In today’s film news roundup, “Vice” wins in Capri, Ninet Tayeb is starring in “Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays,” and Chen Kaige’s “Legend of the Demon Cat” gets U.S. distribution.
CAPRI AWARDS
“Vice” has won four awards at the Capri-Hollywood International Film Festival, including best picture, best supporting actress for Amy Adams, and the editing and makeup awards.
Alfonso Cuaron won best director for “Roma,” which also won best foreign language film and for best production design. “A Star Is Born” received awards for best sound editing, best sound mixing and best original song.
Two awards went to “The Wife”: best actress for Glenn Close and best supporting actor for Jonathan Pryce. “First Man” won for best visual effects and best original score. Writing awards went to “Green Book” for best original screenplay, and “BlacKkKlansman,” for best adapted screenplay. Marcello Fonte won the top acting prize for the Matteo Garrone’s “Dogman.”
CASTING
Israeli music star Ninet Tayeb has come on board the independent movie “Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays.”
The movie is loosely based on the 1979 shooting spree by 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer at a San Diego school, which left two dead and eight wounded. Spencer said at the time that she had carried out the attack because “I don’t like Mondays,” which led to a hit song written by Bob Geldoff for his group The Boomtown Rats.
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Douglas Falconer, Kevin Dewalt and Regal Entertainment, a fund headed by financier Adi Cohen, have agreed to co-finance and co-produce “Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays.” Tayeb will portray the partner of Spencer’s father and perform the title song in the movie. Universal Records will release the film’s soundtrack.
Jordi Rediu, Michael Bassick (“Hacksaw Ridge”) and Michael Laundon will also produce. Mark Damon of Foresight Unlimited will executive produce.
DISTRIBUTION DEAL
Chen Kaige’s “Legend of the Demon Cat” will receive a U.S. theatrical release from myCinema, timed to coincide with Chinese New Year on Feb. 5.
The historical drama, based on the novel “Gensoshin Kukai” by Japanese fantasy writer Baku Yumemakura, is a Sino-Japanese co-production and is set over a thousand years ago during the imperial Tang Dynasty. A Chinese poet, Bai Letian (Xuan Huang) and a Japanese monk, Kukai (Shōta Sometani) join forces to investigate the case of a demonic cat who has possessed a general’s wife (Kitty Zhang Yuqi) and wreaked havoc on the imperial court.
Moonstone Entertainment is handling international sales.