Asmae El Moudir’sThe Mother Of All Lies won the audience award at the presigtious German festival,
Swiss-Canadian filmmaker Peter Mettler’s cinematic diary While The Green Grass Grows was the winner of the Golden Dove at Dok Leipzig’s International Competition which took place in Germany from October 8-15.
The first two chapters of what will eventually be a seven-part film had previously won the Grand Prix at Nyon’s Visions du Réel last April. The film sees Mettler blending family history and existential anxieties to construct a free-flowing meditation on life, death and what lies beyond.
The international jury which included Jennifer Fox,...
Swiss-Canadian filmmaker Peter Mettler’s cinematic diary While The Green Grass Grows was the winner of the Golden Dove at Dok Leipzig’s International Competition which took place in Germany from October 8-15.
The first two chapters of what will eventually be a seven-part film had previously won the Grand Prix at Nyon’s Visions du Réel last April. The film sees Mettler blending family history and existential anxieties to construct a free-flowing meditation on life, death and what lies beyond.
The international jury which included Jennifer Fox,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Italian-born Moretti was the first non-French national to head any Cannes section.
Paolo Moretti will step down as delegate general of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight after its 2022 edition as part of a move to overhaul the 60-year parallel section, its organisers the French Directors Guild announced on Wednesday.
“The board, elected in September 2021, wishes to thoroughly rethink the Directors’ Fortnight, its name, its singularity and its strategic and militant position. As such, and in order to carry out this new project, it will soon be welcoming a new general delegate,” the Srf said in a statement.
“The Srf salutes the work...
Paolo Moretti will step down as delegate general of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight after its 2022 edition as part of a move to overhaul the 60-year parallel section, its organisers the French Directors Guild announced on Wednesday.
“The board, elected in September 2021, wishes to thoroughly rethink the Directors’ Fortnight, its name, its singularity and its strategic and militant position. As such, and in order to carry out this new project, it will soon be welcoming a new general delegate,” the Srf said in a statement.
“The Srf salutes the work...
- 2/9/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
In the gripping, naturalistic drama “The Flag” (“Alam”), a Palestinian-Israeli teen, living in a village in the Galilee, undergoes a political awakening catalyzed by a pretty, outspoken girl from his high school class. He joins her, along with some of his buddies, to secretly replace the Israeli flag flying from their school’s rooftop with a Palestinian one on the eve of a visit by a prominent Israeli official.
Encompassing a love story and a coming-of-age story, “The Flag” is the first feature directed and written by Firas Khoury, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, known for his prize-winning shorts “Maradona’s Legs” and “Yellow Mums.” The producers include Marie-Pierre Macia and Claire Gadéa from MPM Film (France), Melik Kochbati from Paprika Films (Tunisia) and Ossama Bawardi of Philistine Films (Jordan). Boasting development dollars and support from some of the world’s most prestigious and competitive international funds and ateliers, “The...
Encompassing a love story and a coming-of-age story, “The Flag” is the first feature directed and written by Firas Khoury, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, known for his prize-winning shorts “Maradona’s Legs” and “Yellow Mums.” The producers include Marie-Pierre Macia and Claire Gadéa from MPM Film (France), Melik Kochbati from Paprika Films (Tunisia) and Ossama Bawardi of Philistine Films (Jordan). Boasting development dollars and support from some of the world’s most prestigious and competitive international funds and ateliers, “The...
- 11/24/2021
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) took place as a hybrid event from November 4-14.
French director Samuel Theis’ Softie has won the Golden Alexander-Theo Angelopoulos for best film at Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) which took place as a hybrid event from November 4-14. The award is a cash prize of €10,000.
The French production, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics Week, follows Johnny, a sensitive and intelligent 10-year-old boy living with his single mother, as he searches for a father figure in his new school teacher.
The international competition jury headed by Belgian film maker Nanouk Leopold...
French director Samuel Theis’ Softie has won the Golden Alexander-Theo Angelopoulos for best film at Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) which took place as a hybrid event from November 4-14. The award is a cash prize of €10,000.
The French production, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics Week, follows Johnny, a sensitive and intelligent 10-year-old boy living with his single mother, as he searches for a father figure in his new school teacher.
The international competition jury headed by Belgian film maker Nanouk Leopold...
- 11/17/2021
- by Alexis Grivas
- ScreenDaily
Samuel Theis’ “Softie” won the top prize at the 62nd Thessaloniki Film Festival, which wrapped Sunday night with a ceremony in Greece’s second city.
The film, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics’ Week section, was awarded the Golden Alexander and a €10,000 cash prize by a jury comprised of writer-director Nanouk Leopold, sound designer Roland Vajs and actor Michelle Valley.
The Special Jury Award was given to “Clara Sola,” by Natalie Álvarez Mesén, while the Special Jury Award for best director went to Lorenzo Vigas for “The Box.”
The award for best actress went to Sofia Kokkali for her performance in “Moon, 66 Questions,” by director Jacqueline Lentzou. Aliocha Reinert won the prize for best actor for his role in Golden Alexander winner “Softie.” The award for best screenplay went to Laurynas Bareiša for his film “Pilgrims,” while a special mention was given to Alexandre Koberidze for “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?...
The film, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics’ Week section, was awarded the Golden Alexander and a €10,000 cash prize by a jury comprised of writer-director Nanouk Leopold, sound designer Roland Vajs and actor Michelle Valley.
The Special Jury Award was given to “Clara Sola,” by Natalie Álvarez Mesén, while the Special Jury Award for best director went to Lorenzo Vigas for “The Box.”
The award for best actress went to Sofia Kokkali for her performance in “Moon, 66 Questions,” by director Jacqueline Lentzou. Aliocha Reinert won the prize for best actor for his role in Golden Alexander winner “Softie.” The award for best screenplay went to Laurynas Bareiša for his film “Pilgrims,” while a special mention was given to Alexandre Koberidze for “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?...
