Copyright Variety
Paul Bales, partner and COO at The Asylum, has been elected as the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s new chair person. Bales has served several terms on the IFTA board and succeeds Clay Epstein of Film Mode Entertainment. The 15-member board of directors includes IFTA member executives Scott Bedno, Managing Director, Sales & Acquisitions, TPC, Shaked Berenson, CEO, Entertainment Squad, Scott Jones, President/CEO, Artist View Entertainment, Chloé Marquet, Head of International Sales, STUDIOCANAL, Delphine Perrier, COO, Highland Film Group, Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO, Vision Films, and Michael Ryan, Director, Gleneagles Films. Directors currently serving the second year of their two-year term are Brian Beckmann, CFO, Arclight Films, Caroline Couret-Delegue, Managing Director, Film Seekers Limited, Michael Dwyer, EVP, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, Resurgence Media Group, Michael Favelle, CEO, Odin’s Eye Entertainment, Diane Ferrandez, SVP, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, AGC Studios, George Hamilton, Chief Commercial Officer, Protagonist Pictures, and Alice Laffille, VP, International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment. “I’m proud to serve as Chairperson and to continue IFTA’s vital work on behalf of the Independents,” said Bales. “These are challenging times for the industry, and I’m especially pleased to serve alongside such an experienced and thoughtful group of Directors, each possessing great instincts, knowledge, and the ability to persevere. Our members are the bedrock of a creative and innovative industry and IFTA is committed to supporting their efforts to get independent films made and to reach audiences around the world.” “Paul’s deep understanding of our business and unwavering commitment to IFTA will make him an outstanding Chairperson,” said Jean Prewitt, IFTA President & CEO. “His leadership, together with our newly appointed Board, will be invaluable as we navigate both the ongoing challenges and new opportunities ahead. Their resilience continues to define what it means to be independent. Beau Bridges and Delroy Lindo Among Honorees for Coronado Island Film Festival’s Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Beau Bridges and Delroy Lindo will be among the honorees at this year’s Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Gala, taking place at the Hotel del Coronado on Nov. 5. The gala will also honor Austin Kolodney, Heidi Moneymaker, Deborah L. Scott and Adam Smalley. Hosted by Leonard Maltin, the ceremony serves as the centerpiece of the Coronado Island Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 5 to Nov. 9. The evening gathers honorees, filmmakers, industry leaders and guests for dinner, red-carpet arrivals and live onstage conversations that celebrate the art and impact of storytelling. “This year’s honorees embody what CIFF stands for—vision, innovation, and a commitment to storytelling that connects us all,” Merridee Book, CEO and artistic director of the Coronado Island Film Festival, said in a statement. “Reaching our tenth year is more than a milestone. It’s a reflection of the passion and creativity that keep cinema alive. We are beyond humbled to gather once again to celebrate the enduring magic of movies and the artists who give them life at this year’s Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Gala.” Bridges will be presented with the Legacy Award, Kolodney with the ScreenCraft Award, Lindo with the Leonard Maltin Award for his performance in “Sinners,” Moneymaker with the Trailblazer Award, Scott with the Artistry in Film Award for her work on “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and Smalley with the Transcendent Award. Additionally, Kolodney will attend a Q&A on Nov. 6 following the opening night screening of “Dead Man’s Wire.” Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ to Be Honored With SFFILM’s Sloan Science in Cinema Prize In partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Guillermo del Toro will receive the Sloan Science in Cinema Prize from SFFILM on Nov. 12 for his latest film, “Frankenstein.” The award celebrates the depiction of scientific themes or characters in a narrative feature film and is accompanied by a $20,000 cash prize. In his latest adaptation, del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein” tale that tells the story of a scientist and the monstrous creature he brings to life. Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz star in the film. In addition to the award presentation, a special screening of “Frankenstein” will be held at the AMC Kabuki 8 theater in San Francisco on the same day. The Sloan Science in Cinema Prize program will also feature an onstage conversation with screenwriter and director del Toro, sound designer Nathan Robitaille, VFX supervisor Dennis Berardi, head of concept design Guy Davis and Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate and co-inventor of CRISPR gene editing technology. “Frankenstein” is currently playing in select theaters and will premiere on Netflix on Nov. 7. Tuesday, October 28 MUAHS Awards To Honor Greg Nelson and Judy Alexander Cory With Lifetime Achievement Awards The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild will honor Greg Nelson and Judy Alexander Cory with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 13th Annual MUAHS Awards gala, presented by L’Oréal Groupe and Giovanni Eco Chic Beauty. Nelson’s career in the make-up department spans over fifty years with titles including “Raging Bull,” “Michael Jackson’s Thriller,” “Batman Returns,” “Harry and the Hendersons,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “The X-Files” and dozens more. He also created the face for Ronald McDonald. His work has earned him two Emmy wins and an Oscar nomination. Cory has been a hair-stylist on movies and TV shows for over six decades. Her earliest credit is for the Elvis Presley-starring 1967 movie “Clambake” and her full filmography features diverse titles such as “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “Meet the Fockers,” “American History X,” “Patch Adams,” “The Matrix: Reloaded,” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Her work has earned her two Oscar nominations. The MUAHS Awards gala will take place on Feb. 14, 2026 at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles. Monday, October 27 ‘Majonezë,’ ‘Shanti Rides Shotgun’ and ‘ForeverGreen’ Win Grand Jury Prize Awards at AFI Fest “Majonezë,” “Shanti Rides Shotgun” and “ForeverGreen” have won the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Fest, making each project eligible for consideration in the 2026 Academy Awards. AFI Fest was held at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles from Oct. 22 through Oct. 26. Giulia Grandinetti’s “Majonezë” won in the live action category, Charles Frank’s “Shanti Rides Shotgun” for documentary short and Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears’ “ForeverGreen” for animated short. The jury also awarded special mentions to Calvin Brown’s “The Fisherman” for craft, Huiju Park’s “Welcome Home Freckles” for documentary short, Said Zagha’s “Coyotes” for bravery in storytelling, India Opzoomer’s “Poster Boy” for direction, Bára Anna’s “9 Million Colors” for animation and Whammy Alcazaren’s “Water Sports” for vision. This year’s festival lineup included seven red carpet premieres, 12 special screenings, 14 Luminaries selections, 15 discovery films, 20 world cinema selections, 15 documentaries, six after dark titles, 44 films in the short film competition and 23 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. There were five world premieres, five North American premieres and four U.S. premieres. Freestyle Digital Media Acquires VOD Rights to “Tallywacker” Freestyle Digital Media has acquired the VOD rights to musical comedy ”Tallywacker,” which will be available to rent/own worldwide on digital HD internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms on Nov. 18. “Tallywacker” tells the story of Aleister, a guitar player with brittle bone disease and his able-bodied best friend and musical partner Emmett who together make up the band Tallywacker. When the band is asked to play their biggest show yet as openers for rock star Carly Major, Aleister finds himself getting the chance of a lifetime to go on tour with the singer as her new guitar player. As Aleister gets the rock star treatment, the band takes a back seat as their friendship is put to the test. “Tallywacker” stars Jeremy Dubs, Chris Goodwin, Adwoa Duncan-Williams, Rivera Reese, Laurie Mahoney, and Shawn Ray. The film was written and directed by Brendan Boogie, who co-produced alongside Dubs and Goodwin. Spec-O-Ween Returns For Fourth Year in Hollywood Spec-O-Ween will return for its fourth year at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood on Oct. 30. This year’s lineup will include improv comedy by the Spec-Ond City Players, live music from four Spec Bands, and a special screening of “House of Masks,” a short film starring Atticus Jackson (“The Perfect Palm”), Domonique Brown (“Atypical”), and Chelsea Darnell. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and with an official start at 7 p.m. Spec Labs encourages audience cosplay throughout the event. Tickets are on sale on the Spec Labs website, with VIP tickets that include a limited edition Spec-O-Ween t-shirt and a signed poster by artist Jorge Gutierrez. The Austin Film Festival Awards Script And Film Competition Winners The Austin Film Festival held its annual Awards Luncheon on Oct. 25, where it revealed the winners of this year’s script and film competition. Awards were given out across 33 categories, with winners in the narrative, documentary, and animated shorts categories achieving Oscar eligibility. Winners were selected by panels of experienced creators and industry professionals. Several of the awards come with fellowship opportunities from partners such as Big Indie Pictures, The Donners’ Company, Starburns Industries and YMH Studios. This year also introduced the inaugural Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship, which awards a writer with a one-year screenwriting fellowship with mentorship from former Marvel executive and producer Jeremy Latcham. The inaugural fellowship’s flagship winner is Christopher Holt for his screenplay, “27 Cows.”
