2007• Raul Berdonés founds the Secuoya Group on Dec. 11. 2008• First outsourcing services deal is with broadcaster Antena 3. 2009• Launches TV content production as part of early diversification. 2011• Debuts on Spain’s MAB Alternative Stock Market on July 28. Strategic expansion plan envisages the development of Ciudad de la Tele, then Secuoya Studios,
For the past decade, Ethiopia has boasted the world’s fastest-growing economy, and its new reform-minded government seems determined to harness that growth to transform an already vibrant creative sector. That was the takeaway from a presentation Sunday morning at the Berlinale Africa Hub, led by producer Mehret Mandefro (“Difret”) and director Abraham Gezahagne, who outlined
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Between Two Fires,” the second episode of “Outlander” Season 5. The latest episode of “Outlander” definitely lived up to its episode title, as several characters found themselves caught “Between Two Fires.” Most notably, Jamie (Sam Heughan) found himself having to make a difficult decision
The titular town in the CW’s “Riverdale” will be getting a little smaller: after the current, fourth season comes to an end this May, Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols will be leaving the Archie Comics-set series, Variety has confirmed. “Part of life in ‘Riverdale’ — and part of growing up — is saying goodbye to people,” said
At dawn in an orderly, middle-class suburb in regional Germany, three young people — a girl and two guys — stagger home from a night out. Two of them are siblings, two of them friends and two of them are falling in love. One of them is very drunk and tripping over the long blond
Amazon Prime’s new series “Hunters” has come under fire from the Auschwitz Memorial for being historically inaccurate. The memorial’s Twitter account called a violent scene featuring a human chess game “dangerous foolishness” and a “caricature.” In the scene, which is depicted in the opening credits of all 10 episodes and plays out in the first
There are a host of important, even vital ideas behind “All the Dead Ones,” a hybrid period piece addressing Brazil’s unresolved legacy of slavery and the imprint it’s had on an all-too-often downplayed contemporary racism of malignant toxicity. Set largely in 1899, 11 years after the abolition of slavery but designed so modern São Paulo
Christian Petzold’s “Undine” begins with a breakup. Framed tightly on the face of lead actor Paula Beer, we absorb the news as she does. But this is no ordinary separation, and as jilted lovers go, Undine’s far from typical. Her name betrays what sets her apart, although in the vast realm of mythological entities, undines
February 23, 2020 12:30PM PT Covering a violent chapter of colonial history, Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s Australian western excavates ugly truths beneath lush lensing. There’s a hint of John Ford to “High Ground,” a sinewy, sun-baked faceoff between indigenous and invading armies in the Arnhem Land wilderness of Australia, though by now we probably need a
Searchlight Pictures has emerged as the frontrunner for the Olivia Wilde-directed gymnastics movie “Perfect,” amid a days-long bidding war out of Berlin’s EFM. Variety understands that the studio is ‘heavily pursuing’ world rights to the hot title — one of a crop of female-led projects at the market — with A24 and Warner Bros. also
“The Call of the Wild” is a cozy, square, kind-of-synthetic, kind-of-touching canine adventure movie that a lot of critics were probably too harsh about, all because it has a CG dog. Don’t get me wrong; I’d have preferred a flesh-and-blood dog as well. But critics have developed a line-in-the-sand attitude about this technology, at least
Focus Features’ “Emma,” an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, had a solid opening at the specialty box office this weekend. Director Autumn de Wilde’s feature film debut earned $230,000 in its debut outing across five theaters in New York and Los Angeles, ranking No. 1 in each location. That success translated to a $46,000
Pablo Guisa, founder-CEO of the Morbido Group, Latin America’s largest horror conglomerate, based out of Mexico City, and Gabriela Sandoval, founder-director of Sanfic Industria, the Santiago Intl. Film Festival sidebar for projects and works in progress, met in Berlin to finalize details for the inaugural Factoría Mórbido-Sanfic, a joint initiative intended to strengthen the genre
In an unexpected move, Prada named Raf Simons as co-creative director joining Miuccia Prada. The powerhouse duo will share “equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making.” The decision was announced on Sunday at a surprise press conference held on the last day of Milan Fashion Week. Prada joined her family’s namesake label in 1978, premiered
In a rare moment of light, everyday pleasure in the otherwise perma-brooding “Funny Face,” two young Brooklyn lovers build sandwiches from international deli ingredients, accompanied by Serbian butter and sour watermelon pickle, and eat their creations with relish on a bench overlooking the shore. Whether intended or not as a reference to an almost century-old
