Archives for 2016

FILM MOVEMENT ACQUIRES US RIGHTS OF THE ARDENNES

New York based Film Movement has acquired all US rights to Toronto Discovery player The Ardennes, Robin Pront’s 1st feature film. Pic stars Veerl Baetens & Jeroen Perceval. Produced by Savage Film’s Bart Van Langendonck, whose credits include Michael Roskam’s Bullhead, and a new entry in a burgeoning line of gritty Flemish family crime sagas, The Ardennes narrates a tale of betrayal between two working class criminal brothers, which erupts in unexpected violence. Arthouse genre, one of the dominant trends in international’s newest cinema, The Ardennes was written by Perceval & Pront, adapting Perceval’s screenplay. “The Ardennes is raw & powerful”, said Film Movement’s prexy Michael E. Rosenberg, who closed the US pick – up with Xiaojuan Zhou, president of Attraction Distribution.

STRAND AQCUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS OF SPA NIGHT

Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Andrew Ahn’s feature debut Spa Night which world premiered at Sundance. A critically acclaimed pic, Spa Night earned its star Joe Seo a special jury prize for breakthrough performance in Park City. Set in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, Spa Night explores a Korean -American family’s dreams & realities as each struggles with the overlap of personal desire, disillusionment & sense of tradition. It centers on a closeted Korean – American teenager who takes a job at a Korean spa where he discovers an underground world of gay sex. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Strand Releasing. They have championed daring independent films by world class directors for over 2 decades. We are honored to be a part of this legacy,” said Ahn.

SHOUT! FACTORY BUZZED BY “MAYA THE BEE” SEQUEL

Los Angeles based Shout! Factory has acquired North American rights to animated feature Maya the Bee 2 – The Honey Games. The acquisition also covers other sequels to the 2014 hit Maya The Bee Movie and gives the company theatrical, video on -demand, digital, broadcast & home entertainment rights. The deal was struck with Studio 100 Media. The film is directed by Alexs Stadermann & produced by Studio 100 Media & Buzz Studios in association with Australia’s Flying Bark Prods. Delivery is set for 2017. Voice cast includes Coco Jack Gillies, Jacki Weaver, Miriam Margolyes, Richard Roxburgh, Noah Taylor, Kodi Smit – McPhee & Justine Clarke. The TV series and the 1st film are based on the century old German’s children’s novel. Popular in Europe, Australia & Asia, the self discovery tale about a bee and her animal friends was previously sold to some 160 territories.

ALTITUDE TEAMS UP WITH HOMELESS CHARITIES

Altitude Film Distribution has acquired distribution rights for the UK & Ireland to Oren Moverman’s Time Out Of Mind, which stars Richard Gere as a homeless man trying to survive in New York City. Altitude will be partnering with 2 homeless charities, Crisis & Centrepoint, on the release, which is set for 4th Mar, 2014. The distributor will seek to draw attention to the issue during a week long promotional tour Gere will make in UK, which will take in Dublin & Glasgow film festivals, Hamish Moseley, Altitude’s head of distribution said. “The film is about a very important subject, in the past 5 years since the 2010 general election, homelessness has spiraled into an epidemic in UK.”

LEONARDO DICAPRIO MOVIE DOMINATE BAFTA AWARDS

Alejandro G. Inarritu’s The Revenant came up trumps at 69th British Academy Film Awards on Sun night, nabbing 5 prizes including “Best Film”, “Best Director” & “Best Leading Actor”. George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road left the field with 4 BAFTA’s, all in the more technical fields, including “Best Costume Design”, “Best Production Design”, “Best Make Up & Hair” & “Best Editing”. The Martian, The Danish Girl, Carol & Ex -Machina all left empty handed this year. This year’s ceremony was a marked change for Inarritu compared to last year’s awards: in 2015, his pic Birdman, was up for 10 nominations but only came away with 1 win for “Best Cinematography”, given to Emmanuel Lubezki.

LIONSGATE UK ACQUIRES GHOST STORIES

Lionsgate UK Acquires distribution rights to Ghost Stories, based on the Olivier nominated supernatural stage production, co – written & directed by Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman, and set to star Martin Freeman & BAFTA award winner George MacKay with Andy Nyman reprising his role as Professor Goodman. Principal photography will start in Sept, 2016. Phillip Goodman, professor of psychology & arch – sceptic has his rationality tested to the hilt when he receives a letter apparently from beyond the grave. His mentor Charles Cameron, the original TV parapsychologist, went missing 15 years before, presumed dead and yet now he writes to Goodman saying that the pair must meet.

