SATINE NOIR PICKS UP ‘RETRIBUTION’

Indie Italian distributor Satine Film has created a genre label, Satine Noir and made its 1st acquisition, buying Dani De La Torre’s ‘Retribution’ in a deal broached & sealed at Venice Fest. Pic unspools in Venice Days. Satine has also optioned Italian remake rights to Lucas Belvaux’s ‘Not My Type’, a tragic tale of class snobbery, starring Emilie Dequenne. Satine Noir will release a highly select numbrer of titles, not just horror fare but thrillers & action movies, taking genre in a broader sense, Satine Film’s acquisitions & co -productions head Claudia Bedogni told Variety. Produced by Spain’s Vaca Films & Atresmedia Cine, ‘Retribution’, an action thriller set against the background of Spain’s banking crisis, will be given an arthouse style release in the spring, she added. Bedogni & Film Factory head Vicente Canales sealed the deal at the Venice Film Market. Since founding Satine in 2013, Bedogni has seen considerable success, starting with Sundance hit “Beasts Of The Southern Wild’, releasing films that are “not pure popcorn movies but talk about serious ideas,” as she told Variety on Lido. “Beasts” and other pick-ups ‘The Broken Circle Breakdown’, Belvaux’s ‘Not My Type’ have all sold over 100,000 admissions in Italy, Bedogni said.

SPT NETWORK LAUNCHES VOD PLATFORM

Sony’s cable / sat network AXN Latin America can now be seen everywhere and on demand in the region via its new VOD platform AXN Play. More than a 100 hours of programming are available on AXN Play, allowing auds to catch up on earlier episodes of such hit shows as ‘Hannibal’, ‘Scorpion’ & ‘Helix’. AXN Play will also offer the latest episodes of ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘CSI Cyber’, ‘Hannibal’ & ‘Crossing Lines’ after they air on AXN Network. AXN Play apps for smartphones & tablets are due to launch during the 4th quarter of 2015. AXN Play and the recently launched Canal Sony Play are available to subscribers of the following operators in Latin America and the Caribbean: DirecTV pan – regional; Dish in Mexico; TCC, Nuevo Siglo & Montecable in Uruguay; Telefonica of Coyhaique, Telefonica del Sur & GTD -Manquehue in Chile; Cable Onda in Panama & TV Cable in Ecuador. SPT Networks Latin America is in talks with other operators in the region to further expand the reach of both VOD platforms.

AMIR TO SHOOT ‘MOUNTAIN’ IN ITALY

US based Iranian auteur Amir Naderi, who is a Venice fest aficionado, will shoot his 1st feature in Italian, titled ‘Mountain’, set in a semi – abandoned village at the foothills of an Alpine peak. It follows his Japan set ‘The Cut’ & ‘Vegas: Based On A True Story’, in competition on Lido in 2008. ‘The Cut’, which was an homage to Yakuza Movies, opened the fest’s Horizons section in 2011. Nader was also in Venice last year with ‘Mise En Scene: A Conversation With Arthur Penn’, which was in the fest’s classics section. The highly symbolic ‘Mountain’ is set centuries ago in a village under Mount Latemar, in Italy’s Alto Adige region, where a farmer and his wife struggle with the fact that the 2,500 meter tall peak keeps the sun from shining on their crops. “The film is 100% in Italian, though, like my other movies, there isn’t that much dialogue in it,” Naderi said. “In all my movies I try to push the characters in different cultures, different countries, different situations. “Ultimately my characters are all survivors, because I believe humans should always make something impossible possible,” he added.

VINCENT SHAKES UP CANAL PLUS MANAGEMENT

Named chairman of Vivendi and its crown jewel Canal Plus last week, the shrewd and hands on Brittany born tycoon Vincent Bollore has launched a vast shakeup of Canal Plus’ management to consolidate its business and streamline its operations with Vivendi’s. Underlining his strategy in a letter to the company’s employees, Bollore said the paybox group will now be totally integrated into Vivendi along with the other major Vivendi subsidiaries, Universal Music & Daily motion. As such, Bollore, who became a majority shareholder of Vivendi in Apr, 2015 and shortly thereafter got rid of Canal Plus chief Rodolphe Belmer, has proceeded to ax more key Canal Plus execs, notably the head of cinema Nathalie Coste – Cerdan, who was replaced by Didier Lupfer, the former boss of production & development at Ubisoft Motion Pictures. Bollore also tapped Guillaume Zeller to run the news & Thierry Cheleman as head of sports. The only remaining pillars of Canal Plus are Fabrice De La Patelliere, the boss of fiction & Manuel Alduy who handles the company’s web & digital offerings.

