Fotosíntesis Media, a Mexican pioneer in cause-driven entertainment, has unveiled “Ch’ulel,” a 2D fantasy adventure animated feature for 6-8s tapping into the mindset of Tzeltal community.
Mexico City-based, Fotosíntesis Media burst onto the scene in 2015, launched by Cannes-winning director Carlos Reygadas and producer Jaime Romandia and director-producer Miguel Angel Uriegas.
Having scored Mexican Academy best animated feature Ariels in 2016 for “The Stone Boy,” which Uriegas directed and produced and another Ariel in 2021 for “A Costume for Nicholas” “Ch’ulel” will be the sixth feature for Fotosintesis which world premiered a fourth, “Bestia,” co-produced with Denmark’s Zentropa and Brazil’s Levante Films, at June’s Guadalajara Film Festival.
Announced at the 2021 Quirino Awards, a fifth feature, “My Friend the Sun,” is in production, with a completion date set for Nov. 2024 and theatrical release in 2025.
“Ch’ulel” has just been selected for Animation! Pitching Sessions, the animated project forum at Ventana Sur,...
Mexico City-based, Fotosíntesis Media burst onto the scene in 2015, launched by Cannes-winning director Carlos Reygadas and producer Jaime Romandia and director-producer Miguel Angel Uriegas.
Having scored Mexican Academy best animated feature Ariels in 2016 for “The Stone Boy,” which Uriegas directed and produced and another Ariel in 2021 for “A Costume for Nicholas” “Ch’ulel” will be the sixth feature for Fotosintesis which world premiered a fourth, “Bestia,” co-produced with Denmark’s Zentropa and Brazil’s Levante Films, at June’s Guadalajara Film Festival.
Announced at the 2021 Quirino Awards, a fifth feature, “My Friend the Sun,” is in production, with a completion date set for Nov. 2024 and theatrical release in 2025.
“Ch’ulel” has just been selected for Animation! Pitching Sessions, the animated project forum at Ventana Sur,...
- 10/23/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Mexico’s Fotosintesis Media, producer of the Quirino Awards best feature winner “A Costume for Nicolas,” is readying Alejandra Pérez’s first movie “My Friend the Sun,” an animated family tale deeply rooted in lesser-known Mexican myths and legends.
A social cause-driven entertainment label jointly launched by Jaime Romandia and Carlos Reygadas’ Mantarraya Group and writer-director Mike Uriegas, Fotosintesis Media first hit the scene in 2015 with “The Incredible Story of the Stone Boy.” “My Friend” will be the fifth feature from the company, which is also currently producing immigration feature “Beast.”
Now in pre-production, “My Friend the Sun” follows Diego and his daughter Xochitl, who make a living selling Xochitl’s paintings of Mexican mythology. She wants to explore her own ancestral roots while her father is only concerned with money. One day, Xochitl paints a mural of the almighty god Quetzalcoatl who takes her through the painting and into...
A social cause-driven entertainment label jointly launched by Jaime Romandia and Carlos Reygadas’ Mantarraya Group and writer-director Mike Uriegas, Fotosintesis Media first hit the scene in 2015 with “The Incredible Story of the Stone Boy.” “My Friend” will be the fifth feature from the company, which is also currently producing immigration feature “Beast.”
Now in pre-production, “My Friend the Sun” follows Diego and his daughter Xochitl, who make a living selling Xochitl’s paintings of Mexican mythology. She wants to explore her own ancestral roots while her father is only concerned with money. One day, Xochitl paints a mural of the almighty god Quetzalcoatl who takes her through the painting and into...
- 6/14/2021
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Morelia, Mexico – There’s a new arthouse player in town. Cinepolis, one of the top exhibitors in the world, is launching a new arthouse film distribution unit in Mexico called Sala de Arte Distribucion.
Focusing on auteur films that have premiered at leading film festivals worldwide, Sala de Arte launches in December with “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or-winning dark comedy. South Korea’s submission to the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category, “Parasite” has crushed specialty box office records and received glowing reviews in the U.S. since its October release by Neon, while also selling nearly 1.7 million tickets in France via The Jokers.
The launch of Sala de Arte comes five years after the exhibitor launched Cinepolis Distribución, the company’s main distribution division, which has released more than 75 titles. Leo Cordero, who runs Cinepolis Distribucion, will also oversee the arthouse division.
“Just like we...
Focusing on auteur films that have premiered at leading film festivals worldwide, Sala de Arte launches in December with “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or-winning dark comedy. South Korea’s submission to the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category, “Parasite” has crushed specialty box office records and received glowing reviews in the U.S. since its October release by Neon, while also selling nearly 1.7 million tickets in France via The Jokers.
The launch of Sala de Arte comes five years after the exhibitor launched Cinepolis Distribución, the company’s main distribution division, which has released more than 75 titles. Leo Cordero, who runs Cinepolis Distribucion, will also oversee the arthouse division.
“Just like we...
- 10/21/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — New York-based independent distributor Monument Releasing has secured North American distribution rights to “Our Time,” from Mexico’s Carlos Reygadas, winner of Cannes Jury (“Silent Light”) and Director (“Post Tenebras Lux”) prizes.
Monument Releasing will open “Our Time” in cinema theaters in North America in June 2019, followed by a VOD and home entertainment release.
Struck with Michael Weber’s The Match Factory, the sales agent on the film, as well as one of its co-producers, the deal will give more outlets to a title which world premiered at last year’s Venice Festival, after Reygadas’ first four main features played Cannes.
“Our Time” turns on a couple who live on a ranch in , central Mexico, raising fighting bulls. Esther runs the ranch, Juan, a renown poet, raises the bulls. They have an open relationship, but Juan’s world is thrown out of kilter when Esther becomes infatuated with the estate’s horse trainer.
Monument Releasing will open “Our Time” in cinema theaters in North America in June 2019, followed by a VOD and home entertainment release.
Struck with Michael Weber’s The Match Factory, the sales agent on the film, as well as one of its co-producers, the deal will give more outlets to a title which world premiered at last year’s Venice Festival, after Reygadas’ first four main features played Cannes.
“Our Time” turns on a couple who live on a ranch in , central Mexico, raising fighting bulls. Esther runs the ranch, Juan, a renown poet, raises the bulls. They have an open relationship, but Juan’s world is thrown out of kilter when Esther becomes infatuated with the estate’s horse trainer.
- 1/14/2019
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Buenos Aires — Mexico City-based Fotosintesis Media, a joint initiative of Mexico’s Mantarraya Group and writer-director Miguel Angel Uriegas, is moving into pre-production this January on “Beast,” the third Mexican animated feature from the cause-driven entertainment label.
News of the move comes as Uriegas presents at Ventana Sur’s Animation! forum 15 minutes of work in progress excerpts from from “A Costume for Nicolas,” Fotosintesis’ second movie in a cause-driven franchise which is attracting significant backers.
“Beast” will be directed by Uriegas, who helmed and co-wrote the first feature in the series, “The Angel in the Clock” and co-directed Mantarraya’s “The Incredible Story of the Stone Boy.” The presentation will be made on Dec. 12 in a series of four Work in Progress sneak peeks.
An action adventure allegory of migration – the Beast itself makes reference to the trans-Mexico freight train migrants call “La Bestia” – the animated feature is produced by Mantarraya founder Jaime Romandia,...
News of the move comes as Uriegas presents at Ventana Sur’s Animation! forum 15 minutes of work in progress excerpts from from “A Costume for Nicolas,” Fotosintesis’ second movie in a cause-driven franchise which is attracting significant backers.
“Beast” will be directed by Uriegas, who helmed and co-wrote the first feature in the series, “The Angel in the Clock” and co-directed Mantarraya’s “The Incredible Story of the Stone Boy.” The presentation will be made on Dec. 12 in a series of four Work in Progress sneak peeks.
An action adventure allegory of migration – the Beast itself makes reference to the trans-Mexico freight train migrants call “La Bestia” – the animated feature is produced by Mantarraya founder Jaime Romandia,...
- 12/11/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — Carlos Reygadas’ “Our Time,” Alvaro Brechner’s “A Twelve-Year Night” and Ana Katz’s “Sueño Florianópolis” feature in San Sebastian’s Latin America-focused Horizontes Latinos, the biggest section at the Spanish festival after its main competition and New Directors’ strand.
