Twin brother directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser are gearing up to film Once Upon a Time In Gaza in Jordan in September.
Bac Films is handling international sales and French distribution. Mad Distribution has taken Mena rights.
The Palestine-France-Germany-Portugal-Jordan- Saudi Arabia co-production is produced by Marie Legrand and Rani Massalha of France’s Les Films du Tambour, who made the Nassers’ 2015 title Dégradé and 2020 feature Gaza Mon Amour, Palestine’s Oscar submission.
David Grumbach, CEO of Bac said the film “echoes the terrible current events in this region and confirms the Nasser brothers are among the leading auteurs in cinema...
Bac Films is handling international sales and French distribution. Mad Distribution has taken Mena rights.
The Palestine-France-Germany-Portugal-Jordan- Saudi Arabia co-production is produced by Marie Legrand and Rani Massalha of France’s Les Films du Tambour, who made the Nassers’ 2015 title Dégradé and 2020 feature Gaza Mon Amour, Palestine’s Oscar submission.
David Grumbach, CEO of Bac said the film “echoes the terrible current events in this region and confirms the Nasser brothers are among the leading auteurs in cinema...
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed first sales and released the first-look image from Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland’s biopic of the Czech novelist Franz Kafka, “Franz.”
The project has sold to September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, Vertigo in Hungary, McF Megacom for the former Yugoslavia and Movies Inspired in Italy.
The film was previously acquired for theatrical distribution by Bac Films Distribution in France, X Verleih in Germany and Austria, Bioscop in Czech Republic and Kino Świat in Poland.
Kafka, a German-speaking Jewish Bohemian famous for surrealist and nightmarish visions, wrote “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial” and “The Castle,” among others.
The film started shooting in Prague on April 12, including the Old Town near Kafka’s birthplace, and will continue there until the end of May, when the production moves for a week’s shoot in Berlin.
Šárka Cimbalová produces through Czech Republic’s Marlene Film Production,...
The project has sold to September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, Vertigo in Hungary, McF Megacom for the former Yugoslavia and Movies Inspired in Italy.
The film was previously acquired for theatrical distribution by Bac Films Distribution in France, X Verleih in Germany and Austria, Bioscop in Czech Republic and Kino Świat in Poland.
Kafka, a German-speaking Jewish Bohemian famous for surrealist and nightmarish visions, wrote “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial” and “The Castle,” among others.
The film started shooting in Prague on April 12, including the Old Town near Kafka’s birthplace, and will continue there until the end of May, when the production moves for a week’s shoot in Berlin.
Šárka Cimbalová produces through Czech Republic’s Marlene Film Production,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Directors’ guild the Srf issued a statement saying “the far right is attacking culture”.
France’s directors’ guild, the Srf, and the producers guilds Spi and Upc, have all come out in support of Mehdi Fikri’s family drama After The Fire, about a woman on a quest for justice when her brother dies in police custody, blaming the film’s poor box office and scathing reviews on a far-right campaign they say is putting free speech at risk.
Fikri’s first feature was released in France on November 15 by Bac Films after a world premiere in Toronto’s Discovery section.
France’s directors’ guild, the Srf, and the producers guilds Spi and Upc, have all come out in support of Mehdi Fikri’s family drama After The Fire, about a woman on a quest for justice when her brother dies in police custody, blaming the film’s poor box office and scathing reviews on a far-right campaign they say is putting free speech at risk.
Fikri’s first feature was released in France on November 15 by Bac Films after a world premiere in Toronto’s Discovery section.
- 12/5/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
The producer and distributor of French police violence drama After The Fire, which world premiered in Toronto’s Discovery line-up this year, say the film’s theatrical release has been damaged by a right-wing smear campaign.
Moves against the picture include a push to lower the work’s public score on cinema website Allociné (France’s equivalent to a Rotten Tomatoes rating), as well as the spread of disinformation around the production by right-leaning outlets such as CNews, which is France’s Gb News or Fox News.
The drama stars popular singer and actress Camélia Jordana as a woman seeking justice after her younger brother dies in suspicious circumstances in police custody.
It is the first feature of Mehdi Fikri who spent a decade working as a reporter covering social conflict and the issues of police violence and justice in France’s notoriously deprived out-of-town suburbs.
Conceived by Fikri over...
Moves against the picture include a push to lower the work’s public score on cinema website Allociné (France’s equivalent to a Rotten Tomatoes rating), as well as the spread of disinformation around the production by right-leaning outlets such as CNews, which is France’s Gb News or Fox News.
The drama stars popular singer and actress Camélia Jordana as a woman seeking justice after her younger brother dies in suspicious circumstances in police custody.
It is the first feature of Mehdi Fikri who spent a decade working as a reporter covering social conflict and the issues of police violence and justice in France’s notoriously deprived out-of-town suburbs.
Conceived by Fikri over...
- 11/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The investments are worth a total of €68.2m ($72.35m) and go to companies from Spain, France and Luxembourg.
The European Commission (EC) and European Investment Fund (Eif)’s MediaInvest equity tool has unveiled its first equity investment of up to €25m in French fund Logical Content Ventures (Lcv).
It has also announced further agreements with two Spanish companies and one from Luxembourg under the Eif’s InvestEU Cultural and Creative Sectors (Ccs) Guarantee.
The four agreements are worth a total $62.5m and were announced at the San Sebastian film festival on Sunday.
Launched at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and...
The European Commission (EC) and European Investment Fund (Eif)’s MediaInvest equity tool has unveiled its first equity investment of up to €25m in French fund Logical Content Ventures (Lcv).
It has also announced further agreements with two Spanish companies and one from Luxembourg under the Eif’s InvestEU Cultural and Creative Sectors (Ccs) Guarantee.
The four agreements are worth a total $62.5m and were announced at the San Sebastian film festival on Sunday.
Launched at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and...
- 9/26/2023
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
The European Commission and European Investment Fund (Eif) have announced the first investment of its fledgeling MediaInvest equity investment instrument aimed at the audiovisual sector.
The Eif said it had approved an equity investment of up to €25 million into Paris-based fund Logical Content Ventures, in the first transaction of the MediaInvest Instrument.
It said the agreement aims to raise up to €70 million in equity investment in European audiovisual production and distribution companies.
Logical Content Ventures, was launched by the Logical Pictures Group in 2022, initially targeting €100M in fundraising.
Its investments to date have included the Alexandre Aja-produced Night of the Hunted, which is scheduled for release in 2023, and the thriller Berlin Nobody, produced by Ridley Scott. Earlier this year, it also announced a slate financing deal with French studio Pathé.
The MediaInvest deal was officialized at a signing ceremony on the fringes of the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sunday.
The Eif said it had approved an equity investment of up to €25 million into Paris-based fund Logical Content Ventures, in the first transaction of the MediaInvest Instrument.
It said the agreement aims to raise up to €70 million in equity investment in European audiovisual production and distribution companies.
Logical Content Ventures, was launched by the Logical Pictures Group in 2022, initially targeting €100M in fundraising.
Its investments to date have included the Alexandre Aja-produced Night of the Hunted, which is scheduled for release in 2023, and the thriller Berlin Nobody, produced by Ridley Scott. Earlier this year, it also announced a slate financing deal with French studio Pathé.
The MediaInvest deal was officialized at a signing ceremony on the fringes of the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sunday.
- 9/25/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The second annual Creative Investors Conference runs September 26-28.
Executives from Focus Features, Warner Bros, Plan B and Neon are among the speakers at San Sebastian International Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors Conference running September 26-28 in collaboration with CAA Media Finance.
