News

Barcelona-based boutique studio Filmax has rolled out further pre-sales on “My Friend Eva,” from “Truman” director Cesc Gay, licensing key territories ahead of the film’s Cannes screening, closing Italy (Teodora Films) and Germany and Austria (Neue Visionen).

The film was also sold after Berlin’s European Film Market to Israel (Lev Cinemas), Greece (Cinobo) and Bulgaria (Beta Films). Cinemania acquired the film rights for former Yugoslavia.

The film turns on Eva, a married woman on a quest for passion whose life takes a dramatic turn after a serendipitous encounter in Rome. She remembers what it feels like to fall in love again.

Juan Diego Botto (“The Suicide Squad”) and Rodrigo de la Serna (“Money Heist”) co-star.

“We’re big fans of Cesc Gay’s films and believe ‘My Friend Eva’s’ lead character, this wonderful, interesting and relatable middle aged woman ,has the power to resonate with a large audience,...

Exclusive: FilmNation will launch sales in Cannes on Olivia Wilde’s comedy The Invite starring Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton, and Wilde that has begun principal photography in Los Angeles.

FilmNation and Annapurna Pictures are co-financing the previously announced project about a couple who get the neighbours over to their home for an evening that takes unexpected turns and uncovers “repressed emotions and unexplored sexuality”, according to the producers.

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack adapted the screenplay from the original 2022 Spanish comedy Sentimental by Cesc Gay.

Wilde makes her directorial follow-up after the 2022 thriller and Venice premiere Don’t Worry,...

Exclusive: FilmNation will launch sales in Cannes on Olivia Wilde’s comedy The Invite starring Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton, and Wilde that has begun principal photography in Los Angeles.

FilmNation and Annapurna Pictures are co-financing the previously announced project about a couple who get the neighbours over to their home for an evening that takes unexpected turns and uncovers “repressed emotions and unexplored sexuality”, according to the producers.

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack adapted the screenplay from the original 2022 Spanish comedy Sentimental by Cesc Gay.

Wilde makes her directorial follow-up after the 2022 thriller and Venice premiere Don’t Worry,...

Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton y la propia Wilde protagonizarán la comedia. © Getty Images

Según ha anunciado Variety, el tercer largometraje de Olivia Wilde, después de No te preocupes, querida y Súper empollonas, será The Invite, una provocativa comedia inspirada en la española Sentimental de 2020, adaptada por Rashida Jones y Will McCormack (Celeste & Jesse Forever), que protagonizará un reparto hollywoodiense de lujo: Seth Rogen (The Studio), Penélope Cruz (Volver), Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) y la propia Wilde.

La película original, dirigida por Cesc Gay, fue todo un éxito en España y estuvo nominada a varios premios Goya. En ella, una pareja invita a sus vecinos a su casa, lo que desencadena una noche llena de giros inesperados, emociones reprimidas y una sexualidad inexplorada. El elenco lo conformaban Javier Cámara, Belén Cuesta, Griselda Siciliani y Alberto San Juan.

Sentimental ha sido adaptada en numerosas ocasiones en varios países, incluidos Italia,...

Who will star in Olivia Wilde‘s next film, “The Invite“? Variety has the scoop there, and it’s a foursome that includes Wilde herself.

Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2025

Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton will star in the date night comedy with Wilde, based on the Spanish film “Sentimental.” Rashida Jones and Will McCormack adapt Cesc Gay‘s original movie, about a couple who invites their neighbors over, which kicks off a night of unexpected twists and turns, repressed emotions, and unexplored sexuality. Sounds fun, but also a departure from Wilde’s last film, 2022’s conspiracy thriller “Don’t Worry Darling.”

Filming on “The Invite” has already started in Los Angeles, so expect the comedy may arrive in theaters sooner than audiences anticipate. Ben Browning produces the film via FilmNation Entertainment with Annapura Pictures‘ Megan Ellison, and David Permut. Patrick Chu executive produces via Annapurna.

Will...

Olivia Wilde has secured her spot as one of the most interesting female directors following her directorial debut in 2019 with the critically acclaimed Booksmart. Her sophomore project, 2022's Don't Worry Darling, was covered in controversy and critically panned, but was still a hit with the audience and a commercial success.

With several other projects as director on the way, Wilde has a brand-new film: the date night comedy The Invite. Per Variety, her new movie is inspired by the Spanish film Sentimental.The Invite will also reunite her with Seth Rogen after working together on The Studio, and the two will star alongside Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.

Sentimental, which was officially marketed as The People Upstairs, was released in 2020. It had Cesc Gay at the helm, and starred Javier Cámara, Griselda Siciliani, Belén Cuesta, and Alberto San Juan. The movie was nominated for several awards, including five Goya Awards.

Olivia Wilde‘s upcoming comedy is rounding out its cast!

The 41-year-old actress and filmmaker is set to direct The Invite, described as a provocative date night comedy inspired by the Spanish movie Sentimental, per Variety.

Cesc Gay directed the original film, adapted by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack.

Here’s the official synopsis: “A couple invites the neighbors over, igniting an evening full of unexpected twists and turns, revealing deeply repressed emotions and unexplored sexuality.”

Keep reading to find out more…

Now, we know who will be appearing in the all-star cast, including Olivia.

Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton will all star in the film.