- 11/14/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay CashINTERNATIONAL Competition(Jury: Eliza Hittman, Kevin Jerome Everson, Philippe Lacôte, Leonor Silveira, Isabelle Ferrari)Golden Leopard: Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Edwin) | Read our reviewSpecial Jury Prize: A New Old Play (Jiongjiong Qiu) | Read our reviewBest Direction: Abel Ferrara (Zeros and Ones) | Read our reviewBest Actress: Anastasiya Krasovskaya (Gerda)Best Actor: Mohamed Mellali and Valero Escolar (The Odd-Job Men)Special Mention: Soul of a Beast (Lorenz Merz) and The Sacred Spirit (Chema García Ibarra) | Read our reviewFILMMAKERS Of The Present( Jury: Agathe Bonitzer, Mattie Do, Vanja Kaludjercic)Golden Leopard: Brotherhood (Francesco Montagner)Special Jury Prize: L'Été l'éternité (Émilie Aussel)Prize for Best Emerging Director: Hleb Papou (The Legionnaire) Best Actress: Saskia Rosendahl (No One's with the Calves) | Read our reviewBest Actor: Gia Agumava (Wet Sand)First Feature(Jury: Amjad Abu Alala, Karina Ressler, Katharina Wyss)Best First Feature: She Will (Charlotte Colbert...
- 8/16/2021
- MUBI
The Locarno Film Festival returns to its original physical format under the guidance of new Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro, who worked with the Selection Committees to pick out the titles screening in Locarno from 4 through 14 August. Alongside the welcome return of long-established favorites, there are also new items such as the competitive short films program Corti d’autore in the Pardi di domani section, plus a dedicated program for younger viewers: Locarno Kids: Screenings.
In full compliance with current health and sanitary regulations, Locarno74 will once again be an in-person event, with the return of evenings in Piazza Grande and of screenings in the other twelve theaters around the city. The venue for all meetings and panel discussions with guest personalities accompanying their films will be the Rotonda by la Mobiliare, the new home of the Forum.
The Ticket Shop will be open for ticket purchase from mid-July, whereas...
In full compliance with current health and sanitary regulations, Locarno74 will once again be an in-person event, with the return of evenings in Piazza Grande and of screenings in the other twelve theaters around the city. The venue for all meetings and panel discussions with guest personalities accompanying their films will be the Rotonda by la Mobiliare, the new home of the Forum.
The Ticket Shop will be open for ticket purchase from mid-July, whereas...
- 7/19/2021
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Mubi has acquired “Ghosts,” a Turkish drama by emerging helmer Azra Deniz Okyay that won the grand prize at Venice Critics’ Week. The Mubi deal covers the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia and Turkey.
The film is represented in international markets by MPM Premium and is part of the company’s New Visions label.
“Ghosts” takes place during the course of a day, against the backdrop of a nationwide power surge and is a roaring tale of the contemporary generation. The movie follows four characters from different walks of life who cross paths through a web of drug trafficking in the ghettos of Istanbul.
“Ghosts” weaves the stories of a mother whose son is in prison, a young woman committed to dancing, a female activist-artist and a cunning middle man, all in a neighborhood under the process of gentrification for the “New Turkey.” The cast is headlined by Nalan Kuruçim,...
The film is represented in international markets by MPM Premium and is part of the company’s New Visions label.
“Ghosts” takes place during the course of a day, against the backdrop of a nationwide power surge and is a roaring tale of the contemporary generation. The movie follows four characters from different walks of life who cross paths through a web of drug trafficking in the ghettos of Istanbul.
“Ghosts” weaves the stories of a mother whose son is in prison, a young woman committed to dancing, a female activist-artist and a cunning middle man, all in a neighborhood under the process of gentrification for the “New Turkey.” The cast is headlined by Nalan Kuruçim,...
- 3/11/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The festival’s awards ceremony took place both in Amsterdam’s Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond and online. The 2020 edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the world's largest gathering celebrating non-fiction cinema, held its awards ceremony yesterday, both in the Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond and online. The big winner of this year's festival was Firouzeh Khosrovani's Radiograph of a Family, the recipient of the Award for the Best Feature-length Documentary. In detail, the jury, composed of Marie-Pierre Macia, Ed Lachman, Alice Diop, Abdelkader Benali and Finn Halligan, announced the award for the Norwegian-Iranian-Swiss co-production with the following statement: “Radiograph of a Family is literally an X-ray of a family. As discontent grows with politics, many people are seeing their families divided on ideological lines. Through masterful storytelling, Khosrovani shows how history and revolution brought about the political and personal divorce of her...
- 11/27/2020
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
Amsterdam-based documentary festival IDFA has crowned Firouzeh Khosrovani’s Radiograph Of A Family as Best Feature-Length Documentary at its 2020 Awards Ceremony.
Taking place both at the city’s Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond as well as online, the ceremony also saw prizes awarded to Gorbachev. Heaven, which took Best Director for Vitaly Mansky, Inside The Red Brick Wall, which won Best Editing, and Nemesis, which took Best Cinematography.
The Best Feature-Length Documentary winner receives €20,000 while other awards range from €10,000 to €2,500.
Jury members for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary were Marie-Pierre Macia, Ed Lachman, Alice Diop, Abdelkader Benali, and Finn Halligan.
IDFA 2020 still has 10 more days to run, but the fest has unveiled some stats for its event to date, saying the on-site portion of the festival had effectively been a sell-out (albeit with severely restricted numbers of screenings and capacities) with 15,000 admissions, while it had had 62,000 online film views and 3,000 online industry delegates.
Taking place both at the city’s Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond as well as online, the ceremony also saw prizes awarded to Gorbachev. Heaven, which took Best Director for Vitaly Mansky, Inside The Red Brick Wall, which won Best Editing, and Nemesis, which took Best Cinematography.
The Best Feature-Length Documentary winner receives €20,000 while other awards range from €10,000 to €2,500.
Jury members for the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary were Marie-Pierre Macia, Ed Lachman, Alice Diop, Abdelkader Benali, and Finn Halligan.
IDFA 2020 still has 10 more days to run, but the fest has unveiled some stats for its event to date, saying the on-site portion of the festival had effectively been a sell-out (albeit with severely restricted numbers of screenings and capacities) with 15,000 admissions, while it had had 62,000 online film views and 3,000 online industry delegates.
