Paul Bales, partner and chief operating officer of Asylum, has been elected the new chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance. Mr. Bales, who served several terms on the IFTA board, will succeed Clay Epstein of Film Mode Entertainment.
The 15-member board of directors includes IFTA member executives Scott Bedno (Managing Director of TPC Sales & Acquisition), Shaked Berenson (CEO of Entertainment Team), and Scott Jones (President of Artist View Entertainment). CEO), Chloe Marche (Head of International Sales, Studio Canal), Delphine Perrier (Chief Operating Officer, Highland Film Group), Lise Romanoff (Managing Director/CEO, Vision Films), and Michael Ryan (Director). Gleneagles movie.
The directors, who are currently in the second year of their two-year term, are Brian Beckman, CFO of ArcLight Films, Caroline Coule Dereg, Managing Director of Film Seekers Limited, and Worldwide Sales and Distribution of Resurgence Media Group. Mr. Michael Dwyer, Vice President of Viewing; Mr. Michael Fabel, CEO of Odin’s Eye Entertainment; Mr. Diane Ferrandez, SVP of AGC Studios Worldwide Sales & Distribution; Mr. George Hamilton, Chief Commercial Officer; Alice Laffille, Vice President of International Sales, FilmNation Entertainment, Protagonist Pictures.
“I am proud to serve as Chair and continue IFTA’s important work on behalf of pro-independence advocates,” said Bales. “These are difficult times for the industry, but I am particularly pleased to be working with such an experienced and thoughtful group of directors, each with great intuition, knowledge and patience. Our members are the foundation of a creative and innovative industry, and IFTA is committed to supporting their efforts to produce and bring independent films to audiences around the world.”
“Paul’s deep understanding of our business and unwavering commitment to IFTA will make him an excellent chairman,” said IFTA President and CEO Jan Prewitt. “Along with our newly appointed Board of Directors, his leadership will be invaluable as we navigate both the ongoing challenges and new opportunities ahead. Their resilience will continue to define the meaning of independence.”
Thursday, October 30th
SFFILM will hold Park Chan-wook memorial event on November 20th
SFFILM will hold a memorial event for Park Chan-wook on November 20th at SFMOMA’s Phyllis Wattis Theater. The memorial will include a screening of Chan-wook’s latest film, “No Other Choice.”
“With ‘No Other Choice,’ Park returns to the satirical tone seen in ‘Mrs. “We are thrilled to celebrate Park with both his body of work and this new work in our 2025 SFFILM Presents Tribute. ‘No Other Choice’ is another shining example of Park’s visual elegance and his idiosyncratic reflections on capitalism, modern masculinity, and the advancement of technology.”
SFFILM members can purchase tickets starting October 30th at 10am PT at sffilm.org. General tickets will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on October 31st, and ticket prices are $35 for general admission, $30 for SFFILM members, and $32 for senior, student, and ADA tickets.
Tuesday, October 28th
Beau Bridges and Delroy Lindo named winners of Coronado Island Film Festival’s Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Award
Beau Bridges and Delroy Lindo will be among the honorees at this year’s Leonard Martin Industry Tribute Awards Gala on November 5th at the Hotel del Coronado.
The gala will also honor Austin Kolodny, Heidi Moneymaker, Deborah L. Scott and Adam Smalley. The ceremony, hosted by Leonard Maltin, will be the centerpiece of the Coronado Island Film Festival, which runs from November 5th to November 9th.
The evening will bring together award winners, filmmakers, industry leaders and guests for dinner, red carpet arrivals and live on-stage conversations celebrating the art and impact of storytelling.
“This year’s honorees exemplify what CIFF stands for: vision, innovation, and a commitment to storytelling that connects us all,” Coronado Island Film Festival CEO and Artistic Director Meridy Book said in a statement. “Celebrating our 10th anniversary is more than just a milestone; it is a reflection of the passion and creativity that keeps cinema alive. We are humbled to come together again at this year’s Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Gala to celebrate the enduring magic of film and the artists who brought it to life.”
Bridges will receive a Legacy Award, Kolodny will receive a Screencraft Award, Lindor will receive a Leonard Maltin Award for his performance in Sinners, Money Maker will receive a Trailblazer Award, Scott will receive an Artistic Award for his work on Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Smalley will receive a Transcendent Award.
In addition, Kolodny will be attending a post-screening Q&A on the opening night of Dead Man’s Wire on November 6th.
MUAHS Awards Award Lifetime Achievement Award to Greg Nelson and Judy Alexander Corey
The Makeup Artists & Hair Stylist Guild will present Greg Nelson and Judy Alexander Corey with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 13th Annual MUAHS Awards Gala presented by L’Oréal Group and Giovanni Eco Chic Beauty.
