Neon has acquired the North American rights to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. The thriller is set to premiere In Competition in Cannes on May 24, and marks Rasoulof’s first return to the Cannes Film Festival, after being barred from traveling. Neon is planning a North American theatrical release later this year.
The film — which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh — follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s VP of Acquisitions Sarah Colvin with Films Boutique / Parallel 45’s Jean-Christophe Simon and Film Boutique’s Julien Razafindranaly on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film — which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh — follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s VP of Acquisitions Sarah Colvin with Films Boutique / Parallel 45’s Jean-Christophe Simon and Film Boutique’s Julien Razafindranaly on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 5/18/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has grabbed North American rights to The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the latest film from Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof.
The thriller is set to debut in competition in Cannes on May 24 and marks Rasoulof’s first return to Cannes after being barred from traveling to serve on last year’s Un Certain Regard jury by Iranian officials. The film stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani, and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh. Neon has said it is planning a North American theatrical release in 2024.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step,...
The thriller is set to debut in competition in Cannes on May 24 and marks Rasoulof’s first return to Cannes after being barred from traveling to serve on last year’s Un Certain Regard jury by Iranian officials. The film stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani, and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh. Neon has said it is planning a North American theatrical release in 2024.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise. Step by step,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Record market attendance, headline acquisitions by Sony and ongoing interest in starry packages tell only part of the story of a busy European Film Market (EFM).
An event brimming with late-arriving projects gave buyers plenty to consider and the mood was buoyant following what some had cited as the least productive AFM in decades last October.
“People had had a bit of a disappointing AFM in so many different ways, and everyone was ready,” said Ella Field, EVP of international sales at the UK’s Signature Entertainment, who described EFM as the most cost-effective market of the year. “Where there are great films,...
An event brimming with late-arriving projects gave buyers plenty to consider and the mood was buoyant following what some had cited as the least productive AFM in decades last October.
“People had had a bit of a disappointing AFM in so many different ways, and everyone was ready,” said Ella Field, EVP of international sales at the UK’s Signature Entertainment, who described EFM as the most cost-effective market of the year. “Where there are great films,...
- 2/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s migrant crisis drama Green Border.
The film, which won Venice’s Special Jury Prize, explores the migrant crisis on the “green border” between Belarus and Poland, through the eyes of refugees trapped in the inhospitable terrain, activists trying to help them and border guards.
The drama hit the headlines worldwide in September following a political backlash in Poland, after the film angered the then ruling right-wing, anti-migrant coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party for the film’s underlying critique of its policies.
Polish distributor Kino Świat pushed on with the Polish release nonetheless with Holland doing her promotional tour with security guards by her side.
PiS lost its parliamentary majority in general elections in October and a centre-left coalition led by Donald Tusk is expected to take the reins of power in the coming weeks.
The film, which won Venice’s Special Jury Prize, explores the migrant crisis on the “green border” between Belarus and Poland, through the eyes of refugees trapped in the inhospitable terrain, activists trying to help them and border guards.
The drama hit the headlines worldwide in September following a political backlash in Poland, after the film angered the then ruling right-wing, anti-migrant coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party for the film’s underlying critique of its policies.
Polish distributor Kino Świat pushed on with the Polish release nonetheless with Holland doing her promotional tour with security guards by her side.
PiS lost its parliamentary majority in general elections in October and a centre-left coalition led by Donald Tusk is expected to take the reins of power in the coming weeks.
- 11/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
“Green Border,” Agnieszka Holland’s Venice Special Jury Prize-winning refugee drama, has been acquired by Kino Lorber in the U.S. (“Scrapper”) and Modern Films in the U.K. (“Drive My Car”).
An empathetic tale of migrants caught in Europe’s refugee crisis, “Green Border” has earned widespread critical acclaim, winning several prizes at Venice and playing at key North American festivals such as Toronto, New York Film Festival and AFI Fest. Most recently, “Green Border” was nominated for three European Film Awards, including best film.
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights and is planning a theatrical release in 2024, followed by a home video, educational and digital rollout on all major platforms. Modern Films, meanwhile, has snapped up U.K. rights and will also back “Green Border” for the European Film Awards and the BAFTAs.
The film explores the injustice and terror perpetrated at the Polish-Belarusian border from the perspective of refugees,...