- 11/26/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Iranian director Firouzeh Khosrovani has won the IDFA award for best feature-length documentary with “Radiograph of a Family,” a film that uses an intimate study of her parents’ marriage—her father was secular, Westernized and progressive, while her mother was a devout, traditional Muslim—to explore the divisions in Iranian society both in the run-up and aftermath of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
The jury, which comprised Marie-Pierre Macia, Ed Lachman, Alice Diop, Abdelkader Benali, and Finn Halligan, praised Khosrovani for the strength of her storytelling, adding, “The fractured body of family life is told through images, photos, and enactments in such a way that the viewer, too, feels the loss.”
Contacted by Zoom, the director screamed with delight. “I’m honored,” she said, after taking a second or two to collect her thoughts. “I have no words to express how happy I am,” she enthused. “I just want to thank...
The jury, which comprised Marie-Pierre Macia, Ed Lachman, Alice Diop, Abdelkader Benali, and Finn Halligan, praised Khosrovani for the strength of her storytelling, adding, “The fractured body of family life is told through images, photos, and enactments in such a way that the viewer, too, feels the loss.”
Contacted by Zoom, the director screamed with delight. “I’m honored,” she said, after taking a second or two to collect her thoughts. “I have no words to express how happy I am,” she enthused. “I just want to thank...
- 11/26/2020
- by Damon Wise
- Variety Film + TV
The festival has received over 62,000 online film views.
Firouzeh Khosrovani’s Radiograph Of A Family has won the best feature-length documentary award at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which held its awards ceremony this evening in Amsterdam and broadcast online worldwide.
The Norway-Iran-Switzerland co-production receives the €20,000 prize; it was selected by a Competition jury consisting of producer Marie-Pierre Macia, directors Ed Lachman and Alice Diop, writer Abdelkader Benali and Screen’s chief film critic Fionnuala Halligan.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
The film is Khosrovani’s take on growing up in Tehran and her parents’ relationship – her...
Firouzeh Khosrovani’s Radiograph Of A Family has won the best feature-length documentary award at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which held its awards ceremony this evening in Amsterdam and broadcast online worldwide.
The Norway-Iran-Switzerland co-production receives the €20,000 prize; it was selected by a Competition jury consisting of producer Marie-Pierre Macia, directors Ed Lachman and Alice Diop, writer Abdelkader Benali and Screen’s chief film critic Fionnuala Halligan.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
The film is Khosrovani’s take on growing up in Tehran and her parents’ relationship – her...
- 11/26/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Just moments into the opening sequence of Azra Deniz Okyay’s kinetic drama “Ghosts,” a voice crackles over a radio news bulletin, declaring: “Istanbul has turned into a war zone.” It’s a fittingly turbulent introduction to the writer-director’s feature debut, which charted a rough course to completion en route to winning the Grand Prize at Venice’s Critics’ Week this year.
Okyay began writing the script five years ago, struggling to raise financing until a breakthrough last year, when she met producer Dilek Aydın and scraped together the funds to start production. “We got like $70,000. It was nothing,” Okyay told Variety, with a laugh. “We decided to make it in a guerrilla way, a real punk way.”
“Ghosts” is set across a single day during a nationwide power surge, and follows four characters from different walks of life caught up in a web of drug trafficking in the ghettos of Istanbul.
Okyay began writing the script five years ago, struggling to raise financing until a breakthrough last year, when she met producer Dilek Aydın and scraped together the funds to start production. “We got like $70,000. It was nothing,” Okyay told Variety, with a laugh. “We decided to make it in a guerrilla way, a real punk way.”
“Ghosts” is set across a single day during a nationwide power surge, and follows four characters from different walks of life caught up in a web of drug trafficking in the ghettos of Istanbul.
- 11/4/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Venice 2020: The initiative is intended to back films in post-production from Africa and the Arab countries; two of the winning titles are being co-produced with France and Belgium. Final Cut in Venice has announced the winners of its eighth edition. The initiative is intended to support films in post-production from Africa and the Arab countries. Two of these titles are also being co-produced with France and Belgium. The Award for Best Film in Post-production went to Ely Dagher's Harvest, staged by French, Lebanese, Belgian, Qatari and US firms, and produced by Arnaud Dommerc. The jury, comprising Marie-Pierre Macia (Mpm Film), Antonio Medici (Bim Distribuzione) and Michel Zana (Sophie Dulac Distribution), decided to single out Dagher's project “for the strength of his cinematic proposal and for his original look at the existential questions...
Lebanese director Ely Dagher’s “Harvest” (see interview here), a drama about a young woman contending with identity issues on returning to Beirut after a long stint abroad, is the standout title in this year’s Final Cut in Venice workshop – part of the Venice Film Festival – which provides post-production support and partnership opportunities to films from Africa and the Arab world.
This debut feature by Dagher – whose short “Waves ‘98” was awarded the short film Palme d’Or at the 68th Cannes Film Festival – investigates the identity on many levels of Jana, a woman in her mid-twenties who returns to Beirut after having failed to succeed in her independent life abroad, according to promotional materials.
The Venice Biennale jury, made up of Marie-Pierre Macia, Antonio Medici, and Michel Zana, praised “Harvest” for its “original look at the existential questions of the new generation” in Lebanon today. They pointed out that...
This debut feature by Dagher – whose short “Waves ‘98” was awarded the short film Palme d’Or at the 68th Cannes Film Festival – investigates the identity on many levels of Jana, a woman in her mid-twenties who returns to Beirut after having failed to succeed in her independent life abroad, according to promotional materials.
The Venice Biennale jury, made up of Marie-Pierre Macia, Antonio Medici, and Michel Zana, praised “Harvest” for its “original look at the existential questions of the new generation” in Lebanon today. They pointed out that...
- 9/10/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to Van Ditthavong’s feature directorial debut All Roads To Pearla (formerly known as Sleeping In Plastic), which had its world premiere at the 2019 Austin Film Festival. The crime-thriller stars Alex MacNicoll, Addison Timlin, Corin Nemec, Nick Chinlund and Dash Mihok. The film dark coming-of-age tale is set in a small Texas town and follows a high school wrestler who gets entangled with a beautiful drifter and her psychopathic lover. Pic is produced by Derek D. Brown, Red Sanders of Red Entertainment and Van Ditthavong of goPop Films. It will be released in select theaters and available on demand September 25. The distribution deal was negotiated by Gravitas’ Brendan Gallagher and Igor Princ of Princ Films on behalf of the filmmakers. Earlier this week, Gravitas announced the acquisition of Sundance 2020 documentary The Mole Agent.
