Good Deed Entertainment has taken US distribution rights to the animated drama Charlotte inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon.
An April 22, 2022 release date has been set.
The pic features the voices of 2x Oscar nominee Keira Knightley, Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong. Additionally, the French version of the film will feature the voice of Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard. Directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, Charlotte follows Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece. Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis wrote the screenplay.
Kristin Harris, EVP of Distribution & Operations for Good Deed Entertainment, said, “Charlotte is both an incredibly inspiring story as well as a beautifully...
An April 22, 2022 release date has been set.
The pic features the voices of 2x Oscar nominee Keira Knightley, Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong. Additionally, the French version of the film will feature the voice of Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard. Directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, Charlotte follows Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece. Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis wrote the screenplay.
Kristin Harris, EVP of Distribution & Operations for Good Deed Entertainment, said, “Charlotte is both an incredibly inspiring story as well as a beautifully...
- 12/15/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon, who was murdered in Auschwitz at age 26, and her autobiographical masterwork “Life? or Theatre?,” which was created in a two-year burst in the early 1940s, are the subjects of “Charlotte,” a unique animated biopic drama that marks a career turning point for Toronto producer Julia Rosenberg.
Rosenberg first encountered “Life? or Theatre?” — which comprises hundreds of gouache paintings, a 32,000-word journey-of-an-artist tale filled with dark family secrets and numerous text overlays and music cues — as a bat mitzvah gift. She soon developed “a very possessive personal relationship” with the book. “It’s the book I would buy and give when I fell in love,” she said.
After a decade racking up producer credits on notable Canadian dramatic and documentary features, Rosenberg decided one morning in 2012 that an animated film should be made of Salomon’s life, and set about harnessing her passion and wide network to make it so.
Rosenberg first encountered “Life? or Theatre?” — which comprises hundreds of gouache paintings, a 32,000-word journey-of-an-artist tale filled with dark family secrets and numerous text overlays and music cues — as a bat mitzvah gift. She soon developed “a very possessive personal relationship” with the book. “It’s the book I would buy and give when I fell in love,” she said.
After a decade racking up producer credits on notable Canadian dramatic and documentary features, Rosenberg decided one morning in 2012 that an animated film should be made of Salomon’s life, and set about harnessing her passion and wide network to make it so.
- 9/13/2021
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley will lead the voice cast of graphic novel adaptation “Charlotte,” which is set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
Along with Knightley, the “Charlotte” voice cast includes Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Brenda Blethyn and Sophie Okonedo.
“Charlotte” is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, with the screenplay written by Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis. The French version of “Charlotte” features the voices of Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris. The animated drama is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? Or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon.
The Canada-France-Belgium animated drama “Charlotte” follows Charlotte Salomon, a young woman who grows up during World War II and comes out on the other side with her artistry to create a masterpiece.
“All of us at Sierra/Affinity are excited to work with this star-studded cast and present this unique animated film to distributors across the globe,...
Along with Knightley, the “Charlotte” voice cast includes Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Brenda Blethyn and Sophie Okonedo.
“Charlotte” is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, with the screenplay written by Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis. The French version of “Charlotte” features the voices of Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris. The animated drama is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? Or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon.
The Canada-France-Belgium animated drama “Charlotte” follows Charlotte Salomon, a young woman who grows up during World War II and comes out on the other side with her artistry to create a masterpiece.
“All of us at Sierra/Affinity are excited to work with this star-studded cast and present this unique animated film to distributors across the globe,...
- 7/21/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
Marion Cotillard among voice cast on French version of Second World War drama.
Keira Knightley has joined the voice cast on animation and Toronto selection Charlotte, which Sierra/Affinity has come on board to represent for world sales.
Knightley joins Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong on the Canada-France-Belgium co-production about Charlotte Salomon, a German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and creates a timeless masterpiece.
The French version of the animated drama will feature the voices of Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris.
Keira Knightley has joined the voice cast on animation and Toronto selection Charlotte, which Sierra/Affinity has come on board to represent for world sales.
Knightley joins Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong on the Canada-France-Belgium co-production about Charlotte Salomon, a German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and creates a timeless masterpiece.
The French version of the animated drama will feature the voices of Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris.
- 7/21/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Keira Knightley has joined the voice cast of “Charlotte,” an animated drama film that will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Knightley joins a cast that includes Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong and the late Helen McCrory.
Marion Cotillard has also been announced to lead the voice cast for the French version of the film, alongside Romain Duris.
Eric Warin and Tahir Rana are directing “Charlotte,” and Sierra/Affinity has come on board to handle global sales. Elevation will release the film in Canada. MK2 Mile End is distributing the film in Quebec, The Searchers in Benelux and Diaphana in France.
“Charlotte” is based on the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of WWII and created a series of autobiographical paintings while hiding from the Nazis. The real Salomon...
Knightley joins a cast that includes Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong and the late Helen McCrory.
Marion Cotillard has also been announced to lead the voice cast for the French version of the film, alongside Romain Duris.
Eric Warin and Tahir Rana are directing “Charlotte,” and Sierra/Affinity has come on board to handle global sales. Elevation will release the film in Canada. MK2 Mile End is distributing the film in Quebec, The Searchers in Benelux and Diaphana in France.
“Charlotte” is based on the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of WWII and created a series of autobiographical paintings while hiding from the Nazis. The real Salomon...
- 7/21/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley joins Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong as part of the voice cast for the Canada-France-Belgium animated drama feature Charlotte.
The pic, which is making its world premiere at TIFF and is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, depicts the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece. The project is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon. The French version of Charlotte will feature the voices of Oscar winner Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris.
Sierra/Affinity is handling global sales. Elevation will distribute the movie in Canada. MK2 Mile End is releasing the film in Quebec, The Searchers in Benelux,...
The pic, which is making its world premiere at TIFF and is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, depicts the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece. The project is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon. The French version of Charlotte will feature the voices of Oscar winner Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris.
Sierra/Affinity is handling global sales. Elevation will distribute the movie in Canada. MK2 Mile End is releasing the film in Quebec, The Searchers in Benelux,...
- 7/21/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Sony Classics is finalizing a U.S. pre-buy of period drama Farnsworth House, which is to star Ralph Fiennes and Elizabeth Debicki.
Debicki, who is soon to be seen starring in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, is in final negotiations to join in the co-lead role which was previously going to be Maggie Gyllenhaal but the latter is newly taken up with directorial debut The Lost Daughter.
Set in late 1940s Chicago, Debicki will play Dr. Edith Farnsworth, whose ambitious project with the revolutionary Bauhaus architect Mies Van Der Rohe, played by Fiennes, to build the first glass house led them into a passionate but tempestuous love affair. Pic is due to shoot this spring or summer.
Richard Press, known for feature documentary Bill Cunningham New York, wrote the screenplay and will direct. Pic is a Canada-Ireland co-production from Serendipity Point Films producers Robert Lantos and...
Debicki, who is soon to be seen starring in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, is in final negotiations to join in the co-lead role which was previously going to be Maggie Gyllenhaal but the latter is newly taken up with directorial debut The Lost Daughter.
Set in late 1940s Chicago, Debicki will play Dr. Edith Farnsworth, whose ambitious project with the revolutionary Bauhaus architect Mies Van Der Rohe, played by Fiennes, to build the first glass house led them into a passionate but tempestuous love affair. Pic is due to shoot this spring or summer.
Richard Press, known for feature documentary Bill Cunningham New York, wrote the screenplay and will direct. Pic is a Canada-Ireland co-production from Serendipity Point Films producers Robert Lantos and...
- 2/20/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety has been given exclusive access to the first-look image from “The Song of Names,” starring Clive Owen and Tim Roth. HanWay Films is selling the film at the American Film Market.
Jeffrey Caine wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Norman Lebrecht. The original score is by Howard Shore.
The film, described as an “emotional detective story,” unfolds at the start of World War II. It centers on 9-year-old violin prodigy Dovidl, a recent Polish-Jewish refugee to London. His brother Martin, of the same age, is devoted to him.
Hours before Dovidl’s debut concert performance at the age of 21 he vanishes without a trace. Decades later, a young violinist shows Martin, now in his late 50s, a stylistic flourish that could only have been taught by Dovidl. This prompts Martin to begin a search overseas for his lost brother, “one that will lead to surprising revelations for both men and for Helen,...
Jeffrey Caine wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Norman Lebrecht. The original score is by Howard Shore.
The film, described as an “emotional detective story,” unfolds at the start of World War II. It centers on 9-year-old violin prodigy Dovidl, a recent Polish-Jewish refugee to London. His brother Martin, of the same age, is devoted to him.
Hours before Dovidl’s debut concert performance at the age of 21 he vanishes without a trace. Decades later, a young violinist shows Martin, now in his late 50s, a stylistic flourish that could only have been taught by Dovidl. This prompts Martin to begin a search overseas for his lost brother, “one that will lead to surprising revelations for both men and for Helen,...
- 10/31/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
D Films Canadian distributor on Tiff selections from Serendipity Point Films and Distant Horizon
Santa Monica-base Myriad Pictures heads to Afm with slate additions Through Black Spruce and Clara, both of which premiered in Toronto last month.
Kirk D’Amico and his team will launch international sales on Don McKellar’s Through Black Spruce (main picture), which tells of a young First Nations woman whose twin sister sets out to find her after she disappears, forcing a clash between the Northern Ontario community she fled years ago, and Toronto, where she modelled before vanishing.
The drama stars Tanaya Beatty, Brandon Oakes,...
Santa Monica-base Myriad Pictures heads to Afm with slate additions Through Black Spruce and Clara, both of which premiered in Toronto last month.
Kirk D’Amico and his team will launch international sales on Don McKellar’s Through Black Spruce (main picture), which tells of a young First Nations woman whose twin sister sets out to find her after she disappears, forcing a clash between the Northern Ontario community she fled years ago, and Toronto, where she modelled before vanishing.
The drama stars Tanaya Beatty, Brandon Oakes,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
HanWay Films handles world sales on Holocaust mystery.
Principal photography will begin on September 27 in London on Holocaust mystery The Song Of Names starring Tim Roth and Clive Owen.
HanWay Films handles world sales on the drama, which François Girard (The Red Violin) directs from a screenplay by Jeffrey Caine based on Norman Lebrecht’s novel about a man who discovers a musical clue that sheds light on the disappearance of his friend when they were boys in wartime London.
Catherine McCormack, Jonah Hauer King and Gerran Howell also star. Production will take place in London, Budapest, Treblinka, Montreal and New York.
Principal photography will begin on September 27 in London on Holocaust mystery The Song Of Names starring Tim Roth and Clive Owen.
