Exclusive: IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Memoir of a Snail, a stop-motion drama from Adam Elliot — the writer-director behind the Academy Award-winning 2004 short Harvie Krumpet.
Marking the first lead voice role for star Sarah Snook (Succession), and Elliot’s second stop-motion feature on the heels of 2009’s Mary and Max — also distributed by IFC — the film centers on the life of Grace Pudel, a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love of romance novels. At a young age, when she’s separated from her twin brother, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky. As she slowly learns to let go of the clutter in her home and her mind, Grace starts to find her confidence...
Marking the first lead voice role for star Sarah Snook (Succession), and Elliot’s second stop-motion feature on the heels of 2009’s Mary and Max — also distributed by IFC — the film centers on the life of Grace Pudel, a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love of romance novels. At a young age, when she’s separated from her twin brother, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky. As she slowly learns to let go of the clutter in her home and her mind, Grace starts to find her confidence...
- 5/16/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Neon has acquired the North American rights to award-winning filmmaker Julia Ducournau’s (Titane, Raw) genre-defying film Alpha.
Leading the cast are Golshifteh Farahani (The Patience Stone, Paterson) and Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian, A Prophet), with principal photography on the film commencing next fall.
Producers are Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film and Eric & Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions co-producing.
Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling sales in the rest of the world during the Cannes Film Festival and market.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s president of acquisitions & production Jeff Deutchman with Charades’ Carole Baraton and FilmNation Entertainment’s CEO Glen Basner on behalf of the filmmakers.
The deal marks Neon’s second collaboration with Ducournau following Titane, which the studio picked up ahead of its premiere in Cannes in 2021 and went on to win the Palme d’Or.
Neon also...
Leading the cast are Golshifteh Farahani (The Patience Stone, Paterson) and Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian, A Prophet), with principal photography on the film commencing next fall.
Producers are Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film and Eric & Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions co-producing.
Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling sales in the rest of the world during the Cannes Film Festival and market.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s president of acquisitions & production Jeff Deutchman with Charades’ Carole Baraton and FilmNation Entertainment’s CEO Glen Basner on behalf of the filmmakers.
The deal marks Neon’s second collaboration with Ducournau following Titane, which the studio picked up ahead of its premiere in Cannes in 2021 and went on to win the Palme d’Or.
Neon also...
- 5/15/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Neon has pre-bought North American rights from Charades and FilmNation to Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, reuniting with the 2021 Palme d’Or-winning director of Titane.
Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim will star in Alpha, which is scheduled to begin production in autumn. Ducournau is writing the screenplay and the plot remains under wraps.
Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film are producing with Eric and Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions co-producing.
Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are collaborating for the first time and continue sales for the rest of the world in Cannes.
Ducournau’s previous films include Raw.
Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim will star in Alpha, which is scheduled to begin production in autumn. Ducournau is writing the screenplay and the plot remains under wraps.
Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film are producing with Eric and Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions co-producing.
Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are collaborating for the first time and continue sales for the rest of the world in Cannes.
Ducournau’s previous films include Raw.
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Neon, the Oscar-winning distributor of “Parasite,” is getting back in business with “Titane” director Julia Ducournau.
In one of the first big rights deals of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the studio announced it has acquired North American territories for Ducournau’s “Alpha.” Plot details were not immediately disclosed, except that the film will be “genre-defying.” Neon previously released Ducournau’s acclaimed “Titane,” which won Cannes’ highest honor, the Palme d’Or, in 2021. She is only the second woman director to do so, following Jane Campion for “The Piano.”
“Alpha” will star Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim.
Producers are Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film, and Eric and Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie. Frakas Productions is co-producing. Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling global sales. The Neon deal was negotiated by its president of acquisitions and production Jeff Deutchman, with Charades’ Carole Baraton and FilmNation...
In one of the first big rights deals of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the studio announced it has acquired North American territories for Ducournau’s “Alpha.” Plot details were not immediately disclosed, except that the film will be “genre-defying.” Neon previously released Ducournau’s acclaimed “Titane,” which won Cannes’ highest honor, the Palme d’Or, in 2021. She is only the second woman director to do so, following Jane Campion for “The Piano.”
“Alpha” will star Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim.
Producers are Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film, and Eric and Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie. Frakas Productions is co-producing. Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling global sales. The Neon deal was negotiated by its president of acquisitions and production Jeff Deutchman, with Charades’ Carole Baraton and FilmNation...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
After serving as the U.S. distributor for Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or-winning 2021 body horror Titane, Neon is getting back into business with the filmmaker as the North American distributor for her next genre-bending feature, Alpha.
Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson) and Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian) are set to star, with production on the film to kick off next fall. Details as to the plot of the film are under wraps.
Producers are Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film and Eric & Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions co-producing. Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling sales in the rest of the world during the Cannes Film Festival.
Picking up Ducournau’s last feature ahead of its launch at Cannes, Neon most recently acquired worldwide rights to Longlegs helmer Osgood Perkins’ next film Keeper, starring Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland, and Steven Soderbergh’s Presence. In Cannes,...
Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson) and Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian) are set to star, with production on the film to kick off next fall. Details as to the plot of the film are under wraps.
Producers are Jean des Forêts and Amelie Jacquis of Petit Film and Eric & Nicolas Altmayer of Mandarin & Compagnie, with Frakas Productions co-producing. Charades and FilmNation Entertainment are handling sales in the rest of the world during the Cannes Film Festival.
Picking up Ducournau’s last feature ahead of its launch at Cannes, Neon most recently acquired worldwide rights to Longlegs helmer Osgood Perkins’ next film Keeper, starring Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland, and Steven Soderbergh’s Presence. In Cannes,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford, the debut feature from Scottish filmmaker Seán Dunn, has been boarded by France’s Charades for international sales, excluding UK and Ireland. Mubi will release the film theatrically in the UK and Ireland.
Screen can also exclusively reveal a first-look image.
Ozark’s Peter Mullan and The Greatest Showman’s Gayle Rankin star in the Scotland-shot dark comedy, which was produced by Alex Polunin for the UK’s Ossian Pictures, Scott Macaulay for New York-based Forensic Films and Jennifer Monks for UK outfit The Fold, and developed with BBC Film which co-financed the project alongside the BFI Filmmaking Fund,...
Screen can also exclusively reveal a first-look image.
Ozark’s Peter Mullan and The Greatest Showman’s Gayle Rankin star in the Scotland-shot dark comedy, which was produced by Alex Polunin for the UK’s Ossian Pictures, Scott Macaulay for New York-based Forensic Films and Jennifer Monks for UK outfit The Fold, and developed with BBC Film which co-financed the project alongside the BFI Filmmaking Fund,...
- 5/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
French sales powerhouse Charades has boarded Constance Tsang’s migrant drama “Blue Sun Palace” which is set to world premiere at Cannes’ Critics’ Week. WME Independent is representing domestic rights for the movie in North America.
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a vibrant cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Wu Ke-Xi (“The Road to Mandalay”) and Chinese actress Xu Haipeng (“Venus By Water”).
The film revolves around two migrants, Amy and Didi, who work together at a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, and navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. A sudden act of violence will catalyze their unlikely bond. “Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin (Field Trip Media), alongside producer Tony Yang (Big Buddha Pictures...
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a vibrant cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Wu Ke-Xi (“The Road to Mandalay”) and Chinese actress Xu Haipeng (“Venus By Water”).
The film revolves around two migrants, Amy and Didi, who work together at a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, and navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. A sudden act of violence will catalyze their unlikely bond. “Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin (Field Trip Media), alongside producer Tony Yang (Big Buddha Pictures...
- 4/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Charades and New Europe Films are joining forces to co-sell Oscar-winning Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes’ long-awaited new feature Orphan, as the production gears up to commence shooting in and around Budapest this June.