The Sarajevo Film Festival, which shifted its upcoming event...
The Sarajevo Film Festival, which shifted its upcoming event...
- 8/7/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The selection will be screened to industry representatives online.
Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days has chosen nine feature projects from Southeast Europe and the Middle East/North Africa region for its work-in-progress strand.
The seven fiction and two documentary projects will be presented online to industry professionals, with the aim of assisting completion and enhancing distribution possibilities.
The projects will compete for three awards: the Post Republic award, the CineLink Iridium award, and the Turkish National Radio Television award.
The five-person jury selecting the winners consists of Vanja Kaludjercic, new festival director at International Film Festival Rotterdam; Tobias Pausinger,...
Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days has chosen nine feature projects from Southeast Europe and the Middle East/North Africa region for its work-in-progress strand.
The seven fiction and two documentary projects will be presented online to industry professionals, with the aim of assisting completion and enhancing distribution possibilities.
The projects will compete for three awards: the Post Republic award, the CineLink Iridium award, and the Turkish National Radio Television award.
The five-person jury selecting the winners consists of Vanja Kaludjercic, new festival director at International Film Festival Rotterdam; Tobias Pausinger,...
- 8/7/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
This piece is one part loving obituary and one part urgent call-to-action around the undeniable need for our independent film industry to put some sort of safety nets in place for our beloved and aging indie film leadership. Ironically, when I wrote this piece just two months ago, who could have imagined that the topic of safety nets would become so important to All Of Us given the ways in which our industry has been so dramatically halted and upended by the #Coronavirus public health pandemic?By Marc Smolowitz
30 March
For context, I am currently developing a new film as a director on these topics, and I hope to gather steam among key indie film organizations in the coming months, so we can all come together (either online or in-person when safe to do so) to create new programs and initiatives that help build safety nets for the most vulnerable in our industry.
30 March
For context, I am currently developing a new film as a director on these topics, and I hope to gather steam among key indie film organizations in the coming months, so we can all come together (either online or in-person when safe to do so) to create new programs and initiatives that help build safety nets for the most vulnerable in our industry.
- 5/5/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
On Feb. 14 last year, Karim Aïnouz arrived in Algeria to trace via the story of his parents the Algerian Revolution which happened 60 years ago – its 1954-62 War of Independence from France. The uprising he very quickly started to shoot, however, was one happening right then, the Revolution of Smiles, whose first street demonstration erupted on March 1.
The result, “Nardjes A.,” world premieres in Panorama Dokumente at this week’s Berlin Intl. Film Festival.
On the second week of protests, Aïnouz was advised by a friend guide that he shouldn’t shoot anything at all. “But I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” he remembers. Looking to film the Revolution from the viewpoint of an Algerian, he located female activist Nardjes Asli through a friend. “Nardjes A.” is essentially a film diary, shot over March 8, International Woman’s Day, from 8am to 5am the next day, as Nardjes Asli joins a rally,...
The result, “Nardjes A.,” world premieres in Panorama Dokumente at this week’s Berlin Intl. Film Festival.
On the second week of protests, Aïnouz was advised by a friend guide that he shouldn’t shoot anything at all. “But I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” he remembers. Looking to film the Revolution from the viewpoint of an Algerian, he located female activist Nardjes Asli through a friend. “Nardjes A.” is essentially a film diary, shot over March 8, International Woman’s Day, from 8am to 5am the next day, as Nardjes Asli joins a rally,...
- 2/17/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Fresh sales acquisitions include Karim Aïnouz’s Algerian revolution documentary Nardjes A.
Paris-based arthouse sales outfit Mpm Premium is widening the scope of its slate with the arrival of a new sales team and the launch of a specialist auteur label, bannered New Visions.
The move follows the recent appointment of Quentin Worthington as head of sales and acquisitions and Natsuki Lambert as head of festivals.
Mpm Premium was co-founded in 2018 by Marie-Pierre Macia and Claire Gadéa at production company Mpm Film and Jean-Charles Mille at shorts-focused agency Premium Films to pool their international sales efforts around feature films.
Up...
Paris-based arthouse sales outfit Mpm Premium is widening the scope of its slate with the arrival of a new sales team and the launch of a specialist auteur label, bannered New Visions.
The move follows the recent appointment of Quentin Worthington as head of sales and acquisitions and Natsuki Lambert as head of festivals.
Mpm Premium was co-founded in 2018 by Marie-Pierre Macia and Claire Gadéa at production company Mpm Film and Jean-Charles Mille at shorts-focused agency Premium Films to pool their international sales efforts around feature films.
Up...
- 2/6/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
El Gouna Film Festival’s co-financing platform meted out $250,000 in prizes.
Lebanese directors Ely Dagher and Remi Itani have scooped the official $15,000 top prizes for their respective feature documentary projects Harvest and A Long Breath at the El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna SpringBoard co-financing and industry platform in Egypt.
Dagher’s Harvest was presented alongside 12 other projects in development, spanning both fiction and non-fiction.
It follows a young woman who returns to her home city of Beirut after a long time away and reconnects with her old life. It will be Dagher’s first feature after his short film...
Lebanese directors Ely Dagher and Remi Itani have scooped the official $15,000 top prizes for their respective feature documentary projects Harvest and A Long Breath at the El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna SpringBoard co-financing and industry platform in Egypt.
Dagher’s Harvest was presented alongside 12 other projects in development, spanning both fiction and non-fiction.
It follows a young woman who returns to her home city of Beirut after a long time away and reconnects with her old life. It will be Dagher’s first feature after his short film...
- 9/27/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Un Certain Regard winner found himself caught up in Algeria’s revolution earlier this year
Karim Aïnouz has revealed fresh details of his upcoming Algerian revolution documentary Nardjes, Algiers, March 2019, a rough cut of which screens in the Final Cut in Venice post-production workshop on Sunday (Sept 1).
