Principal photography has ended on Georgian writer-director Ana Urushadze’s second film, “Supporting Role.” The first images have been released.
It follows on from the success of Urushadze’s 2017 debut “Scary Mother,” which premiered and won best first feature at Locarno Film Festival before going on to pick up the top prize in Sarajevo. It was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Discovery Award and was Georgia’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
The story of “Supporting Role” follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who – triggered by a casting session with a young female director – embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
The film stars Dato Bakhtadze,...
It follows on from the success of Urushadze’s 2017 debut “Scary Mother,” which premiered and won best first feature at Locarno Film Festival before going on to pick up the top prize in Sarajevo. It was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Discovery Award and was Georgia’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
The story of “Supporting Role” follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who – triggered by a casting session with a young female director – embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
The film stars Dato Bakhtadze,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the three nations that stretch along the Baltic Sea coast, jammed in between Poland to the south and Finland across the water to the north, are barely the size of Missouri and, with a combined citizenry of 6.2 million, rank up there with Denmark in terms of population. But since reclaiming independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Baltic states have punched above their weight on the international scene, not least when it comes to film production.
With a combination of tax and production incentives, high-tech infrastructure and stunning natural and urban backdrops, the region has established itself as a go-to location for international film and TV shoots, with recent examples including Tenet, Chernobyl and Stranger Things.
The Baltics have no plans to abandon the service industry — just last year, the Estonian government more than doubled Film Estonia’s cash-rebate budget to 5.8 million in a bid to bring back international productions post-covid.
With a combination of tax and production incentives, high-tech infrastructure and stunning natural and urban backdrops, the region has established itself as a go-to location for international film and TV shoots, with recent examples including Tenet, Chernobyl and Stranger Things.
The Baltics have no plans to abandon the service industry — just last year, the Estonian government more than doubled Film Estonia’s cash-rebate budget to 5.8 million in a bid to bring back international productions post-covid.
- 2/19/2023
- by Stjepan Hundic
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When the European Film Market kicks off in Berlin on Feb. 16, the three Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will share the stage as the EFM’s joint Countries in Focus. The showcase, which is supported by the Estonian Film Institute, the National Film Center of Latvia and the Lithuanian Film Center, will offer a range of events within the framework of the EFM, along with a selection of market premieres and screenings of Baltic films already making waves on the festival circuit. Twelve up-and-coming Baltic producers will also be presented to the international industry during a happy hour on Feb. 17 in the Gropius Bas.
Here’s a selection of Baltic buzz titles that the region’s top producers will be taking to Berlin:
Last Sentinel
Director: Tanel Toom
Producers: Ben Pullen, Ivo Felt, Jörg Bundschuh, Pippa Cross, Matthew James Wilkinson
Kate Bosworth stars in this sci-fi thriller from...
Here’s a selection of Baltic buzz titles that the region’s top producers will be taking to Berlin:
Last Sentinel
Director: Tanel Toom
Producers: Ben Pullen, Ivo Felt, Jörg Bundschuh, Pippa Cross, Matthew James Wilkinson
Kate Bosworth stars in this sci-fi thriller from...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Vertical has secured Na rights to sci-fi thriller Last Sentinel, written by Malachi Smyth and directed by Academy Award-nominated Tanel Toom. The film stars Kate Bosworth (Along for the Ride), Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris), Thomas Kretschmann (Infinity Pool), and Martin McCann (The Informer).
Set in the near future, unchecked and rampant climate change has caused temperatures and sea levels to rise catastrophically. Only two large continents remain, and billions die during the mass migration to these higher lands. Surrounded by an endless ocean thousands of miles from home, a skeleton crew of soldiers stand as the last bastion, defending their homeland from an invasion by an enemy they have never seen, monitoring for signs of attack and prepared to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Their tour of duty ended 3 months ago with no relief in sight. Alone and uncertain as to what fate awaits them,...
Set in the near future, unchecked and rampant climate change has caused temperatures and sea levels to rise catastrophically. Only two large continents remain, and billions die during the mass migration to these higher lands. Surrounded by an endless ocean thousands of miles from home, a skeleton crew of soldiers stand as the last bastion, defending their homeland from an invasion by an enemy they have never seen, monitoring for signs of attack and prepared to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Their tour of duty ended 3 months ago with no relief in sight. Alone and uncertain as to what fate awaits them,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The project is being presented at the 2022 European Genre Forum in Tallinn.
Hamburg-based producer Sebastian Weyland of Heimathafen Film & Medien is reuniting with Lithuanian filmmaker Tomas Vengris for The True Story Of Earth And Sky which is being pitched to potential partners at the European Genre Forum at the Black Nights International Film Festival in Tallinn this week.
The English-language project is in early development. Described as “a lyrical allegory set in the not-too-distant future”, The True Story Of Earth And Sky centres on a low-level server technician for a power hub who can’t help but think that there...
Hamburg-based producer Sebastian Weyland of Heimathafen Film & Medien is reuniting with Lithuanian filmmaker Tomas Vengris for The True Story Of Earth And Sky which is being pitched to potential partners at the European Genre Forum at the Black Nights International Film Festival in Tallinn this week.
The English-language project is in early development. Described as “a lyrical allegory set in the not-too-distant future”, The True Story Of Earth And Sky centres on a low-level server technician for a power hub who can’t help but think that there...
- 11/23/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Titles include magical-realist ensemble tragedy ’8 Views Of Lake Biwa’.
New projects from leading Estonian production firms Tallifornia and Allfilm are among the 20 titles selected for Tallinn Black Nights’ Works in Progress strand.
The 20 projects are split across three strands: eight in the Baltic Event section for titles from the region; six in the International section; and six in the Just Film strand, for emerging filmmakers.
Scroll down for the full list
Tallifornia has two productions in the Baltic Event section: Free Money, written, directed and produced by Rain Rannu; and Miguel Llanso’s Infinite Summer. Both titles are produced by Tonu Hiielaid for Tallifornia,...
