U.K. based sales and distribution outfit Blue Finch Films has boarded worldwide rights to thriller “Steppenwolf” from writer-director Adilkhan Yerzhanov, whose credits include the Cannes selected titles “The Owners” and “The Gentle Indifference of the World.” The film will have its world premiere at next month’s International Film Festival Rotterdam as part of the Big Screen Competition.
“Steppenwolf” is a brutal story of an unlikely duo who will stop at nothing to find what they are looking for. Tamara is searching for her missing son in a small town consumed by violence. In a desperate bid to get him back, she decides to offer a reward to an amoral former investigator whose methods prove to be sadistic. Determined, Tamara decides to complete the mission with the nihilistic detective, no matter what the cost.
Alexander Rodnyansky, who is best known for Oscar nominated “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” serves as producer...
“Steppenwolf” is a brutal story of an unlikely duo who will stop at nothing to find what they are looking for. Tamara is searching for her missing son in a small town consumed by violence. In a desperate bid to get him back, she decides to offer a reward to an amoral former investigator whose methods prove to be sadistic. Determined, Tamara decides to complete the mission with the nihilistic detective, no matter what the cost.
Alexander Rodnyansky, who is best known for Oscar nominated “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” serves as producer...
- 12/19/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
After recovering from a prolonged health scare, and newly based in Western Europe, Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev stepped back onto the international stage at this year’s Marrakech Film Festival. Better still, the director of Oscar nominated films “Loveless” and “Leviathan” will soon step back behind the camera, as he readies the oligarch drama “Jupiter,” his first film made outside of his native country. Variety spoke with the filmmaker in Marrakech.
After this significant interval between “Loveless” in 2017 and next year’s shoot, do you feel as if you’re picking back up where you left off or starting anew?
To be honest with you, I’m hoping to start from scratch. Though extremely difficult to put into words, I’m absolutely convinced that I have new sensibilities, and that I’m at a new stage in my life. In any case, I’m absolutely certain that this new sensibility...
After this significant interval between “Loveless” in 2017 and next year’s shoot, do you feel as if you’re picking back up where you left off or starting anew?
To be honest with you, I’m hoping to start from scratch. Though extremely difficult to put into words, I’m absolutely convinced that I have new sensibilities, and that I’m at a new stage in my life. In any case, I’m absolutely certain that this new sensibility...
- 12/3/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The Marrakech International Film Festival has unveiled the 10 cinema figures who will participate in its In Conversation With program at its 20th edition running from November 24 to December 2.
They comprise Australian actor Simon Baker, French director Bertrand Bonello, U.S. actor Willem Dafoe, Indian filmmaker and producer Anurag Kashyap; Japanese director Naomi Kawase; Danish-u.S. actor and director Viggo Mortensen; U.K. actor Tilda Swinton; and Russian director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen and Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi, who will receive the festival’s honorary Étoile d’or prize this year, will also participate in the program.
Baker’s was seen most recently in Toronto title Limbo and Tribeca 2022 selection Blaze, with early features including L.A. Confidential (1997), David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and J. C. Chandor’s Margin Call (2011), followed by hit series The Mentalist (2008–2015).
Bensaïdi’s first feature A Thousand Months world premiered...
They comprise Australian actor Simon Baker, French director Bertrand Bonello, U.S. actor Willem Dafoe, Indian filmmaker and producer Anurag Kashyap; Japanese director Naomi Kawase; Danish-u.S. actor and director Viggo Mortensen; U.K. actor Tilda Swinton; and Russian director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen and Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi, who will receive the festival’s honorary Étoile d’or prize this year, will also participate in the program.
Baker’s was seen most recently in Toronto title Limbo and Tribeca 2022 selection Blaze, with early features including L.A. Confidential (1997), David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and J. C. Chandor’s Margin Call (2011), followed by hit series The Mentalist (2008–2015).
Bensaïdi’s first feature A Thousand Months world premiered...
- 11/7/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Andrey Zvyagintsev, the two-time Oscar-nominated Russian filmmaker of “Loveless” and “Leviathan,” will next direct “Jupiter,” a politically-minded movie set to shoot in Spain and France next spring.
The movie will tell the story of a Russian oligarch’s reckoning with the harsh reality of his family’s future.
Anonymous Content and Lorem Ipsum Entertainment (“War on Everyone”) are producing “Jupiter” alongside Les Films du Losange (“A Silence”) in France and Elastica Films (“Anatomy of a Fall”) in Spain. Zvyagintsev will reteam with his regular crew, including cinemtographer Mikhail Krichman and production designer Andrey Ponkratov, who worked “Loveless” and “Leviathan.”
“Jupiter” is set in the seemingly impenetrable world of the ultra-wealthy and is being described by the producers as an “unrelenting exploration of power and corruption.”
Zvyagintsev said “Jupiter” will be a “very modern story” which “goes beyond today’s political context.” “The nature of absolute power is a universal theme,...
The movie will tell the story of a Russian oligarch’s reckoning with the harsh reality of his family’s future.
Anonymous Content and Lorem Ipsum Entertainment (“War on Everyone”) are producing “Jupiter” alongside Les Films du Losange (“A Silence”) in France and Elastica Films (“Anatomy of a Fall”) in Spain. Zvyagintsev will reteam with his regular crew, including cinemtographer Mikhail Krichman and production designer Andrey Ponkratov, who worked “Loveless” and “Leviathan.”
“Jupiter” is set in the seemingly impenetrable world of the ultra-wealthy and is being described by the producers as an “unrelenting exploration of power and corruption.”
Zvyagintsev said “Jupiter” will be a “very modern story” which “goes beyond today’s political context.” “The nature of absolute power is a universal theme,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Maura Delpero’s second feature “Vermiglio, the Mountain Bride” – which is being presented at the Venice Production Bridge, the industry program of the Venice Film Festival, this week – has tapped Giuseppe De Domenico as its lead.
The Italian actor, known for “Zero Zero Zero” and Prime Video’s “Bang Bang Baby,” will play Pietro, a young soldier who in 1944 arrives in a small mountain village in Trentino, northern Italy.
As declared by the film’s tagline, change is around the corner: “Last year of World War II. In the Italian Alps, a single rifle shot ends a young woman’s innocence.”
“Maura saw many young actors and some of them were very good, but Giuseppe was able to stand out thanks to his subtle acting style. He understood what it meant to come back from a war,” says Francesca Andreoli, who produces for Italy’s Cinedora.
Roberta Rovelli in Maura Delpero’s “Vermiglio,...
The Italian actor, known for “Zero Zero Zero” and Prime Video’s “Bang Bang Baby,” will play Pietro, a young soldier who in 1944 arrives in a small mountain village in Trentino, northern Italy.
As declared by the film’s tagline, change is around the corner: “Last year of World War II. In the Italian Alps, a single rifle shot ends a young woman’s innocence.”
“Maura saw many young actors and some of them were very good, but Giuseppe was able to stand out thanks to his subtle acting style. He understood what it meant to come back from a war,” says Francesca Andreoli, who produces for Italy’s Cinedora.
Roberta Rovelli in Maura Delpero’s “Vermiglio,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
‘Heartstopper‘ is a British coming of age rom-com-drama series streaming on Netflix. It is written and created by Alice Oseman, and is based on her webcomic and graphic novel of the same name. Season 1 was released on Netflix April 2022, and fans will be happy to know that season 2 is now available too.
‘Heartstopper’ Season 2 brings us another 8 episodes following the good “old” characters: Charlie, Nick, Elle and Tao. Together, or apart (no spoilers here), they are still confronting the challenges ahead of them as they are growing up.
