CURON TO TOPLIN AT CHINA – US SUMMIT

Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron will return to China later this month to speak at 2016 China – US Motion Picture Summit. Cuaron previously travelled to the Beijing Film Festival with Gravity, which scored $70.7 million at the Chinese box office. Also joining the speaking line up are: Andrew Cripps, IMAX executive VP; Zhang Xun, chairman of Max Screen Distribution; producer Ann An & Richard Fox, executive VP of International at Warner Bros. Entertainment. Cripps will speak about the implications of technology on the future of the motion picture industry. Previously announced speakers include: Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Gary Lucchesi, Elizabeth Daley, Zhang Xun, Andrew Cripps, Bill Borden. The conference on 25th Mar, 2015 will be held in Grand Epoch City near Beijing. It is backed by Citic Guoan, Dick Cook Studios, and Film Carnival Production, with the support of China Media Culture Promotion Association, China Film Association & Beijing Film Academy. Winston Baker is event producer.

2 OF FOX UNIT COMBINE FORCES

2 of 20th Century Fox divisions — Fox International Productions
& Fox Networks Group Asia –have joined forces to expand their commitment to production of Chinese language content. Both have been active in the region on their own accounts. Combining their efforts is intended to create a larger & more diversified platform for local creatives to work with the studio. The joint remit spans local development, co – production & remakes, with output including feature films, mini – series & TV series. The 1st project will likely be unveiled this year and start production in 2017. “Greater China, and Asia overall, represent a very significant portion of our strategic focus on the production of feature films globally. FIP joining forces with Fox Networks Group Asia will now solidly position us as a go – to, one – stop shop for our local partners, and amongst the creative community overall in the region,” said Tomas Jegeus, president of FIP.

HUAYI & TENCENT PREPARE VEHICLES

Annual results for China Jiuhao Health, being taken over by entertainment giants Huayi Brothers & Tencent as a vehicle for foreign acquisitions, reveal it to be an almost perfectly clean shell company. The only flaw revealed by Jiuhao’s 2015 annual results announcement, is that one of its non -executive directors is shown to have been detained by Chinese police for more than a year. “For the reason of assisting relevant Mainland authorities in their investigation since Jan, 2015, Mr. Wei Xin did not attend any general meetings of the company held in 2015,” Jiuhao said on page 44 of a regulatory filing on Fri. The company, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, says it is now on the lookout for acquisitions in Hollywood & Korea. Jiuhao recorded a loss of US$64.1 million (HK$497 million) in 2015, with most of that — US$47 million (HK$364 million) — attributable to the health, golf club & hotel operations that will not be continued by the new controlling shareholders.

S0NY PICTURES TELEVISION BACKS FABLE PICTURES

Sony Pictures Television has taken a minority stake in Fable Pictures, UK film & television production company run by creative director Faye Ward, who produced “Suffragette” alongside Alison Owen & managing director Eugenio Perez. Fable will focus on high – end drama series that can travel internationally, with SPT distributing around the globe. Its current project is film Stan And Ollie, written by Jeff Pope, directed by Jon S. Baird & starring Steve Coogan & John C. Reilly. It is due to shoot later this year. Ward’s other credits include feature film Jane Eyre (Focus Features), TV series Small Island (BBC), Golden Globe nominated series Dancing On The Edge (BBC), Toast (BBC) and episodes of The Crown for Left Bank Pictures & Netflix.

THE NIGHT MANAGER PRODUCERS IN TALKS WITH BBC

The producers of BBC -AMC spy thriller The Night Manager, starring Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman & Hugh Laurie, are in talks with UK broadcaster to greenlight a 2nd season after stellar ratings in UK for the new show. The £20 million ($28.7 million) 6 episode 1st season, which launches in US on AMC on 19th Apr, 2016, has been attracting up to 8 million viewers to its Sun evening slot on flagship channel BBC One. The adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel even beat latest drama series from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, Doctor Thorne. Now it appears the public broadcaster wants more. Talks with the lead producers, Le Carré’s sons Simon Cornwell & Stephen Cornwell, for another 6 episode season have reached “an advanced stage,” according to reports.

