Paris-based sales outfit Cat&Docs has acquired “Unclickable,” Greek director Babis Makridis’ investigation into the murky world of digital ad fraud, ahead of its world premiere March 10 at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. Variety has been given exclusive access to the film’s trailer (see below).
“Unclickable” follows a former tech executive who gathers a team of software developers and sets out to build a digital advertising fraud operation. Working from a basement in an undisclosed location, they manage to defraud a number of high-profile advertisers — including the Trump campaign and a series of pro-Biden organizations — in just a matter of weeks during the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
As the operation unfolds, the film lifts a lid on the shadowy world of digital advertising and the role played by tech giants Google and Facebook, while also spotlighting the known and lesser-known victims of ad fraud and addressing its impact on the internet economy.
“Unclickable” follows a former tech executive who gathers a team of software developers and sets out to build a digital advertising fraud operation. Working from a basement in an undisclosed location, they manage to defraud a number of high-profile advertisers — including the Trump campaign and a series of pro-Biden organizations — in just a matter of weeks during the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
As the operation unfolds, the film lifts a lid on the shadowy world of digital advertising and the role played by tech giants Google and Facebook, while also spotlighting the known and lesser-known victims of ad fraud and addressing its impact on the internet economy.
- 3/8/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Butterfly Vision producer Darya Bassel and Call Me By Your Name executive producer Naima Abed are among 17 independent producers selected for Ace Animation Special, the animation business programme of European network Ace Producers.
The 17 producers will take part in the workshop from March 19-24 in Dingle, Ireland, in collaboration with the Animation Dingle festival.
Scroll down for the full list of producers
Now in its fifth edition, the workshop aims to show how to diversify business by developing and producing feature and series animation productions, for theatrical, broadcast and streaming release.
Producers will attend with animated features and series projects in early development,...
The 17 producers will take part in the workshop from March 19-24 in Dingle, Ireland, in collaboration with the Animation Dingle festival.
Scroll down for the full list of producers
Now in its fifth edition, the workshop aims to show how to diversify business by developing and producing feature and series animation productions, for theatrical, broadcast and streaming release.
Producers will attend with animated features and series projects in early development,...
- 2/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
There were sunny skies over the Thessaloniki Film Festival this week, with unseasonably high temperatures leading many visitors to reach for the sunscreen while dashing between movie premieres and industry events at Greece’s longest-running film fest.
The local industry, too, is enjoying a moment in the sun, as the Mediterranean nation has seen production surge post-pandemic, buoyed by foreign titles like Rian Johnson’s Netflix blockbuster “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” action thriller “Tin Soldier,” starring Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro, and the Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone starring “Expend4bles,” the latest installment of the action franchise, which filmed in Thessaloniki.
Last year, production in Greece reached record heights, with 132 projects supported by the country’s cashback scheme, which covers up to 40% of qualifying expenditures and can be combined with a separate 30% tax relief scheme. This year, Pablo Larrain’s Maria Callas biopic “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie,...
The local industry, too, is enjoying a moment in the sun, as the Mediterranean nation has seen production surge post-pandemic, buoyed by foreign titles like Rian Johnson’s Netflix blockbuster “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” action thriller “Tin Soldier,” starring Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro, and the Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone starring “Expend4bles,” the latest installment of the action franchise, which filmed in Thessaloniki.
Last year, production in Greece reached record heights, with 132 projects supported by the country’s cashback scheme, which covers up to 40% of qualifying expenditures and can be combined with a separate 30% tax relief scheme. This year, Pablo Larrain’s Maria Callas biopic “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Who should own the intellectual property (IP) of a creative project, and who has the right to earn profits from it?
Those were some of the questions tabled this afternoon on the first day of Agora series — the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s hybrid film-series industry symposium. The festival’s panel on IP was chaired by Alexandra Lebret, Managing Director of the European Producers Club. Speakers included Alex Traila, Programme Μanager at Council of Europe, Amanda Livanou, founder of Neda Film, IP expert Elli Filippopoulou, Beta Film producer Ferdinand Dohna, and Paper Entertainment CEO Julien Leroux, who appeared to have the most definitive answer to the day’s questions.