LITTLE MEN GOES TO UK’S ALTITUDE

In a major territory deal on a Sundance hit, Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to Ira Sachs’ Sundance crowd pleaser Little Men. Marking Altitude’s 2nd Sachs’ title after releasing Love Is Strange, deal was struck by Altitude Film Entertainment’s Ellie Gibbons Little Men’s sales agent, Charlotte Mickie at Mongrel International. Charting the unlikely friendship between Jake (Theo Tapitz), a sensitive middle school, and brash young neighbour Tony (Michael Barbieri), Little Men chronicles the moments when young teens begin to become the people they’ll be in adulthood. Warmly reviewed at Sundance Variety’s Peter Debruge called it “a little movie brimming with little truths about modern life”, Little Men co – stars Oscar nominated Greg Kinnear, BAFTA nominated Jennifer Ehle & Berlin “Best Actress” winner Paulina Garcia.

THE SQURE PREPS TV DRAMA DEBUT

Swedish helmer Ruben Ostlund is getting ready to direct The Square, a provocative satire that looks to be one of his most ambitious movies. He will most likely shoot it in English. Ostlund will be re – teaming with his co -producer / sales agent Philippe Bober at the co – production Office, which handled his hit Force Majeure. That pic world premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. The Square is set in a renowned museum where an artist is exhibiting a square, an installation that is meant to promote altruism, providing people with a symbolic space where only good things can happen. The Square will be produced by Ostlund’s Goteborg based shingle Plattform. Shooting will take place between Jul, 2016 & Oct, 2016.

FLX SIGNS EXCLUSIVE OUTPUT DEAL WITH SVENSK

Sweden based super – indie FLX, the company behind Nordic Box Office hit The 100 – Year – Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared, has signed an exclusive output deal with AB Svensk Filmindustri, one of Scandinavia’s biggest distributors. The pact covers the distribution of FLX’s upcoming features in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway & Iceland. Kicking off this year, the deal doesn’t, however, include the sequel to The 100 – Year – Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window, which Disney Nordic will distribute. FLX, which is headed by Felix Herngren, Pontus Edgren & Niclas Carlsson, is a subsidiary of Bonnier Growth Media and boasts a strong track record with features such as the $7 million The 100 – Year – Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared, which was handled by Studiocanal and racked up over $51 million worldwide.

MATCH FACTORY SWOOPS ON ESCALANTE’S UNTAMED

A predominant player at 2016 Berlin Film Festival, where it is selling 4 world premieres in competition, Michael Weber’s the Match Factory has secured international sales rights to one of Latin America’s big Cannes hopes: Untamed, from Cannes 2013 “Best Director” Amat Escalante. “We are thrilled to work with Amat Escalante, who adds an ideal combination of passion & ambition to his films,” said Michael Weber, managing director of Match Factory. “We’ve been collaborating with the Match Factory for at least 10 years. We have no doubt that Untamed is in best hands,” said Jaime Romandia, of Mantarraya, which produced the film. A social sci – fi drama about machismo, homophobia and the repression of women, shot in Escalante’s home town of Guanajuato, Untamed begins with a meteorite crashing into a mountain.

FILMNATION SELLS OUT INTERNATIONAL DRAMA

Glen Basner’s FilmNation Entertainment has sold out the world on Ritesh Batra’s The Sense of an Ending, one of a burgeoning slate of titles that FilmNation has either produced, financed or co – financed as it now builds rapidly as not only a sales but production -financing company. The Sense of an Ending stars Jim Broadbent, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery & Charlotte Rampling, and is co – financed by BBC Films & produced by Origin Pictures. International sales were completed at Berlin’s European Film Market after a special screening last Thurs of footage from FilmNation’s current production slate. In major deals, Sony has acquired Latin America & Eastern Europe; Wild Bunch has closed France, Germany, Italy & Spain; Studiocanal took UK; and Fox International Channels has acquired Pan – Asian pay TV rights. Longride (Japan), Roadshow (Australia), Svensk (Scandinavia), Mediasoft (South Korea), and Lumiere (Benelux) have picked up the drama that also stars Harriet Walter & Emily Mortimer. Amongst other territories closed are Greece (Spentzos), Israel (Lev), the Middle East (Italia), Portugal (Lusomundo), Switzerland (Frenetic), Turkey (Aqua), Hong Kong (Edko), India (PVR), Indonesia (Prima Cinema), Singapore (Shaw Renters) & South Africa (Ster Kinekor).