HanWay Films handles world sales on the drama, which François Girard (The Red Violin) directs from a screenplay by Jeffrey Caine based on Norman Lebrecht’s novel about a man who discovers a musical clue that sheds light on the disappearance of his friend when they were boys in wartime London.
Catherine McCormack, Jonah Hauer King and Gerran Howell also star. Production will take place in London, Budapest, Treblinka, Montreal and New York.
- 9/27/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Tim Roth and Clive Owen will star alongside Catherine McCormack (Braveheart), Jonah Hauer King (Little Women) and Gerran Howell (Genius) in The Song Of Names, the drama that The Red Violin director Francois Girard begins shooting tomorrow in London. Based on the Whitbread-winning novel by classical music scholar Norman Lebrecht, the screenplay is by Jeffrey Caine (The Constant Gardener), and the musical score is by Oscar Winner Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings).
The film is produced by Robert Lantos, Lyse Lafontaine and Nick Hirschkorn, with Viktoria Petranyi co-producing. Mark Musselman, Peter Touche and Stephen Spence are exec producers. Pic will also shoot in Budapest, Treblinka, Montreal and New York.
The Song Of Names is an emotional detective story spread over two continents and half a century. Beneath the film’s stunning and emotional musical revelation burn the horror of a war and the lost souls extinguished from history.
The film is produced by Robert Lantos, Lyse Lafontaine and Nick Hirschkorn, with Viktoria Petranyi co-producing. Mark Musselman, Peter Touche and Stephen Spence are exec producers. Pic will also shoot in Budapest, Treblinka, Montreal and New York.
The Song Of Names is an emotional detective story spread over two continents and half a century. Beneath the film’s stunning and emotional musical revelation burn the horror of a war and the lost souls extinguished from history.
- 9/26/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Vitagraph Films, the U.S. distributor of Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “Museo,” starring Gael García Bernal, which is arguably the best-received Latin American movie to date this year, has dropped the film’s first trailer, ahead of its North American premiere at the Toronto Festival and U.S theatrical roll-out.
Also screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival in September and the Mill Valley Film Festival in October, “Museo” will be released in NewYork from Sept. 14, in Washington D.C. and South Florida from Sept. 21 and in Los Angeles a week later. Other markets will follow. Variety has had exclusive access to the film’s trailer and poster.
A “gorgeous, giddy shaggy-dog movie,” Variety announced upon the film’s world premiere in competition at Berlin, “Museo,” which is sold by Luxbox, won a Silver Bear for best screenplay at this year’s Berlinale, garnering some of the festival’s best reviews.
Ruizpalacios...
Also screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival in September and the Mill Valley Film Festival in October, “Museo” will be released in NewYork from Sept. 14, in Washington D.C. and South Florida from Sept. 21 and in Los Angeles a week later. Other markets will follow. Variety has had exclusive access to the film’s trailer and poster.
A “gorgeous, giddy shaggy-dog movie,” Variety announced upon the film’s world premiere in competition at Berlin, “Museo,” which is sold by Luxbox, won a Silver Bear for best screenplay at this year’s Berlinale, garnering some of the festival’s best reviews.
Ruizpalacios...
- 8/27/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Producer Ari Lantos promises the story “balances both scientific discovery and spiritual exploration in a way that is distinctly unique and original.”
Principal photography has kicked off in Toronto on the sci-fi project starring Patrick J. Adams and Troian Bellisario.
Newcomer Akash Sherman makes his feature directorial debut from his screenplay about a troubled astronaut who enlists a spirited assistant in his deep space quest for signs of life.
Serendipity Point Films’ Ari Lantos serves as producer on Clara and Mark Musselman and Anant Singh are on board as executive producers.
D Films handles Canadian theatrical distribution and the film is being produced in association with Distant Horizon, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation, CBC and The Movie Network.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be working with such a gifted and sophisticated young filmmaker,” Lantos (pictured) said. “Akash and I first began this collaboration while he was a freshman in film school.
“Three years ago...
Principal photography has kicked off in Toronto on the sci-fi project starring Patrick J. Adams and Troian Bellisario.
Newcomer Akash Sherman makes his feature directorial debut from his screenplay about a troubled astronaut who enlists a spirited assistant in his deep space quest for signs of life.
Serendipity Point Films’ Ari Lantos serves as producer on Clara and Mark Musselman and Anant Singh are on board as executive producers.
D Films handles Canadian theatrical distribution and the film is being produced in association with Distant Horizon, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation, CBC and The Movie Network.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be working with such a gifted and sophisticated young filmmaker,” Lantos (pictured) said. “Akash and I first began this collaboration while he was a freshman in film school.
“Three years ago...
- 3/6/2017
- ScreenDaily
The distributor has picked up two films on offer in the market, taking Us rights to Atom Egoyan’s Remember starring Christopher Plummer and Bryan Bertino’s upcoming There Are Monsters.
Remember stars Plummer as a man who sets out across the United States to confront the former Nazi guard that murdered his family during WWII. The story is based on Benjamin August’s debut screenplay.
Im Global represents international rights and Wme Global brokered the Us deal on the Serendipity Point Films drama that also stars Martin Landau and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris.
Serendipity Point’s Robert Lantos produces with Ari Lantos in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell.
Anant Singh and Mark Musselman serve as executive producers alongside Moises Cosio, Jeff Sagansky, Mike Porter, Larry Guterman and D Matt Geller, with Jens Meurer serving as co-producer.
There Are Monsters hails from Atlas Independent and Unbroken Pictures and Embankment Films handles...
Remember stars Plummer as a man who sets out across the United States to confront the former Nazi guard that murdered his family during WWII. The story is based on Benjamin August’s debut screenplay.
Im Global represents international rights and Wme Global brokered the Us deal on the Serendipity Point Films drama that also stars Martin Landau and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris.
Serendipity Point’s Robert Lantos produces with Ari Lantos in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell.
Anant Singh and Mark Musselman serve as executive producers alongside Moises Cosio, Jeff Sagansky, Mike Porter, Larry Guterman and D Matt Geller, with Jens Meurer serving as co-producer.
There Are Monsters hails from Atlas Independent and Unbroken Pictures and Embankment Films handles...
- 5/12/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The distributor has picked up Atom Egoyan’s drama starring Christopher Plummer as a man who sets out across the United States to confront the former Nazi guard that murdered his family during WWII.
Martin Landau and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris also star in the Serendipity Point Film production. The story is based on Benjamin August’s debut screenplay.
Serendipity Point’s Robert Lantos produces with Ari Lantos in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell.
Anant Singh and Mark Musselman serve as executive producers alongside Moises Cosio, Jeff Sagansky, Mike Porter, Larry Guterman and D Matt Geller, with Jens Meurer serving as co-producer.
Wme Global brokered the deal with A24. Im Global handles international sales.
Martin Landau and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris also star in the Serendipity Point Film production. The story is based on Benjamin August’s debut screenplay.
Serendipity Point’s Robert Lantos produces with Ari Lantos in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell.
Anant Singh and Mark Musselman serve as executive producers alongside Moises Cosio, Jeff Sagansky, Mike Porter, Larry Guterman and D Matt Geller, with Jens Meurer serving as co-producer.
Wme Global brokered the deal with A24. Im Global handles international sales.
- 5/12/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Los Cabos International Film Festival took place this month of November. It was a brave move to keep it going after Cabo had been so hard hit by Hurricane Odile with winds of 125mph less than a month earlier. The vast destruction in our part of town was quickly being repaired though traces remained visible and repairs still to be done necessitated cutting the normal invitation list by half and doubling up hotel rooms for a few unlucky journalists. That being said, there were 15,000 attending the festival. Volunteers wore the worthy words on their t-shirts: #Unstoppable, and they were that.
For all the infrastructure problems of the city in the midst of rebuilding itself, the festival seemed to thrive with all sorts of invitees showing up from all over the world. It seemed like gala events, panels, master classes, coproduction meetings, works in progress, screenings and interviews were constantly taking place. It was a great team and we all felt part of it.
The festival is overseen by the executive board members Eduardo Sánchez Navarro, Alfonso Pascal Barcenas, Scott Cross and Sean Cross (who also founded Vail Film Festival) and is organized by the festival team of Alonso Aguilar (General Director), Alejandra Paulin (General Coordinator) - who was a great market director in Guadajalara before coming here, Maru Garzon (Head of Programming), Ana Molinar Trujillo (Communication Manager), and Monica Herrera (Film Programmer). My friend from Guadalajara, normally an English teacher, Fabian Cruz was also there working for the festival.
When Eduardo Sánchez Navarro Redo remembers how he first came to Los Cabos, there is no doubt in his mind that destiny and luck played an important part. When he married his wife 30 years ago, he decided to travel along the entire Pacific Coast, from Acapulco to Mazatlan, where he crossed over to La Paz eventually driving to Los Cabos. The beauty of the area impressed him and it was during this trip that he and his wife decided to buy a vacation home in Los Cabos, thus beginning a distinguished career as a principal player and developer of what is Los Cabos today. Over the course of more than 20 years, his company, Grupo Questro, has emerged as one of the most highly respected developers in all of Mexico. He, together with Juan Gallardo Thurlow, Scott Cross, and Sean Cross, founded the festival in 2012.
My job as a journalist was to explore and write, hard to do when you are having such fun 24/7. We journalists were all in one hotel where we were given space and time to bond. Travel writers mixed with trade writers: from Film Journal David Noh, whose article is worth sharing here, my colleagues Peter Rainer from NPR and Christian Science Monitor, Anne Thompson from Thompson on Hollywood on Indiewire, Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com and many others met and mixed. Also Ira Deutchman of Colombia University Film School and Emerging Pictures and Robin Brock of Creative Coalition were there with time to share dinners.
The filmmakers, in another hotel, mixed by day and at the communal lunches and parties. I will write more on them in an upcoming blog! After all, filmmakers are the backbone of our industry. Without them, we have nothing!
The agents, mostly from CAA, were placed in another hotel, luxurious and far away. As someone said, Cabos is like Cannes, only in November. If so, perhaps they were at the Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes. (Actually they were at Hacienda Beach Club & Residences) CAA has always been an honored part of this festival. I have heard that that is because someone with lots of money from Mexico invests it in cinema through CAA and even started the festival. That is, however, pure conjecture. Under the guidance of CAA agent, Micah Green, people can be assured that the directions he sees and the decisions he makes about investing private individuals' capital into filmed entertainment is priceless. I could think of no one I would trust more --in this untrustworthy business we are in-- than Micah.