Principal photography already began in Los Angeles.

Find out what recent pop culture event Olivia Wilde just spoke out against.

Olivia Wilde is back in the director’s chair, as the “Booksmart” and “Don’t Worry Darling” filmmaker is currently filming her third directorial outing, “The Invite,” first reported by Variety and confirmed by IndieWire. Wilde, who also had a small role in “Don’t Worry Darling,” will also appear in the film, alongside a cast that also includes Seth Rogen (who she recently appeared alongside in “The Studio”), Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. Principal photography has started in Los Angeles.

Per Variety, the film is billed as “a provocative date night comedy inspired by the Spanish film ‘Sentimental.'” The original 2020 film, directed by Cesc Gay, was a smash in Spain and was nominated for multiple Goyas (winning Best Supporting Actor for star Alberto San Juan). The film follows two couples, neighbors who do not quite get along, who come together for a dinner date night that inspires some unexpected revelations.

Like water taking the shape of any container in which it’s kept, Catalan cinema tends to work its way into every corner of a festival or marketplace in which it is present. This year’s European Film Market is no exception. Here’s a look at 10 Catalan titles set to make an impression at this year’s festival and market.

The highest profile appearance will be Eva Libertad’s debut feature, “Deaf,” based on a short of the same name, which world premieres in the Panorama section. Sold by Latido Films and produced by Distinto Films, A Contracorriente Films and Nexus CreaFilms, it’s based on Libertad’s Goya-nominated short of the same name.

Lucía G. Romero’s “Close to September” will world premiere in Berlinale Shorts. Produced by Escándalo Films, Filmax, Escac Films and Escac Studio, it centers on an imbalanced youthful romance.

Generation Kplus showcases two Catalan productions this year,...

A selection of Spanish titles being sold at the European Film Market.

“My Friend Eva,” Cesc Gay

A romantic comedy about Eva, who, after 20 years of marriage, seeks to rediscover love and passion, directed by “Truman” helmer Gay. “Cesc’s films are always highly anticipated. He’s a director who’s given us so much success in the past,” says the film’s sales agent.

S.A. Filmax

*”The Virgin of the Quarry Lake,” Laura Casabé

Set in 2001 Argentina, this film follows Natalia, who uses dark incantations to win back her love, leading to self-empowerment and a dramatic conclusion. A buzz title at last month’s Sundance market.

S.A. Filmax

*”Fury,” Gemma Blasco

A young actress, Alex, grapples with trauma and isolation after a New Year’s Eve assault. Her brother’s misguided support leads them down dark paths, while Alex finds solace in theatre. Headed to SXSW’s global program this year.

Backed by some of Latin America’s best known independent production labels – Argentina Kapow, Non Stop Studios Tarea Fina, Chile’s Parox and Rizoma Producciones, Colombia’s Rhayuela and Mexico’s Caponeto, Iberseries & Platino Industria’s industry centerpiece Co-Production and Financing Forum delivers a snapshot of current TV and film production in Latin America and Spain.

Yes, a social focus still remains but it is laced by entertainment genres, led by crime and comedy, pushing titles into a cross-over territory.

Following, brief profiles of the 10 pic and 10 series lineup, which features stars – Alfredo Castro and Clara Lago in “Queen of the Woods,” and name directors such as Berlin Competition contender Natalia Smirnoff, helming “(Im)perfect Mom” and “Sleepwalkers’” Paula Hernández on “Duarte.”

Enjoy.

Series Projects

“El Abogado Mattos,” (Colombia, Mexico)

A true crime thriller turning on David Durán, lawyer to Colombian magnate Carlos Mattos, debating in jail whether to break...

Streaming giant Netflix unveiled an ambitious slate of eight upcoming Spanish films at the recent San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain. The company is investing heavily in original Spanish-language content to attract global viewers. The diverse collection features thriller, drama, and family films from established and up-and-coming directors.

One highly anticipated thriller is “The Black Widow” directed by Carlos Sedes. The film follows a murder investigation in Valencia that uncovers an unexpected suspect. Sedes is known for his crime TV shows “Fariña” and “The Asunta Case.” David Victori also debuts his psychological thriller “Firebreak” about a family tormented by disturbing events while selling their summer home. Eva Vives directs the procedural thriller “The Unknown” which promises to offer complex characters.

Several remakes and period pieces are in the works. Fernando González Molina tackles a reboot of the 1973 Oscar-nominated film “My Dear Miss” exploring modern Spanish identity. Cesc Gay directs “53 Sundays,...

Netflix Spain unveiled two new film projects at the San Sebastian International Film Festival that it is producing with Spanish filmmakers and production companies.

Carlos Sedes’ La Viuda Negra (which translates as The Black Widow) is being produced by Ramón Campos’ film and TV outfit Bambú Producciones, whose credits include Cable Girls and Isaki Lacuesta’s One Year, One Night.

The race-against-time thriller is about a body found in a parking lot in Valencia and the unexpected suspect the investigation digs up. It is now in pre-production.

Sedes is best known for TV series Fariña and, more recently, The Asunta Case.

Netflix launched two new film titles and shared details on several projects currently in development at a buzzy showcase this afternoon at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

The streamer announced at the event that it will back two new genre projects, Cortafuego directed by David Victori (Cross The Line), and The Black Widow from filmmaker Carlos Sedes (The Summer We Lived).