Season 1 was received with critical acclaim, particularly for its tone and pacing, as well as its portrayal of LGBT people. It was nominated nine times and won innumerable awards, among them 3 Children’s and Family Emmy Awards; 1 for Best Musical Moment at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The soundtrack deserves a mention, as it became rather popular.
‘Heartstopper‘ tells a heartwarming story in down to earth,...
‘Heartstopper’ Season 2 brings us another 8 episodes following the good “old” characters: Charlie, Nick, Elle and Tao. Together, or apart (no spoilers here), they are still confronting the challenges ahead of them as they are growing up.
Season 1 was received with critical acclaim, particularly for its tone and pacing, as well as its portrayal of LGBT people. It was nominated nine times and won innumerable awards, among them 3 Children’s and Family Emmy Awards; 1 for Best Musical Moment at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The soundtrack deserves a mention, as it became rather popular.
‘Heartstopper‘ tells a heartwarming story in down to earth,...
- 8/3/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields has released brand new music in a wonderfully fun format: by hiding a flash drive with a new song on it inside his recently announced Shields Blender fuzz pedal.
The new limited-edition pedal was made in collaboration with Fender, and 100 lucky folks who purchased it through Reverb rare receiving a hidden flash drive featuring new music from Shields. No official announcement was made, but devoted gearheads looking to inspect the pedal’s circuitry made the initial discovery, and began posting about it on gear blogs Friday morning (June 16th).
The track, which has yet to be shared in any way beyond the flash drive, appears to be a new instrumental song. It was included with instructions from Shields himself: “For intended effect, please play at 80 dB and above on speakers.”
Shields has never quite played by the rules so far as releasing new music goes.
The new limited-edition pedal was made in collaboration with Fender, and 100 lucky folks who purchased it through Reverb rare receiving a hidden flash drive featuring new music from Shields. No official announcement was made, but devoted gearheads looking to inspect the pedal’s circuitry made the initial discovery, and began posting about it on gear blogs Friday morning (June 16th).
The track, which has yet to be shared in any way beyond the flash drive, appears to be a new instrumental song. It was included with instructions from Shields himself: “For intended effect, please play at 80 dB and above on speakers.”
Shields has never quite played by the rules so far as releasing new music goes.
- 6/16/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
My Bloody Valentine mastermind Kevin Shields is responsible for creating some of the most distinct and beautiful guitar tones in alt-rock history. Now, he’s teamed up with Fender to harness that sound within the new Shields Blender fuzz pedal.
As heard on the band’s legendary 1991 album, Loveless, Shields utilized layers of textural distortion to create a massive wall of impressionistic volume, helping to defining the shoegaze genre in the process.
For any guitarist looking to replicate the Mbv sound, look no further. Fender’s first-ever signature fuzz pedal is based on Shields’ trusty Fender Blender pedal, the mythical 1970s circuit that has been a key ingredient for his tone. The new signature model was co-developed over a four-year span by Shields and Fender.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” said Kevin Shields. “I’ve been using it a lot recently in the studio, it’s been great, I’m...
As heard on the band’s legendary 1991 album, Loveless, Shields utilized layers of textural distortion to create a massive wall of impressionistic volume, helping to defining the shoegaze genre in the process.
For any guitarist looking to replicate the Mbv sound, look no further. Fender’s first-ever signature fuzz pedal is based on Shields’ trusty Fender Blender pedal, the mythical 1970s circuit that has been a key ingredient for his tone. The new signature model was co-developed over a four-year span by Shields and Fender.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” said Kevin Shields. “I’ve been using it a lot recently in the studio, it’s been great, I’m...
- 6/13/2023
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
A Moscow court has ordered the arrest of Oscar-nominated film producer Alexander Rodnyansky and theater director Ivan Vyrypaev, accusing the two of “spreading false information” about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, both men — who each reside outside Russia — will be placed in custody once they are either detained by Russian authorities or extradited from abroad.
A source close to Rodnyansky said the producer is currently in Cannes, but he could not immediately be reached for comment.
Rodnyansky currently splits his time between Ukraine, Europe and L.A., where his production shingle Ar Content is based. The Kyiv-born producer, who spent nearly three decades living and working in Russia, fled the country just days after its invasion of Ukraine, after receiving a tip that his outspoken criticism of the war had landed him in the Kremlin’s crosshairs.
In Oct. 2022, Russia’s Ministry of Justice declared him a “foreign agent.
According to the Associated Press, both men — who each reside outside Russia — will be placed in custody once they are either detained by Russian authorities or extradited from abroad.
A source close to Rodnyansky said the producer is currently in Cannes, but he could not immediately be reached for comment.
Rodnyansky currently splits his time between Ukraine, Europe and L.A., where his production shingle Ar Content is based. The Kyiv-born producer, who spent nearly three decades living and working in Russia, fled the country just days after its invasion of Ukraine, after receiving a tip that his outspoken criticism of the war had landed him in the Kremlin’s crosshairs.
In Oct. 2022, Russia’s Ministry of Justice declared him a “foreign agent.
- 5/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
A Russian court has issued a warrant for the arrest of prominent international film producer Alexander Rodnyansky as well as theater director Ivan Vyrypaev for “spreading false information about the war” in Ukraine.
The court document states that it plans to arrest the two – both of whom live outside of Russia right now – once Russian authorities detain them or are able to get them extradited.
Rodnyansky, who has long been known for working with Russia’s grassroot filmmakers such as Leviathan and Loveless helmer Andrey Zvyaginstev and Kira Kovalenko, who won Un Certain Regard in Cannes in 2021, spoke with Deadline today when he first learned of the news and said he is probably “not the first and definitely not the last” of people who will be targeted for standing up to the Russian regime.
“This is crazy – I’m just laughing about it,” said the Kyiv-born media mogul. “They have arrested me in absentia,...
The court document states that it plans to arrest the two – both of whom live outside of Russia right now – once Russian authorities detain them or are able to get them extradited.
Rodnyansky, who has long been known for working with Russia’s grassroot filmmakers such as Leviathan and Loveless helmer Andrey Zvyaginstev and Kira Kovalenko, who won Un Certain Regard in Cannes in 2021, spoke with Deadline today when he first learned of the news and said he is probably “not the first and definitely not the last” of people who will be targeted for standing up to the Russian regime.
“This is crazy – I’m just laughing about it,” said the Kyiv-born media mogul. “They have arrested me in absentia,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been at least decade since Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and The Banshees fame played a proper live show, but that changes this year! Ahead of the enigmatic musician’s European tour this year, she had a warm-up show in Brussels at the Ancienne Belgique, performing a set that included many a Banshees classic.
Along with some of Siouxsie and The Banshees’ best-known songs like “Spellbound,” “Arabian Nights,” and “Cities in Dust,” Sioux also dug up her covers of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” and Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger.” She also played a few songs from her 2007 solo album Mantaray.
And although Sioux’s hair has gotten a bit tamer since the Banshees’ heyday — and she’s swapped out the winklepicker boots for sensible sneakers — you could say her stage presence is still pretty “spellbinding” (sorry), complete with plenty of high kicks and weirdo moves. Kids, here’s a real “Wednesday dance” for you.
Along with some of Siouxsie and The Banshees’ best-known songs like “Spellbound,” “Arabian Nights,” and “Cities in Dust,” Sioux also dug up her covers of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” and Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger.” She also played a few songs from her 2007 solo album Mantaray.
And although Sioux’s hair has gotten a bit tamer since the Banshees’ heyday — and she’s swapped out the winklepicker boots for sensible sneakers — you could say her stage presence is still pretty “spellbinding” (sorry), complete with plenty of high kicks and weirdo moves. Kids, here’s a real “Wednesday dance” for you.