Orphan will be Nemes’ third film after Sunset, which world premiered in Venice in 2018, and his Oscar-winning breakthrough Son of Saul, which debuted in Cannes in 2015, winning the Grand Prize of the Jury before clinching Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards the following year.
The new film is set in Budapest in 1957, twelve years after the end of WWII and one year after the uprising against the Communist regime.
The story follows a young Jewish boy whose mother has raised him in the hope that his father will return from the camps. These hopes are shattered when a brutish stranger appears on the doorstep to take his family back.
Nemes co-wrote the screenplay with Clara Royer,...
Orphan will be Nemes’ third film after Sunset, which world premiered in Venice in 2018, and his Oscar-winning breakthrough Son of Saul, which debuted in Cannes in 2015, winning the Grand Prize of the Jury before clinching Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards the following year.
The new film is set in Budapest in 1957, twelve years after the end of WWII and one year after the uprising against the Communist regime.
The story follows a young Jewish boy whose mother has raised him in the hope that his father will return from the camps. These hopes are shattered when a brutish stranger appears on the doorstep to take his family back.
Nemes co-wrote the screenplay with Clara Royer,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris-based sales house Charades has acquired international sales rights to Argentinian Western-Inspired documentary “Gaucho Gaucho” which earned a Sundance Jury Prize in January and recently played at Cph:dox.
Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, the duo behind the box office hit ‘The Truffle Hunters,’ “Gaucho Gaucho” explores the story of a community of cowboys and cowgirls in Northern Argentina living outside of the modern world.
Produced by Dweck and Kershaw for Beautiful Stories Productions, the film is shot in black-and-white and celebrates the beauty and passion of a group of skilled Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as gauchos.
“Gaucho Gaucho” has been praised international critics, including Variety’ Guy Lodge who described the film as a “perfectly framed,” “loving, visually resplendent documentary” that “gives the Argentine cowboy community ample space to bond and merge.”
Charades’ co-founder Carole Baraton said the company was “very proud to bring this special masterpiece from...
Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, the duo behind the box office hit ‘The Truffle Hunters,’ “Gaucho Gaucho” explores the story of a community of cowboys and cowgirls in Northern Argentina living outside of the modern world.
Produced by Dweck and Kershaw for Beautiful Stories Productions, the film is shot in black-and-white and celebrates the beauty and passion of a group of skilled Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as gauchos.
“Gaucho Gaucho” has been praised international critics, including Variety’ Guy Lodge who described the film as a “perfectly framed,” “loving, visually resplendent documentary” that “gives the Argentine cowboy community ample space to bond and merge.”
Charades’ co-founder Carole Baraton said the company was “very proud to bring this special masterpiece from...
- 4/10/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Gkids has announced the acquisition of North American rights to Mamoru Hosoda’s entire film catalog.
Hosoda’s films include “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” “Wolf Children,” “Mirai” and “Belle.”
Gkids’ President David Jesteadt said, “One of Gkids’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of ‘Summer Wars,’ when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one of the most exciting animation directors. We were honored to deepen our relationship with the release of his two latest films, ‘Mirai’ and ‘Belle,’ and are excited to now be able to showcase the full breadth of Hosoda’s ambitious storytelling across his film catalog, featuring some of the most acclaimed and successful Japanese animated films of all time.”
Hosoda’s six features have all been nominated for, and five have been awarded, the Japan Academy Prize for “Animation of the Year.” He also landed an Oscar nomination for 2018’s “Mirai...
Hosoda’s films include “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” “Wolf Children,” “Mirai” and “Belle.”
Gkids’ President David Jesteadt said, “One of Gkids’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of ‘Summer Wars,’ when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one of the most exciting animation directors. We were honored to deepen our relationship with the release of his two latest films, ‘Mirai’ and ‘Belle,’ and are excited to now be able to showcase the full breadth of Hosoda’s ambitious storytelling across his film catalog, featuring some of the most acclaimed and successful Japanese animated films of all time.”
Hosoda’s six features have all been nominated for, and five have been awarded, the Japan Academy Prize for “Animation of the Year.” He also landed an Oscar nomination for 2018’s “Mirai...
- 3/18/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: New York-based distributor Metrograph Pictures has acquired North American rights to French director Jérémy Clapin’s sci-fi drama Meanwhile on Earth following its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Panorama section last month.
The lost sibling tale marks the first live-action feature for Clapin after his 2019 Oscar-nominated, Netflix-acquired animated movie I Lost My Body, which originally world premiered in Cannes Critics’ Week and also won the Cristal for Best film at the Annecy International Animation Festival in 2019
The drama follows a young woman who is struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her brother, an astronaut who vanished during his first mission.
While stargazing one night, she is shocked to receive contact from her him, but her joy is short-lived when she learns of the dark and troubling forces behind his reappearance, forcing her to confront the lengths she will go for the brother she once feared was gone forever.
The lost sibling tale marks the first live-action feature for Clapin after his 2019 Oscar-nominated, Netflix-acquired animated movie I Lost My Body, which originally world premiered in Cannes Critics’ Week and also won the Cristal for Best film at the Annecy International Animation Festival in 2019
The drama follows a young woman who is struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her brother, an astronaut who vanished during his first mission.
While stargazing one night, she is shocked to receive contact from her him, but her joy is short-lived when she learns of the dark and troubling forces behind his reappearance, forcing her to confront the lengths she will go for the brother she once feared was gone forever.
- 3/8/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
As the European Film Market starts to unwind, the verdict is already in: Even if global economics are rocky, buyers are back and on the lookout. This week, dealmaking has been happening on both star-driven packages as well as arthouse and foreign-language movies.
In a sign that the theatrical business is rebounding, Sony just scooped a pair of splashy packages: “Materialists,” Celine Song’s follow up to “Past Lives,” and “Big Bold Beautiful Journey” starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Another hot package, David Mackenzie’s heist thriller “Fuze,” headlined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is also close to selling. Movies competing at the Berlin Film Festival are also expected to secure U.S. deals, notably “La Cocina” starring Rooney Mara, and opening night movie “Small Things Like These” with Cillian Murphy.
Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks, which encompasses IFC Films, says he’s seen the mood of sales agents brighten...
In a sign that the theatrical business is rebounding, Sony just scooped a pair of splashy packages: “Materialists,” Celine Song’s follow up to “Past Lives,” and “Big Bold Beautiful Journey” starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Another hot package, David Mackenzie’s heist thriller “Fuze,” headlined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is also close to selling. Movies competing at the Berlin Film Festival are also expected to secure U.S. deals, notably “La Cocina” starring Rooney Mara, and opening night movie “Small Things Like These” with Cillian Murphy.
Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks, which encompasses IFC Films, says he’s seen the mood of sales agents brighten...
- 2/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based sales house Charades has acquired international sales rights to “In a Violent Nature,” the debut feature film from writer and director Chris Nash that is set to premiere in Sundance’s Midnight Section on Jan. 22.
Produced by Shudder under the streaming service’s Shudder Original banner, the film follows a vengeful undead monster as he methodically slaughters a group of campers in the wilderness after they remove a pendant from his resting grounds. Peter Kuplowsky and Shannon Hanmer are also producers on “In a Violent Nature,” which is set for release in 2024.
“‘In a Violent Nature’ reminded us of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and ‘Angst,’ but most of all, it’s the discovery of an incredibly talented director,” said Charades co-founders Pierre Mazars, Yohann Comte and Carole Baraton. “We are very grateful to be working with Shudder once again with whom we are building an incredible track record of genre films from ‘Revenge,...
Produced by Shudder under the streaming service’s Shudder Original banner, the film follows a vengeful undead monster as he methodically slaughters a group of campers in the wilderness after they remove a pendant from his resting grounds. Peter Kuplowsky and Shannon Hanmer are also producers on “In a Violent Nature,” which is set for release in 2024.
