Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black sets a new widest UK-Ireland opening record for Studiocanal, starting its run in 719 sites.
The film beats the distributor’s previous record – February release Wicked Little Letters – by 33 venues. It is also the widest opening of the year, beating Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two by two sites.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson from a script by Matt Greenhalgh, Back To Black depicts the life of music icon Winehouse, from her early career through her turbulent relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, and her creation of seminal 2006 album Back To Black.
The film stars 2023 Screen Star of Tomorrow Marisa Abela as Winehouse,...
The film beats the distributor’s previous record – February release Wicked Little Letters – by 33 venues. It is also the widest opening of the year, beating Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two by two sites.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson from a script by Matt Greenhalgh, Back To Black depicts the life of music icon Winehouse, from her early career through her turbulent relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, and her creation of seminal 2006 album Back To Black.
The film stars 2023 Screen Star of Tomorrow Marisa Abela as Winehouse,...
- 4/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” topped the U.K. and Ireland box office with £2.8 million ($3.6 million), according to numbers from Comscore. The film now has a total of £12.7 million after two weekends.
Also in its second weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” collected £1.9 million in second place for a total of £9.1 million.
In third place, in its third weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” added £1.3 million for a total of £12.1 million. In fourth position, in its sixth weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” collected £1.1 million for a total of £36.8 million. Universal’s “Monkey Man,” directed by and starring Dev Patel, debuted in fifth place with £810,253.
There were three more top 10 debuts – Disney’s “The First Omen” in sixth place with £521,573, Entertainment Film Distributors’ “Seize Them!” in eighth with £132,207 and Disney’s “Luca” in 10th with £110,964.
There are three mid-week releases on Wednesday, April 10. To coincide with the Eid festival,...
Also in its second weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” collected £1.9 million in second place for a total of £9.1 million.
In third place, in its third weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” added £1.3 million for a total of £12.1 million. In fourth position, in its sixth weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” collected £1.1 million for a total of £36.8 million. Universal’s “Monkey Man,” directed by and starring Dev Patel, debuted in fifth place with £810,253.
There were three more top 10 debuts – Disney’s “The First Omen” in sixth place with £521,573, Entertainment Film Distributors’ “Seize Them!” in eighth with £132,207 and Disney’s “Luca” in 10th with £110,964.
There are three mid-week releases on Wednesday, April 10. To coincide with the Eid festival,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Opponent
Iranian-born writer/director Milad Alami’s sophomore feature, Opponent, centres on Iman (Payman Maadi), an Iranian refugee who has arrived in Northern Sweden with his family and hopes to be granted asylum. As a former Olympic wrestler, it’s suggested that he competes for Sweden to support his asylum request. The decision not only brings him into conflict with his family, but creates internal and external conflicts.
In conversation with Eye For Film, Alami discussed cinema’s lack of an inner life, how he used the stories of immigrants to grow the story, and his desire to create an elusive protagonist.
Paul Risker: Do you consider storytellers to be naturally curious about human nature and what makes people tick?
Opponent
Milad Alami: Definitely! With filmmaking you have to be a sponge and the fun part is trying to understand those difficult things. I think it was [Andrei] Tarkovsky who said if you want to.
Iranian-born writer/director Milad Alami’s sophomore feature, Opponent, centres on Iman (Payman Maadi), an Iranian refugee who has arrived in Northern Sweden with his family and hopes to be granted asylum. As a former Olympic wrestler, it’s suggested that he competes for Sweden to support his asylum request. The decision not only brings him into conflict with his family, but creates internal and external conflicts.
In conversation with Eye For Film, Alami discussed cinema’s lack of an inner life, how he used the stories of immigrants to grow the story, and his desire to create an elusive protagonist.
Paul Risker: Do you consider storytellers to be naturally curious about human nature and what makes people tick?
Opponent
Milad Alami: Definitely! With filmmaking you have to be a sponge and the fun part is trying to understand those difficult things. I think it was [Andrei] Tarkovsky who said if you want to.
- 4/9/2024
- by Paul Risker
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Payman Maadi brings a fierce intelligence to his portrayal of a refugee seeking a secure new home for his family in Sweden
Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher from 2015 and Sean Durkin’s recent The Iron Claw show the sport of wrestling as deeply dysfunctional; wrestling fans might wonder if their favourite pastime is ever going to be depicted in the movies as vital and dramatic, like football, or even tragically noble and masculine, like boxing. Well … not in this film.