- 5/3/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
When Deadline featured Alexander Rodnyansky for its International Disruptors column back in 2021, the media mogul said he’d “had five lives” when looking back at his prolific media career which spanned documentary filmmaking, founding Ukraine’s first indie TV network 1+1, managing Russian media company Ctc and producing indie films.
But now, one and a half years after that interview, the Kyiv-born super producer has embarked on yet another life, but this time far away from the country in which he built his career. Last year, one week after Russia invaded Ukraine, Rodnyansky fled his Moscow home of two decades with his wife and one suitcase. Having made no secret of his opposition to the war, the producer got wind that he was rousing suspicion within Russia’s top government heads and decided to sever ties with the country.
“We left the house and everything and since that moment I...
But now, one and a half years after that interview, the Kyiv-born super producer has embarked on yet another life, but this time far away from the country in which he built his career. Last year, one week after Russia invaded Ukraine, Rodnyansky fled his Moscow home of two decades with his wife and one suitcase. Having made no secret of his opposition to the war, the producer got wind that he was rousing suspicion within Russia’s top government heads and decided to sever ties with the country.
“We left the house and everything and since that moment I...
- 4/4/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Alexander Rodnyansky, the Oscar-nominated producer behind “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” has boarded “The Dissident,” a Cold War drama that follows a former Ukrainian resistance fighter trying to rebuild his life after his release from a Soviet prison camp.
The film marks the fiction feature debut of directors Andriy Alferov, a renowned Ukrainian film critic, and Stas Gurenko, a veteran commercial and music video director. Rodnyansky is producing alongside Oleksandr Omelyanov.
Set in 1960s Ukraine, at a time when many in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc were re-evaluating the socialist system, pic follows Oleg, a former soldier in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army that fought against both Nazi Germany and the communist Soviet Union for Ukrainian independence during World War II. After an amnesty deal is reached, Oleg is released from prison camp and returns to Ukraine, where he tries but fails to find his place in peacetime society.
Though based on historical events,...
The film marks the fiction feature debut of directors Andriy Alferov, a renowned Ukrainian film critic, and Stas Gurenko, a veteran commercial and music video director. Rodnyansky is producing alongside Oleksandr Omelyanov.
Set in 1960s Ukraine, at a time when many in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc were re-evaluating the socialist system, pic follows Oleg, a former soldier in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army that fought against both Nazi Germany and the communist Soviet Union for Ukrainian independence during World War II. After an amnesty deal is reached, Oleg is released from prison camp and returns to Ukraine, where he tries but fails to find his place in peacetime society.
Though based on historical events,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Chase Stokes (Outer Banks) and Sydney Taylor (American Born Chinese) are set to topline the YA romance Marked Men from director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook).
The film written by Sharon Soboil (After We Fell) is based on the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel Rule by Jay Crownover — the first in her hit series Marked Men, which has been translated into 11 languages. It’s being sold worldwide by Voltage Pictures, which is currently placing it before buyers.
Taylor stars as Shaw Landon, who has loved Rule Archer (Stokes) from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule, a fiery-tempered rebel tattoo artist, doesn’t have time for a good girl pre-med student like Shaw – even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails,...
The film written by Sharon Soboil (After We Fell) is based on the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel Rule by Jay Crownover — the first in her hit series Marked Men, which has been translated into 11 languages. It’s being sold worldwide by Voltage Pictures, which is currently placing it before buyers.
Taylor stars as Shaw Landon, who has loved Rule Archer (Stokes) from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule, a fiery-tempered rebel tattoo artist, doesn’t have time for a good girl pre-med student like Shaw – even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Alexander Rodnyansky, the producer of Oscar nominated films “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” has boarded the next project from Kazakh director Adilkhan Yerzhanov (pictured), whose film “Goliath” has its world premiere at Venice Film Festival on Thursday in the Horizons Extra section.
The new project, “Nosorog,” tells a contemporary story of Tamara, a distraught woman on a desperate search for her missing son in a small town consumed by violent riots. To help get her son back, she hires a shady detective, Brayuk, with unexpected consequences.
Rodnyansky joins producers Aliya Mendygozhina and Olga Khlasheva on the project, which is a co-production between the State Center of Support of the National Cinema of Kazakhstan and Kazakh film company Golden Man Media.
Rodnyansky said: “My strategy has always been to work with the best directors from any country and I am very excited to be a part of a new film of Adilkhan Yerzhanov,...
The new project, “Nosorog,” tells a contemporary story of Tamara, a distraught woman on a desperate search for her missing son in a small town consumed by violent riots. To help get her son back, she hires a shady detective, Brayuk, with unexpected consequences.
Rodnyansky joins producers Aliya Mendygozhina and Olga Khlasheva on the project, which is a co-production between the State Center of Support of the National Cinema of Kazakhstan and Kazakh film company Golden Man Media.
Rodnyansky said: “My strategy has always been to work with the best directors from any country and I am very excited to be a part of a new film of Adilkhan Yerzhanov,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
This year, the Cannes Film Festival kicked off with a restoration of Jean Eustache’s 1973 ménage à trois scandal “The Mother and the Whore” and concluded with a screening of controversial Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness,” creating an odd kind of symmetry for the event’s 75th anniversary edition. Made half a century apart, Eustache and Östlund’s rhyming triangles were hardly the only parallels to be found at Cannes — though anyone who’s ever binge-watched movies at a major festival knows the feeling of such connections, often just a fluke of the order in which you see movies whose images and ideas inevitably resonate with one another.
Masked in screening rooms full of Covid-defiant strangers, I somehow managed to screen all 21 films in competition this year, and such similarities were myriad, while the masterpieces were scarce.
Consider this could-be coincidence: Roughly midway through Östlund’s diamond-sharp, influencer-skewering...
Masked in screening rooms full of Covid-defiant strangers, I somehow managed to screen all 21 films in competition this year, and such similarities were myriad, while the masterpieces were scarce.
Consider this could-be coincidence: Roughly midway through Östlund’s diamond-sharp, influencer-skewering...
- 5/30/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Two-time Academy Award-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky is developing a new series that charts the rise of Vladimir Putin in what the producer describes as “the actual, horrifying story of how the man who changed the world got the power to do so.”
Produced by Rodnyansky’s L.A.-based production shingle Ar Content, “All the Kremlin’s Men” is based on the bestseller by acclaimed reporter Mikhail Zygar, the former editor-in-chief of Russian independent station TV Rain, which was banned and disbanded in the first week of the war in Ukraine. The book is based on an extraordinary series of interviews with Putin’s inner circle.
The series will tell the story of how an unassuming ex-Kgb officer became one of the most feared politicians in the world, drawing back the curtain on what goes on behind the Kremlin’s walls and revealing how Putin and his inner circle operate.
Produced by Rodnyansky’s L.A.-based production shingle Ar Content, “All the Kremlin’s Men” is based on the bestseller by acclaimed reporter Mikhail Zygar, the former editor-in-chief of Russian independent station TV Rain, which was banned and disbanded in the first week of the war in Ukraine. The book is based on an extraordinary series of interviews with Putin’s inner circle.
The series will tell the story of how an unassuming ex-Kgb officer became one of the most feared politicians in the world, drawing back the curtain on what goes on behind the Kremlin’s walls and revealing how Putin and his inner circle operate.
- 5/18/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
On March 15, less than three weeks removed from his country’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu drafted a letter to the Minister of Culture demanding the film and TV work of Ukrainian actor-turned-wartime-President Volodymyr Zelensky be “removed from the cultural agenda of the Russian Federation,” citing efforts to rally the public behind President Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression.
Also mentioned in his complaint: two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky, the Kyiv-born producer who has called Russia home for two decades.