“The profits need to be shared. And, for that, we need to find a balanced solution where rights and IP can be shared,” Leroux said.
“All the fights with the guilds in the US are really about this. There is no reason why all the profits,...
Those were some of the questions tabled this afternoon on the first day of Agora series — the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s hybrid film-series industry symposium. The festival’s panel on IP was chaired by Alexandra Lebret, Managing Director of the European Producers Club. Speakers included Alex Traila, Programme Μanager at Council of Europe, Amanda Livanou, founder of Neda Film, IP expert Elli Filippopoulou, Beta Film producer Ferdinand Dohna, and Paper Entertainment CEO Julien Leroux, who appeared to have the most definitive answer to the day’s questions.
“The profits need to be shared. And, for that, we need to find a balanced solution where rights and IP can be shared,” Leroux said.
“All the fights with the guilds in the US are really about this. There is no reason why all the profits,...
- 11/4/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Gen Z drama is written and directed by Lilith Kraxner and Milena Czernovsky
Gen Z drama Bluish (bläu) by Lilith Kraxner and Milena Czernovsky has won the Screen International Award at the C EU Soon work-in-progress programme at Rome’s Mia Market.
Bluish casts a tender look at two young and disoriented characters struggling with their daily lives and is produced by Lixi Frank and David Bohun of Austria’s Panama Film.
Bluish was one of eight projects showcased in the C EU Soon programme which is dedicated to European films in post-production looking for international sellers.
The selection committee...
Gen Z drama Bluish (bläu) by Lilith Kraxner and Milena Czernovsky has won the Screen International Award at the C EU Soon work-in-progress programme at Rome’s Mia Market.
Bluish casts a tender look at two young and disoriented characters struggling with their daily lives and is produced by Lixi Frank and David Bohun of Austria’s Panama Film.
Bluish was one of eight projects showcased in the C EU Soon programme which is dedicated to European films in post-production looking for international sellers.
The selection committee...
- 10/13/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora Series, a hybrid film-series industry strand, returns this year for its sophomore outing with Paper Entertainment CEO and Tehran executive producer Julien Leroux serving as program consultant.
This year’s Agora series program will run for two extended days, starting November 4, with a focus on the creative process of series screenwriting. The schedule will feature a range of masterclass sessions from local and international series professionals. Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Podeswa will host a masterclass on the future of storytelling titled From Six Feet Under to the Top: The Evolution of Contemporary Television at the Pavlos Zannas Theatre on November 4. Podeswa — who was recently announced as the lead director of the Blade Runner 2099 mini-series at Amazon — will discuss the evolution of series content throughout the years and his personal journey in the business. Podeswa’s credits include Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones,...
This year’s Agora series program will run for two extended days, starting November 4, with a focus on the creative process of series screenwriting. The schedule will feature a range of masterclass sessions from local and international series professionals. Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Podeswa will host a masterclass on the future of storytelling titled From Six Feet Under to the Top: The Evolution of Contemporary Television at the Pavlos Zannas Theatre on November 4. Podeswa — who was recently announced as the lead director of the Blade Runner 2099 mini-series at Amazon — will discuss the evolution of series content throughout the years and his personal journey in the business. Podeswa’s credits include Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Fantastic Fest and Sitges 2023 movie The Invisible Fight from LevelK. Above is a new international teaser for the movie.
The Estonian heavy metal kung fu comedy is written and directed by Rainer Sarnet (November) and got its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Kino Lorber is lining up a theatrical, digital, and home video release in 2024.
The Invisible Fight is a satirical take on the martial arts film, paying tribute to the genre’s Chinese wuxia roots through a Northern European story. In the movie, a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border survives a deadly attack but then decides to become a monk and must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
The deal was negotiated by Kino Lorber Senior Vice President Wendy Lidell and Tine Klint of LevelK.