BBC & ITV IN TALKS TO LAUNCH VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE

Brit pubcaster BBC is in early stage discussions with rival channel ITV about launching a Netflix style subscription video streaming service, according to The Guardian. The UK based paper said the 2 channels were looking at developing a subscription TV service that would likely provide older, archive TV content rather than a 1st run of shows. But, says the report, there is understood to be a “certain amount” of original commissions. NBC Universal, which is behind programs such as BBC’s Downton Abbey, is also understood to be involved in the discussions. Both the Beeb & commercial broadcaster ITV make their content available to audiences digitally for 30 days. Britons pay £145.50 ($207.95) per year for access to BBC content, including the BBC iPlayer and after content moves off the service, it can be accessed through pay – TV service UKTV, online outlet BBC Store or DVDs & Netflix, the latter of which houses shows like Top Gear.

02 FILMES PUTS SURIA INTO PRODUCTION

Helmer Fernando Meirelles’ O2 Filmes, one of Brazil’s largest indie production companies in Brazil, will produce animation series Suria, O2’s founding partner Andrea Barata Ribeiro told Variety in an exclusive interview in Rio Content Market 2016. The kids’ series, which will have 26 episodes of 11 minutes, will be helmed by Fabio Mendonca. “The series is designed for the Latin American market. We are negotiating the distribution with regional pay – TV networks,” Barata Ribeiro said. She added the series will be made in O2’s production center in Sao Paulo and will take about 2 years to be finished. O2, which is a major producer of TV commercials, live – action series & features, such as Meirelles’ City Of God & Blindness, recently created an in – house animation production unit, Barata Ribeiro said. The unit’s 1st production was for Pedro Morelli’s feature Zoom, a Brazil / Canada co -production starring Gael Garcia Bernal, which included animation sequences.

FORMATA & ITV INK FORMATS DEAL FOR BRAZIL

Local TV format’s company Formata inked on 17th Feb, 2016 a deal with ITV Studios Global Ent. (ITVSGE), under which the Sao Paulo based company will represent UK’s TV’s formats exclusively in Brazil, Formata’s CEO Daniela Busoli told in an exclusive interview during the 2O16 Rio Content Market. “We will be selling licenses of ITV formats to Brazilian networks, as well as adapting ITV formats to be aired in local Brazilian networks,” Busoli said. Busoli has experience with the other 2 world TV format giants. Before founding Formata in May 2015, she was the CEO of FremantleMedia Brasil and previously served as the managing director of Endemol Brasil. Prior to the agreement, Formata had already adapted 2 ITV’s cooking series formats for Brazilian TV. The company made the 3rd season of Hell’s Kitchen: Cozinha sob Pressao, which aired on local free – to – air – TV net SBT in the Fall 2015 -Jan. 2016 period, with Carlos Bertolazzi performing the role of Gordon Ramsay.

MOONSHOT TAKES DISTURBIA FOR BRAZIL

Local production company Moonshot has recently inked an agreement with London based production company Bedlam Productions for the making in Brazil of horror series Disturbia, Moonshot CEO Roberto d’Avila told Variety in an exclusive interview at the 2016 Rio Content Market. The Brazilian series will have 6, stand – alone episodes of 1 hour. Alex Gabassi, a director of local series for HBO & MTV, will helm. “We will produce Disturbia 1st in Brazil, air it here, and then sell the format in the world market. The fact we will have an actual series to show will definitely help the format’s sales abroad.” said D’Avila, stressing that horror productions, as opposed to comedies, translate well to other cultures.

HULU CONFIRMS BRAZILIAN SHOW IN DEVELOPMENT

The 2016 Rio Content Market the largest TV / new media market in Latin America, wrapped its 5th edition 11th Mar, 2016, with a record number of 3,700 participants, up 16% from last year, and 325 speakers. Nearly 1,900 attending producers took a total 1,180 business meetings. To put that in perspective, Mipcom, the world’s biggest TV trade fair, attracted 13,700 last year. The increasingly international market attracted executives from 32 countries in Rio’s Barra beach front hotel, including keynote speakers producer Steve Golin, producer & writer Howard Gordon, producer & writer Melissa Rosenberg & Lionsgate’s president, international TV & digital distribution, Peter Iacono. On 2016’s RCM opening day, in the latest twist in an affair which have been of large concern to the local TV industry, participants celebrated the most recent development in a court battle between Brazil’s Cinema Agency Ancine and its association of telecom corporations SindiTeleBrasil.

