COSTUMES FROM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES COME TO HMV

 To celebrate the 20^th July 2012 release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises, the third film in Christopher Nolan’s epic Dark Knight trilogy, the film’s costumes have gone on display at HMV’s 150 Oxford Street flagship store from Mon 9^th July – Sun 15^th July. 

Experience the world of Gotham City by seeing firsthand the authentic film costumes of Batman and Bane, from the production of the highly anticipated ACTION DRAMA. The authentic costumes, which are exhibited on life-size mannequins both measuring over 6ft, feature Batman's famous headwear, body armour and cape as well as Bane's unique face mask.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar^® winner Christian Bale (The Fighter) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar^® winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar^® winner Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar^® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer.  The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on Batman Begins and the record-breaking blockbuster The Dark Knight.  The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.  Batman was created by Bob Kane.

Behind the scenes, The Dark Knight Rises reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on The Dark Knight.  The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who recently won an Oscar^® for his work on Nolan’s Inception; production designer Nathan Crowley; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar^®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (Topsy-Turvy).  In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars^® for the effects in Inception, supervised the visual and special effects, respectively.  The music is composed by Oscar^® winner Hans Zimmer (The Lion King).

In helming the film, Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX^® cameras even more extensively than he did on The Dark Knight, which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX cameras. 

The locations span three continents and include the American cities of Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles, as well as sites in India, England and Scotland.

The Dark Knight Rises is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures.  Slated for release beginning July 20, 2012, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. www.the-dark-knight-rises.co.uk

Prize Island uncovered by ITV1

ITV has commissioned a brand new entertainment format for 2013, from Initial, an Endemol company.

 Hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Emma Willis, Prize Island is a visually spectacular, action-filled game show set on a tropical Island, where pairs of contestants compete to uncover and win incredible prizes, which are literally scattered through the sand dunes, coconut palm trees and sweeping grasslands. 

 Each episode begins with four couples arriving on the sandy beach of our desert island paradise. The pairs, who are friends or family, will then have their skills, relationships and resourcefulness put to the test, in a series of thrilling and challenging games, specially built right across the island. 

 Over four tense and exciting rounds the pairs of contestants will venture deep into the mysterious island competing head-to-head, in the knowledge that there are countless prizes to be won, from sensational holidays to top of the range TV systems, but that after each round, one pair will be leaving the show.

 For the remaining contestants, round-by-round, the pile of prizes grows ever bigger as they head towards the nail-biting end game – Buried Treasure – which promises a brand new car, with a whopping £50,000 locked in the boot. Can the contestants work together to solve the clues and uncover Prize Island's ultimate treasure?

 Alexander Armstrong said “Prize Island is the kind of show every presenter dreams of - inventive, clever, funny, absolutely compelling... oh and set on a tropical island in the middle of the ocean. With Prizes! I am so excited about this!"

Emma Willis said “I am beyond excited to be one of the presenters of Prize Island. It promises to be a show like no other where contestants win unbelievable prizes, and get to visit one of the most exotic and beautiful locations on the planet. It’s going to be a show that will transport the viewer to the other side of the world every weekend and I can’t wait to be a part of such an ambitious and unique project for ITV1.”

 Elaine Bedell, ITV Director of Entertainment and Comedy, said  “Prize Island will be fantastic family fun in a stunning, paradise island setting, and promises a lot of laughs and thrills for our viewers, both from the games themselves, and the wittiness of our brilliant hosts Alexander and Emma, who we're really pleased to have on board."

 Nick Samwell-Smith, Creative Director at Initial, said "Prize Island is fabulous and ambitious and we are thrilled to be making it for ITV. The contestants are set for the journey of a lifetime to a tropical paradise that promises spectacular and ingenious games, surprises round every corner and prizes ripe for the picking absolutely everywhere. The entire desert island is our set, from the warm waters of the golden beaches to the towering sand dunes and the mysterious interior and you can win more awesome stuff than you can shake a coconut at."