New projects from leading Estonian production firms Tallifornia and Allfilm are among the 20 titles selected for Tallinn Black Nights’ Works in Progress strand.
The 20 projects are split across three strands: eight in the Baltic Event section for titles from the region; six in the International section; and six in the Just Film strand, for emerging filmmakers.
Scroll down for the full list
Tallifornia has two productions in the Baltic Event section: Free Money, written, directed and produced by Rain Rannu; and Miguel Llanso’s Infinite Summer. Both titles are produced by Tonu Hiielaid for Tallifornia,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Riding the high of a production-servicing boom, Estonia’s domestic industry has likewise shown no signs of slowing down. Here’s a roundup of top local productions in the pipeline, from producers who are searching for international partners in Cannes:
The Invisible Fight
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Producers: Katrin Kissa, Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Alise Gelze, White Picture (Latvia), Amanda Livanou, Neda Film (Greece), Helen Vinogradov, Helsinki-filmi (Finland)
Sarnet, whose fantasy-drama “November” played at Tribeca in 2017, returns with a ‘70s-set kung-fu comedy about a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
Lioness
Director: Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Producers: Ivo Felt (Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
The sophomore feature from Trishkina-Vanhatalo, whose debut “Take It or Leave It” was Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar,...
The Invisible Fight
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Producers: Katrin Kissa, Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Alise Gelze, White Picture (Latvia), Amanda Livanou, Neda Film (Greece), Helen Vinogradov, Helsinki-filmi (Finland)
Sarnet, whose fantasy-drama “November” played at Tribeca in 2017, returns with a ‘70s-set kung-fu comedy about a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
Lioness
Director: Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Producers: Ivo Felt (Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
The sophomore feature from Trishkina-Vanhatalo, whose debut “Take It or Leave It” was Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar,...
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Estonia received a splashy introduction to the limelight in 2019, when it played host to Christopher Nolan’s time-bending sci-fi drama “Tenet.” The biggest production to shoot in the Baltic nation to date, Warner Bros.’ 200 million blockbuster landed Estonia squarely on the map for international film and television productions.
Though the coronavirus pandemic arrived not long after principal photography wrapped, the industry hasn’t skipped a beat since, with both domestic and international production — drawn by a cash rebate of up to 30 —continuing apace. This year, says Estonian Film Institute CEO Edith Sepp, there are no signs of slowing down.
“The Estonian cash rebate has been booming more than ever in the first half of this year,” she says. “In the whole of 2021, we had seven projects using the cash rebate scheme, but by January this year, we already had eight projects lined up for the rebate and the year had barely started.
Though the coronavirus pandemic arrived not long after principal photography wrapped, the industry hasn’t skipped a beat since, with both domestic and international production — drawn by a cash rebate of up to 30 —continuing apace. This year, says Estonian Film Institute CEO Edith Sepp, there are no signs of slowing down.
“The Estonian cash rebate has been booming more than ever in the first half of this year,” she says. “In the whole of 2021, we had seven projects using the cash rebate scheme, but by January this year, we already had eight projects lined up for the rebate and the year had barely started.
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Swedish director Katarina Launing’s ‘You Can Dance’ named the winner of Screen International ’s best pitch award.
The 2021 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has named the winners of its Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event awards.
The industry showcase took place as a hybrid of in-person and virtual events, with the winners announced today (November 26) following a week of presentations and networking with around 700 delegates.
Swedish director Katarina Launing’s feature project You Can Dance was named the winner of Screen International’s best pitch award at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market, which guarantees coverage on Screen throughout the project’s lifecycle.
The 2021 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has named the winners of its Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event awards.
The industry showcase took place as a hybrid of in-person and virtual events, with the winners announced today (November 26) following a week of presentations and networking with around 700 delegates.
Swedish director Katarina Launing’s feature project You Can Dance was named the winner of Screen International’s best pitch award at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market, which guarantees coverage on Screen throughout the project’s lifecycle.
- 11/28/2021
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The fund will make at least 15 film investments over four years.
Tallifornia Film Fund, Estonia’s first private film investment fund, has launched at the country’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, with three initial investments including Estonia-Germany-uk co-production Sentinel.
The fund has been established by Estonian production company Tallifornia, and was announced at the European Film Forum industry event this week.
It will make a minimum of 15 equity investments in both Estonian and international film projects across four years.
The fund, which is financed entirely through private capital with participation from several Estonian investors, is managed by Tallifornia’s Rain Rannu and Tonu Hiielaid.
Tallifornia Film Fund, Estonia’s first private film investment fund, has launched at the country’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, with three initial investments including Estonia-Germany-uk co-production Sentinel.
The fund has been established by Estonian production company Tallifornia, and was announced at the European Film Forum industry event this week.
It will make a minimum of 15 equity investments in both Estonian and international film projects across four years.
The fund, which is financed entirely through private capital with participation from several Estonian investors, is managed by Tallifornia’s Rain Rannu and Tonu Hiielaid.
- 11/25/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Hunter Biden Pic Casts Actor To Play Joe Biden
John James (Dynasty) will portray President Joe Biden in My Son Hunter, a film focusing on his son Hunter Biden, who as previously announced will be played by Laurence Fox. Robert Davi (License to Kill) is directing the film. Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney are producing. Filming begins in Serbia this week and will last for four weeks.
‘Sentinel’ Wraps In Estonia
Altitude will launch sales on sci-fi thriller Sentinel, which recently wrapped production in Estonia, at AFM next month. Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount, and Martin McCann star in the movie, which comes from Estonian filmmaker Tanel Toom. Set in the future on a war-ravaged Earth, four soldiers man Sentinel – a remote military base in a vast ocean that separates two warring continents. They await the relief or the enemy, whichever comes first. Malachi Smyth wrote the screenplay, producers are Ben Pullen,...
John James (Dynasty) will portray President Joe Biden in My Son Hunter, a film focusing on his son Hunter Biden, who as previously announced will be played by Laurence Fox. Robert Davi (License to Kill) is directing the film. Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney are producing. Filming begins in Serbia this week and will last for four weeks.