Opening with Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses,” winner of the Sebastiane Latino Prize, Horizontes Latinos, as is its wont, mixes fest players, drawn from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and Venice, with a brace of lesser-known movies – this year María Alche’s “A Family Submerged,” Eugenio Canevari’s “Figuras” and Ignacio Juricic’s “Enigma” – whose presence in such august company only serves to highlight their titles all the more.
Three titles are drawn from Cannes Directors’ Fortnight – an indirect tribute to the passion for Latin American movies of Edouard Waintrop, Directors’ Fortnight head from 2012 to this year’s edition.
The large theme which courses through the selection is, however, women. Only...
Opening with Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses,” winner of the Sebastiane Latino Prize, Horizontes Latinos, as is its wont, mixes fest players, drawn from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and Venice, with a brace of lesser-known movies – this year María Alche’s “A Family Submerged,” Eugenio Canevari’s “Figuras” and Ignacio Juricic’s “Enigma” – whose presence in such august company only serves to highlight their titles all the more.
Three titles are drawn from Cannes Directors’ Fortnight – an indirect tribute to the passion for Latin American movies of Edouard Waintrop, Directors’ Fortnight head from 2012 to this year’s edition.
The large theme which courses through the selection is, however, women. Only...
- 8/10/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Two of Mexico’s most respected women film executives Alejandra Paulín and Maru Garzón, have been named joint heads of the country’s Los Cabos Intl. Film Festival, one of Latin America’s fastest-growing film events. Paulín will serve as executive director and Garzón as artistic director.
The appointments were announced Thursday by Los Cabos president Eduardo Sánchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, president of Los Cabos Arte y Cultura A.C.
Paulín and Garzón replace Hugo Villa, Los Cabos Festival director at last year’s edition but named in February as director of Mexico’s Unam Filmoteca, a key national cinematheque.
Garzón and Paulín’s new joint leadership recognizes their role in the build of Los Cabos, launched as recently as 2012, as a key – as well as highly enjoyable – event working an ever more dynamic U.S.-Mexico-Canada movie axis. Both already held top jobs at Los Cabos, Garzón as programming director,...
The appointments were announced Thursday by Los Cabos president Eduardo Sánchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, president of Los Cabos Arte y Cultura A.C.
Paulín and Garzón replace Hugo Villa, Los Cabos Festival director at last year’s edition but named in February as director of Mexico’s Unam Filmoteca, a key national cinematheque.
Garzón and Paulín’s new joint leadership recognizes their role in the build of Los Cabos, launched as recently as 2012, as a key – as well as highly enjoyable – event working an ever more dynamic U.S.-Mexico-Canada movie axis. Both already held top jobs at Los Cabos, Garzón as programming director,...
- 4/26/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The International Film Festival in Guadalajara (FICG31) celebrated its 31th anniversary this year and moved to the center of town, a move toward regaining its early luster within the galaxy of younger festivals now competing for resources in México. With its myriad of activities beyond the mere programming of films, its mentoring other festivals such as Puerto Vallarta and Oaxaca, I would give it two thumbs up.
On Friday, March 11, it announced its awards and officially announced next year’s Guest of Honor, Germany, closing with the German film, Doris Dörrie’s “Fukushima Mon Amour” (Isa: The Match Factory). This film is a deeply moving homage to the spirit of humanity, recovery and love as a German clown, played by Rosalie Thomass and her clown partners, the wonderful Moshe Cohen of San Francisco and Nami Kamata, visit the people remaining at the devastated town of Fukushima and Rosalie bonds with the last geisha of Fukushima played by the beautiful Aya Irizuki. It premiered at the Panorama of the Berlinale where Doris won the C.I.C.A.E. Award and the Heiner Carow Prize.
Official Competition Winners FICG31
Mezcal Award for Best Mexican Film to “Maquinaria Panamericana”/ “Panamerican Machinery”
Mezcal jury
The jury consists of 30 students from related fields from universities or major schools of Mexico, Latin American, Europe and Canada. Serving as a sort of tutor, Jose Ramon Mikelajauregui, Director of Dis was responsible for the academic program held at FICG31.
The Mezcal Award consisting of 500,000 Mexican pesos went to the director, Joaquín del Paso for “Maquinaria Panamericana”/ “Panamerican Machinery”, a portrait of an inefficient factory on the edge of Mexico City where the workers lock themselves in when the owner is found dead in the back of the warehouse and they discover he has been bankrolling the wages out of his own pocket for years.
A coproduction of Mantarraya Producciones, it also won the Fipresci Prize at its premiere in the Forum of the Berlinale. International sales agent (Isa) is the new Paris-based sales and co-production company Luxbox whose
co-ceo Fiorella Moretti was formerly head of sales at Ndm, the Mexico City-based sales company she set up with director Carlos Reygadas and producer Jaime Romandia of Mantarraya Productions in 2012 to sell “Post Tenebras Lux”.
Co-ceo Hédi Zardi previously worked in sales for Fortissimo and went on to Unifrance, the French cinema promotions agency and then to the PR and events company Le Public Systeme, where he was in charge of industry initiatives at Marrakesh and Deauville festivals.
The pair got to know one another through Gabriel Ripstein’s “600 Miles”, winner of the best first feature last year at the Berlinale, which Zardi associate produced and Moretti sold.
Special Mention went to “Margarita” directed by Bruno Santamaría Razo
Infinitum Aaward Grante dby the Public, consisting of 150,000 pesos, went to " El Charro de Toluquilla" (Isa: Imcine) by José Villalobos Romero, a doc about mariachi singer Jaime Garcia Dominguez who became fascinated by the recklessness and ladies´ man lifestyle of the classic Mexican movie characters with one difference: he´s got HIV. Jaime faces an inner maturing process as he decides between keeping this lifestyle or becoming a family man. It also won the award for Best Iberoamerican Documentary of 150,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars to the director.
Best Latin American Fiction Film consisting of 250,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars went to the production company of Felipe Guerrero’s film “ Oscuro animal”, about three women forced to flee their homes in a war torn region in Colombia. The film also won Best Actress Award (s) for Marleyda Soto, Luisa Galiano and Jocelyn Vides Meneses and Best Photography Award to Fernando Lockett.
A coproduction of Argentina, Greece, Netherlands, Germany and Colombia, it is being sold internationally by FiGa. It previously played in the Rotterdam Film Festival’s Tiger Competition and Ficci Cartagena 2016’s Official Dramatic Competition. At the Berlinale’s Efm 2016 it was part of the World Cinema Fund’s First Look section. Financing for the film came from Colombia’s Proimágenes, Argentina’s Incaa, Netherlands’ Hubert Bals Fund, Fundación Typa, and Germany’s Nrw and World Cinema Fund.
It also won the award for Award for Best Iberoamerican Director consisting off 150,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars, because “almost wordlessly it portrays a complex and painful situation in Colombia which is all too common in Latin America.”
Special Feature Film Jury Award Iberoamerican Fiction of 125,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars, went to the production company of “The 4th Company”/ ”La 4a Compañía” by Amir Galván Cervera and Mitzi Vanessa Arreola, based upon a true story about an underdog prison (American-style) football team that, against all odds, wins against the police force team. The jury stated that it “considers it a cinematic achievement about a shameful moment in the history of Mexico to be remembered and not to be repeated”. Adrian Thief also won for Best Actor, and he is that! There is no Isa of record, so those ISAs reading this should check it out on Cinando! It’s a seller!
Award for Best Latin American Film of 125,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars went to the superb debuting director from Puerto Rico, Angel Manuel Soto for“La Granja”/ “The Farm”. Also the first film produced independently by Tom Davia’s Cinemaven (but check out his credits!), this film is a full-circle “Crash”-style story that rivals “Gemorrah” in its look at the barrio called “The Farm” or “La Granja” in which the lives of a midwife, a young boxer, a janitor, a mute kid and a young couple collide in a story about the desperate pursuit of happiness on the mean streets of La Granja. Shot on a budget of $250,000, this film took four years to complete as the Puerto Rican government film establishment sought to block its production and release – and you can see why. It previously played in Fantastic Fest.