The series was commissioned for ITV1 by Director of Entertainment and Comedy Elaine Bedell and Kate Maddigan, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment.  It will be made by Initial, an Endemol company and Executive Produced by Andy Rowe. The format was created by Richard Osman, Creative Director Endemol UK.

A Perfect Blend of Form and Function

ego™ & company Inc. Launches the World’s First iPhone® Case with Removable USB Drive

Design-rich mix & match iPhone® 4/4S cases come with a removable USB drive and feature superior protective and scratch-resistant properties   ego™ & company Inc., a premium Apple® accessories designer, is proud to announce its red dot award winning Hybrid Series USB Case is now shipping worldwide. This first-of-its-kind iPhone® 4/4S case comes in seven different colors and can be mix & matched with the six color options of the slide-in USB drive available in 4GB, 8GB or 16GB storage capacities. This intelligently designed case, the first model in ego’s Hybrid Series, is perfect for on-the-go iPhone® users who want convenient access to their favorite photos, music, videos, documents and more without taking up valuable space on their mobile device. In addition to the superior protective and scratch resistant qualities of the USB Case, all iPhone ports and controls are easily accessible at all times and the USB drive fits seamlessly into the back of the case. These iPhone® cases and included USBs are available in Blue (4GB), Pink (4GB), Yellow (8GB), Light Green (8GB), Red (16GB) and Black (16GB). Online buyers can mix & match the colors of the case and USB drive or they can keep the look uniform with one solid color choice -- that’s 42 different possible color combinations. In-store buyers will be able to purchase Grey cases with the option to select the USB drive color. The 4GB, 8GB and 16GB cases are available now for $34.95, $39.95 and $49.95, respectively, atwww.egoncompany.com.

Global Bestseller, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

Now Available as a Windows® Phone App. The dictionary You Can Rely on Whenever You Need Help with English, Now Fits in Your Pocket.

Offline Content, Audio Pronunciation, Colour Illustrations and Customizable screen help users communicate confidently in English. Already Available on Android™, iPad® and iPhone®.

Paragon Software Group, a leading multi-platform software developer for mobile devices and desktop computers, and Oxford University Press, the publisher of the world’s most trusted dictionaries and learning materials, bring the groundbreaking Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8^th edition mobile application to Windows® Phone devices.  Loaded with powerful learning features, the app offers full-sentence pronunciation, thousands of colour illustrations, clear explanations, and help with expanding vocabulary for anyone who needs to communicate in English.

Whether reading in English on the Internet, communicating in a work setting or studying English at school, the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary for Windows® Phone includes the most up-to-date vocabulary such as:

blogosphere n.

cloud computing n.

incentivize vb.

malware n.

staycation n.

tweet vb., n. (new "Twitter" sense)

umami n.

Key features:

•           Listen to real British and American voices pronounce words, with no Internet access required

•           Access spoken sentence audio online, or download all 116,000 example sentences to listen offline (approximately 430MB each for British and American sentences)

•           184,500 words, phrases and meanings explained clearly

•           198,500 example sentences

•           57,000 synonyms, opposites and related words - find words with similar or opposite meanings in the integrated Thesaurus

•           Learn words in their natural context with over 83,000 collocations (words that go together) included

•           Use Full Dictionary Search to find your word in any phrase or example sentence in the dictionary

•           Use the Oxford 3000™ keyword entries to learn the most important words in English

•           Find the Academic Word List words easily – they are all labelled

•           View and enlarge 1,300 illustrations to build your topic vocabulary

•           Study usage notes, verb forms, and word origins

•           All the dictionary text is live -- tap to instantly look up any word

•           Use My View to choose how much information appears on your screen – hide IPA, example sentences, pictures, synonyms, etc. – tap to show the full entry again

•           Bookmark your Favourite entries to easily find them again

Requirements: Windows® Phone 7.5 or higher

Availability: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is available for 19.99 GBP (23,49 EUR, 26,99 USD) from the Windows® Phone Marketplace http://Windows® phone.com/s?appId=ad82bdf2-1485-4e24-a355-d0007177e889

Previously released Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary for Android™ is available at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.slovoed.oald, and iPad® and iPhone® at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oxford-advanced-learnersdictionary/id442911228?mt=8.