Motståndaran, or Opponent, is a tense, complex drama from Iranian-born and Denmark-based director Milad Alami, drawing on some of his own experiences as a refugee in northern Sweden. Payman Maadi (from Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation) plays Imam, a grizzled Iranian wrestling champ seeking asylum in Sweden with his pregnant wife Maryam (Marall Nasiri) and their two young daughters. He and his family left behind a good, prosperous life in Tehran,...
Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher from 2015 and Sean Durkin’s recent The Iron Claw show the sport of wrestling as deeply dysfunctional; wrestling fans might wonder if their favourite pastime is ever going to be depicted in the movies as vital and dramatic, like football, or even tragically noble and masculine, like boxing. Well … not in this film.
Motståndaran, or Opponent, is a tense, complex drama from Iranian-born and Denmark-based director Milad Alami, drawing on some of his own experiences as a refugee in northern Sweden. Payman Maadi (from Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation) plays Imam, a grizzled Iranian wrestling champ seeking asylum in Sweden with his pregnant wife Maryam (Marall Nasiri) and their two young daughters. He and his family left behind a good, prosperous life in Tehran,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Netflix has unveiled a suite of Nordic features and series, partnering on projects with the likes of Working Title, Jo Nesbø, Milad Alami, Dome Karukoski and Sf Studios.
Little Siberia, a Finnish film from Finnish-American director Dome Karukoski, whose credits include Goteborg premiere Tom Of Finland and Jrr Tolkein origin story Tolkein, directs an adaptation of Antti Tuomainen’s novel of the same name. The everyday life of the small village of Hurmevaara is shaken when a meteorite falls through the roof of a car one night.
Cast includes Eero Ritala, Malla Malmivaara, Tommi Korpela and Martti Suosal, with Ina Sohlberg,...
Little Siberia, a Finnish film from Finnish-American director Dome Karukoski, whose credits include Goteborg premiere Tom Of Finland and Jrr Tolkein origin story Tolkein, directs an adaptation of Antti Tuomainen’s novel of the same name. The everyday life of the small village of Hurmevaara is shaken when a meteorite falls through the roof of a car one night.
Cast includes Eero Ritala, Malla Malmivaara, Tommi Korpela and Martti Suosal, with Ina Sohlberg,...
- 3/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.
But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.
But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
As the final work in progress wrapped on Friday, Göteborg ‘s head of TV Drama Vision Cia Edström and head of industry and Nordic Film Market Josef Kullengård could finally relax after a mission well accomplished.
Two of their biggest challenges this year – hosting an industry showcase for 700-plus international delegates in a brand-new venue, the Clarion Hotel Draken, and lifting the Nordic industry’s moral by the crisis in the drama sector – had been successfully met. Variety drills down on how and why:
All-Time Record Attendees
As many as 2,029 accredited delegates registered for the festival and industry showcases at the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, and parallel TV and film markets, the largest in the Nordic region. “We’ve never hit this silver line,” said Kullengård. The 18th TV Drama Vision drew 729 delegates, the Nordic Film Market 556.
Ideal New Göteborg Industry Hub
Literally built around Götoborg’s historic Draken Cinema...
Two of their biggest challenges this year – hosting an industry showcase for 700-plus international delegates in a brand-new venue, the Clarion Hotel Draken, and lifting the Nordic industry’s moral by the crisis in the drama sector – had been successfully met. Variety drills down on how and why:
All-Time Record Attendees
As many as 2,029 accredited delegates registered for the festival and industry showcases at the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, and parallel TV and film markets, the largest in the Nordic region. “We’ve never hit this silver line,” said Kullengård. The 18th TV Drama Vision drew 729 delegates, the Nordic Film Market 556.
Ideal New Göteborg Industry Hub
Literally built around Götoborg’s historic Draken Cinema...
- 2/3/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Line-up for the 25th edition of the market includes 16 completed features, 15 Wip, 17 films in development.
Films by Sweat director Magnus von Horn and Margrete: Queen of the North filmmaker Charlotte Sieling will be presented at the 25th Nordic Film Market (January 31-February 2), the film marketplace of Goteborg Film Festival.
The projects are among the 15 Nordic films in post-production being showcased in the Works in Progress strand.
Scroll down for the full Market selection
Swedish director von Horn attends with The Girl With The Needle, a horror story set in 1910s Denmark, starring Trine Dyrholm and produced by Creative Alliance’s Malene Blenkov.