At least two other agents – Bec Smith and Rena Ronson from UTA -- were also there. Rena and Micah were on the Film Financing Panel moderated by Variety’s expert in all things Iberoamerican and my idol, John Hopewell. Other participants on the Film Finance Panel were Jonathan King, Evp of Production at Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media whose partnership with Canana formed Participant PanAmerican production fund. “No” by Pablo Lorrain was their first investment. Pp also financed "El Ardor" which played in Cannes and “Cesar Chavez”, directed by Diego Luna. Also on the panel were Mark Musselman of Canada’s 10X2yinc, the exec producer of “Eastern Promises” and most recently of “Remember” by Atom Egoyan which was also produced by Robert Lantos and son, also in Los Cabos. It went into production in 2014 and is tipped for Cannes. Other panelists included Raul Del Alto of Mexico’s Ag Studios (Itaca Films Mexico, Itaca Films USA, Itaca Films Colombia and Itaca Filkms Brazil, and Rena Ronson of UTA who, like Micah Green of CAA focuses on global film finance, distribution and marketing strategies for Independents and co-financed features and is fluent in Spanish because of her long time experience with Latin America.
At one point I looked up and found the European fund chiefs there as well, Laufey Gudjonsdottir from Iceland (where Interstellar was filmed), Katriel Schory from Israel Film Fund and Edith Sepp-Dallas from the Estonian Film Institute. They were there for Bpx. Best Practice Exchange is an initiative that brings together the leaders of film funding agencies from across the world to take part in high-level-workshops – one or two each year – designed to promote new standards of excellence in the provision of public funding for the support of film production, development and distribution. The aim of Bpx is to ensure that policies and procedures adopted by film funding agencies will act together, positively and proactively, to stimulate and sustain practices of international coproduction and cofinancing worldwide.
Triggered by the situation in which filmmaking outside the main production centers of Hollywood and Bollywood now finds itself, Bpx was created by Simon Perry, president of Ace (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), in collaboration with Katriel Schory, executive director of the Israel Film Fund. It held its first workshop in February 2013 in Israel, and two further workshops in Toronto (September 2013) and Berlin (February 2014) and this was the third! Bravo!
Among the Mexican, Canadian and U.S. films that showed, the winners were as follow:
Mexico First
Mexico First winning film was ¨Llevate mis amores” ("All of Me") by Arturo Gonzalez. The film narrates the story of the generosity of the women of Las Patronas who feed the immigrants who ride La Bestia. The director was awarded a cash Prize of Usd $15,000. This film made me cry. I thought of it again when reading the L.A. Times article about the murder of Adrian Rodriguez and his assistant, Mexican good Samaritans who dedicated their scarce resources to feeding Central American migrants passing by on La Bestia, which is what the women in this movie do. And one of the women was at the festival too.
Los Cabos Competition
The Los Cabos Competition winner was “Güeros” by Alonso Ruizpalacios, also a winner at the Berlinale, Jerusalem Film Festival, Tribeca, Toronto and San Sebastian. Being sold internationally by Mundial, the joint venture of Canana (again!) and Im Global, the film has sold to Kino Lorber for U.S., Cannibal for Mexico, Dreams Hill for Italy, Noori for So. Korea and Maison Motion for Taiwan … "Güeros" is the undeniable triumph of a nouveau director who dares to pay homage the French New Wave on a wild detective hunt through Mexico City. In light of the 43 murdered students, this film, about students on strike, strikes a chord within the watcher. The film´s producer won a Usd $15,000 cash prize.
Work In Progress Mexico
The second Work in Progress Mexico prize was awarded to "Los Herederos," by Jorge Hernandez, a film that describes adolescent effervescence and idleness through a group of friends who spend their vacations adrenaline-seeking through parties, sex and alcohol. The winner received a Usd $10,000 cash prize.
Mexico-usa-canada Co-production Forum
The winner of the first Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum was also announced: "Afronauts" by Frances Bodomo, based on the real life story of the Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Investigación Espacial e Investigación Astronómica of Zambia. Writer- Director Frances Bodomo received a Usd $8,000 cash prize. It also received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Mexico First: Fox +
In its second year running the México Primero: Fox+ chose one of the films that participated to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The México Primero: Fox+ prize consists of Usd $40,000 and was awarded to Isaac Ezban´s "El Incidente" ("The Incident"), two M.C. Escher-maze-like parallel stories about characters trapped in illogical endless spaces: two brothers and a detective locked on an infinite staircase, and a family locked on an infinite road… for a very long time. The international sales agent, Shoreline, will be showing the film at Ventana Sur December 3rd at 17:00 at Cinemark 3.
Work In Progress Mexico Fox +
In its second year running as well, Work in Progress México Fox+ selected a participating film to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The Usd $30,000 prize was awarded to Katina Medina Mora’s "Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz", produced by Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann.
Work In Progress Mexico Chemistry
This Third edition of the Festival also witnessed the first Work In Progress México –Chemistry award. Chemistry post-production studios granted the winner, Jorge Hernandez’s "Los Herederos", $45,000 Usd in color correction services.
Mexico – USA – Canada Splendor Omnia Mantarraya Co-production Forum
On its first year running, the Coproduction Forum Mexico- USA- Canada Splendor Omnia – MANTArraya will be granting a $30,000 Usd equivalent prize worth 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, as well as a paid stay in Tepoztlan Morelos, site of their studios, to the winner "Afronauts" by Francez Bodomo (U.S.).
The key phrase to understanding Cabo is "Seeing what the neighbors do" as the festival and market connects Canada, U,S, and Mexico in showing of films and exploring coproduction. And the mixing of filmmakers and journalists from all three Americas was exciting in the possibilities it offered to everyone.
As for the hard-core business done there:
Mark Kassen will be directing "Criminal Empire for Dummies" written by Cliff Dorman. Kassen will also be producing the film along with James Gibb of Cutting Edge Group and Greg Hajdarowicz of Gremi Films. The deal took place at the exclusive resort Hacienda Beach Club & Residences and was reported by Variety.
Actor and producer Luis Gerardo Mendez ("Nosotros Los Nobles") signed a representation agreement with Paradigm. Reported by Variety. So I guess Paradigm also sent agents to Los Cabos.
Pat Saperstein of Variety also attended Los Cabos and scooped a story, that “Wolverine Hotel” from director Patricia Chica who was participating in the Coproduction Forum, is closing in on production with a "recent financing commitment from Jean-Guy Després, who will serve as exec producer. The edgy crime thriller is produced by Canada-based Byron Martin. Looking to cast a Latino actor as co-star, Chica met with rising Mexican thesp Luis Gerardo Mendez ('We Are the Nobles') during Afm though he has not yet been attached. 'A Latino star opens up a market', said Martin."
Celebrated producer Monica Lozano announced the launch of Alebrije Distribución. She has had her hand in 23 productions since her first film, "Amores Perros". "Instructions Not Included" the Us$ 5.5 million film that grossed Us$ 100 million worldwide was also her production. With this Pan-American initiative, the company will acquire distribution rights for the Latin and North American markets. Reported by Variety again!! You would think John was the only real reporter there. Pinske should be proud of him! Most of us got no scoops, but then, I guess we have to prove ourselves worthy - which I am not because at heart, I am not a reporter hunting for news, but rather a gatherer of information and a writer.
Speaking of Monica Lozano, the Germany-based international sales agent, Media Luna, acquired world rights to Internet Junkie, directed by Alexander Katzowicz and produced by Monica Lozano. Variety reports on this again!
"Yamaha 300", a participating project of the 1st Mexico – USA- Canada Coproduction Forum, produced by Valerium Arts (Mayra Espinosa y Jorge Michel Grau, producer and writer-director of the horror hit "Somos lo que hay" respectively, and Grau, the writer of the remake "We Are What We Are") and Uncorked Productions (Andrew Corkin, the producer of the horror film "What We Were"), will be one of the first projects to receive the development stage and postproduction support offered by The Good Film Fund, an initiative of Media Darling (Amy Darling) and The Chatanooga Film Festival. See Variety.
New York producer Dodgeville Films ("To Be Takei") will be joining Varios Lobos in Mexico to produce "Ya no estoy aquí", Fernando Frias’s second film, which was also a winner during Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition. This film in the Coproduction Forum was reported on in Variety.
"Siete Horas" ("Seven Hours"), one of the winning projects of the second Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund edition, which will be directed by Chema Rodriguez and produced by Francisco Vargas, the renowned director of the film "El violin", made an alliance with the Spanish production companies Sin un Duro and Noodles Prods to co-produce the project. (Variety)
CineTren closed deals to handle Latin American distribution for Spring, a Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead film, whose Latin American Premiere was held at Los Cabos International Film Festival. Negotiations between Nate Bolotin and Marie Katz fromLos Angeles-based Xyz and Manuel Garcia from CineTren, took place at the Hotel Grand Solmar. Next time, I'll have to visit all the hotels!! See Variety article.
BH5 Group, which participates in the executive production of "Remember" by Atom Egoyan, will be working with Alonso Ruizpalacios, director of Güeros, in his second movie: Museo, a project that participated in the Ist Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum. Even though Variety wrote about this, my blog on the three year old conglomerate of companies, BH5, was more complete:
BH5 Group Makes a Splash with Three Impressive Films at Los Cabos Int'l Film Fest
BH5, a conglomerate of five formerly independent production companies all run by various friends from the same film school, will be working the international markets much more. Besides the Toronto hit, Jodorowsky's "Dance of Reality", they are working with larger companies like Pathe now. Their work in progress, "You Will Know What To Do With Me" ("Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz") which just won the The Usd $30,000 prize of Fox+, is seeking an international sales agent.
"Entrevero" by Max Zunino, also winner of the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition, was selected in the development project category by Ibermedia. See Variety.
And though Colombian Ciro Guerra, whose "The Wind Journeys" was produced by our German friends Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner at Razor Film Production and by Burning Blue's prolific Diana Bustamente -- who is now also heading the Carthagena Film Festival -- showed in 2009 Cannes Un Certain Regard and was sold by Paris’ Elle Driver to 19 countries including Film Movement for U.S., announced to Variety's John Hopewell that his next film, "Embrace of the Serpent" will star U.S. actor Brionne Davis (“Savaged”) and Belgium’s Jan Bijvoet, the lead in Cannes Competition entry “Borgman” a really creepy dark comedy, he did not discuss his next project "Taganga" in the Coproduction Forum. "Taganga" is about a fisherman from a small village by the Colombian coast where many foreign-owned scuba diving centers have been established. A new law requiring local fisherman to change the motors of their boats forces him to earn quick money, so he chooses to dynamite to fish. The owner of the largest scuba diving center opposes this use of explosives. When the fisherman receives a death threat if he continues the dynamiting of fish, he assumes the center's owner is behind the threat. In order to prove it, he begins a series of fateful actions.