The Estonian heavy metal kung fu comedy is written and directed by Rainer Sarnet (November) and got its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Kino Lorber is lining up a theatrical, digital, and home video release in 2024.
The Invisible Fight is a satirical take on the martial arts film, paying tribute to the genre’s Chinese wuxia roots through a Northern European story. In the movie, a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border survives a deadly attack but then decides to become a monk and must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
The deal was negotiated by Kino Lorber Senior Vice President Wendy Lidell and Tine Klint of LevelK.
- 9/27/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
LevelK has boarded “The Invisible Fight,” Estonian director Rainer Sarnet’s kung fu comedy set in an Orthodox monastery in the former Soviet Union. The film world premieres Aug. 11 in the main competition of the Locarno Film Festival.
“The Invisible Fight” is set in 1973 on the Soviet-Chinese border, where Private Rafael is on guard duty when his border post is attacked by a band of Chinese warriors schooled in the ancient art of kung fu. The only one to miraculously survive, Rafael, is fascinated by the long-haired, black-clad, kung fu hippies flying through the treetops while blasting forbidden Black Sabbath music from their portable radio. He’s suddenly struck by a revelation: he, too, wants to become a kung fu warrior.
Faith leads Rafael to an Orthodox monastery where the black-clad monks do their training, but his road to achieving the almighty power of humility required is long, winding and full of adventures.
“The Invisible Fight” is set in 1973 on the Soviet-Chinese border, where Private Rafael is on guard duty when his border post is attacked by a band of Chinese warriors schooled in the ancient art of kung fu. The only one to miraculously survive, Rafael, is fascinated by the long-haired, black-clad, kung fu hippies flying through the treetops while blasting forbidden Black Sabbath music from their portable radio. He’s suddenly struck by a revelation: he, too, wants to become a kung fu warrior.
Faith leads Rafael to an Orthodox monastery where the black-clad monks do their training, but his road to achieving the almighty power of humility required is long, winding and full of adventures.
- 8/9/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias and Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission, will preside over the jury of the Malta Film Commission’s inaugural Mediterrane Film Festival celebrating movies from the Mediterranean Basin.
The fest, which will take place in Valletta, Malta’s capital, and other locations on the island between June 25-30, will showcase films from each of the MED9 nations, an alliance of nine Mediterranean and Southern European Union member states. It comprises: Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
Besides Wotton the other jury members are “Triangle Of Sadness” actor Zlatko Burić; Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali; French actor and director Vahina Giocante; Greek producer Amanda Livanou; Italian journalist Boris Sollazzo; Maltese critic Mario Azzopardi; Portuguese journalist and programmer José Vieira Mendes; Slovenian journalist Tina Poglajen; and Spanish programmer Carlos Reviriego.
Alice Diop’s prize-winning Venice 2022 title “Saint Omer” (pictured); Carla Simon’s Berlin Golden Bear...
The fest, which will take place in Valletta, Malta’s capital, and other locations on the island between June 25-30, will showcase films from each of the MED9 nations, an alliance of nine Mediterranean and Southern European Union member states. It comprises: Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
Besides Wotton the other jury members are “Triangle Of Sadness” actor Zlatko Burić; Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali; French actor and director Vahina Giocante; Greek producer Amanda Livanou; Italian journalist Boris Sollazzo; Maltese critic Mario Azzopardi; Portuguese journalist and programmer José Vieira Mendes; Slovenian journalist Tina Poglajen; and Spanish programmer Carlos Reviriego.
Alice Diop’s prize-winning Venice 2022 title “Saint Omer” (pictured); Carla Simon’s Berlin Golden Bear...
- 5/21/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The inaugural Mediterrane Film Festival will take place June 25-30 in Malta
Adrian Wotton, CEO of Film London and British Film Commission, will head the international jury of Malta Film Commission’s inaugural Mediterrane Film Festival, taking place on the island from June 25 to 30.