Films by Sweat director Magnus von Horn and Margrete: Queen of the North filmmaker Charlotte Sieling will be presented at the 25th Nordic Film Market (January 31-February 2), the film marketplace of Goteborg Film Festival.
The projects are among the 15 Nordic films in post-production being showcased in the Works in Progress strand.
Scroll down for the full Market selection
Swedish director von Horn attends with The Girl With The Needle, a horror story set in 1910s Denmark, starring Trine Dyrholm and produced by Creative Alliance’s Malene Blenkov.
- 1/16/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Mika Gustafson’s social drama Paris Is Burning has won the top prize for best film at the Guldbagge Awards, Sweden’s top film honors.
The feature, which premiered in Venice’s Horizons section this year, follows three sisters who left to their own devices by their absent mother, live a life of anarchic freedom. But when social services come calling, the oldest has to find someone to impersonate their mum to avoid being shipped off to foster care. It was picked as the best Swedish film of the past year at the Guldbagge Awards ceremony in Stockholm on Monday night. Paris is Burning also scooped the Guldbagge for best set design for Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth.
But the night’s big winner was Axel Petersén’s Shame on Dry Land. The neo-noir set in the world of online gamblers picked up 7 Guldbagge awards, including for best director and best actor for lead Joel Spira,...
The feature, which premiered in Venice’s Horizons section this year, follows three sisters who left to their own devices by their absent mother, live a life of anarchic freedom. But when social services come calling, the oldest has to find someone to impersonate their mum to avoid being shipped off to foster care. It was picked as the best Swedish film of the past year at the Guldbagge Awards ceremony in Stockholm on Monday night. Paris is Burning also scooped the Guldbagge for best set design for Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth.
But the night’s big winner was Axel Petersén’s Shame on Dry Land. The neo-noir set in the world of online gamblers picked up 7 Guldbagge awards, including for best director and best actor for lead Joel Spira,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Göteborg Film Festival’s film industry confab, the Nordic Film Market, unspooling Jan 31-Feb. 2, has unveiled in exclusivity to Variety its 2024 lineup comprising 58 new and upcoming Nordic films.
These are directed by newcomers and bona fide helmers such as Hans Petter Moland, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Charlotte Sieling, Daniel Espinosa and Pirjo Honkasalo.
Just over two weeks before kick-off, a record number of delegates – 507 from 33 countries – have signed up for the biggest film market in the Nordic region.
The 90-plus international buyers, 90 funding bodies, 60 festival programmers and 50 sales agents can look forward to a revamped showcase, both in terms of programming and set-up, with a new hub for networking and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Draken. “We’re very excited about making this year’s venue both new and familiar for delegates coming to Göteborg,” said head of industry Josef Kullengård.
“The industry has entered a slowdown, but creatively, the Nordic...
These are directed by newcomers and bona fide helmers such as Hans Petter Moland, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Charlotte Sieling, Daniel Espinosa and Pirjo Honkasalo.
Just over two weeks before kick-off, a record number of delegates – 507 from 33 countries – have signed up for the biggest film market in the Nordic region.
The 90-plus international buyers, 90 funding bodies, 60 festival programmers and 50 sales agents can look forward to a revamped showcase, both in terms of programming and set-up, with a new hub for networking and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Draken. “We’re very excited about making this year’s venue both new and familiar for delegates coming to Göteborg,” said head of industry Josef Kullengård.
“The industry has entered a slowdown, but creatively, the Nordic...
- 1/16/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
The Swedish Film Institute on Wednesday announced the nominations for the Guldbagge (Golden Bug) awards, Sweden’s top film prize, with politics taking center stage among the feature contenders.
Axel Petersén’s Shame on Dry Land, a neo-noir set in the world of online gamblers who fled Sweden for refuge in Malta, lead the pack with 9 Guldbagge nominations. But it was snubbed in the best film category. Per Fly’s cold war thriller Hammarskjöld, starring Mikael Persbrandt as the titular Swedish diplomat, and former Un Secretary-General, who died in a mysterious plane crash, received seven nominations, including best film, tying with Opponent, Milad Alami’s drama about a family who flee Iran for Northern Sweden.
Alongside Hammarskjöld and Opponent, best film nominees include Mika Gustafson’s social drama Paris Is Burning, the relationship drama 100 Seasons from director Giovanni Bucchieri, and The Gullspång Miracle, a documentary from director Maria Fredriksson about...
