FESTIVALS
Ana de Armas will receive the Hollywood Rising-Star Award at Deauville American Film Festival (Sept. 2-11). After her debut in Venice, her last film “Blonde”, where she plays Marilyn Monroewill have its French premiere at the festival, with her and the director Andre Dominique waiting.
The Cuban-born actor star de Armas rose to prominence and worked with several renowned filmmakers, including Denis Villeneuve (“Blade Runner 2049”), Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”), Olivier Assayas ( “Wasp Network), Cary Joji Fukunaga (“No Time to Die”) and the Russo Brothers (“The Gray Man”).
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Past recipients of the award are Ryan Gosling (2011), Jessica Chastain (2011), Paul Dano (2012), Robert Pattinson (2015), Elizabeth Olsen (2015), Chloé Grace Moretz (2016), Daniel Radcliffe (2016), Shailene Woodley (2018), Elle Fanning (2018), Sophie Turner (2019) and Dylan Penn (2021).
Cannes film festival
During this time, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF, August 12-20) has added Cannes titles, “Funny Pages” by Owen Kline and “My Super 8 Years” by Annie Ernaux and David Ernaux-Briot, to its programming. The EIFF also revealed that the curator Gaylene Gould will serve as Jury President for the Powell and Pressburger Prize for Best Picture. The other members of the jury are producer Rosie Crerar and author Sarah Winman.
The EIFF Mclaren Award for Animation jury includes lead animators Bastien Dubois, Jennifer Zheng and Sue Loughlin. The Mclaren Short Film Prize jury is led by Sheffield Doc/Fest film program director Raul Niño Zambrano, curator Raymah Tariq and filmmaker Sean Dunn.
Entertainment filmed in the front row
DISTRIBUTION
Independent distributor based in Dubai Entertainment filmed in the front row acquired all rights in the Middle East and North Africa until 2022 sun dance Arabic films “Warsha” and “Sirens”. Directed by the Lebanese-Syrian filmmaker Dania Bdeir, “Warsha” follows a migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut, who one morning volunteers to take on one of the tallest and notoriously most dangerous cranes in Lebanon. Away from everyone’s eyes, he is able to live his secret passion and find freedom. The film went on to win the Short Film Jury Prize at Sundance and has played at over 82 festivals and won 28 awards since.
Executive produced by Maya Rudolph and Natacha Lyonne and directed by Moroccan-American filmmaker Rita Baghdadi, feature documentary “Sirens” follows the story of Lilas and Shery, the co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, as they struggle with friendship, sexuality and destruction in their quest to become thrash metal rock stars. The film played in more than 40 international festivals.
“Warsha” and “Sirens” will be released later this year, preceded by their MENA festivals. International sales of “Warsha” are handled by Polish company New Europe Film Sales with Autlook Film Sales handling “Sirens”.
Miljan Gogic
INCENTIVES
The Czech The government has approved €23 million/CZK 570 million ($23.5 million) for film incentives, which will be added to the €32.5 million/CZK 800 million decided in the initial draft budget. The amendment will now be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies. Further support is expected in 2023 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Culture.
The system solution for movie incentives will be divided into two phases. First, the funding will increase by €23 million/CZK 570 million and at the end of 2022 an amendment, which will be discussed in August, will enter into force introducing a limit of €6 million/CZK 150 million per project.
The second phase is the preparation of the new law which will transform the Czech Film Fund by a major modification of the law on audio-visual. The Ministry of Culture is already working on a project and in August 2022 it will discuss it in an advisory group with professional associations.
The transformation of the Czech Film Fund is expected to take place in 2024.
This article is published in partnership with the online news service Film New Europe, which covers news from the film and television industry across Central and Eastern Europe.
PROMOTION
“Dune” and “No Time to Die” VFX and Animation Studio DNEG promoted Chas Jarret to the creative director. Based in the company’s London studio and working closely with Josh Jaggar, president of DNEG’s VFX and Stereo Group, Jarrett will partner with directors and filmmakers to leverage DNEG’s creative capabilities and innovative technology to serve their projects, while helping to maintain and strengthen relationships of company’s work with its client studios. Jarrett will also nurture and support the progression and development of DNEG’s artists and represent DNEG’s creative teams at the executive level.
Jarrett, who joined DNEG as Senior Visual Effects Supervisor in 2019, succeeds DNEG’s Creative Director and two-time Academy Award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor. Paul Franklinwho will continue as a visual effects consultant, a role he maintained on such projects as “Blade Runner 2049,” “First Man,” “Jungle Cruise” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”
Jarrett previously had over a decade of experience as a client-side production VFX supervisor with credits such as Disney’s live-action “Aladdin”, “Logan” and “Sweeney Todd”. He was co-founder of boutique VFX house BlueBolt VFX, and previously served on the executive committee of visual effects company MPC.
DIFFUSION
Amazon Prime Video revealed a second season for “Todo Por Lucy,” a modern, reimagined take on the classic comedy series “I Love Lucy,” which will premiere August 19 in Latin America and the United States. Lucy (Natalia Téllez) and Ricky (Daniel Tovar) form the perfect imperfect couple. Ricky wants to get married. Lucy is not ready for this commitment. Moving in together is the common ground they find.
The series was developed and produced by Endemol Shine Boomdogwho teamed up with France to acquire the rights and create an adaptation of the comedy classic. Rights to the format have been licensed from Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Leonardo Zimbrón (“Get on My Moto”) serves as executive producer, while Joe Rendon serves as showrunner/director.
Boomdog is also in production with “A Beautiful Lie”, an adaptation of Endemol Shine Australia’s modern take on Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”. Starring Kate del Castillo, who serves as an EP through her Cholawood label, the series will launch on Spanish-language streamer Pantaya.
Endemol Shine Boomdog
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