‘Sentinel’ Wraps In Estonia
Altitude will launch sales on sci-fi thriller Sentinel, which recently wrapped production in Estonia, at AFM next month. Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount, and Martin McCann star in the movie, which comes from Estonian filmmaker Tanel Toom. Set in the future on a war-ravaged Earth, four soldiers man Sentinel – a remote military base in a vast ocean that separates two warring continents. They await the relief or the enemy, whichever comes first. Malachi Smyth wrote the screenplay, producers are Ben Pullen,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tanel Toom (“Truth and Justice”) has wrapped production in Estonia on sci-fi thriller “Sentinel.”
The film stars Kate Bosworth (“Force of Nature”), Thomas Kretschmann (“The Pianist”), Lucien Laviscount (“Emily in Paris”) and Martin McCann (“The Survivalist”).
Written by Malachi Smyth (“The Score”), the film is set in the future on a war-ravaged Earth where four soldiers man Sentinel – a remote military base in a vast ocean that separates two warring continents. While they await their relief or the enemy, the simmering tension amongst them escalates when a mysterious boat drifts into range.
“Sentinel” is presented by Altitude Film Entertainment in association with Head Gear Film and Metrol Technology in association with Br/Arte, Tallifornia, Ichiban Films, Sentinel Entertainment and Vertical Entertainment.
Altitude Film Sales are handling international sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the AFM Virtual Market (Nov. 1-5).
The film is produced by Ben Pullen...
The film stars Kate Bosworth (“Force of Nature”), Thomas Kretschmann (“The Pianist”), Lucien Laviscount (“Emily in Paris”) and Martin McCann (“The Survivalist”).
Written by Malachi Smyth (“The Score”), the film is set in the future on a war-ravaged Earth where four soldiers man Sentinel – a remote military base in a vast ocean that separates two warring continents. While they await their relief or the enemy, the simmering tension amongst them escalates when a mysterious boat drifts into range.
“Sentinel” is presented by Altitude Film Entertainment in association with Head Gear Film and Metrol Technology in association with Br/Arte, Tallifornia, Ichiban Films, Sentinel Entertainment and Vertical Entertainment.
Altitude Film Sales are handling international sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the AFM Virtual Market (Nov. 1-5).
The film is produced by Ben Pullen...
- 10/26/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Lucien Laviscount, Martin McCann also on cast of Tanel Toom’s second feature.
Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount and Martin McCann have wrapped production in Estonia on Tanel Toom’s Sentinel, for which Altitude is launching international sales at next month’s AFM Virtual Market (November 1-5).
The UK-Estonia-Germany co-production is a sci-fi thriller set in a war-ravaged future, in which four soldiers man a remote ocean military base that separates two warring continents. As weeks turn into months, paranoia descends that tests relationships to breaking point.
The film is written by Malachi Smyth, who recently wrote and directed UK crime musical The Score,...
Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount and Martin McCann have wrapped production in Estonia on Tanel Toom’s Sentinel, for which Altitude is launching international sales at next month’s AFM Virtual Market (November 1-5).
The UK-Estonia-Germany co-production is a sci-fi thriller set in a war-ravaged future, in which four soldiers man a remote ocean military base that separates two warring continents. As weeks turn into months, paranoia descends that tests relationships to breaking point.
The film is written by Malachi Smyth, who recently wrote and directed UK crime musical The Score,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Ben Parker’s post-war thriller recently completed shooting in Estonia.
IFC Midnight has snapped up North America rights to Burial, a post-war thriller from UK writer/director Ben Parker, in a deal with Altitude Film Sales.
The film, which recently wrapped shooting on location in Estonia, has also been picked up for Portugal (Nos), Baltics (Latvian Theatrical Distribution), Indonesia (Pt Prima), South Korea (Noori), Vietnam (Media Film International) and the Middle East (Phars).
UK-based Altitude will be selling the thriller at the upcoming Cannes virtual market and has released this first-look image of lead actress Charlotte Vega in the film.
IFC Midnight has snapped up North America rights to Burial, a post-war thriller from UK writer/director Ben Parker, in a deal with Altitude Film Sales.
The film, which recently wrapped shooting on location in Estonia, has also been picked up for Portugal (Nos), Baltics (Latvian Theatrical Distribution), Indonesia (Pt Prima), South Korea (Noori), Vietnam (Media Film International) and the Middle East (Phars).
UK-based Altitude will be selling the thriller at the upcoming Cannes virtual market and has released this first-look image of lead actress Charlotte Vega in the film.
- 6/15/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Seven projects from across Europe selected for Cannes showcase.
The industry platform of Tallinn Black Night Films Festival is to showcase seven projects seeking co-production partners at the Cannes market for the first time.
The Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event Co-Production Market will spotlight the titles at the Marché’s Co-Production Day on July 9, where projects in development – looking for co-producers and financiers – are presented in one-to-one meetings.
They include Estonian project Black Hole, written and directed by Moonika Siimets, whose Stalinist drama The Little Comrade won the audience award at South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival in 2018.
Siimets...
The industry platform of Tallinn Black Night Films Festival is to showcase seven projects seeking co-production partners at the Cannes market for the first time.
The Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event Co-Production Market will spotlight the titles at the Marché’s Co-Production Day on July 9, where projects in development – looking for co-producers and financiers – are presented in one-to-one meetings.
They include Estonian project Black Hole, written and directed by Moonika Siimets, whose Stalinist drama The Little Comrade won the audience award at South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival in 2018.
Siimets...
- 6/10/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Titles are split between Coming Soon and Industry Screenings.
Meeting Point - Vilnius, the industry strand of Vilnius International Film Festival, has expanded its selection for its 2021 online event, confirming 32 projects today.
The projects are selected across two strands: 24 are in the Coming Soon pitching selection, consisting of 12 fiction features and 12 documentaries; with a further four of each in the Industry Screenings.
Some 23 countries are represented among the titles, including Maysoon Pachachi’s fiction feature Our River… Our Sky, a co-production between the UK, France, Germany, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, in the main Coming Soon strand.