“‘In a Violent Nature’ reminded us of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and ‘Angst,’ but most of all, it’s the discovery of an incredibly talented director,” said Charades co-founders Pierre Mazars, Yohann Comte and Carole Baraton. “We are very grateful to be working with Shudder once again with whom we are building an incredible track record of genre films from ‘Revenge,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-base sales house boards literary adaptation ’And Their Children After Them’ and dark comedy ’Lucky Winners’
Paris-based sales house Charades will represent international sales rights to French star-powered adaptation And Their Children After Them and dark comedy Lucky Winners. Both titles will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in France and Benelux.
And Their Children After Them (Leurs Enfants Après Eux) is directed by French twin brother writing-directing duo Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma and adapted from Nicolas Mathieu’s Prix Goncourt-winning book of the same name. The Boukhermas made their debut in Cannes’ Acid with Willy the 1st then followed with 2020 Official Selection Teddy.
Paris-based sales house Charades will represent international sales rights to French star-powered adaptation And Their Children After Them and dark comedy Lucky Winners. Both titles will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in France and Benelux.
And Their Children After Them (Leurs Enfants Après Eux) is directed by French twin brother writing-directing duo Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma and adapted from Nicolas Mathieu’s Prix Goncourt-winning book of the same name. The Boukhermas made their debut in Cannes’ Acid with Willy the 1st then followed with 2020 Official Selection Teddy.
- 1/8/2024
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Paris-base sales house boards literary adaptation ’And Their Children After Them’ and dark comedy ’Lucky Winners’
Paris-based sales house Charades will represent international sales rights to French star-powered adaptation And Their Children After Them and dark comedy Lucky Winners. Both titles will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in France and Benelux.
And Their Children After Them (Leurs Enfants Après Eux) is directed by French twin brother writing-directing duo Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma and adapted from Nicolas Mathieu’s Prix Goncourt-winning book of the same name. The Boukhermas made their debut in Cannes’ Acid with Willy the 1st then followed with 2020 Official Selection Teddy.
Paris-based sales house Charades will represent international sales rights to French star-powered adaptation And Their Children After Them and dark comedy Lucky Winners. Both titles will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in France and Benelux.
And Their Children After Them (Leurs Enfants Après Eux) is directed by French twin brother writing-directing duo Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma and adapted from Nicolas Mathieu’s Prix Goncourt-winning book of the same name. The Boukhermas made their debut in Cannes’ Acid with Willy the 1st then followed with 2020 Official Selection Teddy.
- 1/8/2024
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
“Kingdom of the Blind,” “Little Trouble Girls” and “Wind, Talk To Me” were among the projects which won prizes at the milestone 15th edition of Les Arcs Film Festival‘s Industry Village.
The event, held in a popular French Alps resort, was attended by more than 700 professionals, including top sales agents, distributors and festival programmers, on top of high profile talent, such as two-time Palme d’Or winning Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) who was the festival’s guest of honor.
The growing popularity of Les Arcs’s industry sidebar underscores “the resilience of the independent European film market and the continued interest in original stories along with feature debuts,” said Jeremy Zelnik, an indie producer (“Kubrick by Kubrick”) who heads the Industry Village and co-founded the festival with Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin, Guillaume Calop and Fabienne Silvestre.
This year, the Coproduction Village and Work in Progress section received a record 680 projects...
The event, held in a popular French Alps resort, was attended by more than 700 professionals, including top sales agents, distributors and festival programmers, on top of high profile talent, such as two-time Palme d’Or winning Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) who was the festival’s guest of honor.
The growing popularity of Les Arcs’s industry sidebar underscores “the resilience of the independent European film market and the continued interest in original stories along with feature debuts,” said Jeremy Zelnik, an indie producer (“Kubrick by Kubrick”) who heads the Industry Village and co-founded the festival with Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin, Guillaume Calop and Fabienne Silvestre.
This year, the Coproduction Village and Work in Progress section received a record 680 projects...
- 12/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the 13 upcoming features selected for its Work-in Progress showcase.
The selection includes respected French, New York-based artist and filmmaker Marie Losier’s bio-doc Peaches Goes Bananas about Canadian electronic musician Merrill Beth Nisker, aka Peaches.
Danish director Jeppe Rønde, who made waves with mass teen suicide drama Bridgend, is participating with second fiction feature Acts of Love, about a taboo sibling relationship within the confines of a religious community on Denmark’s west coast. (scroll down for full list).
Excerpts from the selected productions will be screened to industry professionals on December 17 as part of the festival’s Industry Village events, which also includes the Coproduction Village.
Both events are taking place within the framework of the festival’s 15th edition running from December 16 to 19 in the French Alps resort of Les Arcs.
The showcase received a record 181 project submissions this year, 38% of which are directed women.
The selection includes respected French, New York-based artist and filmmaker Marie Losier’s bio-doc Peaches Goes Bananas about Canadian electronic musician Merrill Beth Nisker, aka Peaches.
Danish director Jeppe Rønde, who made waves with mass teen suicide drama Bridgend, is participating with second fiction feature Acts of Love, about a taboo sibling relationship within the confines of a religious community on Denmark’s west coast. (scroll down for full list).
Excerpts from the selected productions will be screened to industry professionals on December 17 as part of the festival’s Industry Village events, which also includes the Coproduction Village.
Both events are taking place within the framework of the festival’s 15th edition running from December 16 to 19 in the French Alps resort of Les Arcs.
The showcase received a record 181 project submissions this year, 38% of which are directed women.
- 12/7/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
UK director George Amponsah’s thriller Gassed Up has won the London Film Festival (Lff) Audience Award for Best Feature in the 67th edition running from October 4 to 15, as the event also posts record participation.
Further Audiences Award winners, which were announced on Monday, went to The Taste of Mango for Best Documentary, Festival of Slaps for Best British Film/Work and Murals for Best Immersive Work/Xr.
Amponsah’s London-set thriller stars Stephen Odubola as a member of a moped street crime gang, who gets on the wrong side of an Albanian crime family.
Archie Maddocks co-wrote the screenplay with One Piece breakout Taz Skylar, who also appears in the film, with other cast including including Steve Toussaint (House Of The Dragon) and Tobias Jowett, soon to be seen in Nick Hamm’s upcoming epic William Tell.
The thriller marks Amponsah’s first fiction feature...
Further Audiences Award winners, which were announced on Monday, went to The Taste of Mango for Best Documentary, Festival of Slaps for Best British Film/Work and Murals for Best Immersive Work/Xr.
Amponsah’s London-set thriller stars Stephen Odubola as a member of a moped street crime gang, who gets on the wrong side of an Albanian crime family.
Archie Maddocks co-wrote the screenplay with One Piece breakout Taz Skylar, who also appears in the film, with other cast including including Steve Toussaint (House Of The Dragon) and Tobias Jowett, soon to be seen in Nick Hamm’s upcoming epic William Tell.
The thriller marks Amponsah’s first fiction feature...
- 10/30/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Carole Baraton was speaking as part of the BFI London Film Festival (Lff) industry programme.
Founder and CEO of French sales outfit Charades Carole Baraton has given her honest opinion of the financial incentives for those working in independent film, stating: “There’s no money in the independent film industry.”
“We are lucky we have passionate people, or we would be starving,” she said in a response to an audience question about discrepancies between salaries of those working in sales for markets outside of the film industry, compared to lower incomes for those within independent film sales, during a talk...
Founder and CEO of French sales outfit Charades Carole Baraton has given her honest opinion of the financial incentives for those working in independent film, stating: “There’s no money in the independent film industry.”
“We are lucky we have passionate people, or we would be starving,” she said in a response to an audience question about discrepancies between salaries of those working in sales for markets outside of the film industry, compared to lower incomes for those within independent film sales, during a talk...