Rodnyansky had already fled the country. On March 1, he was tipped off by a friend that his opposition to the Ukraine war had landed him in the government’s crosshairs. Rodnyansky and his wife left the same day. “I cut off my business ties with Russia,” the producer told Variety. “I left behind everything. The company, the house, everything. Everything that I had.”
For the past two months,...
Also mentioned in his complaint: two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky, the Kyiv-born producer who has called Russia home for two decades.
Rodnyansky had already fled the country. On March 1, he was tipped off by a friend that his opposition to the Ukraine war had landed him in the government’s crosshairs. Rodnyansky and his wife left the same day. “I cut off my business ties with Russia,” the producer told Variety. “I left behind everything. The company, the house, everything. Everything that I had.”
For the past two months,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
As the war in Ukraine approaches a grim, three-month mile marker, and the Russian military continues its relentless onslaught, the harsh crackdown on domestic opposition by the Putin regime has left a beleaguered film industry pondering its next steps. Many Russian filmmakers fear they’ll have no choice but to toe the party line, or to flee a country that is increasingly being shut out of the international community.
Two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky, the Kyiv-born producer who has called Russia home for nearly three decades, left Moscow on March 1 after being tipped off that his opposition to the war had landed him in the government’s crosshairs. “I cut off my business ties with Russia,” the producer tells Variety. “I left behind everything.”
While a full-fledged exodus is not yet underway, many filmmakers are rethinking their futures. “I can’t see how I can be part of a [Russian film] community...
Two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky, the Kyiv-born producer who has called Russia home for nearly three decades, left Moscow on March 1 after being tipped off that his opposition to the war had landed him in the government’s crosshairs. “I cut off my business ties with Russia,” the producer tells Variety. “I left behind everything.”
While a full-fledged exodus is not yet underway, many filmmakers are rethinking their futures. “I can’t see how I can be part of a [Russian film] community...
- 5/17/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Bureau has acquired 100 of Folamour’s shares.
French-uk production and sales outfit The Bureau has acquired French documentary production company Folamour.
The Bureau has acquired 100 of the shares of the company, in a deal confirmed by The Bureau group’s chief operating officer, Vincent Gadelle.
Folamour will operate as a subsidiary of The Bureau group, and continue to produce under the Folamour brand.
Folamour’s founding producer, Marie Genin, has retired from production. The rest of the team will remain and continue to work with The Bureau.
Paris-based Folamour was founded by Genin in 2001. It has produced over 40 titles...
French-uk production and sales outfit The Bureau has acquired French documentary production company Folamour.
The Bureau has acquired 100 of the shares of the company, in a deal confirmed by The Bureau group’s chief operating officer, Vincent Gadelle.
Folamour will operate as a subsidiary of The Bureau group, and continue to produce under the Folamour brand.
Folamour’s founding producer, Marie Genin, has retired from production. The rest of the team will remain and continue to work with The Bureau.
Paris-based Folamour was founded by Genin in 2001. It has produced over 40 titles...
- 5/12/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Netflix’s Heartstopper is a faithful adaptation of Alice Oseman’s web comics, doubtless thanks to the fact that Oseman herself adapted the series for screen. Fans of the comics – about a burgeoning gay romance between two British secondary school boys – needn’t worry about their favourite moments having been missed on TV. The important scenes from the first two volumes, from the ink explosion to Charlie and Nick’s day in the snow, Harry’s party, the birthday bowling, the disastrous cinema outing, the school concert and more, are up there on screen alongside new moments showcasing popular supporting characters Elle, Tao, Tara and Darcy.
Writer Oseman, director Euros Lyn and the production team have created such a loyal version of the source material that if viewers just watch the Netflix show, they’re not missing out on any vast backstory or details. If however, some viewers are inspired...
Writer Oseman, director Euros Lyn and the production team have created such a loyal version of the source material that if viewers just watch the Netflix show, they’re not missing out on any vast backstory or details. If however, some viewers are inspired...
- 4/22/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Nashville — “This is crazy for me — I haven’t been just somewhere else doing this,” Lorde told the audience at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House midway through opening night of her 2022 Solar Power tour.
She wasn’t kidding: Though she’s had one-off appearances here and there, the New Zealand singer-songwriter’s last full concert took place in Mexico City in 2018, when she was touring behind her second album, Melodrama. Her sun-kissed 2021 album Solar Power was released into an entirely different world, one that was reeling from pandemic isolation...
She wasn’t kidding: Though she’s had one-off appearances here and there, the New Zealand singer-songwriter’s last full concert took place in Mexico City in 2018, when she was touring behind her second album, Melodrama. Her sun-kissed 2021 album Solar Power was released into an entirely different world, one that was reeling from pandemic isolation...
- 4/4/2022
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
”I will continue to produce my films as I planned.”
Leading Ukrainian-Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky, whose credits include Oscar-nominated films Leviathan and Loveless and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching The Fists, has reacted with defiance to reports in the Russian press that Russian authorities are declaring him persona non grata.
Earlier this week Sergei Shoigu, the Russian minister of defence, wrote an official letter to the minister of culture demanding that Rodnyansky and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky should be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. His letter was leaked to the Russian press.
Rodnyansky has close links both...
Leading Ukrainian-Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky, whose credits include Oscar-nominated films Leviathan and Loveless and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching The Fists, has reacted with defiance to reports in the Russian press that Russian authorities are declaring him persona non grata.
Earlier this week Sergei Shoigu, the Russian minister of defence, wrote an official letter to the minister of culture demanding that Rodnyansky and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky should be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. His letter was leaked to the Russian press.
Rodnyansky has close links both...
- 3/18/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has called for the country to ban all the work of Ukraine-born super-producer Alexander Rodnyansky as well as any film and TV work of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Russian news site The Insider.
In the report, Shoigu, who is part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, is said to have sent an official letter (pictured below) to Russia’s minister of culture asking for both Rodnyansky and Zelensky’s work to be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. The move comes as various informal cultural sanctions have been issued upon Russia since the country began its invasion into Ukraine on February 24.
The letter, which was leaked to the press, has been translated to Deadline from a well-known source. It states the following:
“As part of a special operation, the Ministry of Defence is taking measures to shape a positive public opinion...
In the report, Shoigu, who is part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, is said to have sent an official letter (pictured below) to Russia’s minister of culture asking for both Rodnyansky and Zelensky’s work to be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. The move comes as various informal cultural sanctions have been issued upon Russia since the country began its invasion into Ukraine on February 24.
The letter, which was leaked to the press, has been translated to Deadline from a well-known source. It states the following:
“As part of a special operation, the Ministry of Defence is taking measures to shape a positive public opinion...
- 3/17/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
”I will continue to produce my films as I planned.”
Leading Ukrainian-Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky, whose credits include Oscar-nominated films Leviathan and Loveless and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching The Fists, has reacted with defiance to reports in the Russian press that Russian authorities are declaring him persona non grata.
Earlier this week Sergei Shoigu, the Russian minister of defence, wrote an official letter to the minister of culture demanding that Rodnyansky and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky should be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. His letter was leaked to the Russian press.
Rodnyansky has close links both...
Leading Ukrainian-Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky, whose credits include Oscar-nominated films Leviathan and Loveless and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching The Fists, has reacted with defiance to reports in the Russian press that Russian authorities are declaring him persona non grata.
Earlier this week Sergei Shoigu, the Russian minister of defence, wrote an official letter to the minister of culture demanding that Rodnyansky and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky should be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. His letter was leaked to the Russian press.
Rodnyansky has close links both...
- 3/17/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
An open letter against the war in Ukraine has been signed by prominent Russian cinematographers, spearheaded by Fedor Lyass (“Hardcore Henry”).