Further sections of...
Meeting Point - Vilnius, the industry strand of Vilnius International Film Festival, has expanded its selection for its 2021 online event, confirming 32 projects today.
The projects are selected across two strands: 24 are in the Coming Soon pitching selection, consisting of 12 fiction features and 12 documentaries; with a further four of each in the Industry Screenings.
Some 23 countries are represented among the titles, including Maysoon Pachachi’s fiction feature Our River… Our Sky, a co-production between the UK, France, Germany, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, in the main Coming Soon strand.
Further sections of...
- 3/24/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Since it was launched as a joint production venture between Finland, Estonia and Latvia, the North Star Film Alliance has labored to lure international film production to this scenic corner of Northeast Europe, which is enjoying a star turn after the Estonian shoot of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.”
This year the alliance redoubled its efforts by opening offices in the heart of Hollywood, hoping to sell studio execs on what the region has to offer. “Hollywood is always open to new ideas, new looks, new ways to tell stories in the most original ways,” says Eleonora Granata, who heads the group’s L.A. office.
The former VP of acquisitions at Turner Pictures says the Hollywood launch, as well as the unveiling of new offices in Tokyo, will help “to prepare the ground [and] really plant the seed of what these places are offering.”
“The richness and the variety of the landscapes,...
This year the alliance redoubled its efforts by opening offices in the heart of Hollywood, hoping to sell studio execs on what the region has to offer. “Hollywood is always open to new ideas, new looks, new ways to tell stories in the most original ways,” says Eleonora Granata, who heads the group’s L.A. office.
The former VP of acquisitions at Turner Pictures says the Hollywood launch, as well as the unveiling of new offices in Tokyo, will help “to prepare the ground [and] really plant the seed of what these places are offering.”
“The richness and the variety of the landscapes,...
- 11/11/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
A total of nineteen projects will be showcased at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market, which will be held online this year. The Baltic Event Co-Production Market is running this year from 25-26 November in an entirely digital format, as previously announced (read the news). The market will be showcasing 19 projects, welcoming for the first time works from Israel and the Philippines. For this edition, the official industry events of the 24th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event have Russia in Focus, hence the presence at the market of five projects from the country. The Baltic countries are represented by three film projects from experienced directors. Estonia, Baltic Event’s home country, is welcoming 8 Views of Lake Biwa, the new project by Marko Raat, produced by Oscar-nominated Ivo Felt and Dora Nedeczky for Tallin-based Allfilm and coming ten years after his last fiction film The Snow Queen....
Estonia is the latest country to select its entry for the International Feature Film category of the Oscars with the Nordic Western “The Last Ones,” directed by Veiko Õunpuu, flying the flag for the Baltic country.
The film will world premiere as part of the Baltic Competition program of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which runs Nov. 13-29.
An expert committee called together by the Estonian Film Institute chose the film. The committee consisted of film director Tanel Toom, producers Evelin Penttilä and Ivo Felt, film journalist Tõnu Karjatse, costume designer Eugen Tamberg, former distributor and current advisor on audio-visual matters to the Minister of Culture, Siim Rohtla, and the Estonian Film Institute’s Edith Sepp.
“The Last Ones” takes place in the wild tundra of Lapland. Young miner Rupi is hollowing out the tundra in the hope of putting together enough money to leave the mining village behind forever.
The film will world premiere as part of the Baltic Competition program of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which runs Nov. 13-29.
An expert committee called together by the Estonian Film Institute chose the film. The committee consisted of film director Tanel Toom, producers Evelin Penttilä and Ivo Felt, film journalist Tõnu Karjatse, costume designer Eugen Tamberg, former distributor and current advisor on audio-visual matters to the Minister of Culture, Siim Rohtla, and the Estonian Film Institute’s Edith Sepp.
“The Last Ones” takes place in the wild tundra of Lapland. Young miner Rupi is hollowing out the tundra in the hope of putting together enough money to leave the mining village behind forever.
- 10/30/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Project was written and directed by Ben Parker (The Chamber).
Altitude Film Sales has taken worldwide rights to Second World War thriller Burial, written and to be directed by Ben Parker (The Chamber).
The film will star Niamh Algar (Calm With Horses), Tom Felton (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country).
Principal photography will commence in Estonia in late 2020. Altitude will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual Cannes Market this month.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) will produce for Stigma Films alongside Paul Higgins (Submarine...
Altitude Film Sales has taken worldwide rights to Second World War thriller Burial, written and to be directed by Ben Parker (The Chamber).
The film will star Niamh Algar (Calm With Horses), Tom Felton (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country).
Principal photography will commence in Estonia in late 2020. Altitude will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual Cannes Market this month.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) will produce for Stigma Films alongside Paul Higgins (Submarine...
- 6/15/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Niamh Algar (The Virtues), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country) are attached to star in WWII thriller Burial, which Altitude will launch world sales on at next week’s Cannes virtual market.
Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (to be played by rising actress Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo’ doesn’t fall into the hands of their attackers and be buried forever to hide the truth.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday...
Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (to be played by rising actress Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo’ doesn’t fall into the hands of their attackers and be buried forever to hide the truth.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday...
- 6/15/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Film production incentives have been a success story for the Eastern European territories that have been late to embrace the rebates but are catching up fast. And, despite interruptions caused by the Covid-19 crisis, industry officials and filmmakers remain upbeat.
In Romania, where major player Castel Film Studio cancelled four international productions while under temporarily closure, the two-year-old production rebates system has also been suspended for now.
“Everything is on hold due to the state of emergency,” says producer and industry consultant Alex Traila.
Despite helping draw such high-profile projects as the BBC’s “Killing Eve,” administrators of the 35% cash-back incentives caused a stir with delays in payments after the government-mandated work shutdowns took effect March 26.
The Romanian Film Centre has since issued assurances that it has sufficient funds to write checks when work resumes, and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has pegged the date for the end of the state of emergency as early May.