The work plunges viewers into the heart of street demonstrations that led to the resignation of Algeria’s long-time, authoritarian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April through a day in the life of a young female activist whose family fought in the original Algerian revolution of 1954-1962.
The Brazilian, Berlin-based filmmaker recounts how...
Karim Aïnouz has revealed fresh details of his upcoming Algerian revolution documentary Nardjes, Algiers, March 2019, a rough cut of which screens in the Final Cut in Venice post-production workshop on Sunday (Sept 1).
The work plunges viewers into the heart of street demonstrations that led to the resignation of Algeria’s long-time, authoritarian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April through a day in the life of a young female activist whose family fought in the original Algerian revolution of 1954-1962.
The Brazilian, Berlin-based filmmaker recounts how...
- 8/31/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Red carpet protest highlighted fact only 82 women have been honoured in Official Selection over 71 editions of festival.
Cate Blanchett and Agnes Varda led 82 female industry figures in a silent ascent of the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday protesting the lack of female representation at the event over its 71 editions.
Moving, historic, 82 women from all countries and professions in cinema have just made the red carpet entrance for Les Filles Du Soleil (Girls Of The Sun) by Eva Husson. #Cannes2018 #Competition pic.twitter.com/0YY9SNbRqg
— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 12, 2018
Other stars joining the protest...
Cate Blanchett and Agnes Varda led 82 female industry figures in a silent ascent of the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday protesting the lack of female representation at the event over its 71 editions.
Moving, historic, 82 women from all countries and professions in cinema have just made the red carpet entrance for Les Filles Du Soleil (Girls Of The Sun) by Eva Husson. #Cannes2018 #Competition pic.twitter.com/0YY9SNbRqg
— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 12, 2018
Other stars joining the protest...
- 5/12/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
New chief Paolo Moretti replaces Edouard Waintrop who leaves after the 2018 edition of the respected parallel sidebar.
The French Directors Guild (Société des Réalisateurs) has announced the appointment of respected Italian film programmer Paolo Moretti as delegate general of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, replacing its current head Edouard Waintrop who will step down after this year’s edition.
Moretti, who was selected by the Srf board after three-round recruitment process, will take up the role in November 2018.“The Srf put their full confidence in him to write a new chapter in the history of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight,” said the directors guild in a statement.
The French Directors Guild (Société des Réalisateurs) has announced the appointment of respected Italian film programmer Paolo Moretti as delegate general of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, replacing its current head Edouard Waintrop who will step down after this year’s edition.
Moretti, who was selected by the Srf board after three-round recruitment process, will take up the role in November 2018.“The Srf put their full confidence in him to write a new chapter in the history of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight,” said the directors guild in a statement.
- 3/2/2018
- ScreenDaily
Current Mpm Film and Premium Films sales executives Ricardo Monastier and Leslie Saussereau will combine forces on the international sales front.
Paris-based auteur-focused Mpm Film and shorts specialist Premium Films have joined forces to create a single sales entity called Mpm Premium, combining their industry know-how and network.
Under the new structure, current Mpm Film and Premium Films sales executives Ricardo Monastier and Leslie Saussereau will combine forces on the international sales front.
Mpm Film founding chief Marie-Pierre Macia and producer Claire Gadéa and Premium Films founder Jean-Charles Mille will oversee management of the company.
“The market is evolving and we have to adapt. The fusion allows us more flexibility and better reactivity thanks to a bigger team, with complementary abilities and a wide expertise. We plan to optimise our investments and be more present on the international markets,” Macia, Gadéa and Mille said in a joint statement.
“It’s more and more difficult for auteur films to find...
Paris-based auteur-focused Mpm Film and shorts specialist Premium Films have joined forces to create a single sales entity called Mpm Premium, combining their industry know-how and network.
Under the new structure, current Mpm Film and Premium Films sales executives Ricardo Monastier and Leslie Saussereau will combine forces on the international sales front.
Mpm Film founding chief Marie-Pierre Macia and producer Claire Gadéa and Premium Films founder Jean-Charles Mille will oversee management of the company.
“The market is evolving and we have to adapt. The fusion allows us more flexibility and better reactivity thanks to a bigger team, with complementary abilities and a wide expertise. We plan to optimise our investments and be more present on the international markets,” Macia, Gadéa and Mille said in a joint statement.
“It’s more and more difficult for auteur films to find...
- 2/15/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Alliance for Development projects include Isis thriller and comic book story.
The Locarno Industry Days’ Alliance for Development wrapped its third edition today with a handful of potential co-productions catching the eye.
The initiative aims to help foster development and co-production between France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland with projects backed by European funds including France’s Cnc, Italy’s MiBACT and Germany’s Ffa.
Among the nine projects in the programme this year was Gigi Roccati’s (Babylon Sisters) Isis-themed thriller My Kin, which has been boarded in Locarno by Belgian producer Hubert Toint (Gangsters).
Italy’s Pilar Saavedra is the main producer alongside Antoine de Clermont Tonnere of MacT productions in France. The team is aiming for a 2019 shoot on the project, which is in the €2m range.
Also catching the eye was romantic-comedy Comic Book Souls, the project with the biggest estimated budget (€4.5m), about a young man who finds life inspiration through his passion...
The Locarno Industry Days’ Alliance for Development wrapped its third edition today with a handful of potential co-productions catching the eye.
The initiative aims to help foster development and co-production between France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland with projects backed by European funds including France’s Cnc, Italy’s MiBACT and Germany’s Ffa.
Among the nine projects in the programme this year was Gigi Roccati’s (Babylon Sisters) Isis-themed thriller My Kin, which has been boarded in Locarno by Belgian producer Hubert Toint (Gangsters).
Italy’s Pilar Saavedra is the main producer alongside Antoine de Clermont Tonnere of MacT productions in France. The team is aiming for a 2019 shoot on the project, which is in the €2m range.
Also catching the eye was romantic-comedy Comic Book Souls, the project with the biggest estimated budget (€4.5m), about a young man who finds life inspiration through his passion...
- 8/6/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Netflix, Sundance and Efm are among new delegates attending the second edition of the Dfi’s Qumra.