There will be a series of ‘Fireside chats’ with Mariano César, SVP content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max (Warner Bros. Discovery), Jeremy Kleiner, co-president at Plan B, and Killer Films co-founders Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon.
Kiska Higgs, president, production & acquisitions at Focus Features, Sarah Colvin, director of acquisitions at Neon, Jeb Brody, president of production at Amblin Partners,...
Executives from Focus Features, Warner Bros, Plan B and Neon are among the speakers at San Sebastian International Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors Conference running September 26-28 in collaboration with CAA Media Finance.
There will be a series of ‘Fireside chats’ with Mariano César, SVP content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max (Warner Bros. Discovery), Jeremy Kleiner, co-president at Plan B, and Killer Films co-founders Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon.
Kiska Higgs, president, production & acquisitions at Focus Features, Sarah Colvin, director of acquisitions at Neon, Jeb Brody, president of production at Amblin Partners,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
San Sebastian Festival’s 2nd Creative Investors’ Conference (Cic), co-organized once more with CAA Media Finance, has lured some of the most prominent names in the international entertainment business, led by CAA Media Finance’s Roeg Sutherland, Goodfellas’ Vincent Maraval and Cinetic Media’s John Sloss.
Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.
Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.
Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...
Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.
Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.
Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...
- 9/5/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Film stars including pop singer and Cesar-winning actress Camelia Jordana.
Screen can reveal the first trailer for Mehdi Fikri’s debut feature After The Fire ahead of the film’s TIFF Discovery world premiere.
The timely tale about a grieving family in their quest for justice after the police slaying of a young man in the suburbs of Strasbourg mirrors recent real-life riots in France that erupted in June following the police shooting of a teenager at a traffic stop. The film focuses on the interfamilial relationships and turmoil that follows such tragedies.
After The Fire features a cast of...
Screen can reveal the first trailer for Mehdi Fikri’s debut feature After The Fire ahead of the film’s TIFF Discovery world premiere.
The timely tale about a grieving family in their quest for justice after the police slaying of a young man in the suburbs of Strasbourg mirrors recent real-life riots in France that erupted in June following the police shooting of a teenager at a traffic stop. The film focuses on the interfamilial relationships and turmoil that follows such tragedies.
After The Fire features a cast of...
- 9/5/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Film is about the impact of police misconduct on a Parisian family.
Bac Films and Wild Bunch International are kicking off sales on Mehdi Fikri’s hot market title After the Fire at the European Film Market.
The film is Fikri’s first feature following his short Descente screened in Horizons at Venice in 2021.
The incendiary drama about police violence features a starry cast including French talents Camelia Jordana, who won the Cesar for best newcomer for her role in Yvan Attal’s Le Brio, and Sofiane Zermani, who stars in Netflix’s French-language film No Limit. They star alongside Sofian Khammes,...
Bac Films and Wild Bunch International are kicking off sales on Mehdi Fikri’s hot market title After the Fire at the European Film Market.
The film is Fikri’s first feature following his short Descente screened in Horizons at Venice in 2021.
The incendiary drama about police violence features a starry cast including French talents Camelia Jordana, who won the Cesar for best newcomer for her role in Yvan Attal’s Le Brio, and Sofiane Zermani, who stars in Netflix’s French-language film No Limit. They star alongside Sofian Khammes,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
“Little Nicholas – Happy As Can Be” scooped this year’s Annecy Animation Festival’s top Cristal Award for best feature, an award which can form a springboard for Oscar nomination, as was the case with “Flee” last year, or “I Want My Body” in 2019.
The biggest winners at Annecy this year, however, was the Festival itself, animation at large and, when it came to movie prizes, France in particular.
‘Little Nicholas – Happy as Can Be’: Annecy Cristal, Best Feature
Directed by Benjamin Massoubre and Amandine Fredon, Annecy’s feature winner is classic French animated feature fare in artistic and industrial confection: 2D, based on a literary source – writer René Goscinny and illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé’s comic-strip, and featuring famed Gallic IP: Little Nicholas, France’s quintessential schoolboy, who here meets his makers, Goscinny and Sempé.
In industry terms, “Little Nicholas” is produced by Aton Soumache and producer of “The Little Prince,...
The biggest winners at Annecy this year, however, was the Festival itself, animation at large and, when it came to movie prizes, France in particular.
‘Little Nicholas – Happy as Can Be’: Annecy Cristal, Best Feature
Directed by Benjamin Massoubre and Amandine Fredon, Annecy’s feature winner is classic French animated feature fare in artistic and industrial confection: 2D, based on a literary source – writer René Goscinny and illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé’s comic-strip, and featuring famed Gallic IP: Little Nicholas, France’s quintessential schoolboy, who here meets his makers, Goscinny and Sempé.
In industry terms, “Little Nicholas” is produced by Aton Soumache and producer of “The Little Prince,...
- 6/18/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired the U.S. rights from production company Augenschein Filmproduktion to distribute Franka Potente’s directorial debut, “Home.”
Starring Jake McLaughlin, the drama tells the story of Marvin Hacks (McLaughlin), who comes home after more than 20 years in prison and soon finds out that his hometown has not forgotten his crime. Despite the confrontation and hostility from the locals, Marvin attempts to win back his place in society and is welcomed back by his shabby, run-down family home.
Kathy Bates, Lil Rel Howery, Aisling Franciosi, Derek Richardson, James Jordan and Stephen Root also star.
“Home” premiered at the Rome Film Festival last year, followed by Tallinn Black Nights, San Francisco and the Munich Film Festival ahead of its theatrical release in Germany this year. The film will have a theatrical release in 10 cities plus all major cable and digital platforms. It will be released Dec.
Starring Jake McLaughlin, the drama tells the story of Marvin Hacks (McLaughlin), who comes home after more than 20 years in prison and soon finds out that his hometown has not forgotten his crime. Despite the confrontation and hostility from the locals, Marvin attempts to win back his place in society and is welcomed back by his shabby, run-down family home.
Kathy Bates, Lil Rel Howery, Aisling Franciosi, Derek Richardson, James Jordan and Stephen Root also star.
“Home” premiered at the Rome Film Festival last year, followed by Tallinn Black Nights, San Francisco and the Munich Film Festival ahead of its theatrical release in Germany this year. The film will have a theatrical release in 10 cities plus all major cable and digital platforms. It will be released Dec.
- 10/27/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. rights to the dramatic feature Home—starring Jake McLaughlin, Oscar winner Kathy Bates and more—from production company augenschein Filmproduktion, setting it for a day-and-date release on December 3rd.
The first feature written and directed by award-winning German actress Franka Potente will hit theaters in 10 cities, in addition to all major cable and digital platforms.
It tells the story of Marvin Hacks (McLaughlin), who comes home after spending more than 20 years in prison to find out that, even after two decades, his small American hometown has not forgotten the atrocity he committed. Despite the confrontation and hostility from the locals, Marvin will do what it takes to win back his place in society. He is welcomed back to his shabby, run-down family home by his terminally ill mother,...
The first feature written and directed by award-winning German actress Franka Potente will hit theaters in 10 cities, in addition to all major cable and digital platforms.
It tells the story of Marvin Hacks (McLaughlin), who comes home after spending more than 20 years in prison to find out that, even after two decades, his small American hometown has not forgotten the atrocity he committed. Despite the confrontation and hostility from the locals, Marvin will do what it takes to win back his place in society. He is welcomed back to his shabby, run-down family home by his terminally ill mother,...
- 10/27/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A Texas grand jury has indicted Netflix on a charge of disseminating lewd material by distributing the French film “Cuties.”
The grand jury in Tyler County, Texas, returned the indictment on Sept. 23 under a state law that forbids “the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of an unclothed, partially clothed, or clothed child.”