BRUNO DUMONT SET FOR JOAN OF ARC MUSICAL DRAMA

Bruno Dumont, whose 2013 Juliette Binoche starrer Camille Claudel 1915 competed in Berlin, will next be directing Jeanette, a musical drama based on Charles Peguy’s play Le Mystere De La Charite De Jeanne D’Arc. Produced by Jean Brehat for 3B Prods, Jeanette the musical will focus on the part of Peguy’s play that deals with Joan of Arc as a child, from age 8-12, when she started to embrace her sacred mission. Arte France Cinema is co -producing. Like 2014’s Li’l Quinquin, Dumont’s comedy -drama TV mini -series that premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight & sold worldwide, Jeanette is being produced for television but will be repped by a sales agent for theatrical distribution abroad.

TRUSTNORDISK INKS DEALS ON 3 MOVIES

TrustNordisk has closed raft of deals across its slate, including The Model, Magnus & Pyromaniac. The Model, directed by Sundance winning director Mads Matthiesen, stars Maria Palm as a young model struggling to make it in Parisian fashion industry. Her passion for a young photographer (Ed Skrein) turns into an obsession and propels her downfall. Pic sold to Latin America (California Films), China (HGC Entertainment), Russia CIS (Voxell Media), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Turkey (Ozen Film), Estonia (Estin Film), Lithuania (Incognito Film) & Former Yugoslavia (2i Film d.o.o.) with more territories currently in negotiation. Previous sales include France (AB Groupe), Poland (Kino Swiat), Korea (Scene & Sound), Bulgaria (Pro Films) & Middle East (Gulf Film). Magnus turns on the life of chess player Magnus Carlsen, who went from being bullied by his classmates to becoming World Chess Champion. It got sold to both Germany & Austria (NFP), Hong Kong (EDKO films Ltd.), former Yugoslavia (Discovery Film) & Benelux (September Film Rights).

THE INNOCENTS LURES BUYERS

Anne Fontaine’s The Innocents, a French drama that world premiered at Sundance, is proving one of the hottest foreign language art house movies for sale at Berlin’s EFM. Repped by Films Distribution, The Innocents has sold to Canada (Mongrel), Japan (Longride), Spain (Caramel), Brazil (Mares), Mexique (Alebrije), Italy (Goodfilms), Denmark (FilmBazar), Switzerland /Finland (Edge), Norway (Tour de Force), Portugal (Films for You), Greece (Feel Good), Switzerland (Agora), Belgium (Imagine) & Colombia (Cinecolombia). Set in Poland in Dec, 1945, The Innocents stars Lou De Laage as Mathilde, a young French Red Cross doctor based in Warsaw who crosses paths with a nun seeking her help. Entering into the convent, she soon discovers that the entire order has been profoundly traumatized and several nuns are pregnant from a series of brutal sexual assaults by the “liberating” Red Army.

BILLE AUGUST SEWS UP GIANNI VERSACE BIOPIC

Danish helmer Bille August is set to travel to Italy to direct Versace, an English language biopic of the late fashion designer Gianni Versace. The movie is being lead produced by Italy’s Oberon Prods. Jesper Morthorst at Svensk Filmindustri is co -producing. Versace will chronicle the designer’s rise to fame in the late 1970s, when he launched the brand, and end with his murder in 1997, when he was shot & killed at his Miami mansion. “It will be a biopic in the vein of Walk The Line. It will portray a genius fighting his own demons, and it will be uplifting & moving rather than being dark & tragic,” said Morthorst. Versace struggled his whole life to find an inner peace & love, and he had finally found both just before he was killed. The $12 million movie will be co – produced by Spanish & Belgian partners.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH TO NARRATE D0CUMENTARY NAPLES 44

Benedict Cumberbatch has been recruited as voice talent to narrate high -profile documentary Naples 44 by Italian director
Francesco Patierno, based on the eponymous diary by British travel writer Norman Lewis about his experience as a British intelligence officer in the southern Italian port city following its liberation from Nazi forces. Cumberbatch is voicing Lewis who wrote the memoir while he was a sergeant in the Field Security Service of the British Army Intelligence Corps in southern Italy from Sept, 1943 to Oct, 1944. In his widely sold book he recorded the desperate lives of Neapolitan civilians who survived by relying on all types of subterfuges, and also prostitution, thievery, & beliefs in miracles & cures. Patierno, who is known for gritty drama Pater Familias and documentary The War Of The Volcanoes about how Roberto Rossellini left Anna Magnani for Ingrid Bergman, is directing Naples 44 using both archive & feature film footage, accompanied by Cumberbatch’s narration.