The Doha Film Institute today launched the second edition of Qumra, which is dedicated to supporting Dfi-backed first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level.
Festival directors, producers, sales executives, fund managers, script consultants, distributors and other experts attend to meet with and mentor the new talents, discuss their forthcoming projects and see works in progress. This year’s emerging filmmakers represent 33 projects from 19 countries.
Returning industry delegates attending Qumra include Cameron Bailey from Toronto, Mirsad Purivatra from Sarajevo, Melbourne-based script consultant Claire Dobbs, Christophe Leparc of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Selim El Azar from Gulf Films, Gianluca Chakra of Front Row, Paul Baboudjian of Screen Institute Beirut, French producer Marie-Pierre Macia of Mpm Film, Frederic Corvez of Urban Distribution International, and representatives from Wild Bunch.
New delegates joining the second edition include Funa Maduka from Netflix, producer...
The Doha Film Institute today launched the second edition of Qumra, which is dedicated to supporting Dfi-backed first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level.
Festival directors, producers, sales executives, fund managers, script consultants, distributors and other experts attend to meet with and mentor the new talents, discuss their forthcoming projects and see works in progress. This year’s emerging filmmakers represent 33 projects from 19 countries.
Returning industry delegates attending Qumra include Cameron Bailey from Toronto, Mirsad Purivatra from Sarajevo, Melbourne-based script consultant Claire Dobbs, Christophe Leparc of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Selim El Azar from Gulf Films, Gianluca Chakra of Front Row, Paul Baboudjian of Screen Institute Beirut, French producer Marie-Pierre Macia of Mpm Film, Frederic Corvez of Urban Distribution International, and representatives from Wild Bunch.
New delegates joining the second edition include Funa Maduka from Netflix, producer...
- 3/4/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
The Doha Film Institute’s new Qumra event kicks off today in Doha, with a focus on mentoring emerging filmmakers.
The programme includes industry-focused masterclasses from Gael Garcia Bernal, Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahamane Sissako, Danis Tanovic and Elia Suleiman (who also serves as the event’s artistic advisor). Suleiman’s masterclass replaces a planned talk with Leila Hatami, who had to cancel her trip to Doha.
More than 100 international industry attendees are connecting with delegates from 29 projects at various stages of production (all of the projects have backing in part from Dfi).
Attending industry – to name just a few — include Toronto’s Cameron Bailey, Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maravel, Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Tala Al Asmani, Gulf Film’s Selim El Azar, Urban Distribution’s Frederic Corvez, the Danish Film Institute’s Henrik Bo Nielsen, Cannes Critics’ Week’s Remi Bonhomme, script consultant Claire Dobbin, Locarno’s Nadia Dresti, Busan’s Kim Ji-Seok, filmmaker [link=nm...
The programme includes industry-focused masterclasses from Gael Garcia Bernal, Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahamane Sissako, Danis Tanovic and Elia Suleiman (who also serves as the event’s artistic advisor). Suleiman’s masterclass replaces a planned talk with Leila Hatami, who had to cancel her trip to Doha.
More than 100 international industry attendees are connecting with delegates from 29 projects at various stages of production (all of the projects have backing in part from Dfi).
Attending industry – to name just a few — include Toronto’s Cameron Bailey, Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maravel, Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Tala Al Asmani, Gulf Film’s Selim El Azar, Urban Distribution’s Frederic Corvez, the Danish Film Institute’s Henrik Bo Nielsen, Cannes Critics’ Week’s Remi Bonhomme, script consultant Claire Dobbin, Locarno’s Nadia Dresti, Busan’s Kim Ji-Seok, filmmaker [link=nm...
- 3/6/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: First titles include Radu Jude’s next film Scarred Hearts.
Film industry veterans Pierre Menahem and Juliette Lepoutre have launched a new Paris-based co-production focused company called Still Moving.
“The aim is to first develop international co-productions, and eventually set up an international sales and distribution department, with a first slate of acquisitions to be announced in the coming months,” explains Menahem.
The pair, who previously collaborated at production and sales outfit Mpm Film in Paris alongside Marie-Pierre Macia, is in Berlin with two features which are currently in pre-production.
They comprise Romanian Radu Jude’s Scarred Hearts, which will be the director’s next production after Aferim!, which premieres in competition at the Berlinale this year.
Jude’s long-time producer Ada Solomon of Bucharest-based Hi Film is lead producing the feature.
Set against the backdrop of a Black Sea sanatorium in 1937, the film is inspired by the tragic Jewish Romanian writer Max Blecher, who is sometimes...
Film industry veterans Pierre Menahem and Juliette Lepoutre have launched a new Paris-based co-production focused company called Still Moving.
“The aim is to first develop international co-productions, and eventually set up an international sales and distribution department, with a first slate of acquisitions to be announced in the coming months,” explains Menahem.
The pair, who previously collaborated at production and sales outfit Mpm Film in Paris alongside Marie-Pierre Macia, is in Berlin with two features which are currently in pre-production.
They comprise Romanian Radu Jude’s Scarred Hearts, which will be the director’s next production after Aferim!, which premieres in competition at the Berlinale this year.
Jude’s long-time producer Ada Solomon of Bucharest-based Hi Film is lead producing the feature.
Set against the backdrop of a Black Sea sanatorium in 1937, the film is inspired by the tragic Jewish Romanian writer Max Blecher, who is sometimes...
- 2/7/2015
- ScreenDaily
Zama
Director: Lucrecia Martel // Writer: Lucrecia Martel
Argentinean director Lucrecia Martel has become one of her country’s most prolific filmmakers with three outstanding titles to her name, beginning with 2001′s La Cienega (where she won the Alfred Bauer film award in Berlin, and the title will see its release in the Criterion selection shortly), 2004′s The Holy Girl, and the coolly received The Headless Woman in 2008, which has gone as to stand as her most notorious and well received works. For some time now she’s been at work on Zama, a period piece based on the novel by Antonio de Benedetto and will be produced by Lita Stantic, El Deseo (the Almodovar Bros’ company)
Cast: Daniel Gimenez Cacho
Producers: Lita Stantic, El Deseo, Rei Cine’s Benjamin Domenech, Mpm’s Marie-Pierre Macia, Rosa Filmes.
