The Pike Drive-In Theater in Montgomery, Pa, has an upcoming double feature that will leave horror fans squirming with antici... pation, as they will host back-to-back screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead this September. In addition to more details on that event, we also have The Devil's Candy Blu-ray, the Realive trailer, and key art and stills from The Lodgers in today's Horror Highlights.
Spookerroo Spectacular Returns to the Pike Drive-in Theater: Press Release: "The Pike Drive-in Theater in Montgomery, Pa is bringing a unique screening of two of among the most popular, retro horror classics of all time Friday and Saturday Night Sept. 15 and 16, 2017.
The double feature playing each night will be The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the cult horror comedy musical and long-time midnight screening perennial at indoor theaters, and the original (1978) Dawn of the Dead, the zombies-invade-a-shopping-mall...
Spookerroo Spectacular Returns to the Pike Drive-in Theater: Press Release: "The Pike Drive-in Theater in Montgomery, Pa is bringing a unique screening of two of among the most popular, retro horror classics of all time Friday and Saturday Night Sept. 15 and 16, 2017.
The double feature playing each night will be The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the cult horror comedy musical and long-time midnight screening perennial at indoor theaters, and the original (1978) Dawn of the Dead, the zombies-invade-a-shopping-mall...
- 8/25/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
MoreHorror.com
Realive will release in heaters September 29 and on VOD and Digital HD October 3. Check out the full details below.
From the Press Release
Syfy Films today announces the release of the upcoming sci-fi film Realive, in theaters on September 29 and on VOD and Digital HD on October 3. The film is written and directed by Mateo Gil (“Vanilla Sky,” “The Sea Inside”). The cast includes Tom Hughes (“About Time,” “London Town”), Charlotte Le Bon (“The Walk,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey”), Oona Chaplin (“Taboo,” “Game of Thrones”) and Barry Ward (“The Fall,” “The Journey,”). Realive premiered at the 2016 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal followed by official selections of the FrightFest Film Festival in the U.K. and Sitges International Film Festival in Spain.
In Realive, Marc Jarvis (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with a disease and given a short time to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body.
Realive will release in heaters September 29 and on VOD and Digital HD October 3. Check out the full details below.
From the Press Release
Syfy Films today announces the release of the upcoming sci-fi film Realive, in theaters on September 29 and on VOD and Digital HD on October 3. The film is written and directed by Mateo Gil (“Vanilla Sky,” “The Sea Inside”). The cast includes Tom Hughes (“About Time,” “London Town”), Charlotte Le Bon (“The Walk,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey”), Oona Chaplin (“Taboo,” “Game of Thrones”) and Barry Ward (“The Fall,” “The Journey,”). Realive premiered at the 2016 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal followed by official selections of the FrightFest Film Festival in the U.K. and Sitges International Film Festival in Spain.
In Realive, Marc Jarvis (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with a disease and given a short time to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body.
- 7/13/2017
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, which has already won ten Indian and international film awards, has been acquired for the UK by BFI Distribution.
The film won the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni at last year’s Venice Film Festival – an award given by the International Council of Film and Television at Unesco to the Venice film that best represents the values of peace and human rights. Last weekend it won Best Film at the New York Indian Film Festival. Hotel Salvation is now a strong contender to be India’s Academy Award entry in 2018.
This gentle and tender Indian comedy follows the ordeal of an over-worked modern son forced to accompany his 77-year-old father, who is in search of salvation, to the holy city of Varanasi. The film showcases bravura performances from renowned actors Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl (Titli) and Geetanjali Kulkarni (Court).
The film...
The film won the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni at last year’s Venice Film Festival – an award given by the International Council of Film and Television at Unesco to the Venice film that best represents the values of peace and human rights. Last weekend it won Best Film at the New York Indian Film Festival. Hotel Salvation is now a strong contender to be India’s Academy Award entry in 2018.
This gentle and tender Indian comedy follows the ordeal of an over-worked modern son forced to accompany his 77-year-old father, who is in search of salvation, to the holy city of Varanasi. The film showcases bravura performances from renowned actors Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl (Titli) and Geetanjali Kulkarni (Court).
The film...
- 5/13/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: C International Sales sells Indian drama to slew of territories including UK and Germany.
C International Sales has closed a slew of sales on award-winning Indian drama Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), including deals with the BFI for the UK & Eire and Cargo Records for Germany.
The independently-produced drama, which premiered at Venice last year, has also gone to Lanterna de Pedra for Portugal, Bitter’s End for Japan, Mano Entertainment for South Korea, Ster Kinekor for South Africa, Darpan for Singapore and Cineplex for Taiwan.
The film, which also screened at Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) last year, has also been acquired by the festival for release in the Middle East. Diff is currently screening the film at its DIFF365@Vox dedicated arthouse screen at Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, the film stars Adil Hussain (Life Of Pi) as a man whose elderly father decides it’s time to...
C International Sales has closed a slew of sales on award-winning Indian drama Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), including deals with the BFI for the UK & Eire and Cargo Records for Germany.
The independently-produced drama, which premiered at Venice last year, has also gone to Lanterna de Pedra for Portugal, Bitter’s End for Japan, Mano Entertainment for South Korea, Ster Kinekor for South Africa, Darpan for Singapore and Cineplex for Taiwan.
The film, which also screened at Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) last year, has also been acquired by the festival for release in the Middle East. Diff is currently screening the film at its DIFF365@Vox dedicated arthouse screen at Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, the film stars Adil Hussain (Life Of Pi) as a man whose elderly father decides it’s time to...
- 5/10/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: C International Sales has picked up the project’s international rights.
C International Sales has picked up international rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to Tip Top Taj Mahal, starring The Lunchbox actress Nimrat Kaur.
New Zealand producer John Barnett, whose credits include Oscar-nominated drama Whale Rider (2002), is producing the English-language project with Sally Campbell (Evil Dead). UK-based director Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) will direct.
Based on Jacob Rajan’s play Krishnan’s Dairy, the film tells the story of an Indian couple who, following an arranged marriage, emigrate to New Zealand with their young son.
Desperately missing home, the wife escapes into a fantasy world by telling her son the love story behind the building of the Taj Majal. Rajan scripted the adaptation with Justin Lewis and Kate McDermott.
“This is a universal story,” said Barnett. “The story of our characters, Gobi, Zina and Apu, is one that...
C International Sales has picked up international rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to Tip Top Taj Mahal, starring The Lunchbox actress Nimrat Kaur.
New Zealand producer John Barnett, whose credits include Oscar-nominated drama Whale Rider (2002), is producing the English-language project with Sally Campbell (Evil Dead). UK-based director Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) will direct.
Based on Jacob Rajan’s play Krishnan’s Dairy, the film tells the story of an Indian couple who, following an arranged marriage, emigrate to New Zealand with their young son.
Desperately missing home, the wife escapes into a fantasy world by telling her son the love story behind the building of the Taj Majal. Rajan scripted the adaptation with Justin Lewis and Kate McDermott.
“This is a universal story,” said Barnett. “The story of our characters, Gobi, Zina and Apu, is one that...
- 2/11/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Indian boutique studio is at Afm for the first time this year.
C International Sales, the UK-based sales arm of Indian boutique studio Cinestaan Film Company, is making its Afm debut with a slate including A Death In The Gunj and The Land Of The Gods.
Konkona Sen Sharma’s A Death In The Gunj, which premiered at Toronto, is backed by indie production house Studioz Idrream. Directed by Serbia’s Goran Paskalijevic, The Land Of The Gods (Dev Bhoomi) stars India’s Victor Banerjee.
Headed by former 6 Sales chief Marina Fuentes, C International focuses on films with a connection to India and handles both acquisitions and Cinestaan productions. The company is also selling Cinestaan’s Mirzya, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, for non-Indian diaspora territories.
“Launching C International Sales as independent Indian storytelling grows and the appetite for these stories escalates around the world is a fantastic opportunity,” said Fuentes...
C International Sales, the UK-based sales arm of Indian boutique studio Cinestaan Film Company, is making its Afm debut with a slate including A Death In The Gunj and The Land Of The Gods.
Konkona Sen Sharma’s A Death In The Gunj, which premiered at Toronto, is backed by indie production house Studioz Idrream. Directed by Serbia’s Goran Paskalijevic, The Land Of The Gods (Dev Bhoomi) stars India’s Victor Banerjee.