Nelson’s career in makeup spans more than 50 years and includes films such as Raging Bull, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Batman Returns, Harry and the Hendersons, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files, and many more. He also created the face of Donald McDonald. His work earned him two Emmy Awards and an Oscar nomination.
Corey has been a hairstylist for movies and television shows for over 60 years. Her first credit was the 1967 film Clambake starring Elvis Presley, and her full filmography includes titles as diverse 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 was nominated for two Oscars.
The MUAHS Awards Gala will be held on February 14, 2026 at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles.
Monday, October 27th
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein wins SFFILM’s Sloan Science Film Award
In partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Guillermo del Toro’s latest film, Frankenstein, will receive the Sloan Science Film Award from SFFILM on November 12th.
The award recognizes the portrayal of scientific themes and characters in narrative feature films and carries a cash prize of $20,000.
In his latest film adaptation, del Toro reinterprets Mary Shelley’s classic story “Frankenstein,” which tells the story of a scientist and the monster he brings to life.
Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz. In addition to the awards ceremony, a special screening of “Frankenstein” will also be held at San Francisco’s AMC Kabuki 8 Theater on the same day.
The Sloan Science in Cinema Awards program will also feature an on-stage conversation with writer/director Del Toro, sound designer Nathan Robitaille, VFX supervisor Dennis Berardi, concept design director Guy Davis, and Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Prize winner and co-inventor of the gene-editing technology CRISPR.
“Frankenstein” is currently playing in select theaters and will premiere on Netflix on November 7th.
“Majonezë,” “Shanti Rides Shotgun,” and “ForeverGreen” win Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest
“Majonezë,” “Shanti Rides Shotgun” and “ForeverGreen” won the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, and each project received consideration for the 2026 Academy Awards.
AFI Fest was held from October 22nd to October 26th at the Hollywood TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. The winners were Giulia Grandinetti’s “Majonnaise” in the live-action category, Charles Frank’s “Shanti Ride Shotgun” in the short documentary category, and Nathan Engelhart and Jeremy Spears’ “ForeverGreen” in the animated short category.
The jury also gave special awards to Calvin Brown’s “The Fisherman” in the craft category, Park Hui-joo’s “Welcome Home Freckles” in the documentary short category, Said Zaga’s “Coyote” for bravery in storytelling, India Opzoomer’s “Poster Boy” in the directing category, Bara Anna’s “9 Million Colors” in the animation category, and Warmy Alcazaren’s “Water Sports” in the visual category.
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 in the AFI Conservatory Showcase hosted 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 the musical comedy “Tallywhacker,” which will be available to rent/own worldwide on Digital HD Internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms starting November 18th.
“Tallywhacker” is the story of guitarist Aleister, who suffers from brittle bone disease, and his able-bodied best friend and musical partner, Emmett, who together form the band “Tallywhacker”. When the band is asked to play their biggest show to date, opening for rock star Carly Major, Aleister finds himself getting a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go on tour with the singer as their new guitarist. While Aleister is treated like a rock star, the band takes a backseat as their friendship is tested.
“Tallywhacker” stars Jeremy Dubbs, Chris Goodwin, Adwoa Duncan-Williams, Rivera Reese, Rory Mahoney, and Sean Ray. The film was written and directed by Brendan Boogie, who co-produced it with Dubbs and Goodwin.
Spec O Ween returns to Hollywood for the first time in four years
Spec-O-Ween returns for its fourth year on October 30th at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Hollywood. This year’s lineup includes improv comedy by Speck Ondo City Players, live music by four Speck bands, and a special screening of the short film “House of Masks” starring Atticus Jackson (“Perfect Palm”), Domonique Brown (“Atypical”) and Chelsea Darnell.
Doors open at 6:30pm with official start at 7pm. Spec Labs will encourage cosplay from the audience throughout the event.
Tickets are on sale on the Spec Labs website and VIP tickets include a limited edition Spec-O-Ween T-shirt and an autographed poster by artist Jorge Gutierrez.
Austin Film Festival Screenplay Award and Film Competition Winner
The Austin Film Festival held its annual awards luncheon on October 25th to announce the winners of this year’s screenplay and film competitions. The awards were presented across 33 categories, with winners in the narrative, documentary, and animated short categories qualifying for an Oscar.
Winners were selected by a jury of experienced creators and industry experts. Some 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 first ever Wonder Project | The Stand Together Fellowship gives writers a one-year writing fellowship under the guidance of former Marvel executive and producer Jeremy Latcham. The main recipient of the inaugural Fellowship is Christopher Holt for his screenplay “27 Cows.”
A complete list of award winners can be found on the AFF website here.