Finally, while it seems like Variety wrote all the news, I have one item which no one has reported on. Reese Witherspoon stated at her press conference in Los Cabos, where her film "Wild" premiered in a red carpet gala, that she is talking to Eugenio Derbez ("Instructions Not Included") to make a movie with him. I heard her say it and later spoke of this to Ben Odell (my next blog on Los Cabos features him). Ben (now partners with Eugenio at 3Pas Studios) said, Actually that would be a great idea but they had not spoken about it. However, they are both represented by CAA, so it would seem like a natural and really exciting pairing. After all, aren't "Legally Blond" and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" the same film? She is certainly on a role as a producer with "Wild" and David Fincher's "Gone Girl" as he is with his U.S. career. The studios are all courting her now, she said. More to come on this...
For all the infrastructure problems of the city in the midst of rebuilding itself, the festival seemed to thrive with all sorts of invitees showing up from all over the world. It seemed like gala events, panels, master classes, coproduction meetings, works in progress, screenings and interviews were constantly taking place. It was a great team and we all felt part of it.
The festival is overseen by the executive board members Eduardo Sánchez Navarro, Alfonso Pascal Barcenas, Scott Cross and Sean Cross (who also founded Vail Film Festival) and is organized by the festival team of Alonso Aguilar (General Director), Alejandra Paulin (General Coordinator) - who was a great market director in Guadajalara before coming here, Maru Garzon (Head of Programming), Ana Molinar Trujillo (Communication Manager), and Monica Herrera (Film Programmer). My friend from Guadalajara, normally an English teacher, Fabian Cruz was also there working for the festival.
When Eduardo Sánchez Navarro Redo remembers how he first came to Los Cabos, there is no doubt in his mind that destiny and luck played an important part. When he married his wife 30 years ago, he decided to travel along the entire Pacific Coast, from Acapulco to Mazatlan, where he crossed over to La Paz eventually driving to Los Cabos. The beauty of the area impressed him and it was during this trip that he and his wife decided to buy a vacation home in Los Cabos, thus beginning a distinguished career as a principal player and developer of what is Los Cabos today. Over the course of more than 20 years, his company, Grupo Questro, has emerged as one of the most highly respected developers in all of Mexico. He, together with Juan Gallardo Thurlow, Scott Cross, and Sean Cross, founded the festival in 2012.
My job as a journalist was to explore and write, hard to do when you are having such fun 24/7. We journalists were all in one hotel where we were given space and time to bond. Travel writers mixed with trade writers: from Film Journal David Noh, whose article is worth sharing here, my colleagues Peter Rainer from NPR and Christian Science Monitor, Anne Thompson from Thompson on Hollywood on Indiewire, Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com and many others met and mixed. Also Ira Deutchman of Colombia University Film School and Emerging Pictures and Robin Brock of Creative Coalition were there with time to share dinners.
The filmmakers, in another hotel, mixed by day and at the communal lunches and parties. I will write more on them in an upcoming blog! After all, filmmakers are the backbone of our industry. Without them, we have nothing!
The agents, mostly from CAA, were placed in another hotel, luxurious and far away. As someone said, Cabos is like Cannes, only in November. If so, perhaps they were at the Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes. (Actually they were at Hacienda Beach Club & Residences) CAA has always been an honored part of this festival. I have heard that that is because someone with lots of money from Mexico invests it in cinema through CAA and even started the festival. That is, however, pure conjecture. Under the guidance of CAA agent, Micah Green, people can be assured that the directions he sees and the decisions he makes about investing private individuals' capital into filmed entertainment is priceless. I could think of no one I would trust more --in this untrustworthy business we are in-- than Micah.
At least two other agents – Bec Smith and Rena Ronson from UTA -- were also there. Rena and Micah were on the Film Financing Panel moderated by Variety’s expert in all things Iberoamerican and my idol, John Hopewell. Other participants on the Film Finance Panel were Jonathan King, Evp of Production at Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media whose partnership with Canana formed Participant PanAmerican production fund. “No” by Pablo Lorrain was their first investment. Pp also financed "El Ardor" which played in Cannes and “Cesar Chavez”, directed by Diego Luna. Also on the panel were Mark Musselman of Canada’s 10X2yinc, the exec producer of “Eastern Promises” and most recently of “Remember” by Atom Egoyan which was also produced by Robert Lantos and son, also in Los Cabos. It went into production in 2014 and is tipped for Cannes. Other panelists included Raul Del Alto of Mexico’s Ag Studios (Itaca Films Mexico, Itaca Films USA, Itaca Films Colombia and Itaca Filkms Brazil, and Rena Ronson of UTA who, like Micah Green of CAA focuses on global film finance, distribution and marketing strategies for Independents and co-financed features and is fluent in Spanish because of her long time experience with Latin America.
At one point I looked up and found the European fund chiefs there as well, Laufey Gudjonsdottir from Iceland (where Interstellar was filmed), Katriel Schory from Israel Film Fund and Edith Sepp-Dallas from the Estonian Film Institute. They were there for Bpx. Best Practice Exchange is an initiative that brings together the leaders of film funding agencies from across the world to take part in high-level-workshops – one or two each year – designed to promote new standards of excellence in the provision of public funding for the support of film production, development and distribution. The aim of Bpx is to ensure that policies and procedures adopted by film funding agencies will act together, positively and proactively, to stimulate and sustain practices of international coproduction and cofinancing worldwide.
Triggered by the situation in which filmmaking outside the main production centers of Hollywood and Bollywood now finds itself, Bpx was created by Simon Perry, president of Ace (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), in collaboration with Katriel Schory, executive director of the Israel Film Fund. It held its first workshop in February 2013 in Israel, and two further workshops in Toronto (September 2013) and Berlin (February 2014) and this was the third! Bravo!
Among the Mexican, Canadian and U.S. films that showed, the winners were as follow:
Mexico First
Mexico First winning film was ¨Llevate mis amores” ("All of Me") by Arturo Gonzalez. The film narrates the story of the generosity of the women of Las Patronas who feed the immigrants who ride La Bestia. The director was awarded a cash Prize of Usd $15,000. This film made me cry. I thought of it again when reading the L.A. Times article about the murder of Adrian Rodriguez and his assistant, Mexican good Samaritans who dedicated their scarce resources to feeding Central American migrants passing by on La Bestia, which is what the women in this movie do. And one of the women was at the festival too.
Los Cabos Competition
The Los Cabos Competition winner was “Güeros” by Alonso Ruizpalacios, also a winner at the Berlinale, Jerusalem Film Festival, Tribeca, Toronto and San Sebastian. Being sold internationally by Mundial, the joint venture of Canana (again!) and Im Global, the film has sold to Kino Lorber for U.S., Cannibal for Mexico, Dreams Hill for Italy, Noori for So. Korea and Maison Motion for Taiwan … "Güeros" is the undeniable triumph of a nouveau director who dares to pay homage the French New Wave on a wild detective hunt through Mexico City. In light of the 43 murdered students, this film, about students on strike, strikes a chord within the watcher. The film´s producer won a Usd $15,000 cash prize.
Work In Progress Mexico
The second Work in Progress Mexico prize was awarded to "Los Herederos," by Jorge Hernandez, a film that describes adolescent effervescence and idleness through a group of friends who spend their vacations adrenaline-seeking through parties, sex and alcohol. The winner received a Usd $10,000 cash prize.
Mexico-usa-canada Co-production Forum
The winner of the first Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum was also announced: "Afronauts" by Frances Bodomo, based on the real life story of the Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Investigación Espacial e Investigación Astronómica of Zambia. Writer- Director Frances Bodomo received a Usd $8,000 cash prize. It also received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Mexico First: Fox +
In its second year running the México Primero: Fox+ chose one of the films that participated to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The México Primero: Fox+ prize consists of Usd $40,000 and was awarded to Isaac Ezban´s "El Incidente" ("The Incident"), two M.C. Escher-maze-like parallel stories about characters trapped in illogical endless spaces: two brothers and a detective locked on an infinite staircase, and a family locked on an infinite road… for a very long time. The international sales agent, Shoreline, will be showing the film at Ventana Sur December 3rd at 17:00 at Cinemark 3.
Work In Progress Mexico Fox +
In its second year running as well, Work in Progress México Fox+ selected a participating film to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The Usd $30,000 prize was awarded to Katina Medina Mora’s "Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz", produced by Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann.
Work In Progress Mexico Chemistry
This Third edition of the Festival also witnessed the first Work In Progress México –Chemistry award. Chemistry post-production studios granted the winner, Jorge Hernandez’s "Los Herederos", $45,000 Usd in color correction services.
Mexico – USA – Canada Splendor Omnia Mantarraya Co-production Forum
On its first year running, the Coproduction Forum Mexico- USA- Canada Splendor Omnia – MANTArraya will be granting a $30,000 Usd equivalent prize worth 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, as well as a paid stay in Tepoztlan Morelos, site of their studios, to the winner "Afronauts" by Francez Bodomo (U.S.).
The key phrase to understanding Cabo is "Seeing what the neighbors do" as the festival and market connects Canada, U,S, and Mexico in showing of films and exploring coproduction. And the mixing of filmmakers and journalists from all three Americas was exciting in the possibilities it offered to everyone.
As for the hard-core business done there:
Mark Kassen will be directing "Criminal Empire for Dummies" written by Cliff Dorman. Kassen will also be producing the film along with James Gibb of Cutting Edge Group and Greg Hajdarowicz of Gremi Films. The deal took place at the exclusive resort Hacienda Beach Club & Residences and was reported by Variety.
Actor and producer Luis Gerardo Mendez ("Nosotros Los Nobles") signed a representation agreement with Paradigm. Reported by Variety. So I guess Paradigm also sent agents to Los Cabos.
Pat Saperstein of Variety also attended Los Cabos and scooped a story, that “Wolverine Hotel” from director Patricia Chica who was participating in the Coproduction Forum, is closing in on production with a "recent financing commitment from Jean-Guy Després, who will serve as exec producer. The edgy crime thriller is produced by Canada-based Byron Martin. Looking to cast a Latino actor as co-star, Chica met with rising Mexican thesp Luis Gerardo Mendez ('We Are the Nobles') during Afm though he has not yet been attached. 'A Latino star opens up a market', said Martin."
Celebrated producer Monica Lozano announced the launch of Alebrije Distribución. She has had her hand in 23 productions since her first film, "Amores Perros". "Instructions Not Included" the Us$ 5.5 million film that grossed Us$ 100 million worldwide was also her production. With this Pan-American initiative, the company will acquire distribution rights for the Latin and North American markets. Reported by Variety again!! You would think John was the only real reporter there. Pinske should be proud of him! Most of us got no scoops, but then, I guess we have to prove ourselves worthy - which I am not because at heart, I am not a reporter hunting for news, but rather a gatherer of information and a writer.