Headed by former 6 Sales chief Marina Fuentes, C International focuses on films with a connection to India and handles both acquisitions and Cinestaan productions. The company is also selling Cinestaan’s Mirzya, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, for non-Indian diaspora territories.
“Launching C International Sales as independent Indian storytelling grows and the appetite for these stories escalates around the world is a fantastic opportunity,” said Fuentes...
- 11/2/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
India’s newest studio, Cinestaan Film Company today announced a joint venture with Anil Thadani. The new company,Cinestaan AA Distributors, will be distributing Indian films overseas. Anil Thadani’s AA Pictures is India’s leading independent distributor. Thadani will be the Managing Director and CEO of the new company, while Rohit Khattar is the Chairman.
The first film that the joint venture has released is Cinestaan Film Company’s Mirzya, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, starring screen legend Anil Kapoor’s son Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher. Other films are set to follow from Cinestaan Film Company as well as those from other production houses.
Rohit Khattar, Founder and Chairman, Cinestaan Film Company, says “We are delighted to join hands with Anil, who is undoubtedly India’s most prolific and credible distributor. Together we wish to create the most reliable and transparent overseas distribution network to further the reach of Indian Cinema.
The first film that the joint venture has released is Cinestaan Film Company’s Mirzya, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, starring screen legend Anil Kapoor’s son Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher. Other films are set to follow from Cinestaan Film Company as well as those from other production houses.
Rohit Khattar, Founder and Chairman, Cinestaan Film Company, says “We are delighted to join hands with Anil, who is undoubtedly India’s most prolific and credible distributor. Together we wish to create the most reliable and transparent overseas distribution network to further the reach of Indian Cinema.
- 10/11/2016
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: India’s Cinestaan Film Company has hired Film London execs Deborah Sathe and Tessa Inkelaar and Madrid-based sales agent Marina Fuentes to head up its ambitious new international division.
Sathe has been appointed Cinestaan director of international operations, with Inkelaar as vice president – international development, and Fuentes as director of international sales & acquisitions.
Cinestaan, a boutique studio spanning film, TV and digital operations, was launched by Mumbai Mantra chief Rohit Khattar in 2014 with backing from Indian tycoon Anand Mahindra.
Currently head of talent development and production for Film London, Sathe will move to the new division, Cinestaan International, at the end of May, while Inkelaar has already left her post as Film London development producer. Fuentes previously headed Spanish sales agent 6 Sales, which she recently merged with Simon Crowe’s Sc Films, closing the Madrid office.
Remaining in London and Madrid, the trio will be working with Indian and international talent on a slate of features...
Sathe has been appointed Cinestaan director of international operations, with Inkelaar as vice president – international development, and Fuentes as director of international sales & acquisitions.
Cinestaan, a boutique studio spanning film, TV and digital operations, was launched by Mumbai Mantra chief Rohit Khattar in 2014 with backing from Indian tycoon Anand Mahindra.
Currently head of talent development and production for Film London, Sathe will move to the new division, Cinestaan International, at the end of May, while Inkelaar has already left her post as Film London development producer. Fuentes previously headed Spanish sales agent 6 Sales, which she recently merged with Simon Crowe’s Sc Films, closing the Madrid office.
Remaining in London and Madrid, the trio will be working with Indian and international talent on a slate of features...
- 4/18/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: India’s Cinestaan Film Company has hired Film London execs Deborah Sathe and Tessa Inkelaar and Madrid-based sales agent Marina Fuentes to head up its ambitious new international division.
Sathe has been appointed Cinestaan director of international operations, with Inkelaar as vice president – international development, and Fuentes as director of international sales & acquisitions.
Cinestaan, a boutique studio spanning film, TV and digital operations, was launched by Mumbai Mantra chief Rohit Khattar in 2014 with backing from Indian tycoon Anand Mahindra.
Currently head of head of talent development and production for Film London, Sathe will move to the new division, Cinestaan International, at the end of May, while Inkelaar has already left her post as Film London development producer. Fuentes previously headed Spanish sales agent 6 Sales, which she recently merged with Simon Crowe’s Sc Films, closing the Madrid office.
Remaining in London and Madrid, the trio will be working with Indian and international talent on a slate...
Sathe has been appointed Cinestaan director of international operations, with Inkelaar as vice president – international development, and Fuentes as director of international sales & acquisitions.
Cinestaan, a boutique studio spanning film, TV and digital operations, was launched by Mumbai Mantra chief Rohit Khattar in 2014 with backing from Indian tycoon Anand Mahindra.
Currently head of head of talent development and production for Film London, Sathe will move to the new division, Cinestaan International, at the end of May, while Inkelaar has already left her post as Film London development producer. Fuentes previously headed Spanish sales agent 6 Sales, which she recently merged with Simon Crowe’s Sc Films, closing the Madrid office.
Remaining in London and Madrid, the trio will be working with Indian and international talent on a slate...
- 4/18/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Romance-thriller Despite The Falling Snow, also starring Charles Dance and Sam Reid, moves from 6 Sales to Parkland Pictures.
UK sales outfit Parkland Pictures has taken on sales of Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation) thriller Despite The Falling Snow from 6 Sales.
The completed Cold War-set romance-thriller follows a female spy who steals secrets from an idealistic politician but then falls in love with him with tragic consequences.
Burgeoning star Ferguson, who also stars in upcoming buzz titles Florence Foster Jenkins, The Girl On The Train and The Snowman, plays alongside Games Of Thrones star Charles Dance and The Riot Club and Belle actor Sam Reid.
The film is the third feature from producer Hanan Kattan and writer-director Shamim Sarif’s Enlightenment Productions (I Can’t Think Straight, The World Unseen) and is adapted from Sarif’s novel of the same name.
The score comes from Oscar-winner Rachel Portman (Emma) while DoP is Resident Evil cinematographer [link=nm...
UK sales outfit Parkland Pictures has taken on sales of Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation) thriller Despite The Falling Snow from 6 Sales.
The completed Cold War-set romance-thriller follows a female spy who steals secrets from an idealistic politician but then falls in love with him with tragic consequences.
Burgeoning star Ferguson, who also stars in upcoming buzz titles Florence Foster Jenkins, The Girl On The Train and The Snowman, plays alongside Games Of Thrones star Charles Dance and The Riot Club and Belle actor Sam Reid.
The film is the third feature from producer Hanan Kattan and writer-director Shamim Sarif’s Enlightenment Productions (I Can’t Think Straight, The World Unseen) and is adapted from Sarif’s novel of the same name.
The score comes from Oscar-winner Rachel Portman (Emma) while DoP is Resident Evil cinematographer [link=nm...
- 4/12/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: UK and Australia / Nz deals on animation featuring voices of Will Forte, John Leguizamo.
Signature Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights from Sc Films International to animation Get Squirrely, which it intends to release this summer.
The 3D animation, about a squirrel who plots to pull off a major heist at a giant nut factory, features the voices of Jason Jones (Pitch Perfect 2), Will Forte (Lego Movie), John Leguizamo (Ice Age), Samantha Bee (Sisters), Jim Cummings (The Lion King), Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice and John Cleese.
The Canadian feature was produced by John H. Williams (Shrek) of Vanguard Films and Dan Krech of Awesometown Entertainment. Ross Venokur directs.
Rialto acquired the film for Australia / Nz after releasing Sc Films’ animation Reef 2: High Tide in 2015. Alchemy has Us rights.
Sc Films animations include Gamba, Monkey King: The Hero and Wish. The copmany will also handle Marina Fuentes’ 6 Sales slate during Efm.
Signature Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights from Sc Films International to animation Get Squirrely, which it intends to release this summer.
The 3D animation, about a squirrel who plots to pull off a major heist at a giant nut factory, features the voices of Jason Jones (Pitch Perfect 2), Will Forte (Lego Movie), John Leguizamo (Ice Age), Samantha Bee (Sisters), Jim Cummings (The Lion King), Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice and John Cleese.
The Canadian feature was produced by John H. Williams (Shrek) of Vanguard Films and Dan Krech of Awesometown Entertainment. Ross Venokur directs.
