FilmSharks has taken world sales rights outside Spain to “The Bus of Life,” next up from Arcadia Motion Pictures, producer of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Cesar and Goya winner “The Beasts” and Neon U.S. pick-up “Robot Dreams,” nominated last month for a best animated feature Academy Award. The production and sales company has also revealed first look
Movies
MetFilm Sales has secured international rights to “The Battle for Laikipia,” Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi’s multi-layered portrait of the conflict between Indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Kenya. The film had its world premiere as part of the World Cinema Documentary section at the Sundance Film Festival. Submarine Entertainment Sales negotiated the deal with
K5 Intl., the international sales arm of K5 Media Group, has acquired world sales rights excluding North America to “Stay Online,” a tense Ukraine war drama that was entirely shot in the Eastern European country after the Russian invasion, the company announced at the European Film Market. The film, which debuted last year at Montreal’s
Pulsar Content has closed major deals on “Niki,” a biopic of French-American artist Niki de Saint-Phalle. “Niki” marks the feature debut of popular French actor Céline Sallette and stars Charlotte Le Bon (“The Walk” “Saint-Laurent”) as de Saint-Phalle. Pulsar closed deals with Neue Visionen (Germany), Movies Inspired (Italy), Paradiso (Benelux), Praessens (Switzerland), Vercine (Spain), Magic Films (CIS), Best Films (Baltics), Shaw
Pink Parrot Media, the Montreal and Madrid-based international sales house, has revealed a flurry of deals for the German-Canadian CG animated fantasy feature “Elli and Her Monster Team!,” which is making its market premiere at the EFM. Underlining the appetite for toon family features by European distributors, the film has been sold to Just Entertainment
Copenhagen-based TrustNordisk has inked multiple deals on the Danish thriller “Boundless,” based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s “Department Q” novel, which is currently dominating the Danish box office. Ahead of the pic’s market screening Feb 17 at the Berlin European Film Market, the title, helmed by Ole Christian Madsen (“Banshee,” “Flame & Citron”) has sold to Wild
Aquarius Releasing founder Terence “Terry” Levene, who released dozens of B-movies in grindhouse theaters in the 1970s and ’80s and beyond, died Jan. 13 in Englewood, NJ. He was 90. After working at Commonwealth United, Levene started Aquarius Releasing, which released genre films ranging from kung fu to sci-fi and far beyond and serve as
India’s Sandeep Singh will direct “The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” a biopic of revered 17th century Indian ruler Shivaji Bhonsle. Singh has produced several acclaimed films including Toronto title, boxing biopic “Mary Kom” (2014), Asia Pacific Screen Awards-winning gay rights drama “Aligarh” (2015) and slum soccer film “Jhund” (2022). He made his
Ridley Scott is in talks to direct Paramount’s Bee Gees film. Scott will produce the currently-untitled film alongside Graham King for GK Films, Stacey Snider, and Michael Pruss for Scott Free. John Logan, who wrote Scott’s 2000 epic “Gladiator,” will pen the script. Paramount Pictures is distributing the film worldwide with Amblin and SISTER
“Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone embraces her monumental responsibility as an Oscar nominee, utilizing her platform to advocate for the Indigenous community and hoping to pave the way for more actors like herself. During a panel conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards, Gladstone — of Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu
Blue Harbor Entertainment has acquired the horror/thriller film “Trim Season” for U.S. release, with plans to debut in theaters and on VOD in June. The cast includes Bethlehem Million, Jane Badler, Alexandra Essoe, Bex-Taylor Klaus and Ally Ioannides. The film’s description reads, “Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles
Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune: Part Two” has finally been unveiled and film journalists are showering the highly-anticipated sequel with praise for its incredible ensemble cast, breathtaking visual effects and more. The film, which follow’s 2021’s “Dune,” is being called “masterful,” “damn impressive” and full of battle scenes that rival Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings:
Charles Melton’s awards campaign for his breakout role in “May December” started in May when the Todd Haynes drama co-starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman premiered at Cannes. Since then, Melton has gone on to receive a slew of award nominations and wins. He picked up Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award noms and won
Feisty, topical and nakedly political speeches dominated the opening ceremony on Thursday at the Berlinale. They followed a red carpet that mixed demonstrations and high style over a more than two-hour stretch. Festival co-chief Mariëtte Rissenbeek felt it necessary to address head on the festival’s recent controversy over invitations to five far-right (AfD) members of
“Oppenheimer” was notably marketed in the press as the sixth collaboration between director Christopher Nolan and star Cillian Murphy, who was finally getting his chance to lead a Nolan movie after five supporting turns in films such as “Batman Begins” and “Dunkirk.” Nolan has another longtime collaborator in Michael Caine, who got a special shoutout