To be illegal, such material must appeal “to the prurient interest in sex” and have “no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
Netflix defended the film in a statement: “‘Cuties’ is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film.”
No arraignment date has been set.
The Tyler County district attorney is Lucas Babin, a onetime model and actor who appeared as Spider, the shirtless musician in the 2003 film “School of Rock.” He also played Rocky on “The Young and the Restless,” according to his IMDb profile.
The grand jury in Tyler County, Texas, returned the indictment on Sept. 23 under a state law that forbids “the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of an unclothed, partially clothed, or clothed child.”
To be illegal, such material must appeal “to the prurient interest in sex” and have “no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
Netflix defended the film in a statement: “‘Cuties’ is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film.”
No arraignment date has been set.
The Tyler County district attorney is Lucas Babin, a onetime model and actor who appeared as Spider, the shirtless musician in the 2003 film “School of Rock.” He also played Rocky on “The Young and the Restless,” according to his IMDb profile.
- 10/6/2020
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
L’Arp (La Société civile des Auteurs-Réalisateurs-Producteurs), France’s authors, directors, and producers guild, issued a statement September 15 defending the controversial release of the Netflix original movie “Cuties.” The film has become a national talking point following its September 9 release over accusations it sexualizes child actors and promotes child pornography. L’Arp says the backlash over “Cuties” is a “grave attack on freedom of creation” being fueled by “the most conservative of Americans” (via Variety).
“At a time when the most conservative of Americans are calling for a boycott of the film ‘Cuties,’ we would like to support its director, Maimouna Doucouré, who won the Best Direction award at the Sundance Film Festival,” an official L’Arp statement reads. “This film, produced in France, then bought by Netflix for distribution in the United States, is emblematic of the indispensable freedom of expression that cinema, in all its diversity, needs to address disturbing topics,...
“At a time when the most conservative of Americans are calling for a boycott of the film ‘Cuties,’ we would like to support its director, Maimouna Doucouré, who won the Best Direction award at the Sundance Film Festival,” an official L’Arp statement reads. “This film, produced in France, then bought by Netflix for distribution in the United States, is emblematic of the indispensable freedom of expression that cinema, in all its diversity, needs to address disturbing topics,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Netflix’s “Cuties” may be receiving a torrent of backlash out of North America, but France’s film industry is standing in support of Maimouna Doucouré’s feature debut. On Tuesday, the country’s authors, directors and producers guild, La Société civile des Auteurs Réalisateurs et Producteurs, known as Arp, said calls for the film’s boycott are a “grave attack on freedom of creation” carried on by the “most conservative of Americans.”
A campaign waged against Netflix over “Cuties” and the film’s sexualized portrayal of children produced a surge in U.S. subscription cancellations over the weekend, according to research company YipitData, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations out of Washington, D.C., is the latest org to call on the streaming giant to pull the film due to, it claims, a stereotypical portrayal of Muslims.
“Cuties” follows an 11-year-old Senegalese girl living in Paris who joins a...
A campaign waged against Netflix over “Cuties” and the film’s sexualized portrayal of children produced a surge in U.S. subscription cancellations over the weekend, according to research company YipitData, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations out of Washington, D.C., is the latest org to call on the streaming giant to pull the film due to, it claims, a stereotypical portrayal of Muslims.
“Cuties” follows an 11-year-old Senegalese girl living in Paris who joins a...
- 9/15/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Expectations are running high that the festival will announce some sort of Official Selection in the coming weeks.
In a normal year cinema professionals across the production, sales, distribution and promotional chain would be in a frenzy of activity this week, gearing up for one of their busiest periods of the year as they finalise arrangements for impending annual trips to the Cannes Film Festival, which was scheduled to kick off on May 12 before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Having clung on, hoping against hope, Cannes acknowledged last month that its 2020 edition would not be able to take place in its...
In a normal year cinema professionals across the production, sales, distribution and promotional chain would be in a frenzy of activity this week, gearing up for one of their busiest periods of the year as they finalise arrangements for impending annual trips to the Cannes Film Festival, which was scheduled to kick off on May 12 before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Having clung on, hoping against hope, Cannes acknowledged last month that its 2020 edition would not be able to take place in its...
- 5/5/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦¬36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦¬1100796¦Matt Mueller¦47¦
- ScreenDaily
French government bans gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
The French government on Sunday (8) announced new restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus, banning gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
That is less than half the 2309 person capacity of the main Louis Lumière auditorium in Cannes’ Palais des Festivals.
But in his announcement of the move, health minister Olivier Veran also said the government would draw up a list of gatherings that are ”useful to the interest of the nation”.
A spokesperson for France’s ministry of solidarity and health told Screen on Monday morning that the minister had not announced an...
The French government on Sunday (8) announced new restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus, banning gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
That is less than half the 2309 person capacity of the main Louis Lumière auditorium in Cannes’ Palais des Festivals.
But in his announcement of the move, health minister Olivier Veran also said the government would draw up a list of gatherings that are ”useful to the interest of the nation”.
A spokesperson for France’s ministry of solidarity and health told Screen on Monday morning that the minister had not announced an...
- 3/9/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦¬36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦¬57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦¬1100142¦Wendy Mitchell¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Bac Films, the Paris-based film group behind the Venice Horizons title “My Days of Glory,” has bolstered its international sales division with a new team topped by Marine Goulois and Andrea Dos Santos.
Goulois previously worked at Snd, the sales arm of the commercial network M6, and Les Films du Losange, while Dos Santos worked at Orange Studio and Alfama Films. They will head the international sales division together.
Goulois, who has a track record handling both prestige auteur movies such as Michael Haneke’s films at Les Films du Losange, and high-concept genre or comedy movies at Snd, will also be in charge of international acquisitions.
The new team will be completed by Juliette Béchu, who will work on sales, and Marine Dorville, who will be the festival manager.
“Our ambition is to continue to develop an international lineup of independent European cinema, high-profile English-language projects and animated feature,...
Goulois previously worked at Snd, the sales arm of the commercial network M6, and Les Films du Losange, while Dos Santos worked at Orange Studio and Alfama Films. They will head the international sales division together.
Goulois, who has a track record handling both prestige auteur movies such as Michael Haneke’s films at Les Films du Losange, and high-concept genre or comedy movies at Snd, will also be in charge of international acquisitions.
The new team will be completed by Juliette Béchu, who will work on sales, and Marine Dorville, who will be the festival manager.
“Our ambition is to continue to develop an international lineup of independent European cinema, high-profile English-language projects and animated feature,...
- 9/2/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
German actress Franka Potente will be making her directorial debut with “Home,” a California-set redemption drama starring Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates, Jake McLaughlin and Lil Rel Howery.
Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo at leading German film production company Augenschein Filmproduktion developed the story and will produce together with Bac Films Prods.’ David Grumbach, Leontine Petit and Erik Glijnis at the Dutch banner Lemming Films, and Christine Günther and Chevy Chen at German outfit Fireglory.
Bac Films has picked up international sales rights to “Home” and will distribute the film in France.
“Home” tells the story of Marvin Hacks (McLaughlin), who comes home after more than 20 years in prison and finds out that, even after two decades, his small American hometown has not forgotten the atrocity he committed. Despite the confrontation and hostility from the locals, Marvin will do what it takes to reclaim his place in society.
“‘Home’ is a...
Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo at leading German film production company Augenschein Filmproduktion developed the story and will produce together with Bac Films Prods.’ David Grumbach, Leontine Petit and Erik Glijnis at the Dutch banner Lemming Films, and Christine Günther and Chevy Chen at German outfit Fireglory.
Bac Films has picked up international sales rights to “Home” and will distribute the film in France.