Axel Petersén’s Shame on Dry Land, a neo-noir set in the world of online gamblers who fled Sweden for refuge in Malta, lead the pack with 9 Guldbagge nominations. But it was snubbed in the best film category. Per Fly’s cold war thriller Hammarskjöld, starring Mikael Persbrandt as the titular Swedish diplomat, and former Un Secretary-General, who died in a mysterious plane crash, received seven nominations, including best film, tying with Opponent, Milad Alami’s drama about a family who flee Iran for Northern Sweden.
Alongside Hammarskjöld and Opponent, best film nominees include Mika Gustafson’s social drama Paris Is Burning, the relationship drama 100 Seasons from director Giovanni Bucchieri, and The Gullspång Miracle, a documentary from director Maria Fredriksson about...
- 12/13/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shortlist of 15 films to be announced December 21, nominations out on January 23, 2024.
The Academy has announced eligible features in the categories of international feature film, animation, and documentary for the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024.
The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21, and the nominations announcement is January 23, 2024.
International
Eighty-eight countries or regions have submitted films eligible for consideration in the international feature film category. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes long) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Namibia is a first-time entrant.
Academy members...
The Academy has announced eligible features in the categories of international feature film, animation, and documentary for the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024.
The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21, and the nominations announcement is January 23, 2024.
International
Eighty-eight countries or regions have submitted films eligible for consideration in the international feature film category. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes long) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Namibia is a first-time entrant.
Academy members...
- 12/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Bookmark this page for the latest updates in the territory.
Screen is listing the 2024 release dates for films in the UK and Ireland in the calendar below.
For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here. Screen is also running a calendar for festival and market dates throughout 2024 here.
January
January 5
Priscilla (Mubi), One Life (Warner Bros), Scala! (BFI), Night Swim (Universal), Blank (Sparky)
January 6
Nabucco - Met Opera 23/24 (Trafalgar)
January 12
Poor Things (Disney), The Boys In The Boat (Warner Bros), Freaks Vs The Reich (Miracle/Dazzler), The Beekeeper (Studiocanal...
Screen is listing the 2024 release dates for films in the UK and Ireland in the calendar below.
For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here. Screen is also running a calendar for festival and market dates throughout 2024 here.
January
January 5
Priscilla (Mubi), One Life (Warner Bros), Scala! (BFI), Night Swim (Universal), Blank (Sparky)
January 6
Nabucco - Met Opera 23/24 (Trafalgar)
January 12
Poor Things (Disney), The Boys In The Boat (Warner Bros), Freaks Vs The Reich (Miracle/Dazzler), The Beekeeper (Studiocanal...
- 11/21/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Empire, an absurdist period drama about Denmark’s colonial history from filmmaker Frederikke Aspöck and writer Anna Neye, has won the 2023 Nordic Council Film Prize.
The award was announced Tuesday evening during the Nordic Council Prize ceremony at the Opera house in Oslo. The gong was handed to Aspöck and Neye alongside producers Pernille Munk Skydsgaard, Nina Leidersdorff, and Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen.
Speaking of Empire, the council jury said: “It is a rare thing to come across a film that is so confidently and thoroughly thought through in every single detail, and where such an extraordinarily clear vision from the filmmakers behind it shines from every frame. They serve a beautiful, sweet, and colorful treat laced with bitter poison and low-intensity rage. The film is complex and thought-provoking, and the filmmakers do not stumble once while telling their tale about an ugly part of history.”
Conceived and written by Neye,...
The award was announced Tuesday evening during the Nordic Council Prize ceremony at the Opera house in Oslo. The gong was handed to Aspöck and Neye alongside producers Pernille Munk Skydsgaard, Nina Leidersdorff, and Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen.
Speaking of Empire, the council jury said: “It is a rare thing to come across a film that is so confidently and thoroughly thought through in every single detail, and where such an extraordinarily clear vision from the filmmakers behind it shines from every frame. They serve a beautiful, sweet, and colorful treat laced with bitter poison and low-intensity rage. The film is complex and thought-provoking, and the filmmakers do not stumble once while telling their tale about an ugly part of history.”
Conceived and written by Neye,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
by Cláudio Alves
Soon after completing my Toronto Film Festival Coverage, it was time to dive into another fest experience. This turn, it was closer to home, Queer Lisboa being the oldest running film festival in the Portuguese capital, now on its 27th edition. This year, it offered a program rich in stories of marginalized identities and desires, with a particular emphasis on art intent on decolonizing our collective thought and promoting a more progressive view on the labor and lives of sex workers. There was even something for the awards nuts among us – Sweden's official Oscar submission for the 96th Academy Awards, Opponent.