In Romania, where major player Castel Film Studio cancelled four international productions while under temporarily closure, the two-year-old production rebates system has also been suspended for now.
“Everything is on hold due to the state of emergency,” says producer and industry consultant Alex Traila.
Despite helping draw such high-profile projects as the BBC’s “Killing Eve,” administrators of the 35% cash-back incentives caused a stir with delays in payments after the government-mandated work shutdowns took effect March 26.
The Romanian Film Centre has since issued assurances that it has sufficient funds to write checks when work resumes, and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has pegged the date for the end of the state of emergency as early May.
- 5/7/2020
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
Funerary industry doc directed by Carl Olsson.
Syndicado has acquired worldwide rights excluding Sweden, Denmark and Estonia to Carl Olsson’s Meanwhile On Earth.
The documentary about the funerary industry had its world premiere in Rotterdam and now screens in Goteborg’s Nordic Documentary Competition.
Constructed as a collage of scenes and situations – each a tableau – the film investigates the human relationship with death in our society, based on the people that have made death part of their everyday lives.
The film was pitched at Cph:dox last year under the working title A Place Above The Sky.
Alexander Govedarica from...
Syndicado has acquired worldwide rights excluding Sweden, Denmark and Estonia to Carl Olsson’s Meanwhile On Earth.
The documentary about the funerary industry had its world premiere in Rotterdam and now screens in Goteborg’s Nordic Documentary Competition.
Constructed as a collage of scenes and situations – each a tableau – the film investigates the human relationship with death in our society, based on the people that have made death part of their everyday lives.
The film was pitched at Cph:dox last year under the working title A Place Above The Sky.
Alexander Govedarica from...
- 1/31/2020
- by 1100142¦Wendy Mitchell¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Estonia’s film industry was provided a major boost in 2019 when Christopher Nolan’s big budget thriller Tenet opted to shoot in the former Soviet Union territory, injecting capital and prominence into the local film scene.
Allfilm, one of the country’s most successful and prolific producers, provided production services for the Nolan pic, and was given a further end-of-year boost when its feature Truth And Justice was a surprise inclusion on the International Oscar shortlist.
The company, run by producer Ivo Felt, was founded in 1995, only four years after Estonia became independent, and three years before the establishment of its national film body. Based in the capital Tallinn, where some 400,000 of the country’s 1.3 million population live, across 25 years Allfilm has produced a steady output of small budget features, patching together finance from local and international sources.
The outfit is probably best known for producing Estonia-Georgia co-production Tangerines, which...
Allfilm, one of the country’s most successful and prolific producers, provided production services for the Nolan pic, and was given a further end-of-year boost when its feature Truth And Justice was a surprise inclusion on the International Oscar shortlist.
The company, run by producer Ivo Felt, was founded in 1995, only four years after Estonia became independent, and three years before the establishment of its national film body. Based in the capital Tallinn, where some 400,000 of the country’s 1.3 million population live, across 25 years Allfilm has produced a steady output of small budget features, patching together finance from local and international sources.
The outfit is probably best known for producing Estonia-Georgia co-production Tangerines, which...
- 12/23/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Estonian drama broke all domestic box records.
Berlin-based Films Boutique has picked up international rights to Tanel Toom’s Truth And Justice, which has been shortlisted for the international feature film Oscar.
The Estonian drama broke all box records when it was released domestically in February, generating more than 267,000 admissions and beating previous record-holder Avatar, which had 194,000.
Following its international premiere in Busan in October, Truth and Justice screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last month and has been selected for Palm Springs in January.
The deal for international rights was negotiated by producer Ivo Felt and Films Boutique COO Gabor Grenier.
Berlin-based Films Boutique has picked up international rights to Tanel Toom’s Truth And Justice, which has been shortlisted for the international feature film Oscar.
The Estonian drama broke all box records when it was released domestically in February, generating more than 267,000 admissions and beating previous record-holder Avatar, which had 194,000.
Following its international premiere in Busan in October, Truth and Justice screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last month and has been selected for Palm Springs in January.
The deal for international rights was negotiated by producer Ivo Felt and Films Boutique COO Gabor Grenier.
- 12/20/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Truth And Justice, the Estonian debut feature that was one of the more unexpected inclusions on the Academy’s International Feature Film Oscar shortlist earlier this week, has been snapped up by Berlin-based sales agent Films Boutique.
The film is a historical epic running at 149 mins that follows an Estonian farmer in 1870 who struggles against a rival neighbor as well as his own family and beliefs. It is an adaptation of author Anton Hansen Tammsaare’s pentalogy novel of the same name, written 1926 – 1933, which is considered to be one of the fundamental works of Estonian literature.
Writer-director Tanel Toom made his feature debut on the film, he was previously Oscar nominated for his 2010 short The Confession.
Ivo Felt at Tallinn-based Allfilm produced, his company is one of the country’s most successful production houses with credits including the Oscar-nominated Tangerines and the Golden Globe-nominated The Fencer, which also made...
The film is a historical epic running at 149 mins that follows an Estonian farmer in 1870 who struggles against a rival neighbor as well as his own family and beliefs. It is an adaptation of author Anton Hansen Tammsaare’s pentalogy novel of the same name, written 1926 – 1933, which is considered to be one of the fundamental works of Estonian literature.
Writer-director Tanel Toom made his feature debut on the film, he was previously Oscar nominated for his 2010 short The Confession.
Ivo Felt at Tallinn-based Allfilm produced, his company is one of the country’s most successful production houses with credits including the Oscar-nominated Tangerines and the Golden Globe-nominated The Fencer, which also made...
- 12/18/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Adaptation of classic Estonian novel beat the previous box office record set by ‘Avatar’ and has been submitted for the Academy Award.
Tanel Toom is the filmmaker behind a genuine phenomenon in the history of Estonian cinema.
His feature directorial debut, Truth And Justice, broke all box records when it was released domestically this spring, recording more than 267,000 admissions and beating previous record-holder Avatar, which had 194,000 admissions. For a country with a population of just 1.3 million, it represents a huge homegrown hit.