An empathetic tale of migrants caught in Europe’s refugee crisis, “Green Border” has earned widespread critical acclaim, winning several prizes at Venice and playing at key North American festivals such as Toronto, New York Film Festival and AFI Fest. Most recently, “Green Border” was nominated for three European Film Awards, including best film.
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights and is planning a theatrical release in 2024, followed by a home video, educational and digital rollout on all major platforms. Modern Films, meanwhile, has snapped up U.K. rights and will also back “Green Border” for the European Film Awards and the BAFTAs.
The film explores the injustice and terror perpetrated at the Polish-Belarusian border from the perspective of refugees,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Ukraine is to host its first ever queer film festival, it was announced at Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam.
Sunny Bunny – named after Kyiv-based Molodist Film Fest’s non-competition section, established in 2001 – is eyeing a summer slot.
“Maybe it’s a bit stereotypical to do it in June, as it’s Pride Month, but it will give us more time to prepare,” programmer Bohdan Zhuk revealed to Variety on Tuesday. Pointing out that the standalone event might still continue to be a part of Molodist in some form.
“The war is unpredictable, so you just have to adapt and be flexible. When we did Molodist in December, there were blackouts, so we needed generators. We also needed to plan where people would hide in case of raids, plan out shelters in cinemas or nearby metro stations,” he added.
“The plan is to do it separately, but also to keep that connection.
Sunny Bunny – named after Kyiv-based Molodist Film Fest’s non-competition section, established in 2001 – is eyeing a summer slot.
“Maybe it’s a bit stereotypical to do it in June, as it’s Pride Month, but it will give us more time to prepare,” programmer Bohdan Zhuk revealed to Variety on Tuesday. Pointing out that the standalone event might still continue to be a part of Molodist in some form.
“The war is unpredictable, so you just have to adapt and be flexible. When we did Molodist in December, there were blackouts, so we needed generators. We also needed to plan where people would hide in case of raids, plan out shelters in cinemas or nearby metro stations,” he added.
“The plan is to do it separately, but also to keep that connection.
- 1/31/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Clara Stern’s debut feature “Breaking the Ice,” a drama about the blossoming love between ice-hockey player Mira and her new teammate Theresa, has debuted its trailer. The film will have its world premiere Saturday in the Viewpoints section of the Tribeca Film Festival. Julien Razafindranaly at Films Boutique is handling world sales.
The Austrian film follows on from Stern’s prize-winning short film “Mathias,” about a transgender man’s struggle to find his place in the world. “Mathias” screened at more than 30 festivals, and won best short film at Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film in 2017, and the Austrian Academy Award for best short film in 2018.
Frédéric Boyer, Tribeca’s artistic director, commented: “She brings that same sensitivity to ‘Breaking the Ice,’ a film that explores what happens when someone with a very rigid approach to life meets their freewheeling opposite.”
Alina Schaller stars as Mira, the heir to an...
The Austrian film follows on from Stern’s prize-winning short film “Mathias,” about a transgender man’s struggle to find his place in the world. “Mathias” screened at more than 30 festivals, and won best short film at Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film in 2017, and the Austrian Academy Award for best short film in 2018.
Frédéric Boyer, Tribeca’s artistic director, commented: “She brings that same sensitivity to ‘Breaking the Ice,’ a film that explores what happens when someone with a very rigid approach to life meets their freewheeling opposite.”
Alina Schaller stars as Mira, the heir to an...
- 6/9/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes competition title “Pacifiction,” from “Liberté” director Albert Serra, has been acquired for the U.S. by specialty distributors Grasshopper Film and Gratitude Films.
Serra won the Un Certain Regard section’s Special Jury Prize in 2019 for “Liberté” and cracked the festival’s official selection this year with “Pacifiction.”
The film is set on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, and centers on the High Commissioner of the Republic and French government official, whose role brings him to navigate both the high-end “establishment” and shady venues where he mingles with the locals. Lately, he’s had to contend with a rumor about the sighting of a submarine whose ghostly presence could herald the return of French nuclear testing.
Grasshopper and Gratitude will release the movie in theaters in late 2022.
“Pacifiction” stars Benoît Magimel, Pahoa Mahagafanau, Cécile Guilbert, Matahi Pambrun and Sergi López. It was produced by Serra, Pierre-Olivier Bardet, Montse Triola,...
Serra won the Un Certain Regard section’s Special Jury Prize in 2019 for “Liberté” and cracked the festival’s official selection this year with “Pacifiction.”
