United News of Bangladesh

Lee Jung-jae, the award-winning star of Netflix's “Squid Game,” spent years developing the 1980s-set Korean spy thriller “Hunt” before electing to direct himself. He did it a little reluctantly, without big plans to continue filmmaking. But Lee did have a vision for what it could be — and where it could premiere. “Before deciding to direct, I thought I just wanted to make a very fun film,” Lee says. “After I got my hands on it and started writing the script myself, I actually wanted to come to Cannes. Because I wanted to come to Cannes, I had to find the subject matter that would resonate with the global audience.” Few actors know more about capturing the attention of the global audience than Lee. Already one of Korea's top movie stars, the 49-year-old Lee is at the nexus of the “Squid Game” phenomenon, starring in the dystopic series that — subtitles and all — became Netflix's most-watched show in some 90 countries. Now, Lee is in Cannes to premiere “Hunt," which is playing in Cannes’ midnight section and being shopped for international distribution. The film will test how far Lee can further extend his already borderless career. Earlier this year, Lee signed with the Hollywood powerhouse agency CAA. And he grants that he has some Hollywood ambitions. Also read: Walking the red carpet at Cannes, Shuvoo skims the zenith “Working in Hollywood would definitely be a good experience for me,” Lee said in an interview in Cannes shortly before “Hunt” premiered. “If there was a good fit for me, a good character, I’d definitely like to join. But right now, I feel like global audiences are wanting more Korean content and Korea-made TV shows and films. So I would work in Korea as well very diligently. I might seem a little greedy, but if there was a role for me in Hollywood, I’d definitely like to do that, too.” But if Lee's ascension to being an increasingly world-renown actor typifies the pop-culture power of today's Korea, his film is set in an earlier, less harmonious chapter in Korean history. “Hunt” takes place several years after South Korean president Park Chung-hee was assassinated in 1979 by the chief of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, a coup that ushered in the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan. “Hunt” is loosely inspired by his subsequent 1983 assassination attempt orchestrated by North Korea. “The ’80s in Korea was when we had the rapidest growth ever,” says Lee. “But democracy didn’t grow as much because there was a military dictatorship and the media was under full control of the government. So I did hear a lot from the older generation and my parents about those government controls. I also witnessed myself college protests.” “Hunt” grippingly follows a pair of agents (one is played by Lee, the other by Jung Woo-sung) who are both assigned to uncover a North Korean mole within the agency. Lee — not merely dipping his toe into a modest directorial debut — proves skilled at mounting large-scale action sequences and marshalling a dense plot while managing to keep the suspense up. Also read: Tom Cruise and 'Top Gun: Maverick' touch down in Cannes “A lot of people told me that I should change the setting to now,” Lee said, speaking through an interpreter. “But in the ’80s, there was a lot of control of information and people were trying to benefit from fake information and misinformation. I think that still exists now in 2022. Still there are groups that try to benefit from these controls of information and propaganda. “We now live in a global world that’s connected,” he adds. “We don’t have any silos between us. If there’s a problem or issue, we have to all work on it to overcome it.” Lee is often asked how his life has changed since “Squid Game” by Western journalists who might be less familiar with his nearly three decades as a top star in Korea in films like “An Affair,” “New World” and “The Housemaid.” Lee laughs. “It’s natural because a lot of people in the West might not have known me before ‘Squid Game.'" That's changing rapidly, though. Lee will return for season two of “Squid Game,” which the series' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently said should be expected in 2023 or 2024. The first season already led to Lee becoming the first Asian actor win the Screen Actors Guild Award for best male performer. Lee was so surprised — aside from considering himself an underdog, he’s a big “Succession” fan — that he never managed to pull out the speech he had written in his pocket. “It still,” Lee says smiling and shaking his head, “seems like a dream to me.”