Visiting Istanbul, you can’t help but notice all of the cats: The Turkish capital is swarming with strays, some gorgeous and friendly, others haggard and more stand-offish. Entire films have been made about the phenomenon (of which “Kedi” was an especially popular example). But what of the countless other souls — the human ones —
From “28 Days Later” through to his recent, Oscar-nominated turn in “Oppenheimer,” Cillian Murphy has cultivated a reputation as a strong, silent type — all while resisting the inscrutability associated with that masculine cliché. His beautiful, sharp-boned face twitches and tightens and teems with feeling. Closeups always catch it thinking, wrestling with surges of vulnerability
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and low budget film producers have teamed up to form a new subcommittee aimed at ensuring workers are free from harassment and discrimination. The group seeks to implement the Hollywood Commission’s Respect on Set program, which offers employers who are signatories of IATSE’s Low Budget Agreement services to
Iranian director duo Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha were recently banned by Iranian authorities from traveling to this year’s Berlin Film Festival, where their drama “My Favourite Cake” is premiering in competition. The film is about a 70-year-old woman named Mahin who has been living alone in Tehran ever since her husband died and her
“Always a bridesmaid, never the bride” certainly applies to the plight of 19 of this year’s longest-suffering Academy Award nominees. Spanning all 23 categories, these actors, filmmakers and artisans — including actor Annette Bening, filmmaker Wes Anderson and costume designer Jacqueline West — share a peculiar bond. Collectively, they have racked up an impressive 107
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, has become a crucial indicator on which films and performances could garner support for the Academy Awards due to the huge overlap of voting members. Over the years, its influence on the Oscars has been undeniable, with many of its winners often helping to shape
Germany’s film and TV sectors are eagerly awaiting the biggest reform in the history of German film funding this year, and while the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz struggles to navigate a major budget crisis, leading industry representatives are confident the planned overhaul will improve business despite the hurdles. Overseen by Claudia Roth,
Jonathan Glazer is set to introduce his widely acclaimed, Oscar-nominated and deeply devastating Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum on Thursday (Feb. 15). In undoubtedly the most important premiere in “The Zone of Interest’s” global rollout, the Polish premiere sees the British director return to Auschwitz, where he shot
During the Berlin Film Festival press conference for his newest movie “Small Things Like These,” Cillian Murphy reflected on the “collective trauma” of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries. Based on the book of the same name by Claire Keegan, “Small Things Like These” focuses on the “horrific asylums run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until
Since only recently opting to have a new host each year, the BAFTA Film Awards have had various big names on master of ceremonies duties including Joanna Lumley, Graham Norton, Rebel Wilson and Richard E. Grant. While all popular figures, none managed to get the public reaction of this year’s host: David Tennant. According to
Simon Moutaïrou, the critically acclaimed screenwriter behind the spy thriller hit “Black Box,” has partnered with some of France’s biggest players — leading producer Chi-Fou-Mi (“November,” “All Your Faces”) and Studiocanal — on his ambitious directorial debut, “No Chains, No Masters.” Now in post, “No Chains, No Masters,” is an epic movie inspired by historical
After kicking off with a feisty press conference, the Berlin Film Festival is about to get even more political with a demonstration defending democracy that will be held right before the start of opening night festivities. Berlinale organizers have planned this demonstration to highlight their decision to disinvite members of the far right political party
Films Boutique has closed a raft of deals on the Chinese movie “Brief History of a Family,” which will play at the Berlinale in the Panorama section. Chinese filmmaker Lin Jianjie‘s feature debut, “Brief History of a Family” premiered at Sundance and will be screening for buyers at the EFM as well. Films Boutique has sold
During a press conference on Thursday, Berlinale jury president Lupita Nyong’o responded to the festival inviting and then disinviting politicians from far-right group AfD to its opening ceremony. “I’m a foreigner here. I don’t know the ins and outs of the political situation here,” Nyong’o said in response to a question asking if she would
Film and media company Buffalo 8 has acquired worldwide distribution rights to “Dig Me No Grave” from Djonny Chen’s prolific U.K.-based outfit Silent D Pictures. The deal was revealed at the Berlin European Film Market (EFM). “Dig Me No Grave” follows the harrowing journey of an ageing hunter who embarks on a final quest for an elusive