The signatories include Roman Vasyanov, Mikhail Krichman, Pavel Kapinos (“Hardcore Henry”), Vladislav Opelyants and Pavel Fomintsev (“Unclenching the Fists”).
Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, Russian filmmakers and animators have bravely rallied and spoken out against their government’s actions and have called upon the international community for support. In doing so, the signatories have put themselves at risk on both personal and professional levels. Alexander Rodnyansky, the two-time Oscar-nominated producer of “Leviathan,” “Loveless” told Variety last week that he felt “unbearably ashamed” and “incredibly, deeply sad” when news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine broke.
The letter’s full translated text and list of the signatories are below:
We, Russian cinematographers, demand a stop to military aggression against Ukraine, an immediate ceasefire, and a withdrawal...
The signatories include Roman Vasyanov, Mikhail Krichman, Pavel Kapinos (“Hardcore Henry”), Vladislav Opelyants and Pavel Fomintsev (“Unclenching the Fists”).
Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, Russian filmmakers and animators have bravely rallied and spoken out against their government’s actions and have called upon the international community for support. In doing so, the signatories have put themselves at risk on both personal and professional levels. Alexander Rodnyansky, the two-time Oscar-nominated producer of “Leviathan,” “Loveless” told Variety last week that he felt “unbearably ashamed” and “incredibly, deeply sad” when news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine broke.
The letter’s full translated text and list of the signatories are below:
We, Russian cinematographers, demand a stop to military aggression against Ukraine, an immediate ceasefire, and a withdrawal...
- 2/28/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 23, filmmakers from both countries are speaking out against warfare.
Two-time Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky told Variety that he felt “unbearably ashamed” after learning of the attacks.
“I still couldn’t believe that missiles are exploding in Kyiv,” Rodnyansky said. “I couldn’t imagine that Kyiv, my native town, where my relatives, friends and colleagues live, where my parents and grandparents are buried, will be struck by missiles of the country where I have been living and working for the last 20 years, together with my family and friends.”
Rodnyansky additionally wrote in an Instagram post that he was mourning “all the people who woke up in war.”
Rodnyansky, who was born in Kyiv but currently lives in Moscow, captioned, “Today I know that the Ukrainians will come through this. Gentle and brave people will come through this war. Because they are fighting for their motherland.
Two-time Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky told Variety that he felt “unbearably ashamed” after learning of the attacks.
“I still couldn’t believe that missiles are exploding in Kyiv,” Rodnyansky said. “I couldn’t imagine that Kyiv, my native town, where my relatives, friends and colleagues live, where my parents and grandparents are buried, will be struck by missiles of the country where I have been living and working for the last 20 years, together with my family and friends.”
Rodnyansky additionally wrote in an Instagram post that he was mourning “all the people who woke up in war.”
Rodnyansky, who was born in Kyiv but currently lives in Moscow, captioned, “Today I know that the Ukrainians will come through this. Gentle and brave people will come through this war. Because they are fighting for their motherland.
- 2/25/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Two-time Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky said he felt “unbearably ashamed” and “incredibly, deeply sad” when his son called from Kyiv on Thursday with news that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun.
“Of course, I realized before that the situation might go this way, but I still couldn’t believe that missiles are exploding in Kyiv,” Rodnyansky told Variety by email. “I couldn’t imagine that Kyiv, my native town, where my relatives, friends and colleagues live, where my parents and grandparents are buried, will be struck by missiles of the country where I have been living and working for the last 20 years, together with my family and friends.”
The Moscow-based producer was born in the Ukrainian capital, which was under siege by Russian troops on Friday. He said that “after the first shock” of Thursday’s invasion passed, he wrote an Instagram post in which he said he was...
“Of course, I realized before that the situation might go this way, but I still couldn’t believe that missiles are exploding in Kyiv,” Rodnyansky told Variety by email. “I couldn’t imagine that Kyiv, my native town, where my relatives, friends and colleagues live, where my parents and grandparents are buried, will be struck by missiles of the country where I have been living and working for the last 20 years, together with my family and friends.”
The Moscow-based producer was born in the Ukrainian capital, which was under siege by Russian troops on Friday. He said that “after the first shock” of Thursday’s invasion passed, he wrote an Instagram post in which he said he was...
- 2/25/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Alexander Rodnyansky’s Ar Content is developing a slate of new series as the two-time Oscar-nominated producer continues his push into high-end episodic content.
Rodnyansky revealed details of two new projects to Variety during the Berlinale Series Market, just days after Fox Entertainment acquired U.S. rights to Ar Content’s upcoming epic action show “Khan: The Series,” as Variety previously reported.
“The Doghead” is a series loosely based on the book of the same name by best-selling author Alexey Ivanov, whose previous works adapted for the big screen include Cannes Un Certain Regard prize winner “Tsar.”
The series follows Kirill, a homebody historian who prefers stability to change or adventure, but who travels to a remote village to look for his lost girlfriend. Her disappearance is just the first in a chain of mysterious events that started in the 17th century around an enigmatic fresco of an ancient spirit known as the Doghead.
Rodnyansky revealed details of two new projects to Variety during the Berlinale Series Market, just days after Fox Entertainment acquired U.S. rights to Ar Content’s upcoming epic action show “Khan: The Series,” as Variety previously reported.
“The Doghead” is a series loosely based on the book of the same name by best-selling author Alexey Ivanov, whose previous works adapted for the big screen include Cannes Un Certain Regard prize winner “Tsar.”
The series follows Kirill, a homebody historian who prefers stability to change or adventure, but who travels to a remote village to look for his lost girlfriend. Her disappearance is just the first in a chain of mysterious events that started in the 17th century around an enigmatic fresco of an ancient spirit known as the Doghead.
- 2/16/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Fox Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to “Khan: The Series,” from Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s Ar Content, Variety can reveal.
Currently in development, the epic action series is based on the best-selling book “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford, and will focus on the largest contiguous empire in human history and its iconic creator.
Writer and executive producer Chris Collins will serve as showrunner, with Sergei Bodrov tapped to direct and executive produce. The series is executive produced by Rodnyansky, Leslie Greif (Big Dreams Entertainment), Stuart Manashil (Novo Entertainment), and Michael Kupisk (Ar Content).
“We are happy and honored to have Fox Entertainment as a partner for this title in development,” said Rodnyansky. “I am very excited to bring the extraordinary story of Genghis Khan to life together with my partners: producer Leslie Greif, known for ‘Hatfields & McCoys,’ ‘The Offer,’ and other high-end projects,...
Currently in development, the epic action series is based on the best-selling book “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford, and will focus on the largest contiguous empire in human history and its iconic creator.
Writer and executive producer Chris Collins will serve as showrunner, with Sergei Bodrov tapped to direct and executive produce. The series is executive produced by Rodnyansky, Leslie Greif (Big Dreams Entertainment), Stuart Manashil (Novo Entertainment), and Michael Kupisk (Ar Content).
“We are happy and honored to have Fox Entertainment as a partner for this title in development,” said Rodnyansky. “I am very excited to bring the extraordinary story of Genghis Khan to life together with my partners: producer Leslie Greif, known for ‘Hatfields & McCoys,’ ‘The Offer,’ and other high-end projects,...
- 2/11/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Katerina Pshenitsyna is joining from Central Partnership in a big shake-up of the Russian scene.
Leading international producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s Russian production outfit Ar Content has appointed Central Partnership executive Katerina Pshenitsyna as director of international business development and co-productions, in what is a significant shake-up of the Russian film sales and production scene.
Pshenitsyna was formerly vice president, international distribution at Central Partnership.