- 10/9/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
After terrifying audiences with Terrified back in 2017, filmmaker Demián Rugna is back with new horror movie When Evil Lurks, and a new poster and trailer unveiled today gives a glimpse at the putrid evil affecting a town and spreading shocking violence.
Shudder and IFC Films will be presenting When Evil Lurks in theaters on October 6, followed by the film’s Shudder premiere on October 27.
Check out the gnarly new trailer and poster below.
In the film, “a pair of brothers find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause of a spirit that’s found its way into a local man waiting for the proper protocols to rid his body of the festering demon. An escape attempt ensues as the film keeps its protagonists on edge, racing against imminent danger...
Shudder and IFC Films will be presenting When Evil Lurks in theaters on October 6, followed by the film’s Shudder premiere on October 27.
Check out the gnarly new trailer and poster below.
In the film, “a pair of brothers find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause of a spirit that’s found its way into a local man waiting for the proper protocols to rid his body of the festering demon. An escape attempt ensues as the film keeps its protagonists on edge, racing against imminent danger...
- 9/21/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Academy CEO and Bafta director will discuss ’academies, awards and the future of cinema’.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Bafta managing director Jane Millichip will participate in a conversation as part of the 67th BFI London Film Festival’s industry programme.
The talk is titled ‘Academies, awards and the future of cinema’ and will be hosted by BFI CEO Ben Roberts on October 5.
There will also be three Spotlight conversations with industry leaders: Jennifer Lee, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer and the co-writer and co-director of the Frozen films, will be in conversation with Tricia Tuttle, head...
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Bafta managing director Jane Millichip will participate in a conversation as part of the 67th BFI London Film Festival’s industry programme.
The talk is titled ‘Academies, awards and the future of cinema’ and will be hosted by BFI CEO Ben Roberts on October 5.
There will also be three Spotlight conversations with industry leaders: Jennifer Lee, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer and the co-writer and co-director of the Frozen films, will be in conversation with Tricia Tuttle, head...
- 9/20/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The BFI London Film Festival has unveiled the full lineup for its revamped “Industry Forum,” which will feature keynote sessions with Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Disney Animation Studios, and Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts (AMPAS).
Lee will headline what the BFI described as one of three “spotlight” conversations during the forum. She will be joined on stage by former Lff head Tricia Tuttle, who is now Head of Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School. The other headline speakers are Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, the co-founders of See-Saw Films, and Carole Baraton, CEO of the leading French sales company Charades. Elsewhere, Kramer will take part in an on-stage conversation with BFI CEO Ben Roberts, alongside his British counterpart, BAFTA head Jane Millichip.
Away from industry keynotes, Lff will host its second annual New Waves co-production meetings. This year 12 producers from...
Lee will headline what the BFI described as one of three “spotlight” conversations during the forum. She will be joined on stage by former Lff head Tricia Tuttle, who is now Head of Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School. The other headline speakers are Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, the co-founders of See-Saw Films, and Carole Baraton, CEO of the leading French sales company Charades. Elsewhere, Kramer will take part in an on-stage conversation with BFI CEO Ben Roberts, alongside his British counterpart, BAFTA head Jane Millichip.
Away from industry keynotes, Lff will host its second annual New Waves co-production meetings. This year 12 producers from...
- 9/20/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Timm Kröger’s feature debut title is being sold by Paris-based sales outfit Charades.
Picturehouse Entertainment has taken UK and Ireland rights for Timm Kröger’s Venice competition title The Theory Of Everything from Paris-based sales outfit Charades.
German director Kröger’s black-and-white metaphysical noir is set in the Swiss Alps in the winter of 1962. It centres on a young doctor-to-be attending an international convention where he finds a mysterious pianist, a bizarre cloud formation in the sky and a dark, booming secret under the mountain, all part of the titular “theory of everything.”
The genre-hopping film is produced by Germany’s ma.
Picturehouse Entertainment has taken UK and Ireland rights for Timm Kröger’s Venice competition title The Theory Of Everything from Paris-based sales outfit Charades.
German director Kröger’s black-and-white metaphysical noir is set in the Swiss Alps in the winter of 1962. It centres on a young doctor-to-be attending an international convention where he finds a mysterious pianist, a bizarre cloud formation in the sky and a dark, booming secret under the mountain, all part of the titular “theory of everything.”
The genre-hopping film is produced by Germany’s ma.
- 9/13/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
After terrifying audiences with Terrified back in 2017, filmmaker Demián Rugna is back with new horror movie When Evil Lurks, and a brand new trailer gives us a closer look at the terror ahead. Check it out down below.
When Evil Lurks will first premiere at TIFF this coming September. Shudder and IFC Films will be presenting When Evil Lurks in theaters on October 6, followed by the film’s Shudder premiere on October 27.
In the film, “a pair of brothers find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause of a spirit that’s found its way into a local man waiting for the proper protocols to rid his body of the festering demon. An escape attempt ensues as the film keeps its protagonists on edge, racing against imminent danger to...
When Evil Lurks will first premiere at TIFF this coming September. Shudder and IFC Films will be presenting When Evil Lurks in theaters on October 6, followed by the film’s Shudder premiere on October 27.
In the film, “a pair of brothers find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause of a spirit that’s found its way into a local man waiting for the proper protocols to rid his body of the festering demon. An escape attempt ensues as the film keeps its protagonists on edge, racing against imminent danger to...
- 9/6/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Ahead of its ambitious release scheme, Shudder has granted Variety exclusive access to the lurid teaser trailer for Argentine genre-phenom Demián Rugna’s fifth feature “When Evil Lurks” (“Cuando Acecha La Maldad”).
With Paris-based prestige sales agent Charades (“Little Girl Blue”) handling global sales, the film debuts at the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness screenings on Sept. 13.
Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, is partnering with IFC Films for the highly-anticipated theatrical release on Oct. 6 and the film will hit the streamer as a Shudder Original on Oct. 27, just in time to curdle blood on Halloween.
“We’re very excited to continue our collaboration with Shudder/IFC Films and were blown away seeing this film from Argentina. We can’t wait to see the reaction of the audience in Toronto,” Charades’ co-founders Pierre Mazars, Carole Baraton and Yohann Comte said in a statement.
Following the success of...
With Paris-based prestige sales agent Charades (“Little Girl Blue”) handling global sales, the film debuts at the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness screenings on Sept. 13.
Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, is partnering with IFC Films for the highly-anticipated theatrical release on Oct. 6 and the film will hit the streamer as a Shudder Original on Oct. 27, just in time to curdle blood on Halloween.
“We’re very excited to continue our collaboration with Shudder/IFC Films and were blown away seeing this film from Argentina. We can’t wait to see the reaction of the audience in Toronto,” Charades’ co-founders Pierre Mazars, Carole Baraton and Yohann Comte said in a statement.
Following the success of...
- 9/6/2023
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Maura Delpero’s second feature “Vermiglio, the Mountain Bride” – which is being presented at the Venice Production Bridge, the industry program of the Venice Film Festival, this week – has tapped Giuseppe De Domenico as its lead.
The Italian actor, known for “Zero Zero Zero” and Prime Video’s “Bang Bang Baby,” will play Pietro, a young soldier who in 1944 arrives in a small mountain village in Trentino, northern Italy.
As declared by the film’s tagline, change is around the corner: “Last year of World War II. In the Italian Alps, a single rifle shot ends a young woman’s innocence.”
“Maura saw many young actors and some of them were very good, but Giuseppe was able to stand out thanks to his subtle acting style. He understood what it meant to come back from a war,” says Francesca Andreoli, who produces for Italy’s Cinedora.
Roberta Rovelli in Maura Delpero’s “Vermiglio,...
The Italian actor, known for “Zero Zero Zero” and Prime Video’s “Bang Bang Baby,” will play Pietro, a young soldier who in 1944 arrives in a small mountain village in Trentino, northern Italy.