Streaming The Ring

The premier of Alfred Hitchcock’s rare silent masterpiece, The Ring, recently restored by the BFI National Archive, will be streamed live for the first time ever from London’s Hackney Empire exclusively on The Space www.TheSpace.org on Friday 13^th July at 20.00 (GMT). The premiere will be accompanied by a specially commissioned soundtrack composed and performed by award-winning jazz musician Soweto Kinch.

Marking it as a worthy precursor to Scorsese’s Raging Bull, Hitchcock’s melodrama tells the story of a love-triangle between boxer Bob Corby, his sparring partner Jack Sander and Jack’s beautiful wife Mabel. The bouts in the ring become more than gamely sparring, leading up to the championship fight (famously set in the Albert Hall) between the two men for the love of Mabel.

Since its launch in May, digital arts service The Space has become the online destination for film fans everywhere offering a selection of free and on-demand films, whenever you want it and wherever you happen to be, featuringunmissable live events, rare archive material and interactive collections, with new material added every week.

In the run up to the live stream, The Space will feature Hitchcock documentaries including Hitchcock and cinema in the 20s and Hitchcock and the Evolution of Style. There will also be an interview Hitchcock gave to the BBC programme Late Night Line-Up in 1966.

The Space is currently showcasing a selection of first or early films by major British directors, from the BFI archive, including Ridley Scott, Ken Russell and Shane Meadows. And the BFI collection on The Space also celebrates Britain’s emerging filmmakers with a selection of shorts, from quirky animations, shocking comedies and thrilling genre movies to thought-provoking dramas and moving documentaries.

Coming up in July are short films about some of the great artists of the 20^th century including Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Francis Bacon, as well as a Peter Greenaway retrospective and films from the GPO film unit also from the BFI National Archive.

TheSpace.org

@thespacearts

Facebook/thespacearts

Bigpoint and Fox Consumer Products

Get Cool with Worldwide Open Beta Launch of Ice Age Online

Free-to-Play Browser Game Captures Essence of Hit Film Franchise; Release Goes Live in 10 Languages

Bigpoint – a global leader in online games – in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products today announced the international open beta launch of Ice Age Online. Based on the hit motion picture franchise, Ice Age Online brings together the popular film characters and environments in a free-to-play, browser-based adventure game with a host of cool social features. The title offers fans a new way to enjoy the beloved franchise alongside the global release of Ice Age: Continental Drift, in theaters in 3D July 2012.

“We’re excited to have fans of Ice Age jump into the open beta,” said Julia Salomon, Producer, Bigpoint. “Our team is dedicated to delivering an authentic online gaming experience that is true to the cinematic adventures of Sid, Manny Diego, and Scrat – and we’re confident that fans will be entertained by Ice Age Online.”

In Ice Age Online, players take on the role of a sloth who discovers the perfect home for its herd, but suddenly becomes separated by a volcanic eruption. To survive, players must rescue the lost members and build camps for their prehistoric animal friends through a combination of mission and jump-n-run gameplay. Throughout multiple game modes and the World Map, a variety of locations can be explored – the Ice Floes, Grassy Plains, Jungle, and Glacier – based on familiar settings within the blockbuster movie franchise.

The platform game, built atop the Unity 3D platform, will also feature a friends list, activity graph, leaderboards, and the opportunity for friends and families to visit each other’s camps and leave gifts behind.  As players learn to utilize special skills and master the collection of precious acorns and materials needed to construct camps, they will unlock new achievements and bonuses – including one level where players are able to take control of Diego, the lightning-fast saber tooth tiger, and race along a challenging obstacle course.

“Video games and film have an organic connection, and the online game space offers the opportunity for fans around the world to be immersed in the world of Ice Age in an all new way,” said Jeffrey Godsick, President of Fox Consumer Products. “Bigpoint, a global leader in online game development, was a natural partner choice for launching this franchise phenomenon on an online gaming platform.”

