Early 20th Century- Arabia.
Under the unforgiving desert sky, two warring leaders come face to face. The bodies of their warriors litter the battlefield. The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika (Antonio Banderas), lays down his peace terms to his rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah (Mark Strong). The two men agree that neither may lay claim to the area of no man’s land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return and according to the tribal customs of the time, Nesib will “adopt”- or take hostage- Amar’s two boys Saleeh (Akin Gazi) and Auda (Tahar Rahim); a guarantee that neither man can invade the other. Years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father’s land. Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American oil man from Texas (Corey Johnson). He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his imagination.
Nesib imagines a realm of infinite possibility, a kingdom with roads, schools and hospitals all paid for by the black gold beneath the barren sand. There is only one problem. The precious oil is located in the Yellow Belt.
Saleeh is killed in his attempts to escape and return to his father’s kingdom. The task of negotiating peace between the two kingdoms falls to young Auda. Nesib orchestrates the wedding of his beautiful daughter, Princess Leyla (Freida Pinto) to Auda. Though that union is borne of political convenience, ridding Nesib of his final obligations to his peace treaty with Amar, for Auda and Leyla their marriage is the symbol of a new beginning, a love that began in their childhood and the chance to shape the world around them. Auda is sent to Salmaah as an emissary of peace. Reunited with his father Amar, he discovers a new outlook on life, one based on devotion, piety and humility.
His father offers him a seemingly impossible task, to cross the forbidding desert landscape of the House of Allah, along with his half-brother Ali (Riz Ahmed), as a decoy with nothing more than a ragtag army of thieves. The idea is to trick Nesib and allow Amar to mobilise his real army and conquer the kingdom of Hobeika. Through his journey, which is filled with many spectacular battles against rival tribes and clansmen and sees him free the beautiful slave girl Aicha (Liya Kebede), Auda is transformed from a librarian into a leader.
The stage is now set for an epic showdown for control of the Yellow Belt, for control of the two kingdoms, for control of the future.
Classification 12
Project X - History in the making
Project X follows three seemingly anonymous high school seniors—Thomas, Costa and J.B.—as they attempt to finally make a name for themselves. Their idea is innocent enough: let’s throw a party that no one will forget, and have a camera there, to document history in the making… but nothing could prepare them for this party. Word spreads quickly as dreams are ruined, records are blemished and legends are born. “Project X” is a warning to parents and police everywhere.
Nima Nourizadeh makes his feature film debut directing a cast of newcomers who scored parts through a nationwide talent search. Todd Phillips (“The Hangover” films) produces the film, with Joel Silver, Scott Budnick, Andrew Rona, Alex Heineman and Marty P. Ewing executive producing. The screenplay was written by Matt Drake and Michael Bacall, based on a story by Bacall.
“Project X” stars Thomas Mann, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Oliver Cooper, Dax Flame, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Alexis Knapp and Miles Teller (“Footloose”).
Classification 18
We Need To Talk About Kevin - Emotional thriller
We Need To Talk About Kevin is an emotional thriller, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar) and starring Tilda Swinton.
Eva puts her ambitions and career aside to give birth to Kevin. The relationship between mother and son is difficult from the very first years. When Kevin is 15, he does something irrational and unforgivable in the eyes of the entire community. Eva grapples with her own feelings of grief and responsibility. Did she ever love her son? And how much of what Kevin did was her fault?
Presented by BBC Films and the UK Film Council in association with Footprint Investments LLP, Piccadilly Pictures and Lipsync Productions, the film is an Independent production in association with Artina Films and Rockinghorse Films. A Film By Lynne Ramsay. Starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller. Produced by Luc Roeg (Mr. Nice), Jennifer Fox (Michael Clayton, The Informant!), Robert Salerno (21 Grams). Screenplay by Lynne Ramsay & Rory Stewart Kinnear. Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver.
The film was developed by BBC Films’ Creative Director Christine Langan (The Damned United, Bright Star) with Paula Jalfon (In The Loop, Closer). Executive producers are Steven Soderbergh, Christine Langan, Paula Jalfon, Christopher Figg, Robert Whitehouse, Michael Robinson, Andrew Orr, Norman Merry, Lisa Lambert, Lynne Ramsay, and Tilda Swinton.
Lynne Ramsay first came to recognition with her short film Small Deaths, which was her graduation film at the National Film and Television School in England, and went on to win the Prix du Jury Prize at Cannes in 1996. Followed by Kill the Day (1996) and Gasman (1997), which were awarded the Jury Prizes at Clermont Ferrand and Cannes, respectively, Ramsay quickly became one of the brightest new talents of British cinema. Ramsay’s acclaimed debut feature, Ratcatcher (1999), is a darkly redemptive film set in ‘70s strike-bound Glasgow. The film opened the Edinburgh Film Festival, and won its director the 2000 BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for a Best Newcomer in British film. Ramsay’s follow-up film Morvern Callar (2002) - adapted from Alan Warner’s cult novel - is the story of a young supermarket worker (Samantha Morton) who discovers that her boyfriend has committed suicide, and the world that unfolds for her in the aftermath.
Classification 18
The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists - Bitter rivals
In The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award.
It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they do battle with the pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a young Charles Darwin (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation present an Aardman production, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists. Featuring the voices of Hugh Grant, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Martin Freeman, Jeremy Piven. Directed by Peter Lord. Produced by Peter Lord, David Sproxton, and Julie Lockhart. Screenplay by Gideon Defoe. Based upon his book. Executive Producer is Carla Shelley. Music by Theodore Shapiro. Co-Director is Jeff Newitt.
Classification U
Films are released by KRS