As declared by the film’s tagline, change is around the corner: “Last year of World War II. In the Italian Alps, a single rifle shot ends a young woman’s innocence.”
“Maura saw many young actors and some of them were very good, but Giuseppe was able to stand out thanks to his subtle acting style. He understood what it meant to come back from a war,” says Francesca Andreoli, who produces for Italy’s Cinedora.
Roberta Rovelli in Maura Delpero’s “Vermiglio,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, Aug 30 (Ians) The Abhishek Banerjee- starrer film ‘Stolen’ had earlier gained the distinction of being India’s sole selection for the 80th Venice Film Festival impressing audiences. Director Karan Tejpal said that he chose a raw approach for the film, to depict life’s many unseen realities.
Speaking to Variety, Tejpal said: “In crafting ‘Stolen,’ I deliberately chose to embrace a raw, unapologetic cinema verite style. By immersing the viewers in the experience alongside my characters, I aimed to engage them fully in the search for truth and justice.”
“‘Stolen’ is my earnest attempt to bring to light the unseen realities that shape our society and to provoke introspection on the issues that matter most. I hope that this cinematic journey will not only entertain but also encourage meaningful conversations about the complexities of our world, ultimately paving the way for a better, more empathetic future,” he added.
Speaking to Variety, Tejpal said: “In crafting ‘Stolen,’ I deliberately chose to embrace a raw, unapologetic cinema verite style. By immersing the viewers in the experience alongside my characters, I aimed to engage them fully in the search for truth and justice.”
“‘Stolen’ is my earnest attempt to bring to light the unseen realities that shape our society and to provoke introspection on the issues that matter most. I hope that this cinematic journey will not only entertain but also encourage meaningful conversations about the complexities of our world, ultimately paving the way for a better, more empathetic future,” he added.
- 8/30/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Paris-based sales company Charades has boarded international sales on “Stolen,” the only Indian feature selected at the Venice Film Festival.
The film, which will bow within the festival’s Horizons Extra strand, tells the story of the havoc that ensues when opposite worlds collide after two urban young men become embroiled in an impoverished mother’s desperate journey to be reunited with her child. It is described as a “breathtaking action thriller” and the “hidden gem in world cinema” by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
“Stolen” marks the feature debut of Karan Tejpal who started his career working in large-scale Bollywood films including “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” and “3 Idiots” and directed short “No Anaesthesia.” It is produced by Gaurav Dhingra under his banner Jungle Book Studio. Sol Bondy, founder of Berlin-based One Two Films, serves as executive producer.
The film is written by Tejpal, Agadbumb and Dhingra. The cast...
The film, which will bow within the festival’s Horizons Extra strand, tells the story of the havoc that ensues when opposite worlds collide after two urban young men become embroiled in an impoverished mother’s desperate journey to be reunited with her child. It is described as a “breathtaking action thriller” and the “hidden gem in world cinema” by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
“Stolen” marks the feature debut of Karan Tejpal who started his career working in large-scale Bollywood films including “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” and “3 Idiots” and directed short “No Anaesthesia.” It is produced by Gaurav Dhingra under his banner Jungle Book Studio. Sol Bondy, founder of Berlin-based One Two Films, serves as executive producer.
The film is written by Tejpal, Agadbumb and Dhingra. The cast...
- 8/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: AMC Networks‘ genre streamer Shudder and indie distributor IFC Films have firmed up release plans for the Argentinian horror When Evil Lurks, ahead of its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the 2023 Toronto Film Festival. The latest feature from Demián Rugna, on the heels of his Fantastic Fest prize winner Terrified, will hit theaters via IFC Films on October 6th and debut on Shudder on Oct. 27th.
Charades will handle international sales at TIFF, and AMC Studios is currently looking to further expand the world of the film with a project for the small screen.
The Shudder Original written and directed by Rugna, which marked his second in collaboration with the streamer, follows a pair of brothers who find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause...
Charades will handle international sales at TIFF, and AMC Studios is currently looking to further expand the world of the film with a project for the small screen.
The Shudder Original written and directed by Rugna, which marked his second in collaboration with the streamer, follows a pair of brothers who find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause...
- 8/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The courtroom drama was the opening film of Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes last month.
Cédric Kahn’s The Goldman Case has closed a slew of deals in key territories following its world premiere as the opening film of Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.
Paris-based Charades has sold the courtroom drama to Menemsha Films for the US and English-speaking Canada and to FunFilm for French-speaking Canada, to DDDream in China and Lev Cinema in Israel.
The film has also sold in Europe to Spain (Filmin), Greece (Weird Wave), Italy (Movies Inspired), Portugal (Leopardo Filmes), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Artcam) and the Adriatics...
Cédric Kahn’s The Goldman Case has closed a slew of deals in key territories following its world premiere as the opening film of Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.
Paris-based Charades has sold the courtroom drama to Menemsha Films for the US and English-speaking Canada and to FunFilm for French-speaking Canada, to DDDream in China and Lev Cinema in Israel.
The film has also sold in Europe to Spain (Filmin), Greece (Weird Wave), Italy (Movies Inspired), Portugal (Leopardo Filmes), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Artcam) and the Adriatics...
- 6/6/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Following on their collaboration on Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” Charades has boarded international sales on upcoming Mubi-backed production “Bring Them Down.”
Starring Barry Keoghan, Academy Award nominated for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Christopher Abbott (“Sanctuary”), a Golden Globe nominee for “Catch 22,” “Bring Them Down” marks the first feature from writer-director Chris Andrews, behind award-winning short films “Fire” (2015) and “Stalker” (2019).
On “Aftersun,” Charades took on international sales duties, with Mubi boarding to take distribution rights to multiple territories – such as U.K.-Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – just as the films bowed in 2022 Cannes Critics’ Week.
For “Bring Them Down,” Charades will sell international rights outside North America, U.K., Ireland, Latin America and Italy where Mubi retains all rights.
Colm Meaney (“Gangs of London”), Nora-Jane Noone (“Wildfire”), Paul Ready (“Motherland”), and Susan Lynch (Happy Valley”) also star.
“Bring Them Down” turns on Michael (Abbott), the last son of a shepherding family,...
Starring Barry Keoghan, Academy Award nominated for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Christopher Abbott (“Sanctuary”), a Golden Globe nominee for “Catch 22,” “Bring Them Down” marks the first feature from writer-director Chris Andrews, behind award-winning short films “Fire” (2015) and “Stalker” (2019).
On “Aftersun,” Charades took on international sales duties, with Mubi boarding to take distribution rights to multiple territories – such as U.K.-Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – just as the films bowed in 2022 Cannes Critics’ Week.
For “Bring Them Down,” Charades will sell international rights outside North America, U.K., Ireland, Latin America and Italy where Mubi retains all rights.
Colm Meaney (“Gangs of London”), Nora-Jane Noone (“Wildfire”), Paul Ready (“Motherland”), and Susan Lynch (Happy Valley”) also star.
“Bring Them Down” turns on Michael (Abbott), the last son of a shepherding family,...
- 5/11/2023
- by John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The birth of the hip and naughty Irish-language rap group Kneecap will be portrayed in a raucous anti-establishment comedy penned and directed by Rich Peppiatt (“One Rogue Reporter”).
The film, which wrapped shooting this month, features the eponymous trio who play heightened versions of their own lives against the backdrop of post-Troubles Belfast. The politically engaged band has gained critical acclaim for their artful blend of Irish and English rap about the gritty reality of growing up in Northern Ireland.
French sales and co-production house Charades has boarded “Kneecap” and will be representing the film in international sales, while Curzon and Wildcard will handle the distribution in the U.K. and Ireland.
Charades will be unveiling the first footage of “Kneecap” at the Great 8 event, the annual Cannes buyers’ showcase of U.K. films from up-and-coming first and second-time directors. Charades previously took part of Great 8 with Charlotte Regan’s...