WANDA POISED FOR FILM UNIT CONSOLIDATION

China’s Dalian Wanda group is to inject film production unit Wanda Pictures into its Wanda Cinema Line theaters division. The move is part of an ongoing reshuffle of its film businesses that will follow completion of the $3.5 billion acquisition of Legendary Entertainment. Wanda last week revealed that Wanda Pictures and its physical studio operations in Qingdao would receive a total of $384 million capital injection from a friendly property company Oceanwide. Shares in Wanda Cinema Line, which are normally traded on the Shenzhen stock exchange, were suspended in late Feb pending an acquisition. That acquisition now appears to be the transfer of assets from the Wanda parent company.

HUAYI HIRES JOE AGUILAR TO HEAD WINK ANIMATION DIVISION

Joe Aguilar, former head of production for features & TV at Oriental DreamWorks, has been appointed as CEO of Wink Animation, a new, wholly owned animation division at China’s Huayi Brothers Media. Aguilar, who has credits including Kung Fu Panda & The Croods will head the Shanghai based division for Huayi. Markus Manninen, a visual effects supervisor with credits including Shrek The Musical, The Croods & Over The Hedge, is to be Wink’s artistic director. The company will set up a creative center to produce animation, initially for the Chinese market, where local & imported animated content is growing in popularity. The box office this week is headed by Disney Animation’s Zootopia. Kung Fu Panda 3, co – produced by Oriental DreamWorks & DreamWorks Animation, recently broke the box office record for a Chinese made animated feature.

ZOOTOPIA RULES. 2ND WEEKEND & GODS OF EGYPT FOLLOWS

Disney Animation’s Zootopia was the runaway winner at the Chinese Box Office over the weekend. Topping the charts on each day, it scored $57.5 million between Fri & Sun, giving a 10 day total of $110 million. Data from Ent Group showed the film scoring $25.5 million on Sat alone. Gods Of Egypt, acquired by Chinese firm Le Eco in a deal announced at the American Film Market in Nov, 2016 came a creditable 2nd with $19.6 million over its opening 3 days. The 2 Hollywood titles nudged aside Ip Man 3, the martial arts biopic which topped the chart last week, but whose Box Office reporting is now being probed by regulators. It earned $13.1 million in its 2nd weekend, down from the reported $71.3 million in its 1st weekend, and stands on a 10 day cumulative of $112 million.

HONY & TENCENT INJECT $76 MILLION INTO CHINA’S LINMON

Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital & social media giant Tencent are among the financiers providing a new round of funding for boutique Chinese TV producer Linmon Pictures. Hony, which is a backer of Shanghai Media Group, is one of the major financiers of Robert Simonds’ & Gigi Pritzker’s STX Entertainment production venture, alongside US based finance giant TPG. Linmon was established 2 years ago by former SMG head of film Zhou Yuan, and co – founders Su Xiao, Chen Fei & Xu Xiao’ou. It raised a $15 million (RMB100 million) A round of capital from Tencent in 2015, was used to produce 3 TV dramas, including Chronicle Of Life & To Be A Better Man.

3 MOVIES SET FOR TOULOUSE FILMS IN PROGRESS

Christopher Murray’s The Blind Christ, Maite Alberdi’s Children & Emilio Torres’ The Winter are set for France’s 29th Toulouse Cinelatino Fest Films in Progress, a traditional launch pad for titles bound for Cannes and beyond. The 2 day screenings of movies in rough cut unspools 16th Mar, 2016 & 17th Mar, 2016 in the city of Toulouse, nestling in the lap of the Pyrenees. A biannual event, Toulouse’s Films in Progress selection features 7 filmmakers who all have a feature film track record, quite possibly a record in Toulouse / San Sebastian twice – a – year event. Equally, 3 of the movies are Chilean as at San Sebastian’s Films in Progress in Sept, 2015, and 5 of the 6 co – productions with France. Tellingly, 4 are multi – 6 lateral co -productions with Europe, as directors & producers seek to scale up on movies, put films through multiple labs & tap expertise from multiple sources.