Ice Age Online is now available in 10 languages worldwide with more languages to be added in the weeks to follow. Players can access the game for free, and play directly in their web browser.

For more game news and updates on Ice Age Online, visit the official website at www.iceageonline.com

About the Ice Age Film Franchise

With over $4 billion in box office, home entertainment and consumer products sales, the ICE AGE franchise is a perennial hit. The next theatrical installment, Ice Age: Continental Drift, arrives in theaters in 3D July 2012. Fans will follow Scrat’s nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he’s been after since the dawn of time, with world-changing consequences – a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny and the herd encounter a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home. The film features a returning cast voiced by Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, and Queen Latifah, along with new characters voiced by Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Peter Dinklage, Wanda Sykes, Keke Palmer, Nick Frost, and Aziz Ansari, among others.

For more information about the new movie, please visit: http://www.iceagemovie.com/

Jafar Panahi and Mohamad Rasoulof

Throughout August BFI Southbank will host a retrospective of films by two of Iran’s most important filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohamad Rasoulof. Xan Brooks says of Jafar Panahi: “A leading light of the Iranian new wave, the creator of haunting social-realist fables that were suppressed in his homeland but played well with art house audiences in the west…Panahi's new-wave compatriots have largely decided to abandon Iran…Yet Panahi has always identified himself as an Iranian film-maker, based in Iran”.

Having had three of his films banned by Iranian authorities, Panahi has long been considered a dissident with a social agenda. So much so that in 2010, he and Rasoulof were arrested at his home and accused of carrying out propaganda against the state. Panahi and Rasoulof were given six-year prison sentences. In addition Panahi received a 20-year ban from writing and filmmaking (sparking mass outrage from the film community include Martin Scorsese, Sean Penn and Harvey Weinstein) and while Rasoulof is now able to work, Panahi’s situation still remains unclear. This season will chart both their careers, starting with Panahi’s - from Abbas Kiarostami’s Through the Olive Trees (1994) on which Panahi was assistant director, to his latest ‘film’, the covertly exported This is Not a Film (2011). The second half of the season will focus on the lesser known but no less significant filmmaker Mohamad Rasoulof. The season will feature The Twilight (2002), Iron Island (2005) and The White Meadows (2009), and will finish with Goodbye (2011) which won Rasoulof the Best Director Award at Cannes despite him being unable to receive it in person due to his arrest.

After he assisted Abbas Kiarostami on Through the Olive Trees (1994) Panahi made The White Balloon (1995). The film tells the story of a small girl who negotiates the chaotic streets of Tehran in an effort to buy a goldfish.The Mirror (1997) followed two years later, similarly telling a story about a young girl negotiating the vibrant streets of Tehran on her way home from school.

The Circle (2000) depicts the lives of seven single women who experience repression and fear in their daily lives, and would mark the beginning of a string of Panahi’s films to be banned in Iran yet lauded by critics. In Crimson Gold (2003) Panahi cast an actual pizza delivery man in the central role in a ‘based on a true story’ tale of poverty and class divisions in Tehran. Again Panahi alienated the establishment but won over the critics, taking home the Un Certain Regard Jury Award at Cannes. Inspired by the ban on Iranian women attending football matches, Offside (2006) features young women disguising themselves as men to get into football stadiums to watch matches. With an ironic and humorous tone the film ridicules the contradictions of the ban and became Panahi’s third film in a row to be both banned by Iranian authorities and receive a major award on the film festival circuit (The Silver Bear atBerlin). During his time under house arrest following his conviction, Panahi was visited by his friend Mojtaba Mirtahmash. Prohibited from filmmaking Panahi, with the help of Mirtahmash, produced a powerful act of resistance by talking direct to camera, describing a film he was prevented from making. This Is Not a Film (2011) was smuggled out of Iran on a memory stick concealed in a birthday cake and played at the Cannes Film Festival, after which Mirtahmash received a three month prison sentence for the part he played in the making of the film.