“Home” tells the story of Marvin Hacks (McLaughlin), who comes home after more than 20 years in prison and finds out that, even after two decades, his small American hometown has not forgotten the atrocity he committed. Despite the confrontation and hostility from the locals, Marvin will do what it takes to reclaim his place in society.
“‘Home’ is a...
- 5/16/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Georgina Campbell (“Black Mirror”) and Faye Dunaway are set to star in “Visceral,” a female-driven action thriller that will mark the English-language debut of Frederic Jardin (“Sleepless Night”). Bac Films has come on board to handle international sales and distribution in France.
Marco Cherqui at Cpb Films (“A Prophet”) is producing the thriller with Frida Torresblanco at Braven Films (“Disobedience”) and Bac Films which is co-producing. Jeff Elliott, David Grumbach (“The Leisure Seeker”), Eric Laufer and Giovanna Randall will serve as executive producers.
The movie reunites Jardin, Cherqui and Grumbach, who had worked together on “Sleepless Night.” Jeff Elliott at Brickell and Broadbridge is financing.
“Visceral” marks Jardin’s follow-up to “Sleepless Night,” which sold to more than 30 territories and was remade in the U.S. with Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan. Jardin also successfully leaped into TV and directed Canal Plus’s critically acclaimed series “Spiral” and “Braquo.”
“Visceral” stars Campbell as Julie,...
Marco Cherqui at Cpb Films (“A Prophet”) is producing the thriller with Frida Torresblanco at Braven Films (“Disobedience”) and Bac Films which is co-producing. Jeff Elliott, David Grumbach (“The Leisure Seeker”), Eric Laufer and Giovanna Randall will serve as executive producers.
The movie reunites Jardin, Cherqui and Grumbach, who had worked together on “Sleepless Night.” Jeff Elliott at Brickell and Broadbridge is financing.
“Visceral” marks Jardin’s follow-up to “Sleepless Night,” which sold to more than 30 territories and was remade in the U.S. with Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan. Jardin also successfully leaped into TV and directed Canal Plus’s critically acclaimed series “Spiral” and “Braquo.”
“Visceral” stars Campbell as Julie,...
- 11/1/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren and two-time Golden Globe-winner Donald Sutherland star in the adventurous drama The Leisure Seeker, debuting on DVD and digital July 10 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Michael Zadoorian, Italian director Paolo Virzì’s (Like Crazy) first English language film tells the story of John (Sutherland) and Ella Spencer (Mirren) as they embark on one last road trip from Boston to the Hemingway House in the Florida Keys in their trusty recreational vehicle. The Leisure Seeker also stars Christian McKay (Florence Foster Jenkins) and Janel Moloney (“The West Wing”).
The DVD release of The Leisure Seeker includes two exclusive featurettes. Fans will spend an evening with acting icons Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland as they reflect on their craft, their complex roles and their on-screen collaboration in a lively and candid Q&A “In Conversation with Helen Mirren & Donald Sutherland.” “The Making...
The DVD release of The Leisure Seeker includes two exclusive featurettes. Fans will spend an evening with acting icons Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland as they reflect on their craft, their complex roles and their on-screen collaboration in a lively and candid Q&A “In Conversation with Helen Mirren & Donald Sutherland.” “The Making...
- 7/11/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
On the surface, France’s film industry is living la vie en rose. The country recorded its third-largest box office haul in 50 years in 2017, following an even stronger performance in 2016. More than 60 French productions or co-productions have been selected for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. French sales agents represent more than two-thirds of the films in the festival’s official competition.
But look a little closer, and the cracks start to appear. Although France is continental Europe’s biggest film market, many distributors are in dire straits. Major companies like Wild Bunch and EuropaCorp are seeking white knights. Some banners have consolidated, including Mars Films, which sold a 30% stake in the company to Vivendi. Others — such as MK2, which is focusing more on exhibition and international sales — have shut down their distribution businesses or, like La Belle Co., called it quits entirely.
The distribution sector’s woes stem from an ultracompetitive environment,...
But look a little closer, and the cracks start to appear. Although France is continental Europe’s biggest film market, many distributors are in dire straits. Major companies like Wild Bunch and EuropaCorp are seeking white knights. Some banners have consolidated, including Mars Films, which sold a 30% stake in the company to Vivendi. Others — such as MK2, which is focusing more on exhibition and international sales — have shut down their distribution businesses or, like La Belle Co., called it quits entirely.
The distribution sector’s woes stem from an ultracompetitive environment,...
- 5/3/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Panelists disagree on the possibilities offrered by deals with streaming giants.
Source: Iffr
Reality Check day one.
The European film market is an increasingly challenging environment due to a surplus of content, but is the disruption caused by deep-pocketed SVoD companies such as Netflix and Amazon helping or hindering the industry?
That question regularly entered discussion during the first day of Reality Check, International Film Festival Rotterdam’s new conference exploring the transforming landscape of film distribution.
It’s not news that a surplus of film content is flooding the European market, but the industry continues to be challenged by the sheer number of releases. In France, up to 700 films were released in cinemas in 2017. The number in the UK was close to 900.
“The problem is the volume of films that are being programmed. Does every film belong in the cinema?” asked Bobby Allen, senior vice president of content at arthouse steaming service Mubi, who was hosting...
Source: Iffr
Reality Check day one.
The European film market is an increasingly challenging environment due to a surplus of content, but is the disruption caused by deep-pocketed SVoD companies such as Netflix and Amazon helping or hindering the industry?
That question regularly entered discussion during the first day of Reality Check, International Film Festival Rotterdam’s new conference exploring the transforming landscape of film distribution.
It’s not news that a surplus of film content is flooding the European market, but the industry continues to be challenged by the sheer number of releases. In France, up to 700 films were released in cinemas in 2017. The number in the UK was close to 900.
“The problem is the volume of films that are being programmed. Does every film belong in the cinema?” asked Bobby Allen, senior vice president of content at arthouse steaming service Mubi, who was hosting...
- 1/29/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Experts were talking at panel hosted in the UK film centre at Cannes.
Isabel Davis, head of international, BFI, hosted a panel on ’The Practical Guide to Closing Your Film’ at The UK Film Centre in Cannes on Sunday May 22.
Clare Coulter, business affairs manager, BFI; David Grumbach, producer, Bac films; Kai May, Unverzagt von Have and Peter La Terriere, managing director, European Film Bonds took part in the discussion.
The panellists provided tips for moving projects to a multi-party co-production.
Peter La Terriere suggested setting a rate with banks as soon as production begins.
“You need to know when your money is coming in, and how much money is coming in,” added La Terriere.
He added that developing relationships with banks that understood film financing was key, as they could help you with cash-flow, particularly in pre-production when money can be short. He suggested checking with film institutes who they had strong relationships with.
David Grumbach said managing...
Isabel Davis, head of international, BFI, hosted a panel on ’The Practical Guide to Closing Your Film’ at The UK Film Centre in Cannes on Sunday May 22.
Clare Coulter, business affairs manager, BFI; David Grumbach, producer, Bac films; Kai May, Unverzagt von Have and Peter La Terriere, managing director, European Film Bonds took part in the discussion.
The panellists provided tips for moving projects to a multi-party co-production.
Peter La Terriere suggested setting a rate with banks as soon as production begins.
“You need to know when your money is coming in, and how much money is coming in,” added La Terriere.
He added that developing relationships with banks that understood film financing was key, as they could help you with cash-flow, particularly in pre-production when money can be short. He suggested checking with film institutes who they had strong relationships with.
David Grumbach said managing...
- 5/22/2017
- ScreenDaily
Spc confirms deal for Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland road movie.
