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Alexander Payne’s newest film is heading to theaters this fall. “The Holdovers,” a new comedy from the “Election” and “Descendants” director, will open in limited release on November 10, Focus Features announced Thursday. After two weeks, the film will expand into wide release on November 22, ahead of Thanksgiving Day.

Payne’s eighth directorial effort, “The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Per the logline, the film is a period piece set in the middle of the Vietnam War that focuses on a curmudgeonly New England prep school instructor Paul Hunham (Giamatti) who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after the handful of students remaining at school during the holiday. Initially bitter over the assignment, Paul forms an unexpected bond with the rebellious but brilliant student Angus (Sessa) and with Mary (Randolph), the school’s head...

Here’s a movie Focus Features is excited about for next awards season, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see it world premiering at a big film festival some time this year: Alexander Payne’s New England prep school comedy The Holdovers. The Universal label just dated the pic for November 10 with a wider break on Wednesday, November 22 ahead of Thanksgiving.

Deadline first told you about the movie, which stars Payne’s Sideways star Paul Giamatti, when its global rights were scooped up by Focus at the Toronto Film Festival for $30 million.

The David Hemingson-scripted, Payne-directed title follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at an elite New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and...

Paul Giamatti reunion will expand wide for Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Focus Features has set a limited November 10 theatrical release for Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers in the middle of next awards season and will expand wide on November 22 heading into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The studio paid around $30m for the comedy drama after an off-festival buyers screening at TIFF last September. Screen understands members of the public were invited so the film’s financier-producer Miramax and sales agent CAA Media Finance could gauge how it might play in front of a paying audience.

Focus acquired worldwide rights excluding Middle...

Simon Baker as Sando with Samsom Coulter (Pikelet) and Ben Spence (Loonie) in Breath.

The Western Australian Government has pumped $16 million worth of funding into the state's screen industry as part of new regional film fund.

The fund will aim to attract signficant levels of production from Australia and internationally.

The funding comes from the state government's Royalties for Regions scheme, a $1 billion program that underpins the government's commitment to developing Western Australia's regional areas into vibrant communities that are desirable places to live, work and invest..

The Western Australian Regional Film Fund will provide strategic finance that will stimulate regional screen industry activity and will be available to Australian and international film or television productions..

Productions must meet several quality criteria including minimum production spend in the regions and State, and likely audience reach..

Applications will be considered on a case by case basis that meet agreed thresholds of...