U.S. Distributor: Rights available.
Release Date: A project now years in gestation, it...
Director: Lucrecia Martel // Writer: Lucrecia Martel
Argentinean director Lucrecia Martel has become one of her country’s most prolific filmmakers with three outstanding titles to her name, beginning with 2001′s La Cienega (where she won the Alfred Bauer film award in Berlin, and the title will see its release in the Criterion selection shortly), 2004′s The Holy Girl, and the coolly received The Headless Woman in 2008, which has gone as to stand as her most notorious and well received works. For some time now she’s been at work on Zama, a period piece based on the novel by Antonio de Benedetto and will be produced by Lita Stantic, El Deseo (the Almodovar Bros’ company)
Cast: Daniel Gimenez Cacho
Producers: Lita Stantic, El Deseo, Rei Cine’s Benjamin Domenech, Mpm’s Marie-Pierre Macia, Rosa Filmes.
U.S. Distributor: Rights available.
Release Date: A project now years in gestation, it...
- 1/9/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
On Screen Off Record from The Act of Killing producer Signe Byrge Sørensen.
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and have filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and have filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
- 11/14/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
On Screen Off Record from The Act of Killing producer Signe Byrge Sørensen.
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
On Screen Off Record, directed by Rami Farah and Lyana Saleh and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut For Real, has won the second annual Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €15,000 at Cph:forum - Cph:dox’s international financing and co-production event.
The jury said this project, reflective on the Syrian conflict in a media-saturated world, was awarded because of “the way familiar footage was presented, allowing deeper understanding of the complexities of the conflict that affects us on so many levels, for the quality of the project and the team, and the organic co-production structure.”
The film, now in development, will be a production between Syria, Denmark and France. There will be 55-minute and 90-minute versions.The story is about several young people in Syria who became citizen journalists and filmed the turmoil since the beginning, putting their lives...
- 11/14/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Trieste’s When East Meets West (Wemw) co-production market is to cast its net wider to include North America for the first time.
Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily, Wemw project coordinator Alessandro Gropplero explained that the market’s 2015 focus on English-speaking countries will seek to encourage closer links between producers from Eastern Europe, Italy, the UK, Ireland, the Us and Canada.
At the centre of Wemw’s fifth edition (Jan 18-20, 2015) will be the public pitching of 20 film projects - fiction feature films and documentaries - which would make ideal co-productions to an audience of producers, sales agents, and distributors from the participating territories..
The selected projects will be competing for the Wemw Development Award, a scholarship from the Eave producers training programme, and the newly created Egg Digital Cinema Award with a full Dcp offered by Egg, one of the leading Irish post/VFX houses.
In addition, the producers of the selected projects will have the opportunity...
Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily, Wemw project coordinator Alessandro Gropplero explained that the market’s 2015 focus on English-speaking countries will seek to encourage closer links between producers from Eastern Europe, Italy, the UK, Ireland, the Us and Canada.
At the centre of Wemw’s fifth edition (Jan 18-20, 2015) will be the public pitching of 20 film projects - fiction feature films and documentaries - which would make ideal co-productions to an audience of producers, sales agents, and distributors from the participating territories..
The selected projects will be competing for the Wemw Development Award, a scholarship from the Eave producers training programme, and the newly created Egg Digital Cinema Award with a full Dcp offered by Egg, one of the leading Irish post/VFX houses.
In addition, the producers of the selected projects will have the opportunity...
- 9/11/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Local and international executives come together at second Riding The Greek Wave conference organised by Hellenic Film Academy.
WIth much political and financial upheaval in the country, Greek cinema has finally received a much needed shot in the arm.
This happened during the weekend-long second edition of Riding the Greek Wave, the annual conference organised by the Hellenic Film Academy in the presence of a selected group of foreign film executives.
For the first time since the early June shut down of the public radio and television network (Ert) by the government, a move that blocked all financial backing made more or less regularly available by the network to local productions, the government confirmed in public that the backing to local productions would resume shortly in the wake of the appointment in the very next days of a CEO to head the TV and Radio public network actually in the restructuring process.
A spokesman...
WIth much political and financial upheaval in the country, Greek cinema has finally received a much needed shot in the arm.
This happened during the weekend-long second edition of Riding the Greek Wave, the annual conference organised by the Hellenic Film Academy in the presence of a selected group of foreign film executives.
For the first time since the early June shut down of the public radio and television network (Ert) by the government, a move that blocked all financial backing made more or less regularly available by the network to local productions, the government confirmed in public that the backing to local productions would resume shortly in the wake of the appointment in the very next days of a CEO to head the TV and Radio public network actually in the restructuring process.
A spokesman...
- 10/2/2013
- by alexisgrivas@yahoo.com (Alexis Grivas)
- ScreenDaily
Buenos Aires – Peter Strickland’s Berberian Sound Studio topped the international competition of the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival, which closes this weekend. The film also received a Best Cinematography Award for Nic Knowland, given by Adf, the local cinematographer’s association. The announcement was made at noon today by fest director Marcelo Panozzo. The Best Director Award went to Matt Porterfield for I Used to be Darker, while Antoine Cattin and Pavel Kostomarov’s Playback received a Special Mention. Jazmin Lopez’s Lions won the Special Prize from the jury, composed of Veronika Franz, Chinlin Hsieh, Marie-Pierre Macia, Peter Mettler, and Argentine filmmaker and
read more...
read more...
- 4/20/2013
- by Agustin Mango
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Colombia had three films in the various sections of Cannes this year. And the Colombian producers, Diana Bustamente ♀ and Jorge Forero of Burning Blue, produced two of them along with Thierry Lenouvel’s Cine-Sud. Burning Blue was created by Diana Bustamante, producer of The Wind Journeys (Cannes 2009), and Crab Trap (Berlin 2010), with her friend and artist colleague Jorge Forero. This company is focused on new directors and particulary on the new and artistic proposals which work with the imagen in all its possibilities.