Sony Pictures Classics confirmed on Thursday it has acquired multiple rights from CAA and Bac Films to Paolo Virzì’s follow-up to his acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection Like Crazy.
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in the film, shooting now, as a couple on a cross-country journey in their vintage camper fleeing the pressures of doctors and children.
Spc has acquirred The Leisure Seeker for the Us, Latin America, Asia excluding Japan, Eastern Europe, Portugal and South Africa.
The film marks Virzì’s first film shot entirely in the Us. Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon, and Virzì adapted the screenplay inspired by the novel of the same name by Michael Zadoorian.
“The Leisure Seeker looks to be a major 2017 find,” said the Spc hierarchy. “This is a rich story that promises career-best performances from Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. We look forward...
Sony Pictures Classics confirmed on Thursday it has acquired multiple rights from CAA and Bac Films to Paolo Virzì’s follow-up to his acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection Like Crazy.
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in the film, shooting now, as a couple on a cross-country journey in their vintage camper fleeing the pressures of doctors and children.
Spc has acquirred The Leisure Seeker for the Us, Latin America, Asia excluding Japan, Eastern Europe, Portugal and South Africa.
The film marks Virzì’s first film shot entirely in the Us. Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon, and Virzì adapted the screenplay inspired by the novel of the same name by Michael Zadoorian.
“The Leisure Seeker looks to be a major 2017 find,” said the Spc hierarchy. “This is a rich story that promises career-best performances from Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. We look forward...
- 9/22/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics confirmed on Thursday it has acquired multiple rights from CAA and Bac Films to Paolo Virzì’s follow-up to his acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection Like Crazy.
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in the film, shooting now, as a couple on a cross-country journey in their vintage camper fleeing the pressures of doctors and children.
Spc has acquirred The Leisure Seeker for the Us, Latin America, Asia excluding Japan, Eastern Europe, Portugal and South Africa.
The film marks Virzì’s first film shot entirely in the Us. Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon, and Virzì adapted the screenplay inspired by the novel of the same name by Michael Zadoorian.
“The Leisure Seeker looks to be a major 2017 find,” said the Spc hierarchy. “This is a rich story that promises career-best performances from Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. We look forward to bringing Paolo Virzi’s film to audiences in the United States and around...
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in the film, shooting now, as a couple on a cross-country journey in their vintage camper fleeing the pressures of doctors and children.
Spc has acquirred The Leisure Seeker for the Us, Latin America, Asia excluding Japan, Eastern Europe, Portugal and South Africa.
The film marks Virzì’s first film shot entirely in the Us. Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon, and Virzì adapted the screenplay inspired by the novel of the same name by Michael Zadoorian.
“The Leisure Seeker looks to be a major 2017 find,” said the Spc hierarchy. “This is a rich story that promises career-best performances from Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. We look forward to bringing Paolo Virzi’s film to audiences in the United States and around...
- 9/22/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Paolo Virzì’s most recent film “Like Crazy” was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Now, currently in production on his latest drama, Sony Pictures Classics announced that it has acquired the rights in the Us, Latin America, Asia (excluding Japan), Eastern Europe, Portugal and South Africa to his movie “The Leisure Seeker,” starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.
“‘The Leisure Seeker’ looks to be a major 2017 find. This is a rich story that promises career best performances from Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland,” the studio commented. “We look forward to bringing Paolo Virzi’s film to audiences in the United States and around the world.”
Read More: Watch Helen Mirren Shut Down a Sexist Interviewer Back in 1975
Written by Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon and Virzì, the drama is inspired by Michael Zadoorian’s novel of the same name. This film centers...
“‘The Leisure Seeker’ looks to be a major 2017 find. This is a rich story that promises career best performances from Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland,” the studio commented. “We look forward to bringing Paolo Virzi’s film to audiences in the United States and around the world.”
Read More: Watch Helen Mirren Shut Down a Sexist Interviewer Back in 1975
Written by Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon and Virzì, the drama is inspired by Michael Zadoorian’s novel of the same name. This film centers...
- 9/22/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Italian director Paolo Virzi set to make English-language debut with Us-set vintage camper van road movie.
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland are set to co-star in Italian director Paolo Virzi’s English language debut The Leisure Seeker as a couple who set off on a cross-country journey in a vintage camper van.
It will be Virzi’s next film after Like Crazy – starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti as two women who hit the road after escaping a secure psychiatric clinic – which premieres in Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year.
Fabrizio Donvito, Benedetto Habib, Marco Cohen are producing for Indiana Production, the Rome, Milan and Los Angeles-based production house which also produced Virzi’s Golden Globe nominated The First Beautiful Thing and Human Capital.
Alessandro Mascheroni, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, and Dov Mamann are executive producers. The film is being produced with Rai Cinema.
David Grumbach and Mathieu Robinet at Paris-based Bac Films are co-producing in a second...
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland are set to co-star in Italian director Paolo Virzi’s English language debut The Leisure Seeker as a couple who set off on a cross-country journey in a vintage camper van.
It will be Virzi’s next film after Like Crazy – starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti as two women who hit the road after escaping a secure psychiatric clinic – which premieres in Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year.
Fabrizio Donvito, Benedetto Habib, Marco Cohen are producing for Indiana Production, the Rome, Milan and Los Angeles-based production house which also produced Virzi’s Golden Globe nominated The First Beautiful Thing and Human Capital.
Alessandro Mascheroni, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, and Dov Mamann are executive producers. The film is being produced with Rai Cinema.
David Grumbach and Mathieu Robinet at Paris-based Bac Films are co-producing in a second...
- 5/12/2016
- ScreenDaily
Italian director Paolo Virzi set to make English-language debut with Us-set vintage camper van road movie.
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland are set to co-star in Italian director Paolo Virzi’s English language debut The Leisure Seeker as a couple who set off on a cross-country journey in a vintage camper van.
It will be Virzi’s next film after Like Crazy – starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti as two women who hit the road after escaping a secure psychiatric clinic – which premieres in Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year.
Fabrizio Donvito, Benedetto Habib, Marco Cohen are producing for Indiana Production, the Rome, Milan and Los Angeles-based production house which also produced Virzi’s Golden Globe nominated The First Beautiful Thing and Human Capital.
Alessandro Mascheroni, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, and Dov Mamann are executive producers. The film is being produced with Rai Cinema.
David Grumbach and Mathieu Robinet at Paris-based Bac Films are co-producing in a second...
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland are set to co-star in Italian director Paolo Virzi’s English language debut The Leisure Seeker as a couple who set off on a cross-country journey in a vintage camper van.
It will be Virzi’s next film after Like Crazy – starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti as two women who hit the road after escaping a secure psychiatric clinic – which premieres in Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year.
Fabrizio Donvito, Benedetto Habib, Marco Cohen are producing for Indiana Production, the Rome, Milan and Los Angeles-based production house which also produced Virzi’s Golden Globe nominated The First Beautiful Thing and Human Capital.
Alessandro Mascheroni, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, and Dov Mamann are executive producers. The film is being produced with Rai Cinema.
David Grumbach and Mathieu Robinet at Paris-based Bac Films are co-producing in a second...
- 5/12/2016
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Appointment of former eOne exec comes as Paris company eyes expansion into larger European-financed, English-language productions.
Former eOne international sales executive Marie Garrett is joining the sales team of Bac Films, the Paris-based company has announced.
Garrett began her sales career at Studiocanal in Paris before being recruited to eOne’s sales operation in London by former boss Harold van Lier, shortly after he became president of its international film division in 2013.
During her time there, Garrett worked on films such as the Oscar-winning Spotlight, Trumbo and Captain Fantastic.