The film, which wrapped shooting this month, features the eponymous trio who play heightened versions of their own lives against the backdrop of post-Troubles Belfast. The politically engaged band has gained critical acclaim for their artful blend of Irish and English rap about the gritty reality of growing up in Northern Ireland.
French sales and co-production house Charades has boarded “Kneecap” and will be representing the film in international sales, while Curzon and Wildcard will handle the distribution in the U.K. and Ireland.
Charades will be unveiling the first footage of “Kneecap” at the Great 8 event, the annual Cannes buyers’ showcase of U.K. films from up-and-coming first and second-time directors. Charades previously took part of Great 8 with Charlotte Regan’s...
- 5/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Paris-based sales and production company Charades and London-based production and financing studio Anton are partnering on the worldwide sales of Oscar-winning Australian director Adam Elliot’s upcoming stop-motion drama Memoir Of A Snail.
The poignant tale of a young lonely misfit is the second feature after the award-winning 2019 animation Mary And Max for Elliot, who won an Oscar for the 2004 short Harvey Krumpet.
The partners have unveiled a first image as well as some first members of international voice cast featuring Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Elvis), Dominique Pinon, Magda Szubanski, and Eric Bana (The Dry).
The lead cast has yet to be announced.
The animated feature is produced by Arenamedia, with Liz Kearney (Paper Planes) as producer, and Robert Connolly (The Dry) and Robert Patterson as Executive Producers.
The film is currently shooting in Melbourne, Australia, with an expected release date...
The poignant tale of a young lonely misfit is the second feature after the award-winning 2019 animation Mary And Max for Elliot, who won an Oscar for the 2004 short Harvey Krumpet.
The partners have unveiled a first image as well as some first members of international voice cast featuring Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Elvis), Dominique Pinon, Magda Szubanski, and Eric Bana (The Dry).
The lead cast has yet to be announced.
The animated feature is produced by Arenamedia, with Liz Kearney (Paper Planes) as producer, and Robert Connolly (The Dry) and Robert Patterson as Executive Producers.
The film is currently shooting in Melbourne, Australia, with an expected release date...
- 5/4/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Charades handles international sales.
Universal Pictures Content Group has snapped up most of the world from Charades to Zachary Wigon’s dark comedy Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
The company picked up the world excluding the US, Canada, Italy, Cis, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Australia and New Zealand.
Neon will distribute theatrically in the US on May 19 and struck a US deal after the world premiere at TIFF last year.
Sanctuary is a Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios and stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught...
Universal Pictures Content Group has snapped up most of the world from Charades to Zachary Wigon’s dark comedy Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
The company picked up the world excluding the US, Canada, Italy, Cis, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Australia and New Zealand.
Neon will distribute theatrically in the US on May 19 and struck a US deal after the world premiere at TIFF last year.
Sanctuary is a Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios and stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught...
- 5/3/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
‘Sanctuary’ Trailer: Margaret Qualley Holds Christopher Abbott Hostage in Neon’s Dominatrix Thriller
Margaret Qualley sets out to spank, seduce, and scourge Christopher Abbott in the sexy blackmail drama “Sanctuary.”
Qualley stars as dominatrix Rebecca, whose elite client Hal (Abbott) wants to end their psychosexual relationship after inheriting his late father’s empire. However, Rebecca has other things in mind to punish him. The film takes place over one night in a hotel room.
“Sanctuary” is directed by Zachary Wigon (“The Heart Machine”) from a script by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg. The film debuted at 2022 TIFF and will be released by Neon this spring.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for being “such a salaciously enjoyable slice of snack-sized fun” with an unpredictable plot that toys with what it really means to roleplay.
“‘Sanctuary’ unfolds like a kinky cross between ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ and an off-Broadway play,” Ehrlich wrote. “[It’s] a story about identity and control, but it’s also a movie about the...
Qualley stars as dominatrix Rebecca, whose elite client Hal (Abbott) wants to end their psychosexual relationship after inheriting his late father’s empire. However, Rebecca has other things in mind to punish him. The film takes place over one night in a hotel room.
“Sanctuary” is directed by Zachary Wigon (“The Heart Machine”) from a script by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg. The film debuted at 2022 TIFF and will be released by Neon this spring.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for being “such a salaciously enjoyable slice of snack-sized fun” with an unpredictable plot that toys with what it really means to roleplay.
“‘Sanctuary’ unfolds like a kinky cross between ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ and an off-Broadway play,” Ehrlich wrote. “[It’s] a story about identity and control, but it’s also a movie about the...
- 4/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The official trailer has been released for Zachary Wigon’s dark thriller “Sanctuary,” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. The film follows a dominatrix named Rebecca (Qualley) and her rich client Hal (Abbott) as disaster unfolds over the course of a single night in a hotel room.
The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022 and will open in theaters in the U.S. on May 25.
In “Sancutary,” Abbott plays the son of luxe hotel chain owner who is the successor of the hotel and the rest of his father’s billion-dollar enterprise. Rebecca sees the opportunity to cash in on Hal’s soon-to-be fortune.
As Amy Nicholson wrote in Variety‘s review of the film, “What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class.”
“But who is he under the bluster?” Nicholson continued. “The dweeb...
The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022 and will open in theaters in the U.S. on May 25.
In “Sancutary,” Abbott plays the son of luxe hotel chain owner who is the successor of the hotel and the rest of his father’s billion-dollar enterprise. Rebecca sees the opportunity to cash in on Hal’s soon-to-be fortune.
As Amy Nicholson wrote in Variety‘s review of the film, “What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class.”
“But who is he under the bluster?” Nicholson continued. “The dweeb...
- 4/12/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Margaret Qualley stars as a dominatrix that torments Christopher Abbot’s CEO in the first trailer to “Sanctuary” from Neon.
“This is not a good idea to keep doing this,” Abbot says in the trailer. “Your new job? You wouldn’t be able to do it without what I taught you,” Qualley’s dominatrix answers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaMahhnZMog
Also Read:
Neon Acquires Anne Hathaway Sundance Thriller ‘Eileen’
The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film festival and will open in select theaters on Friday, May 19, expanding wide on Friday, June 2.
Zachary Wigon directs from a script written by Micah Bloomberg.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth...
“This is not a good idea to keep doing this,” Abbot says in the trailer. “Your new job? You wouldn’t be able to do it without what I taught you,” Qualley’s dominatrix answers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaMahhnZMog
Also Read:
Neon Acquires Anne Hathaway Sundance Thriller ‘Eileen’
The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film festival and will open in select theaters on Friday, May 19, expanding wide on Friday, June 2.
Zachary Wigon directs from a script written by Micah Bloomberg.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth...
- 4/12/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
“Upon Entry,” a gripping psychological thriller tackling an immigration story, has been boarded by Charades and Anonymous Content ahead of its North American premiere at SXSW.
The movie marks the feature debut of Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez and is based on the their personal experiences as emigrants.
The cast is led by Goya-winning actors Alberto Ammann (“Narcos”) and Bruna Cusí (“Summer 1993”), as well as Laura Gómez, best known for her role in “Orange Is the New Black,” and Ben Temple.
“Upon Entry” had its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last November, where it won the Fipresci Award, and will next play at SXSW in the Narrative Spotlight Section.
“Upon Entry” tells the story of Diego and Elena, a young couple moving to the U.S. from Spain. Upon their arrival at the Newark airport with their approved residence visas, the two are unexpectedly held and...
The movie marks the feature debut of Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez and is based on the their personal experiences as emigrants.
The cast is led by Goya-winning actors Alberto Ammann (“Narcos”) and Bruna Cusí (“Summer 1993”), as well as Laura Gómez, best known for her role in “Orange Is the New Black,” and Ben Temple.