Walking on the glamorous and prestigious red carpet of the 75th Cannes Film festival was like the utmost fulfillment of life, said popularBangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo. The Dhallywood actor walked on the red carpet dressed in a white tuxedo by Dapper Bespoke on the fourth day of the festival Saturday. After his glamorous appearance at the red carpet, the actor told Bangladeshi journalists, “It was like touching something out of a dream. I am grateful to my fans, audience, director and producer for bringing me this far. I’ll try to maintain the trust they have shown in me.” Also read: Trailer of "Mujib --The Making of a Nation" is out at Cannes festival On May 19, the trailer of ‘Mujib– The Making of a Nation’ was released at the festival's commercial counterpart Marché du Film (Film Market). Shyam Benegal, director of the Bangabandhu biopic, said the film is currently going through a long VFX process while updating the media. 'Mujib: The making of a Nation' is slated to release in September this year. Also read: Trailer of Shyam Benegal's 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation' premiered at Cannes Arifin has played the role of Bangabandhu in the film while Nusrat Imroz Tisha plays Sheikh Fazilatunnesa (Renu). The film is co-produced by the Bangladesh and India governments.

“Shaan” famed young Bangladeshi actor Siam Ahmed has joined the cast of “In the Ring (Story of a Burqa Boxer),” making his debut in a lead role for any Indian film project. World-famous entertainment website Variety reported the news on Friday, stating that Siam joined the cast alongside young Indian actress Mithila Palkar, popularly known for Netflix’s “Little Things,” and veteran Indian comedian-actor Jaaved Jaaferi. The film is a psychological thriller set in the female Muslim boxing society of Khidderpore, Kolkata, India, about Shama, a 17-year-old boxer who swaps places with her twin to fight in the national championship after she is accused of murdering her aunt. Alongside Siam, Mithila and Jaaved, the film also casts Razia Shabnam, one of the first Indian women to become an international boxing referee and coach. US-based Indian filmmaker Alka Raghuram will direct the Hindi-language film. She previously filmed the renowned documentary "Burqa Boxers," depicting the stories of Muslim women boxers in Kolkata. Sreyashii Sengupta of Singapore-based Darpan Global and Souvikk Dasgupta of India's Oriizon Global are producing the film, with Rick Ambros of Los Angeles working as executive producer. The film's principal photography will begin in India in December 2022. Also read: 'Shaan’ portrays the story of real Bangladeshi heroes: Siam Ahmed

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said the feature film on Bangabandhu was about the struggle, pain and suffering of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in liberating a nation. “People of the world will know how he remained unwavering in the face of gallows and how he transformed an unarmed nation into an armed one and led the liberation war. It isn’t easy to capture the whole life of such great people in 3 hours but the team making the movie has done a great work," he said while talking about the movie "Mujib – The Making of a Nation." Trailer of ‘Mujib– The Making of a Nation’ was released at Festival de Cannes on Thursday.  

The much-anticipated trailer of the biopic on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's life titled 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation', premiered on the third day of the 75th edition of the world-famous Cannes Film Festival's Marche du Film section in the south of France. The 99-second trailer of the biopic, a joint venture between Bangladesh and India directed by the acclaimed Indian director Shyam Benegal, was premiered at the Indian pavilion at 6pm local time.  The trailer launching ceremony was joined by Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Indian Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, Bangladesh Ambassador to France Khondker M Talha, Bangladesh Film Development Corporation Managing Director Nuzhat Yeasmin and others, alongside lead actors of the film Arifin Shuvoo and Nusrat Imrose Tisha. In his speech, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said, "The film 'Mujib' depicts the glorious life of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his victorious struggle for the nation and his absolute self-sacrifice." The film also stars Nusraat Faria Mazhar as Sheikh Hasina, and Riaz Ahmed as Tajuddin Ahmed among others. 'Mujib: The making of a Nation' is slated to release in September this year. Also read: World premiere of ‘Mujib Amar Pita’ held

Popular Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan has won the Anandalok Best Actress award for her role in the film "Binisutoy", in India’s Kolkata. The award ceremony titled 'Anandalok Awards 2022' was held on Wednesday at the ITC Royal Bengal Auditorium in Kolkata. Read: Anonymous Content, CAA take Nuhash Humayun onboard The awards were given in various categories of movies, television series and web series.

