Month: November 2019

The mock-documentary is a largely played-out genre, all too often used as vehicle for cheap satire or puffed-up intrigue. In their intriguing, intractable debut feature “My Friend the Polish Girl,” however, directing duo Ewa Banaszkiewicz and Mateusz Dymek find some spiky new life in the form, using it to pointedly expose the narcissism and ethical
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Leading Miami-based international sales and distribution company FiGa Films has picked up worldwide sales rights to Agustin Banchero’s drama, “Las Vacaciones de Hilda” (“Hilda’s Short Summer”). “The film was part of this year’s San Sebastian Int’l Film Festival’s [work in progress section] Cine en Construcción and blew us away,” said FiGa Films’ Sandro Fiorin, adding:
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In this week’s International TV Newswire Variety digs into Latin American news following Mip Cancun where Viacom International Studio’s “El Nudo” featured as one of the year’s best-selling formats. Telefe has announced it’s bringing back its popular gameshow adaptation of “Hole in the Wall.” Spain’s Atresmedia begins shooting “Benidorm” on location. And in Scandinavia “Moscow Noir” producers
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Director-producer Nabil Ayouch and actor-director Maryam Touzani are attending the Marrakech Film Festival for the gala screening of Touzani’s debut feature, “Adam,” on Tuesday. The film, written by her, with the collaboration of Ayouch, and produced by the latter, is Morocco’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards. “Adam” had
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Multinational Asian video-streaming operator Viu is to begin carrying factual and lifestyle content from Discovery Networks. Content will be sourced from Discovery, Discovery Asia, Animal Planet, Food Network, TLC, and HGTV. Lifestyle shows include: “Jason Tastes Asia”; “Family Kitchen with Sherson”; and “Cooking for Love.” Reality content includes: “Cake Boss”; “Dr. Pimple Popper”; “90 Day Fiance”; and “Iron Chef Gauntlet.”
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Paris-based Luxbox has sold more new major territories on Peruvian Melina Leon’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight hit “Canción sin nombre” (“Song Without a Name”), proving sales hits can come from anywhere., especially when selected for Cannes. A standout at last year’s strong Ventana Sur Copia Final showcase, “Song Without a Name” has closed Italy with Torino.based
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November 29, 2019 2:48AM PT France’s Federation Entertainment and Australia’s Essential Media Group have teamed up to co-develop and co-produce “Aftermath,” an eight-part crime series created by Erin White, whose directing credits include “Sando” and “Doctor Doctor.” Set in Australia in 1992 and in the present day, “Aftermath” follows two forty-something estranged high school best
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November 29, 2019 12:43AM PT Smithsonian Channel has boarded Ancient Egyptian docu-drama “Secrets of the Pyramid Builders” and will launch the series in the U.S. The channel has signed on as a co-producer on the six-parter from Vivendi production and distribution arm Vivendi Entertainment and Pernel Media. The 4K documentary series was commissioned by Canal
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“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” will hit Chinese theaters Dec. 20, day-and-date with the U.S. While Marvel films are typically outsized hits in China, the “Star Wars” franchise has historically under-performed in the territory. Chinese audiences are less familiar with it because the original films were not theatrically released in the ’70s, when Western
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November 28, 2019 6:56PM PT Industry veterans, Dov Kornits and Lou Balletti have announced the launch of a new theatrical distributor operating in Australia. The company pitches itself as a one-stop shop straddling distribution and media promotion, and will begin operations with a Friday 13 December release of horror title “Wrinkles the Clown.” Kornits is
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Womens’ advocacy group Time’s Up and numerous top stars are sending messages of support to Gabrielle Union, following accounts of a toxic culture on the set of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” from which she was dismissed last week. The outpour comes on the heels of an exclusive report from Variety that Union would not return
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Ali Wong may be best known for her standup comedy, and for starring in Netflix’s romcom hit “Always Be My Maybe.” Earlier this year, the comedian participated in a different kind of project: Baobab Studio’s interactive virtual reality (VR) movie “Bonfire,” in which Wong voices the robot sidekick of a stranded intergalactic explorer. To commemorate
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When Hallmark Channel contacted American Cinema Intl. president Chevonne O’Shaughnessy about producing a movie set in the Amish community, she immediately sent an outline for one. ACI had already produced three Amish-themed movies for other outlets, so she figured she’d quickly be brought on board. But O’Shaughnessy says Hallmark didn’t call her back. And she couldn’t
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