The second half of the season focuses on the work of Mohamad Rasoulof. Rasoulof began making short films in 1991, with his first feature The Twilight being released in 2002. The Twilight is based on real events and cast with individuals involved. It tells the story of a long-term convict who marries a young female inmate, but once released from prison struggles to support his family. Iron Island (2005) takes place on board a largely isolated oil tanker which is moored off the Persian Gulf coast. Inhabited by members of Iran’s minority Arab-Sunnis, this community is ruled over by an authoritarian captain whose absolute authority is the focus of Rasoulof’s realist allegory. Continuing with his socio-political critiques 2009’s The White Meadows follows Rahmat, accompanied by a young boy Nassim, as they collect tears of people stricken by grief in a ceremonial vial and observe the suffering caused by prejudice superstition and unrelenting Sharia Law. While he was appealing his conviction Rasoulof was prevented from travelling to Cannes for the screening of Goodbye (2011) and his Best Director Award in Un Certain Regard was accepted by his wife on his behalf. The film follows a young pregnant lawyer in Tehran, whose husband is exiled to the desert because of his political journalism while her licence to practice law is revoked for activism. Described by one journalist as a silent scream of protest, it has an undeniable relevance to Rasoulof himself following his arrest. 

Panahi and Rasoulof have both made films which seek to highlight injustice and suffering, but have in the process become victims of it themselves. This season will offer audiences a chance to see films which carry great significance to contemporary Iran, and campaigning for Panahi and Rasoulof’s human and creative rights remains urgent not only to ensure their personal freedom but to secure the future of filmmaking in Iran.

This Is Not a Film will be available to buy on DVD from August 27.

Screenings taking place in Season:

Through the Olive Trees Zire darakhatan zeyton

Iran-France 1994. Dir Abbas Kiarostami. With Mohamad Ali Keshavarz, Farhad Kheradmand, Zarifeh Shiva. 103min. EST. U

Jafar Panahi was assistant director on this film set in the earthquake-stricken area of Kolker. An actor tells us that he is playing a film director and is about to select girls to act from the twenty or so waiting to be chosen. From then on, it’s a series of questions: which is the fiction, which the reality, which the film, which the film within a film, which the true stories of those living there?

Wed 1 Aug 18:00 NFT2

Mon 13 Aug 20:30 NFT2

The White Balloon Badkonake sefi d

Iran 1995. Dir Jafar Panahi. With Aida Mohammadkhani, Mohsen Kafi li, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy. 84min. EST. U

A small girl coaxes 500 tomans from her mother to buy a glorious goldfish for New Year, loses the note down a grating and frantically seeks to recover it. In real time, our heroine negotiates the chaos of Tehran streets and the characters who inhabit them, including snake charmers, a lonely soldier, shopkeepers and a kindly old lady. Winner of the Camera d’Or at Cannes. Plus Panahi’s short The Accordion (Iran 2010, 8min, video).

Thu 2 Aug 18:20 NFT2

Thu 16 Aug 18:20 NFT2

Sun 19 Aug 16:10 NFT2

The Mirror Ayneh

Iran 1997. Dir Jafar Panahi. With Mina Mohammad Khani, Aida Mohammadkhani, Kazem Mojdehi. 95min. EST

Panahi’s fictional heroine is lost in Tehran but just 38 minutes into the film his young actress declares she’s had enough and is going home – but she doesn’t know the way either. Panahi keeps the camera rolling and with her microphone still clipped on and using amazing ingenuity, his now real-life heroine criss-crosses the city. Panahi produces another glorious tapestry of Tehran life in an unintended version (or is it?) of life imitating art.

Fri 3 Aug 18:20 NFT2

Fri 10 Aug 20:40 NFT2

The Circle Dayereh

Iran-Italy-Switzerland 2000. Dir Jafar Panahi. With Maryiam Palvin Almani, Nargess Mamizadeh, Mojgan Faramarzi 90min. EST. PG

Panahi’s heroines are, this time, seven single adult women whose differing but common experience of repression and fear in their daily lives led the film to be banned in Iran. Beginning and ending with the same image – a woman speaking to someone of authority through a sliding panel in a door – the film’s humanitarianism was inevitably perceived by the authorities as political. Winner of the Golden Lion at Venice.