Tom Cruise mania descended Wednesday in Cannes where the actor made a whirlwind appearance at the film festival, walking the red carpet, receiving a surprise Palme d'Or and watching a squadron of French fighter jets fly over the European premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.” Cannes pulled out all the stops to fete the 59-year-old star, paying tribute to Cruise with not just a rare interview on stage and a red-carpet premiere featuring a flyby of jets trailing colored smoke, but with the unexpected presentation of an honorary Palme d'Or. Festival president Pierre Lescure announced the award — about 15 honorary Palmes have been given before — on stage just before the screening was to begin. Cruise clutched Cannes' top prize while the audience gave the actor a standing ovation. Also read:Cannes Film Festival opens with Zelenskyy video address Cruise brought a palpable buzz to the Croisette, where throngs gathered around the Palais des Festivals shouting “Tom!” to try to get a glimpse of the 59-year-old star. “Great Balls of Fire” blared on the carpet. Cruise hadn't been to the festival in three decades. But with plenty of media disruption challenging the theatrical experience, Cannes and Cruise exuded the vibe of long-last pals. “He is devoted to cinema,” declared artistic director Thierry Fremaux. Cruise's enthusiastic welcome smacked in some ways of an action hero's reception, here to save the day. “I make movies for the big screen,” Cruise said to applause in an interview on stage at Cannes' Debussy Theatre. The European premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick,” directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, brought out what's likely to be among the most star-studded red carpets of the Cannes Film Festival, which opened Tuesday and runs through May 28. Among those in attendance were Viola Davis, Dakota Fanning, Omar Sy and Eva Longoria — along with “Top Gun: Maverick" stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell. While Cruise arrived by helicopter at the film's San Diego premiere aboard an aircraft carrier, he came to the Cannes premiere more traditionally, with the film's cast and filmmakers in a cavalcade of cars. Cruise paused for several minutes to sign autographs and take pictures with fans lined up across the street from the red carpet. Before that, the festival honored Cruise with a tribute that consisted of a career-spanning video montage, after which Cruise spoke about his dedication to filmmaking in an interview that stayed away from any personal questions. Instead, he responded to prodding from interviewer Didier Allouch about why, Monsieur Cruise, do you take such risks doing your own stunts? “No one asked Gene Kelly ‘Why do you dance?’” answered Cruise. The Cannes stopover for “Top Gun: Maverick” is part of a worldwide tour for the film ahead of its May 27th launch in theaters. It has already touched down at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and premiered in San Diego. Paramount Pictures delayed its release two years during the pandemic, a move that appears to be paying off with glowing reviews and box-office expectations that “Top Gun: Maverick” will easily mark Cruise's biggest opening weekend ever. Asked if he was ever tempted to steer the film to a streaming service, Cruise replied emphatically. “No, that’s not going to happen ever," responded Cruise to loud applause. “That was never going to happen.” Also read:Rodrigo, Drake, Ye early winners at Billboard Music Awards Cruise spent the majority of the conversation explaining his extreme dedication to the craft of moviemaking, how from an early age he dug into every element of film productions and analyzed how particular modes of acting worked best on the big screen. Shooting the 1981 film “Taps,” with George C. Scott, he returned to it again and again as a formative experience. “Please," Cruise said he thought at the time, "if I could just do this for the rest of my life, I will never take it for granted.”

US-based multi-platform premium content producing company Anonymous Content and CAA (Creative Artist Agency) have recently included acclaimed young Bangladeshi filmmaker Nuhash Humayun as their client. His short film ‘Moshari’ has recently won two prestigious global awards; the Grand Jury Award at SXSW 2022 and the 2022 Atlanta Film Festival’s prize for Best Narrative Short. Also read:‘Moshari’ wins Atlanta Film Festival Jury Award The news of Nuhash Humayun’s inclusion as Anonymous Content and CAA’s client has been featured in Hollywood’s world-famous website Deadline, considered one of the top entertainment websites in the world. Sharing his excitement about these accolades, Nuhash Humayun told Deadline that his goal is to portray Bangladesh/South Asia free from stereotypes and assumptions. “The first time I heard my home mentioned in a film was a throwaway line about there being ‘enough food on this table to feed Bangladesh. I love infusing genre stories with deeply personal and cultural identity politics. We have powerful, thrilling, visceral stories to tell.”  “With my incredible team at AC and CAA, I hope to tell intimate personal stories that are also universal,” Nuhash Humayun told Deadline.  According to the acclaimed young filmmaker, “Moshari is a revisionist horror/fantasy that inverts the myth of our part of the world as ‘the third world.” The original 22-minute horror-fantasy pic was the first film from Bangladesh to premiere in SXSW’s Midnight Shorts Program. It follows sisters Apu (Sunerah Binte Kamal) and Ayra (Nairah Onora Saif), who seek shelter inside archaic mosquito nets - the only way to survive against bloodthirsty monsters - if they can first survive each other.  In addition to SXSW, Humayun’s projects have earned support from Sundance, Film Independent and ScreenCraft. The filmmaker was a ScreenCraft 2022 Film Fund Jury Winner and the first Bangladeshi fellow accepted to the Sundance Screenwriters Intensive.  Nuhash Humayun’s next project is the feature film 'Moving Bangladesh' which is a subversive corporate drama. The film is currently in pre-production. Also read:Chorki releases third episode of Nuhash Humayun’s “Pett Kata Shaw” Anonymous Content is a production and management company that represents a diverse roster of writers, directors, actors and comedians. Recent releases from the media company include Benjamin Cleary's sci-fi drama "Swan Song" for Apple TV+ and Netflix's "Worth", starring prominent names from Hollywood including Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan and Stanley Tucci.  CAA is a leading agency that represents a diverse roster of clients across film, television, music, sports, digital media and marketing, and beyond. Their recent signings include the popular Netflix series "Sex Education" star Emma Mackey and filmmaker Luca Guadagnino.