Rodnyansky is Russia’s leading international-focused producer, with credits including Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Oscar-nominated Leviathan and Loveless.
“I have always been fascinated with the work of Alexander Rodnyansky and the global impact his projects make,...
Leading international producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s Russian production outfit Ar Content has appointed Central Partnership executive Katerina Pshenitsyna as director of international business development and co-productions, in what is a significant shake-up of the Russian film sales and production scene.
Pshenitsyna was formerly vice president, international distribution at Central Partnership.
Rodnyansky is Russia’s leading international-focused producer, with credits including Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Oscar-nominated Leviathan and Loveless.
“I have always been fascinated with the work of Alexander Rodnyansky and the global impact his projects make,...
- 12/23/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Russian cinematographer Mikhail Krichman, renowned for his collaborations with Andrey Zvyagintsev on films like Oscar nominees “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” shared some of his secrets during the Imago masterclass at EnergaCamerimage Film Festival, all the while engaging in a friendly dialogue with two-time Oscar nominee Ed Lachman. They both won Golden Frogs at the Polish festival, for “Leviathan” and “Carol” respectively.
Unable to be in Toruń in person, Krichman opened up about his upcoming project, Joshua Oppenheimer’s musical “The End,” starring Tilda Swinton.
“I haven’t done musicals before, with all these dance numbers. This is Joshua’s first fiction film and his approach is very interesting,” he said, admitting he was “amazed and frightened” by Oppenheimer’s documentaries “The Look of Silence” and “The Act of Killing.”
Music is also on Lachman’s mind, working on Todd Haynes’ film about singer Peggy Lee. “It’s a drama, but seen through music.
Unable to be in Toruń in person, Krichman opened up about his upcoming project, Joshua Oppenheimer’s musical “The End,” starring Tilda Swinton.
“I haven’t done musicals before, with all these dance numbers. This is Joshua’s first fiction film and his approach is very interesting,” he said, admitting he was “amazed and frightened” by Oppenheimer’s documentaries “The Look of Silence” and “The Act of Killing.”
Music is also on Lachman’s mind, working on Todd Haynes’ film about singer Peggy Lee. “It’s a drama, but seen through music.
- 11/20/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky brings a basket brimming with projects to this year’s AFM as he looks forward to easier international conditions as the Covid pandemic begins to recede.
Deals with two of Russia’s biggest platforms — Kinopoisk HD on local search engine giant Yandex, and Okko, part of leading bank Sber (which has a client base that numbers 90 million) — as well as a strategic partnership and first-look deal with Apple to produce Russian-language and multilingual international shows for Apple Plus TV allows the two-time Oscar nominee a breadth of material with which to work.
Top projects include “Red Rainbow,” the winner of this year’s co-production pitching competition at Series Mania. “Rainbow” is based on a true story set in 1979 about three young gay activists from West Berlin who are invited to Moscow on an official visit, not realizing that homosexuality is a crime in the Soviet Union.
Deals with two of Russia’s biggest platforms — Kinopoisk HD on local search engine giant Yandex, and Okko, part of leading bank Sber (which has a client base that numbers 90 million) — as well as a strategic partnership and first-look deal with Apple to produce Russian-language and multilingual international shows for Apple Plus TV allows the two-time Oscar nominee a breadth of material with which to work.
Top projects include “Red Rainbow,” the winner of this year’s co-production pitching competition at Series Mania. “Rainbow” is based on a true story set in 1979 about three young gay activists from West Berlin who are invited to Moscow on an official visit, not realizing that homosexuality is a crime in the Soviet Union.
- 10/31/2021
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
Unclenching the Fists, the drama directed by Kira Kovalenko that won the grand prize this year in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, has been selected to represent Russia in the Best International Feature Film category at the 94th Oscars. The news was announced Monday by the Russian Oscar Committee.
Produced by Ukranian-Russian super-producer Alexander Rodnyansky with Sergey Melkumov, the pic (titled Razzhimaya Kulaki in Russian) is set in a former mining town in the industrial section of North Ossetia and follows a young woman named Ada (Milana Aguzarova) who struggles to escape the stifling hold of the family she loves as much as she rejects.
Mubi has North American, UK and Ireland, Latin America and India rights to the the film, which will make its Los Angeles premiere next month at AFI Fest.
This year’s Un Certain Regard sidebar has spawned at least four submissions...
Produced by Ukranian-Russian super-producer Alexander Rodnyansky with Sergey Melkumov, the pic (titled Razzhimaya Kulaki in Russian) is set in a former mining town in the industrial section of North Ossetia and follows a young woman named Ada (Milana Aguzarova) who struggles to escape the stifling hold of the family she loves as much as she rejects.
Mubi has North American, UK and Ireland, Latin America and India rights to the the film, which will make its Los Angeles premiere next month at AFI Fest.
This year’s Un Certain Regard sidebar has spawned at least four submissions...
- 10/25/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
“Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke and Oscar-nominated Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) are set to headline “The Pod Generation,” a sci-fi romantic comedy that will be directed by Sophie Barthes. MK2 Films has boarded international sales, and CAA Media Finance is handling domestic rights.
Set in a near future where AI is all the rage and nature is becoming a distant memory, the story revolves around Rachel (Clarke) and Alvy (Ejiofor), a New York couple who are ready to take their relationship to the next level and start a family. Rachel’s work gives them a chance to use a new tool developed by a tech giant, Pegasus, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing via detachable artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith.
Set in a near future where AI is all the rage and nature is becoming a distant memory, the story revolves around Rachel (Clarke) and Alvy (Ejiofor), a New York couple who are ready to take their relationship to the next level and start a family. Rachel’s work gives them a chance to use a new tool developed by a tech giant, Pegasus, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing via detachable artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith.
- 10/25/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mama, I’m Home, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, portrays mother’s search for mercenary son
A new Russian film tackles one of the country’s great taboos: the role of Russian mercenaries in trouble spots around the world and the toll this takes on the family members of the often unacknowledged soldiers who die in combat.
“Mama, I’m Home”, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, who is well known for the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated Leviathan and Loveless, depicts the story of a mother searching for her son after being told he was killed while fighting for a private military company in Syria.
A new Russian film tackles one of the country’s great taboos: the role of Russian mercenaries in trouble spots around the world and the toll this takes on the family members of the often unacknowledged soldiers who die in combat.
“Mama, I’m Home”, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, who is well known for the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated Leviathan and Loveless, depicts the story of a mother searching for her son after being told he was killed while fighting for a private military company in Syria.
- 10/21/2021
- by Pjotr Sauer in Moscow
- The Guardian - Film News
There are clenched fists aplenty in Unclenching the Fists. Stuck in a former mining town high in the mountains of North Ossetia, its characters are as weighed down with misfortune as they are with strained mitts. There are the protagonist Ada’s, racked with frustration; her brother Akim’s, all white-knuckled and ready for swinging; but most obviously there are their father Zaur’s, strict as iron and with a rigor-mortis grip. The film is the second feature from Kira Kovalenko, a filmmaker from Nalchik, in the foothills of the Caucuses—a locale just next Ada’s, and that sense of place is apparent. The film, a bleak and provocative work with few (if any) soft edges, premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regarde sidebar earlier this summer, where it was awarded the Grand Prix by a jury led by Andrea Arnold—another filmmaker synonymous with tales of young women and isolated places,...
- 9/29/2021
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
While Western cinema all too often equates film noir with retro pastiche and period fare, Chinese filmmakers continue to sustain the genre in bracingly contemporary, socially relevant ways — often sneaking a wealth of political and economic commentary past censors and straight into their sleek underworld narratives. Zhang Ji’s remarkable debut feature, “Fire on the Plain,” follows in this rich tradition: On the surface, it’s a grand, expansive yarn meshing cool policier with . A collective sense of yearning for other lives and other options runs through the well-oiled mechanics of the plot, elevating this San Sebastian competition standout from merely compelling to truly stirring.