The Black Widow will be produced by Ramón Campos, Bambú Producciones. The official synopsis shared by the streamer reads: August 2017. The body of a man appears in a parking lot in Valencia, stabbed seven times. Everything points to a crime of passion. The city’s Homicide Group, led by a veteran inspector, begins an investigation against the clock that soon leads them to a suspect that no one expected: Maje, the young widow, sweet and serene, who had been married to the victim for less than a year.

Cortafuego,...

San Sebastian — At one of the biggest industry gatherings at this year’s San Sebastián Festival, Netflix has announced new Spanish movies from “Cable Girls” showrunner Ramón Campos and “Cross the Line” director David Victori, as it unveiled new talent details on four other banner titles.

Produced by Ramón Campos at his Madrid-based label Bambú Producciones, also behind “Grand Hotel,” “Velvet” and “Fariña,” and directed by Carlos Sedes “The Asunta Case,” “Cable Girls”), murder mystery “La Viuda Negra” begins with a body stabbed seven times is discovered in a car park in Valencia. The prime suspect for the city’s Homicide Group is Maje, the dead man’s Maje, young and kind widow to whom the deceased had been married for less than a year.

Billed as a psychological thriller, Victori’s “Cortafuego” is produced by Anxo Rodríguez y Ferrán Tomás of ESpotlight Media and stars a topnotch cast of Joaquín Furriel,...

San Sebastian — Barcelona-based Filmax has acquired international sales rights to “Time of Silence and Destruction,” a bio-doc feature about Luis Martín-Santos who, along with great friend Juan Benet, revolutionized the Spanish novel, as James Joyce and William Faulkner had achieved decades before outside Spain.

Martin-Santos’ “Tiempo de Silencio” (1962) and Benet’s “Volverás a Región” (1967) not only broke with conventional social realism but dragged the Spanish novel into the 20th century using stream of consciousness and shifting narrators and were hugely influential on younger writers active down to this day, shifting novel’s focus from chronicle to a high-style and language.

Led by Martín-Santos’ daughter Rocío and son Luis, who were just children the the writer died tragically in a car accident in 1964, “Time of Silence and Destruction” sees them open boxes of Martín-Santos’ unpublished papers as they talk to the few surviving friends and colleagues, situating Martín-Santos in his context,...

Catalan films have impressed at festivals and awards ceremonies around the world for years now as the region continues to punch far above its weight in the screen industries. As the fall festival season transitions into awards season, we wanted to take a look at the buzziest Catalan titles set to make their debut sometime next year.

Carla Simon, among the most exciting young filmmakers working in Europe today, will return with her fourth feature, “Romeria,” which is shooting now. The film tells the story of Marina, who travels to Vigo in the northwest of Spain to meet her biological father’s family after he dies of AIDS. The film is particularly close to Simon, who lost her parents to the disease when she was only six years old.

Óliver Laxe made headlines when his next production, “After,” was unveiled in January with Pedro Almodóvar’s El Deseo producing alongside...

Todo lo que necesitas saber sobre la nueva película de Cesc Gay. © Filmax

Cesc Gay (“Truman”) ha concluido en Roma el rodaje de su décimo largometraje, “Mi Amiga Eva”, que ha coescrito junto a Eduard Sola (“El Cuerpo en Llamas”).

La película sigue a Eva, una mujer de 50 años, casada desde hace más de veinte y con dos hijos adolescentes. Durante un viaje de negocios en Roma, Eva se da cuenta de que quiere volver a enamorarse antes de que sea demasiado tarde. De vuelta a Barcelona, Eva empieza una nueva vida, soltera y abierta al juego de la seducción y el romance. A lo largo de un año seguimos a esta mujer que ha roto su mundo en busca de un sentimiento. Un imposible, pero quizá el azar pueda rescatarnos.

La historia transcurre entre Barcelona y Roma y está protagonizada por Nora Navas (“Dolor y Gloria”) acompañada de Juan Diego Botto...

New films by Julio Medem, Alejandro Amenábar, Alberto Rodríguez, Isaki Lacuesta, Jonas Trueba and Oliver Laxe join a brace of smart thrillers in a rich Cannes lineup from Spain.

“8,” (Julio Medem)

Medem returns towhat he does best: a love story transcending time and space and a poetic critique of recent history, according to sales agent Latido Films. “Fariña’s” Javier Rey and “La Mesías” Ana Rujus star as the lovers. Morena Films produces.

Sales: Latido

“As Neves,” (Sonia Méndez)

After a magic mushroom-fueled party, teens in a snowbound Galician village discover one of them is missing. The film was well-received at the Malaga festival.

Sales: Begin Again Films

“Barren Land,” (Albert Pintó)

From a director on “Money Heist” and “Berlin,” this suspense thriller captures how the drug trade devastates friendships and lives in Andalusía’s Cádiz. Film sports a great cast: Luis Zahera (“The Beasts”), Karra Elejalde (“While at War...

Catalan titles will be in no short supply at this year’s Cannes Festival and Marché du Film. Below, a near dozen titles that hope to impress at this year’s event.

“Blue Sun Palace,” (Constance Tsang)

Tsang’s debut feature, shot in New York, world premieres at this year’s Critics’ Week. Field Trip Media and Big Buddha Prods. produce this film about two migrants who work at a massage parlor in Queens. Co- produced by Catalonia’s Marta Cruañas (“Creature”).