Bac Films head of international sales Gilles Sousa said Garrett’s appointment was part of the company’s planned move into bigger budget, European-financed, English language co-productions.
He said the company had hired Garrett for her experience at studio style companies such as Studiocanal and eOne as well as her international background.
“She’s a perfect fit to sell Bac’s evolving slate,” said Sousa.
Garrett...
Former eOne international sales executive Marie Garrett is joining the sales team of Bac Films, the Paris-based company has announced.
Garrett began her sales career at Studiocanal in Paris before being recruited to eOne’s sales operation in London by former boss Harold van Lier, shortly after he became president of its international film division in 2013.
During her time there, Garrett worked on films such as the Oscar-winning Spotlight, Trumbo and Captain Fantastic.
Bac Films head of international sales Gilles Sousa said Garrett’s appointment was part of the company’s planned move into bigger budget, European-financed, English language co-productions.
He said the company had hired Garrett for her experience at studio style companies such as Studiocanal and eOne as well as her international background.
“She’s a perfect fit to sell Bac’s evolving slate,” said Sousa.
Garrett...
- 4/4/2016
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Appointment of former eOne exec comes as Paris company eyes expansion into larger European-financed, English-language productions.
Former eOne international sales executive Marie Garrett is joining the sales team of Bac Films, the Paris-based company has announced.
Garrett began her sales career at Studiocanal in Paris before being recruited to eOne’s sales operation in London by former boss Harold van Lier, shortly after he became president of its international film division in 2013.
During her time there, Garrett worked on films such as the Oscar-winning Spotlight, Trumbo and Captain Fantastic.
Bac Films head of international sales Gilles Sousa said Garrett’s appointment was part of the company’s planned move into bigger budget, European-financed, English language co-productions.
He said the company had hired Garrett for her experience at studio style companies such as Studiocanal and eOne as well as her international background.
“She’s a perfect fit to sell Bac’s evolving slate,” said Sousa.
Garrett...
Former eOne international sales executive Marie Garrett is joining the sales team of Bac Films, the Paris-based company has announced.
Garrett began her sales career at Studiocanal in Paris before being recruited to eOne’s sales operation in London by former boss Harold van Lier, shortly after he became president of its international film division in 2013.
During her time there, Garrett worked on films such as the Oscar-winning Spotlight, Trumbo and Captain Fantastic.
Bac Films head of international sales Gilles Sousa said Garrett’s appointment was part of the company’s planned move into bigger budget, European-financed, English language co-productions.
He said the company had hired Garrett for her experience at studio style companies such as Studiocanal and eOne as well as her international background.
“She’s a perfect fit to sell Bac’s evolving slate,” said Sousa.
Garrett...
- 4/4/2016
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Catherine Deneuve has joined the cast of Cannes award-winning director Jaco Van Dormael’s surreal comedy in which God lives in Brussels.
The Brand New Testament will star comedian Benoit Poelvoorde as God and Yolande Moreau as God’s wife. Deneuve, the Belle du Jour star who more recently starred in Potiche, also features.
The original story, co-written by Van Dormael and Thomas Gunzig, portrays God as an odious character who is disliked by his family.
His daughter, Ea, decides to run away from home but first hacks her father’s computer and lets everyone in the world know the date when they are going to die. God takes to the streets to find Ea and discovers the horrors of a world he created himself.
Produced by Van Dormael, Olivier Rausin, Daniel Marquet, David Grumbach, and Frank Van Passel, the film is set up as a Belgium, French and Luxembourg coproduction with an $11.4m (€8.3m) budget...
The Brand New Testament will star comedian Benoit Poelvoorde as God and Yolande Moreau as God’s wife. Deneuve, the Belle du Jour star who more recently starred in Potiche, also features.
The original story, co-written by Van Dormael and Thomas Gunzig, portrays God as an odious character who is disliked by his family.
His daughter, Ea, decides to run away from home but first hacks her father’s computer and lets everyone in the world know the date when they are going to die. God takes to the streets to find Ea and discovers the horrors of a world he created himself.
Produced by Van Dormael, Olivier Rausin, Daniel Marquet, David Grumbach, and Frank Van Passel, the film is set up as a Belgium, French and Luxembourg coproduction with an $11.4m (€8.3m) budget...
- 5/14/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Christina Rogers and her team will commence sales in Cannes on the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself, announced in the Cannes Classics line-up this week, as well as Irish rom-com Standby.
Steve James directed Life Itself, which premiered at Sundance and will receive its international premiere on the Croisette. The film chronicles the life and times of the late film critic Roger Ebert.
Magnolia svp of acquisitions Dori Begley brokered the world rights deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of Kartemquin, Film Rites, KatLei and CNN Films. Zak Piper produced for Kartemquin and Garrett Basch for Film Rites.
Magnolia International will also represent the bulk of the world excluding France and Benelux on Standby. Mad Men’s Jessica Paré and Brian Gleeson star in the tale of an American stranded in Dublin Airport who reacquaints herself with an old flame.
Rob and Ronan Burke direct from a screenplay by Pierce Ryan. John Wallace of Black...
Steve James directed Life Itself, which premiered at Sundance and will receive its international premiere on the Croisette. The film chronicles the life and times of the late film critic Roger Ebert.
Magnolia svp of acquisitions Dori Begley brokered the world rights deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of Kartemquin, Film Rites, KatLei and CNN Films. Zak Piper produced for Kartemquin and Garrett Basch for Film Rites.
Magnolia International will also represent the bulk of the world excluding France and Benelux on Standby. Mad Men’s Jessica Paré and Brian Gleeson star in the tale of an American stranded in Dublin Airport who reacquaints herself with an old flame.
Rob and Ronan Burke direct from a screenplay by Pierce Ryan. John Wallace of Black...
- 4/30/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Christina Rogers and her team will commence sales in Cannes on the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself, announced in the Cannes Classics line-up earlier on Wednesday (30), as well as Irish rom-com Standby.
Steve James directed Life Itself, which premiered at Sundance and will receive its international premiere on the Croisette. The film chronicles the life and times of the late film critic Roger Ebert.
Magnolia svp of acquisitions Dori Begley brokered the world rights deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of Kartemquin, Film Rites, KatLei and CNN Films. Zak Piper produced for Kartemquin and Garrett Basch for Film Rites.
Magnolia International will also represent the bulk of the world excluding France and Benelux on Standby. Mad Men’s Jessica Paré and Brian Gleeson star in the tale of an American stranded in Dublin Airport who reacquaints herself with an old flame.
Rob and Ronan Burke direct from a screenplay by Pierce Ryan. John Wallace of Black...
Steve James directed Life Itself, which premiered at Sundance and will receive its international premiere on the Croisette. The film chronicles the life and times of the late film critic Roger Ebert.
Magnolia svp of acquisitions Dori Begley brokered the world rights deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of Kartemquin, Film Rites, KatLei and CNN Films. Zak Piper produced for Kartemquin and Garrett Basch for Film Rites.
Magnolia International will also represent the bulk of the world excluding France and Benelux on Standby. Mad Men’s Jessica Paré and Brian Gleeson star in the tale of an American stranded in Dublin Airport who reacquaints herself with an old flame.
Rob and Ronan Burke direct from a screenplay by Pierce Ryan. John Wallace of Black...
- 4/30/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Screen International becomes media partner on 5th Annual International Film Finance Forum.
Screen International is to partner with conference producer Winston Baker on the fifth annual International Film Finance Forum during the Cannes Film Festival.
Speakers at this year’s forum, held at the InterContinental Carlton Hotel on May 16, include Pierre-Ange Le Pogam [pictured], Rodolphe Buet, David Glasser, Philippe Carcassonne and Claudia Blümhuber.