To mark the occasion, let's dive into a selection of titles, starting with that Scandinavian drama, winner of a Jury Special Mention and the Audience Award…...
Soon after completing my Toronto Film Festival Coverage, it was time to dive into another fest experience. This turn, it was closer to home, Queer Lisboa being the oldest running film festival in the Portuguese capital, now on its 27th edition. This year, it offered a program rich in stories of marginalized identities and desires, with a particular emphasis on art intent on decolonizing our collective thought and promoting a more progressive view on the labor and lives of sex workers. There was even something for the awards nuts among us – Sweden's official Oscar submission for the 96th Academy Awards, Opponent.
To mark the occasion, let's dive into a selection of titles, starting with that Scandinavian drama, winner of a Jury Special Mention and the Audience Award…...
- 10/7/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
Entries for the 2024 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 96th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline...
- 9/21/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
‘Opponent’ debuted in Panorama at Berlinale.
MetFilm Distribution has acquired UK-Ireland rights to Milad Alami’s Opponent, which plays in the main Crystal Globe competition this week at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff).
The second feature from Iranian director Alami, Opponent follows a man who breaks a promise to his wife and joins a local wrestling club, after the family have fled Iran for northern Sweden.
The film debuted in Panorama at the 2023 Berlinale, going on to win a special jury prize in competition at Seattle International Film Festival in May.
A Separation star Payman Maadi plays the lead role,...
MetFilm Distribution has acquired UK-Ireland rights to Milad Alami’s Opponent, which plays in the main Crystal Globe competition this week at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff).
The second feature from Iranian director Alami, Opponent follows a man who breaks a promise to his wife and joins a local wrestling club, after the family have fled Iran for northern Sweden.
The film debuted in Panorama at the 2023 Berlinale, going on to win a special jury prize in competition at Seattle International Film Festival in May.
A Separation star Payman Maadi plays the lead role,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Paris-based company Indie Sales has acquired Teddy Lussi-Modeste’s topical third feature, “The Good Teacher,” co-written by “Happening” filmmaker Audrey Diwan.
François Civil, the French star of “The Three Musketeers” and “The Wolf’s Call,” stars as a young teacher wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct by a teenage girl from his class. As he faces mounting pressures from the girl’s older brother and her classmates, the situation spirals out of control: Allegations spread, the entire school is thrown into turmoil, and the teacher has to fight to clear his name.
“The Good Teacher” marks the second collaboration between Indie Sales and Lussi-Modeste following “The Price of Success” which screened at Toronto and San Sebastián New Directors’ competition. “The Price of Success was picked up by Netflix for a multi-territory deal including the US.
Indie Sales will be introducing “The Good Teacher” to buyers at the Cannes Film Market with an exclusive promo-reel.
François Civil, the French star of “The Three Musketeers” and “The Wolf’s Call,” stars as a young teacher wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct by a teenage girl from his class. As he faces mounting pressures from the girl’s older brother and her classmates, the situation spirals out of control: Allegations spread, the entire school is thrown into turmoil, and the teacher has to fight to clear his name.
“The Good Teacher” marks the second collaboration between Indie Sales and Lussi-Modeste following “The Price of Success” which screened at Toronto and San Sebastián New Directors’ competition. “The Price of Success was picked up by Netflix for a multi-territory deal including the US.
Indie Sales will be introducing “The Good Teacher” to buyers at the Cannes Film Market with an exclusive promo-reel.
- 5/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
It’s striking how often the word “removal” comes up in various governments’ official policies regarding refugees and asylum seekers — a pointedly chosen term that conjures images of inanimate refuse or clutter awaiting collection, rather than human lives in desperate limbo. Fail to make your case to officials and you’ll be “removed,” a near-literally dehumanizing threat that hangs over Milad Alami’s tense, bristling social thriller “Opponent” like a pounding migraine. Following an Iranian wrestler and father whose urgent reasons for fleeing his homeland aren’t entirely what he claims them to be, this is a tightly wound affair that unravels an obscured past and an uncertain future neatly in tandem. Alami maintains suspense at both ends of his narrative without making a blank cypher of his protagonist, played with seething specificity by an electrifying Payman Maadi.
That galvanizing lead performance — by an actor who hasn’t attained quite...
That galvanizing lead performance — by an actor who hasn’t attained quite...