Fri 3 Aug 20:40 NFT2

Sat 11 Aug 20:40 NFT2

Crimson Gold Talaye sorkh

Iran 2003. Dir Jafar Panahi. With Hossain Emadeddin, Kamyar Sheisi, Azita Rayeji. 96min. EST. 12A

Panahi cast an actual pizza delivery man in the central role of this searing commentary – based on a true story –on poverty and class divisions in contemporary Tehran. With an extraordinary opening sequence he delineates, in fl ashback, the life of a war veteran whose passivity is finally blown away. With Crimson Gold Panahi’s standing as a world-class filmmaker was confirmed and it won the Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Award.

Sat 4 Aug 15:50 NFT2

Sun 12 Aug 18:10 NFT2

Offside

2006. Dir Jafar Panahi. With Sima Mobarak-Shahi, Shayesteh Irani, Ayda Sadeqi. 91min. EST. PG

A Silver Bear winner in Berlin, inspired by the ban on Iranian women attending football matches, Panahi’s film features young women disguising themselves as men, getting into the stadium – only to be arrested and held under guard by unhappy soldiers. Much of it shot during an Iran v Bahrain match, the film is ironic and humorous with allegory and poetic realism together ridiculing the contradictions and absurdity of the ban.

Sun 12 Aug 16:00 NFT2

Thu 16 Aug 20:45 NFT2

This Is Not a Film In film nist

Iran 2011. Dir Mojtaba Mirtahmash & Jafar Panahi. 75min. Digital. EST. U

Panahi, confined by house arrest and prohibited from filmmaking, has an idea. His colleague Mojtaba Mirtahmash visits with a camera, the outcome a powerful act of resistance with Panahi talking, describing a film he was prevented from making, and being crawled over by his daughter’s pet iguana (adding a touch of surrealism). The film was smuggled out of Iran in a memory stick hidden in a cake and Mirtahmash served three months’ imprisonment.

Mon 27 Aug 16:00 NFT2

Tue 28 Aug 20:50 Studio

Thu 30 Aug 18:00 Studio

The Twilight Gagooman

Iran 2002. Dir Mohamad Rasoulof. With Fatemeh Bijan, Zalkla Bijan, Ali Reza Mahdaviyan. 83min.Video. EST

Based on real events and cast with the individuals involved, the film tells of Ali-Reza, a long-term convict who the prison warden, in an attempt to ground him, arranges to marry a young female inmate. Marital rights leave her pregnant and they are both eventually released from jail, but life outside is hard and Ali-Reza’s attempts to maintain his family are doomed. He returns to thieving – and prison.

Mon 6 Aug 20:45 NFT2

Fri 10 Aug 18:30 NFT2

Iron Island Jazireh ahani

Iran 2005. Dir Mohamad Rasoulof. With Ali Nassirian, Hossein Farzi-Zadeh, Neda Pakdaman. 90min. EST

Iron Island takes place on board a decommissioned and largely isolated old oil tanker moored off the Persian Gulf coast. Inhabited by members of Iran’s minority Arab-Sunnis, this community, in which the women are mostly masked, is ruled by Captain Nemat. The latter’s absolute authority is the focus of Rasoulof’s realist allegory, culminating in the brutal punishment of a young man pronounced necessary, otherwise ‘...the entire ship will slide into chaos.’

Sun 5 Aug 16:00 NFT2

Sat 11 Aug 18:40 NFT2

The White Meadows Keshtzar haye sepid

Iran 2009. Dir Mohamad Rasoulof. With Hassan Pourshirazi, Younes Ghazali, Mohammad Rabbani. 92min. EST

With Panahi taking editing duties, Rasoulof continues his socio-political critiques: this time with a visually stunning allegory/fable that follows Rahmat, accompanied by the young boy Nassim, travelling between remote islands gathering the tears of the grief-stricken in a ceremonial vial, and observing their suffering caused by prejudice, superstition and unrelenting Sharia law. Balancing between melancholy and absurdity, folklore and myth, Rasoulof denounces Ahmadinejad’s Iran with subtlety and sweeping imagery.