Rialto acquired the film for Australia / Nz after releasing Sc Films’ animation Reef 2: High Tide in 2015. Alchemy has Us rights.
Sc Films animations include Gamba, Monkey King: The Hero and Wish. The copmany will also handle Marina Fuentes’ 6 Sales slate during Efm.
- 2/10/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Fledgling Canadian distributor boards Sundance premiere.
Fledgling Canadian distributor Elevation has acquired rights from 6 Sales and The Exchange to Jake Paltrow’s Young Ones.
In other deals on the Sundance premiere, Potemkine Films has taken rights for France and Signature will distribute in the UK. Screen Media previously acquired Us rights.
Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in the dystopian-future epic about a youngster struggling to protect his family in a future ravaged by water scarcity.
“We are excited to be involved with this film, with this great director, stellar cast and engaging storyline,” said Elevation co-presidents Laurie May and Noah Segal.
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced the film and the executive producers are Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed Young Ones in association with BiFrost Pictures, [link...
Fledgling Canadian distributor Elevation has acquired rights from 6 Sales and The Exchange to Jake Paltrow’s Young Ones.
In other deals on the Sundance premiere, Potemkine Films has taken rights for France and Signature will distribute in the UK. Screen Media previously acquired Us rights.
Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in the dystopian-future epic about a youngster struggling to protect his family in a future ravaged by water scarcity.
“We are excited to be involved with this film, with this great director, stellar cast and engaging storyline,” said Elevation co-presidents Laurie May and Noah Segal.
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced the film and the executive producers are Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed Young Ones in association with BiFrost Pictures, [link...
- 5/17/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The distributor has picked up Us rights to Jake Paltrow’s acclaimed Sundance selection, which 6 Sales and The Exchange represent for international sales on the Croisette.
Screen Media plans an October release for the future-set drama about a boy striving to take care of his family at a time of global water scarcity.
Michael Shannon (pictured), Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in Young Ones.
“We were blown away by Jake’s vision and execution when we saw his film at Sundance this year,” said Screen Media president Suzanne Blech. “We’re very excited to work with him to bring this amazing and unique accomplishment to audiences nationwide.”
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced, while Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace served as executive producers.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed the sci-fi drama in association with BiFrost Pictures...
Screen Media plans an October release for the future-set drama about a boy striving to take care of his family at a time of global water scarcity.
Michael Shannon (pictured), Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in Young Ones.
“We were blown away by Jake’s vision and execution when we saw his film at Sundance this year,” said Screen Media president Suzanne Blech. “We’re very excited to work with him to bring this amazing and unique accomplishment to audiences nationwide.”
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced, while Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace served as executive producers.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed the sci-fi drama in association with BiFrost Pictures...
- 5/14/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all Us and Latin American rights to Berlin competition title "Aloft." The film -- written and directed by Claudia Llosa -- tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana Kunning (Jennifer Connelly) and her evolution to becoming a renowned artist and healer. When a young journalist, Jannia (Melanie Laurent) tracks down Nana's son Ivan (Cillian Murphy) 20 years after she abandoned him, Jannia sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the very meaning of their lives into question. It is Llosa's first English Language film. Her last film, "Milk of Sorrow," won the Golden Bear at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards. The deal was negotiated between Executive Producer Mark Johnson, Dreamcatchers' Marina Fuentes and Spc. "I speak in the name of the whole team of the film when...
- 2/6/2014
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
The distributor has acquired Us and Latin American rights to Golden Bear winner Claudia Llosa’s Berlin competition entry starring Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy and Mélanie Laurent.
Sales agent Dreamcatchers made the announcement after Marina Fuentes and executive producer Mark Johnson negotiated the deal with Sony Pictures Classics.
Wanda’s Jose María Morales, Ibon Cormenzana of Arcadia, Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal and Jerome Vidal of Noodles produced Llosa’s first English-language film and follow-up to 2009 Golden Bear winner Milk Of Sorrow.
Aloft tells of a struggling mother who encounters the son she abandoned 20 years earlier. William Shimell also stars.
Sales agent Dreamcatchers made the announcement after Marina Fuentes and executive producer Mark Johnson negotiated the deal with Sony Pictures Classics.
Wanda’s Jose María Morales, Ibon Cormenzana of Arcadia, Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal and Jerome Vidal of Noodles produced Llosa’s first English-language film and follow-up to 2009 Golden Bear winner Milk Of Sorrow.
Aloft tells of a struggling mother who encounters the son she abandoned 20 years earlier. William Shimell also stars.
- 2/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Update, Thursday Am: As the Berlin Film Festival kicks off today, Sony Pictures Classics has confirmed its acquisition of all U.S. and Latin American rights to competition title, Aloft. This is Milk Of Sorrow helmer Claudia Llosa’s first English-language film. It screens next Wednesday. The deal was negotiated by executive producer Mark Johnson, Dreamcatchers’ Marina Fuentes and Spc. Previous, Wednesday Pm, Exclusive: Sony Pictures Classics is closing on a deal to release Aloft, the film that premieres in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. The picture is directed by Claudia Llosa, whose last film The Milk Of Sorrow won the Golden Bear Prize at Berlin. The picture stars Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy and Melanie Laurent. Told in two different periods, the film stars Connelly as a struggling mother of two young sons who becomes a renowned artist and healer. Years later, a journalist (Laurent) tracks down the son she abandoned,...
- 2/6/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
By Terence Johnson
Managing Editor
A film as lost as it’s characters, Young Ones is what happens when big ideas meet terrible execution and a lackluster script, combining for a film that’s a chore to watch.
Young Ones is an epic film, a neowestern sci-fi film, spilt into chapters to show what happens when scarce resources force people to the breaking point. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) lives and works on the harsh frontier, delivering supplies to the workers on the water line with his son Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee). Meanwhile at home his daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) is tired of the struggles and wants a better life, something presented to her in the form of Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult). Unbeknownst to the clan, Lever has bigger designs than just Mary and longs to have Ernrest’s land for himself and to return it to it’s former glory.
Managing Editor
A film as lost as it’s characters, Young Ones is what happens when big ideas meet terrible execution and a lackluster script, combining for a film that’s a chore to watch.
Young Ones is an epic film, a neowestern sci-fi film, spilt into chapters to show what happens when scarce resources force people to the breaking point. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) lives and works on the harsh frontier, delivering supplies to the workers on the water line with his son Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee). Meanwhile at home his daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) is tired of the struggles and wants a better life, something presented to her in the form of Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult). Unbeknownst to the clan, Lever has bigger designs than just Mary and longs to have Ernrest’s land for himself and to return it to it’s former glory.
- 1/25/2014
- by Terence Johnson
- Scott Feinberg
Image Entertainment and The Film Arcade have struck a deal in Toronto for Us rights to $25m action fantasy The Adventurer: The Curse Of The Midas Box starring Michael Sheen and Lena Headey.
Jonathan Newman directed the adaptation of G P Taylor’s bestseller Mariah Mundi And The Midas Box, about a 17-year-old’s quest through a steam-powered land in search of his missing family.
Sam Neill, Ioan Gruffudd and Aneurin Barnard also star and Karl Richards, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Peter Bevan produced.
Mark Ward and chief acquisition officer Bill Bromiley negotiated the deal on behalf of Rlj Entertainment with Dreamcatchers’ Marina Fuentes and The Exchange’s Brian O’Shea and Nat McCormick on behalf of the filmmakers.
“With the novel’s strong following, there’s no doubt that The Adventurer: The Curse Of The Midas Box will be a hit with fans and general audiences alike,” said Bromiley.
Jonathan Newman directed the adaptation of G P Taylor’s bestseller Mariah Mundi And The Midas Box, about a 17-year-old’s quest through a steam-powered land in search of his missing family.
Sam Neill, Ioan Gruffudd and Aneurin Barnard also star and Karl Richards, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Peter Bevan produced.
Mark Ward and chief acquisition officer Bill Bromiley negotiated the deal on behalf of Rlj Entertainment with Dreamcatchers’ Marina Fuentes and The Exchange’s Brian O’Shea and Nat McCormick on behalf of the filmmakers.
“With the novel’s strong following, there’s no doubt that The Adventurer: The Curse Of The Midas Box will be a hit with fans and general audiences alike,” said Bromiley.