TEAMTO & THURISTAR KICKS OFF PRODUCTION

Leading French animation shingle TeamTO & Belgian outfit have started the production of CGI animated medieval series ‘My Knight And Me’. The toon skein has been pre – bought by Canal + Family, Teletoon +, Super RTL, VRT – Ketnet, RTBF – Ouftivi & distributor Cake Entertainment. “Modern everyday heroes accomplish extraordinary challenges, in incredible settings worthy of a classic chivalry film all with tremendous humor. This show genuinely has all ingredients of a great show,” said Laurence Blaevoet, director of kids programming at Canal Plus. A spinoff of Thuristar’s short film ‘850 Meters’, ‘My Knight And Me’ centers on the adventures of Jimmy the Squire & Cat the Princess who are best friends at Epic High. Thuristar is producing short imaginary 2D sequences while TeamTO is handling the 3D animation. “We are very excited to produce a 2nd series with Joeri Christiaen. The quality of his pacing is simply remarkable, while his very particular & distinct sense of humor is one of a kind,” said TeamTO exec producer Corinne Kouper.

FREMANTLEMEDIA NABS FRENCH PRODUCTION COMPANY

Aiming to further expand its presence globally,FremantleMedia has acquired a 51% stake in Fontaram, the French scripted company recently launched by producer / writer partners François Aramburu & Pascal Fontanille. The deal with Fontaram, which follows the acquisition of Italian TV & film company Wildside, was brokered by FremantleMedia France CEO Monica Galer, who will have a seat on the board of the new company.

“François (Aramburu) & Pascale (Fontanille) are incredibly talented drama producers with a wealth of experience & long standing relationships with all of the major French broadcasters. This is an important deal for FremantleMedia as we establish our scripted presence in France and I look forward to a successful creative partnership with the duo.” François Aramburu & Pascal Fontanille said that their partnership with FremantleMedia would give their “new production company the best possible foundation to grow while also fulfilling our creative ambition.” The pair added, “Joining an international group to produce French drama &b international co – production both broadens our opportunities and allows us to develop new content, within an environment that is constantly changing.”

NBCUNIVERSAL SIGNS A MOVIE DEAL WITH CHINA’S ALIBABA

NBCUniversal International has signed a multi – year licensing pact with China’s Alibaba Group, the world’s largest e – commerce company. The agreement encompasses titles from Universal Pictures’ new release & library slate, available on Alibaba’s TMall Box Office service from this month. Included in the Alibaba deal are $1 billion – topping blockbusters ‘Fast & Furious 7’ & ‘Jurassic World’, which were also box office hits in China, as well as ‘Minions’, set for a 3D release in China on 13th Sept, 2015. Universal Pictures has enjoyed a record breaking year around the globe, achieving the highest grossing box office in a year for any studio, both in US and internationally. The agreement forms part of NBCUniversal’s ongoing plans to expand its businesses outside US, particularly in key consumer growth markets such as China, where subscription VOD is forecast to grow rapidly in the next few years. Kevin MacLellan, chairman, NBCUniversal International, commented: “This partnership will continue to increase our reach in the market, as well as driving additional revenues for us in Asia. NBCUniversal is committed to licensing high – quality programming to Chinese platforms in order to provide great entertainment experiences to the Chinese audience.”

‘BABY(A)LONE’ SELECTED FOR OSCAR RACE

Luxembourg has selected Donato Rotunno’s ‘Baby(a)lone’ to be considered for a foreign language Oscar nomination. Adapted from Tullio Forgiarini’s novel “Amok” ‘Baby(A)lone’ takes place in an affluent, contemporary Europe and centers on a girl & a boy who forge a unique partnership which involves violence but is meant to help them find love & hope. ‘Baby(a)lone’ is co – produced by Luxembourg’s Iris Productions & Belgium’s Iris Film. It premiered at the Luxembourg City Film Festival in Mar, 2015 followed by selections at the Stockholm Junior Film Festival in Apr, 2014 & the Brussels Film Festival. The movie stars teenage actors Joshua Defays & Charlotte Elsen along with Etienne Halsdorf, Gintare Parulyte & Fabienne Hollwege. Luxembourg took home its 1st ever Oscar in 2014 with Laurent Witz & Alexandre Espigares’ animated short ‘Mr. Hublot’. The deadline to submit Oscar foreign language entries is 1st Oct, 2015. The nominations will be announced on 16th Jan, 2016 and the Academy Awards will take place on 28th Feb, 2O16 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