Based on a 1926 novel by Anton Hansen Tammsaare, the film centres on a feud between two farmers in...
Tanel Toom is the filmmaker behind a genuine phenomenon in the history of Estonian cinema.
His feature directorial debut, Truth And Justice, broke all box records when it was released domestically this spring, recording more than 267,000 admissions and beating previous record-holder Avatar, which had 194,000 admissions. For a country with a population of just 1.3 million, it represents a huge homegrown hit.
Based on a 1926 novel by Anton Hansen Tammsaare, the film centres on a feud between two farmers in...
- 12/1/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Mike Newell shared select highlights while a local actress was signed by a talent agency and guests shared excitement for the future of the Estonian film industry.
Fresh films, homegrown talent and optimism for the future fired up guests at this year’s Black Nights Film Festival in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.
Mike Newell, the UK drector of Four Weddings And A Funeral and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, was on the main jury that considered 21 features. He told Screen: “The selection of films has been extremely rich and enormously varied, coming from all over the world.
Fresh films, homegrown talent and optimism for the future fired up guests at this year’s Black Nights Film Festival in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.
Mike Newell, the UK drector of Four Weddings And A Funeral and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, was on the main jury that considered 21 features. He told Screen: “The selection of films has been extremely rich and enormously varied, coming from all over the world.
- 12/1/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Studio complex will be the largest of its kind in the Baltic region.
A major film studio complex in the Estonian capital of Tallinn has finally been given an opening date after city officials revealed the location of the development.
Tallinn Film Wonderland will be constructed in the northern part of the city, rejuvenating an industrial wasteland on the Paljassaare peninsula, and is set to open in January 2022.
In this first phase, three sound stages and additional production buildings will be constructed to provide state-of-the-art facilities to both the local and international film and television industry. In the long-term, the...
A major film studio complex in the Estonian capital of Tallinn has finally been given an opening date after city officials revealed the location of the development.
Tallinn Film Wonderland will be constructed in the northern part of the city, rejuvenating an industrial wasteland on the Paljassaare peninsula, and is set to open in January 2022.
In this first phase, three sound stages and additional production buildings will be constructed to provide state-of-the-art facilities to both the local and international film and television industry. In the long-term, the...
- 11/26/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
The Estonia 100 project ignites local production and cinema-going.
Estonia is one of Europe’s most interesting emerging co-production territories. Buoyed by the success of the six films supported by last year’s government-backed Estonia 100 film programme, created to celebrate the country’s centenary, local producers are now putting together a wide array of productions aimed at an international market.
Veteran producer Ivo Felt of Allfilm is close to completing the finance on the English-language sci-fi thriller Gateway 6, which is set to star Olga Kurylenko It is being set up as a UK-Estonian-German coproduction. It will be the...
Estonia is one of Europe’s most interesting emerging co-production territories. Buoyed by the success of the six films supported by last year’s government-backed Estonia 100 film programme, created to celebrate the country’s centenary, local producers are now putting together a wide array of productions aimed at an international market.
Veteran producer Ivo Felt of Allfilm is close to completing the finance on the English-language sci-fi thriller Gateway 6, which is set to star Olga Kurylenko It is being set up as a UK-Estonian-German coproduction. It will be the...
- 11/25/2019
- by 57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦
- ScreenDaily
Once upon a time, the quintessential foreign-language film submission was a sweeping epic or something to do with WWII. No longer. More challenging and topical pictures have been entered and ultimately rewarded. Think of last year’s Chilean winner, “A Fantastic Woman,” centered on a transgender character.
Among this year’s submissions from 87 countries are at least a baker’s dozen that address the current zeitgeist. There are films about refugees and immigrants, sexuality and gender, single fatherhood, the plight of the urban poor, protecting the environment, anti-Semitism, female sex workers, sexual harassment and civilians caught in current wars.
As the rights of transgender individuals become a politically fraught issue in the U.S., Belgium’s “Girl,” directed by Lukas Dhont, offers a sympathetic,
naturalistically drawn portrait of a still-transitioning 15-year-old who is working toward her dream of becoming a professional ballerina.
“ ‘Girl’ began [with] the need to say something about how we perceive gender,...
Among this year’s submissions from 87 countries are at least a baker’s dozen that address the current zeitgeist. There are films about refugees and immigrants, sexuality and gender, single fatherhood, the plight of the urban poor, protecting the environment, anti-Semitism, female sex workers, sexual harassment and civilians caught in current wars.
As the rights of transgender individuals become a politically fraught issue in the U.S., Belgium’s “Girl,” directed by Lukas Dhont, offers a sympathetic,
naturalistically drawn portrait of a still-transitioning 15-year-old who is working toward her dream of becoming a professional ballerina.
“ ‘Girl’ began [with] the need to say something about how we perceive gender,...
- 12/6/2018
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Incoming producitons would have a single point of entry to the region
Estonia, Finland and Latvia are considering offering a joint tax incentive to attract inward investment through international production into the three countries and give incoming producers a single point of entry.
Jonathan Olsberg, founder of London-based OlsbergSPI, revealed the three partners are looking to “harmonise” their fiscal incentives as part of the year-old ‘North Star Alliance’, through which the Estonian, Finnish and Latvian film industries work together. Olsberg Spi is poised to publish an independent analysis of the market possibilities in the region in early 2019.
Olsberg was talking...
Estonia, Finland and Latvia are considering offering a joint tax incentive to attract inward investment through international production into the three countries and give incoming producers a single point of entry.
Jonathan Olsberg, founder of London-based OlsbergSPI, revealed the three partners are looking to “harmonise” their fiscal incentives as part of the year-old ‘North Star Alliance’, through which the Estonian, Finnish and Latvian film industries work together. Olsberg Spi is poised to publish an independent analysis of the market possibilities in the region in early 2019.
Olsberg was talking...
- 12/1/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Incoming producitons would have a single point of entry to the region
Estonia, Finland and Latvia are considering offering a joint tax incentive to attract inward investment through international production into the three countries and give incoming producers a single point of entry.