- 9/10/2013
- ScreenDaily
This is a very cursory look at where I spent two weeks in February. It is by no means complete, but it gives you some idea about how I spend so much of my time.
The Berlinale is an A-festival, founded in 1951 at the height of the Cold War. It accredits about 20,000 industry visitors and about 4,000 journalists each year with a total of 130 countries. It is one of the largest public festivals, selling about 300,000 tickets. The actual figure is 303,077 up 1.2% from last year’s 299,362). Aside from the Competition, it has 10 other sections and series, from children’s films to retrospectives. This year The Weimar Touch and also an homage to Claude Lanzmann were especially appealing to me. See more on the Efm website.
The Berlinale, which ran Feb. 7 to 17 includes the Festival, the European Film Market, the second largest market after Cannes, Talent Campus, Meet the Docs, The Co-Production Market and possibly other sections I am missing here. Efm registered a greater number of exhibitors than last year and they saw brisk sales for competition films including Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight, Chilean Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria (which won a Silver Bear for actress Paulina Garcia), as well as films from other sections and from the market itself. I am offering a report called Winter Rights Roundup which lists all the buying activity, not only for the Berlinale but also for Sundance. It includes links to the companies.
While around 400 films screened in thefestival (out of about 7,000 applications), 890 films screened in the market (600 were market premieres) to more than 8,000 participants from 95 countries. 1,690 of those were distributors in Berlin to buy rights from 172 international sales agents.
The Efm offered a new introduction to the market, “Shortcuts for First-Timers” on the first day of the Market, It was held in the Mirror Restaurant and 300 or 400 people attended. Thursday February 7 from 3.00 - 4.30 pm. I attended since I participate in the Cannes First-Timers event. The panelists were quite clear but I wished their names were in front of them. And I wondered who was in the audience. There is also possibly a replay of the panel but I don’t know where to find it for reference. There was a back screen which might have been used by showing a map of the market, or the names of those speaking or other graphics to help illustrate their points. They pointed out that red lights served to point out all the paths and venues used by the festival and market. That was very clever and once I knew to look for them, they helped me find new places.
They announced a new Berlinale Residency Program for writers/ directors who will have a four month stay in Berlin to work on their fiction, doc or cross-media project with the help of script consultants and industry experts from September to December. In February the residents return to present their projects at the Berlinale Co-Production Market to find further co-producers and financiers. This year 6 filmmakers were invited.
They didn’t mention the free WiFi for every registrant and the password written on the badges themselves.
I myself gave tours around the Martin Gropius Bau where most of the market takes place to participants at the Talent Campus and Deutsche Welle Akademie where I also taught about the international film business to Asian, African, Latin American and Caribbean film festival organizers. The tours are a great way to understand how the market works, who the people are, what company cultures are and how to understand them in order to operate optimally. I do the same thing for first timers in Cannes.
My partner Peter and I also had two clients there; one had his film in the market already and the other was following up with meetings with interested international sales agents. As it was their first time in Berlin, we were very pleased to see them take to it so easily.
It was only in the last two days I could actually see movies. But I caught up on lots of gossip along the way. For instance, I had not realized that Turner Broadcasting had bought a Norwegian sales agent and distributor for Scandinavia until Michael Werner who headed sales for NonStop told me that two years after their buyout they were now letting go of 400 people and Michael Werner and the international sales division were included.
I also heard about a new educational program called Making Waves. Five film schools including including the London Film School under the leadership of Ben Gibson and Columbia Film School under the leadership of Ira Deutchman brought students to Berlin and the students were making business plans for the sales and distribution of films in the market. Making Waves is a new week long distribution and marketing workshop devised by the London Film School in partnership with La fémis, the dffb, l'escac, the Romanian Film and Theatre University and New York's Columbia University of the Arts Film Department. Held in parallel to the Berlinale, 30 participants from the 6 film training institutions are immersed in all areas of the Berlinale: the European Film Market, the Festival and the Talent Campus where they work collaboratively in teams to develop creative campaigns, edit trailers, design posters and plan roll-out packages for actual independent films in the European Film Market. They are joined by experienced industry professionals working in the independent distribution sector who offer in-depth case studies. This hands-on workshop is for graduating students to gain understanding in emerging strategies in independent film distribution.
Venice seems to be working on student initiatives as well with a call for entries to the Biennale College. Unlike festivals that call for finished films, the Biennale College asked for up-and-comers to submit their ideas. The best proposals get 150,000 euros in seed money and the filmmakers are matched with some of the industry's finest practitioners who would help turn their treatments into reality, with a guaranteed screening at Venice in the summer. After narrowing it down to 15 semifinalists out of hundreds of submissions from around the globe, organizers this month announced three winners, each from a different continent. From the United States, director Tim Sutton and producer John Baker have won a spot with their yet-to-be-made film called Memphis, which follows the transformation of Ezra Jack, 'from beloved soul singer to ecstatic contemplator,' said judges in their review. From Thailand, director Nawapol Thanrongratanarit and producer Aditya Assarat won with their submission The Year of June, which follows a year in the life of an anonymous female student in Bangkok through her Twitter status. And from Italy, director Alessio Fava and producer Max Chicco won the last spot with Yuri Esposito, about a documentary film crew who follows a man who lives in a state of perennial sluggishness, whose wife all of a sudden gets pregnant. Buzz around the competition, which has the potential to launch unknowns into stardom, has been mounting for months. “To me the promise of a Venice debut is even a bigger deal than the money, because it's one thing to make a movie and quite another to have a chance for the entire international press to see it,” said San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick Lasalle. “In fact, it's quite a big deal to make a movie, as an unknown, knowing that international exposure is guaranteed. The whole question mark - even if this turns out great, will anybody ever see it? - is eliminated”. Ensuring a fresh batch of talent, competition rules stipulated that the submission must be the applicant's first or second film endeavor. Earlier this month, semifinalists took part in a 10-day workshop with veteran filmmakers and cinema experts in Venice. “The key is that masters in cinema were present here during the workshop to help participants along,” says Paolo Baratta, president of the Biennale, the festival body that oversees the annual film fest. Organizers then narrowed it down to the three winners, who will receive funding thanks in part to Italian luxury fashion designer Gucci. In just 15 days the filmmakers will get a jumpstart on making micro-budget feature films before screening them at Venice August 28 through September 7. The winners will also get online distribution, adding to their much-needed visibility at the dawn of their careers. Organizers of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest in the world, say mixing veteran mentors with young blood is key to sustaining cinema as an art as well as keeping the festival relevant. “It is an initiative whose constant development will be continued for years to come,” Baratta says. See Variety Feb 11 – 17, 2013. You know this is in response and attests to the success of the the Berlinale Talent Campus which just completed its 11th year.
And in France, Cinefondation has brought U.S. director Barney Elliott to its six month residence program in Paris where he wrote the first draft of Oliver's Deal and later developed it at Amsterdam’s Binger Filmlab. It is now set to star Edward Burns and Spain’s Alberto Ammann. Marina Fuentes of Dreamcatches will bring the film to the market. Christine Vachon is exec producing. It will start shooting in May in New York and will travel to Lima, Peru and Huarez in the Anders.
Other notes gathered during this intense 10 day experience were Russian filmmaker Andrey Khvostov made a summer love story called Saint Petersburg which is being sold by Aktis Film International. Of course I want to see this especially because Rosskino hosted a trip last year to St. Petersburg for distributors after holding screenings of current films on offer. St. Peterburg of one of the most beautiful cities in the world; and the film has an original score by Sergei Yetushenko (The Last Station, Russian Ark).
Also Alberto Antonio Dandolo whom I met in Havana, was in his new home town Berlin continuing to sell The Cuban Wives about the wives of the Cuban 5 who are imprisoned in the United States.
Other news of interest includes The Match Factory’s Distribution 2.0 VOD initiative which will release its first film, Postcards from the Zoo. Partnering with Euro VoD platforms in France, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Peccadillo Pictures in U.K. and Eye Film Institute in the Netherlands, The Match Factory will coordinate marketing activities. This exploration of new marketing and distribution avenues for international arthouse features has the support of the EU’s Media Mundus.