Sales: Charades

“Daniela Forever,” (Nacho Vigalondo)

Vigalondo helms this English language romantic drama about loss and memory, reminiscent of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Producers include Mediacrest, Sayaka, XYZ Films, Wrong Men and Señor & Señora.

Sales: XYZ Films

“Misericordia,” (Alain Guiraudie)

French director Guiraudie, behind 2013 Queer Palm winner “Stranger by the Lake,” will bow his latest film in the Cannes Premiere section. This French-Catalan co-production received...

Netflix will produce and release 53 Domingos, the new film from Spanish director Cesc Gay, an adaptation of his own award-winning theater play.

The dramedy follows three brothers who meet up to discuss what to do with their octogenarian father who has started behaving oddly. As they debate whether to put him in a nursing home or have him move in with one of them, the polite family meeting descends into an outrageous, out-of-control fight.

Carmen Machi (Piggy), Javier Cámara (Talk to Her) and Javier Gutierrez (Prison 77) star in the film version.

Gay is best known internationally for his 2015 breakout Truman, starring Ricardo Darín and Javier Cámara. His other features include Stories Not to Be Told (2022), En la ciudad (2003), and Nico and Dani (2000).

53 Domingos is one of three features Netflix unveiled this week as part of its new Spanish originals lineup. The other two are the political thriller Un Fantasma en...

Netflix has boarded a big screen adaptation of Spanish director Cesc Gay’s award-winning theatre play 53 Domingos, which he will direct.

The drama, exploring family relationships, follows three brothers who meet to discuss what to do with their octogenarian father, who has started showing strange behavior.

As they discuss whether to move him to a nursing home, or into one of their homes, the initially civilized family discussion degenerates into an unexpected and hilarious fight.

Cast include Carmen Machi (Piggy), Javier Cámara (Talk To Her) and Javier Gutierrez.

Gay’s previous credits include international breakout Truman, the choral film Stories Not To Be Told and the TV drama Félix.

The Netflix announcement rounds out a trio of Spanish feature productions unveiled by the streamer this week.

The previously announced titles span alongside political thriller Un Fantasma en la Batalla, produced by Society of Snow filmmaker J.A. Bayona,...

Spanish indie film studio Filmax has sold sleeper hit “The Teacher who Promised the Sea” to Italy’s Officine Ubu following sales to Nachshon Films in Israel, Angel Films Scandinavia, India’s BookMyShow and airline rights to Encore Inflight.

“The Teacher…” is based on the real story of Antoni Benaiges, an instructor from Catalonia who, back in 1935, was assigned to teach at a little village school in the province of Burgos. With his new and innovative teaching methods, he began to change not just his students’ lives but also life in the village. However, not everyone in the village was happy about these changes.

The film had a successful run in Spanish cinemas in the autumn and winter of 2023-24.

Filmax head of international, Ivan Diaz, expects to close other key territories at EFM where it is being screened.

“We are thrilled that a company as prestigious as Officine Ubu...

Filmax has taken global distribution rights for “My Friend Eva,” the latest from Spanish director Cesc Gay whose ‘Truman’ proved a notable hit overseas, scoring substantial theatrical returns in several territories.

Set against the backdrops of Barcelona and Rome, this romantic comedy boasts Nora Navas (“Libertad”) Juan Diego Botto (“The Suicide Squad”) and Rodrigo de la Serna (“Money Heist”).

The film marks the ninth collaboration between Gay and producer Marta Esteban of Imposible Films, dating back to Gay’s breakout “Nico and Dani” and taking in “Truman.”

The new film turns on Eva, 50, a married woman on the quest for passion whose life takes a dramatic turn after a serendipitous encounter in Rome. She remembers what it feels like to fall in love again. This rekindling of passion propels her to rediscover love, challenging and changing her existing life.

Gay characterized the film as a comedy of serious intent. It is “filled with misunderstandings,...

In one of the first deals to emerge from the San Sebastian Film Festival, powerhouse indie studio, Filmax, which celebrates its 70th anniversary at San Sebastian Festival, has snapped up international rights to LGBTQ+ dramedy “Norbert(a)” from Imposible Films, the producers of hits “Truman,” “The People Upstairs” and “Stories not to be Told.”

Directed by newcomers Sonia Escolano, who also penned the script, and Belén López Albert, it is toplined by Luis Bermejo (“Magical Girl”), Adriana Ozores (“Alba”), Mariona Terés (“The Girls at the Back”) and María Romanillos.

Norbert(a) follows Norberto and María, who’ve been married for decades and live what seems like an ordinary life in their working-class neighborhood. But little do people know that every night, to supplement their meager incomes, Norberto dresses up as a woman and carries out petty robberies while Maria waits for him in the getaway car.

But Norberto later confesses...

Amy Adams, Paul Rudd and Tessa Thompson have joined the cast for the comedy ‘The Invite,’ based on Cesc Gay’s Goya-winning 2020 Spanish film ‘Sentimental.’