Former cinematographer Zhang is best known for his work on Zhang Bingjian’s “North by Northeast,” and this is about as fully formed as first features come — matching the technical finesse you might expect, given his background, to real storytelling brio. If “Fire on the Plain...
Former cinematographer Zhang is best known for his work on Zhang Bingjian’s “North by Northeast,” and this is about as fully formed as first features come — matching the technical finesse you might expect, given his background, to real storytelling brio. If “Fire on the Plain...
- 9/28/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Rising Russian director Vladimir Bitokov’s sophomore effort, “Mama, I’m Home,” bows this week in the Horizons sidebar of the Venice Film Festival. Following on the heels of his 2018 Karlovy Vary premiere “Deep Rivers,” it’s produced by two-time Academy Award nominee Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergey Melkumov. Wild Bunch Intl. is handling world sales.
“Mama, I’m Home” is the story of a bus driver (Kseniya Rappoport) living on the outskirts of a provincial Russian town, where she awaits the return of her only son, who’s fighting for a private military contractor in Syria. When she’s told that he’s been killed in action, she refuses to believe it and begins a grueling public battle to fight for his return. But when all efforts to silence her prove fruitless, a mysterious young man (Yuri Borisov) arrives on her doorstep.
Bitokov told Variety that he was already developing...
“Mama, I’m Home” is the story of a bus driver (Kseniya Rappoport) living on the outskirts of a provincial Russian town, where she awaits the return of her only son, who’s fighting for a private military contractor in Syria. When she’s told that he’s been killed in action, she refuses to believe it and begins a grueling public battle to fight for his return. But when all efforts to silence her prove fruitless, a mysterious young man (Yuri Borisov) arrives on her doorstep.
Bitokov told Variety that he was already developing...
- 9/4/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The 65th British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival has revealed the eight films in its official competition.
The competition titles include a few films currently playing at the Venice Film Festival, including Michelangelo Frammartino’s “Il Buco” (Italy-Germany-France), Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” (Italy) Harry Wootliff’s “True Things” (U.K.) and Michel Franco’s “Sundown” (Mexico-France-Sweden).
Films that bowed at Cannes also make an appearance in the competition, including Mamoru Hosoda’s “Belle” (Japan), Justin Kurzel’s “Nitram” (Australia), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s “Lingui” (Chad-France-Germany-Belgium) and Panah Panahi’s (Hit The Raad” (Iran).
The winner will be chosen by the official competition jury, the members of which will be revealed imminently.
Festival director Tricia Tuttle said: “With official competition our aim is to present a curated programme that showcases the breadth and richness of international cinema for our audiences. Anyone new to the Lff should consider official...
The competition titles include a few films currently playing at the Venice Film Festival, including Michelangelo Frammartino’s “Il Buco” (Italy-Germany-France), Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” (Italy) Harry Wootliff’s “True Things” (U.K.) and Michel Franco’s “Sundown” (Mexico-France-Sweden).
Films that bowed at Cannes also make an appearance in the competition, including Mamoru Hosoda’s “Belle” (Japan), Justin Kurzel’s “Nitram” (Australia), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s “Lingui” (Chad-France-Germany-Belgium) and Panah Panahi’s (Hit The Raad” (Iran).
The winner will be chosen by the official competition jury, the members of which will be revealed imminently.
Festival director Tricia Tuttle said: “With official competition our aim is to present a curated programme that showcases the breadth and richness of international cinema for our audiences. Anyone new to the Lff should consider official...
- 9/3/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week we’re speaking to super-producer Alexander Rodnyansky in advance of his upcoming fall festival run. His latest title, Mama, I’m Home, is premiering in Venice’s Horizons section while his Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching The Fists is set to screen in Telluride.
When independent producer Alexander Rodnyansky reflects on his prolific career in the media business so far, he quips that he’s “had five lives.” If you know the well-respected mogul, you’ll know that he’s on the mark. The Ukrainian-born producer is behind a slew of esteemed international festival hits, with projects like Leviathan and Loveless, from Russian helmer Andrey Zvyagintsev, both earning Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film as well as Best...
When independent producer Alexander Rodnyansky reflects on his prolific career in the media business so far, he quips that he’s “had five lives.” If you know the well-respected mogul, you’ll know that he’s on the mark. The Ukrainian-born producer is behind a slew of esteemed international festival hits, with projects like Leviathan and Loveless, from Russian helmer Andrey Zvyagintsev, both earning Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film as well as Best...
- 9/2/2021
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Russia’s Alexander Rodnyansky, producer of high-level Cannes hits such as “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” has added another prize to his illustrious career, winning the Series Mania Forum Best Project Award for the Soviet-era period drama “Red Rainbow.”
Presented Monday at the Forum, Series Mania’s industry arm, as one of 16 projects at its Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, “Red Rainbow” beat a strong field of other contenders to take the Award, which comes with a €50,000 cash prize for development, a considerable sum to help a series project advance.
Written by Matt Jones, and based on a true story, “Red Rainbow” is set in 1979 and turns on three young German gay activists from West Berlin who, through a series of blunders and misunderstandings, are invited by Soviet Central Committee Secretary Kaptinov to join an official visit to the Ussr, despite homosexuality being illegal in the country.
Once there, their translator, Larissa, is given...
Presented Monday at the Forum, Series Mania’s industry arm, as one of 16 projects at its Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, “Red Rainbow” beat a strong field of other contenders to take the Award, which comes with a €50,000 cash prize for development, a considerable sum to help a series project advance.
Written by Matt Jones, and based on a true story, “Red Rainbow” is set in 1979 and turns on three young German gay activists from West Berlin who, through a series of blunders and misunderstandings, are invited by Soviet Central Committee Secretary Kaptinov to join an official visit to the Ussr, despite homosexuality being illegal in the country.
Once there, their translator, Larissa, is given...
- 8/30/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
“Loveless” is the perfect title for Andrey Zvyagintsev’s 2017 tragedy about a missing child and two of the worst parents in movie history. Because Zvyagintsev equates that cold-hearted couple with the Russian state he was compelled to find financing from three other countries. The finished product overcame political pushback from Moscow and snared the Jury Prize at 2017’s Cannes Festival and even managed to win top prizes from the Russian Guild of Film Critics.
The post Loveless appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Loveless appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 8/30/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Though the Venice Film Festival will serve as a launching pad for several blockbusters, festival artistic director Alberto Barbera this year is introducing a section called Horizons Extra, dedicated to more offbeat works of all genres with no length constraints although they must be more than an hour long. These pics will be judged by festgoers.
The Horizons Extra section is an extension of Horizons, the Venice section focusing on new trends in world cinema that, under Barbera, became a competition instrumental in promoting emerging auteurs.
It’s a small but significant new component of the fest’s programming structure that, along with the competitive Venice VR Expanded section dedicated to virtual reality works of any length and format, gives the festival a spot to host innovative programming.
With Horizons Extra, Barbera is boosting his effort “to give value to a certain kind of cinema that is auteur-driven, ambitious and demanding,...
The Horizons Extra section is an extension of Horizons, the Venice section focusing on new trends in world cinema that, under Barbera, became a competition instrumental in promoting emerging auteurs.
It’s a small but significant new component of the fest’s programming structure that, along with the competitive Venice VR Expanded section dedicated to virtual reality works of any length and format, gives the festival a spot to host innovative programming.
With Horizons Extra, Barbera is boosting his effort “to give value to a certain kind of cinema that is auteur-driven, ambitious and demanding,...