ASIAN SCRIPT WORKSHOP SEAFIC TO LAUNCH

South East Asia is to get its 1st dedicated script workshop with the launch of the Southeast Asian Fiction Film Lab later this year. The lab takes as its role models the Sundance Institute, Italy’s TorinoFilmLab, and the Jerusalem International Film Lab. It will select 5 film makers with work – in -progress scripts. The participants will work with script consultants over a period of 9 months to develop & refine their screenplays. The lab provides 2 week long sessions in Chiang Mai, Thailand and a final session in Singapore in Jun, 2017. Projects are to be selected & prizes awarded by juries that include the Cannes festival’s Christian Jeune, Tokyo Filmex program head Shozo Ichiyama, and Thai New Wave film maker Pen – Ek Ratanaruang.

FREELANCE LEADS THE WAY AT SUBHANAHONGSA AWARDS

Freelance, a comedy drama from the now defunct GTH studios, dominated proceedings at the Thailand National Film Association Awards, better known as the Subhanahongsa Awards. The film, also known as Heart Attack, was released in Sept, 2015 and grossed close to $500,000 (THB16 million) in Thailand. At a ceremony on Sun night in Bangkok, it scooped “Best Director Award for as well as most of the acting prizes on offer. Subhanahongsa Awards — 2016 Winners “Best Film”: Freelance by GT “Best Director”: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit for Freelance “Best Screenplay” (joint): Snap by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee & Freelance by Nawapol Thamrongratanarit “Best Actor”: Sunny Suwanmethanon in Freelance “Best Actress”: Davika Hoorne in Freelance.

WANDA & WARNER ON BOARD OF THE VILLAGE THAT FORGETS

Independent Taipei based sales agency, Ablaze Image is handling The Village That Forgets, a Taiwanese martial arts comedy that includes China’s Wanda Pictures & Warner Bros. (FE), the Taiwanese unit of Warner, amongst its investors. Albaze will fire up international sales on the picture at this week’s FilMart in Hong Kong. It is also unveiling Foret Debussy a dark drama starring Gwei Lun – Mei. The Village That Forgets is directed by successful Chen Yu – Hsun and is the story of a mysterious event happening in a rural village by the end of the Qing Dynasty. The film stars Shu Qi, Wang Qianyuan, Hong Kong’s Eric Tsang, Chang Hsiao – Chuan, Tony Yang & Lin Mei – Hsiu.

“PIG LADY” WINS TOP PRIZE

Korean director Jang Moon -il’s My Sister, The Pig Lady was awarded the Grand Prix at the 11th Osaka Asian Film Festival’s closing ceremony in Osaka on Sun. Released in Korea last Sept, the film about a woman raising pigs while trying to attract one of her village’s few eligible bachelors was praised by jury president Yee Chih – Yen for “successfully balancing the commercial & the artistic fields of filmmaking.” The “Most Promising Talent Award went to Uisenma Borchu, the director, scriptwriter & actress of the German /Mongolian production “Don’t Look At Me That Way.” The “Japan Cuts Award” was given to Keihiro Kanyama for his short Somewhere In My Memory.” The festival, which unspooled 4th Mar, 2016 – 13th Mar, 2016 featured sections on South East Asian, Taiwanese, Hong Kong & Japanese indie films, in addition to its competition.

LOTTE OPENS HONG KONG’S THEATER EYES CHINA

Korea’s 2nd largest exhibitor, Lotte Cinema has opened its 1st theater in Hong Kong. The new complex, named L Cinema, in Shau Kei Wan, comes with just 2 auditoria of 87 seats each. It was originally set to open on 29th Jan, 2016, but due to a license issue the opening was pushed back a week to Feb. 5. It opened just in time for Chinese New Year with The Good Dinosaur in 2D & 3D, and Hong Kong director Wong Jing’s From Vegas To Macau 3. Hong Kong is the 3rd territory that Lotte has entered, following Vietnam & China, where it operates 23 & 11 theaters, respectively. Yet the company remains discrete about its Hong Kong launch. The L Cinema is located in Shau Kei Wan at the eastern tip of Hong Kong Island, a site that is not a typical cinema location, being neither a major retail destination, nor a position with significant through traffic.