- 3/11/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Project about famous educator heading to Germany, Spain, Israel and Portugal.
Indie Sales has sold Léa Todorov’s debut feature Maria Montessori, a fictionalized, female-driven story about the titular physician and teacher, to key territories after teasing a promo reel for buyers at EFM.
The Paris-based sales powerhouse has pre-sold the film to Neue Vision in Germany, Karma in Spain, New Cinema in Israel, Nos Lusomundo in Portugal, Filmladen in Austria, Cinemart in Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Rocket Releasing for Cis. A Swiss deal is in negotiations.
The France-Italy co-production set in the early 20th century is freely inspired...
Indie Sales has sold Léa Todorov’s debut feature Maria Montessori, a fictionalized, female-driven story about the titular physician and teacher, to key territories after teasing a promo reel for buyers at EFM.
The Paris-based sales powerhouse has pre-sold the film to Neue Vision in Germany, Karma in Spain, New Cinema in Israel, Nos Lusomundo in Portugal, Filmladen in Austria, Cinemart in Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Rocket Releasing for Cis. A Swiss deal is in negotiations.
The France-Italy co-production set in the early 20th century is freely inspired...
- 3/8/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Project based on novel about Russia infiltrating Swedish politics.
Sweden’s Jens Jonsson will direct The Doctrine, a political thriller series adapted from Magnus Montelius’ novel Eight Months.
Jonsson has credits including series Young Wallander and Blinded, and films Easy Money III and Sundance award-winner The King Of Ping Pong.
The novel, published in 2019, presented a then-far-fetched idea that Sweden would join NATO; given world events, the premise is now eerily contemporary.
Erik Magnusson of Anagram Sweden produces.
Backers are TV4/Cmore, Anagram, Film i Väst, Aurora Studios and Beside Productions. With investment from Finnish Impact Film Fund and support from Nordic Film&tv Fund.
Sweden’s Jens Jonsson will direct The Doctrine, a political thriller series adapted from Magnus Montelius’ novel Eight Months.
Jonsson has credits including series Young Wallander and Blinded, and films Easy Money III and Sundance award-winner The King Of Ping Pong.
The novel, published in 2019, presented a then-far-fetched idea that Sweden would join NATO; given world events, the premise is now eerily contemporary.
Erik Magnusson of Anagram Sweden produces.
Backers are TV4/Cmore, Anagram, Film i Väst, Aurora Studios and Beside Productions. With investment from Finnish Impact Film Fund and support from Nordic Film&tv Fund.
- 2/21/2023
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
While Sweden’s Ruben Östlund grabbed some Oscar nominations and took home Cannes’ Palmed’Or last year, two other Scandinavian filmmakers basked in the international spotlight following their Cannes competition premieres: Ali Abbasi with “Holy Spider” and Tarik Saleh with “Cairo Conspiracy” (previously titled “Boy From Heaven”).
Abbasi, an Iranian-born Danish helmer, and Saleh, a Swedish director whose father is Egyptian, are part of an exciting new generation of Nordic helmers who are shaking up traditional Scandinavian cinema.
These filmmakers are delivering singular and timely movies shot abroad or in different languages, weaving together genres and political elements.
“Holy Spider” was based on the true story of a family man who became a serial killer and murdered sex workers in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad, while “Cairo Conspiracy” is set against the backdrop of a ruthless struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite.
Breaking away from the longentrenched trend of so-called Nordic Noir,...
Abbasi, an Iranian-born Danish helmer, and Saleh, a Swedish director whose father is Egyptian, are part of an exciting new generation of Nordic helmers who are shaking up traditional Scandinavian cinema.
These filmmakers are delivering singular and timely movies shot abroad or in different languages, weaving together genres and political elements.
“Holy Spider” was based on the true story of a family man who became a serial killer and murdered sex workers in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad, while “Cairo Conspiracy” is set against the backdrop of a ruthless struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite.
Breaking away from the longentrenched trend of so-called Nordic Noir,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Theatrical releases planned for UK, Australia, Middle East, Japan, South Korea, Latin America, and more.
Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey, the low budget slasher sensation that riffs on A. A. Milne’s beloved children’s property and has sunk its teeth into the US and Mexican box office, will roll out across the world following a raft of deals announced at EFM.
Altitude acquired UK rights and Los Angeles-based sales and production company Premiere Entertainment Group has closed deals with Plaion for Germany and Italy, Umbrella for Australia and New Zealand, Eagle Films for Middle East, New Select for Japan, and Njuta Films for Scandinavia.
Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey, the low budget slasher sensation that riffs on A. A. Milne’s beloved children’s property and has sunk its teeth into the US and Mexican box office, will roll out across the world following a raft of deals announced at EFM.
Altitude acquired UK rights and Los Angeles-based sales and production company Premiere Entertainment Group has closed deals with Plaion for Germany and Italy, Umbrella for Australia and New Zealand, Eagle Films for Middle East, New Select for Japan, and Njuta Films for Scandinavia.
- 2/19/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sales
Chris O’Dowd (“Puffin Rock”), Amy Huberman (“Derry Girls”), Beth McCafferty and Eva Whittaker (“Wolfwalkers”) lead the voice cast of “Puffin Rock and the New Friends,” the film based on the TV series “Puffin Rock.”
Following their collaboration on Oscar nominees “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner,” WestEnd Films is teaming again with Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Northern Ireland’s Dog Ears on the film and is launching sales at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), where first footage will be shown to buyers.
“Puffin Rock and the New Friends” sees Oona, Baba, May and Mossy joined by a new characters Isabelle, Phoenix and Marvin. When the last Little Egg of the season disappears under mysterious circumstances, Oona and her new friends race against time to bring the Little Egg home before a big storm hits Puffin Rock and puts the entire island in danger.
The film...
Chris O’Dowd (“Puffin Rock”), Amy Huberman (“Derry Girls”), Beth McCafferty and Eva Whittaker (“Wolfwalkers”) lead the voice cast of “Puffin Rock and the New Friends,” the film based on the TV series “Puffin Rock.”
Following their collaboration on Oscar nominees “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner,” WestEnd Films is teaming again with Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Northern Ireland’s Dog Ears on the film and is launching sales at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), where first footage will be shown to buyers.
“Puffin Rock and the New Friends” sees Oona, Baba, May and Mossy joined by a new characters Isabelle, Phoenix and Marvin. When the last Little Egg of the season disappears under mysterious circumstances, Oona and her new friends race against time to bring the Little Egg home before a big storm hits Puffin Rock and puts the entire island in danger.
The film...
- 2/13/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Indie Sales has acquired “Sidonie in Japan,” Elise Girard’s romance-laced ghost movie starring Oscar-nominated Isabelle Huppert (“Elle”) and August Diehl (“A Hidden Life”).
Huppert stars Sidonie Perceval, an established French writer who mourns her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for the reedition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor who takes her to Kyoto, As they travel together through the Japanese spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him. But the ghost of her husband follows Sidonie. She will have to finally let go of the past to let herself love again
Indie Sales will be introducing “Sidonie in Japan” to buyers at the European Film Market. Now in post, the movie will be completed in the Spring. Art House Films will handle the French release.
“Sidonie in Japan” was produced by Sébastien Haguenauer through his Paris-based outfit 10:15! Productions, in co-production with Lupa Film GmbH,...
Huppert stars Sidonie Perceval, an established French writer who mourns her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for the reedition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor who takes her to Kyoto, As they travel together through the Japanese spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him. But the ghost of her husband follows Sidonie. She will have to finally let go of the past to let herself love again
Indie Sales will be introducing “Sidonie in Japan” to buyers at the European Film Market. Now in post, the movie will be completed in the Spring. Art House Films will handle the French release.
“Sidonie in Japan” was produced by Sébastien Haguenauer through his Paris-based outfit 10:15! Productions, in co-production with Lupa Film GmbH,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Léa Todorov’s first feature focuses on visionary Italian physician and educator Montessori.
Indie Sales has boarded Léa Todorov’s first feature Maria Montessori and has released a first look image from the project, which is currently in post-production.
The Franco-Italian co-production intertwines the real-life story of visionary Italian physician and educator Montessori with a fictional Parisian cabaret star hiding her child diagnosed with a disability to protect her career. The film’s French title is La Nouvelle Femme.
Set in the early 1900s, the film stars Jasmine Trinca as the titular character, known for her teaching experience with children...
Indie Sales has boarded Léa Todorov’s first feature Maria Montessori and has released a first look image from the project, which is currently in post-production.
The Franco-Italian co-production intertwines the real-life story of visionary Italian physician and educator Montessori with a fictional Parisian cabaret star hiding her child diagnosed with a disability to protect her career. The film’s French title is La Nouvelle Femme.