Jonathan Olsberg, founder of London-based OlsbergSPI, revealed the three partners are looking to “harmonise” their fiscal incentives as part of the year-old ‘North Star Alliance’, through which the Estonian, Finnish and Latvian film industries work together. Olsberg Spi is poised to publish an independent analysis of the market possibilities in the region in early 2019.
Olsberg was talking...
Estonia, Finland and Latvia are considering offering a joint tax incentive to attract inward investment through international production into the three countries and give incoming producers a single point of entry.
Jonathan Olsberg, founder of London-based OlsbergSPI, revealed the three partners are looking to “harmonise” their fiscal incentives as part of the year-old ‘North Star Alliance’, through which the Estonian, Finnish and Latvian film industries work together. Olsberg Spi is poised to publish an independent analysis of the market possibilities in the region in early 2019.
Olsberg was talking...
- 12/1/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The Estonian festival is aiming to spotlight local talent this year.
“Black Nights brings the world’s films, film professionals and projects, top-end politicians and decision makers from the private sector to Tallinn,” says festival director Tiina Lokk of Black Nights, which was classified by Fiapf as an A-list event in 2014.
Local producer Ivo Felt sums up the event’s importance to the local industry: “That can’t be underrated. For a small country, as we are, to have such a festival is a big thing,” Felt said. “Thanks to the festival, we are getting more attention for our own films.
“Black Nights brings the world’s films, film professionals and projects, top-end politicians and decision makers from the private sector to Tallinn,” says festival director Tiina Lokk of Black Nights, which was classified by Fiapf as an A-list event in 2014.
Local producer Ivo Felt sums up the event’s importance to the local industry: “That can’t be underrated. For a small country, as we are, to have such a festival is a big thing,” Felt said. “Thanks to the festival, we are getting more attention for our own films.
- 11/26/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 9/12/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 9/11/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 9/6/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 9/5/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 9/3/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 8/30/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 8/29/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 8/28/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 8/20/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Estonia has selected drama “Take It or Leave It” as its submission for the Oscar for best foreign-language film – the third time in five years that the country has put forward a movie from producer Ivo Felt, whose 2014 “Tangerines” received Estonia’s only Academy Award nomination.
“Take It or Leave It” beat six other contenders under consideration by a selection committee led by Edith Sepp, CEO of the Estonian Film Institute, which announced the selection Thursday. Five members of the seven-person panel picked “Take It or Leave It” as their choice for submission to the Academy.
Director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo’s film tackles themes of responsibility, single parenthood and economic inequality. It tells the story of a 30-year-old construction worker who suddenly finds himself a single parent when his ex-girlfriend, whom he hasn’t seen for six months, has a baby girl and informs him that she’ll put the child...
“Take It or Leave It” beat six other contenders under consideration by a selection committee led by Edith Sepp, CEO of the Estonian Film Institute, which announced the selection Thursday. Five members of the seven-person panel picked “Take It or Leave It” as their choice for submission to the Academy.
Director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo’s film tackles themes of responsibility, single parenthood and economic inequality. It tells the story of a 30-year-old construction worker who suddenly finds himself a single parent when his ex-girlfriend, whom he hasn’t seen for six months, has a baby girl and informs him that she’ll put the child...
- 8/16/2018
- by Robert Mitchell
- Variety Film + TV
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 8/16/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Film and folks in attendance on the Croisette this year:
“Captain Morten & the Spider Queen,” directed by Kaspar Jancis, Henry Nicholson, Riho Unt
In this feature-length stop- motion animation, a young boy learns to take control over his life when he is shrunk to the size of an insect and has to sail his toy boat through a flooded cafe. (Market)
Intl. sales: Sola Media
“Fire Lily,” directed by Maria Avdjushko
Mystery drama about a recently divorced, middle-age ophthalmologist whose marriage has ended because she could not have children. As she gets on with her life, she finds herself pregnant. But who or what has impregnated her? (Market)
Intl. sales: The Yellow Affair
“Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway,” directed by Miguel Llansó (Spain/ Estonia/Ethiopia)
The Estonian co-producer is Kristjan Pütsep from Alasti Kino. (Frontières Platform)
“The Little Comrade,” directed by Moonika Siimets
Historical drama based on...
“Captain Morten & the Spider Queen,” directed by Kaspar Jancis, Henry Nicholson, Riho Unt
In this feature-length stop- motion animation, a young boy learns to take control over his life when he is shrunk to the size of an insect and has to sail his toy boat through a flooded cafe. (Market)
Intl. sales: Sola Media
“Fire Lily,” directed by Maria Avdjushko
Mystery drama about a recently divorced, middle-age ophthalmologist whose marriage has ended because she could not have children. As she gets on with her life, she finds herself pregnant. But who or what has impregnated her? (Market)
Intl. sales: The Yellow Affair
“Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway,” directed by Miguel Llansó (Spain/ Estonia/Ethiopia)
The Estonian co-producer is Kristjan Pütsep from Alasti Kino. (Frontières Platform)
“The Little Comrade,” directed by Moonika Siimets
Historical drama based on...
- 5/10/2018
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Feb. 24 marked the centenary of the proclamation of Estonia as an independent, democratic republic. In preparation for that milestone anniversary, a special initiative, Estonia Film 100, brought an extra €9.6 million ($11.7 million) into the domestic production coffers. The Estonian Film Institute used the money to fund five feature films; two documentaries; a feature-length animation (“Lotte and the Lost Dragons”); and the TV series “The Bank,” which will air this fall.
The period drama “The Little Comrade,” directed and written by documentarian-turned-feature-debutant Moonika Siimets and produced by Riina Sildos of Amrion Production, was the first of the Estonia Film 100 titles out of the gate. Released domestically on March 23, it has ranked No. 1 at the box office for four consecutive weeks. With 99,191 admissions so far, it is on course to rank No. 4 in the top domestic box office of all time.
“The Little Comrade” is based on an autobiographical novel by Estonia’s beloved writer Leelo Tungal.