Additional sponsors and partners include O’Melveny & Myers Llp, Rothstein Kass, Silver Reel, Stroock, Variety, and Women in Film and Television Germany.
More information, including registration details, can be found here.
Speakers include:
Robbert Aarts, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Fintage House
Nicole Ackermann, Managing Partner, Mouna GmbH
Claudia Blümhuber, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, Silver Reel Partners Ag
Rodolphe Buet, Chief Executive Officer, StudioCanal Germany
Joseph Calabrese, Partner and Chair of Entertainment, Sports & Media Practice, O’Melveny & Myers Llp
Philippe Carcassonne, Producer, Ciné-@
Joseph Chianese, Executive Vice President, Ep Financial...
Screen International is to partner with conference producer Winston Baker on the fifth annual International Film Finance Forum during the Cannes Film Festival.
Speakers at this year’s forum, held at the InterContinental Carlton Hotel on May 16, include Pierre-Ange Le Pogam [pictured], Rodolphe Buet, David Glasser, Philippe Carcassonne and Claudia Blümhuber.
Additional sponsors and partners include O’Melveny & Myers Llp, Rothstein Kass, Silver Reel, Stroock, Variety, and Women in Film and Television Germany.
More information, including registration details, can be found here.
Speakers include:
Robbert Aarts, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Fintage House
Nicole Ackermann, Managing Partner, Mouna GmbH
Claudia Blümhuber, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, Silver Reel Partners Ag
Rodolphe Buet, Chief Executive Officer, StudioCanal Germany
Joseph Calabrese, Partner and Chair of Entertainment, Sports & Media Practice, O’Melveny & Myers Llp
Philippe Carcassonne, Producer, Ciné-@
Joseph Chianese, Executive Vice President, Ep Financial...
- 4/24/2014
- ScreenDaily
Paris-based Bac Films, one of France's most respected sales agent, production company and distributor will be showing a promo of the long awaited film, El Ardor co-produced by and starring Gael Garcia Bernal. This is the second co-production of Canana, the production and distribution company of Gael Garcia Bernal,Diego Luna,Pablo Cruz and Julian Levin and Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media's Participant Panamerica. The Academy Award nominated No was their first film together.
Exemplary of the wide range of programming being sold by international sales agents today, Bac is offering coproductions from France-Belgium-Luxembourg (The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears), France-Italy (Human Capital), Iceland-Denmark (Fusi), Sweden-Norway (The Quiet Roar) and a script in French only, from France starring Ludivine Sagnier entitled Fool Circle.
This month prolific producer David Grumbach acquired Bac films with the backing of a consortium of French and European investors. Previously a subsidiary of the publicly traded Bac Majestic which was majority owned by the animation house Millimages, it will now independently control Bac Films Distribution, the Bac brands and the exclusive right to sell the Bac back catalogue. Bac Films Distribution currently controls a 0.45% stake in the French market.
Grumbach's production companies Juliette Film and Jaya Productions will continue to operate as he becomes CEO. Eric Chinchon, a Luxembourg-based business structuring and financing specialist, will act as CFO.
Grumbach said he intended to grow the company in the direction of “a full service European mini major capable of intervening in the entire process of a film’s creation.”
To that end, Bac will board international projects at an earlier stage and have a strong presence throughout development, financing, production and distribution.
Bac’s managing director, Mathieu Robinet will remain in place, overseeing the core activities of acquisition and theatrical, TV, DVD and VOD distribution, international sales and production.
There will be no changes to the current distribution and sales teams. Head of Sales, Gilles Sousa has spearheaded the expansion of the sales line-up since his arrival in 2011. Recent pictures on the slate Human Capital, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears, The Quiet Roar and Ardor.
Grumbach’s recent co-production credits include Ari Folman’s The Congress and Sylvie Testud’s Another Woman’s Life. Upcoming productions include Rob and Ronan Burke’s Standby.
French-born Grumbach started out as a production manager in Luxembourg, before working as a producer for Paul Thiltges Distributions. His consortium-backed acquisition of Bac Films comes six years after its founder Jean Labadie was ousted as managing director of the company by the majority shareholder Millimages
Labadie originally created Bac in 1986, floating the company in 2000 under the Bac Majestic banner. Animation house Millimages took over as the majority shareholder in 2004, after the company over-diversified and hit financial problems.
Recent and upcoming releases include Oggy and the Cockroaches, Northwest and Human Capital.
Exemplary of the wide range of programming being sold by international sales agents today, Bac is offering coproductions from France-Belgium-Luxembourg (The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears), France-Italy (Human Capital), Iceland-Denmark (Fusi), Sweden-Norway (The Quiet Roar) and a script in French only, from France starring Ludivine Sagnier entitled Fool Circle.
This month prolific producer David Grumbach acquired Bac films with the backing of a consortium of French and European investors. Previously a subsidiary of the publicly traded Bac Majestic which was majority owned by the animation house Millimages, it will now independently control Bac Films Distribution, the Bac brands and the exclusive right to sell the Bac back catalogue. Bac Films Distribution currently controls a 0.45% stake in the French market.
Grumbach's production companies Juliette Film and Jaya Productions will continue to operate as he becomes CEO. Eric Chinchon, a Luxembourg-based business structuring and financing specialist, will act as CFO.
Grumbach said he intended to grow the company in the direction of “a full service European mini major capable of intervening in the entire process of a film’s creation.”
To that end, Bac will board international projects at an earlier stage and have a strong presence throughout development, financing, production and distribution.
Bac’s managing director, Mathieu Robinet will remain in place, overseeing the core activities of acquisition and theatrical, TV, DVD and VOD distribution, international sales and production.
There will be no changes to the current distribution and sales teams. Head of Sales, Gilles Sousa has spearheaded the expansion of the sales line-up since his arrival in 2011. Recent pictures on the slate Human Capital, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears, The Quiet Roar and Ardor.
Grumbach’s recent co-production credits include Ari Folman’s The Congress and Sylvie Testud’s Another Woman’s Life. Upcoming productions include Rob and Ronan Burke’s Standby.
French-born Grumbach started out as a production manager in Luxembourg, before working as a producer for Paul Thiltges Distributions. His consortium-backed acquisition of Bac Films comes six years after its founder Jean Labadie was ousted as managing director of the company by the majority shareholder Millimages
Labadie originally created Bac in 1986, floating the company in 2000 under the Bac Majestic banner. Animation house Millimages took over as the majority shareholder in 2004, after the company over-diversified and hit financial problems.
Recent and upcoming releases include Oggy and the Cockroaches, Northwest and Human Capital.
- 11/7/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Company set to boost production and film financing activities under new ownership.
Paris-based Bac Films has been acquired by producer David Grumbach, backed by a consortium of French and European investors.
The independent distributor and sales outfit was previously a subsidiary of publicly traded company Bac Majestic, which is majority controlled by animation house Millimages.
Under the deal, Grumbach, who already runs production companies Juliette Films and Jaya Productions, will become CEO.
Eric Chinchon, a Luxembourg-based business structuring and financing specialist, will act as CFO.
Mathieu Robinet will remain in place as Bac’s managing director, overseeing the core activities of acquisition and theatrical, TV, DVD and VOD distribution, international sales and production.
There will be no changes to the current distribution and sales teams.
It will be business as usual for the international sales chief Gilles Sousa and his team at the Afm this year. Sousa has spearheaded the expansion of the sales line-up since his arrival...
Paris-based Bac Films has been acquired by producer David Grumbach, backed by a consortium of French and European investors.
The independent distributor and sales outfit was previously a subsidiary of publicly traded company Bac Majestic, which is majority controlled by animation house Millimages.