This is another discovery film with no Isa, and I am sure the agents have already locked their eyes upon writer-director Angel Manuel Soto. He lives in Los Angeles. “Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Son of a car salesman and a flight attendant. Studied architecture and advertising. Always loved films. Now he makes them. He is a cinephile. He travels all over the world doing it, including Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, France, USA, and Puerto Rico. He is not planning on stopping.”
Best Screenplay Award went to Marina Seresesky for “La Puerta Abierta”/ “Open Door” (pictured above). Marina also directed this first film. She has made two shorts previously. After Ficg it will play at Sofia Iff 2016 in International Competition, San Diego Latino 2016 and Chicago Latino 2016 Film Festivals.
Movies Recommended for Selection for the Golden Globes Awards 2017 are “The 4th Company” and “Ciudades Desiertas” / “Deserted Cities” by Roberto Sneider.
Documentary Jury Special Award of 100,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars to the director Jorge Caballero for“Patient”/ "Paciente" Isa Rise and Shine, a new company in Germany, picked up the film at its world premiere in Competition at Idfa.
Best Iberoamerican Short Film Award D of 75,000 pesos or its equivalent in dollars to the directors Miguel de Olaso and Bruno Zacharias for the 10 minute short “ Los Angeles 1991”.
Special Mention went to “Juan's Sundown”/ "El Ocaso de Juan" by Omar Deneb Vargas Juárez
Rigo Mora Award for Best Mexican Animated Short Film of 100,000 Mexican pesos went to the director Alejandro Rios for “ The Cats”/"Los Gatos."
Maguey Award for best Lgbt film went to "Theo et Hugo dans le meme bateau"/ "Paris 05:59" of France, directed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau.
Special Mention went to “Neon Bull” of Brazil, directed by Gabriel Mascaro for its poetic and innovative illustrating of how traditional ideas of masculinity slowly have been made obsolete inviting us to question our own perspectives on gender bias.
After the Awards, Ficg gave a great closing night party. Lots of good people, new and old friends, great salsa band, danced til 3! Here’s me with my friend David Martinez of Raindance Film Festival. Coming from Guadalajara, living in London, this year he came home with Elliot Grove of Founder and Director of Raindance, and Aaron Wileman of Imaginative Exposure who gave a Master Class on Film Funds and Product Placement.
And of course I presented my own book in its abridged, Spanish language format, published by the University of Guadalajara Press, Cine Iberoamerican Industria y financiamiento por pais (Iberoamerican Cinema: Industry and Financing by Country). Read more about it here.
On Friday, March 11, it announced its awards and officially announced next year’s Guest of Honor, Germany, closing with the German film, Doris Dörrie’s “Fukushima Mon Amour” (Isa: The Match Factory). This film is a deeply moving homage to the spirit of humanity, recovery and love as a German clown, played by Rosalie Thomass and her clown partners, the wonderful Moshe Cohen of San Francisco and Nami Kamata, visit the people remaining at the devastated town of Fukushima and Rosalie bonds with the last geisha of Fukushima played by the beautiful Aya Irizuki. It premiered at the Panorama of the Berlinale where Doris won the C.I.C.A.E. Award and the Heiner Carow Prize.
Official Competition Winners FICG31
Mezcal Award for Best Mexican Film to “Maquinaria Panamericana”/ “Panamerican Machinery”
Mezcal jury
The jury consists of 30 students from related fields from universities or major schools of Mexico, Latin American, Europe and Canada. Serving as a sort of tutor, Jose Ramon Mikelajauregui, Director of Dis was responsible for the academic program held at FICG31.
The Mezcal Award consisting of 500,000 Mexican pesos went to the director, Joaquín del Paso for “Maquinaria Panamericana”/ “Panamerican Machinery”, a portrait of an inefficient factory on the edge of Mexico City where the workers lock themselves in when the owner is found dead in the back of the warehouse and they discover he has been bankrolling the wages out of his own pocket for years.
A coproduction of Mantarraya Producciones, it also won the Fipresci Prize at its premiere in the Forum of the Berlinale. International sales agent (Isa) is the new Paris-based sales and co-production company Luxbox whose
co-ceo Fiorella Moretti was formerly head of sales at Ndm, the Mexico City-based sales company she set up with director Carlos Reygadas and producer Jaime Romandia of Mantarraya Productions in 2012 to sell “Post Tenebras Lux”.
Co-ceo Hédi Zardi previously worked in sales for Fortissimo and went on to Unifrance, the French cinema promotions agency and then to the PR and events company Le Public Systeme, where he was in charge of industry initiatives at Marrakesh and Deauville festivals.
The pair got to know one another through Gabriel Ripstein’s “600 Miles”, winner of the best first feature last year at the Berlinale, which Zardi associate produced and Moretti sold.
Special Mention went to “Margarita” directed by Bruno Santamaría Razo
Infinitum Aaward Grante dby the Public, consisting of 150,000 pesos, went to " El Charro de Toluquilla" (Isa: Imcine) by José Villalobos Romero, a doc about mariachi singer Jaime Garcia Dominguez who became fascinated by the recklessness and ladies´ man lifestyle of the classic Mexican movie characters with one difference: he´s got HIV. Jaime faces an inner maturing process as he decides between keeping this lifestyle or becoming a family man. It also won the award for Best Iberoamerican Documentary of 150,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars to the director.
Best Latin American Fiction Film consisting of 250,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars went to the production company of Felipe Guerrero’s film “ Oscuro animal”, about three women forced to flee their homes in a war torn region in Colombia. The film also won Best Actress Award (s) for Marleyda Soto, Luisa Galiano and Jocelyn Vides Meneses and Best Photography Award to Fernando Lockett.
A coproduction of Argentina, Greece, Netherlands, Germany and Colombia, it is being sold internationally by FiGa. It previously played in the Rotterdam Film Festival’s Tiger Competition and Ficci Cartagena 2016’s Official Dramatic Competition. At the Berlinale’s Efm 2016 it was part of the World Cinema Fund’s First Look section. Financing for the film came from Colombia’s Proimágenes, Argentina’s Incaa, Netherlands’ Hubert Bals Fund, Fundación Typa, and Germany’s Nrw and World Cinema Fund.
It also won the award for Award for Best Iberoamerican Director consisting off 150,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars, because “almost wordlessly it portrays a complex and painful situation in Colombia which is all too common in Latin America.”
Special Feature Film Jury Award Iberoamerican Fiction of 125,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars, went to the production company of “The 4th Company”/ ”La 4a Compañía” by Amir Galván Cervera and Mitzi Vanessa Arreola, based upon a true story about an underdog prison (American-style) football team that, against all odds, wins against the police force team. The jury stated that it “considers it a cinematic achievement about a shameful moment in the history of Mexico to be remembered and not to be repeated”. Adrian Thief also won for Best Actor, and he is that! There is no Isa of record, so those ISAs reading this should check it out on Cinando! It’s a seller!
Award for Best Latin American Film of 125,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars went to the superb debuting director from Puerto Rico, Angel Manuel Soto for“La Granja”/ “The Farm”. Also the first film produced independently by Tom Davia’s Cinemaven (but check out his credits!), this film is a full-circle “Crash”-style story that rivals “Gemorrah” in its look at the barrio called “The Farm” or “La Granja” in which the lives of a midwife, a young boxer, a janitor, a mute kid and a young couple collide in a story about the desperate pursuit of happiness on the mean streets of La Granja. Shot on a budget of $250,000, this film took four years to complete as the Puerto Rican government film establishment sought to block its production and release – and you can see why. It previously played in Fantastic Fest.
This is another discovery film with no Isa, and I am sure the agents have already locked their eyes upon writer-director Angel Manuel Soto. He lives in Los Angeles. “Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Son of a car salesman and a flight attendant. Studied architecture and advertising. Always loved films. Now he makes them. He is a cinephile. He travels all over the world doing it, including Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, France, USA, and Puerto Rico. He is not planning on stopping.”
Best Screenplay Award went to Marina Seresesky for “La Puerta Abierta”/ “Open Door” (pictured above). Marina also directed this first film. She has made two shorts previously. After Ficg it will play at Sofia Iff 2016 in International Competition, San Diego Latino 2016 and Chicago Latino 2016 Film Festivals.