‘PARADISE SUITE BOOKED AS DUTCH CANDIDATE FOR OSCAR RACE

Joost Van Ginkel’s ‘The Paradise Suite’, which will world premiere at Toronto, is set to represent the Netherlands in foreign language Oscar nominations’ race. Pic depicts the lives of 6 people from different places & backgrounds who become inextricably linked in Amsterdam. Penned by Van Ginkel, the movie is “a profound & lyrical reflection on human resilience in the face of ongoing evil within 21st Century Europe,” stated the Dutch film institute. The film’s characters include a young Bulgarian woman, an African woman, Serbian war criminal, a Bosnian man, a Swedish piano prodige & his father. Set to premiere in Toronto’s Discovery section, ‘Paradise Suite’ features an international cast: Issaka Sawadogo, Anjela Nedyalkova, Magnus Krepper, Raymond Thiry & Dragan Bakema.

ARNOLD TO RECEIVE ZURICH FILM FEST AWARD

The Zurich Film Festival will honor Arnold Schwarzenegger with its Golden Icon Award, which is the event’s top trophy. Schwarzenegger will receive the award, which recognizes the lifetime achievements of an actor or actress, on 30th Sept, 2015. Schwarzenegger also will present his latest film, ‘Maggie’ and discuss his body of work at a workshop presented within the public ZFF Masters series. “We are extraordinarily proud to welcome Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of Hollywood’s most iconic legends, to Zurich and are delighted that he will share his films & stories with our public,” said the festival’s artistic director Karl Spoerri. “Arnold has had a transformative career that no one in Hollywood can match & established himself as a global brand, even beyond the box office. We are honored to present him with our Golden Icon award at this year’s festival.” As well as his career as an actor, the award recognizes his public service as California’s 38th Governor.

KIEFER TO RECEIVE ZURICH FILM FEST AWARD

Kiefer Sutherland, who won 2 Screen Actors Guild awards, an Emmy & a Golden Globe for his role as Jack Bauer in ’24’, will be the recipient of the Zurich Film Fest’s Golden Eye award, which he will receive on 25th Sept, 2015. “The way Kiefer Sutherland has reinvented himself throughout his career is a testament to the rare acting skills he exhibited at a young age and honed as his roles evolved through various mediums,” said ZFF directors Karl Spoerri & Nadja Schildknecht. The Western inspired film ‘Forsaken’, in which Sutherland stars alongside his father, ‘Hunger Games’ star Donald Sutherland, Demi Moore & Brian Cox, has been selected for a gala premiere. The film is helmed by Jon Cassar, who won Directors Guild of America awards for ’24’ & ‘The Kennedys’, and is adapted from a script by Brad Mirman. The producers are Kevin DeWalt, Gary Howsam, Bill Marks, Josh Miller & Isabella Marchese Ragona. The festival runs from 24th Sept, 2015 to 4th Oct, 2015.

FOX TV SWEDEN PICKS UP ‘LIMITLESS’

Fox TV Sweden has acquired ‘Limitless’, the TV drama based on the eponymous feature film starring Bradley Cooper, from CBS Studios International. The series centers around Brian Finch (Jake McDorman), an ordinary man who discovers the brain boosting power of a mysterious drug known as NZT and is coerced by the FBI into using his extraordinary cognitive skills to help them solve complicated cases. McDorman stars opposite Jennifer Carpenter who plays a highly skilled special agent with a dark past, Hill Harper as a former military officer who has become a special agent, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as a canny manipulator who is in charge of special agents and has a clandestine relationship with a shady senator and presidential hopeful played by Bradley Cooper. ‘Limitless’ is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with K / O Paper Products & Relativity Television. Repped by CBS Studios International, the series is exec produced by Craig Sweeny, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Heather Kadin, Marc Webb, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley & Tom Forman. ‘Limitless’ will premiere on Fox on 12th Oct, 2015.