BackUp, the Paris based financier is launching a new rights management software Movie Chainer on April 30, two weeks ahead of the Cannes Film Festival. This cloud based app enables Av rights holders to track contracts, generate exploitation and availability reports and calculate revenue splits and repayment schedules in a clear and visual style. The Cannes March’s database and networking platform Cinando will host and support the launch. The first live version of Movie Chainer will be available free to all industry professionals for a maximum of three projects and a demo version and presentation of the software is available here.
Former Arte Cinema chief Michel Reilhac has reactivated his production company Melange with a $6.7 million multi-platform project exploring the world of high endurance sport ultra-trailing. The work will revolve around six blocks or storylines, unfolding on several platforms – the web, the real world, tv. over six months in the second half of 2014.
New international sales agent out of Poland, New Europe, which picked up two Us in Progress films, Now Forager and I Used to be Darker, has also picked up Papusza, the story of the first published Romany Gypsy woman poet, whose work enraged her patriarchal community. Poland is also coming out with films by up and coming female directors two of which are in the official selection: 39 year old Malgorzata Szumowska has In the Name Of about homosexuality within the Polish Catholic Church (picked up for U.S by Film Movement) in the Main Competition, and Baby Blues, a story about teenage parents by Katarzyna Roslaniec in Generation. Izabela Kiszka, head of international relations at the Polish Film Institute, the country’s major public film funder, says both films are “daring, important, modern and up-to-date Eruopean cinema”. Both films are produced by Agnieszka Kurzydlo of Mental Disorder 4 and Szumowska is co-producer of both. Zentropa Poland is also a co-producer.
International sales agent We Pictures of China is producing a $9 million film called American Dreams in China, to be directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan and photographed by Christopher Doyle. One of the protagonists teaches English in a Kentucky Fried Chicken store in China and invites his two other friends to partake in his “New Vision” where thousands of students wanting to go to the U.S. to follow their “American Dream” flock to the class.
David Castellanos formerly of Latido, has found success in his own international sales company, Cinema Republic. Their film The Clown was the Brazilian entry for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and has wracked up 1.5 million admissions in Brazil. At Efm he is premiering Camina o Revienta which features first time director Paco Leon and stars a top Spanish TV actor and his real-life mother. It was the first day & date release in Spain and worked quite well. The Dumbass (Muro Mula) is also by a first time director and was filmed on a low $30K budget. It comes from Guaemala and features great music and is an example of the new wave of Latin American comedy. 18 Meals is the actor Luis Tozar’s first production and is directed by first timer Jorge Coira. It sold to Argentina and Japan, won for Best Director in Taorima Iff, the Audience Award and Jury Special Mention at Ourense Iff, and won Best Film and Audience Award at La Laguna Gastronomic Iff. Yummy: six seemingly unconnected stories in which food is the common demominator make up a romantic comedy set in Santiago de Compostela. It is available for viewing at Cinando as is The Clown and Carmina or Blow Up.
The Berlinale is an A-festival, founded in 1951 at the height of the Cold War. It accredits about 20,000 industry visitors and about 4,000 journalists each year with a total of 130 countries. It is one of the largest public festivals, selling about 300,000 tickets. The actual figure is 303,077 up 1.2% from last year’s 299,362). Aside from the Competition, it has 10 other sections and series, from children’s films to retrospectives. This year The Weimar Touch and also an homage to Claude Lanzmann were especially appealing to me. See more on the Efm website.
The Berlinale, which ran Feb. 7 to 17 includes the Festival, the European Film Market, the second largest market after Cannes, Talent Campus, Meet the Docs, The Co-Production Market and possibly other sections I am missing here. Efm registered a greater number of exhibitors than last year and they saw brisk sales for competition films including Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight, Chilean Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria (which won a Silver Bear for actress Paulina Garcia), as well as films from other sections and from the market itself. I am offering a report called Winter Rights Roundup which lists all the buying activity, not only for the Berlinale but also for Sundance. It includes links to the companies.
While around 400 films screened in thefestival (out of about 7,000 applications), 890 films screened in the market (600 were market premieres) to more than 8,000 participants from 95 countries. 1,690 of those were distributors in Berlin to buy rights from 172 international sales agents.
The Efm offered a new introduction to the market, “Shortcuts for First-Timers” on the first day of the Market, It was held in the Mirror Restaurant and 300 or 400 people attended. Thursday February 7 from 3.00 - 4.30 pm. I attended since I participate in the Cannes First-Timers event. The panelists were quite clear but I wished their names were in front of them. And I wondered who was in the audience. There is also possibly a replay of the panel but I don’t know where to find it for reference. There was a back screen which might have been used by showing a map of the market, or the names of those speaking or other graphics to help illustrate their points. They pointed out that red lights served to point out all the paths and venues used by the festival and market. That was very clever and once I knew to look for them, they helped me find new places.
They announced a new Berlinale Residency Program for writers/ directors who will have a four month stay in Berlin to work on their fiction, doc or cross-media project with the help of script consultants and industry experts from September to December. In February the residents return to present their projects at the Berlinale Co-Production Market to find further co-producers and financiers. This year 6 filmmakers were invited.
They didn’t mention the free WiFi for every registrant and the password written on the badges themselves.
I myself gave tours around the Martin Gropius Bau where most of the market takes place to participants at the Talent Campus and Deutsche Welle Akademie where I also taught about the international film business to Asian, African, Latin American and Caribbean film festival organizers. The tours are a great way to understand how the market works, who the people are, what company cultures are and how to understand them in order to operate optimally. I do the same thing for first timers in Cannes.
My partner Peter and I also had two clients there; one had his film in the market already and the other was following up with meetings with interested international sales agents. As it was their first time in Berlin, we were very pleased to see them take to it so easily.
It was only in the last two days I could actually see movies. But I caught up on lots of gossip along the way. For instance, I had not realized that Turner Broadcasting had bought a Norwegian sales agent and distributor for Scandinavia until Michael Werner who headed sales for NonStop told me that two years after their buyout they were now letting go of 400 people and Michael Werner and the international sales division were included.
I also heard about a new educational program called Making Waves. Five film schools including including the London Film School under the leadership of Ben Gibson and Columbia Film School under the leadership of Ira Deutchman brought students to Berlin and the students were making business plans for the sales and distribution of films in the market. Making Waves is a new week long distribution and marketing workshop devised by the London Film School in partnership with La fémis, the dffb, l'escac, the Romanian Film and Theatre University and New York's Columbia University of the Arts Film Department. Held in parallel to the Berlinale, 30 participants from the 6 film training institutions are immersed in all areas of the Berlinale: the European Film Market, the Festival and the Talent Campus where they work collaboratively in teams to develop creative campaigns, edit trailers, design posters and plan roll-out packages for actual independent films in the European Film Market. They are joined by experienced industry professionals working in the independent distribution sector who offer in-depth case studies. This hands-on workshop is for graduating students to gain understanding in emerging strategies in independent film distribution.
Venice seems to be working on student initiatives as well with a call for entries to the Biennale College. Unlike festivals that call for finished films, the Biennale College asked for up-and-comers to submit their ideas. The best proposals get 150,000 euros in seed money and the filmmakers are matched with some of the industry's finest practitioners who would help turn their treatments into reality, with a guaranteed screening at Venice in the summer. After narrowing it down to 15 semifinalists out of hundreds of submissions from around the globe, organizers this month announced three winners, each from a different continent. From the United States, director Tim Sutton and producer John Baker have won a spot with their yet-to-be-made film called Memphis, which follows the transformation of Ezra Jack, 'from beloved soul singer to ecstatic contemplator,' said judges in their review. From Thailand, director Nawapol Thanrongratanarit and producer Aditya Assarat won with their submission The Year of June, which follows a year in the life of an anonymous female student in Bangkok through her Twitter status. And from Italy, director Alessio Fava and producer Max Chicco won the last spot with Yuri Esposito, about a documentary film crew who follows a man who lives in a state of perennial sluggishness, whose wife all of a sudden gets pregnant. Buzz around the competition, which has the potential to launch unknowns into stardom, has been mounting for months. “To me the promise of a Venice debut is even a bigger deal than the money, because it's one thing to make a movie and quite another to have a chance for the entire international press to see it,” said San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick Lasalle. “In fact, it's quite a big deal to make a movie, as an unknown, knowing that international exposure is guaranteed. The whole question mark - even if this turns out great, will anybody ever see it? - is eliminated”. Ensuring a fresh batch of talent, competition rules stipulated that the submission must be the applicant's first or second film endeavor. Earlier this month, semifinalists took part in a 10-day workshop with veteran filmmakers and cinema experts in Venice. “The key is that masters in cinema were present here during the workshop to help participants along,” says Paolo Baratta, president of the Biennale, the festival body that oversees the annual film fest. Organizers then narrowed it down to the three winners, who will receive funding thanks in part to Italian luxury fashion designer Gucci. In just 15 days the filmmakers will get a jumpstart on making micro-budget feature films before screening them at Venice August 28 through September 7. The winners will also get online distribution, adding to their much-needed visibility at the dawn of their careers. Organizers of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest in the world, say mixing veteran mentors with young blood is key to sustaining cinema as an art as well as keeping the festival relevant. “It is an initiative whose constant development will be continued for years to come,” Baratta says. See Variety Feb 11 – 17, 2013. You know this is in response and attests to the success of the the Berlinale Talent Campus which just completed its 11th year.