Movies Recommended for Selection for the Golden Globes Awards 2017 are “The 4th Company” and “Ciudades Desiertas” / “Deserted Cities” by Roberto Sneider.
Documentary Jury Special Award of 100,000 Mexican pesos or its equivalent in dollars to the director Jorge Caballero for“Patient”/ "Paciente" Isa Rise and Shine, a new company in Germany, picked up the film at its world premiere in Competition at Idfa.
Best Iberoamerican Short Film Award D of 75,000 pesos or its equivalent in dollars to the directors Miguel de Olaso and Bruno Zacharias for the 10 minute short “ Los Angeles 1991”.
Special Mention went to “Juan's Sundown”/ "El Ocaso de Juan" by Omar Deneb Vargas Juárez
Rigo Mora Award for Best Mexican Animated Short Film of 100,000 Mexican pesos went to the director Alejandro Rios for “ The Cats”/"Los Gatos."
Maguey Award for best Lgbt film went to "Theo et Hugo dans le meme bateau"/ "Paris 05:59" of France, directed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau.
Special Mention went to “Neon Bull” of Brazil, directed by Gabriel Mascaro for its poetic and innovative illustrating of how traditional ideas of masculinity slowly have been made obsolete inviting us to question our own perspectives on gender bias.
After the Awards, Ficg gave a great closing night party. Lots of good people, new and old friends, great salsa band, danced til 3! Here’s me with my friend David Martinez of Raindance Film Festival. Coming from Guadalajara, living in London, this year he came home with Elliot Grove of Founder and Director of Raindance, and Aaron Wileman of Imaginative Exposure who gave a Master Class on Film Funds and Product Placement.
And of course I presented my own book in its abridged, Spanish language format, published by the University of Guadalajara Press, Cine Iberoamerican Industria y financiamiento por pais (Iberoamerican Cinema: Industry and Financing by Country). Read more about it here.
- 3/17/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: New company to make first official market outing at Efm.
New Paris-based sales and co-production company Luxbox has acquired world rights to Hedi and Maquinaria Panamericana ahead of their premieres at the Berlinale.
Tunisian director and scriptwriter Mohamed Ben Attia’s Hedi is the first Arab-language film to play in competition at the Berlinale since Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now in 2005.
It follows an unassuming, young man who is controlled by an authoritarian mother. On the eve of his arranged marriage to a local girl chosen by his mother, he meets an adventurous, free-spirited young girl who changes his view of life.
Dora Bouchoucha of Tunis-based Nomadis Images — who has strong ties with the European film industry through her work with France’s National Cinema Centre (Cnc) and Rotterdam’s CineMart — produced the film with the Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes’s Les Films du Fleuve on board as a co-producer.
“Hedi means ‘calm...
New Paris-based sales and co-production company Luxbox has acquired world rights to Hedi and Maquinaria Panamericana ahead of their premieres at the Berlinale.
Tunisian director and scriptwriter Mohamed Ben Attia’s Hedi is the first Arab-language film to play in competition at the Berlinale since Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now in 2005.
It follows an unassuming, young man who is controlled by an authoritarian mother. On the eve of his arranged marriage to a local girl chosen by his mother, he meets an adventurous, free-spirited young girl who changes his view of life.
Dora Bouchoucha of Tunis-based Nomadis Images — who has strong ties with the European film industry through her work with France’s National Cinema Centre (Cnc) and Rotterdam’s CineMart — produced the film with the Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes’s Les Films du Fleuve on board as a co-producer.
“Hedi means ‘calm...
- 2/1/2016
- ScreenDaily
The Untamed
Director: Amat Escalante
Writer: Amat Escalante and Gibran Portela
Amat Escalante, protégé of Carlos Reygadas, snagged the Best Director award at Cannes 2013 for his unpleasant but striking third feature, Heli (previously, he’d won the Fipresci prize for his debut Sangre in 2005, while his 2008 sophomore film Los Bastardos playing in Un Certain Regard). He’s back with a very ambitious project, The Untamed, described as a “social/sci-fi movie about machismo, homophobia, and the repression of women,” catalyzed by the crash of a meteorite into a mountain. Based on his heavy-hitting past works, we can only image what’s in store for us with this mixture of ‘horror’ and ‘realism.’
Cast: Tba.
Production Co./Producer(s): Mantarraya Film’s Jaime Romandia, SnowGlobe Films’s Katrin Pors
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic) Tbd (international).
Release Date: The film’s producers have stated the project will be ready for May,...
Director: Amat Escalante
Writer: Amat Escalante and Gibran Portela
Amat Escalante, protégé of Carlos Reygadas, snagged the Best Director award at Cannes 2013 for his unpleasant but striking third feature, Heli (previously, he’d won the Fipresci prize for his debut Sangre in 2005, while his 2008 sophomore film Los Bastardos playing in Un Certain Regard). He’s back with a very ambitious project, The Untamed, described as a “social/sci-fi movie about machismo, homophobia, and the repression of women,” catalyzed by the crash of a meteorite into a mountain. Based on his heavy-hitting past works, we can only image what’s in store for us with this mixture of ‘horror’ and ‘realism.’
Cast: Tba.
Production Co./Producer(s): Mantarraya Film’s Jaime Romandia, SnowGlobe Films’s Katrin Pors
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic) Tbd (international).
Release Date: The film’s producers have stated the project will be ready for May,...
- 1/11/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Sci-fi adventure web series among eight projects presented at the Pixel Market Finance Forum.
Emily Paige’s animated web series Elemented – a futuristic sci-fi adventure set on an imaginary planet - has won the $4,560 (€4,000) Arte International Prize for the Pixel Market.
It was among eight projects pitched to a 440-strong audience and panel of leading international financiers and distributors at the Pixel Market Finance Forum on Wednesday (Oct 14).
Set on a distant planet in the future, Elemented revolves around 15-year-old Wren, her best friend Ash, and her secret accomplice Memoir as they investigate the mysterious big and small happenings around them and learn about the periodic table of elements along the way.
The Pixel Market Finance Forum is one element of a three-day Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum.
“Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum continues to break new ground by bringing the latest and most exciting cross-media projects before potential partners and investors,” said...
Emily Paige’s animated web series Elemented – a futuristic sci-fi adventure set on an imaginary planet - has won the $4,560 (€4,000) Arte International Prize for the Pixel Market.
It was among eight projects pitched to a 440-strong audience and panel of leading international financiers and distributors at the Pixel Market Finance Forum on Wednesday (Oct 14).
Set on a distant planet in the future, Elemented revolves around 15-year-old Wren, her best friend Ash, and her secret accomplice Memoir as they investigate the mysterious big and small happenings around them and learn about the periodic table of elements along the way.
The Pixel Market Finance Forum is one element of a three-day Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum.
“Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum continues to break new ground by bringing the latest and most exciting cross-media projects before potential partners and investors,” said...
- 10/15/2015
- ScreenDaily
We can add one more iron to the Cannes fire…except this one will likely target the 2017 edition. Obviously nothing is official until the April announcement, but Jaime Romandia’s Mantarraya has Amat Escalante‘s The Untamed (currently in production on a two month shoot) earmarked for a probable showing, and Variety reports that Mantarraya has teamed with France’s Le Pacte and Germany’s The Match Factory to produce Donde nace la vida (“Where Life is Born”), the highly anticipated fifth feature film by auteur/agitator/Cannes-winning filmmaker Carlos Reygadas. Production will take place in the state of Tlaxcala (renowned for its fighting bull ranches) and will be co-produced with Reygadas’ Nodream Cinema in early 2016.
Gist: This “a simple but powerful story of love and loss of love, in open couple relationships, emotional phases on the downfall set in the context of Mexico’s fighting bull-breeding ranches.”
Worth Noting:...
Gist: This “a simple but powerful story of love and loss of love, in open couple relationships, emotional phases on the downfall set in the context of Mexico’s fighting bull-breeding ranches.”
Worth Noting:...
- 10/13/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Nearly 50 Latin American producers, financiers and commissioners to attend.
Power to the Pixel has announced the delegation of 48 producers, financiers and commissioners set to attend Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum (Oct 13-16) - held as part of the 59th BFI London Film Festival (Oct 7-18)
Leading the Latin American delegation are funds Incaa (Mexico), Imcine (Mexico) and RioFilme (Brazil).