‘RAMS’ TO VIE FOR OSCAR NOMCANNES

Un Certain Regard winner ‘Rams’ has been selected by the Icelandic Film & TV Academy to compete for a Foreign language Oscar nomination. Directed & written by Grímur Hákonarson, ‘Rams’ is produced by Grímar Jónsson for Netop Films & co – produced by Ditte Milsted & Jacob Jarek for Profile Pictures. A tragicomedy, ‘Rams’ tells the story of 2 brothers who haven’t spoken to each other in 40 years & live side by side in a remote Icelandic farming valley, tending to their sheep stock & prized rams who are considered one of the country’s best. When the entire valley comes under threat because of a lethal sheep disease the brothers are forced together to save what’s dearest to them their sheep. New Europe Film Sales has sold the film to over 40 territories including US with Cohen Media Group. Most releases are being scheduled between Nov & Feb. ‘Rams’ played at Karlovy Vary and will next screen at Telluride & Toronto. Besides Un Certain Regard, ‘Rams’ has won a flurry of prizes, notably the special jury nod & the audience award at the Transilvania fest & the Golden Tower for “Best Film” at the European Film Festival Palic in Serbia. ‘Rams’ also received a nomination for the LUX Prize, the annual film award given by the European Parliament and is among the 52 films on the European Film Academy’s selection list for the European Film Awards.

‘THE WAVE’ RIDES FOR OSCAR RACE

Norway has selected Roar Uthaug’s disaster movie ‘The Wave’ to represent the Nordic country in the foreign language Oscar race. An epic tale based on the 1934 Tsunami which killed 40 people in Norway’s Tafjord, ‘The Wave’ takes place in contemporary Norway and centers around a geologist who realizes the inferno is about to hit. “The Wave is Norway’s & the Nordic countries’ disaster movie; as a genre film with a well – written script, superbly directed, with great acting performances, the committee believes that it will make an impression in the Oscar race,” said Sindre Guldvog, who chairs the Norwegian Oscar Committee and runs the Norwegian Film Institute. Uthaug’s 4th feature, ‘The Wave’ will world premiere at Toronto. It had its Norwegian premiere at Haugesund film fest in Aug, 2015 and was released domestically on 28th Aug, 2015.

Produced by Martin Sundland & Are Heidenstrøm for Fantefilm Fiksjon, ‘The Wave’ stars up & comer Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp, Jonas Hoff Oftebro & Fritjof Såheim. ‘The Wave’ was selected out of 21 Norwegian movies. The 2 other frontrunners were Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken’s ‘Returning Home’ (‘Å Vende Tilbake’) & Anne Sewitsky’s ‘Homesick’ (‘De nærmeste’).

WIDE ROLLS OUT “NOJOOM”

Paris based Wide, headed by Loic Magneron, has clinched 1st sales on ‘I Am Nojoom Age 10 & Divorced’, the 2014 Dubai Fest best fiction film winner. Deals for US distribution with Film Movement & for Canada on the Wide – sold ‘2 Nights Till Morning’ have just closed in the run – up to Toronto, rolling off its Montreal Fest best director win; Wide has also clinched a French all – rights deal on ‘Wonderland’, one of Locarno’s big new Swiss films. France (Synergy Films), Spain (Splendor Films), Sweden (ACIS, for TV & VOD), Turkey (Sinema TV), Brazil (Esfera Filmes), Taiwan (Movie Cloud) & Thailand (Yodmala Co Ltd) have closed on “Nojoom”, a social issue meller centering on a 10 year old Yemeni child bride who rebels against her fate helmed by documentarian / writer Khadija Al – Salami, a child bride at 11, in her 1st fiction feature. “A lot of distributors felt very passionate about it and really wanted the subject to be better known,” said Georgia Poivre, a Wide sales exec. K Films has picked up all rights to Quebec on the English language debut of Helsinki based Mikko Kuparinen, ‘2 Nights Till Morning’. “We had just started showing “2 Nights” to Quebecois buyers in Montreal and have already closed a deal, which shows how universal & emotional the film is,” Wide’s Magneron told.