“Upon Entry” had its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last November, where it won the Fipresci Award, and will next play at SXSW in the Narrative Spotlight Section.
“Upon Entry” tells the story of Diego and Elena, a young couple moving to the U.S. from Spain. Upon their arrival at the Newark airport with their approved residence visas, the two are unexpectedly held and...
- 1/18/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The Paris-based outfit also co-produced the Italian coming-of-age drama.
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired US and Canadian distribution rights and Curzon has taken UK rights to Italian coming-of-age story Amanda sold by co-producer and Paris-based international sales house Charades.
The debut feature of writer/director Carolina Cavalli premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra section in September before screening in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema section.
The film follows the titular character, a wealthy, self-absorbed, combative woman in her twenties who is feeling lost after studying abroad, and sets out to rekindle a childhood friendship with a woman who has become a sullen shut-in.
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired US and Canadian distribution rights and Curzon has taken UK rights to Italian coming-of-age story Amanda sold by co-producer and Paris-based international sales house Charades.
The debut feature of writer/director Carolina Cavalli premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra section in September before screening in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema section.
The film follows the titular character, a wealthy, self-absorbed, combative woman in her twenties who is feeling lost after studying abroad, and sets out to rekindle a childhood friendship with a woman who has become a sullen shut-in.
- 11/3/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Mia Market panel featured Cameron Bailey, Cecile Gaget, Carole Baraton, Marc Smit, Andrea Occhipinti and Susan Wendt.
The internationalisation of arthouse cinema came into the spotlight during a panel debate with leading industry and festival executives at the Mia market in Rome this week.
“For many years we had been very predominantly North American and European, but even the Oscars have changed, it’s a very international landscape for arthouse cinema,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Bailey was joined on the panel by Cecile Gaget, head of film at Wild Bunch, Carole Baraton, founder...
The internationalisation of arthouse cinema came into the spotlight during a panel debate with leading industry and festival executives at the Mia market in Rome this week.
“For many years we had been very predominantly North American and European, but even the Oscars have changed, it’s a very international landscape for arthouse cinema,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Bailey was joined on the panel by Cecile Gaget, head of film at Wild Bunch, Carole Baraton, founder...
- 10/14/2022
- by Alina Trabattoni
- ScreenDaily
Italy’s International Audiovisual Market Mia is expecting a return to full force this year ahead of its eighth edition in Rome from October 11 to 15.
Speaking at a preview press conference on Thursday, director Gaia Tridente said the meeting had registered a 12 rise in attendance this year with accreditations still open, although she did not give precise figures.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mia welcomed 2,500 attendees in 2019, while there were 2,000 registered attendees in 2021 when travel was still restricted.
This year marks the inaugural edition for Tridente who was previously head of scripted at Mia.
Based around Rome’s historic Barberini Palace and the nearby newly refurbished Barberini Cinema, the event spans a traditional market, co-production meetings and a conference.
Expected guests include Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti, Netflix Emea TV boss Larry Tanz, Lionsgate TV Group president Sandra Stern and Fremantle COO and continental Europe CEO Andrea Scrosati as well as...
Speaking at a preview press conference on Thursday, director Gaia Tridente said the meeting had registered a 12 rise in attendance this year with accreditations still open, although she did not give precise figures.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mia welcomed 2,500 attendees in 2019, while there were 2,000 registered attendees in 2021 when travel was still restricted.
This year marks the inaugural edition for Tridente who was previously head of scripted at Mia.
Based around Rome’s historic Barberini Palace and the nearby newly refurbished Barberini Cinema, the event spans a traditional market, co-production meetings and a conference.
Expected guests include Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti, Netflix Emea TV boss Larry Tanz, Lionsgate TV Group president Sandra Stern and Fremantle COO and continental Europe CEO Andrea Scrosati as well as...
- 10/6/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Charades handles international sales.
Neon’s boutique label Super has acquired US rights to Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. following the world premiere in TIFF.
The Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught up in a battle of wills with w wealthy client over the course of one night.
Rumble’s David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox produced with Ilya Stewart of Hype Studios and Pavel Burian of Mosaic Films. Sanctuary screenwriter Micah Bloomberg served as executive producer with Carole Baraton,...
Neon’s boutique label Super has acquired US rights to Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. following the world premiere in TIFF.
The Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught up in a battle of wills with w wealthy client over the course of one night.
Rumble’s David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox produced with Ilya Stewart of Hype Studios and Pavel Burian of Mosaic Films. Sanctuary screenwriter Micah Bloomberg served as executive producer with Carole Baraton,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon is getting in bed with “Sanctuary.”
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has officially whipped up the distribution rights to dominatrix drama “Sanctuary” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
Penned by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and directed by SXSW “The Heart Machine” helmer Zachary Wigon, “Sanctuary” takes place over the course of one night in a hotel room where Rebecca (Qualley) seduces her elite client Hal (Abbott) to disastrous ends. Hal attempts to terminate his relationship with Rebecca, as he is poised to inherit his late father’s professional position and fortune, but Rebecca has other ideas in store for how to punish him for daring to cross her. What’s the safe word, again?
Super beat out three other distribution banners for “Sanctuary” after its critically acclaimed premiere at 2022 TIFF.
“Sanctuary” is a Rumble Films Production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios. The film...
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has officially whipped up the distribution rights to dominatrix drama “Sanctuary” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
Penned by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and directed by SXSW “The Heart Machine” helmer Zachary Wigon, “Sanctuary” takes place over the course of one night in a hotel room where Rebecca (Qualley) seduces her elite client Hal (Abbott) to disastrous ends. Hal attempts to terminate his relationship with Rebecca, as he is poised to inherit his late father’s professional position and fortune, but Rebecca has other ideas in store for how to punish him for daring to cross her. What’s the safe word, again?
Super beat out three other distribution banners for “Sanctuary” after its critically acclaimed premiere at 2022 TIFF.
“Sanctuary” is a Rumble Films Production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios. The film...
- 9/23/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has acquired the U.S. rights to “Sanctuary,” a thriller about a dominatrix starring Margaret Qualley that made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Zachary Wigon directs the film that also stars Christopher Abbott; it is Super’s second acquisition out of TIFF after it also picked up Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” which first premiered at Venice.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth as each seeks to gain the upper hand. Is he hopelessly overmatched? Or is her wildly unpredictable behavior all part of an elaborate game? Micah Bloomberg wrote the script.
Also Read:
Venice Prizewinner ‘Saint Omer’ Acquired...
Zachary Wigon directs the film that also stars Christopher Abbott; it is Super’s second acquisition out of TIFF after it also picked up Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” which first premiered at Venice.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth as each seeks to gain the upper hand. Is he hopelessly overmatched? Or is her wildly unpredictable behavior all part of an elaborate game? Micah Bloomberg wrote the script.
Also Read:
Venice Prizewinner ‘Saint Omer’ Acquired...
- 9/23/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has bought U.S. rights to “Sanctuary,” Zachary Wigon’s much-buzzed-about thriller starring Margaret Qualley as a dominatrix who becomes entangled with a wealthy client, played by Christopher Abbott.
The movie world premiered at Toronto, where it earned strong reviews (it currently holds a 93 “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The acquisition of “Sanctuary” underscores Neon’s ambition to scale up its Super label with higher-profile titles. The company beat out three other distribution banners that bid for the movie, according to a source close to the production.
The film unfolds over the course of one night in a luxury hotel suite. “Sanctuary” tells the story of Rebecca and her client, Hal, who is about to inherit his late father’s position and fortune. When Hal’s attempt to cut ties backfires, the two find themselves in a struggle for control as each seeks to gain the upper hand.
The movie world premiered at Toronto, where it earned strong reviews (it currently holds a 93 “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The acquisition of “Sanctuary” underscores Neon’s ambition to scale up its Super label with higher-profile titles. The company beat out three other distribution banners that bid for the movie, according to a source close to the production.