Under the deal, Grumbach, who already runs production companies Juliette Films and Jaya Productions, will become CEO.
Eric Chinchon, a Luxembourg-based business structuring and financing specialist, will act as CFO.
Mathieu Robinet will remain in place as Bac’s managing director, overseeing the core activities of acquisition and theatrical, TV, DVD and VOD distribution, international sales and production.
There will be no changes to the current distribution and sales teams.
It will be business as usual for the international sales chief Gilles Sousa and his team at the Afm this year. Sousa has spearheaded the expansion of the sales line-up since his arrival...
- 10/21/2013
- ScreenDaily
Selection of cross-media projects to compete for awards.
Power to the Pixel (PttP) has named the 30 cross-media projects from around the world selected to take part in The Pixel Market 2013 (Oct 16-17), the finance and co-production market held during the Cross-Media Forum (Oct 15-18) in association with the BFI London Film Festival.
Eight titles have been selected to compete for the Arte International Prize for The Pixel Pitch, an award of €6,000 ($8,100), announced at a ceremony on Oct 17. The titles include:
Art with Mati & Dada
Giovanna Bo and Roberto Braga, Achtoons s.r.l. (Italy)
The Baghdad Station
Mahyad Tousi, BoomGen Studios, (Us)
Get Over It
Paula Schardorodsky, Rabia Williams - TalaTala (Argentina-Spain)
Netwars - Out of Ctrl
Saskia Kress, Filmtank GmbH (Germany)
Life and Mind of Mark LeFriest/ Breaking the Box
Gabriel London and Jonathon Corbiere - Found Object Films, The Secret Location, Thought Café (Us-Can)
Soundtrack of the World
Lisa Gray, Martyn Ware, The Feds...
Power to the Pixel (PttP) has named the 30 cross-media projects from around the world selected to take part in The Pixel Market 2013 (Oct 16-17), the finance and co-production market held during the Cross-Media Forum (Oct 15-18) in association with the BFI London Film Festival.
Eight titles have been selected to compete for the Arte International Prize for The Pixel Pitch, an award of €6,000 ($8,100), announced at a ceremony on Oct 17. The titles include:
Art with Mati & Dada
Giovanna Bo and Roberto Braga, Achtoons s.r.l. (Italy)
The Baghdad Station
Mahyad Tousi, BoomGen Studios, (Us)
Get Over It
Paula Schardorodsky, Rabia Williams - TalaTala (Argentina-Spain)
Netwars - Out of Ctrl
Saskia Kress, Filmtank GmbH (Germany)
Life and Mind of Mark LeFriest/ Breaking the Box
Gabriel London and Jonathon Corbiere - Found Object Films, The Secret Location, Thought Café (Us-Can)
Soundtrack of the World
Lisa Gray, Martyn Ware, The Feds...
- 9/25/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: 40 Canadian and international producer teams selected for Omdc’s eighth annual Toronto co-financing market.
New films by Donald Petrie, Timo Vuorensola, Baltasar Kormakur [pictured], Nick Broomfield, Gillies Mackinnon are some of the 40 selections for the eighth Omdc’s International Financing Forum. (Full list below)
The Ontario Media Development Corporation’s feature film co-financing market will be held Sept 8-9, running concurrently to Tiff.
The two-day event includes one-on-one producer meetings, a top-level panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a networking reception.
The initiative focuses on English language feature film projects being developed by international and Canadian producers, who meet with executives including sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents and executive producers – from companies including Beta Cinema, Big Beach, Cinetic, eOne, Film4, Film Nation, TF1, Wild Bunch and William Morris Endeavor.
The Canadian-produced projects selected this year include Nick Broomfield’s fiction feature film debut The Catastrophist to star Freida Pinto and John C Reilly and to...
New films by Donald Petrie, Timo Vuorensola, Baltasar Kormakur [pictured], Nick Broomfield, Gillies Mackinnon are some of the 40 selections for the eighth Omdc’s International Financing Forum. (Full list below)
The Ontario Media Development Corporation’s feature film co-financing market will be held Sept 8-9, running concurrently to Tiff.
The two-day event includes one-on-one producer meetings, a top-level panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a networking reception.
The initiative focuses on English language feature film projects being developed by international and Canadian producers, who meet with executives including sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents and executive producers – from companies including Beta Cinema, Big Beach, Cinetic, eOne, Film4, Film Nation, TF1, Wild Bunch and William Morris Endeavor.
The Canadian-produced projects selected this year include Nick Broomfield’s fiction feature film debut The Catastrophist to star Freida Pinto and John C Reilly and to...
- 8/27/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Denis Villeneuve will have two films in the festival as it emerged that Canadian Features world premiere Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man and his doppelganger [pictured] has joined the previously announced Prisoners, also starring Gyllenhaal.
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce. Also receiving its world premiere is All The Wrong Reasons featuring the final performance by the late Glee star Cory Monteith.
Festival organisers also unveiled Producers Lab Toronto participants and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, the shorts programme and participants in the tenth Tiff Talent Lab.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever...
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce. Also receiving its world premiere is All The Wrong Reasons featuring the final performance by the late Glee star Cory Monteith.
Festival organisers also unveiled Producers Lab Toronto participants and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, the shorts programme and participants in the tenth Tiff Talent Lab.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever...
- 8/7/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Toronto -- They say it's a global business, so Australia and New Zealand producers are for the first time taking part in Producers Lab Toronto at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. Aussie producers Melanie Coombs of Optimism Film and Mathew Dabner of Gate 41 will join Kiwi counterparts Fiona Copland of filmwork and Robin Laing of StellaFilm, plus 10 European producers and 10 more Canadian movie producers at the fourth annual co-production forum. Coming to Toronto from Europe is Pandora da Cunha Telles of Portugal's Ukbar Filmes, Yael Fogiel of France's Les Films du Poisson, David Grumbach of Luxembourg's
read more...
read more...
- 8/7/2013
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Denis Villeneuve will have two films in the festival as it emerged on Wednesday [7] that Canadian Features world premiere Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man and his doppelganger [pictured] has joined the previously announced Prisoners, also starring Gyllenhaal.
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever, biting satire to intimate social commentary, powerful dramas and even a truly magical comedy, the settings and themes vary, but the perspectives are always uniquely Canadian.”
The City Of Toronto and Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film will be given to one of many outstanding...
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever, biting satire to intimate social commentary, powerful dramas and even a truly magical comedy, the settings and themes vary, but the perspectives are always uniquely Canadian.”
The City Of Toronto and Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film will be given to one of many outstanding...
- 8/7/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Congress
Director/Writer: Ari Folman
Producer(s): David Grumbach, Eitan Mansuri
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Robin Wright, Paul Giamatti, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Harvey Keitel, Frances Fisher, Danny Huston
Folman’s brilliant anti-war film that merged animation and docu worlds for a hallucinatory experience. Waltz with Bashir appears to have served as a great template for Folma’s next work which he has been hard at work now for more than two years.
Gist: An aging, out-of-work actress (Wright) accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn’t consider.
Release Date: Cannes Film Festival Main Competition showing is in the cards.
prev next...
Director/Writer: Ari Folman
Producer(s): David Grumbach, Eitan Mansuri
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Robin Wright, Paul Giamatti, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Harvey Keitel, Frances Fisher, Danny Huston
Folman’s brilliant anti-war film that merged animation and docu worlds for a hallucinatory experience. Waltz with Bashir appears to have served as a great template for Folma’s next work which he has been hard at work now for more than two years.
Gist: An aging, out-of-work actress (Wright) accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn’t consider.
Release Date: Cannes Film Festival Main Competition showing is in the cards.
prev next...
- 1/16/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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