The American Film Market (AFM®) has announced its list of films screening, including 71 world and 250-plus market premieres, for the upcoming edition running November 2-9 in Santa Monica. Over 300 films are scheduled to be screened with more titles to be confirmed as the market approaches.
World Premieres will include: sci-fi thriller What Happened to Monday (SND M6 Group) with Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, and Willem Dafoe; the animated musical Charming 3D (SC Films International) with voices by Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale, and Avril Lavigne; Oren Uziel’s directorial debut, Shimmer Lake (The Exchange) starring Benjamin Walker, Stephanie Sigman, Wyatt Russell and Rainn Wilson; animated feature Ballerina (Gaumont) with voices by Elle Fanning and Dane DeHaan; and Swing State (VMI Worldwide) starring Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Angela Kinsey.
Films making their market debut at the AFM include: coming-of-age drama Coming Through The Rye (Bleiberg Entertainment), starring Alex Wolff and Chris Cooper; Lady MacBeth (Protagonist Pictures) starring Florence Pugh; Rod Smith’s Eat Local (GFM Films) starring Charlie Cox, Mackenzie Crook, and Dexter Fletcher; James Franco’s In Dubious Battle (AMBI Distribution); And Punching The Clown (Octane Entertainment) starring Henry Phillips, J.K. Simmons, Tig Notaro and Sarah Silverman; Lone Scherfig’s Their Finest (HanWay Films) starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, and Bill Nighy; fall-festival favorite, Brimstone (Embankment Films) starring Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, and Kit Harrington; Anne Hathaway-starrer Colossal (Voltage Pictures); The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One (XYZ Films) starring Kellan Lutz; Academy Award-nominated Fernando Trueba’s The Queen of Spain (Myriad Pictures) starring Penelope Cruz; and hand-drawn animation feature Ethel & Ernest (Little Film Company), with voices by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway.
Differences bubble up between PepsiCo and Coca-Cola on diversity programs
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion … could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More