And in France, Cinefondation has brought U.S. director Barney Elliott to its six month residence program in Paris where he wrote the first draft of Oliver's Deal and later developed it at Amsterdam’s Binger Filmlab. It is now set to star Edward Burns and Spain’s Alberto Ammann. Marina Fuentes of Dreamcatches will bring the film to the market. Christine Vachon is exec producing. It will start shooting in May in New York and will travel to Lima, Peru and Huarez in the Anders.
Other notes gathered during this intense 10 day experience were Russian filmmaker Andrey Khvostov made a summer love story called Saint Petersburg which is being sold by Aktis Film International. Of course I want to see this especially because Rosskino hosted a trip last year to St. Petersburg for distributors after holding screenings of current films on offer. St. Peterburg of one of the most beautiful cities in the world; and the film has an original score by Sergei Yetushenko (The Last Station, Russian Ark).
Also Alberto Antonio Dandolo whom I met in Havana, was in his new home town Berlin continuing to sell The Cuban Wives about the wives of the Cuban 5 who are imprisoned in the United States.
Other news of interest includes The Match Factory’s Distribution 2.0 VOD initiative which will release its first film, Postcards from the Zoo. Partnering with Euro VoD platforms in France, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Peccadillo Pictures in U.K. and Eye Film Institute in the Netherlands, The Match Factory will coordinate marketing activities. This exploration of new marketing and distribution avenues for international arthouse features has the support of the EU’s Media Mundus.
BackUp, the Paris based financier is launching a new rights management software Movie Chainer on April 30, two weeks ahead of the Cannes Film Festival. This cloud based app enables Av rights holders to track contracts, generate exploitation and availability reports and calculate revenue splits and repayment schedules in a clear and visual style. The Cannes March’s database and networking platform Cinando will host and support the launch. The first live version of Movie Chainer will be available free to all industry professionals for a maximum of three projects and a demo version and presentation of the software is available here.
Former Arte Cinema chief Michel Reilhac has reactivated his production company Melange with a $6.7 million multi-platform project exploring the world of high endurance sport ultra-trailing. The work will revolve around six blocks or storylines, unfolding on several platforms – the web, the real world, tv. over six months in the second half of 2014.
New international sales agent out of Poland, New Europe, which picked up two Us in Progress films, Now Forager and I Used to be Darker, has also picked up Papusza, the story of the first published Romany Gypsy woman poet, whose work enraged her patriarchal community. Poland is also coming out with films by up and coming female directors two of which are in the official selection: 39 year old Malgorzata Szumowska has In the Name Of about homosexuality within the Polish Catholic Church (picked up for U.S by Film Movement) in the Main Competition, and Baby Blues, a story about teenage parents by Katarzyna Roslaniec in Generation. Izabela Kiszka, head of international relations at the Polish Film Institute, the country’s major public film funder, says both films are “daring, important, modern and up-to-date Eruopean cinema”. Both films are produced by Agnieszka Kurzydlo of Mental Disorder 4 and Szumowska is co-producer of both. Zentropa Poland is also a co-producer.
International sales agent We Pictures of China is producing a $9 million film called American Dreams in China, to be directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan and photographed by Christopher Doyle. One of the protagonists teaches English in a Kentucky Fried Chicken store in China and invites his two other friends to partake in his “New Vision” where thousands of students wanting to go to the U.S. to follow their “American Dream” flock to the class.
David Castellanos formerly of Latido, has found success in his own international sales company, Cinema Republic. Their film The Clown was the Brazilian entry for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and has wracked up 1.5 million admissions in Brazil. At Efm he is premiering Camina o Revienta which features first time director Paco Leon and stars a top Spanish TV actor and his real-life mother. It was the first day & date release in Spain and worked quite well. The Dumbass (Muro Mula) is also by a first time director and was filmed on a low $30K budget. It comes from Guaemala and features great music and is an example of the new wave of Latin American comedy. 18 Meals is the actor Luis Tozar’s first production and is directed by first timer Jorge Coira. It sold to Argentina and Japan, won for Best Director in Taorima Iff, the Audience Award and Jury Special Mention at Ourense Iff, and won Best Film and Audience Award at La Laguna Gastronomic Iff. Yummy: six seemingly unconnected stories in which food is the common demominator make up a romantic comedy set in Santiago de Compostela. It is available for viewing at Cinando as is The Clown and Carmina or Blow Up.
- 3/4/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Not only is this great film Blancanieves, written and directed by Pablo Berger (Torremolinos), international sales agent 6 Sales' Marina Fuentes♀, opening theatrically in the U.S. on March 29 thanks to Cohen Media, it is the film we the jury at the 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival awarded the Cine Latino Award And it has swept the Goyas (the Academy Award equivalent) in Spain. This film which I previously blogged about, is the film which took so long to make that The Artist, took its place in our own Academy Awards last year. Had this one only come first ... this is the real winner. It is a fairytale and much more; it depicts Spain and Seville in the time of fascism and leaves a tear upon the place.
**Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2012 San Sebastian Film Festival**
**Winner of Best Actress in a Narrative Feature at the 2012 San Sebastian Film Festival**
**Winner of the Cine Latino Award at the 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the 2012 Warsaw International Film Festival**
Blancanieves, a re-working of the Brothers Grimm classic fairy tale "Snow White," is a breathtakingly beautiful film and a uniquely spirited homage to the black-and-white Golden Age of Europe's silent cinema. Set in a romanticized 1920s Seville, Berger's Snow White is Carmen (Macarena García), the daughter of a famous bull fighter, who lives under the tyrannical rule of her monstrous, evil stepmother, Encarna (Maribel Verdú). She escapes and joins a troupe of bullfighting dwarves, where her beauty and natural talent in the ring attract notices from the press. But soon the news reaches Encarna, who at last she knows where to find Carmen, and she prepares for the final showdown.
Written and Directed by: Pablo Berger
Starring: Maribel Verdú, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ángela Molina, Pere Ponce, and introducing, Macarena García
Language: Spanish (w/English subtitles)
Running Time: 104 minutes
Rating: Not yet rated
Blancanieves sweeps the Goyas becoming best Picture 2013...
**Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2012 San Sebastian Film Festival**
**Winner of Best Actress in a Narrative Feature at the 2012 San Sebastian Film Festival**
**Winner of the Cine Latino Award at the 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the 2012 Warsaw International Film Festival**
Blancanieves, a re-working of the Brothers Grimm classic fairy tale "Snow White," is a breathtakingly beautiful film and a uniquely spirited homage to the black-and-white Golden Age of Europe's silent cinema. Set in a romanticized 1920s Seville, Berger's Snow White is Carmen (Macarena García), the daughter of a famous bull fighter, who lives under the tyrannical rule of her monstrous, evil stepmother, Encarna (Maribel Verdú). She escapes and joins a troupe of bullfighting dwarves, where her beauty and natural talent in the ring attract notices from the press. But soon the news reaches Encarna, who at last she knows where to find Carmen, and she prepares for the final showdown.
Written and Directed by: Pablo Berger
Starring: Maribel Verdú, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ángela Molina, Pere Ponce, and introducing, Macarena García
Language: Spanish (w/English subtitles)
Running Time: 104 minutes
Rating: Not yet rated
Blancanieves sweeps the Goyas becoming best Picture 2013...