ASIAN DISTRIBUTORS ON “GIANT PEAR”

European 2D animated film The Incredible Story Of The Giant Pear is set for release in Asia following the picture’s launch last month at the European Film Market in Berlin. Sales are handled by LevelK, the Danish sales agency which last year opened a Hong Kong office, headed by Derek Lui. The film which is now in production, has been pre -sold to South Korea’s Yejilim Entertainment, as well as to Century 21 for Iran and to ADS Service for Hungary & Romania. The kids and family targeted film is being co – directed by Philip Lipsky Einstein & Joergen Lerdam. Production on a Euros 3 million budget is by Thomas Heinesen & Trine Heidegaard at Nordisk Film, with animation by A Film.

TOP ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK RTL GROUP SEES NET PROFIT

RTL Group, Europe’s leading entertainment network, reported Thurs that its net profit rose 21% to €789 million ($865 million) last year. Revenue increased 3.8% to €6.03 billion ($6.61 billion), mainly driven by higher revenue at its German broadcaster Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, growing digital revenue and the effect of favorable exchange rates. Revenue reflected the group’s diversified portfolio, with 53.7% from TV & radio advertising, 22% from content sales, 8.4% from digital activities, 4.1% from platform revenue & 11.8% from other revenue. Digital has become a significant driver of growth for RTL Group: digital revenue was up 72.2% to €508 million ($557 million).

TIME RENEGADES HEADS CJ ENTERTAINMENT’S SLATE

My Sassy Girl director Kwak Jae – Yong is returning to Korean film making with Time Renegades, after making Chinese romantic comedy Meet Miss Anxiety. Time Renegades will be launched by sales agent CJ Entertainment at Hong Kong FilMart. Renegades is a time shifting romantic thriller about a high school teacher in 1983 and a detective in 2015 who join forces to change the fate of a woman they both love. Set for an Apr, 2016 opening in Korea, the picture stars Lim Soo – Jung, Jo Jung-suk & Lee Jin – Uk. CJ is also launching 2 other new titles at FilMart: action noir Phantom Detective & Vietnamese horror The Housemaid. Directed by A Werewolf Boy film maker Jo Sung – Hee, Phantom focuses on a private investigator with outstanding memory & a quirky personality who is entangled in a conspiracy while chasing the only target that he failed to catch.

SOUTH KOREA PROPOSES QUOTAS FOR ART MOVIES

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) floated the proposal Thurs as part of a 3 year action plan to promote local films. The Government agency, which is both a regulator and a financier of the industry, said that it may introduce the new system as a variation of the existing screen quota for local movies. These currently require all movie theaters in Korea to screen local films for a minimum of 73 days a year. With Korean made films enjoying a more than 50% share of ticket sales in the country the existing quotas currently have little operational impact on theaters. Details & timetable for adoption of the new quota system for art films has yet to be firmly decided. “We understand that it is practically impossible to impose the same rules on all exhibitors. Depending on the population of the city where each theater is located, and also the size of the theaters, unique requirements will be imposed,” said KOFIC chairman Kim Sae – Hoon at a press conference.

QUMRA EVENT WRAPS UP REAFFIRMING ITS KEY ROLE

The Doha Film Institute’s innovative Qumra workshop wrapped up its 2nd edition on 9th Mar, 2016 reaffirming its role as formidable facilitator for new voices in Arab cinema and beyond thanks to a format that’s getting great word of mouth, has attracted a larger North American presence this year, and looks set to build on its success going forward. Funa Maduka, global content buyer for Netflix; Matthew Takata head of the Sundance Institute’s international feature film program; Cara Mertes, who runs the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms; and Oscar winning British producer David Parfitt were amongst the roughly one hundred invited industryites attending the 3rd Mar, 2016 – 9th Mar, 2016 workshop with festival elements held this year in Doha’s inspiring I. M. Pei designed Museum of Islamic Art and the nearby funky Souq Wakif.