The film unfolds over the course of one night in a luxury hotel suite. “Sanctuary” tells the story of Rebecca and her client, Hal, who is about to inherit his late father’s position and fortune. When Hal’s attempt to cut ties backfires, the two find themselves in a struggle for control as each seeks to gain the upper hand.
- 9/23/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott are the leads of the Zachary Wigon film Sanctuary set to premiere on September 11 at the Toronto Film Festival. Ahead of the film’s release, Deadline has an exclusive first look where the main characters are seen engaging in a “battle of wills.” Watch the clip below!
Sanctuary revolves around a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engaging in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth as each seeks to gain the upper hand. Is he hopelessly overmatched? Or is her wildly unpredictable behavior all part of an elaborate game?
Toronto Film Festival 2022 Photo Gallery: Taylor Swift And Viola Davis; ‘Woman King’, ‘Butcher’s Crossing’, More
The film was directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Wigon (The Heart Machine) and written by Micah Bloomberg.
Sanctuary revolves around a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engaging in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth as each seeks to gain the upper hand. Is he hopelessly overmatched? Or is her wildly unpredictable behavior all part of an elaborate game?
Toronto Film Festival 2022 Photo Gallery: Taylor Swift And Viola Davis; ‘Woman King’, ‘Butcher’s Crossing’, More
The film was directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Wigon (The Heart Machine) and written by Micah Bloomberg.
- 9/10/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Charades handles international sales.
Moshe Rosenthal’s 2022 Jerusalem Film Festival audience winner Karaoke has gone to Greenwich Entertainment for distribution in North America.
The comedy of manners centres on an upper-middle-class couple on the outskirts of Tel Aviv whose lives get a much-needed injection of excitement when a flashy talent agency owner moves into the penthouse apartment in their tower block.
The couple get coveted party invitations and find themselves competing for the newcomer’s attention while acting out long dormant ambitions and identities. Israeli actors Lior Ashkenazi, Sasson Gabay (The Band’s Visit) and Rita Shukrun star.
First-time feature director Rosenthal wrote the screenplay.
Moshe Rosenthal’s 2022 Jerusalem Film Festival audience winner Karaoke has gone to Greenwich Entertainment for distribution in North America.
The comedy of manners centres on an upper-middle-class couple on the outskirts of Tel Aviv whose lives get a much-needed injection of excitement when a flashy talent agency owner moves into the penthouse apartment in their tower block.
The couple get coveted party invitations and find themselves competing for the newcomer’s attention while acting out long dormant ambitions and identities. Israeli actors Lior Ashkenazi, Sasson Gabay (The Band’s Visit) and Rita Shukrun star.
First-time feature director Rosenthal wrote the screenplay.
- 8/3/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Once upon a time in a sugar daddy’s bed, Margaret Qualley whipped a wealthy man into shape.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” breakout Qualley stars as a dominatrix sex worker in the TIFF 2022-selected thriller “Sanctuary.” Filming recently wrapped in New York City with first look images available on the heels of the TIFF premiere announcement for this fall.
Penned by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and directed by SXSW “The Heart Machine” helmer Zachary Wigon, “Sanctuary” takes place over the course of one night in a hotel room where Rebecca (Qualley) seduces her elite client Hal (Christopher Abbott) to disastrous ends. Hal attempts at terminating his relationship with Rebecca as he is about to inherit his late father’s professional position and fortune, but Rebecca has other ideas in store for how to punish him for daring to cross her. What’s the safe word, again?
“Sanctuary” is...
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” breakout Qualley stars as a dominatrix sex worker in the TIFF 2022-selected thriller “Sanctuary.” Filming recently wrapped in New York City with first look images available on the heels of the TIFF premiere announcement for this fall.
Penned by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and directed by SXSW “The Heart Machine” helmer Zachary Wigon, “Sanctuary” takes place over the course of one night in a hotel room where Rebecca (Qualley) seduces her elite client Hal (Christopher Abbott) to disastrous ends. Hal attempts at terminating his relationship with Rebecca as he is about to inherit his late father’s professional position and fortune, but Rebecca has other ideas in store for how to punish him for daring to cross her. What’s the safe word, again?
“Sanctuary” is...
- 7/28/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
“Apocalypse Clown,” an ensemble comedy directed by BAFTA-nominated George Kane (“Timewasters”) has been boarded by Charades for international rights excluding the U.K. which is handled by Vertigo Releasing.
The movie was penned by Shane O’Brien, James Walmsley and Demian Fox from the comedy outfit Dead Cat Bounce. The film is headlined by David Earl, Natalie Palamides (“Nate — A One Man Show”), Amy De Bhrún (“The Bachelor Weekend”), Fionn Foley (“Dublin Oldschool”), Tadhg Murphy (“Brassic”) and Ivan Kaye (“Gunpowder Milkshake”).
Filmed on location in Dublin and Kildare, in Ireland, the film tells the tale of a troupe of failed clowns and an ambitious reporter who embark on a chaotic adventure of self-discovery after a mysterious solar event plunges the world into anarchy.
“I cannot wait to finally unleash this madness on audiences,” said Kane. “Our writers have crafted an ambitious, relentless and joyously silly script — the likes of which you...
The movie was penned by Shane O’Brien, James Walmsley and Demian Fox from the comedy outfit Dead Cat Bounce. The film is headlined by David Earl, Natalie Palamides (“Nate — A One Man Show”), Amy De Bhrún (“The Bachelor Weekend”), Fionn Foley (“Dublin Oldschool”), Tadhg Murphy (“Brassic”) and Ivan Kaye (“Gunpowder Milkshake”).
Filmed on location in Dublin and Kildare, in Ireland, the film tells the tale of a troupe of failed clowns and an ambitious reporter who embark on a chaotic adventure of self-discovery after a mysterious solar event plunges the world into anarchy.
“I cannot wait to finally unleash this madness on audiences,” said Kane. “Our writers have crafted an ambitious, relentless and joyously silly script — the likes of which you...
- 5/20/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
It’s Friday again, readers. Jesse Whittock here, taking you through the week’s top headlines.
Cannes Goods
Pre-market deals galore: With Cannes now less than two weeks away, everyone’s in deal mode, and Andreas had the scoop on several big packages. Film Constellation took sales rights to Blue Jean, a BBC Film- and BFI backed identity drama, while Bella Thorne has signed up to lead thriller Saint Clare, co-scripted by American Psycho’s Guinevere Turner. Oscar nominee Felicity Jones and Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey are attached to comedy Maria, which Independent Entertainment will be selling at the festival, XYZ Films took worldwide sales rights to the Frank Grillo/Robert Patrick/Rhona Mitra-starring thriller Hounds of War, and Bankside Films bagged Oren Moverman’s Raised Eyebrows, which brings Geoffrey Rush and Sienna Miller together. Elsewhere, Kate Beckinsale is set for spy thriller...
Cannes Goods
Pre-market deals galore: With Cannes now less than two weeks away, everyone’s in deal mode, and Andreas had the scoop on several big packages. Film Constellation took sales rights to Blue Jean, a BBC Film- and BFI backed identity drama, while Bella Thorne has signed up to lead thriller Saint Clare, co-scripted by American Psycho’s Guinevere Turner. Oscar nominee Felicity Jones and Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey are attached to comedy Maria, which Independent Entertainment will be selling at the festival, XYZ Films took worldwide sales rights to the Frank Grillo/Robert Patrick/Rhona Mitra-starring thriller Hounds of War, and Bankside Films bagged Oren Moverman’s Raised Eyebrows, which brings Geoffrey Rush and Sienna Miller together. Elsewhere, Kate Beckinsale is set for spy thriller...
- 5/6/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
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