Set in the early 1900s, the film stars Jasmine Trinca as the titular character, known for her teaching experience with children...
- 2/7/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Filmmakers Milad Alami, Kasper Barfoed and up-and-coming creatives Emma Sehested Høed and Jennifer Vedsted Christiansen are some of the Scandi talents plotting projects for the new Danish production banner Uma Film, formerly Good Company Films.
The Copenhagen-based shingle is run by three pedigreed female producers with a solid track record in Danish drama series and features. Stinna Lassen has produced for the Danish pubcaster Dr their biggest hit in the last six-to-seven years,“Carmen Curlers”, under the spotlight at this week’s Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision as contender for the Nordic Film & TV Fond Prize for best screenplay of a Nordic series. Her earlier productions take in Alami’s acclaimed feature debut “The Charmer” and series “When the Dust Settled.”
Lassen’s colleagues Claudia Saginario and Marie-Louise Gyldenkrone were respectively producer and line producer on another Dr’s smash local and international hit,“Cry Wolf.”
Uma Film’s fourth partner,...
The Copenhagen-based shingle is run by three pedigreed female producers with a solid track record in Danish drama series and features. Stinna Lassen has produced for the Danish pubcaster Dr their biggest hit in the last six-to-seven years,“Carmen Curlers”, under the spotlight at this week’s Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision as contender for the Nordic Film & TV Fond Prize for best screenplay of a Nordic series. Her earlier productions take in Alami’s acclaimed feature debut “The Charmer” and series “When the Dust Settled.”
Lassen’s colleagues Claudia Saginario and Marie-Louise Gyldenkrone were respectively producer and line producer on another Dr’s smash local and international hit,“Cry Wolf.”
Uma Film’s fourth partner,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based sales company Indie Sales has boarded Swedish-Iranian filmmaker Milad Alami ’s sophomore feature “Opponent” ahead of the film’s premiere at the Berlinale. The banner has unveiled the trailer (below) for the movie which will bow in the Panorama section.
“Opponent” is headlined by popular Iranian actor Payman Maadi, who previously starred in Asghar Farhadi’s films such as “A Separation” and “About Elly.” The movie shot in English and Farsi.
The film follows Iman and his family who have been forced to flee Iran in the aftermath of a devastating rumor. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in Northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumours start to resurface, Iman’s fear and desperation begin to take a hold.
“Opponent” is headlined by popular Iranian actor Payman Maadi, who previously starred in Asghar Farhadi’s films such as “A Separation” and “About Elly.” The movie shot in English and Farsi.
The film follows Iman and his family who have been forced to flee Iran in the aftermath of a devastating rumor. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in Northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumours start to resurface, Iman’s fear and desperation begin to take a hold.
- 1/18/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the 15-title lineup of its Work-in-Progress session, the popular industry sidebar whose alumni roster include Vladimar Jóhannsson’s “Lamb,” Lukas Dhont’s “Girl” and Nora Fingscheidt’s “System Crasher.”
The section, curated by Frederic Boyer, the artistic director of Tribeca and Les Arcs Film Festival, will include “Opponent,” a drama by Swedish up-and-comer Milad Alami (“The Charmer”) and produced by Sweden’s Tangy and Norway’s Ape&Bjørn; “Preparations for a Miracle,” directed by Tobias Nölle and produced by Switzerland’s Hugofilm Features and Germany’s Flare Film; and “Silver Haze,” helmed by Sacha Polak and produced by Dutch banner Viking Film and the U.K.’s Emu Films.
Spanning 18 countries across Europe, the selection comprises films in post-production, eight of which are by female directors. Jeremy Zelnik who spearheads Les Arcs’s Industry Village received a record 164 projects, which reflects the fact that many...
The section, curated by Frederic Boyer, the artistic director of Tribeca and Les Arcs Film Festival, will include “Opponent,” a drama by Swedish up-and-comer Milad Alami (“The Charmer”) and produced by Sweden’s Tangy and Norway’s Ape&Bjørn; “Preparations for a Miracle,” directed by Tobias Nölle and produced by Switzerland’s Hugofilm Features and Germany’s Flare Film; and “Silver Haze,” helmed by Sacha Polak and produced by Dutch banner Viking Film and the U.K.’s Emu Films.
Spanning 18 countries across Europe, the selection comprises films in post-production, eight of which are by female directors. Jeremy Zelnik who spearheads Les Arcs’s Industry Village received a record 164 projects, which reflects the fact that many...
- 12/3/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
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