FILM BUSINESS POISED FOR A REBOUND

Indonesia’s stagnant media sector may get a shot in the arm after President Joko Widodo announced that the film industry would be taken off the so – called negative list of businesses in which foreign ownership was banned. The Feb, 2016 proclamation removes barriers in film production, distribution & exhibition, and holds out the possibility of huge changes in those areas. But there are still questions to be answered before foreigners can make more money in a market of 255 million. “This is a great, positive development for Indonesia. The lack of investment over the years has caused cinema to stagnate,” says Brian Riady, CEO of Cinemaxx, which has 150 screens in Indonesia.

2 MOVIES TOP GUADALAJARA FESTIVAL

Graced by Alfonso Cuaron, Antonio Banderas, Diego Luna, Danny Glover & Maya Rudolph, Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival gave its 2 biggest prizes to feature debuts, Mexico’s Pan – American Machinery & Colombia’s Oscuro Animal at Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival. Relocated, largely successfully, in the city’s stylish colonial MUSA Arts Museum, Guadalajara’s 31st edition was marked by 2 big new Mexican films, The 4th Company & Me Estas Matando, Susana, a heavyweight Mexican industry presence led by Argos, Canana, Alebrije Film & TV & Alazraki Ent., and the huge excitement generated by Latin America’s build in SVOD operators and their production financing, however narrow indie producers’ potential profit margins.

3 PRODUCTION UNITS TEAM UP ON ATTITUDE TEST

Jirafa Films & Forastero, 2 of Chile’s very top production outfits, are teaming to make Prueba De Actitud (Attitude Test), signalling the entry into more mainstream comedy, though still with social point, of 2 of Chile’s most prestigious production houses. Unveiled Thurs in early rough cut at the Miami Festival’s Encuentros pix -in – post competition, Attitude Test also marks the feature directorial debut of producer Augusto Matte & star Chilean stand – up comedian – actor -scribe Fabrizio Copano. Produced by Forastero partner Florencia Larrea, and co – directed by Jirafa Films producer Matte, teen comedy Attitude Test also reps a still relatively rare play for the young adult audience in Chile – addressed most notably to date by Nicolas Lopez in his F…k My… trilogy as well as a hallmark mix for Chile of genre – here suave party party comedy – and social issue concern.

ARGOS CINE TEAMS UP WITH BOB YARI

Mexico’s Argos Cine is teaming with both Bob Yari, producer of Crash & The Illusionist, to co – produce Luciérnagas En El Mozote (Fireflies At El Mozote) and with Spain’s Arturo Perez Reverte, author of Queen Of the South,” for a 2nd movie, The Man From Rome, an English language big – screen makeover of Reverte’s Seville, set thriller La Piel El Tambor, in deals that mark out Argos Cine and parent Argos Comunicacion as an ambitious go – to production partner in Mexico for both film & TV. Moving forward on the series Burn The Bridge, Argos Cine struck no fewer than 9 co -production deals at Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival, boarding 3 titles at its Co – production meeting – Chile’s Another Lake, Costa Rica’s Ballroom, and Mexico’s Night Of July – and 2 genre pic projects from Spanish producer Antonia Nava, agreeing to co -produce Ahinoa Menendez’s Eco & Gustavo Moheno’s Melisa. Argos Cine is the leading deal maker at Mexico’s Guadalajara Fest, which wrapped on 13th Mar, 2016.

LATIN AMERICA VOD ON THE APOSTATE

Who said distributors can no longer rely on TV sales? In a deal model which looks set to multiply in the Mexico, as competition in Latin America’s VOD space heats up, Eckehardt Von Damm’s Corazon Films has acquired all rights for Mexico and VOD for the whole of Latin America – both SVOD & TVOD, to Federico Veiroj’s The Apostate. “New VOD platforms in the region allow local distributors to be more aggressive as Latin American films become more palatable,” said Sandro Halphen, Corazon head of development & rights’ manager. Pick – up by Corazon Films, a production – distribution shingle that releases a mix of US Mexican movies, ticks off another major territory for The Apostate, an irreverent belated coming – of – age comedy from Spanish -Uruguayan director Veiroj which, world premiering at Toronto, won a Fipresci award & Special Jury Prize at San Sebastian.