Speaking of Monica Lozano, the Germany-based international sales agent, Media Luna, acquired world rights to Internet Junkie, directed by Alexander Katzowicz and produced by Monica Lozano. Variety reports on this again!
"Yamaha 300", a participating project of the 1st Mexico – USA- Canada Coproduction Forum, produced by Valerium Arts (Mayra Espinosa y Jorge Michel Grau, producer and writer-director of the horror hit "Somos lo que hay" respectively, and Grau, the writer of the remake "We Are What We Are") and Uncorked Productions (Andrew Corkin, the producer of the horror film "What We Were"), will be one of the first projects to receive the development stage and postproduction support offered by The Good Film Fund, an initiative of Media Darling (Amy Darling) and The Chatanooga Film Festival. See Variety.
New York producer Dodgeville Films ("To Be Takei") will be joining Varios Lobos in Mexico to produce "Ya no estoy aquí", Fernando Frias’s second film, which was also a winner during Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition. This film in the Coproduction Forum was reported on in Variety.
"Siete Horas" ("Seven Hours"), one of the winning projects of the second Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund edition, which will be directed by Chema Rodriguez and produced by Francisco Vargas, the renowned director of the film "El violin", made an alliance with the Spanish production companies Sin un Duro and Noodles Prods to co-produce the project. (Variety)
CineTren closed deals to handle Latin American distribution for Spring, a Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead film, whose Latin American Premiere was held at Los Cabos International Film Festival. Negotiations between Nate Bolotin and Marie Katz fromLos Angeles-based Xyz and Manuel Garcia from CineTren, took place at the Hotel Grand Solmar. Next time, I'll have to visit all the hotels!! See Variety article.
BH5 Group, which participates in the executive production of "Remember" by Atom Egoyan, will be working with Alonso Ruizpalacios, director of Güeros, in his second movie: Museo, a project that participated in the Ist Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum. Even though Variety wrote about this, my blog on the three year old conglomerate of companies, BH5, was more complete:
BH5 Group Makes a Splash with Three Impressive Films at Los Cabos Int'l Film Fest
BH5, a conglomerate of five formerly independent production companies all run by various friends from the same film school, will be working the international markets much more. Besides the Toronto hit, Jodorowsky's "Dance of Reality", they are working with larger companies like Pathe now. Their work in progress, "You Will Know What To Do With Me" ("Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz") which just won the The Usd $30,000 prize of Fox+, is seeking an international sales agent.
"Entrevero" by Max Zunino, also winner of the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition, was selected in the development project category by Ibermedia. See Variety.
And though Colombian Ciro Guerra, whose "The Wind Journeys" was produced by our German friends Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner at Razor Film Production and by Burning Blue's prolific Diana Bustamente -- who is now also heading the Carthagena Film Festival -- showed in 2009 Cannes Un Certain Regard and was sold by Paris’ Elle Driver to 19 countries including Film Movement for U.S., announced to Variety's John Hopewell that his next film, "Embrace of the Serpent" will star U.S. actor Brionne Davis (“Savaged”) and Belgium’s Jan Bijvoet, the lead in Cannes Competition entry “Borgman” a really creepy dark comedy, he did not discuss his next project "Taganga" in the Coproduction Forum. "Taganga" is about a fisherman from a small village by the Colombian coast where many foreign-owned scuba diving centers have been established. A new law requiring local fisherman to change the motors of their boats forces him to earn quick money, so he chooses to dynamite to fish. The owner of the largest scuba diving center opposes this use of explosives. When the fisherman receives a death threat if he continues the dynamiting of fish, he assumes the center's owner is behind the threat. In order to prove it, he begins a series of fateful actions.
Finally, while it seems like Variety wrote all the news, I have one item which no one has reported on. Reese Witherspoon stated at her press conference in Los Cabos, where her film "Wild" premiered in a red carpet gala, that she is talking to Eugenio Derbez ("Instructions Not Included") to make a movie with him. I heard her say it and later spoke of this to Ben Odell (my next blog on Los Cabos features him). Ben (now partners with Eugenio at 3Pas Studios) said, Actually that would be a great idea but they had not spoken about it. However, they are both represented by CAA, so it would seem like a natural and really exciting pairing. After all, aren't "Legally Blond" and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" the same film? She is certainly on a role as a producer with "Wild" and David Fincher's "Gone Girl" as he is with his U.S. career. The studios are all courting her now, she said. More to come on this...
- 12/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Closely followed by Los Cabos International Film Festival in early November, and soon to be followed by the Academy Awards, the Fénix Iberoamerican Film Awards, highlighting and celebrating cinema made in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal as well as applauding the professionals involved was inaugurated by Cinema 23 this October 30th. This event's importance goes beyond bringing together hundreds of figures from the Iberoamerican film community to celebrate the well-deserved recognition to their work and strengthening relationships among the diverse industries as it forges the region's identity.
It offers proof of the region's vitality to the rest of the world based on the films' impact upon the rest of the world. This award ceremony shows the final product of coproductions. The world film industry agrees that coproductions are the engine driving production today. Regarding Latin America, Ibermedia of Spain first initiated coproductions with Latin America in 1998, but in the sixteen years of its activity, coproductions with Latin America have proliferated beyond Spain and beyond Europe to include Asia, Arab Middle East, Israel, Canada and the U.S.
Asia
So. Korea's Finecut was involved in Pedro Trapero's 2008 film "Lion's Den" and in his 2010 film,"Carancho," a coproduction between Argentinian producers Matanza Cine, Patagonik Film Group and South Korea's Finecut as well as French distributor Ad Vitam as investor and local distributor. Finecut handled world rights sales outside Latin America and France.) Independent coproductions are now embracing North America as well and the place to discover this is the Los Cabos International Film Festival. CAA has literally established a beachhead in this Mexican town so recently battered by hurricane Odile.
Arab Middle East
The supernatural thriller "Out of the Dark" ("Aguas Rojas") is a coproduction with Colombian production house Dynamo ("Undertow" aka "Contracorriente") and Imagenation of Abu Dhabi, cofinanced with Participant Panamerica who also cofinanced Canana’s "Chávez" and Fabula’s "No", the Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language film which Canana distributed in México.
Canada
Strategic Film Partners is devoting two years to Latin American coproductions. This year we presented a case study of "The Games Maker" ("El inventor de juegos"), a Canadian-Argentinian-Italian coproduction in English whose producers Tina Pehme and Kim Roberts were in Cabo looking or their next project at the Coproduction Forum.
For those who were at the Cabo International Film Festival this November 12 - 16, and who attended the Financing Panel to hear Variety's John Hopewell moderate the stellar participants which included Jonathan King from Participant, Mark Musselman from 10x2yinc, CAA's Micah Green, UTA's Rena Ronson and Raul Del Alto of Mexico's Ag Studios or heard Reese Witherspoon, whose film "Wild" opened the festival and whose agent, coincidentally is CAA, know that Mexico and by extension, Latin America, are registering high on the scale for U.S. and Canada investment. The unique positioning of the festival as the uniting force between U.S., Canada and Mexico ensures that the fourth edition's growth will be huge next year. Some are also calling it the Cannes of Latin America.
Recognition of the Exhibition Sector, awarded by the leading exhibitors in the region went to Mexican actor and producer, Eugenio Derbez, for "No se aceptan devoluciones" ("Instructions Not Included"). The resurgence of Mexican films which began in 2001 with the all-time hit "Amores Perros" by Alejandro González Iñárritu and which also introduced Gael Garcia Bernal to the public (U.S. box office $5,408,467, worldwide $20,908,467) and "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" in 2002 (U.S. box office $5,717,044, worldwide: $26,996,738) up until the hits, "Nosotros los Nobles" (The Nobel Family") and "No se aceptan devoluciones" had the highest number admissions than any other Mexican film. Twelve years later, in six weeks "No se aceptan devolucions" outgrossed both "Amores" and "El crimen" combined. México Televisa’s Videocine Mexican box office was Us $44,882,061 and U.S. box office was $44,143,000. This is truly an exhibitor's dream movie.
No sooner had "Los Nobles" swept the Mexican box-office off its feet than another Mexican movie, independently produced by Monica Lozano’s México City-based Alebrije Cine y Video, "Instructions Not Included" was released -- first in the U.S. by Pantelion on August 30, 2013, almost three weeks before its Mexican release on September 20, 2013. The two countries grossed an equal amount. Moreover, Videocine released the film on 1,500 prints similar to a major release of a film such as "Batman". Through the Cinepolis chain’s use of satellite, these 1,500 prints were able to show on 2,500 screens. This represents both a new release pattern and a new type of Mexican film.
Previously Mexican films which were meant for the Mexican and Mexican-American audience (as opposed to those targeted to the art house audiences) were perceived as too Mexican by their U.S. target and they were released in the U.S. only after the Mexican release, and by that time, piracy had done its work in the U.S. and the film lacked the prestige of an "American" film. This film and the previous film, "The Noble Family", are not typically Mexican. Their storyline could be transposed anywhere, and in fact "The Noble Family" remake rights have been sold to U.S. In addition, releasing the film first in the U.S. changes the perception of the film in México. Being such a success in U.S. paves the way for its success in México as if it were validated as a "good" film. Added to these two elements is the third key to success, Eugenio Derbez, the director and star of "Instructions", is a major TV comedy star in México and is known by all Mexicans wherever they reside. Mexican TV is quite powerful, it has a duopoly made by Televisa and TV Azteca. Derbez comes from Televisa. The film was also shot in English and Spanish and takes place in the U.S. Finally, Derbez himself and former head of production at Pantelion, Ben Odell, have now established a production company, 3 Spas, pronounced "Tres Paz" which funnily enough sounds like "tripas" or "guts".
When Reese Witherspoon, whose film "Wild" opened the festival, said that she had asked Eugenio Derbez to be in a picture, the audience at the press conference was visibly moved. What a great worldwide success a comedy starring these two would be.
While all films cannot reach the heights of "Instruction Not Included", the benefits such a successful film bestows upon the industry is encouraging to other producers and distributors looking for fertile ground to till and harvest. Los Cabos and the Fenix Awards are witness to this phenomena which has been gaining ground for the past decade and is no longer below the radar.
It offers proof of the region's vitality to the rest of the world based on the films' impact upon the rest of the world. This award ceremony shows the final product of coproductions. The world film industry agrees that coproductions are the engine driving production today. Regarding Latin America, Ibermedia of Spain first initiated coproductions with Latin America in 1998, but in the sixteen years of its activity, coproductions with Latin America have proliferated beyond Spain and beyond Europe to include Asia, Arab Middle East, Israel, Canada and the U.S.