La Sirga
The first and foremost film is the first feature film from Colombian director William Vega, La Sirga, which played in this year's Cannes' Directors Fortnight and was nominated for the Camera d’Or Award, Fipresci Prize. It also won the Cinema in Construction Award & Cine + Award at the Toulouse Film Festival. "Evocative! William Vega’s first feature is the latest in an impressive string of Colombian arthouse films", says Lee Marshall of Screen Daily. It was just picked up for North America by Film Movement. It is their 4th Colombian film.
Film Movement is one of the most successful experiments in alternative modes of distribution which has successfully survived since Larry Meistrich launched it in 2003. He has moved on and it's now run by a great team headed by Adley Gartenstein. Its DVD of the month club for critically acclaimed movies -- both American indies and foreign films -- is the first of its kind. The company also provides films that are screened theatrically at locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities. Recently they have also partnered with YouTube and Hulu to provide online movies, and have received extensive praise from film critics such as Roger Ebert. It will have its New York theatrical opening late 2012, with a limited national roll-out to follow, as well as a day-and-date Cable Video on Demand premiere.
Film Movement acquired it from one of my favorite international sales agents, Pierre Menahem, now of Mpm (Movie Partners in Motion, founded by Marie-Pierre Macia and Juliette Lepoutre) but formerly (when I met him) at Celluloid Dreams. Pierre Menahem says, "We are thrilled to work again with Film Movement on another beautifully directed first feature film from Latin America. After the 20-times-awarded Found Memories (aka Historias) by Julia Murat, we are very excited to team up again with one of the best arthouse films distributors in North America for such an amazing film...Director William Vega is definitely a talent to watch and we are proud to start his international career with sales in the U.S., to Zootrope for France, Ama for Greece and Cineplex in Colombia right after its Cannes launch a week ago.” There is also strong interest in the U.K., Japan, Scandinavia, Benelux and Switzerland.
La Playa
The second film is La Playa by Juan Andrés Arango, his film debut as well. This Brazil-Colombia-France coproduction premiered at Cannes Ff Un Certain Regard. It was picked up for international sales prior to Cannes by Doc & Film. France's Jour2Fete will distribute La Playa in France.
Rodri
And the third Colombian film is in the Short Film Corner, Rodri by director Franco Lolli, depicting a family dealing with unemployment, will appear in the Short Film Corner. The film was inspired by its two main actors, the director's mother and uncle. Lolli will turn toward directing his first full-length film after the festival.
Colombia also had 10 production companies participating in the Producers Network, an important adjunct to the Cannes Marche.
La Sirga
The first and foremost film is the first feature film from Colombian director William Vega, La Sirga, which played in this year's Cannes' Directors Fortnight and was nominated for the Camera d’Or Award, Fipresci Prize. It also won the Cinema in Construction Award & Cine + Award at the Toulouse Film Festival. "Evocative! William Vega’s first feature is the latest in an impressive string of Colombian arthouse films", says Lee Marshall of Screen Daily. It was just picked up for North America by Film Movement. It is their 4th Colombian film.
Film Movement is one of the most successful experiments in alternative modes of distribution which has successfully survived since Larry Meistrich launched it in 2003. He has moved on and it's now run by a great team headed by Adley Gartenstein. Its DVD of the month club for critically acclaimed movies -- both American indies and foreign films -- is the first of its kind. The company also provides films that are screened theatrically at locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities. Recently they have also partnered with YouTube and Hulu to provide online movies, and have received extensive praise from film critics such as Roger Ebert. It will have its New York theatrical opening late 2012, with a limited national roll-out to follow, as well as a day-and-date Cable Video on Demand premiere.
Film Movement acquired it from one of my favorite international sales agents, Pierre Menahem, now of Mpm (Movie Partners in Motion, founded by Marie-Pierre Macia and Juliette Lepoutre) but formerly (when I met him) at Celluloid Dreams. Pierre Menahem says, "We are thrilled to work again with Film Movement on another beautifully directed first feature film from Latin America. After the 20-times-awarded Found Memories (aka Historias) by Julia Murat, we are very excited to team up again with one of the best arthouse films distributors in North America for such an amazing film...Director William Vega is definitely a talent to watch and we are proud to start his international career with sales in the U.S., to Zootrope for France, Ama for Greece and Cineplex in Colombia right after its Cannes launch a week ago.” There is also strong interest in the U.K., Japan, Scandinavia, Benelux and Switzerland.
La Playa
The second film is La Playa by Juan Andrés Arango, his film debut as well. This Brazil-Colombia-France coproduction premiered at Cannes Ff Un Certain Regard. It was picked up for international sales prior to Cannes by Doc & Film. France's Jour2Fete will distribute La Playa in France.
Rodri
And the third Colombian film is in the Short Film Corner, Rodri by director Franco Lolli, depicting a family dealing with unemployment, will appear in the Short Film Corner. The film was inspired by its two main actors, the director's mother and uncle. Lolli will turn toward directing his first full-length film after the festival.
Colombia also had 10 production companies participating in the Producers Network, an important adjunct to the Cannes Marche.
- 6/6/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Congratulations to Marie-Pierre Macia and Juliette Lepoutre. Their start-up international sales company Mpm Film is in Toronto with a beautiful, quietly moving and totally aesthetic film in Toronto's Discovery section (and in Venice Days and in San Sebastian's Horizontes section). A U.S. sale on Stories That Only Exist When Remembered (Historias…que so existem quando lembradas) by one of my favorite people in the industry, Pierre Menahem, has already been made to Film Movement for U.S. putting it into the rarefied company of 22 U.S. acquisitions thus far at Tiff. (See my blog for details on this subject.) Julia Murat's first…...
- 9/16/2011
- Sydney's Buzz
Frederic Boyer replaces Olivier Pere at Directors' Fortnight which is run by Societe des Realisateurs de Films (SRF). Olivier Pere is leaving to head up the Locarno Film Festival where as announced last September he will replace Frederic Maire on September 1, 2009. Pere began at the Fortnight in 2004 after two artistic directors, Francois Da Silva and Marie-Pierre Macia, left within a year of one another. Boyer who has been a member of the selection committee of the Fortnight since Pere’s arrival in 2004 will begin his new job in November to prepare the 2010 edition.
- 5/2/2009
- Sydney's Buzz
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