- 2/22/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Michael Shannon ("Man of Steel"), Nicholas Hoult ("Warm Bodies"), Elle Fanning ("Super 8") and Kodi Smit McPhee ("Let Me In") are all "Young Ones." The new Subotica production, written and directed by Jake Paltrow, began shooting earlier this week in South Africa. The futuristic "Young Ones" takes place in a dystopic near future where water is scarce and the population is panicked. A 14 year-old boy (McPhee) must protect his family and learn to survive in the harsh environment. "Young" is executive produced by Peter Garde, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, Quickfire's James Atherton and Jan Pace, and Brian O'Shea. "This is an amazing smart and visceral...
- 2/8/2013
- by Dave Lewis
- Hitfix
Nicholas Hoult and Michael Shannon have joined the cast of upcoming science fiction project Young Ones.
Super 8's Elle Fanning and ParaNorman actor Kodi Smit-McPhee will also star in the Jake Paltrow-helmed movie, according to Variety.
Written and directed by Paltrow, Young Ones is described as a sci-fi thriller set in a violent world where water has become scarce and is treated as a precious resource.
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret are producing the movie with James Atherton, Marina Fuentes, Peter Garde, Brian O'Shea and Jan Pace executive producing.
Hoult, who was last seen starring in Warm Bodies, recently admitted that he would love to play James Bond in a future 007 movie.
Young Ones has begun shooting in the deserts of South Africa.
Watch a trailer for Warm Bodies below:...
Super 8's Elle Fanning and ParaNorman actor Kodi Smit-McPhee will also star in the Jake Paltrow-helmed movie, according to Variety.
Written and directed by Paltrow, Young Ones is described as a sci-fi thriller set in a violent world where water has become scarce and is treated as a precious resource.
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret are producing the movie with James Atherton, Marina Fuentes, Peter Garde, Brian O'Shea and Jan Pace executive producing.
Hoult, who was last seen starring in Warm Bodies, recently admitted that he would love to play James Bond in a future 007 movie.
Young Ones has begun shooting in the deserts of South Africa.
Watch a trailer for Warm Bodies below:...
- 2/8/2013
- Digital Spy
I am using the term Isa to stand for International Sales Agent, a term also to be seen in IMDbPro.com when you look for Company Credits. Occasionally, though not daily, before and during the markets, I feature a story on a particularly noteworthy Isa.
Today I salute Brain O'Shea's company, The Exchange. Since he left Affinity when it merged with Sierra to form Sierra Affinity, he had been selling, producing, discovering scripts and talent, such as the recent Sundance star writer/director Sebastian Silva's Magic Magic as well as the script, Young Ones, written and directed by Jake Paltrow, both of which he brought to Marina Fuentes of 6 Sales and Dreamtcatchers (read more about her here).
Now he has announced The Exchange, an international sales agency created in 2011, and Grand Peaks Entertainment, a Denver-based entertainment company, created Exchange Peaks Film Capital, a full-service specialty film fund which will be run by Exchange President Laura Ivey, reporting to Exchange CEO Brian O'Shea. Grand Peaks was introduced to The Exchange by VP of Worldwide Distribution, Nat McCormick.
Exchange Peaks Film Capital will participate in all forms of production financing, including minimum guarantees, gap, super gap, tax credits, foreign sales collateral, bridge and equity lending.
Ivey said Exchange Peaks Film Capital is eyeing to finance and produce four to six feature projects per year.
"We are thrilled to partner with The Exchange on this fund and are excited to expand our relationship together in the future, as well as to help talented filmmakers bring their visions to life." said Grand Peaks partner, Alan Simpson.
O'Shea said of the partnership, "Exchange Peaks Film Capital is an integral component to building The Exchange. From the start, we envisioned adding a financing side to the company and have found the ideal partner in Grand Peaks."
The first fund beneficiary is The Exchange's previously announced film, The Last 5 Years, directed by Richard Lagravenese (P.S. I Love You, Beautiful Creatures) and starring Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, 50/50.)
Collaborative and transparent, The Exchange is a leading international sales and finance company committed to creating strong relationships between filmmakers, film financers and distributors through the exchange of product, information and commerce. Created by veteran sales executive Brian O'Shea, the company specializes in high quality, commercial films that appeal to North American audiences and the ever-evolving global film market. In less than two year, The Exchange has acquired, financed, produced and/or sold over 140 films ranging in budgets from $5 million to $90 million, including studio films from Disney, Sony, Fox, and Universal. Such films include Universal's 2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg; 2013 Sundance Award Winner The Spectacular Now staring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley; Sony's Magic Magic, starring Juno Temple, Emily Browning and Michael Cera; and Fox Searchlight's Sound of My Voice, starring Brit Marling and directed by Zal Batmanglij. For more information, please visit: www.theexchange.ws.
Today I salute Brain O'Shea's company, The Exchange. Since he left Affinity when it merged with Sierra to form Sierra Affinity, he had been selling, producing, discovering scripts and talent, such as the recent Sundance star writer/director Sebastian Silva's Magic Magic as well as the script, Young Ones, written and directed by Jake Paltrow, both of which he brought to Marina Fuentes of 6 Sales and Dreamtcatchers (read more about her here).
Now he has announced The Exchange, an international sales agency created in 2011, and Grand Peaks Entertainment, a Denver-based entertainment company, created Exchange Peaks Film Capital, a full-service specialty film fund which will be run by Exchange President Laura Ivey, reporting to Exchange CEO Brian O'Shea. Grand Peaks was introduced to The Exchange by VP of Worldwide Distribution, Nat McCormick.
Exchange Peaks Film Capital will participate in all forms of production financing, including minimum guarantees, gap, super gap, tax credits, foreign sales collateral, bridge and equity lending.
Ivey said Exchange Peaks Film Capital is eyeing to finance and produce four to six feature projects per year.
"We are thrilled to partner with The Exchange on this fund and are excited to expand our relationship together in the future, as well as to help talented filmmakers bring their visions to life." said Grand Peaks partner, Alan Simpson.
O'Shea said of the partnership, "Exchange Peaks Film Capital is an integral component to building The Exchange. From the start, we envisioned adding a financing side to the company and have found the ideal partner in Grand Peaks."
The first fund beneficiary is The Exchange's previously announced film, The Last 5 Years, directed by Richard Lagravenese (P.S. I Love You, Beautiful Creatures) and starring Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, 50/50.)
Collaborative and transparent, The Exchange is a leading international sales and finance company committed to creating strong relationships between filmmakers, film financers and distributors through the exchange of product, information and commerce. Created by veteran sales executive Brian O'Shea, the company specializes in high quality, commercial films that appeal to North American audiences and the ever-evolving global film market. In less than two year, The Exchange has acquired, financed, produced and/or sold over 140 films ranging in budgets from $5 million to $90 million, including studio films from Disney, Sony, Fox, and Universal. Such films include Universal's 2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg; 2013 Sundance Award Winner The Spectacular Now staring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley; Sony's Magic Magic, starring Juno Temple, Emily Browning and Michael Cera; and Fox Searchlight's Sound of My Voice, starring Brit Marling and directed by Zal Batmanglij. For more information, please visit: www.theexchange.ws.
- 2/8/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Elle Fanning ( Super 8 ), Nicholas Hoult ( Warm Bodies ), Kodi Smit-McPhee ( ParaNorman ) and Michael Shannon ( Man of Steel ) have boarded writer/director Jake Paltrow's Young Ones , Variety reports. The film is described as being a sci-fi thriller set in a future where water has become scarce and a violent world treats it as the single most precious resource. Paltrow, who previously directed The Good Night , is now shooting in the deserts of South Africa. Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret are attached to produce with James Atherton, Marina Fuentes, Peter Garde, Brian O'Shea and Jan Pace executive producing. (Photo Credit: FayesVision / Ai-Wire / Dan Jackman / Brian To / WENN.com)...
- 2/7/2013
- Comingsoon.net
MADRID -- As the Madrid de Cine Spanish film screenings wrapped Wednesday, buyers and sellers alike seemed in agreement on the event's value for the industry.
"It's great", said Marina Fuentes of Madrid-based 6 Sales. "The quantity and quality of the buyers were excellent."