GIANNI AMELIO SHOOTING THE TEMPTATION TO BE HAPPY

Pluriprized Italo auteur Gianni Amelio is back behind camera on an adaptation of The Temptation To Be Happy, a hot Naples set novel about a cynical old widower whose life is changed by a woman who is a victim of domestic violence. Neapolitan stage actor Renato Carpentieri, who starred in Amelio’s Oscar nominated Open Doors’, is playing the lead amid an A – list Italian cast also comprising Elio Germano; Giovanna Mezzogiorno & Micaela Ramazzotti. Pic is inspired by Neapolitan author Lorenzo Marone’s local bestseller “The Temptation to Be Happy,” which was among the Berlin Film Festival’s 2015 “Books At Berlinale,” selected in tandem with the Frankfurt book fair as tomes that could be the basis for good movies. Tale of wry self -centred 77 – year – old widower Cesare Annunziata who eventually rescues Emma, a younger woman who moves into his building and has a shady husband who beats her, has been a local best-seller. It is being published internationally in UK, France, Germany and other countries. Naples is becoming the Italian city attracting most attention from international culture vultures lately thanks to Elena Ferrante’s “Neapolitan Novels” now being made into a TV series by Fremantle & Fandango.

AMAZON PRIZE PRIME BOARDS BULLYPARADE – DER FILM

Amazon has acquired Warner Bros.’ upcoming comedy feature Bullyparade — Der Film from German multihyphenate funnyman Michael Bully Herbig. Based on Herbig’s cult TV comedy show that ran on German TV broadcaster ProSieben from 2001 to 2002, the pic will premiere on the premium Amazon Prime subscription VOD service 6 months after its theatrical run, Amazon said Thurs. Following his hit TV show, Herbig went on to make German cinematic history with such megahits as 2001’s comedy – western Der Schuh Des Manitu and 2004’s (T)Raumschiff Surprise — Periode 1, 2 of the highest earning German films of all time. Herbig’s Bullyparade co – stars Rick Kavanian & Christian Tramitz will also return for the big screen treatment. Herbig will direct from a script he co – wrote with Kavanian, Tramitz Alfons Biedermann. His herbX film is co -producing with Warner Bros.

ANTONIA ZEGERS SET FOR THE DOGS

Alfredo Castro, star of Venezuela’s 2015 Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar and all of fellow Chilean compatriot Pablo Larrain’s movies through the upcoming Neruda, and Antonia Zegers
will topline Los Perros (The Dogs), the anticipated 2nd feature by Chile’s Marcela Said. The Dogs” marks Said’s follow – up to The Summer Of Flying Fish, her debut, a critique of Chile’s bourgeoisie’s disavowal of political realities that was selected for Cannes’ 2013 Directors’ Fortnight, proved one of the new Latin American AMC – Sundance Channel’s 1st 2 pick – ups from Latin America, and established Said as one of Latin America’s distaff directors to track. Zegers will play Mariana, 40, a lonely upper – class woman who chafes at the role her father & husband have created for her of conceiving children.

2 COUNTRIES MAKING 1ST FICTION CO – PRODUCTION

Underscoring the rising collaboration among Latin American film makers, the 1st Panamanian – Argentinean fiction co – production is primed to start shooting in May, 2016. Panama Meets director Arianne M. Benedetti will be making her feature debut Mas Que Hermanos (Beyond Brotherhood) with Argentina’s Magma Cine (El Ardor) on board to co -produce with Benedetti’s Treehouse Studios & VFX Panama. 212 Productions, Ingrid Barajas’ US – based event organiser publisher of Flaunt Magazine, also co -produces and will handle the red carpet premiere of the pic in Los Angeles. At the end of the day, Hermanos will boast a cast and a crew from Panama, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia & US, said Benedetti. Dialogue will be in both Spanish & English. “Around 90% of the above – the – line crew will be female,” noted VFX owner senior producer Regina Barletta.