Further jury members are Triangle Of Sadness actor Zlatko Burić, Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali, French actor and director Vahina Giocante, Greek producer Amanda Livanou, Italian journalist Boris Sollazzo, Maltese critic Mario Azzopardi, Portuguese journalist and programmer José Vieira Mendes, Slovenian journalist Tina Poglajen and Spanish programmer Carlos Reviriego.
The nine films in the competition include Alice Diop...
Adrian Wotton, CEO of Film London and British Film Commission, will head the international jury of Malta Film Commission’s inaugural Mediterrane Film Festival, taking place on the island from June 25 to 30.
Further jury members are Triangle Of Sadness actor Zlatko Burić, Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali, French actor and director Vahina Giocante, Greek producer Amanda Livanou, Italian journalist Boris Sollazzo, Maltese critic Mario Azzopardi, Portuguese journalist and programmer José Vieira Mendes, Slovenian journalist Tina Poglajen and Spanish programmer Carlos Reviriego.
The nine films in the competition include Alice Diop...
- 5/21/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Since the launch of its cash rebate in 2018, which covers up to 40 of qualifying expenditures along with 30 in tax relief, Greece has become one of Europe’s hottest filming destinations. But domestic production is surging as well, and the industry reached new heights in 2022, with the rebate scheme supporting 132 international and domestic projects.
Here’s a round-up of some of the top Greek feature films currently in the pipeline:
Buzzheart
Director: Dennis Iliadis
Producers: Amanda Livanou, Dennis Iliadis
The veteran director, who helmed the 2007 remake of Wes Craven’s “The Last House on the Left,” returns with a film that asks: If you had to make sure that someone could truly love without any moral limitations, how far would you go?
Sales: N/A
My Soul Startled
Director: Syllas Tzoumerkas
Producers: Maria Drandaki, Nadia Trevisan, Julie Paratian
The acclaimed director returns with 18 interwoven love stories of gods, titans, nuns, madmen,...
Here’s a round-up of some of the top Greek feature films currently in the pipeline:
Buzzheart
Director: Dennis Iliadis
Producers: Amanda Livanou, Dennis Iliadis
The veteran director, who helmed the 2007 remake of Wes Craven’s “The Last House on the Left,” returns with a film that asks: If you had to make sure that someone could truly love without any moral limitations, how far would you go?
Sales: N/A
My Soul Startled
Director: Syllas Tzoumerkas
Producers: Maria Drandaki, Nadia Trevisan, Julie Paratian
The acclaimed director returns with 18 interwoven love stories of gods, titans, nuns, madmen,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
For a country of 11 million that’s spent much of the past decade lurching from one economic crisis to the next, you’d be hard-pressed to suggest the Greek film industry isn’t punching above its weight. In the span of just a few weeks earlier this year, Rian Johnson’s Netflix blockbuster “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” became one of the streaming service’s most-watched films of all time, while Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” was nominated for three Academy Awards: two splashy productions that were both shot in the Mediterranean nation.
Since the launch of its cash rebate in 2018, which covers up to 40 of qualifying expenditures along with 30 in tax relief, Greece has become one of Europe’s hottest filming destinations. Last year the industry reached new heights, with the rebate supporting 132 international and domestic productions — including Nia Vardalos’ long-awaited “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3...
Since the launch of its cash rebate in 2018, which covers up to 40 of qualifying expenditures along with 30 in tax relief, Greece has become one of Europe’s hottest filming destinations. Last year the industry reached new heights, with the rebate supporting 132 international and domestic productions — including Nia Vardalos’ long-awaited “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
When audiences return for the 63rd edition of the Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival, which runs Nov. 3-13, many hoping to discover the new wave of up-and-coming local talent might be searching for the next “Magnetic Fields,” the feature debut of graphic artist-turned-director Yorgos Goussis. After riding the success of its 2021 Thessaloniki premiere to sweep the country’s local Academy Awards, the film is representing Greece in the international feature film Oscar race.
