J. Sperling Reich, Author at Celluloid Junkie - Page 8 of 70

Palisades Fire

Dispatch From Los Angeles

This was hardly what we planned for our first Marquee newsletter of the year. As we closed out 2024 with a global theatrical box that wasn’t nearly as bad as originally forecast, with full-year results estimated to be USD $30.5 billion, and industry analysts predicting an 8% uptick in 2025, we…

Tim Richards of Vue

Tim Richards On Venturing Into Film Distribution with Vue Lumière

As 2024 wound down, Tim Richards, CEO of Vue, used the final few weeks to formalize an initiative he’d been openly discussing all year; Europe’s largest privately held cinema operator is launching a film distribution company titled Vue Lumière. The new entity will be wholly owned and fun…

Spike Lee with Lotfi Achour at the Yusr Award Ceremony during the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival

Lotfi Achour’s “Red Path” Wins Golden Yusr at 2024 Red Sea Film Festival

The 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival wrapped on Thursday, 12 December, in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district with an awards ceremony honoring selections from the official competition. Tunisian filmmaker Lotfi Achour won the night’s biggest honor, the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film, for h…

Red Sea Souk - 2024 Award Winners - Red Sea International Film Festival

New Voices Shine at the 2024 Red Sea Souk with Awards and Cash Prizes

In its fourth year the Red Sea International Film Festival maintained its industry platform, the Red Sea Souk, running alongside the main event. This year’s market concluded with an awards ceremony that handed out over USD $900,000 in prizes to emerging talent from the Arab world, Africa, and…

Matthew Liebmann, Chief Product, Innovation & Marketing Officer at Vista Group

You Can’t Spell Vista Group Without AI

Even on his worst day, if he even has one, Matthew Liebmann is incredibly even keeled and upbeat. These days, after spending the past year getting adjusted to his new role as Chief Product, Innovation & Marketing Officer at Vista Group, he might be described as downright euphoric. “I have…

2024 Red Sea International Film Festival - Opening Ceremony - Aamir Khan, Michelle Yeoh, Jumana Al-Rashed, Emily Blunt and Cynthia Erivo

Red Sea International Film Festival Opens Fourth Edition in Jeddah with Star-Studded Ceremony

The fourth annual Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) opened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 5 December with a ceremony packed with international stars from all corners of the globe. Just a few of those seen on the red carpet included Aamir Kahn the Indian actor and filmmaker, British actresses E…

Blitz - Apple

Apple Breaks French Theatrical Release Windows with “Blitz”

Invoking a rarely used loophole, and a first for a major streaming service, Apple utilized an “exceptional visa” to release Steve McQueen’s World War II drama “Blitz” in French cinemas for a limited two-day run on November 9-10. The maneuver bypassed France’s stri…

2024 Third Quarter Earnings - Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery

How President Trump 2.0 Could Impact the Cinema Industry

Last week on the CJ Cinema Summit we were joined by Tony Chambers, Executive Vice President and Head of Theatrical Distribution at The Walt Disney Studios Company as well as Dimitrios Mitsinikos, CEO of Gower Street Analytics. The conversation was incredibly informative. You can watch it on-demand h…

2024 Third Quarter Earnings - Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery

Studios See Streaming Growth, Theatrical Decline During Third Quarter of 2024

Election returns weren’t the only results being announced last week. The parent companies of four Hollywood studios held earnings calls for the third quarter of 2024 providing a snapshot of the current state of the entertainment business. It’s a narrative that can be told in four words;…

2024 Tokyo International Film Festival

Two Movies Defining the Value and Relevance of a Theatrical Release

Before we jump into this week’s editorial, I’d like to take a moment for a little self promotion. First, our managing editor Helen Budge will be attending the 2024 Norwegian Cinema Conference being organized by Film & Kino in Lillehammer, Norway from 4-7 November to give a presentati…