The film is set on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, and centers on the High Commissioner of the Republic and French government official, whose role brings him to navigate both the high-end “establishment” and shady venues where he mingles with the locals. Lately, he’s had to contend with a rumor about the sighting of a submarine whose ghostly presence could herald the return of French nuclear testing.
Grasshopper and Gratitude will release the movie in theaters in late 2022.
“Pacifiction” stars Benoît Magimel, Pahoa Mahagafanau, Cécile Guilbert, Matahi Pambrun and Sergi López. It was produced by Serra, Pierre-Olivier Bardet, Montse Triola,...
- 6/3/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
As well as providing a showcase for international films, the Berlinale is also a platform for German cinema. There are more than 130 German films and co-productions screening across the festival and the European Film Market.
Pre-pandemic, in 2019, 237 German films were produced a year, but only 10 to 20 a year perform well internationally, according to Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films, which promotes Teutonic movies abroad. Of the total worldwide admissions for European films in 2019, 6% were German films, compared with 18% for French films, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory.
To up the performance of local films, German Films is seeking to begin its promotional work earlier in the life of a project, such as at works-in-progress sessions at festivals like Les Arcs. The objective is to catch the eye of festival programmers, distributors and sales agents at an early stage.
Thorsten Ritter, executive VP acquisitions, sales and marketing at Beta Cinema,...
Pre-pandemic, in 2019, 237 German films were produced a year, but only 10 to 20 a year perform well internationally, according to Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films, which promotes Teutonic movies abroad. Of the total worldwide admissions for European films in 2019, 6% were German films, compared with 18% for French films, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory.
To up the performance of local films, German Films is seeking to begin its promotional work earlier in the life of a project, such as at works-in-progress sessions at festivals like Les Arcs. The objective is to catch the eye of festival programmers, distributors and sales agents at an early stage.
Thorsten Ritter, executive VP acquisitions, sales and marketing at Beta Cinema,...
- 2/13/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Pawo Choyning Dorji’s lushly lensed Bhutanese drama “Lunana: A Yak in The Classroom,” one of the 15 films shortlisted for the Oscar’s international feature film race.
Represented by Berlin-based Films Boutique, “Lunana: A Yak in The Classroom” premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2019 and won the audience award at last year’s Palm Springs Film Festival. The critically acclaimed film is the second Oscar entry from Bhutan, a landlocked country in South Asia. The first official Bhutanese Oscar submission was in 1999 with Khyentse Norbu’s “The Cup,” a Tibetan-language drama.
The movie follows a young teacher who dreams of emigrating to Australia and instead finds himself assigned to a school in the most remote village in Northern Bhutan where there is no running water and electricity. While he wants to leave as soon as he arrives, the teacher...
Represented by Berlin-based Films Boutique, “Lunana: A Yak in The Classroom” premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2019 and won the audience award at last year’s Palm Springs Film Festival. The critically acclaimed film is the second Oscar entry from Bhutan, a landlocked country in South Asia. The first official Bhutanese Oscar submission was in 1999 with Khyentse Norbu’s “The Cup,” a Tibetan-language drama.
The movie follows a young teacher who dreams of emigrating to Australia and instead finds himself assigned to a school in the most remote village in Northern Bhutan where there is no running water and electricity. While he wants to leave as soon as he arrives, the teacher...
- 1/3/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Films Boutique has closed several key European territories on “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour,” the feature debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Noémie Merlant which is playing at San Sebastian in the Zabaltegi Tabakalera section.
“Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” world premiered at Cannes in Special Screenings. It stars Merlant as Jeanne, a young woman who is traveling to Romania to celebrate her bachelorette party with her friends when she meets Nino. She is 27, he is 17, and they are worlds away from one another, yet for the two of them it is the beginning of a passionate and timeless summer. Merlant stars opposite Gimi Covaci and Clara Lama-Schmit.
The movie has been acquired by Triart in Sweden at San Sebastian. The deal was negotiated by Films Boutique’s head of sales Julien Razafindranaly and Matthias Nohrborg at Triart. “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” has also been picked up by Barton Films in Spain and Agora Films in Switzerland.
“Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” world premiered at Cannes in Special Screenings. It stars Merlant as Jeanne, a young woman who is traveling to Romania to celebrate her bachelorette party with her friends when she meets Nino. She is 27, he is 17, and they are worlds away from one another, yet for the two of them it is the beginning of a passionate and timeless summer. Merlant stars opposite Gimi Covaci and Clara Lama-Schmit.