The feature tells the story of Joe (Rudd) and Angela (Adams), who after 15 years of marriage, find that their relationship is in a rut. Desperate to have a conversation that isn’t focused on their marital woes, Angela invites their boisterous neighbours, Kayla (Thompson) and Shane, over for cocktails. Joe irritated at having to engage with this disruptive couple, plans to use the occasion to confront them; however, both he and Angela get far more than they bargained for as sparks fly and they discover Shane and Kayla are hosting weekly orgies and have an invite of their own to offer.

Jonathan Dayton will direct from a script by Emmy nominee Rashida Jones and Academy Award winner Will McCormack. Producers include Academy Award nominee...

While Amy Adams fans await her next role in Marielle Heller‘s “Night Bitch,” in post-production now, another upcoming film for the actress emerges. Deadline reports that Adams will team up with Paul Rudd and Tessa Thompson for “The Invite,” a comedy based on Cesc Gay‘s Goya Award-winning 2020 Spanish film “Sentimental.” The project has a solid comedic directing team, too: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, the duo behind “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Battle Of The Sexes.”

Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023

So what’s the plot of “The Invite”?

Continue reading ‘The Invite’: Amy Adams, Paul Rudd & Tessa Thompson Team Up For Upcoming Sex Comedy at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Amy Adams (Arrival), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man franchise) and Tessa Thompson (Creed franchise) have closed deals to star in The Invite, a comedy based on Cesc Gay’s Goya-winning 2020 Spanish film Sentimental, to be directed for FilmNation Entertainment and Permut Presentations by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, multiple sources tell Deadline.

FilmNation had no comment.

The film tells the story of Joe (Rudd) and Angela (Adams), who after 15 years of marriage, find that their relationship is in a rut. Desperate to have a conversation that isn’t focused on their marital woes, Angela invites their boisterous neighbors, Kayla (Thompson) and Shane, over for cocktails. Joe, irritated at having to engage with this disruptive couple, plans to use the occasion to confront them; however, both he and Angela get far more than they bargained for as sparks fly and they discover Shane and...

Amy Adams, Paul Rudd and Tessa Thompson are to star in 'The Invite'.The trio are attached to feature in the comedy film based on Cesc Gay's award-winning 2020 Spanish film 'Sentimental'.The movie is being directed for FilmNation Entertainment and Permut Presentations by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris from a script penned by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack.The film tells the story of Joe (Rudd) and Angela (Adams), who find that their relationship is stuck in a rut after 15 years of marriage.Desperate to have a conversation that doesn't revolve around their marriage woes, Angela invites their rowdy neighbours Kayla (Thompson) and Shane over for cocktails.Joe is irritated that he has to engage with the couple and plans to use the occasion to confront them but he and Angela both get more than they bargained for as they discover Kayla and Shane are hosting weekly orgies and have an invite for them.

“20,000 Species Of Bees”

(Estíbaliz Urresola)

A Berlin competition contender and, like “Alcarràs,” redolently grounded – unspooling in a Basque Country village – and yet a big-issue drama. Catalonia’s Inicia Films (“La Maternal”) and Basque Country’s Gariza Films (“Nora) produce.

Sales: Luxbox

“Anqa”

(Helin Celik)

Selected for Forum, a doc feature produced by Barcelona’s Kepler Mission Film and Vienna-based Kurd Celik. The harrowing story of three Jordanian women survivors of male violence.

“The Beasts”

(Rodrigo Sorogoyen)

A stylish feminist Western, set in modern deep Galicia, which, breaking out in France and Spain, rates with “Alcarràs” as the standout Spanish film of 2022.

Sales: Latido Films

“The Chauffeur’S Son”

(Isaki Lacuesta)

From “Elite’s” Zeta Studios, chosen for Co-Pro Series and bidding to become the series debut as writer-director of Lacuesta (“Between Two Waters”), a searing portrait of the perverse collusion of politics and media, exemplified by the real life...

Argentina’s Impacto Cine (“Lady Di”) has swooped on all Latin American sales rights to Cesc Gay’s comedy “Stories Not To Be Told” (“Historias Para No Contar”), propelling it into the territory and cementing its regional footing.

International sales on the title are handled by Filmax, in a longterm relationship with Gay.

News of the sale comes as Filmax readies to present Alex de la Iglesia’s shook-up black comedy “Four’s a Crowd” (“El cuarto pasajero”), a wayward romance tale that takes a dark turn, to industry peers at Argentina’s Ventana Sur this week in Buenos Aires.

“We’re proud to have the opportunity to join forces with Filmax and bring this Spanish film, from the excellent Cesc Gay to Latin American audiences,” Impacto Cine’s Luis Ignacio Perez Endara told Variety, talking “Stories Not To Be Told.”

He added:“The director, now in full creative maturity and with his trademark fluid,...

The 70th San Sebastian rounded its final bend with new deals announced for Spain by A Contracorriente, Bteam and Avalon, joy among industry players at a first full on site festival, blessed by early autumn sunshine, a sense of an even slower international sales business.

Equally, Spain’s market and production sector remain on ebullient, buoyed by art-house breakouts and a vibrant drama series production. Five takeaways from this year’s San Sebastian Festival, which wraps tomorrow, Sept. 24:

San Sebastian Grows (Again)

“There are markets that have improved during Covid-19, and others that haven’t and San Sebastian is a festival that’s improved thanks to its industry activities,” says Film Factory’s Vicente Canales. That build comes from afar, with a Films in Progress strand in 2002, an Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum from 2012, the Ikusmira Berriak development residency from 2017 and now a Creative Investors Conference.