- 8/27/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Maria Zuckerman has been promoted to president of Topic Studios, First Look Media announced Wednesday.
Zuckerman joined Topic in May 2019 as EVP and head of Topic Studios and will now continue to report to the company’s CEO, Michael Bloom. She will continue to lead the studio’s creative vision and overall strategy, including development, financing and production across feature films, documentaries, television and podcasts.
“I’m thrilled to recognize Maria’s role in growing Topic Studios with her promotion to President. Maria and her team have built the Studio into a major creative force, giving new and established voices the opportunity to collaborate and produce truly extraordinary work. I know the Studio will continue to thrive under her leadership, and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” Bloom said in a statement.
“It has been thrilling over the past two years to grow Topic Studios’ reach and slate of productions.
Zuckerman joined Topic in May 2019 as EVP and head of Topic Studios and will now continue to report to the company’s CEO, Michael Bloom. She will continue to lead the studio’s creative vision and overall strategy, including development, financing and production across feature films, documentaries, television and podcasts.
“I’m thrilled to recognize Maria’s role in growing Topic Studios with her promotion to President. Maria and her team have built the Studio into a major creative force, giving new and established voices the opportunity to collaborate and produce truly extraordinary work. I know the Studio will continue to thrive under her leadership, and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” Bloom said in a statement.
“It has been thrilling over the past two years to grow Topic Studios’ reach and slate of productions.
- 7/28/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“Unclenching The Fists,” a Russian drama directed by Kira Kovalenko, won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard sidebar competition at Cannes. And shortly after the awards were announced, the UK streamer and distributor Mubi acquired all North American rights to the film, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
Mubi has been on a buying spree out of the festival — earlier in the week, the distributor acquired another Un Certain Regard prize winner, “Great Freedom,” as well as “Lingui, The Sacred Bonds” from the main competition. Mubi also picked up the UK, Ireland, Latin America and India rights to “Unclenching the Fists.”
Awards for the Un Certain Regard were announced Friday in a ceremony at the Debussy Theatre at Cannes.
Andrea Arnold, who was also at the festival behind her documentary “Cow,” was president of the Un Certain Regard jury. She led a jury that included director Mounia Meddour,...
Mubi has been on a buying spree out of the festival — earlier in the week, the distributor acquired another Un Certain Regard prize winner, “Great Freedom,” as well as “Lingui, The Sacred Bonds” from the main competition. Mubi also picked up the UK, Ireland, Latin America and India rights to “Unclenching the Fists.”
Awards for the Un Certain Regard were announced Friday in a ceremony at the Debussy Theatre at Cannes.
Andrea Arnold, who was also at the festival behind her documentary “Cow,” was president of the Un Certain Regard jury. She led a jury that included director Mounia Meddour,...
- 7/16/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Mubi, the London-based streamer and theatrical distributor that’s been on a buying spree this week in Cannes, has acquired the rights for North America, U.K., and a host of other territories for Kira Kovalenko’s “Unclenching the Fists,” which took home the top prize in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, Variety can reveal.
Set in a former mining town in Russia’s North Ossetia region, “Unclenching the Fists” is the story of a young woman, played by Milana Aguzarova, who struggles to escape the stifling hold of the family she both loves and rejects. The film is produced by two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky.
The deal includes all rights for North America, U.K., Ireland, Latin America and India. Wild Bunch International, which is handling the film’s world sales, has also closed deals for France (Arp), Benelux (September Film), Greece (Cinobo), Italy (Movies...
Set in a former mining town in Russia’s North Ossetia region, “Unclenching the Fists” is the story of a young woman, played by Milana Aguzarova, who struggles to escape the stifling hold of the family she both loves and rejects. The film is produced by two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky.
The deal includes all rights for North America, U.K., Ireland, Latin America and India. Wild Bunch International, which is handling the film’s world sales, has also closed deals for France (Arp), Benelux (September Film), Greece (Cinobo), Italy (Movies...
- 7/16/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
When she was growing up in Nalchik, the capital of Russia’s remote Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Kira Kovalenko wasn’t particularly interested in cinema. She can cite few films that inspired her as a girl. “In all honesty, I never wanted to be a director,” she tells Variety.
The 31-year-old filmmaker has traveled a long way since, as she prepares to bow her second feature, “Unclenching the Fists,” in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival. Produced by two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky, her sophomore effort marks her as a rising talent in a country with a venerable tradition of arthouse auteurs.
Sitting in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, Nalchik is far from Russia’s cultural lode stars in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It’s a city that likely would never have produced a single filmmaker to walk the red carpet in Cannes — let alone two — were it not for Alexander Sokurov,...
The 31-year-old filmmaker has traveled a long way since, as she prepares to bow her second feature, “Unclenching the Fists,” in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival. Produced by two-time Oscar nominee Alexander Rodnyansky, her sophomore effort marks her as a rising talent in a country with a venerable tradition of arthouse auteurs.
Sitting in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, Nalchik is far from Russia’s cultural lode stars in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It’s a city that likely would never have produced a single filmmaker to walk the red carpet in Cannes — let alone two — were it not for Alexander Sokurov,...
- 7/16/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Apple has signed a first-look deal with Ar Content, the production company led by Academy Award-nominated producer and director Alexander Rodnyansky, Variety can reveal.
The deal is for a slate of both Russian-language and multilingual shows for Apple TV Plus, set both inside and outside Russia, and creatively led by both Russian and international writers and directors.
Although the pact is with Rodnyansky’s L.A.-based Ar Content, which he set up three years ago to finance the development of feature films and television, it is his production expertise and experience in Russia that appeals to Apple most.
The deal is similar to those Apple has signed with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment.
Rodnyansky credits the global streaming platforms with having “opened the doors and destroyed the borders,” enabling foreign-language shows to find audiences worldwide.
“This is an amazing time when you have...
The deal is for a slate of both Russian-language and multilingual shows for Apple TV Plus, set both inside and outside Russia, and creatively led by both Russian and international writers and directors.
Although the pact is with Rodnyansky’s L.A.-based Ar Content, which he set up three years ago to finance the development of feature films and television, it is his production expertise and experience in Russia that appeals to Apple most.
The deal is similar to those Apple has signed with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment.
Rodnyansky credits the global streaming platforms with having “opened the doors and destroyed the borders,” enabling foreign-language shows to find audiences worldwide.
“This is an amazing time when you have...
- 7/12/2021
- by Leo Barraclough and Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
He is also working again with Kantemir Balagov and with US documentarian and visual artist Godfrey Reggio.
Leading Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky has unveiled a new internationally-focused slate.
It is headlined by the English-language debut of Andrey Zvyagintsev, the next film from filmmaker Kantemir Balagov following their collaboration on 2019’s Beanpole and a documentary by US filmmaker and visual artist Godfrey Reggio that is being co-produced by Steven Soderbergh.
Zvyagintsev’s What Happens is written by Oleg Negin and will shoot in the US. No further details are yet known. Rodnyansky and Zvyagintsev prevously collaborated on the Oscar-winning Leviathan and the Oscar- nominated Loveless.
Leading Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky has unveiled a new internationally-focused slate.
It is headlined by the English-language debut of Andrey Zvyagintsev, the next film from filmmaker Kantemir Balagov following their collaboration on 2019’s Beanpole and a documentary by US filmmaker and visual artist Godfrey Reggio that is being co-produced by Steven Soderbergh.
Zvyagintsev’s What Happens is written by Oleg Negin and will shoot in the US. No further details are yet known. Rodnyansky and Zvyagintsev prevously collaborated on the Oscar-winning Leviathan and the Oscar- nominated Loveless.
- 7/7/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
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