- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
- Tears, warnings after Japan atomic survivors group win Nobel
- 'Unspeakable horror': the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- Christian villagers 'trapped' in south Lebanon crossfire
- Sabalenka sets up Gauff showdown in Wuhan semis
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Kim Sei-young holds lead with late birdies at LPGA Shanghai
- Toulouse welcome Dupont 'boost' as Olympic star returns to Top 14
- Japanese atomic bomb survivor group Nihon Hidankyo wins Nobel Peace Prize
- Deadly Israeli strike on Beirut likely targeted Hezbollah security chief
- Bangladesh Islamist chief backs crimes against humanity trial for ex-PM
- Everest climber's remains believed found after 100 years
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack
- Clashes on South China Sea, Ukraine dominate Asia summit
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Zelensky meets Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- Hello Hallyu: why is South Korean culture sweeping the globe?
- UK economy rebounds in August in boost to new govt
- Voice of Japan's beloved robot cat 'Doraemon' dies
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack: police
- Blinken condemns China's 'increasingly dangerous' sea moves
- Toyota returns to Formula One as Haas partner
- EU chief says China must 'adapt its behaviour' to solve trade row
- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- Lynx rally, stun Liberty in overtime in WNBA Finals opener
- Pogacar hunting 'perfect' season finale with Coppi's Il Lombardia record
- 'Soul of old Baghdad': city centre sees timid revival
- Kittle at the double as Niners hold off Seahawks
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Yankees advance in MLB playoffs as Guardians stay alive
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- Kamada says Japan can close in on World Cup place against Australia
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- Renewables revolt in Sardinia, Italy's coal-fired island
- Argentina held, Brazil leave it late in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- Obama blasts 'crazy' Trump in first rally for Harris
- 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, a plea in favour of world order?
- Fry homers as Guardians down Tigers to stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Japan PM presses China's Li on airspace intrusion
- In Trump 'Truths,' conspiracies, attacks -- and doubts about the election
- How Sebastian Stan found a 'relatable' Trump for 'The Apprentice' biopic
Pedro Pascal debuts 'freaky' new film as Sundance fest kicks off
Pedro Pascal said playing a hitman in his new rap-battling, punk-rocking, Nazi-slaying movie lived up to its "freaky" title, as the Sundance film festival kicked off Thursday.
"Freaky Tales," the Chilean-American actor and internet heartthrob's latest movie, was the hottest ticket for opening night at the indie film fest, with lines stretching around several blocks in sub-zero temperatures in the wintry Utah mountains.
The movie weaves together four stories on the same day in 1987 Oakland, with gory vengeance, interlocking timelines and street battles with skinhead Nazis among the many nods to Quentin Tarantino's influence.
Pascal plays a hitman pursued by a fascist gang -- who somehow also become embroiled with a basketball star, rappers and punk rockers -- and reflected on how filmmakers shot multiple fight scenes simultaneously at night to save money on one "crazy" night.
"You're killing all the Nazis, we were shooting downstairs. That was really freaky," said Pascal.
"You guys were miracle workers," he told directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, best known for $1 billion-grossing superhero hit "Captain Marvel," but returning to their indie roots.
A love letter to the Bay Area, the movie features homages to icons of the era such as hip-hop pioneer Too $hort and basketball star Sleepy Floyd -- and a secret cameo by a top Hollywood A-lister.
- 52 quintillion -
Sundance, the festival co-founded by Robert Redford and celebrating its 40th edition, is a key launchpad for top independent films.
Kristen Stewart, Richard Linklater and Steven Soderbergh all launch new projects this week, while documentaries will tackle topics from artificial intelligence to the future of US democracy.
"Eno," a documentary about legendary music producer Brian Eno that is different each time it is played, premiered earlier Thursday.
An intelligent computer engine determines which scenes to play and in which order, with 52 quintillion different versions of the movie possible, filmmakers said.
The premiere's version churned out archive footage of Eno collaborating with David Bowie and U2.
Also premiering Thursday was "Girls State," the eagerly awaited follow-up to 2020's hit documentary "Boys State," which will be released by Apple in April.
Like the first film, it features high schoolers setting up a model state government, including hotly contested elections -- or popularity contests -- for its governor and supreme court.
This time the focus is on the girls, who are torn between supporting fellow women and locking horns with each other over issues like abortion.
- 94-year-old action star -
While some films like "Girls State" have already secured releases with top studios, most premiering at Sundance -- including "Freaky Tales" -- hope to find buyers at the festival.
"I hope we get distribution with somebody who will allow it to play in the theater first, and then streaming," June Squibb, the 94-year-old star of buzzy opening-night action-comedy "Thelma," told AFP.
Former "Twilight" star Stewart has a pair of movies debuting -- "Love Lies Bleeding," about a criminal affair between a gym manager and a bisexual bodybuilder, and oddball post-human romance "Love Me," also starring Steven Yeun.
Honored at Sundance's opening gala Thursday, Stewart praised the festival's role in getting arthouse films made, calling it "a place full of 'Yes' in a world full of 'No.'"
Elsewhere this week, Jesse Eisenberg will direct himself and Kieran Culkin as two mismatched cousins visiting their grandmother's Polish homeland in "A Real Pain."
Saoirse Ronan gives a hotly tipped performance in "The Outrun" as an alcoholic who returns from London to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands to heal.
And Sundance favorites Soderbergh and Linklater return to Park City with their latest projects. The former has a creepy suburban drama starring Lucy Liu ("Presence"), while the latter offers a portrait of his hometown in documentary series "God Save Texas."
Sundance runs from Thursday through to January 28.
D.Kaufman--AMWN