There’s a form of cross collaterization here.

Amazon Prime Video’s ‘The Lake’ Producer Amaze Signs COO & Business Affairs VP

Canadian TV and film studio Amaze has forged a Chief Operating Officer role and hired a Senior Vice President of Business Affair as it clears a path to growth. Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence’s outfit, which is behind Amazon Prime Video’s debut Canadian series The Lake, has brought in Alex Lalonde in the former role and Gina Vanni in the latter, both of whom join from Stratagem Rx. Lalonde, who produced The Desperate Hour and the Canadian shoot for Marvel’s Hawkeye and Secret Invasion while at Stratagem, is tasked with managing corporate operations, as well as sourcing IP and co-production opportunities, packaging, financing, sales and acting as an Executive Producer across projects. Vanni will oversee business affairs and finance for the Amaze slate. “Alex and Gina are leaders in global treaty co-production, commercial co-production,...

The WhaleWAVELENGTHS - FEATURESConcrete Valley (Antoine Bourges)De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor)Dry Ground BurningHorse Opera (Moyra Davey)Pacifiction (Albert Serra)Queens of the Qing Dynasty (Ashley McKenzie)Unrest (Cyril Schäublin)Will-o’-the-Wisp (João Pedro Rodrigues)Wavelenghths - SHORTSAfter Work (Céline Condorelli, Ben Rivers)Bigger on the Inside (Angelo Madsen Minax)Eventide (Sharon Lockhart)F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now (Fox Maxy)Fata Morgana (Tacita Dean)Hors-titre (Wiame Haddad)I Thought the World of You (Kurt Walker)Moonrise (Vincent Grenier)The Newest Olds (Pablo Mazzolo)Puerta a Puerta (Jessica Sarah Rinland, Luis Arnías )The Time That Separates Us (Parastoo Anoushahpour)What Rules the Invisible (Tiffany Sia)Gala PRESENTATIONSAlice, Darling (Mary Nighy)Black Ice (Hubert Davis)The Greatest Beer Run Ever (Peter Farrelly)Butcher’s Crossing (Gabe Polsky)The Hummingbird (Francesca Archibugi)Hunt (Jung-jae Lee)A Jazzman’s Blues (Tyler Perry)Kacchey Limbu (Shubham Yogi)Moving On (Paul Weitz)Paris Memories...

After teasing a number of titles in one-off announcements, including Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, TIFF has now unveiled their full Gala and Special Presentations lineup. Selections include Hong Sangsoo’s second new feature of 2022, Walk Up, plus Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees Of Inisherin, Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light, the Vicky Krieps-led Corsage, Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave, the Jennifer Lawrence-led Causeway, Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daugther, Mark Mylod’s The Menu, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, and more.

See the lineup below.

Gala Presentations 2022

*Previously announced

Alice, Darling Mary Nighy | Canada, USA

World Premiere

Black Ice Hubert Davis | Canada

World Premiere

Butcher’s Crossing Gabe Polsky | USA

World Premiere

The Greatest Beer Run Ever Peter Farrelly | USA

World Premiere

The Hummingbird Francesca Archibugi | Italy, France

World Premiere

Hunt Lee Jung-jae | South Korea

North American...

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The 2022 Toronto Film Festival has added world premieres for Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film, A Jazzman’s Blues; Peter Farrelly’s Vietnam War movie The Greatest Beer Run Ever, which stars Russell Crowe and Zac Efron; and the Catherine Hardwicke dramatic thriller Prisoner’s Daughter, starring Kate Beckinsale and Brian Cox.

As TIFF unveiled 18 Gala program titles to screen in Roy Thomson Hall, the festival booked red carpet launches for Hubert Davis’s Black Ice, a documentary about Black hockey players executive produced by Drake; Alice, Darling, director Mary Nighy’s psychological thriller led by Anna Kendrick; Gabe Polsky’s frontier epic Butcher’s Crossing, which stars Nicolas Cage; and Francesca Archibugi’s The Hummingbird, toplined by Nanni Moretti, Berenice Bejo and Pierfrancesco Favino.

Toronto is returning for a 47th edition to run Sept. 8 to 18 that will be in-person, with Hollywood stars on red carpets...

Marc Recha, director of “Pau and His Brother,” which played in Cannes competition, is initiating post-production on “Wild Road,” a thriller produced by Barcelona-based director label Parallamps.

Heaed by Montse Germán, a star in Cesc Gay’s “Fiction” and Sergi López” (“Pan’s Labyrinth”), “Wild Road” follows 50-year Ona, who is about to fulfill her dream of piloting a light aircraft. Then a chance encounter with some Serb ex-combatants will change her life and that of her loved ones, forcing her to face up to her own past.

A Locarno Fipresci prize winner for “The Cherry Tree,” in “Wild Road” Recha aims for a “cinema d’auteur for a wider audience. It’s a disturbing thriller but full of humanity,” producer Ana Stanič told Variety announcing “strong interest for the film in Spain, Central and Eastern Europe and further abroad.”

A sales agent deal is close to being closed.

The move...

In February, Carla Simon’s “Alcarràs” walked off with Spain’s first Berlin Golden Bear in nearly 40 years as Spain notched up its biggest main competition presence at the Berlinale since 1997.