Asia
So. Korea's Finecut was involved in Pedro Trapero's 2008 film "Lion's Den" and in his 2010 film,"Carancho," a coproduction between Argentinian producers Matanza Cine, Patagonik Film Group and South Korea's Finecut as well as French distributor Ad Vitam as investor and local distributor. Finecut handled world rights sales outside Latin America and France.) Independent coproductions are now embracing North America as well and the place to discover this is the Los Cabos International Film Festival. CAA has literally established a beachhead in this Mexican town so recently battered by hurricane Odile.
Arab Middle East
The supernatural thriller "Out of the Dark" ("Aguas Rojas") is a coproduction with Colombian production house Dynamo ("Undertow" aka "Contracorriente") and Imagenation of Abu Dhabi, cofinanced with Participant Panamerica who also cofinanced Canana’s "Chávez" and Fabula’s "No", the Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language film which Canana distributed in México.
Canada
Strategic Film Partners is devoting two years to Latin American coproductions. This year we presented a case study of "The Games Maker" ("El inventor de juegos"), a Canadian-Argentinian-Italian coproduction in English whose producers Tina Pehme and Kim Roberts were in Cabo looking or their next project at the Coproduction Forum.
For those who were at the Cabo International Film Festival this November 12 - 16, and who attended the Financing Panel to hear Variety's John Hopewell moderate the stellar participants which included Jonathan King from Participant, Mark Musselman from 10x2yinc, CAA's Micah Green, UTA's Rena Ronson and Raul Del Alto of Mexico's Ag Studios or heard Reese Witherspoon, whose film "Wild" opened the festival and whose agent, coincidentally is CAA, know that Mexico and by extension, Latin America, are registering high on the scale for U.S. and Canada investment. The unique positioning of the festival as the uniting force between U.S., Canada and Mexico ensures that the fourth edition's growth will be huge next year. Some are also calling it the Cannes of Latin America.
Recognition of the Exhibition Sector, awarded by the leading exhibitors in the region went to Mexican actor and producer, Eugenio Derbez, for "No se aceptan devoluciones" ("Instructions Not Included"). The resurgence of Mexican films which began in 2001 with the all-time hit "Amores Perros" by Alejandro González Iñárritu and which also introduced Gael Garcia Bernal to the public (U.S. box office $5,408,467, worldwide $20,908,467) and "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" in 2002 (U.S. box office $5,717,044, worldwide: $26,996,738) up until the hits, "Nosotros los Nobles" (The Nobel Family") and "No se aceptan devoluciones" had the highest number admissions than any other Mexican film. Twelve years later, in six weeks "No se aceptan devolucions" outgrossed both "Amores" and "El crimen" combined. México Televisa’s Videocine Mexican box office was Us $44,882,061 and U.S. box office was $44,143,000. This is truly an exhibitor's dream movie.
No sooner had "Los Nobles" swept the Mexican box-office off its feet than another Mexican movie, independently produced by Monica Lozano’s México City-based Alebrije Cine y Video, "Instructions Not Included" was released -- first in the U.S. by Pantelion on August 30, 2013, almost three weeks before its Mexican release on September 20, 2013. The two countries grossed an equal amount. Moreover, Videocine released the film on 1,500 prints similar to a major release of a film such as "Batman". Through the Cinepolis chain’s use of satellite, these 1,500 prints were able to show on 2,500 screens. This represents both a new release pattern and a new type of Mexican film.
Previously Mexican films which were meant for the Mexican and Mexican-American audience (as opposed to those targeted to the art house audiences) were perceived as too Mexican by their U.S. target and they were released in the U.S. only after the Mexican release, and by that time, piracy had done its work in the U.S. and the film lacked the prestige of an "American" film. This film and the previous film, "The Noble Family", are not typically Mexican. Their storyline could be transposed anywhere, and in fact "The Noble Family" remake rights have been sold to U.S. In addition, releasing the film first in the U.S. changes the perception of the film in México. Being such a success in U.S. paves the way for its success in México as if it were validated as a "good" film. Added to these two elements is the third key to success, Eugenio Derbez, the director and star of "Instructions", is a major TV comedy star in México and is known by all Mexicans wherever they reside. Mexican TV is quite powerful, it has a duopoly made by Televisa and TV Azteca. Derbez comes from Televisa. The film was also shot in English and Spanish and takes place in the U.S. Finally, Derbez himself and former head of production at Pantelion, Ben Odell, have now established a production company, 3 Spas, pronounced "Tres Paz" which funnily enough sounds like "tripas" or "guts".
When Reese Witherspoon, whose film "Wild" opened the festival, said that she had asked Eugenio Derbez to be in a picture, the audience at the press conference was visibly moved. What a great worldwide success a comedy starring these two would be.
While all films cannot reach the heights of "Instruction Not Included", the benefits such a successful film bestows upon the industry is encouraging to other producers and distributors looking for fertile ground to till and harvest. Los Cabos and the Fenix Awards are witness to this phenomena which has been gaining ground for the past decade and is no longer below the radar.
- 11/21/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Principal photography has begun on Atom Egoyan’s thriller starring Chrisopher Plummer, Martin Landau and Bruno Ganz.
Im Global handles international sales and introduced the project to buyers in Cannes. eOne Films will distribute in Canada and Im Global has struck deals with Arp in France, Wild Bunch in Italy and Spain, Asmik Ace in Japan and Sun in Latin America.
Egoyan directs the Serendipity Points project from a screenplay by Benjamin August about a contemporary mission of revenge sparked by an event in the dark past.
Serendipity Point founder Robert Lantos produces alongside Ari Lantos. Executive producers are Mark Musselman and Anant Singh.
The cast includes Dean Norris, Jurgen Prochnow, Henry Czerny and Heinz Lieven and
Serendipity Point Films produces in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell.
Im Global handles international sales and introduced the project to buyers in Cannes. eOne Films will distribute in Canada and Im Global has struck deals with Arp in France, Wild Bunch in Italy and Spain, Asmik Ace in Japan and Sun in Latin America.
Egoyan directs the Serendipity Points project from a screenplay by Benjamin August about a contemporary mission of revenge sparked by an event in the dark past.
Serendipity Point founder Robert Lantos produces alongside Ari Lantos. Executive producers are Mark Musselman and Anant Singh.
The cast includes Dean Norris, Jurgen Prochnow, Henry Czerny and Heinz Lieven and
Serendipity Point Films produces in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell.
- 7/14/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Principal photography starts Monday on Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan's revenge thriller "Remember," produced by Robert and Ari Lantos and starring an international cast: Christopher Plummer (who won a supporting actor Oscar in 2010 for "Beginners"), Martin Landau, Dean Norris, Bruno Ganz, Jurgen Prochnow and Henry Czerny as Plummer's son. Let's hope the movie turns out better than Egoyan's last attempt at a thriller, "The Captive," which earned negative reviews after it was shown in the Cannes competition (critics might have been more forgiving had the film been displayed in an official sidebar). (Toh! coverage here.) A24 will release the film on VOD via DirectTV. Benjamin August's original screenplay for "Remember" combines a contemporary revenge plot with World War II history. Executive producers are Mark Musselman (“Being Julia”) and Anant Singh (“Mandela, Long Walk to...
- 7/14/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Henry Czerny Cast In Atom Egoyan’s ‘Remember’ Revenge actor Henry Czerny has joined the cast of Atom Egoyan’s Remember. Christopher Plummer stars in the thriller in which the darkest chapter of modern history collides with a contemporary mission of … revenge. Czerny most recently was seen playing Conrad Grayson on the ABC primetime soap in which the character met his demise during the Season 3 finale – or did he? Either way, he’ll play Plummer’s son in the film on which Im Global’s specialty label Acclaim is handling world sales. Producers are Robert Lantos and Ari Lantos. Mark Musselman and […]...
- 7/1/2014
- Deadline
Atom Egoyan’s thriller records deals with the likes of France, Italy, Korea and the Middle East, among others.
Serendipity Point Films, Distant Horizon and Im Global have announced a raft of deals on Remember.
Atom Egoyan’s thriller, in which the darkest chapter of modern history collides with a contemporary mission of revenge, stars Christopher Plummer and is sold by Im Global’s specialty label Acclaim.
Deals have been concluded with, among others, France (Arp), Italy (Wild Bunch), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Latin America (Sun), Japan (Asmik Ace), Spain (Wild Bunch), Greece (Spentzos), Indonesia (Cinemaxx), South Africa (Videovision), Israel (United King), Korea (Joy n Contents), Malaysia (Golden Screen), Middle East (Selim Ramia & Co), Taiwan (Catchplay), and the former Yugoslavian territories (Pa Dora).
Airline rights were acquired by Entertainment in Motion, with Asian pay television rights going to HBO Asia.
Remember will be distributed by Entertainment One in Canada.
Producer Robert Lantos commented: “The robust across the board market...
Serendipity Point Films, Distant Horizon and Im Global have announced a raft of deals on Remember.
Atom Egoyan’s thriller, in which the darkest chapter of modern history collides with a contemporary mission of revenge, stars Christopher Plummer and is sold by Im Global’s specialty label Acclaim.
Deals have been concluded with, among others, France (Arp), Italy (Wild Bunch), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Latin America (Sun), Japan (Asmik Ace), Spain (Wild Bunch), Greece (Spentzos), Indonesia (Cinemaxx), South Africa (Videovision), Israel (United King), Korea (Joy n Contents), Malaysia (Golden Screen), Middle East (Selim Ramia & Co), Taiwan (Catchplay), and the former Yugoslavian territories (Pa Dora).
Airline rights were acquired by Entertainment in Motion, with Asian pay television rights going to HBO Asia.
Remember will be distributed by Entertainment One in Canada.
Producer Robert Lantos commented: “The robust across the board market...
- 5/28/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
The filmmaker, set to premiere Captives in competition in Cannes, will direct Christopher Plummer in the thriller for Serendipity Point Films. Im Global will handle international sales.
Ari Lantos and Serendipity chief Robert Lantos will produce in what marks the latter’s eighth collaboration with Egoyan.
eOne will distribute Remember in Canada, Arp in France and Videovision Entertainment in South Africa.
The Serendipity Point Films thriller in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell will kick off in Toronto on July 14.
Benjamin August wrote the original screenplay in which, according to notes provided by the film’s representatives, “the darkest chapter of modern history collides with a contemporary mission of revenge.”
Martin Landau, Dean Norris, Bruno Ganz, Heinz Lieven and Günter Lamprecht round out the key cast.
Mark Musselman and Anant Singh serve as executive producers with Moises Cosio, Jeff Sagansky, Mike Porter, Larry Guterman and D Matt Geller.
Egoyan and Lantos...