The movie has been acquired by Triart in Sweden at San Sebastian. The deal was negotiated by Films Boutique’s head of sales Julien Razafindranaly and Matthias Nohrborg at Triart. “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” has also been picked up by Barton Films in Spain and Agora Films in Switzerland.
- 9/20/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Grasshopper Film and Gratitude Films have jointly acquired U.S. distribution rights to Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard selection “Rehana” from sales agent Films Boutique.
The film will open in cinemas in early 2022 followed by digital, home video, and non-theatrical releases.
The deal was negotiated by Ryan Krivoshey of Grasshopper Film with Julien Razafindranaly of Films Boutique.
The film follows Rehana, played by Azmeri Haque Badhon, an assistant professor at a medical college, who struggles to keep the harmony between work and family, as she has to play all the complex roles of a teacher, doctor, sister, daughter, and mother. One evening, she witnesses a student storming out of a professor’s office, crying. Deeply affected by this event, Rehana’s descends into obsession, seeking retribution, just as she receives a complaint from the school about her six-year-old daughter’s unusual behavior. Her quest...
The film will open in cinemas in early 2022 followed by digital, home video, and non-theatrical releases.
The deal was negotiated by Ryan Krivoshey of Grasshopper Film with Julien Razafindranaly of Films Boutique.
The film follows Rehana, played by Azmeri Haque Badhon, an assistant professor at a medical college, who struggles to keep the harmony between work and family, as she has to play all the complex roles of a teacher, doctor, sister, daughter, and mother. One evening, she witnesses a student storming out of a professor’s office, crying. Deeply affected by this event, Rehana’s descends into obsession, seeking retribution, just as she receives a complaint from the school about her six-year-old daughter’s unusual behavior. Her quest...
- 7/15/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
European Film Promotion, a network of 37 film promotion bodies from across the continent, is gathering 29 European sales companies from nine nations under the Europe! Umbrella at the virtual edition of the Hong Kong Intl. Film & TV Market (FilMart).
For the second year running the annual event has been moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s edition, which is taking place from March 15-18, features a host of hot titles fresh off the recently concluded Berlin Film Festival, repped by leading European sales agents such as Germany’s Beta Cinema, Spain’s Latido Films, and Denmark’s LevelK.
Among the movies on offer are “I’m Your Man,” from Emmy Award-winning director Maria Schrader (“Unorthodox”), and “Next Door,” the directorial debut of German star Daniel Brühl, which both premiered in competition in Berlin, and are being sold by Beta. Other buzz titles include Maria Speth’s documentary “Mr. Bachmann and His Class,...
For the second year running the annual event has been moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s edition, which is taking place from March 15-18, features a host of hot titles fresh off the recently concluded Berlin Film Festival, repped by leading European sales agents such as Germany’s Beta Cinema, Spain’s Latido Films, and Denmark’s LevelK.
Among the movies on offer are “I’m Your Man,” from Emmy Award-winning director Maria Schrader (“Unorthodox”), and “Next Door,” the directorial debut of German star Daniel Brühl, which both premiered in competition in Berlin, and are being sold by Beta. Other buzz titles include Maria Speth’s documentary “Mr. Bachmann and His Class,...
- 3/16/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Katrina Lindstrom, Kristian Petri directed the World Cinema Documentary selection.
Berlin-based Films Boutique has licensed UK rights on Sundance documentary The Most Beautiful Boy In The World to Dogwoof.
Films Boutique head of sales Julien Razafindranaly negotiated the deal with Dogwoof head of distribution and acquisitions Oli Harbottle.
Kristina Lindstrom and Kristian Petri directed the World Cinema Documentary selection that premiered last week and explores the life of Bjorn Andresen, the child star of Death In Venice dubbed “the most beautiful boy in the world” by director Luchino Visconti.
‘The Most Beautiful Boy In The World’: Sundance Review
Andresen...
Berlin-based Films Boutique has licensed UK rights on Sundance documentary The Most Beautiful Boy In The World to Dogwoof.
Films Boutique head of sales Julien Razafindranaly negotiated the deal with Dogwoof head of distribution and acquisitions Oli Harbottle.