Variety’s “10 Europeans to Watch” were feted Saturday night at a party held by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg at Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Co-hosting the evening were Kirsten Niehuus and Helge Jürgens, managing directors of Medienboard, the regional film, TV and digital-media funding body. Pictured above are U.K. filmmaker and rapper Andrew Onwubolu, known by his alias Rapman
As the first South Korean band to attain superstar status in the United States, BTS have done an remarkable job of maintaining it. Each album has topped its predecessor, and the group’s fourth full studio outing, “Map of the Soul: 7,” looks to be no exception, with all 20 of its titles landed in the
B. Smith, a former TV host, restaurateur and author, died of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease on Saturday night in her home in Long Island, New York. Her husband announced the news in a Facebook post on Sunday morning. She was 70. “Thank you to Dr. Sam Gandy, East End Hospice and additional caregivers who helped us
As the Democratic presidential race heats up with each passing moment, the writers’ room at Showtime’s “Our Cartoon President” is constantly on its toes to keep up with the news cycle. “Bernie had his heart attack, and Mike [Leech, writer/producer] says, ‘At “The Simpsons” they never walk into work and say “Mr. Burns had a
After a close box office battle, Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” pulled ahead of Disney and 20th Century’s “The Call of the Wild” on North American charts. The two movies had been in a tug-of-war for first place. Heading into the weekend, “Sonic” was expected to easily dominate again but Harrison Ford’s “Call of the Wild”
Chair of Time’s Up U.K. Heather Rabbatts had fighting words about the imminent verdict from the New York Harvey Weinstein rape trial for a packed audience gathered to hear a panel on gender equality on the sidelines of the Berlin Film Festival. “Whatever happens tomorrow, it is not the end of this issue. It isn’t
BERLIN — Ventana Sur, the biggest film-TV industry event in Latin America – and bulwarked by a hugely popular Cannes Film Week hosted by Thierry Fremaux – has set dates for its 12th edition, and announced a new venue in Buenos Aires. Running Monday Nov. 30 to Friday Dec. 4, this year’s 12th Ventana
BERLIN — News on the first day of the Berlin Festival that film – read Constantin Film – had helped drive a 2019 full year profits surge at parent Highlight Communications came as little surprise. Few European movie companies enjoy the robust health of Constantin Film. Oliver Berben’s presentation on Monday of Constantin Television’s lineup
Cannes XR, the Marché du Film’s program dedicated to immersive and augmented reality content, is set to expand. For its second edition, Cannes XR has partnered with tech creator Positron and Brogent Technologies to introduce a new VR theater, dedicated space and competition. While keeping its 700-square meter exhibition space in the basement of Cannes’
Just months after assuming the role of Hungarian film commissioner, Csaba Káel has designs on revamping the film and television industries to boost content development and production, expand already formidable studio facilities, and become a lynchpin for film and TV production and servicing that extends far beyond Budapest. Káel took up his post in September,
With production in China suffering a coronavirus-imposed slowdown, “The Italian Recipe” is one co-production between Europe and China that is poised to potentially capitalize on the resulting dearth of Chinese content. It is positioned to advance European cinema’s efforts to make inroads in China. “The Italian Recipe,” in which a famous Chinese pop singer travels
Play video content Exclusive TMZSports.com WWE star Johnny Gargano says you are flat out “STUPID” if you think NXT is inferior to Raw and SmackDown … telling TMZ Sports it’s the best wrestling show in the world!!! We talked to Gargano — one of NXT’s biggest stars — earlier this week … and JG had
Exclusive MEGA/Getty Composite Meghan Markle‘s father doesn’t give a royal crap about what people think of him continuing to make money off his relationship with her … or lack thereof. Thomas Markle tells TMZ … a recent quote from his interview with Britain’s Channel 5 — for which he was paid — got a bit
February 23, 2020 12:01AM PT The Doha Film Institute has added French auteur Claire Denis and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (“Nebraska”) to the lineup of star talent who will act as mentors for the Qumra Masters program during its upcoming Qumra event dedicated to fostering fresh Arab film fare that is opening up to TV
In “Schindler’s List,” most of the actors spoke English, using accents to indicate their characters’ origins. In “Son of Saul,” the cast struggles to communicate in a mish-mosh of languages, as Jews of different nationalities were thrown together in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Stories about the Holocaust — so vital in trying to reconcile the horrors of the