Each fund brings with them a group of production companies, executives and media experts will participate in the Conference (Oct 13), Pixel Market Finance Forum (Oct 14), Pixel Market Meetings (Oct 15) and the annual Think Tank (Oct 16).
Other partners of the delegation are Abpitv, the Brazilian TV Producers Association, leading Latin American entertainment lawyer, Cesnik Quntino & Salinas and Brazilian co-production specialist, Filmcup Institute.
The British Council have also supported the attendance of 16 producers and company representatives working in cross-platform and interactive media innovation from across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela...
Power to the Pixel has announced the delegation of 48 producers, financiers and commissioners set to attend Power to the Pixel: The Cross-Media Forum (Oct 13-16) - held as part of the 59th BFI London Film Festival (Oct 7-18)
Leading the Latin American delegation are funds Incaa (Mexico), Imcine (Mexico) and RioFilme (Brazil).
Each fund brings with them a group of production companies, executives and media experts will participate in the Conference (Oct 13), Pixel Market Finance Forum (Oct 14), Pixel Market Meetings (Oct 15) and the annual Think Tank (Oct 16).
Other partners of the delegation are Abpitv, the Brazilian TV Producers Association, leading Latin American entertainment lawyer, Cesnik Quntino & Salinas and Brazilian co-production specialist, Filmcup Institute.
The British Council have also supported the attendance of 16 producers and company representatives working in cross-platform and interactive media innovation from across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela...
- 9/17/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The two-day finance and co-production market will take place on October 14 and 15.Scroll Down For The Full List Of Projects
Power to the Pixel has announced the 35 cross-platform projects from Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and South America set to participate in this year’s The Pixel Market, a two-day finance and co-production market taking place during this year’s BFI London Film Festival (Oct 7-18).
Presenters at this year’s Pixel Market Finance Forum include Guy Gadney, from the Project Factory, whose digital productions include Sherlock: The Network, Alexandre Brachet of Upian, who worked on Do Not Track And Alma – A Tale Of Violence, and Christopher Sheppard from Adventure Pictures, the British company that produced Ginger & Rosa and Orlando.
From the 35 projects included, eight will compete for the Arte International Prize for The Pixel Market, which comes with a $4,500 (€4,000) award. Those involved will present to a panel of commissioning executives and financiers, with the winner...
Power to the Pixel has announced the 35 cross-platform projects from Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and South America set to participate in this year’s The Pixel Market, a two-day finance and co-production market taking place during this year’s BFI London Film Festival (Oct 7-18).
Presenters at this year’s Pixel Market Finance Forum include Guy Gadney, from the Project Factory, whose digital productions include Sherlock: The Network, Alexandre Brachet of Upian, who worked on Do Not Track And Alma – A Tale Of Violence, and Christopher Sheppard from Adventure Pictures, the British company that produced Ginger & Rosa and Orlando.
From the 35 projects included, eight will compete for the Arte International Prize for The Pixel Market, which comes with a $4,500 (€4,000) award. Those involved will present to a panel of commissioning executives and financiers, with the winner...
- 9/9/2015
- ScreenDaily
Chloé Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run prevailed in the $15,000 Los Cabos Competition section as the second Baja International Film Festival came to a conclusion in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Over the course of four days the festival presented 35 films, of which six were world premieres, 14 were Mexican premieres and one was a Latin American premiere.
The municipality of Los Cabos hosted more than 80 producers and representatives from Mexico, the Us and Canada, as well as the UK, Chile, Colombia, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, Argentina and Brazil.
Mexican star Gael Garcia Bernal was the subject of a career tribute and Carlos Reygadas, Amat Escalante, Jaime Romandia and Peter Greenaway attended a celebration marking the 15th anniversary of production company Mantarraya Producciones.
The festival ran from November 13-16 and closed with a screening of Oscar contender Dallas Buyers Club and the awards ceremony.
Sarah Prefers To Run (pictured) won the Los Cabos Competition section and a $15,000 prize. [link...
Over the course of four days the festival presented 35 films, of which six were world premieres, 14 were Mexican premieres and one was a Latin American premiere.
The municipality of Los Cabos hosted more than 80 producers and representatives from Mexico, the Us and Canada, as well as the UK, Chile, Colombia, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, Argentina and Brazil.
Mexican star Gael Garcia Bernal was the subject of a career tribute and Carlos Reygadas, Amat Escalante, Jaime Romandia and Peter Greenaway attended a celebration marking the 15th anniversary of production company Mantarraya Producciones.
The festival ran from November 13-16 and closed with a screening of Oscar contender Dallas Buyers Club and the awards ceremony.
Sarah Prefers To Run (pictured) won the Los Cabos Competition section and a $15,000 prize. [link...
- 11/19/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Up With Dead People: Hoffman’s Debut an Arresting Development
It’s easy to see why long time Carlos Reygadas producer Jaime Romandia (who has also produced for Amat Escalante and Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio) got on board with director Sebastian Hoffman’s exquisite debut, Halley, as it combines the existentialist ennui of Reygadas with Cronenbergian body horror. Hauntingly surreal, and sometimes maddeningly oblique, it never fails to be consistently compelling, and Hoffman’s eerie protagonist manages to resonate long after its final frames.
Opening with flies coupling in a dirty jar, we follow Beto (Alberto Trujillo), a security guard in a 24 hour Mexico City gym, where his deteriorated physical appearance is in sharp contrast to the pumped up bunnies that frequent the establishment. We soon learn that something is horribly wrong with Beto, and, in fact, he’s actually no longer living. Filling himself with embalming fluid in his apartment,...
It’s easy to see why long time Carlos Reygadas producer Jaime Romandia (who has also produced for Amat Escalante and Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio) got on board with director Sebastian Hoffman’s exquisite debut, Halley, as it combines the existentialist ennui of Reygadas with Cronenbergian body horror. Hauntingly surreal, and sometimes maddeningly oblique, it never fails to be consistently compelling, and Hoffman’s eerie protagonist manages to resonate long after its final frames.
Opening with flies coupling in a dirty jar, we follow Beto (Alberto Trujillo), a security guard in a 24 hour Mexico City gym, where his deteriorated physical appearance is in sharp contrast to the pumped up bunnies that frequent the establishment. We soon learn that something is horribly wrong with Beto, and, in fact, he’s actually no longer living. Filling himself with embalming fluid in his apartment,...
- 1/25/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
#5. Interior. Leather Bar
Who: While everyone may be familiar with actor/director James Franco, they not be as aware of the filmmaker he’s paired with to direct Interior. Leather Bar, Travis Mathews. With a background in documentary, Mathews professes to use this and his Masters in Counseling Psychology to make films that focus on gay men and intimacy. He already has a series of short films about gay men and bedrooms and a well received 2012 feature film, I Want Your Love to his name.
What: His pairing with Franco on a project aims to recreate the lost 40 minutes of footage that William Friedkin was forced to cut from his controversial 1980 film Cruising.
Where: Franco’s interview also features a clip, while Franco’s co-director posted the trailer on his vimeo channel.
When: Shot in Los Angeles, CA over the course of a day in July, 2012, produced by RabbitBandini Productions...
Who: While everyone may be familiar with actor/director James Franco, they not be as aware of the filmmaker he’s paired with to direct Interior. Leather Bar, Travis Mathews. With a background in documentary, Mathews professes to use this and his Masters in Counseling Psychology to make films that focus on gay men and intimacy. He already has a series of short films about gay men and bedrooms and a well received 2012 feature film, I Want Your Love to his name.
What: His pairing with Franco on a project aims to recreate the lost 40 minutes of footage that William Friedkin was forced to cut from his controversial 1980 film Cruising.
Where: Franco’s interview also features a clip, while Franco’s co-director posted the trailer on his vimeo channel.
When: Shot in Los Angeles, CA over the course of a day in July, 2012, produced by RabbitBandini Productions...