KINO ACQUIRES US RIGHTS TO ‘TIKKUN’

Kino Lorber has snatched up all US rights to Avishai Sivan’s ‘Tikkun’, the daring black & white Israeli drama that just played Telluride & won prizes at this year’s Jerusalem & Locarno fests. Sold by Bleiberg Entertainment, ‘Tikkun’ stars Aharon Traitel as Haim -Aaron, a bright, ultra – Orthodox religious scholar living in Jerusalem who loses consciousness after collapsing and is brought back to life by his father (Khalifa Natour). After the accident, Haim – Aaron starts grappling with faith while his father is tormented by the fear of having crossed God’s will on the night he resuscitated his son. ‘Tikkun’ has had a stellar run in the festivals circuit. It won best film, screenplay, cinematography & actor for Khalifa Natour at the Jerusalem fest. It also scooped up the Silver Leopard (special jury prize), a special mention for its cinematography and the independently conferred Don Quijote Prize at the Locarno festival. This deal was negotiated between Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber & Bleiberg Entertainment’s head Ehud Bleiberg. “Brilliantly penetrating the rarely glimpsed inner sanctum of Hasidic life, director Avishai Sivan reveals the carnal consequences of spiritual constraint in the riveting performance of his tormented protagonist,” said Lorber.

HIGH – END DRAMA POWERS FRANCE

The US is getting the French TV touch. Pre – sales on 4 flagship French fiction series ‘Transporter: The Series’, ‘Panthers’, ‘Versailles’ & ‘Taxi Brooklyn’  to US or beyond helped power up Gallic TV exports to an all time record last year of €210.3 million ($231.3 million). A muscular 17.1% up on 2013, figure reps the 5th year of consecutive growth for French TV programs and is near 30% up on international French TV levels in pre – crisis years of 2005 – 2008, TV France International & French agency CNC announced recently at TVFI’s annual Biarritz Rendez – Vous. Drama pre – sales soared an extraordinary 449% year – on – year in 2014. If any figures were needed to demonstrate that it is not only US that is benefitting from a fiction feeding frenzy, Recent Gallic stats announcement was conclusive. “There’s been a crisis but exports have really picked up,” said Mathieu Bejot, TVFI head. Beyond US & UK  galvanised by sales of ‘Panthers’, a Warp Films / Haut et Court production, ‘Versailles’, produced by Capa Drama and an iconic Canal Plus Original Series  & Germany where Profilages played well on ProSiebenSat were key export markets for drama in Western Europe.

BBC CHIEF TONY SETS OUT VISION

Tony Hall, director general of UK broadcaster BBC, set out recently on how it will respond to challenges & opportunities posed by the internet era. Speaking at the Science Museum in London, Hall said that as the network negotiated with the Government to formulate a new Charter, the agreement that defines its purpose and the scope of its operations, it had the chance to refine itself to fit the demands of the new media environment. Hall said that the watchwords of BBC were “creative freedom”, “universal reach” & “trust & consent” and that it should stand for “excellence without arrogance.” He stated that one of its central challenges was to adapt to technological change, as it had done throughout its history. “The challenge we face up to in what we’re publishing today is how to continue to achieve excellence in a time of change,” he said. He said the BBC, since its formation in 1922, had never faced such significant technological challenges as it does now. “I wonder whether there has ever been a technological challenge as bracing & exciting as this one. As bracing as the challenges & opportunities posed by the internet,” he said.

DANIEL JOINS AMUSEMENT PARK

Daniel Bruhl, who stars in Marvel’s upcoming ‘Captain America: Civil War’, is to become a partner at Berlin & Hamburg based production company Amusement Park Film. He joins forces with Malte Grunert & Klaus Dohle as a producer with the aim of finding, developing & producing material across both film & television and with a focus on English language product. Bruhl & Grunert, who previously worked together on Anton Corbijn’s ‘A Most Wanted Man’, are both attending the Toronto Film Festival this week with their own projects. Bruhl will be in town to support ‘Colonia’, Florian Gallenberger’s thriller set in 1973 in Chile, in which he co – stars with Emma Watson. It receives its world premiere on 13th Sept, 2015. Grunert will be attending with director Martin Zandvliet for ‘Land Of Mine’, a Danish /German co – production set in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The film opened the new Platform section on 10th Sept, 2015.