Tue 21 Aug 21:00 NFT3

Fri 24 Aug 20:40 NFT2

Goodbye Bé omid é didar

Iran 2011. Dir Mohamad Rasoulof. With Leyla Zareh, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy, Shahab Hosseini. 100min. Digital. EST

A young pregnant lawyer in Tehran, whose husband is exiled to the desert because of his political journalism, has had her licence to practice revoked for activism. Alone and powerless, she struggles to obtain an exit visa even as her apartment is searched by secret police. Described by one journalist as a silent scream of protest, it has an unequivocal meaning and a visceral relevance to Rasoulof himself following his arrest.

Mon 27 Aug 18:20 NFT2

Fri 31 Aug 20:40 NFT2

Gesher

Iran 2010. Dir Vahid Vakilifar. With Abdolrassoul Daryapeyma, Hossein Farzi-Zadeh, Ghobad Rahmaninassab. 84min. EST

Rasoulof produced this first feature by Vakilifar which examines the lives of three men who leave home to try and better their lives in Oslouyeh, an oil- and gas- producing region, but end up living in disused oil pipes next to a refinery. They struggle to survive – one works at the refinery, another drives for businessmen, the third cleans public toilets – but their ‘home’, also shared with other workers, produces a strong camaraderie between them.

Sun 26 Aug 20:40 NFT2

Wed 29 Aug 18:30 NFT2

                       

Be immersed in the historic occasion at your local ODEON

ODEON TO SUPPORT MURRAY MANIA WITH LIVE 3D WIMBLEDON FINAL

As the nation waits in anticipation of the Andy Murray semi-final, ODEON - the largest cinema group in Europe – is preparing to bring the Men’s Wimbledon Final live to 16 ODEON cinemas across the UK in glorious 3D. And this year, more than ever, everyone’s fingers are firmly crossed for a Brit to be taking part in the action!  

The ODEON live screenings will take place from 1.45pm, Sunday July 8^th at ODEON cinemas in Bath, Belfast, Braehead, Brighton, Cardiff, Colchester, Covent Garden, Dunfermline, Kingston, Manchester (Printworks), Newcastle East, Norwich, Sheffield, Southampton, Swiss Cottage and of course, Wimbledon.

If Murray is victorious today and makes it through, it will be a historic occasion. Murray will be the first British man to reach the Championship Final since 1938, when colour “talkie” films in the cinema were still in their infancy. In stark contrast, ODEON will be offering tennis fans everywhere the ultimate viewing experience bringing all of the excitement and atmosphere of the famous Centre Court to your local ODEON cinema using cutting edge digital technology and in stunning 3D.

“It’s the next best thing to being there in-person,” said Drew Kaza, EVP of Digital Development for ODEON Cinemas. “In fact, it might be better than being there live…it’s a fantastic opportunity to get one of the best perspectives possible and as close to the nail biting action as the ball boy or girl or back judge on court. The scale of the action on the big screen is not to be missed - the ball seems to jump off the screen at times and it gives you a new appreciation for how tremendously gifted these players truly are.”

Tickets are available to purchase on ODEON’s website www.odeon.co.uk or mobi.odeon.co.uk, via the ODEON Filmline on 0871 22 44 007 or by calling in at the box.

The Live 3D Men’s Wimbledon Final is just one of the fantastic alternative screening options ODEON provides for guests as part of the ODEON Plus programme which brings opera, theatre, sport and popular concerts to the big screen for film fans to enjoy.

ODEON is offering the Wimbledon Finals in 3D in association with the All England Club, and Sony 4k Digital cinema.