- 1/17/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
11. Zama – Dir. Lucretia Martel
Why This Makes Top 10: At number eleven we have Argentinean filmmaker Lucretia Martel’s latest film, her first since 2008’s The Headless Woman (a film that critics were slow to warm to, but ended up being on many a best end of year list in 2008/2009). Previous titles include her stunning debut, 2001’s La Cienega, along with 2004’s The Holy Girl. Her latest is a period piece based on the novel by Antonio de Benedetto and will be produced by Lita Stantic, El Deseo (the Almodovar Bros’ company), as well as a still to be named French producer. Martel is one of the most prolific names to come out the New Argentinean Wave and this looks to be a massively mounted period piece we’re eager to get a look at.
The Gist: Written in 1956, Zama is an existential novel about Don Diego de Zama, a...
Why This Makes Top 10: At number eleven we have Argentinean filmmaker Lucretia Martel’s latest film, her first since 2008’s The Headless Woman (a film that critics were slow to warm to, but ended up being on many a best end of year list in 2008/2009). Previous titles include her stunning debut, 2001’s La Cienega, along with 2004’s The Holy Girl. Her latest is a period piece based on the novel by Antonio de Benedetto and will be produced by Lita Stantic, El Deseo (the Almodovar Bros’ company), as well as a still to be named French producer. Martel is one of the most prolific names to come out the New Argentinean Wave and this looks to be a massively mounted period piece we’re eager to get a look at.
The Gist: Written in 1956, Zama is an existential novel about Don Diego de Zama, a...
- 1/8/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
This already sounds like a good combination. And it looks that something good is cooking in Lisandro Alonso‘s kitchen since Viggo Mortensen is all set up to star in (still) untitled drama. And that’s not all, he will produce the whole thing as well! Make sure you check out the rest of this report for more info!
Alonso will direct the whole thing from a script which he co-wrote together with Fabian Casas, and the movie will center on a character named Gunner Blixen and his daughter who journey from Denmark to an unknown desert that exists in a realm beyond the confines of civilization.
As you already guess, Mortensen is on board to star as Blixen, while there’s still no word on who will play his daughter. We should also add that Alonso’s drama is set in Denmark and Argentina.
Andy Kleinman’s Massive Inc.
Alonso will direct the whole thing from a script which he co-wrote together with Fabian Casas, and the movie will center on a character named Gunner Blixen and his daughter who journey from Denmark to an unknown desert that exists in a realm beyond the confines of civilization.
As you already guess, Mortensen is on board to star as Blixen, while there’s still no word on who will play his daughter. We should also add that Alonso’s drama is set in Denmark and Argentina.
Andy Kleinman’s Massive Inc.
- 11/14/2012
- by Jeanne Standal
- Filmofilia
Viggo Mortensen has signed to star in and produce Lisandro Alonso's untitled new drama for Massive Inc., Perceval Films and 4L.
Alonso ("La Libertad," "Liverpool") and Fabian Casas penned the story that follows a Danish man and his daughter who journey to a desert that exists in a realm beyond the confines of civilization.
Andy Kleinman, Jaime Romandia and Ilse Hughan are also producing. Shooting kicks off early next year in Denmark and Argentina.
Source: Variety...
Alonso ("La Libertad," "Liverpool") and Fabian Casas penned the story that follows a Danish man and his daughter who journey to a desert that exists in a realm beyond the confines of civilization.
Andy Kleinman, Jaime Romandia and Ilse Hughan are also producing. Shooting kicks off early next year in Denmark and Argentina.
Source: Variety...
- 11/14/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
At the risk of being redundant, I publish this so that when Cannes folk meet one another at the myriad of cocktail receptions and parties, they will be aware of where old friends and acquaintances are now working:
Personnel Shifts (Includes Berlin):
Nadine de Barros left Voltage and is heading international sales at Aldamisa. Jere Hausfater is head of acquisitions.
Stephanie Denton heads up international sales at Indomina.
Archie Purvis is working with Porchlight selling their library internationally.
Clay Epstein left The Little Film Co. to join Arclight.
John Fremes has left his company, Essential, to go to Nu Image/ Millenium.
Lisa Wilson has formed new sales company, The Solution Entertainment Group.
Mimi Steinbauer has formed her new sales company, Radiant Films International after leaving Hyde Park.
Camela Galano has launched her new sales company, Speranza 13 Media.
Roman Kopelevich debuts his new sales company Red Sea Media.
Bobby Meyers and Larry Meyers launched Meyers Media Group
Jim Harvey has opened Studio City Pictures.
Glen Ackerman has launched sales agency and film fund V International Media for Cannes 2012.
Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar have joined forces to launch a new international sales and financing company Embankment Films. See Variety February 21, 2012.
Yoann Ubermulhin is leaving Pyramide to go to Sofica. Lucero Garzon will be Pyramide’s new head of sales under Eric Lagesse.
Vincent Canales, formerly with Filmax has launched a new sales company, Film Factory Entertainment.
Carlost Reygades and producer partner Jaime Romandia are launching the international sales company Ndm (short of Nodream Mantarraya) and will sell Reygadas’ Post Tenebras Lux.
Claudia Begnoni has left Lady Films (alternate link) to form her own company, Satine Film
Raphael Berdugo left Roissy and formed a new production/ international sales company called Cite Films.
Summit has been bought by Lionsgate for Us $412.5 million. Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger will run the company as Joe Drake exits. Its distribution partners such as Entertainment One in Canada and U.K. , Snd/ M6 Group for France, Aurum for Spain (2014), Hopscotch/ eOne for Australia/ N.Z., Central Partnership for Russia and TeleMuenchen (2013) for German speaking territories, are expected to continue, at least through 2012. David Garrett is resigning from Summit.
Global Screen is a new joint venture international sales company between Bavaria and Telepool and is headed by Sonia Mehandjiyska. It has 22 films on offer at Efm and a team of 11. Mehandjiyska comes from Echo Bridge ad Mrgand began this job this month. The acquisition execs are looking for new produce and are adding English language titles to their slate.
New international sales company from So. Korea, Daisy Entertainment, has hired Erica Nam from Mirovision to head up international sales.
New international sales company Sts has been launched in the U.K. by Simn Barnes, formerly of Park Entertainment and U.K. producer Sam Tromans.
Personnel Shifts (Includes Berlin):
Nadine de Barros left Voltage and is heading international sales at Aldamisa. Jere Hausfater is head of acquisitions.
Stephanie Denton heads up international sales at Indomina.
Archie Purvis is working with Porchlight selling their library internationally.
Clay Epstein left The Little Film Co. to join Arclight.
John Fremes has left his company, Essential, to go to Nu Image/ Millenium.
Lisa Wilson has formed new sales company, The Solution Entertainment Group.
Mimi Steinbauer has formed her new sales company, Radiant Films International after leaving Hyde Park.
Camela Galano has launched her new sales company, Speranza 13 Media.
Roman Kopelevich debuts his new sales company Red Sea Media.
Bobby Meyers and Larry Meyers launched Meyers Media Group
Jim Harvey has opened Studio City Pictures.
Glen Ackerman has launched sales agency and film fund V International Media for Cannes 2012.
Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar have joined forces to launch a new international sales and financing company Embankment Films. See Variety February 21, 2012.
Yoann Ubermulhin is leaving Pyramide to go to Sofica. Lucero Garzon will be Pyramide’s new head of sales under Eric Lagesse.
Vincent Canales, formerly with Filmax has launched a new sales company, Film Factory Entertainment.
Carlost Reygades and producer partner Jaime Romandia are launching the international sales company Ndm (short of Nodream Mantarraya) and will sell Reygadas’ Post Tenebras Lux.
Claudia Begnoni has left Lady Films (alternate link) to form her own company, Satine Film
Raphael Berdugo left Roissy and formed a new production/ international sales company called Cite Films.
Summit has been bought by Lionsgate for Us $412.5 million. Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger will run the company as Joe Drake exits. Its distribution partners such as Entertainment One in Canada and U.K. , Snd/ M6 Group for France, Aurum for Spain (2014), Hopscotch/ eOne for Australia/ N.Z., Central Partnership for Russia and TeleMuenchen (2013) for German speaking territories, are expected to continue, at least through 2012. David Garrett is resigning from Summit.
Global Screen is a new joint venture international sales company between Bavaria and Telepool and is headed by Sonia Mehandjiyska. It has 22 films on offer at Efm and a team of 11. Mehandjiyska comes from Echo Bridge ad Mrgand began this job this month. The acquisition execs are looking for new produce and are adding English language titles to their slate.