PORTA & BRAGAS TEAM UP WITH CURTIS

UK director & screenwriter Richard Curtis, digital sensation Porta dos Fundos & multi – platform production pioneers Los Bragas are teaming in Brazil on a new approach to global change, as part of one of the most ambitious communication campaign in history. On 25th Sept, 2015, 193 world leaders will commit to 17 United Nations Global Goals. These aim to end extreme poverty, fight inequality & injustice and fix climate change for everyone by 2030. But if UN wants to change the world, strategies for implementing that change are changing too. And Brazil, where the strategy is both glocal & digital, is a very good case in point. The goals, if met, ensure the health, safety & future of the planet for everyone on it. And their best chance of being met is if everyone on the planet is aware of them. So, in an out – of – the – box move, Curtis has founded Project Everyonewhose “simple but mighty ambition,” as he puts it, is to share the global goals with 7 billion people in seven days this September.

‘THE JUDGEMENT’ SELECTED AS AWARD ENTRY

Stephan Komandarev’s ‘The Judgment’ has been selected as Bulgaria’s entry in the foreign language film category of the Academy Awards. The decision was made by the National Council for Cinema. It is the 2nd time that a film from Komandarev has been chosen to represent the country at the Oscars. In 2009 his film ‘The World Is Big And Salvation Lurks Around The Corner’ was one of the 9 films to be shortlisted for the foreign language Oscar. ‘The Judgment’ is about Mityo and his son Vasko, who live in a poor area, near the Bulgarian – Turkish – Greek border. Finding himself at a dead end, Mityo agrees to work for his former commander from his time in the military: His job is to smuggle illegal immigrants from Syria across the border and into European Union. Mityo has lost everything that has mattered to him: his wife, his work & his son’s trust. In order to gain Vasko’s trust again, Mityo has to seek forgiveness for a sin he committed 25 years earlier. The film was produced by Komandarev & Katia Trichkova at Argo Film.

VIDEA STUDIOS OPENS TO INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS

Italy’s Videa Studios, the facilities near Rome founded in 1960’s by producer Franco Cristaldi where Italian cinema classics by Luchino Visconti, Francesco Rosi & also Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Cinema Paradiso” were shot, are looking to lure international productions by offering production services plus potential co – production partnerships to indie pictures that could be released in Italy via their Videa distribution side. Among other titles that Videa will be releasing in Italy are Stephen Frears’ Lance Armstrong biopic ‘The Program’. Videa is owned by Italian TV producer & film distributor Sandro Parenzo. “Besides owning these studios, we are a distribution company,” says Videa executive Angelica Canevari. “The idea of opening the market to international production stems more from us as film distributors than from our owning the studios,” she added. That is not to say that they are not open to other ways of doing business. The studios currently host several Italian TV shows. Videa Studios’ move to expand activities internationally is also prompted by Italy’s generous tax credits which offer a 25% cash back deduction with no per project cap to both film & TV productions.

LUCA TALKS OF MAKING “SPLASH”

6 years after launching ‘I Am Love’ from Venice, Luca Guadagnino is back on the Lido with the more ambitious ‘A Bigger Splash’, a psychological drama about a rock star & a photographer (Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts, respectively) whose vacation on the sun drenched Sicilian island of Pantelleria takes an unexpected turn when a record producer (Ralph Fiennes) & his daughter (Dakota Johnson) burst on the scene. Guadagnino spoke about the process that led to making “Splash” which Fox Searchlight has set for a 13th May, 2016.

DEPP & REDMAYNE FILMS ENERGIZE VENIC MARKET

Galvanised by star laden titles, which brought Jake Gyllenhaal (‘Everest’), Johnny Depp (‘Black Mass’), Eddy Redmayne (‘The Danish Girl’) & Kristen Stewart Nicholas Hoult (‘Equals’) to the Lido and a star studded glam jury including Elizabeth Banks & Diane Kruger  its looks as if the 72nd Venice Film Festival will go down as one of the highest profile in recent years as the fest nears its midpoint. Oscar speculation ran rife. ‘The Danish Girl’ received a 10 minute standing ovation at its Venice gala world premiere with Redmayne earmarked as a clear Academy Awards contender. As was Depp, whose press conference was packed. A brace of early films charmed critics, led by “Spotlight” with Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo & Rachel Adams, with many reckoning it was director Tom McCarthy’s best work to date and ‘Marguerite’, which Variety critic Peter Debruge called “an exquisite satire.” “Venice is not so much of a film market as Toronto. But the press is very reactive in Venice,” said Films Boutique’s Jean – Christophe Simon, adding that the positive reaction to Alexander Sokurov’s ‘Francofonia’ will help him sell it in Toronto.