Kristina Lindstrom and Kristian Petri directed the World Cinema Documentary selection that premiered last week and explores the life of Bjorn Andresen, the child star of Death In Venice dubbed “the most beautiful boy in the world” by director Luchino Visconti.
‘The Most Beautiful Boy In The World’: Sundance Review
Andresen...
- 2/3/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Film won special jury prize in Venice.
Neon has picked up US rights from Films Boutique to Andrei Konchalovsky’s Russian Oscar submission Dear Comrades!
The film premiered at Venice, where it earned a special jury prize, and centres on the Novocherkassk Massacre of June 1962 during Nikita Khrushchev’s rule, when workers were slaughtered for going on strike over rising food prices.
Julia Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrei Gusev, Yulia Burova, and Sergei Erlish star.
Konchalovsky co-wrote the screenplay with Elena Kiseleva, and Alisher Usmanov produced. His previous films include Il Peccato (The Sin). The White Nights Of Postman, and Paradise.
Neon has picked up US rights from Films Boutique to Andrei Konchalovsky’s Russian Oscar submission Dear Comrades!
The film premiered at Venice, where it earned a special jury prize, and centres on the Novocherkassk Massacre of June 1962 during Nikita Khrushchev’s rule, when workers were slaughtered for going on strike over rising food prices.
Julia Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrei Gusev, Yulia Burova, and Sergei Erlish star.
Konchalovsky co-wrote the screenplay with Elena Kiseleva, and Alisher Usmanov produced. His previous films include Il Peccato (The Sin). The White Nights Of Postman, and Paradise.
- 11/13/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon has acquired U.S. rights to Andrei Konchalovsky’s “Dear Comrades!” on the heels of the film being announced as Russia’s official submission for the upcoming Academy Awards.
The film is set in 1962 as the Communist government raises food prices, triggering a strike by rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk. The massacre which then ensues is seen through the eyes of a devout party activist.
“Dear Comrades!” premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival where it won the special jury prize. Written by Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva, the film was produced by Alisher Usmanov. It stars Julia Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrei Gusev, Yulia Burova, and Sergei Erlish.
Critic Jessica Kiang wrote in her review for Variety: “Meticulous and majestic, epic in scope and tattoo-needle intimate in effect, this scrupulous recreation of the lead-up to and aftermath of the Novocherkassk massacre six decades ago is...
The film is set in 1962 as the Communist government raises food prices, triggering a strike by rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk. The massacre which then ensues is seen through the eyes of a devout party activist.
“Dear Comrades!” premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival where it won the special jury prize. Written by Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva, the film was produced by Alisher Usmanov. It stars Julia Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrei Gusev, Yulia Burova, and Sergei Erlish.
Critic Jessica Kiang wrote in her review for Variety: “Meticulous and majestic, epic in scope and tattoo-needle intimate in effect, this scrupulous recreation of the lead-up to and aftermath of the Novocherkassk massacre six decades ago is...
- 11/13/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has taken U.S. rights to Andrei Konchalovsky’s Dear Comrades!, which made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize. As announced this morning, film is Russia’s official submission for the 2020-2021 Oscars.
Dear Comrades! follows the rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk in 1962 who go on strike after the communist government raises food prices . The massacre which ensues is seen through the eyes of a devout party activist.
Konchalovsky co-wrote with Elena Kiseleva with the pic being produced by Alisher Usmanov. Julia Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrei Gusev, Yulia Burova, Sergei Erlish star.
Ayo Kepher-Maat negotiated the deal for Neon with Jean-Christophe Simon and Julien Razafindranaly from Films Boutique.
Konchalovsky’s most recent work includes Il Peccato (The Sin). His two previous features, The White Nights of Postman and Paradise, brought him best director Silver Lions at the Venice International Film Festival.
Dear Comrades! follows the rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk in 1962 who go on strike after the communist government raises food prices . The massacre which ensues is seen through the eyes of a devout party activist.
Konchalovsky co-wrote with Elena Kiseleva with the pic being produced by Alisher Usmanov. Julia Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrei Gusev, Yulia Burova, Sergei Erlish star.
Ayo Kepher-Maat negotiated the deal for Neon with Jean-Christophe Simon and Julien Razafindranaly from Films Boutique.
Konchalovsky’s most recent work includes Il Peccato (The Sin). His two previous features, The White Nights of Postman and Paradise, brought him best director Silver Lions at the Venice International Film Festival.