Since its modest origins as Greek Cinema Week among movie-lovers in this handsome seaside city, the Thessaloniki event has offered a launching pad for emerging Greek talents ranging from Goussis to Theo Angelopoulos, the towering figure of 20th-century Greek cinema, who premiered his first feature, “Reconstruction,” at the fest in 1970.
Half a century later, Greece is enjoying its brightest big-screen moment since the likes of Academy Award nominee Yorgos Lanthimos ushered in the Greek Weird Wave in the late ’00s.
Since its modest origins as Greek Cinema Week among movie-lovers in this handsome seaside city, the Thessaloniki event has offered a launching pad for emerging Greek talents ranging from Goussis to Theo Angelopoulos, the towering figure of 20th-century Greek cinema, who premiered his first feature, “Reconstruction,” at the fest in 1970.
Half a century later, Greece is enjoying its brightest big-screen moment since the likes of Academy Award nominee Yorgos Lanthimos ushered in the Greek Weird Wave in the late ’00s.
- 11/3/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Riding the high of a production-servicing boom, Estonia’s domestic industry has likewise shown no signs of slowing down. Here’s a roundup of top local productions in the pipeline, from producers who are searching for international partners in Cannes:
The Invisible Fight
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Producers: Katrin Kissa, Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Alise Gelze, White Picture (Latvia), Amanda Livanou, Neda Film (Greece), Helen Vinogradov, Helsinki-filmi (Finland)
Sarnet, whose fantasy-drama “November” played at Tribeca in 2017, returns with a ‘70s-set kung-fu comedy about a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
Lioness
Director: Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Producers: Ivo Felt (Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
The sophomore feature from Trishkina-Vanhatalo, whose debut “Take It or Leave It” was Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar,...
The Invisible Fight
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Producers: Katrin Kissa, Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Alise Gelze, White Picture (Latvia), Amanda Livanou, Neda Film (Greece), Helen Vinogradov, Helsinki-filmi (Finland)
Sarnet, whose fantasy-drama “November” played at Tribeca in 2017, returns with a ‘70s-set kung-fu comedy about a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man he set out to be.
Lioness
Director: Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Producers: Ivo Felt (Estonia), Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
The sophomore feature from Trishkina-Vanhatalo, whose debut “Take It or Leave It” was Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar,...
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Blue Monday Productions has boarded “Cora,” the feature directorial debut of visual artist and filmmaker Evi Kalogiropoulou, which was awarded at the Rotterdam Film Festival’s CineMart and the Cannes Cinefondation’s Atelier earlier this year.
“Cora” is the story of two working-class women fighting for freedom and their own identity against a dystopian patriarchal society. It follows the director’s short film, “Motorway 65,” which played in competition in Cannes last year.
Speaking to Variety at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, Kalogiropoulou said she drew inspiration for her feature debut during an artistic residency in the working-class town of Elefsina, where local women shared stories about the struggles they faced, especially as recent waves of immigration altered the social dynamic of the community. “For me the biggest question to explore is how it feels for a woman to be working and living in an area with so much contradiction and struggle,...
“Cora” is the story of two working-class women fighting for freedom and their own identity against a dystopian patriarchal society. It follows the director’s short film, “Motorway 65,” which played in competition in Cannes last year.
Speaking to Variety at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, Kalogiropoulou said she drew inspiration for her feature debut during an artistic residency in the working-class town of Elefsina, where local women shared stories about the struggles they faced, especially as recent waves of immigration altered the social dynamic of the community. “For me the biggest question to explore is how it feels for a woman to be working and living in an area with so much contradiction and struggle,...
- 11/14/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
It was the hottest summer on record in Greece, with temperatures regularly soaring past 100 degrees. And in recent months the local film industry has been just as sizzling, with Netflix’s “Knives Out 2” and David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” among a host of big-budget international productions flocking to the sun-soaked Mediterranean nation.
The game-changer for the Greek biz was the introduction of a cash rebate in 2018, which last year was raised to 40%, making it among the most attractive in Europe. But a panel of leading producers speaking at the Thessaloniki Film Festival on Sunday insisted that there’s more work to be done to ensure the industry continues its steady growth. “If we don’t face the challenges, we can’t get better. And we need to get better,” said Amanda Livanou of Neda Film.