3 MOVIES DEBUTS AT PREMIERE BRASIL

Marcos Jorge’s ‘In Dog’s Words’, Ruy Guerra’s ‘Oblivious Memory’ & Roberto Berliner’s ‘Nise The Heart Of Madness’ will world preem in Premiere Brasil, the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival’s centerpiece section. Screening new works from both established & emerging directors representing a broad spectrum of Brazil’s cultural themes & regions, Premiere Brasil marks a standout annual global showcase of contemporary Brazilian cinema. “Words”, “Memory” & “Nise” all play in the feature film section of Premiere Brasil, which also hosts the world premieres of Alberto Graça’s Lisbon set erotic romancer ‘Beatriz’, co – produced by MPC & Associados with Portugal’s Filmes do Tejo & Marina Person’s coming – of – age drama ‘California’, a Ventana Sur 2014 Primer Corte player, produced by Sao Paulo’s Mira Filmes, & acquired by Brazilian distrib Vitrine Filmes.

A NEW FACE OF LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA

Playing in Venice Horizons, ‘Kill Me Please’, the feature debut of Brazil’s Anita Rocha Da Silveira, reveals one of the new faces of Latin American cinema. The pic is part of the growing trend of pan – regional co – production, as it was produced by 2 of Latin America’s most energetic co -production practitioners: Rio De Janeiro based Bananeira Films and Argentina’s REI Cinema, headed by Benjamin Domenech and Santiago. No favela poverty drama, “Kill Me” is set at an exclusive high school in Rio de Janeiro’s Barra De Tijuca, which will host much of 2016 Olympics, a zone of new high rises and seemingly endless real estate construction. Produced by a woman  Bananeira’s Vania Catani  ‘Kill Me, Please’ is also directed by a woman and a new member, that of Latin America’s growing breed of genre auteurs. Skewering the new Brazilian Dream and half serial killer suspenser, ‘Kill Me, Please’ is also a coming of age dramedy. Story follows 15 year old Bia and her gaggle of friends after a girl’s body is found near the school. They react with morbid curiosity as more corpses appear and Bia becomes obsessed by the crimes. When not worrying about crimes, they play volleyball, go shopping & dress in expensive clothes.

M – APPEAL TAKES GLOBAL SALES ON ‘BLANKA’

Maren Kroymann’s Berlin based sales company M – Appeal has picked up world sales on ‘Blanka’, an Italian production shepherded through the Venice fest Biennale College initiative and shot in the Philippines by 1st time Japanese director Kohki Hasei. Pic about a 11 year old girl who survives alone in Manila begging & stealing from tourists is produced by Italy’s Flaminio Zadra through Biennale College which finances & shepherds micro – budget works with potential to travel from development through distribution. Abandoned by her mother Blanka is on a quest to raise money to “buy” a new mom, only to find that a family is made up of those who love you. The world preem took place recently on Lido, while the final screening of ‘Blanka’ will take place at the fest. Besides Euros 150,000 ($167,000) from the Biennale College program ‘Blanka’ also received support from Asian Cinema Fund for postproduction. Flaminio Zadra & Alberto Fanni’s Rome based Dorje Film have co – produced several Fatih Akin titles, including ‘Soul Kitchen’ & ‘The Cut’.

‘THE CLAN’ KICKS INTERNATIONAL DEALS

Pablo Trapero’s crime thriller ‘The Clan’, which unspools in Venice competition, continues to pummel all – time box office records for Argentine movies, grossing an extraordinary $13 million in 3 weeks off an 13th Aug, 2015 bow in its native Argentina, where it is distributed by Twentieth Century Fox. In international, Twentieth Century Fox has acquired rights to all Latin America, while Warner Bros. Pictures Espana will distribute ‘The Clan’ in Spain. Sales agent Film Factory Entertainment has closed Germany (Prokino), France (Diaphana Distribution) & Australia (Vendetta). Inspired by real events in the 1980s,  ‘The Clan’ stars Guillermo Francella, one of Argentina’s biggest marquee draws, as Arquimedes Puccio, the patriarch of Clan Puccio, a well -heeled Buenos Aires family. It made its money abducting people from its own neighborhood, securing boffo ransoms & then killing them.