The period drama “The Little Comrade,” directed and written by documentarian-turned-feature-debutant Moonika Siimets and produced by Riina Sildos of Amrion Production, was the first of the Estonia Film 100 titles out of the gate. Released domestically on March 23, it has ranked No. 1 at the box office for four consecutive weeks. With 99,191 admissions so far, it is on course to rank No. 4 in the top domestic box office of all time.
“The Little Comrade” is based on an autobiographical novel by Estonia’s beloved writer Leelo Tungal.
- 5/10/2018
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Close to 40 films will be presented at the inaugural edition of the Russian event.
New films by filmmakers Igor Voloshin, Darya Zhuk and Zaza Urushadze are among the near 40 projects to be presented at the first edition of the KinoPoisk FilmMarket (Kfm) in Moscow next week (Oct 20-23).
Voloshin, whose previous films included Nirvana and I Am, will be pitching his Russian-Slovak thriller The Basement to potential co-producers on Kfm’s first day on October 20.
The line-up of 18 fiction feature projects will also include Crystal by the New York-based Belorussian-born filmmaker Darya Zhuk, currently structured as a co-production between Vice Films (Us), Funky Ferret Films (Germany) and Demarsh Films (Belarus), and Russian writer-director Michael Ides’ Humorist about the “first Soviet stand-up comedian” Boris Arkadiev, to be produced by Metrafilms with Hype Film and Latvia’s Tasse Film.
Other projects include two films developed as part of the B’Est workshops in Tallinn and St Petersburg – Elisabeth Tishova...
New films by filmmakers Igor Voloshin, Darya Zhuk and Zaza Urushadze are among the near 40 projects to be presented at the first edition of the KinoPoisk FilmMarket (Kfm) in Moscow next week (Oct 20-23).
Voloshin, whose previous films included Nirvana and I Am, will be pitching his Russian-Slovak thriller The Basement to potential co-producers on Kfm’s first day on October 20.
The line-up of 18 fiction feature projects will also include Crystal by the New York-based Belorussian-born filmmaker Darya Zhuk, currently structured as a co-production between Vice Films (Us), Funky Ferret Films (Germany) and Demarsh Films (Belarus), and Russian writer-director Michael Ides’ Humorist about the “first Soviet stand-up comedian” Boris Arkadiev, to be produced by Metrafilms with Hype Film and Latvia’s Tasse Film.
Other projects include two films developed as part of the B’Est workshops in Tallinn and St Petersburg – Elisabeth Tishova...
- 10/14/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Tangerines director’s second feature is being presented as a work-in-progress at Warsaw Film Festival.
Berlin-based sales agent Picture Tree International has taken international rights to Monk, Zaza Urushadze’s second film as a director.
Georgian film-maker Urushadze’s debut feature was Tangerines in 2015, which was nominated for a foreign language Oscar and also a Golden Globe.
Monk, which is being presented as a work-in-progress tomorrow (Oct 14) at the Warsaw Film Festival (Oct 7-16) where buyers will be able to view a first-look promo, tells the story of a film director-turned-priest whose life in a small mountain village begins to unravel when he meets a local music teacher who is hiding a dark secret.
The feature, which is expected to be delivered early 2017, is being produced by Ivo Felt of Estonia-based Allfilm and Zaza Urushadzes company Cinema24, with the support of Estonian Film Institute and Georgian Film Center. Filming took place in Kakheti, Georgia in July...
Berlin-based sales agent Picture Tree International has taken international rights to Monk, Zaza Urushadze’s second film as a director.
Georgian film-maker Urushadze’s debut feature was Tangerines in 2015, which was nominated for a foreign language Oscar and also a Golden Globe.
Monk, which is being presented as a work-in-progress tomorrow (Oct 14) at the Warsaw Film Festival (Oct 7-16) where buyers will be able to view a first-look promo, tells the story of a film director-turned-priest whose life in a small mountain village begins to unravel when he meets a local music teacher who is hiding a dark secret.
The feature, which is expected to be delivered early 2017, is being produced by Ivo Felt of Estonia-based Allfilm and Zaza Urushadzes company Cinema24, with the support of Estonian Film Institute and Georgian Film Center. Filming took place in Kakheti, Georgia in July...
- 10/13/2016
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Warsaw Next workshop for young Polish filmmakers with 70+ participants is organized in cooperation with Sundance TV who hosts a masterclass on 15 October.
The Warsaw Film Festival (October 7–16, 2016) promotes Eastern European cinema as well as world cinema. With over 100 titles, five competitive sections, Fipresci workshops and the ever-expanding industry event CentEast Market, the 32nd edition of the Warsaw Film Festival this year is its largest ever event.
CentEast Market focuses on Eastern European cinema and will present 13 new works-in-progress, new Polish films and workshops for both filmmakers and film critics.
The CentEast Market runs 14–16 October during the final days of the Warsaw Film Festival. Since 2005, the market has provided a meeting space for sales agents, distributors, festival programmers and producers interested in Eastern European cinema.
This year’s CentEast Market will be repeated in Moscow a few days after its October 14 presentation in Warsaw. Peter Bebjak (The Cleaner [+]), Inara Kolmane (Mona...
The Warsaw Film Festival (October 7–16, 2016) promotes Eastern European cinema as well as world cinema. With over 100 titles, five competitive sections, Fipresci workshops and the ever-expanding industry event CentEast Market, the 32nd edition of the Warsaw Film Festival this year is its largest ever event.
CentEast Market focuses on Eastern European cinema and will present 13 new works-in-progress, new Polish films and workshops for both filmmakers and film critics.
The CentEast Market runs 14–16 October during the final days of the Warsaw Film Festival. Since 2005, the market has provided a meeting space for sales agents, distributors, festival programmers and producers interested in Eastern European cinema.
This year’s CentEast Market will be repeated in Moscow a few days after its October 14 presentation in Warsaw. Peter Bebjak (The Cleaner [+]), Inara Kolmane (Mona...
- 10/10/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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