More than 130 buyers from 35 countries attended, more than the attendance last year and 70% better than the number of those who came to the defunct Lanzarote Screenings, which the Madrid event replaced.
No one seemed bothered by the timing of the event, which followed so close after Cannes.
"There are so many markets, but here the buyers can focus on Spanish films calmly and don't have to rush off after two minutes," said Xavi Figueras of Sagrera, which is handling worldwide sales on Carlos Benpar's documentary Filmmakers in Action.
Such films as Lucia Puenzo's XXY, Sergio Oksman's Goodbye, America and Roberto Santiago's black comedy The Suicide Club were available at Cannes but seemed to get more attention -- and a buzz among buyers -- in Madrid.
"It's great", said Marina Fuentes of Madrid-based 6 Sales. "The quantity and quality of the buyers were excellent."
More than 130 buyers from 35 countries attended, more than the attendance last year and 70% better than the number of those who came to the defunct Lanzarote Screenings, which the Madrid event replaced.
No one seemed bothered by the timing of the event, which followed so close after Cannes.
"There are so many markets, but here the buyers can focus on Spanish films calmly and don't have to rush off after two minutes," said Xavi Figueras of Sagrera, which is handling worldwide sales on Carlos Benpar's documentary Filmmakers in Action.
Such films as Lucia Puenzo's XXY, Sergio Oksman's Goodbye, America and Roberto Santiago's black comedy The Suicide Club were available at Cannes but seemed to get more attention -- and a buzz among buyers -- in Madrid.
- 6/14/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- The boom in Spanish-language film worldwide has become a mixed blessing for Spanish sales companies.
While the films are generating boxoffice revenue and international awards, the companies no longer have the field to themselves as European rivals swoop down to cherry-pick the hottest properties -- a problem other European industries don't suffer.
Insiders offer a spectrum of reasons, ranging from a Spanish inferiority complex to a tougher market, but the fact remains that all six of the Spanish films in the Cannes official lineup are being handled by sales companies outside the Iberian Peninsula.
That reality doesn't sit well at home. Where once Americans and French were the main targets of Spanish companies' complaints, at the market this year, Spanish companies are complaining about fellow Spaniards.
"It doesn't help the image of all the sales agents operating out of Spain when all the films selected are non-Spanish sales agents," KWA president and Madrid-based veteran sales agent Kevin Williams said. "It's an indictment on Spanish producers and an indictment on Spanish sales agents if the producers aren't giving them their films."
Many chalk it up to old prejudices from within the industry.
"In Spain, there's always been the sensation that if you put your film with a non-Spanish sales company, it automatically makes it bigger and more international," 6 Sales executive Marina Fuentes said.
But the fact is that Spain has seen an explosion of internationally minded, Spain-based sales operations. Sogepaq handled Alejandro Amenabar's Oscar-winning film "The Sea Inside", along with films from dozens of festival friendly directors like Julio Medem, Alex de la Iglesia, Iciar Bollain and Antonio Banderas.
Filmax has put itself on the international radar with a strong lineup of English-language, internationally cast genre films that perform well at markets.
6 Sales is handling Giancarlo Esposito's "Gospel Hill", starring Danny Glover and Angela Bassett, as well as Eric Nicholas' "Alone With Her", and prides itself on its eclectic slate.
While the films are generating boxoffice revenue and international awards, the companies no longer have the field to themselves as European rivals swoop down to cherry-pick the hottest properties -- a problem other European industries don't suffer.
Insiders offer a spectrum of reasons, ranging from a Spanish inferiority complex to a tougher market, but the fact remains that all six of the Spanish films in the Cannes official lineup are being handled by sales companies outside the Iberian Peninsula.
That reality doesn't sit well at home. Where once Americans and French were the main targets of Spanish companies' complaints, at the market this year, Spanish companies are complaining about fellow Spaniards.
"It doesn't help the image of all the sales agents operating out of Spain when all the films selected are non-Spanish sales agents," KWA president and Madrid-based veteran sales agent Kevin Williams said. "It's an indictment on Spanish producers and an indictment on Spanish sales agents if the producers aren't giving them their films."
Many chalk it up to old prejudices from within the industry.
"In Spain, there's always been the sensation that if you put your film with a non-Spanish sales company, it automatically makes it bigger and more international," 6 Sales executive Marina Fuentes said.
But the fact is that Spain has seen an explosion of internationally minded, Spain-based sales operations. Sogepaq handled Alejandro Amenabar's Oscar-winning film "The Sea Inside", along with films from dozens of festival friendly directors like Julio Medem, Alex de la Iglesia, Iciar Bollain and Antonio Banderas.
Filmax has put itself on the international radar with a strong lineup of English-language, internationally cast genre films that perform well at markets.
6 Sales is handling Giancarlo Esposito's "Gospel Hill", starring Danny Glover and Angela Bassett, as well as Eric Nicholas' "Alone With Her", and prides itself on its eclectic slate.
- 5/21/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MADRID -- Enrique Posner, former general manager at Warner Brothers Intl. Espana, on Monday announced the launch of his own production company, YaYa! Films, with an initial slate of three English-language features.
YaYa! will co-produce its first slate with Posner's partners in the Madrid-based sales outfit 6 Sales, Marina Fuentes' Galba Prods. and animation specialists Manuel Cristobal and Ruben Zarauza's Perro Verde Films.
The new shingle's first project is the $10 million, CG-animated "The Missing Lynx", about a billionaire conservationist who hires a wacky hunter to save animals in a new Noah's Ark.
Granada-based Kandor Graphics -- which will create the CGI animation -- and Perro Verde will co-produce, with Posner taking the executive production credit. Manuel Sicilia and Raul Garcia, who worked as an animator on "The Lion King" and "Aladdin", will co-direct.
Next up is romantic comedy "How To", about a secretary who writes a manual explaining the ins and outs of a successfully undetected and enjoyable extramarital affair. The script is being written by Paula Edwards.
YaYa! will co-produce its first slate with Posner's partners in the Madrid-based sales outfit 6 Sales, Marina Fuentes' Galba Prods. and animation specialists Manuel Cristobal and Ruben Zarauza's Perro Verde Films.
The new shingle's first project is the $10 million, CG-animated "The Missing Lynx", about a billionaire conservationist who hires a wacky hunter to save animals in a new Noah's Ark.
Granada-based Kandor Graphics -- which will create the CGI animation -- and Perro Verde will co-produce, with Posner taking the executive production credit. Manuel Sicilia and Raul Garcia, who worked as an animator on "The Lion King" and "Aladdin", will co-direct.
Next up is romantic comedy "How To", about a secretary who writes a manual explaining the ins and outs of a successfully undetected and enjoyable extramarital affair. The script is being written by Paula Edwards.
- 1/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain -- Enrique Posner, former general manager of Warner Bros. Pictures Espana, has joined with Galba Prods. and Perro Verde Films in launching new international sales agency 6 Sales, the group announced Wednesday. Animation production specialist Perro Verde is the creation of Manuel Cristobal, Ruben Zarauza and Maria Arochena, while Galba is owned by producer-sales agent Marina Fuentes. The Madrid-based company will handle films produced by its partners as well as by other producers and will launch at AFM with a slate led by Alone with Her, written and directed by Eric Nicholas, produced by Tom Engelman and starring Colin Hanks and Ana Claudia Talancon.
- 9/27/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MADRID -- Spanish animation specialists Dygra films said Thursday it will handle its own international sales starting in May in Cannes and the company's executive producer Tania Pinto Da Cunha will head the sales department. Lucas Mackey will act as sales executive and Marina Fuentes from sales office Lumina Films will act as a temporary consultant. Lumina will continue to handle sales on Midsummer Dream. "Dygra is growing and it makes sense for us to have our own international department" said Pinto Da Cunha. "Lumina has done an excellent job in launching our studio outside of Spain and its great team will continue to collaborate with 'Midsummer Dream' but it is time for us to keep growing and vertically integrate the studio." Dygra projects include Spirit of the Forest, currently in production for an early 2007 release, and Holy Night, also in production for a Christmas release of the same year. Other projects in preparation include Dygra's first live-action feature, The Dead Go Fast, shooting in September for a release also in 2007.
- 4/27/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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