Ari Lantos and Serendipity chief Robert Lantos will produce in what marks the latter’s eighth collaboration with Egoyan.
eOne will distribute Remember in Canada, Arp in France and Videovision Entertainment in South Africa.
The Serendipity Point Films thriller in association with Distant Horizon, Detalle, Telefilm Canada and Egoli Tossell will kick off in Toronto on July 14.
Benjamin August wrote the original screenplay in which, according to notes provided by the film’s representatives, “the darkest chapter of modern history collides with a contemporary mission of revenge.”
Martin Landau, Dean Norris, Bruno Ganz, Heinz Lieven and Günter Lamprecht round out the key cast.
Mark Musselman and Anant Singh serve as executive producers with Moises Cosio, Jeff Sagansky, Mike Porter, Larry Guterman and D Matt Geller.
Egoyan and Lantos...
- 4/30/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Christopher Plummer will star in thriller Remember, which will be directed by Atom Egoyan. Also appearing in the film will be Martin Landau, Dean Norris, Bruno Ganz, Heinz Lieven and Gunter Lamprecht. The film, described as "a compelling thriller in which the darkest chapter of modern history collides with a contemporary mission of revenge," is produced by Ari Lantos and Robert Lantos, and executive produced by Mark Musselman and Anant Singh. From an original screenplay by Benjamin August, Remember is slated to begin principal photography on July 14 on location in Toronto. Photos: THR's Awards Season Roundtable Series 2011:
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- 4/30/2014
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Just before its Toronto Film Festival debut next Thursday, Magnolia Pictures has acquired Us rights to "The Right Kind of Wrong," a romantic comedy directed by Jeremiah Chechik ("National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation," "Benny & Joon"). "'The Right is Wrong' is a lovely, well-directed crowdpleaser, and its winning cast shines,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “Ryan Kwanten especially shows a new side of himself that his fans will appreciate.” The film is stars Ryan Kwanten ("True Blood") as a sad sack writer-dishwater whose ex-wife has detailed his many shortcomings on her well-read blog “Why You Suck." When he meets Colette (Sara Canning, "The Vampire Diaries") she is about to get married. The film was produced by Robert Lantos ("Barney’s Version"). Megan Martin ("Cult") adapted the screenplay from Tim Sandlin’s novel "Sex and Sunsets." Also producing is Ari Lantos ("Stage Fright"), and Mark Musselman ("Being...
- 9/7/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Magnolia Pictures has snapped up Us rights to Toronto entry The Right Kind Of Wrong starring Ryan Kwanten, Sara Canning, Catherine O’Hara and Will Sasso.
WestEnd Films holds international rights and eOne will distribute in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Benelux.
Jeremiah Chechik’s rom-com is set to receive its world premiere on Thursday (12) and follows a humiliated ex-husband who falls for a woman on the day of her wedding.
Magnolia negotiated the deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of producer Robert Lantos of Serendipity Point Films.
Megan Martin adapted the screenplay from Tim Sandlin’s novel Sex And Sunsets. Ari Lantos also produced and Mark Musselman served as executive producer.
[ends]...
WestEnd Films holds international rights and eOne will distribute in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Benelux.
Jeremiah Chechik’s rom-com is set to receive its world premiere on Thursday (12) and follows a humiliated ex-husband who falls for a woman on the day of her wedding.
Magnolia negotiated the deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of producer Robert Lantos of Serendipity Point Films.
Megan Martin adapted the screenplay from Tim Sandlin’s novel Sex And Sunsets. Ari Lantos also produced and Mark Musselman served as executive producer.
[ends]...
- 9/6/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Magnolia Pictures acquired Us rights to The Right Kind Of Wrong, a romantic comedy starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Catherine O’Hara (Best In Show) and Will Sasso (The Three Stooges), directed by Jeremiah Chechik (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Benny & Joon). Magnolia acquired the film in advance of its world premiere as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival next Thursday evening at Roy Thomson Hall. Pic will be released early next year. The Right Kind Of Wrong is about Leo Palamino (played by Kwanten) a failed-writer-turned-dishwasher made famous for his many flaws and shortcomings in a blog called “Why You Suck,” a huge Internet success written by his ex-wife. Then Leo meets Colette (played by Sara Canning), the girl of his dreams… on the day she is marrying the perfect man. And so, the ultimate underdog story begins as Leo, a fearless dreamer,...
- 9/6/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Will Sasso, Kristen Hager and Jennifer Baxter have jumped on board Right Kind of Wrong which already stars Ryan Kwanten, Sara Canning and Catherine O'Hara and Ryan McPartlin. The film previously titled Sex and Sunsets is being helmed by Jeremiah Chechick from the script by Megan Martin, based on the novel by Tim Sandlin. Variety reports that Robert Lantos and Ari Lantos produce while Mark Musselman is serving as an executive producer on the project which starts principal photography in Banff, Canada on Monday. Kwanten stars as a guy who meets his dream girl the day she's set to marry "the perfect man." Hager's character is his first wife who's made a fortune with her blog turned best-selling book "You Suck" which focuses on his failings. Baxer and Sasso are in as a married couple.
- 8/20/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Will Sasso, Kristen Hager and Jennifer Baxter have jumped on board Right Kind of Wrong which already stars Ryan Kwanten, Sara Canning and Catherine O'Hara and Ryan McPartlin. The film previously titled Sex and Sunsets is being helmed by Jeremiah Chechick from the script by Megan Martin, based on the novel by Tim Sandlin. Variety reports that Robert Lantos and Ari Lantos produce while Mark Musselman is serving as an executive producer on the project which starts principal photography in Banff, Canada on Monday. Kwanten stars as a guy who meets his dream girl the day she's set to marry "the perfect man." Hager's character is his first wife who's made a fortune with her blog turned best-selling book "You Suck" which focuses on his failings. Baxer and Sasso are in as a married couple.
- 8/20/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Ryan Kwanten will take a temporary detour from the sex and fangs of HBO’s True Blood to star in the indie feature Sex And Sunsets. Jeremiah Chechick will direct from the screenplay adaptation by Megan Martin based on the novel by Tim Sandlin. Principal photography will begin on August 20th on locations in Banff and Los Angeles. Robert Lantos is producing the Serendipity Point Films production with Ari Lantos, and Mark Musselman is exec producer. Kwanten will play a failed writer who toils as a dishwasher, but is famous for his many flaws and shortcomings thanks to a blog called “Why You Suck,” written by his ex wife. He meets Colette, the girl of his dreams on the day she is marrying the perfect man, and decides to risk all for her, determined to show her and the whole world all that is right with a man famous for being wrong.
- 7/13/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Toronto - Canadian indie producer Serendipity Point Films has unveiled a series of promotions, including Mark Musselman being named executive vp after overseeing the indie producer’s business affairs since 1999. Ben Murray, who joined the company in 2007, is promoted to director of business affairs and development. And Serendipity chairman Robert Lantos (Barney's Version) named his son, Ari Lantos, as vp of production, in charge of the producer’s film and TV slate, while Aida Tannyan, who has been in charge of finance since 2000, becomes vp of finance. Ari Lantos earlier served as producer on earlier features like Real Time and
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- 6/28/2012
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York, NY (November 30, 2011) – IFC Films announced today that the company is acquiring U.S. rights to The Samaritan, starring Academy Award® nominated Samuel L. Jackson, produced by Andras Hamori and directed by David Weaver from a screenplay by Weaver and Elan Mastai. The Samaritan also stars Luke Kirby (Take This Waltz), Ruth Negga (Love/Hate) and Oscar nominated Tom Wilkinson (Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol). After twenty-five years in prison, Foley (Jackson) is finished with the grifter’s life. When he meets an elusive young woman named Iris (Negga), the possibility of a new start looks real. But his past is proving to be a stubborn companion: Ethan (Kirby), the son of his former partner, has an ingenious plan and he wants Foley in. The harder Foley tries to escape his past, the tighter he is ensnared in Ethan’s web of secrets, until it becomes all too clear to...
- 11/30/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
The Samaritan movie adds Tom Wilkinson with Samuel L. Jackson in the David Weaver indie thriller. Jackson stars as a former grifter who tries to put his life of crime behind in after serving a 20-year prison sentence. Wilkinson plays a crime boss in the film written by Weaver alongside Elan Mastai. Also in The Samaritan cast are Luke Kirby, Ruth Negga, Alan C. Peterson, Gil Bellows, Aaron Poole, Tom McCamus, Martha Burns and Stephen McIntyre. Andras Mamori (Existenz) produces alongside Suzanne Cheriton and Tom Wosk, while Mark Musselman will serve as an executive producer...
- 4/12/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The Samaritan movie adds Tom Wilkinson with Samuel L. Jackson in the David Weaver indie thriller. Jackson stars as a former grifter who tries to put his life of crime behind in after serving a 20-year prison sentence. Wilkinson plays a crime boss in the film written by Weaver alongside Elan Mastai. Also in The Samaritan cast are Luke Kirby, Ruth Negga, Alan C. Peterson, Gil Bellows, Aaron Poole, Tom McCamus, Martha Burns and Stephen McIntyre. Andras Mamori (Existenz) produces alongside Suzanne Cheriton and Tom Wosk, while Mark Musselman will serve as an executive producer...
- 4/12/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The Samaritan movie adds Tom Wilkinson with Samuel L. Jackson in the David Weaver indie thriller. Jackson stars as a former grifter who tries to put his life of crime behind in after serving a 20-year prison sentence. Wilkinson plays a crime boss in the film written by Weaver alongside Elan Mastai. Also in The Samaritan cast are Luke Kirby, Ruth Negga, Alan C. Peterson, Gil Bellows, Aaron Poole, Tom McCamus, Martha Burns and Stephen McIntyre. Andras Mamori (Existenz) produces alongside Suzanne Cheriton and Tom Wosk, while Mark Musselman will serve as an executive producer...
- 4/12/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Samuel L. Jackson will star in The Samaritan, with Luke Kirby and Ruth Negga; a neo-noir thriller which starts production next week in Toronto and Rio de Janeiro. David Weaver directs from a script he wrote alongside Alone in the Dark screenwriter Zelan Mastai. In The Samaritan, Jackson stars as Foley, a former swindler who, after serving 20 years in prison, intends on turning his life around. After meeting an elusive young woman (played by Negga), he is soon asked by the son of a former partner for help with an ingenious plan. Kirby plays the son. Andras Hamori (Sunshine) produces The Samaritan along with Suzanne Cheriton and Tony Wosk. Mark Musselman (Barney's Version) executive produces with Weaver, Mastai and Jackson as well as Eli Selden, James Atherton, Jan Pace, Mark Horowitz, Geoffrey Brandt and Lacia Kornylo...
