Film News Roundup: Glenn Close Selected for Oscar Wilde Award

In today’s film news roundup, Glenn Close gets an honor, AFI names its Directing Workshop for Women participants and Teri Polo gets cast in a Christmas comedy.

CLOSE HONOR

Glenn Close will be honored on Feb. 21 by the US-Ireland Alliance at the 14th Annual Oscar Wilde Awards, held at J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot in Santa Monica, Calif.

Melissa McCarthy, the recipient of an Oscar Wilde Award in 2012, will present Close with her award. Abrams, a previous honoree, will emcee.

A six-time Academy Award nominee, Glenn Close stars in the title role of the film adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s bestselling novel, “The Wife,” with Jonathan Pryce and Christian Slater for Swedish director Bjorn Runge. Close has won a Golden Globe Award and a Critics Choice Award for in a tie with Lady Gaga. Close received her sixth Academy Award nomination in 2012 for “Albert Nobbs.”

Close has also been nominated for Oscars for “Fatal Attraction,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “The World According to Garp,” “The Big Chill” and “The Natural.”

AFI WORKSHOP

The American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women has named participants for its Class of 2020: Robin Cloud, Revati Dhomse, Ashley Eakin, Tiffany Huang, Marie Jamora, Bridget Moloney, Lara Panah-Izadi and Nicole Taylor-Roberts.

“AFI has led the conversation about the need for more female directors since the Directing Workshop for Women opened its doors over 40 years ago,” said Lauren Ludwig, director. “The rising filmmakers in this program embody the Institute’s active, enduring steps to create change, and we are excited to see the stories from this year’s class come alive on the screen.”

Four participants from the Class of 2018 have gone on to direct episodes of television since showcasing their DWW films: Milena Govich (“Chicago Med”), Tiffany Johnson, Nancy Meija (“Vida”) and Gandja Montiero (“Vida”).

CASTING

Teri Polo, Robert Davi and Nicholas Turturro (“BlaKkKlansman”) will star in the romantic comedy “Pizza & Whine,” which will begin shooting in Los Angeles this month.

Mike Marino and Ayla Kell co-star. Maria Capp makes her feature directorial debut with the film, following co-writing and producing “Reach” in 2018.

Polo will portray a woman who helps gather her family together during Christmas for one of the saddest occasions – her mother’s funeral. “This story is inspired by my own very large, loving Italian family and the recent passing of my beloved grandma,” said Raffaela Capp, who also co-wrote with Elliott Estrada.

Maria Capp is also a producer with Jayson Bernard, Roberto Rosario, Jr. and Kristi Kilday. Steve Capp is the executive producer.