LUCIA PUENZO PREPS ENGLISH LANGUAGE DRAMA BARBE BLEUE

Argentina’s Lucia Puenzo, one of Latin America’s most notable distaff directors, will make her French language helming debut with Barbe Bleue. Pic is inspired by Amelie Nothomb’s 2012 novel and set in a modern day Paris. Written by Puenzo & Sergio Bizzi, Barbe Bleue is produced by Luis & Lucia Puenzo at Argentina’s Historias Cinematograficas, Francis Boespflug & Stephane Parthenay at Paris based Pyramide Prods. Barbe Bleue centers on the growing attraction of Severine, who restores paintings at the Louvre, with Elemerio, who rents her a suspiciously cheap room in a luxurious Paris mansion. She falls under his spell when he offers her the chance to restore Waterhouse’s Hylas And The Nymphs,” which he’s stolen. They become lovers, but she also investigates, “like a detective in her own horror film,” perLuis Puenzo, the fates of other young women who once lived in the mansion.

TELEFONICA STUDIOS FURTHERS DRIVE INTO LATIN AMERICA

Telefonica Studios, the film – TV production arm of telco giant Telefonica, already a key player in Spain Argentina, is taking another step into Latin America teaming with Cactus Flower & Mono Films on the Colombia shot romantic thriller Orbita 9. Part of Movistar Plus, which takes in Spain’s biggest pay TV & SVOD operation, Telefonica Studios has seen large success in Argentina, co -producing with El Deseo & Artgentina’s top broadcaster Telefe & K & S Films the country’s biggest breakout titles: Oscar shortlisted Wild Tales, a Sony Pictures Classics US hit & The Clan, Pablo Trapero’s 2015 Venice “Best Director” winner. The anticipated debut of Hatem Khraiche, screenwriter of the Cactus Flower co -produced The Hidden Face and one of Spain’s most talked up young talents, “Orbita 9” is totally Spanish. Its Colombia shoot, use of cash rebates & link up with Colombia’s top movie
producer Dynamo, which provides services, as it did on Narcos, which it executive produces reps one further step, however, in Telefonica Studios’ increased movie presence in Latin America, where it is already one of the region’s most important telcos.

Chandrakant Singh is a film maker who insists that he is perennial student who learns from life, from other people’s lives, from watching cinema and creates cinema through that experience. He avers, “As a film maker, I have observed there are some very poignant imbalances in interpersonal relationships between men & women based on social norms & perspectives and I try to present them in my films.”

He continues further, “Men & women are supposed to be equal partners, yet, when it comes to sex, women are looked down upon if they are open about their urges & desires. Why do men feel insecure with such women? Why does society expect women to curb their own sexuality. This is hypocrisy, both, at a personal level and within society that percolates across socio – economic levels and is apparently also immune to wealth & education. This is a subject that is a part of everyday life in almost every family across India, yet it is glossed over or ignored by most film makers. My film Six X takes a shot at it. It is being co – produced by Shadab Khan. My casting includes some of the top talent available within the Industry. Ashmit Patel, Sofia Hayat, Sweta Tiwari, Andria Dsouza, Anusmriti Sarkar, Rashmi Desai, Hrishita Bhatt & Zaid Shaikh are some of the cast. Some of my initial previews within the industry and outside including some non -Indian friends from varied parts of the World, elicited an almost universal refrain: they did not see this as an Indian problem alone but a World phenomena, even in the developed world.”

Chanderkant Singh rounded off the interview session with a conclusion, “Cannes is an international meeting place for film makers and talent from all across the world, a showplace for world cinema. World cinema, to me, is actually cinema that is at harmony with human emotions. Films like The Lunch Box and others have more than proved that ever so often. And that is why I was there. I was there for a bigger reason than selling my film. I was looking for co – producers, investors, actors for my next project and other projects that need global inputs at all levels in between, I showed my film Six X, saw other films and discovered a mutual meeting point for us all. That was why I was here at Cannes to present my film at the market and also to see a lot of films and their makers and hopefully discover points at which we can meet mutually.”