- 3/18/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Samuel L. Jackson will star in The Samaritan, with Luke Kirby and Ruth Negga; a neo-noir thriller which starts production next week in Toronto and Rio de Janeiro. David Weaver directs from a script he wrote alongside Alone in the Dark screenwriter Zelan Mastai. In The Samaritan, Jackson stars as Foley, a former swindler who, after serving 20 years in prison, intends on turning his life around. After meeting an elusive young woman (played by Negga), he is soon asked by the son of a former partner for help with an ingenious plan. Kirby plays the son. Andras Hamori (Sunshine) produces The Samaritan along with Suzanne Cheriton and Tony Wosk. Mark Musselman (Barney's Version) executive produces with Weaver, Mastai and Jackson as well as Eli Selden, James Atherton, Jan Pace, Mark Horowitz, Geoffrey Brandt and Lacia Kornylo...
- 3/18/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Coming Soon has the low down on Samuel L. Jackson‘s next project, The Samaritan, which will begin shooting this week in Toronto and Rio de Janeiro. To be directed by David Weaver, the film’s synopsis is described as follows:
After twenty long years in prison, Foley is finally ready to put the grifter’s life behind him. When he falls for an elusive and troubled young woman named Iris, a new beginning seems within his reach. But his past is not ready to let him go. Ethan, the son of his former partner, has the perfect plan and he wants Foley in on it. The con used to be a gentleman’s game — but the rules have changed.
Trying to start over, Foley lets his guard down, a luxury it turns out he cannot afford. The harder he tries to escape his past, the deeper he is ensnared...
After twenty long years in prison, Foley is finally ready to put the grifter’s life behind him. When he falls for an elusive and troubled young woman named Iris, a new beginning seems within his reach. But his past is not ready to let him go. Ethan, the son of his former partner, has the perfect plan and he wants Foley in on it. The con used to be a gentleman’s game — but the rules have changed.
Trying to start over, Foley lets his guard down, a luxury it turns out he cannot afford. The harder he tries to escape his past, the deeper he is ensnared...
- 3/17/2011
- by Danny King
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Before donning Nick Fury’s eye patch in The Avengers, Samuel L Jackson is starring in The Samaritan, a neo-noir thriller directed by David Weaver. Luke Kirby (Shattered Glass) and Ruth Negga (Color Me Kubrick) co-star. Filming starts on location Sunday in Toronto, Canada and Rio De Janeiro. Jackson plays Foley, a grifter trying to escape from his past having spent 20 years in prison. But he gets ensnared in the plans of a young protege and it becomes all too clear to Foley that some wrongs can never be made right. Andras Hamori of Los Angeles-based H20 Motion Pictures is producing, and the executive producer is Mark Musselman (Barney’s Version). UK-based financier Quickfire Films is backing the project alongside Canadian state fund Telefilm Canada, the Harold Greenberg Fund and the Ontario Media Development Corporation. Entertainment One has already taken The Samaritan for Canada. H20 has also pre-sold the movie to Germany,...
- 3/17/2011
- by TIM ADLER in London
- Deadline London
Mark Addy, Maury Chaykin, Saul Rubinek, Jake Hoffman, Anna Hopkins; Cle Bennett and Harvey Atkin are rounding out the cast of "Barney's Version," starring Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman.According to Variety, shooting begins Aug. 17 in Rome with Richard Lewis directing from the Michael Konyves script, based on the novel by Mordecai Richler.Story's title character has led a reckless life highlighted by three marriages, two children and status as a "person of interest" in the mysterious disappearance of his buddy.Robert Lantos is producing through his Serendipity Point banner. Co-producers are Lyse Lafontaine, Domenico Procacci and Ari Lantos with Mark Musselman executive producing.
- 7/28/2009
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Scott Speedman, Bruce Greenwood and Macha Grenon are joining the cast of Richard Lewis' "Barney's Version," which begins principal photography Aug. 17 in Rome.
Based on the Mordecai Richler novel, adapted for the screen by Michael Konyves, "Barney's" stars Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Rosamund Pike and Rachelle Lefevre in the tale of a man (Giamatti) suffering from Alzheimer's as he recounts his turbulent life.
Speedman will play Boogie, Barney's best friend who mysteriously disappears. Greenwood has been tapped to appear as Blair, Barney's rival in love. Grenon will play Solange, another close friend of Barney's.
Serendipity Point Films' Robert Lantos is producing. Co-producers are Lyse Lafontaine, Domenico Procacci and Ari Lantos. Mark Musselman is exec producer.
Based on the Mordecai Richler novel, adapted for the screen by Michael Konyves, "Barney's" stars Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Rosamund Pike and Rachelle Lefevre in the tale of a man (Giamatti) suffering from Alzheimer's as he recounts his turbulent life.
Speedman will play Boogie, Barney's best friend who mysteriously disappears. Greenwood has been tapped to appear as Blair, Barney's rival in love. Grenon will play Solange, another close friend of Barney's.
Serendipity Point Films' Robert Lantos is producing. Co-producers are Lyse Lafontaine, Domenico Procacci and Ari Lantos. Mark Musselman is exec producer.
- 7/16/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Scott Speedman, Bruce Greenwood and Macha Grenon have joined the cast of the indie drama "Barney's Version" alongside Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman and Minnie Driver.According to Variety, principal photography starts in Rome on Aug. 17, with Richard J. Lewis directing Michael Konyves' screenplay, based on the novel by Mordecai Richler. Robert Lantos produces.Story's title character has led a reckless life highlighted by three marriages, two children and status as a "person of interest" in the mysterious disappearance of his buddy, portrayed by Speedman. Greenwood's character is Barney's rival in love."Barney's Version" is a co-production of Serendipity Point Films and Italy's Fandango. Co-producers are Lyse Lafontaine, Domenico Procacci and Ari Lantos, while Mark Musselman is executive producing.
- 7/16/2009
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver and Rachelle Lefevre are playing Paul Giamatti's many wives in "Barney's Version," the adaptation of the Mordecai Richler novel being directed by Richard Lewis. Robert Lantos is producing via his Serendipity Point Films."Barney's" tells the story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky (Giamatti).
Lefevre will play Clara, Barney's first wife, a wild, troubled artist. Driver plays Barney's second wife, the annoyingly loquacious Mrs. "P." Miriam, Barney's third wife and true love, will be played by Pike.
Principal photography starts Aug. 17 in Rome. Dustin Hoffman also is in the cast, playing Barney's father.
Michael Konyves wrote the adaptation. Co-producing are Lyse Lafontaine, Domenico Procacci and Ari Lantos. Mark Musselman is executive producing.
Driver, repped by CAA and Untitled, recently wrapped shooting "Betty Anne Waters" with Hilary Swank.
Pike, repped by Wme and Magnolia Entertainment, next...
Lefevre will play Clara, Barney's first wife, a wild, troubled artist. Driver plays Barney's second wife, the annoyingly loquacious Mrs. "P." Miriam, Barney's third wife and true love, will be played by Pike.
Principal photography starts Aug. 17 in Rome. Dustin Hoffman also is in the cast, playing Barney's father.
Michael Konyves wrote the adaptation. Co-producing are Lyse Lafontaine, Domenico Procacci and Ari Lantos. Mark Musselman is executive producing.
Driver, repped by CAA and Untitled, recently wrapped shooting "Betty Anne Waters" with Hilary Swank.
Pike, repped by Wme and Magnolia Entertainment, next...
- 7/10/2009
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Canadian distributor Maximum Film Distribution will release Lakeshore Entertainment titles in Canada as part of a new output deal unveiled Thursday.
The two-year deal will see Toronto-based Maximum acquire all Canadian rights to Lakeshore titles, beginning with the Luke Wilson starrer "Henry Poole Is Here", which will bow in Sundance.
Other Lakeshore titles to be handled by Maximum include Isabel Coixet's "Elegy", which stars Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, and the Milo Ventimiglia starrer "Pathology".
The output deal was brokered by Mark Musselman for Maximum and David Dinerstein and Eric Reid for Lakeshore.
Maximum also has output deals with Cinetic Media, IFC, Magnolia Pictures/HDNet Films and Fortissimo Films.
The two-year deal will see Toronto-based Maximum acquire all Canadian rights to Lakeshore titles, beginning with the Luke Wilson starrer "Henry Poole Is Here", which will bow in Sundance.
Other Lakeshore titles to be handled by Maximum include Isabel Coixet's "Elegy", which stars Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, and the Milo Ventimiglia starrer "Pathology".
The output deal was brokered by Mark Musselman for Maximum and David Dinerstein and Eric Reid for Lakeshore.
Maximum also has output deals with Cinetic Media, IFC, Magnolia Pictures/HDNet Films and Fortissimo Films.
- 1/18/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- After eyeing separate output deals, Canadian distributors Maximum Films and Seville Entertainment on Tuesday unveiled an agreement to jointly distribute Magnolia Pictures and HDNet Films titles in Canada.
Toronto-based Maximum and Montreal-based Seville said that they are partnering to acquire the Canadian rights to a slate of feature films from Magnolia and HDNet, beginning with the Michael Caine-Demi Moore starrer "Flawless", Brian De Palma's "Redacted" and Doug Pray's documentary "Surfwise".
The multipicture deal was negotiated by Patrice Theroux, president and CEO of Seville parent Entertainment One, and Maximum's Mark Musselman, with Laird Adamson and Jeff Cuban acting for HDNet/Magnolia.
"If we both had pursued the product, we would have ended up in a competitive situation," Theroux said in explaining the decision to join forces for the deal.
Also playing a role in Maximum Films and Entertainment One's decision to co-distribute the HDNet/Magnolia titles is the fact that both are upstart theatrical movie distributors. Maximum will officially launch at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Entertainment One acquired Seville just last month as it moved to launch a Canadian theatrical releasing arm.
Toronto-based Maximum and Montreal-based Seville said that they are partnering to acquire the Canadian rights to a slate of feature films from Magnolia and HDNet, beginning with the Michael Caine-Demi Moore starrer "Flawless", Brian De Palma's "Redacted" and Doug Pray's documentary "Surfwise".
The multipicture deal was negotiated by Patrice Theroux, president and CEO of Seville parent Entertainment One, and Maximum's Mark Musselman, with Laird Adamson and Jeff Cuban acting for HDNet/Magnolia.
"If we both had pursued the product, we would have ended up in a competitive situation," Theroux said in explaining the decision to join forces for the deal.
Also playing a role in Maximum Films and Entertainment One's decision to co-distribute the HDNet/Magnolia titles is the fact that both are upstart theatrical movie distributors. Maximum will officially launch at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Entertainment One acquired Seville just last month as it moved to launch a Canadian theatrical releasing arm.
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