Further information can be found at the ODEON website: www.odeon.co.uk

TO PREMIERE ON 8TH AUGUST 2012

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BRYAN SINGER WEB SERIES

H+ THE DIGITAL SERIES

H+ The Digital Series, the futuristic online series will make its debut on YouTube on 8^th August. The ground-breaking, multi-platform digital series is brought to us by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. This exciting event will premiere on digital platforms, released as 48 short episodes, delivering over 3 hours of unique Sci-fi storytelling.

The highly anticipated live-action web series has been produced by Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns, House) and centres on the aftermath of an act of cyber terrorism that kills of a segment of the world population who elected to hardwire their brains to the Internet. H+ The Digital Series takes viewers on an episodic, apocalyptic journey into the future where consumers are rapidly installing a chip called H+ into their nervous systems that allows them to access the Internet 24 hours a day - by just thinking it. One day, a virus is released – causing a third of the world’s population to die instantly.  The series deals with the massive political and human changes that take place, the fight for survival and the mystery to discover who is behind this atrocity. 

Produced by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects / X-Men: First Class), the highly anticipated live-action web series tells the tale of the human race and how we are hardwired to the Internet. Directed by Stewart Hendler (Sorority Row), and starring an acclaimed international cast that includes Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Amir Arison (Law & Order: SVU) and David Clayton Rogers (Jane By Design), H+ The Digital Series takes viewers on an episodic, apocalyptic journey where technology has gone horrifically wrong.

Producer Bryan Singer said: “Our first venture into the digital space gives us the freedom to engage fans with new content that is immersive, interactive and is tailored to be enjoyed online,” H+ The Digital Series on YouTube provides us with a strong two-way dialogue with our fans, creating a deeper and ongoing connection.”

Starting today, fans can subscribe to the H+ The Digital Series channel on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/HPlusDigitalSeries). In the coming days and weeks leading to launch, viewers will have access to exclusive new content which will provide insight into the origins of H+ and details about this ambitious and innovative digital series. 

Bigpoint Announces

 Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms as Official Title of Upcoming Browser-Based MMORPG; Exclusive Trailer at Comic-Con

New Trailer to Premiere at San Diego Comic-Con; Updated Website Ready to Capture Early Beta Registrations

 Bigpoint – a global leader in online video games – today revealed the official name of its upcoming free-to-play (F2P) fantasy massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) as Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms. 

Bigpoint has partnered with HBO® to develop the game inspired by the network’s critically acclaimed television show, Game of Thrones®, adapted from the bestselling fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin. Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms will be set within the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, giving players the chance to experience epic moments from the television series. At the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con, July 12-15, Bigpoint will release a new exclusive video trailer for Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms.

“Selecting a game’s title can be quite an arduous process, especially in the free-to-play space where games must be easily discoverable by players around the world,” said Max Pfaff, Producer, Bigpoint. “By selecting Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms we’re confident that we’ve chosen an identifiable name that will resonate with the global community of diehard Thrones fans.”

In context of the lore, the Seven Kingdoms were originally independent countries which rose up over thousands of years until the Targaryens ruled over them as one nation of Westeros. Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms begins after the deaths of King Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark. The Starks of the north declare war on the south and Baratheon’s two brothers both make claims to the throne. Players are challenged to form alliances through Player vs. Player (PvP), Siege combat and politics to control Westeros.

Fans attending San Diego Comic-Con (July 12-15) will also have the opportunity to get a first look at the exclusive new Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms trailer by Bigpoint which can be viewed at booth 2615 (Dark Horse). The teaser captures the essence of gameplay and visual fidelity that players will get to experience when the game is launched.  

Bigpoint is collaborating with Norwegian development studio, Artplant, on the development of the forthcoming Unity-based project. Bigpoint and Artplant have previously partnered on the production of Battlestar Galactica Online, a breakthrough F2P space combat MMO that recently celebrated its first birthday and 10 million registered pilot milestone.

Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms beta testing is slated to begin later this year. Fans are encouraged to visit: http://www.GameofThronesMMO.com/ for more information and to follow the latest Twitter updates @GOTMMO.