New international sales company from So. Korea, Daisy Entertainment, has hired Erica Nam from Mirovision to head up international sales.
New international sales company Sts has been launched in the U.K. by Simn Barnes, formerly of Park Entertainment and U.K. producer Sam Tromans.
- 5/17/2012
- by SydneyLevine
- Sydney's Buzz
#01. Post Tenebras Lux Director/Writer: Carlos Reygadas Producers: Le Pacte's Jean Labadie and Mantarraya Producciones' Jaime Romandia Distributor: Rights Available The Gist: Childhood and adolescence memories, dreams of life, emotions and thoughts of the present existence. It's a feature film with a loose plot link in its discourse but really clear in its poetics. It is not united by the plot but by the harmony in the expression of the feelings. It works like this: at a superficial level, by the stylistic coherence; at a deep level, making sense through the identity of the personal vision...(more) Cast: Further use of non-professional actors. List Worthy Reasons...: Incrementally perfecting his stylistic and narrative approach, in Japon and Battle in Heaven, Carlos Reygadas examined our will to live, defined how compassion and sympathy can sustain itself in dire trying moments, and he painfully, unflinchingly reminded us that there is...
- 1/12/2012
- IONCINEMA.com
Like his mentor Reygadas, Escalante favors a brute force aesthetic realism that goes a long way in describing the realities of modern day Mexico. - #23. Heli Director/Writer: Amat EscalanteProducers: Jaime Romandia (producer for Carlos Reygadas' films)Distributor: Rights Available. Photo Exclusive: Featuring filmmaker Amat Escalante. The Gist: In a small Mexican town, where most citizens work for an automobile assembly plant or the local drug cartel, Heli is confronted with police corruption, drug trafficking, sexual exploitation, love, guilt and revenge in the search for his father who has mysteriously disappeared. Cast: None mentioned so far, but I imagine he'll use non-actors who might have experienced some of the realities proposed in the screenplay. Why is it on the list?: Like his mentor Reygadas, Escalante favors a brute force aesthetic realism that goes a long way in describing the realities of modern day Mexico.
- 2/3/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Paris -- French production, distribution and international sales powerhouse MK2 is heading "To the Sea" after snagging the international sales rights to Pedro Gonzalez Rubio's feature film, MK2 said Monday.
"To the Sea" will hold its world premiere screening in Toronto's Visions sidebar on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Produced by Jaime Romandia and Gonzalez for Mantarraya Producciones, "Sea" was shot on location in Chinchorro on the Mexican coastline and follows the relationship between a father and son as they interact with nature along the ocean.
MK2 will handle all international sales rights for the film outside of Latin America.
The deal was made by MK2 International's Mathilde Henrot and Juliette Schrameck. "We chose this deeply moving film on the strength of its theme, reminding us of just how powerful our connections to family and nature are," Henrot said.
"To the Sea" will hold its world premiere screening in Toronto's Visions sidebar on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Produced by Jaime Romandia and Gonzalez for Mantarraya Producciones, "Sea" was shot on location in Chinchorro on the Mexican coastline and follows the relationship between a father and son as they interact with nature along the ocean.
MK2 will handle all international sales rights for the film outside of Latin America.
The deal was made by MK2 International's Mathilde Henrot and Juliette Schrameck. "We chose this deeply moving film on the strength of its theme, reminding us of just how powerful our connections to family and nature are," Henrot said.
- 9/14/2009
- by By Rebecca Leffler
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- I'm a huge fan of Amat Escalante's debut film Sangre, but I was baffled and unimpressed by the Un Certain Regard screening I caught last May of his sophomore piece Los Bastardos. In many ways the story-line of a pair of young migrant Mexican workers who commit a brutal crime reminded me of certain facets from Haneke's Funny Games. I expect the auteur filmmaker to bring much of the same provocation and similar visual treatment to his next work, Heli. Scripted by Escalante, this will be set in the world of Mexican drug dealers and I wonder how far the filmmaker who favors "realism" is willing to go to achieve an aesthetic truth. One thing is for sure, it may be an ideal companion piece to another film I recently saw about gangs and border towns in Sin Nombre. Variety reports that the pic will produced by Jaime Romandia’s Mantarraya Produciones,
- 2/10/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
- #10. Silent Light (Luz Silenciosa) Director/Writer: Carlos ReygadasProducers: Carlos Reygadas and Jaime Romandia (La Influencia) Distributor: Tartan Films The Gist: Mexico, Chihuaha state, community of Mennonites. Johan, married to Esther, with seven sons from her, has been having a passionate love affair with Marianne for 2 years. Deciding between two lives, and between two women, is impossibile. Fact: The lead actress is a non-actor that Reygadas meet randomly. See It: The filmmaker behind Battle in Heaven has picked up much critical praise and won prizes in Cannes, the Golden Hugo in Chicago, a Fipresci Prize in Rio, and a Best Film award in Bergen. Release Date/Status?: Tartan Films might try and put this in a couple of arthouse theaters. ...
- 2/1/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
CANNES -- There is little music in Amat Escalante's resolutely grim Sangre and none at all in the lives of its central characters, Diego (Cirilo Recio) and Blanca (Laura Saldana). Their married life is one of stultifying monotony enlivened only by long periods spent on the couch watching soap operas and an occasional episode of joyless sex.
Escalante's snail-paced depiction of how Mexican "telenovelas" might cause an essentially decent, if spineless and unimaginative, man to react to a family disaster with an act of reckless melodrama fails to convince, however, and is unlikely to gain a wide audience.
Diego's complaint is that life is clumsy, a fair observation that can also be said of Escalante's film. Sangre is both kitchen-sink and bathroom-sink drama, with long, drawn-out sequences in which a fixed camera observes Diego eating a messy breakfast or washing his genitals before sex or sitting quietly with an expression of permanent bewilderment.
The pot-bellied, balding Diego is dominated by his wife, who is alternately scolding and effusively affectionate. He has no clue what to do when his daughter Katrina (Claudia Orozco), from a previous marriage, seeks his help to escape a drug-addict boyfriend and Blanca refuses to let her live with them.
Events conspire to lead Diego along an unexpectedly desperate path, and he soon loses his way. Unfortunately, the film does, too.
SANGRE
Mantarraya Prods., Tres Tunas, No Dream Cinema, Funny Balloons and Ad Vitam
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Amat Escalante
Producers: Jaime Romandia, Amat Escalante, Carlos Reygadas
Cinematographer: Alex T. Fenton
Art director: Daniela Schneider
Cast:
Diego: Cirilo Recio
Blanca: Laura Saldana
Karina: Claudia Orozco
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 90 minutes...
Escalante's snail-paced depiction of how Mexican "telenovelas" might cause an essentially decent, if spineless and unimaginative, man to react to a family disaster with an act of reckless melodrama fails to convince, however, and is unlikely to gain a wide audience.
Diego's complaint is that life is clumsy, a fair observation that can also be said of Escalante's film. Sangre is both kitchen-sink and bathroom-sink drama, with long, drawn-out sequences in which a fixed camera observes Diego eating a messy breakfast or washing his genitals before sex or sitting quietly with an expression of permanent bewilderment.
The pot-bellied, balding Diego is dominated by his wife, who is alternately scolding and effusively affectionate. He has no clue what to do when his daughter Katrina (Claudia Orozco), from a previous marriage, seeks his help to escape a drug-addict boyfriend and Blanca refuses to let her live with them.
Events conspire to lead Diego along an unexpectedly desperate path, and he soon loses his way. Unfortunately, the film does, too.
SANGRE
Mantarraya Prods., Tres Tunas, No Dream Cinema, Funny Balloons and Ad Vitam
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Amat Escalante
Producers: Jaime Romandia, Amat Escalante, Carlos Reygadas
Cinematographer: Alex T. Fenton
Art director: Daniela Schneider
Cast:
Diego: Cirilo Recio
Blanca: Laura Saldana
Karina: Claudia Orozco
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 90 minutes...
- 5/20/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Carlos Reygades' Batalla en el Cielo was one of the highly touted Competition film as the Festival de Cannes got under way, but it proves to be a disappointing turn-off. The film deliberately works against most cinematic expectations.
