada | World Premiere 'Noviembre' | Tomás Corredor | Colombia/Mexico/Brazil/Norway | World Premiere 'Oca' | Karla Badillo | Mexico/Argentina | World Premiere 'Our Father' | Goran Stankovic | Serbia/Italy/Croatia/North Macedonia/Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina | World Premiere 'Out Standing' | Mélanie Charbonneau | Canada | World Premiere 'Retreat' | Ted Evans | United Kingdom | World Premiere 'Sink' | Zain Duraie | Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France | World Premiere 'The Man in My Basement' | Nadia Latif | United Kingdom/USA | World Premiere 'The Son and the Sea' | Stroma Cairns | United Kingdom | World Premiere This year's official screening venues will once again include TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex's Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio at the Canadian Broadcast Centre, Cinema Park at David Pecaut Square, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The seventh edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. On the last day of the festival, TIFF announces the winners of its various awards. Alongside the popular People's Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, this September introduces the brand-new International People's Choice Award. Also returning are the esteemed Jury Prizes including the Platform Award, now celebrating its tenth year, and honors from FIPRESCI and NETPAC. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. More festival details will be shared in the coming weeks, with this week set to play home to some major other announcements. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Matilda''s Embeth Davidtz Says Her Son Once Threated to Tell Fans She's ‘Nothing' Like Miss Honey (Exclusive)
Embeth Davidtz is excited for her young adult children to see the fruits of her labor The mom of two recalls balancing years of raising her two kids while also working on the screenplay for her directorial debut, based on the novel by Alexandra Fuller Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight directed by Davidtz is in theaters nowEmbeth Davidtz is excited to see her family proud of her hard work. Speaking with PEOPLE about Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, her directorial and screenwriting debut, the actress talked about the journey bringing this movie to audiences, which ran concurrently to her own journey as a mom of two — son Dylan and daughter Charlotte. "It's great because there was a moment in time when the kids were really little and people would say anything about Matilda, I'd see them sort of get thrilled that my mom is Miss Honey or something. But occasionally my son would sort of mutter, 'You're nothing like Miss Honey,' " she says, referring to her beloved role in the 1996 adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. "If I'd say, 'You are in a timeout,' or consequences for behavior or whatever, he'd go, 'You're so mean. And the next time someone comes up and tells me that they love you as Miss Honey, I'm going to tell them that you're nothing like her,' " she continues. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Davidtz, 59, recalls a time when work was moving away from Los Angeles, making it harder for her to go after certain acting jobs. "My son, again at a somewhat rebellious stage, he'd go, 'Well what do you do all day?' And I do think I felt, there were a couple of years when they were teenagers where I thought, 'I want my kids to see me working,' " she shared. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! "And when I'd be sitting writing, because it took a long time to write this, I think they might've thought I was just on YouTube or whatever they do on their computers. But I really wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote it again," the working mom explains. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, based on the memoir by Alexandra Fuller, tells the story of apartheid South Africa through the eyes of 8-year-old Bobo, who tries to understand the harsh realities of growing up amidst familial strife and the ongoing racial conflict. In addition to writing and directing the adaptation, Davidtz also stars as Nicola Fuller. "I did many, many drafts of it. And then, when this happened, as my son left for college and my daughter was in her final year of college, they came to see the movie. I mean, it's sort of the fantasy that every parent has that your kids then go, 'Oh my God, that's what you were doing,' " she says. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Davidtz adds that it was "lovely on many, many levels" to see her children understand what she's worked toward. "It's great for women to have their kids see that they have a purpose and do work. And a lot of moms — I feel like the hardest working moms I know — are the ones who are being moms, let alone the ones who have jobs and are being moms," she continues. "I wanted my kids to know that I had done something meaningful outside of just being their mother." Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is in theaters now. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dakota Johnson Teases Directorial Debut: ‘I Just Won't Let Anybody Else Do It'
Fresh off the success of the A24 romantic dramedy 'Materialists,' star Dakota Johnson has revealed that she is close to finalizing the deal for her feature directorial debut — a project she told reporters would star Vanessa Burghardt, with whom she worked in 2022's 'Cha Cha Real Smooth.' While appearing at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival (where she will receive the President's Award), Johnson teased that project was 'very close to her heart,' and she thought Burghardt, 'an incredible autistic actress.' 'I've always felt that I'm not ready to direct a feature,' she said. 'I don't have the confidence, but, with her, I feel very protective and I know her very well. I can see this world, so I just won't let anybody else do it. That's the real answer.' More from IndieWire Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen Want to Help You Get Your Movie Made Dick Cavett Says John Cassavetes 'Chewed Out' His 'Husbands' Co-Stars After Infamous Talk Show Appearance: They Were 'Total A***s' Johnson has directed one short film 'Loser Baby,' which premiered at TIFF TV in 2024. She has also stepped into the producer's seat on several occasions, including with 'Cha Cha Real Smooth,' as well as 'Am I OK?,' 'Daddio,' 'Splitsville,' the series 'Slip,' and the upcoming film 'Verity,' which stars Anne Hathaway. Johnson has often expressed her opinions on the state of Hollywood filmmaking. During an appearance last month on 'Hot Ones,' Johnson decried the proliferation of remakes and reboots. 'When something does well, studios want to keep that going so they remake the same things, but humans don't want that,' she said. 'They want fresh, they want to feel new things, experience new things, see new things, so I don't know, I guess it's all just a bit of a mess right now, isn't it?' At Karlovy Vary (via Variety), Johnson discussed how she expects a set to be run when she works on a film — previewing how her own future production might operate. 'I don't want to face people who are not willing to collaborate,' she said. 'And then there are obvious things. We all know what a toxic set is by now. We're artists, so there's room for expansive personalities, and we're working with emotions. I love a healthy argument on a set, and I also believe that the most excellent idea wins. It's not a fight. It's not a race. It's a collaboration.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
CNN
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Hollywood Minute: Dakota Johnson eyes the director's chair
Dakota Johnson talks about her directorial debut, Ed Sheeran tops Apple Music's 10-year chart, and home-run-happy Roy Wood Jr. is 'Going, Going, Gone.' David Daniel reports.