- 11/13/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Zsuzsi Bánkuti heads the new Cutting Edge Talent Camp, which welcomes 10 graduates of top German film schools.
The International Film Festival Mannheim Heidelberg is launching a new talent initiative, Cutting Edge Talent Camp.
The inaugural edition of the Talent Camp will run Nov 9-15.
Zsuzsi Bánkuti, former head of acquisitions at sales company The Match Factory and current Community Coordinator at Locarno Open Doors, is heading the initiative.
The programme is launched under Mannheim Heidelberg’s new festival director Sascha Keilholz and head of programme Frédéric Jaeger; the festival already has a long history of supporting new talents, including programming...
The International Film Festival Mannheim Heidelberg is launching a new talent initiative, Cutting Edge Talent Camp.
The inaugural edition of the Talent Camp will run Nov 9-15.
Zsuzsi Bánkuti, former head of acquisitions at sales company The Match Factory and current Community Coordinator at Locarno Open Doors, is heading the initiative.
The programme is launched under Mannheim Heidelberg’s new festival director Sascha Keilholz and head of programme Frédéric Jaeger; the festival already has a long history of supporting new talents, including programming...
- 11/6/2020
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Andrei Konchalovsky’s feature played in Competition on the Lido.
Berlin-based international sales outfit Films Boutique has announced a number of deals on its Venice Competition title Dear Comrades!, directed by veteran Russian auteur Andrei Konchalovsky.
Dear Comrades! premiered in Venice this week to strong reviews. Set in the early 1960s, it tells the story behind the strike which led to the so-called ‘Novocherkassk Massacre’.
Deals have now been concluded with Benelux (Cherry Pickers), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), Greece (Weird Wave), Portugal (Legendmain Filmes), ex-Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), the Baltics (A-One Films Baltic), Bulgaria (Beta Film Ltd), and...
Berlin-based international sales outfit Films Boutique has announced a number of deals on its Venice Competition title Dear Comrades!, directed by veteran Russian auteur Andrei Konchalovsky.
Dear Comrades! premiered in Venice this week to strong reviews. Set in the early 1960s, it tells the story behind the strike which led to the so-called ‘Novocherkassk Massacre’.
Deals have now been concluded with Benelux (Cherry Pickers), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), Greece (Weird Wave), Portugal (Legendmain Filmes), ex-Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), the Baltics (A-One Films Baltic), Bulgaria (Beta Film Ltd), and...
- 9/11/2020
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Narrated by Tilda Swinton, ‘Last And First Men’ debuted at the Berlinale earlier this year.
BFI Distribution has secured UK and Ireland rights to Last And First Men, directed by late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, in a deal with Films Boutique.
The fiction-documentary hybrid, narrated by Tilda Swinton, was completed posthumously following the death of the Arrival and Sicario composer in 2018.
As cinemas remain closed in the UK due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Last And First Men will launch on streaming platform BFI Player on July 30 and will be made available to other digital platforms as a transactional title.
The...
BFI Distribution has secured UK and Ireland rights to Last And First Men, directed by late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, in a deal with Films Boutique.
The fiction-documentary hybrid, narrated by Tilda Swinton, was completed posthumously following the death of the Arrival and Sicario composer in 2018.
As cinemas remain closed in the UK due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Last And First Men will launch on streaming platform BFI Player on July 30 and will be made available to other digital platforms as a transactional title.
The...
- 6/18/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Us distributor released Mohammad Rasoulof’s 2013 thriller Manuscripts Don’t Burn.
Kino Lorber, a frequent buyer of Berlin Golden Bear winners, has acquired the most recent one, taking Us rights to Iranian auteur’s Mohammad Rasoulof’s drama There is No Evil.
There is No Evil is an anthology feature comprising four stories of executioners who are each thrown into a moral dilemma when the Islamic Republic orders them to enforce the death penalty upon others. The film shot in secret in Iran.
Kino Lorber plans an autumn theatrical release followed by VOD and home video release.
Rasoulof was unable...
Kino Lorber, a frequent buyer of Berlin Golden Bear winners, has acquired the most recent one, taking Us rights to Iranian auteur’s Mohammad Rasoulof’s drama There is No Evil.
There is No Evil is an anthology feature comprising four stories of executioners who are each thrown into a moral dilemma when the Islamic Republic orders them to enforce the death penalty upon others. The film shot in secret in Iran.
Kino Lorber plans an autumn theatrical release followed by VOD and home video release.