This May, Spain has four movies selected for Cannes – Albert Serra’s Competition entry “Pacifiction”; Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts,” in Premiere; Elena López Riera’s Directors’ Fortnight bow “The Water”; and José Luis López Linares’ “Goya, Carrière and the Ghost of Buñuel,” a Cannes Classics doc feature. That reps a Cannes presence roughly on par with recent standout years such as 2018 and 2019.

With Netflix launching “Through My Window” in February, three of the streaming giant’s five most-watched non-English language movies are from Spain.

The big money is now in TV. Meanwhile Spanish cinema, a darling of arthouse crowds during Spain’s 1975-1982 transition to democracy, is once more back on the international radar, though faced by huge...

From Berlin Golden Bear winner ‘Alcarrás’ to Cannes Competition title ‘Pacifiction,’ these projects will represent Catalonia at Cannes.

Alcarràs

Director: Carla Simón

The 2022 Berlin Golden Bear winner, a family farm drama marking the flagship title for Catalonia’s newest generation of cineastes.

Sales: MK2 Films

Amazing Elisa

Director: Sadrac González-Perellón

The next from 2017 BiFan Grand Jury Prize winner González- Perellón (“Black Hollow Cage”), once more mixing fantasy and family dynamics as Elisa, 12, seeks revenge after her mother’s tragic death. La Charito Films produces.

Sales: Filmax

The Beasts

Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen

One of 2022’s most awaited Spanish titles, selected for Cannes Premiere, a Galicia-set thriller from Oscar-nominee Sorogoyen (“Mother”), produced by Arcadia, Caballo Films and Le Pacte.

Sales: Latido Films

The Communion Girl

Director: Víctor García

Film Factory’s genre play for Cannes: A revenge thriller drawing on an urban legend about a girl in a communion dress.

Sales: Film...

Spanish distributors, who have enjoyed a strong track record selling remake rights to local pics, have received a major boost this year with the Malaga Festival Industry Zone’s (Mafiz) inaugural Remake Day event on Thursday.

Leading film sales companies, among them Cinema Republic, Latido Films, Filmax and Feel Content, presented showcases of films considered particularly adaptable to foreign markets. Not surprisingly, comedies and genre pics made up most of the selections.

David Castellanos’ Cinema Republic offered one strong example with Borja Cobeaga’s hit 2009 romantic comedy “Pagafantas,” which has over the years sold to Germany, Italy and Mexico.

Cinema Republic also touted Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wedding” (“La Boda de Rosa”), about a woman in her mid-40s who decides to finally take charge of her life and fulfill her dream of starting a business.

In Robert Bellsolà’s 2014 laffer “Dos a la Carta” (“Menu for Two”), another Cinema Republic title,...

Exclusive: The directing team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) will direct The People Upstairs, a film that will be financed by FilmNation. Rashida Jones & Will McCormack wrote the script. David Permut will produce with FilmNation. Production is planned for later this year.

The film is an English-language remake of Sentimental, the Goya-winning Spanish film that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2020. Permut picked up the rights shortly after seeing it there. Dayton & Faris are very particular about their projects. They last directed the 2017 Billie Jean King-Bobby Riggs film Battle of the Sexes.

The People Upstairs is about a middle-aged couple who are feeling stagnant in their relationship and invite the younger and livelier couple from the apartment upstairs for a get-together that takes an unexpected turn. The original comedy was directed by Cesc Gay, who also wrote and directed the play the film was based on.

Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” Jasmila Žbanić’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?,” Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” and Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6” are the five nominees for best film at the upcoming 34th European Film Awards, which see no clear frontrunner this year.

The more than 4,100 academy members will now vote for the winners, who will be honored at a Dec. 11 ceremony in Berlin.

And the nominees are: European Film

“Compartment No. 6,” Juho Kuosmanen

“Quo Vadis Aida?” Jasmila Žbanić

“The Father,” Florian Zeller

“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino

“Titane,” Julia Ducournau

European Comedy

“Nijababy,” Yngvild Sve Flikke

“The Morning After,” Méliane Marcaggi

“The People Upstairs,” Cesc Gay

European Documentary

“Babi Yar. Context,” Sergei Loznitsa

“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen

“Mr Bachman and his Class,” Maria Speth

“Taming The Garden,” Salomé Jashi

“The Most Beautiful Boy in the World,” Stina Gardell

European Animated Feature Film

“Even Mice Belong in Heaven,...

The European Film Academy has announced nominations for the 34th European Film Awards which will be handed out in Berlin on December 11. Julia Ducournau’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Titane; Florian Zeller’s 2020 drama and double Oscar winner The Father; and Jasmila Zbanic’s Quo Vadis Aida?, which was nominated for an Oscar at the 93rd edition, are tied with four mentions each.

Titane is the Oscar submission from France this year and, likewise, several other candidates for the International Feature Academy Award figure at the EFAs. They include Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God and Juho Kuosmanen’s Compartment No. 6, from Italy and Finland, respectively. Each of those films, alongside the titles above, is nominated in the European Film 2021 category, and both figure in three races.

Ducournau, Zeller, Zbanic and Sorrentino are all up for European Director 2021 while Radu Jude rounds out the field for his Bad...