Actors -- or to be accurate, nonactors -- do not even try to communicate any meaning. Scenes are drained of emotions. The cityscape of modern-day Mexico City is observed with documentarylike scrutiny but without any particular point of view.
Batalla en el Cielo -- or Battle in Heaven -- may win more festival dates, but despite the inclusion of graphic though unerotic sex scenes it will be tough to find an audience for a film so determined to puzzle and annoy but not to enlighten.
The movie opens with a scene of fellatio involving a young, attractive woman and an overweight, older and unattractive man. We later learn that Marcos (Marcos Hernandez) works for Ana's father and has been her chauffeur since she was in grade school. Ana (Anapola Mushkadiz) works in a brothel, less for the money, which she clearly does not need, than for the need or thrill of prostituting herself.
Marcos and his doltish wife (Berta Ruiz) have apparently kidnapped the baby of a friend for ransom but the infant has accidentally died. Marcos confesses this to Ana, which he says makes him feel better. Hard to tell though since Reygadas has actors deliver lines in monotones while posed compositionally in awkward and unrealistic postures. The exception is Mushkadiz, who is allowed to act naturally.
The scenes between Marcos and his wife are the stiffest in the film. Their lovemaking scene challenges us not to feel sorry for the actors.
Diego Martinez Vignatti's camera often holds a single static angle for awhile, yet other times indulges in hey-look-at-me tracking shots and one 360-degree panorama of the city. Reygadas ratchets up ambient sounds sometimes to ear-splitting noise levels. Source music ranging from pop to liturgical is often designed to clash with a particular scene.
The strongest character is Mexico City itself. Shot on gray days or with overexposure, the city comes off as soulless as the other personalities in the movie only its congestion, pollution and noise seem to induce a zombielike insanity in the characters.
Catholic and Christian symbols and paintings are everywhere, but religion seems to have no impact on the amoral fools that populate this film.
The act of violence that serves as a climax is as senseless as everything that has gone before it. The movie ends where it began with a final shot of the fellatio artist doing what she does best.
BATALLA EN EL CIELO
BAC Films
Credits: Writer/director: Carlos Reygadas; Producers: Philippe Bober, Carlos Reygadas, Jaime Romandia, Susanne Marian; Director of photography: Diego Martinez Vignatti; Editors: Benjamin Mirguet, Adoracion G. Elipe, Nicolas Schmerkin. Cast: Marcos: Marcos Hernandez; Ana: Anapola Mushkadiz; Marcos' wife: Berta Ruiz; David: David Bornstein; Viky: Rosalinda Ramirez.
No MPAA rating, running time 98 minutes.
Actors -- or to be accurate, nonactors -- do not even try to communicate any meaning. Scenes are drained of emotions. The cityscape of modern-day Mexico City is observed with documentarylike scrutiny but without any particular point of view.
Batalla en el Cielo -- or Battle in Heaven -- may win more festival dates, but despite the inclusion of graphic though unerotic sex scenes it will be tough to find an audience for a film so determined to puzzle and annoy but not to enlighten.
The movie opens with a scene of fellatio involving a young, attractive woman and an overweight, older and unattractive man. We later learn that Marcos (Marcos Hernandez) works for Ana's father and has been her chauffeur since she was in grade school. Ana (Anapola Mushkadiz) works in a brothel, less for the money, which she clearly does not need, than for the need or thrill of prostituting herself.
Marcos and his doltish wife (Berta Ruiz) have apparently kidnapped the baby of a friend for ransom but the infant has accidentally died. Marcos confesses this to Ana, which he says makes him feel better. Hard to tell though since Reygadas has actors deliver lines in monotones while posed compositionally in awkward and unrealistic postures. The exception is Mushkadiz, who is allowed to act naturally.
The scenes between Marcos and his wife are the stiffest in the film. Their lovemaking scene challenges us not to feel sorry for the actors.
Diego Martinez Vignatti's camera often holds a single static angle for awhile, yet other times indulges in hey-look-at-me tracking shots and one 360-degree panorama of the city. Reygadas ratchets up ambient sounds sometimes to ear-splitting noise levels. Source music ranging from pop to liturgical is often designed to clash with a particular scene.
The strongest character is Mexico City itself. Shot on gray days or with overexposure, the city comes off as soulless as the other personalities in the movie only its congestion, pollution and noise seem to induce a zombielike insanity in the characters.
Catholic and Christian symbols and paintings are everywhere, but religion seems to have no impact on the amoral fools that populate this film.
The act of violence that serves as a climax is as senseless as everything that has gone before it. The movie ends where it began with a final shot of the fellatio artist doing what she does best.
BATALLA EN EL CIELO
BAC Films
Credits: Writer/director: Carlos Reygadas; Producers: Philippe Bober, Carlos Reygadas, Jaime Romandia, Susanne Marian; Director of photography: Diego Martinez Vignatti; Editors: Benjamin Mirguet, Adoracion G. Elipe, Nicolas Schmerkin. Cast: Marcos: Marcos Hernandez; Ana: Anapola Mushkadiz; Marcos' wife: Berta Ruiz; David: David Bornstein; Viky: Rosalinda Ramirez.
No MPAA rating, running time 98 minutes.
- 5/18/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- There is little music in Amat Escalante's resolutely grim Sangre and none at all in the lives of its central characters, Diego (Cirilo Recio) and Blanca (Laura Saldana). Their married life is one of stultifying monotony enlivened only by long periods spent on the couch watching soap operas and an occasional episode of joyless sex.
Escalante's snail-paced depiction of how Mexican "telenovelas" might cause an essentially decent, if spineless and unimaginative, man to react to a family disaster with an act of reckless melodrama fails to convince, however, and is unlikely to gain a wide audience.
Diego's complaint is that life is clumsy, a fair observation that can also be said of Escalante's film. Sangre is both kitchen-sink and bathroom-sink drama, with long, drawn-out sequences in which a fixed camera observes Diego eating a messy breakfast or washing his genitals before sex or sitting quietly with an expression of permanent bewilderment.
The pot-bellied, balding Diego is dominated by his wife, who is alternately scolding and effusively affectionate. He has no clue what to do when his daughter Katrina (Claudia Orozco), from a previous marriage, seeks his help to escape a drug-addict boyfriend and Blanca refuses to let her live with them.
Events conspire to lead Diego along an unexpectedly desperate path, and he soon loses his way. Unfortunately, the film does, too.
SANGRE
Mantarraya Prods., Tres Tunas, No Dream Cinema, Funny Balloons and Ad Vitam
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Amat Escalante
Producers: Jaime Romandia, Amat Escalante, Carlos Reygadas
Cinematographer: Alex T. Fenton
Art director: Daniela Schneider
Cast:
Diego: Cirilo Recio
Blanca: Laura Saldana
Karina: Claudia Orozco
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 90 minutes...
Escalante's snail-paced depiction of how Mexican "telenovelas" might cause an essentially decent, if spineless and unimaginative, man to react to a family disaster with an act of reckless melodrama fails to convince, however, and is unlikely to gain a wide audience.
Diego's complaint is that life is clumsy, a fair observation that can also be said of Escalante's film. Sangre is both kitchen-sink and bathroom-sink drama, with long, drawn-out sequences in which a fixed camera observes Diego eating a messy breakfast or washing his genitals before sex or sitting quietly with an expression of permanent bewilderment.
The pot-bellied, balding Diego is dominated by his wife, who is alternately scolding and effusively affectionate. He has no clue what to do when his daughter Katrina (Claudia Orozco), from a previous marriage, seeks his help to escape a drug-addict boyfriend and Blanca refuses to let her live with them.
Events conspire to lead Diego along an unexpectedly desperate path, and he soon loses his way. Unfortunately, the film does, too.
SANGRE
Mantarraya Prods., Tres Tunas, No Dream Cinema, Funny Balloons and Ad Vitam
Credits:
Director-writer-editor: Amat Escalante
Producers: Jaime Romandia, Amat Escalante, Carlos Reygadas
Cinematographer: Alex T. Fenton
Art director: Daniela Schneider
Cast:
Diego: Cirilo Recio
Blanca: Laura Saldana
Karina: Claudia Orozco
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 90 minutes...
- 5/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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