Rasoulof was unable...
- 4/10/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Kino Lorber has acquired U.S rights to the top prize winner at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, “There Is No Evil,” directed by Iran’s Mohammad Rasoulof, who on March 4 was sentenced by Iranian authorities to one year’s imprisonment for three of his films. He was also banned from making new films fro the next two years.
Set for a Fall release, and then a VOD and home video bow, “There Is No Evil,” turning on the enforcement of the death penalty in Iran, was filmed in secret and smuggled out of the country. Rasoulof himself was unable to attend the Berlin Festival with his Golden Bear award being picked up by his daughter.
An omnibus feature, “There Is No Evil” frames four stories of men and the moral challenges they face when encharged with carrying out the death penalty. The film received glowing reviews, Peter Debruge...
Set for a Fall release, and then a VOD and home video bow, “There Is No Evil,” turning on the enforcement of the death penalty in Iran, was filmed in secret and smuggled out of the country. Rasoulof himself was unable to attend the Berlin Festival with his Golden Bear award being picked up by his daughter.
An omnibus feature, “There Is No Evil” frames four stories of men and the moral challenges they face when encharged with carrying out the death penalty. The film received glowing reviews, Peter Debruge...
- 4/10/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Kino Lorber has acquired the U.S. rights to “There Is No Evil,” an Iranian film that won the Berlinale Golden Bear earlier this year, the art house distributor announced Friday.
The critically-acclaimed film from director Mohammad Rasoulof won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival from a jury that included actor Jeremy Irons, filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan and actress Bérénice Bejo. Kino Lorber is planning a rollout in theaters and on VOD this fall.
“There Is No Evil” is about executioners who enforce the death penalty in the Islamic Republic. His story was banned from the Iranian government and prevented the director Rasoulof from attending the festival. Like his peer from Iran, Jafar Panahi, Rasoulof has been sentenced to jail in the past and Iranian authorities have tried to enforce a 20-year ban to keep him from making movies. This is his sixth feature film, none of which have screened in Iran.
The critically-acclaimed film from director Mohammad Rasoulof won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival from a jury that included actor Jeremy Irons, filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan and actress Bérénice Bejo. Kino Lorber is planning a rollout in theaters and on VOD this fall.
“There Is No Evil” is about executioners who enforce the death penalty in the Islamic Republic. His story was banned from the Iranian government and prevented the director Rasoulof from attending the festival. Like his peer from Iran, Jafar Panahi, Rasoulof has been sentenced to jail in the past and Iranian authorities have tried to enforce a 20-year ban to keep him from making movies. This is his sixth feature film, none of which have screened in Iran.
- 4/10/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Kino Lorber has acquired U.S. rights to Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear winner There is No Evil about men who carry out the death penalty.
The well-received Persian-language movie was feted by a Berlin jury including Jeremy Irons, Kenneth Lonergan and actress Bérénice Bejo.
Due to a ban from the Iranian government, acclaimed filmmaker Rasoulof wasn’t allowed to attend the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year and days after the director won the prize he was sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the system.
The well-received Persian-language movie was feted by a Berlin jury including Jeremy Irons, Kenneth Lonergan and actress Bérénice Bejo.
Due to a ban from the Iranian government, acclaimed filmmaker Rasoulof wasn’t allowed to attend the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year and days after the director won the prize he was sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the system.
- 4/10/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Julien Razafindranaly joins from The Match Factory.
Julien Razafindranaly, formerly senior sales executive at The Match Factory, has joined Berlin-based Films Boutique as head of sales. He replaces Louis Balsan who has left the company.
He will work closely with Valeska Neu, who works across all rights and TV sales, and Sophia Baumgärtner Perez who is responsible for sales and marketing.
Razafindranaly worked on the release of films including Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann, Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and Lukas Dhont’s Girl while at The Match Factory.
“Film sales are currently changing and...
Julien Razafindranaly, formerly senior sales executive at The Match Factory, has joined Berlin-based Films Boutique as head of sales. He replaces Louis Balsan who has left the company.
He will work closely with Valeska Neu, who works across all rights and TV sales, and Sophia Baumgärtner Perez who is responsible for sales and marketing.
Razafindranaly worked on the release of films including Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann, Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and Lukas Dhont’s Girl while at The Match Factory.
“Film sales are currently changing and...
- 1/28/2020
- by 88¦Louise Tutt¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
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