The 75th edition of Cannes Film Festival commences on Tuesday, and several Bangladeshi film actors are attending the prestigious event representing different projects. The much-awaited trailer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's biopic ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ will be premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The 90-second trailer of the Bangladesh-India co-production will be screened at the Indian Pavilion on the third day (May 19) of the festival. Read: Arefin Shuvo to attend Cannes Film Festival Tuesday To be present on the occasion, Arifin Shuvoo who played the title character of Bangabandhu in the film ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ and Nusrat Imrose Tisha, who played the role of Bangabandhu's wife Renu (Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib), flew to France yesterday, and they will be joined by bInformation and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the festival. Tisha’s husband and acclaimed filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is also scheduled to join the festival; however, to babysit their daughter Ilham and not to take part in the 2022 Cannes as a filmmaker. On Sunday, Bangladeshi actor-producer Ananta Jalil and his wife and actress Afia Nusrat Barsha reached France to take part in this year's Cannes Film Festival. They will showcase the trailers of their upcoming films ‘Din-The Day’ and ‘Netri-The Leader’ and meet producers and journalists from different countries, the couple said in a video message posted from Ananta’s Facebook page. Meanwhile, as every year, seven films from the top seven festivals of the world have been selected for the ‘Fantastic Seven’ event of the Marche du Film segment, highlighting the young talents representing a certain genre, and this year, young Bangladeshi filmmaker Nuhash Humayun's short film 'Moshari' has been selected for this event. Recently, the film has won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at the Atlanta Film Festival (ALTFF) 2022, one of the few Academy Award-qualifying festivals in the world. Nuhash is going to join the festival online as he has been unable to attend the Cannes festival due to his pre scheduled work engagements. Read: ‘Moshari’ wins Atlanta Film Festival Jury Award Bidhan Rebeiro, a Bangladeshi film critic and writer, has been selected to serve on the International Federation of Film Critics' jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. Invited as the third-ever Bangladeshi cinema critic to be selected as a member of the Fipresci jury, Rebeiro will walk the red carpet at this year's event and will be present at the festival on May 19. At the 74th edition of this prestigious film festival last year, Abdullah Mohammad Saad directed and Azmeri Haque Badhon starrer ‘Rehana Maryam Noor' was screened as one of the 18 selected participants of its prestigious Un Certain Regard category, receiving standing ovation from the audiences. The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival opened on Tuesday with French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius directed ‘Final Cut’ on Tuesday, and the festival will continue till May 28.  

Popular film star Arifin Shuvo will leave Dhaka for Cannes on Tuesday to attend the 75th Cannes Film Festival. He will represent the trailer of the movie ‘Mujib’, based on the biography of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In his reaction to the festival, Arifin Shuvo said, “It is very pleasant to me as I am going to Cannes for the first time. It feels to me like dream. I have got the chance to attend the festival. This is a big honour for me. I am grateful to my fans as everything has become possible for them. My love to them.” Cannes Film Festival will start on Tuesday (May 17). Actress Nusrat Imroz Tisha, who acted in the role of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the ‘Mujib’ film, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud might also go to the Cannes. Besides, the Indian information minister along with some team members of the film will also present. Mujib, film is co-produced by Bangladesh and India and directed by Shyam Benegal. It stars Arifin Shuvo leads the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Also read: World premiere of ‘Mujib Amar Pita’ held