Italy’s Lotus Production, producer of 2016 megahit “Perfetti Sconosciuti” (“Perfect Strangers”), has finished its Rome shoot of “Vicini di casa,” the Italian adaptation of Cesc Gay’s Spanish hit comedy “Sentimental” (“The People Upstairs”).

“Vicini di casa” teams Lotus, part of Italy’s Leone Film Group company, with Manuel Tedescos’ Baires Produzioni in association with Mediaset Group’s Medusa Film.

Directed by Paolo Costella, who was also one of the writers behind “Perfect Strangers,” “Vicini di casa” marks the first big remake sale of “The People Upstairs” by Spanish film-tv studio Filmax.

Currently in post-production, the cast of “Vicini di casa” is headed by Claudio Bisio, a well-known comedian and star of some huge Italian blockbusters such as “Benvenuti al Sud” and “Welcome, Mr. President.”

Vittoria Puccini (“18 Presents”), Vinicio Marchioni (“Into the Labyrinth”) and Valentina Lodovini (“Say it Loud!”) finish out the film’s roster of onscreen talent.

Filmax,...

Spain’s David Galán Galindo, helmer of Netflix movie “Unknown Origins,” is attached to direct comedy series project “Todo mal” (“Ok Boomer”), created by TV entertainment writers Fernando Erre and Manuel Martínez March.

Thesp Alberto San Juan, a double Goya Award winner — for best supporting actor on Cesc Gay’s “Sentimental” and lead actor for Félix Viscarret’s “Bajo las estrellas” – is in talks to topline the series.

“Ok Boomer” features among six TV drama projects developed at Spain’s General Society of Spanish Authors’ Foundation that are being pitched during Conecta Fiction 5, the international TV industry event that takes place over Sept. 13-17 in Navarre’s Pamplona, northern Spain.

The project creators, whose credits take in primetime TV shows such as Tve’s “Y si sí?” and Etb’s Basque flagship series “Vaya Semanita,” aim to find at Conecta Fiction a production and/or a TV window partnership.

Structured at eight half hours,...

Argentina’s Aleph Cine, led by Fernando Sokolowicz, one of the country’s most established film producers, has taken an undisclosed co-production stake in Romina Paula’s project “Gente de noche” (“People by Night”), produced by New Argentine Cinema icon Diego Dubcovsky at Varsovia Films.

Selected for San Sebastian Festival’s 9th Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, “Gente” marks Paula’s return to the Spanish festival after winning the 2019 Horizontes Award with her feature debut “Again Once Again” and co-directing 2020 Official Section omnibus player “Unlimited Edition.”

Toplining Agustina Muñoz (“Viola”) and Margarita Molfino (“Wild Tales”), the project follows Agustina, a woman who travels with her newborn baby to Selva Misionera to meet her wife’s family.

Selva Misionera owes its name to the Jesuit missions that began in the 17th Century in Guaraní territory -comprising current northeastern Argentina plus Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil- by the Society of Jesus to evangelize the region.

TIFF artistic director Mihai Chirilov on how the festival supports the local industry.

The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) was co-founded by producer-director Tudor Giurgiu and film critic Mihai Chirilov in Romania’s second city of Cluj-Napoca in 2002. It rapidly became the nation’s most important film-related event and this year’s physical edition marks its 20th anniversary.

TIFF opens today (July 23) with a gala screening of Spanish director Cesc Gay’s comedy The People Upstairs on Unirii Square as part of a new collaboration with the San Sebastian film festival. The festival will run until August 1.

Artistic director Chirilov...

Of all the international film festivals to roll out the red carpet this summer in what feels like a global industry reboot, few can fall back on past experience when it comes to the logistics of an in-person pandemic edition. But amid the wave of cancellations that all but wiped out the calendar year in 2020, the Transilvania Intl. Film Festival managed to pull off what few others could, relying on a host of open-air venues to successfully welcome moviegoers to the medieval city of Cluj.

One year later, for what in a different era might have been a splashy 20th anniversary edition, TIFF founder Tudor Giurgiu admits, “I thought this year would be easier.” Just days after confusion over Pcr tests and vaccine certificates reigned on the Croisette, however, Giurgiu and the TIFF organizing team have realized that as the coronavirus’ deadly Delta variant sweeps across the globe, a return...

Jury includes ‘Amores Perros’ screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga.

Transilvania International Film Festival has revealed the 12 films that will screen in its official competition and its international jury.

Each title competing for the Transilvania Trophy will receive its Romanian premiere at the 20th edition of the festival, which is set to take place in-person in the city of Cluj-Napoca.

They include What Do We See When We Look At The Sky?, by Georgian filmmaker Alexandre Koberidze, which played in competition at the Berlinale, and Lili Horvát’s Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time, which was Hungary’s Oscar submission.

Romanian festival sets opening film for in-person event.

Transilvania International Film Festival has selected Cesc Gay’s Spanish comedy The People Upstairs as the opening film of its 20th edition, marking a new collaboration with San Sebastian International Film Festival.

The opener is part of a Spanish focus planned for this year’s festival, which TIFF artistic director Mihai Chirilov said had been in the works for some time.

“We had been thinking for the last couple of years about having a more consistent focus on Spanish cinema and had been discussing with [Ssiff director] Jose Louis Rebordinos and [programmer] Roberto Cueto about...