In a country still struggling to emerge from the long shadow of a decade-long economic crisis,...
The game-changer for the Greek biz was the introduction of a cash rebate in 2018, which last year was raised to 40%, making it among the most attractive in Europe. But a panel of leading producers speaking at the Thessaloniki Film Festival on Sunday insisted that there’s more work to be done to ensure the industry continues its steady growth. “If we don’t face the challenges, we can’t get better. And we need to get better,” said Amanda Livanou of Neda Film.
In a country still struggling to emerge from the long shadow of a decade-long economic crisis,...
- 11/9/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
“When business in brothels is slow, that means the economy is on the ropes.” Those words, uttered by the indelible madame at the heart of director Eva Stefani’s “Days and Nights of Demetra K.,” offers a fitting introduction to the way in which the ups and downs in the life of a single sex worker mirror the larger political and economic uncertainties rattling post-crisis Greece.
Stefani’s feature-length debut, which has its premiere in the main competition at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, centers on the life of the titular Demetra K., who runs one of the oldest brothels in Athens. The film follows her throughout a turbulent period when the Greek economy is on the verge of collapse and a contentious law on prostitution threatens the world’s oldest profession in the cradle of Western civilization. Pic is produced by Amanda Livanou, of Neda Film, in co-production with Faliro House Productions...
Stefani’s feature-length debut, which has its premiere in the main competition at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, centers on the life of the titular Demetra K., who runs one of the oldest brothels in Athens. The film follows her throughout a turbulent period when the Greek economy is on the verge of collapse and a contentious law on prostitution threatens the world’s oldest profession in the cradle of Western civilization. Pic is produced by Amanda Livanou, of Neda Film, in co-production with Faliro House Productions...
- 6/23/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
In 2018, Bill Murray joined famous cellist, Jan Vogler, on stage at the historic Acropolis in Athens, Greece, for a night of timeless poetry and music. Captured on film by director Andrew Muscato, the magical performance will soon become a feature film, premiering in July at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
Spanning from Bach to Van Morrison, Walt Whitman to “West Side Story,” “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization” showcases the range of art that has influenced American and European culture and helped bridge the gap between the two.
The trailer opens with Murray reading Whitman’s poem “Song of the Open Road, 9” before launching into “I Feel Pretty” from “West Side Story,” all behind a sweeping classical music trio led by world-renowned cellist Vogler and featuring Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano.
“New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization” captures the final performance of Murray and Vogler’s European “New Worlds” tour.
Spanning from Bach to Van Morrison, Walt Whitman to “West Side Story,” “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization” showcases the range of art that has influenced American and European culture and helped bridge the gap between the two.
The trailer opens with Murray reading Whitman’s poem “Song of the Open Road, 9” before launching into “I Feel Pretty” from “West Side Story,” all behind a sweeping classical music trio led by world-renowned cellist Vogler and featuring Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano.
“New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization” captures the final performance of Murray and Vogler’s European “New Worlds” tour.
- 6/21/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Five projects win cash prizes at the closing of IFFR Pro Days and CineMart.
Greek supernatural drama Cora has won the Eurimages Co-production Award, worth €20,000, at the closing ceremony of International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Pro Days and CineMart co-production market.
The film will mark the feature directorial debut of Evi Kalogiropoulou, whose Motorway 65 was nominated for best short film at Cannes 2020, and follows two young women who fall in love and struggle to escape the confines of a dystopian patriarchal society.
Awarding the prize, open to CineMart projects that will be a European co-production, the jury said it...
Greek supernatural drama Cora has won the Eurimages Co-production Award, worth €20,000, at the closing ceremony of International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Pro Days and CineMart co-production market.
The film will mark the feature directorial debut of Evi Kalogiropoulou, whose Motorway 65 was nominated for best short film at Cannes 2020, and follows two young women who fall in love and struggle to escape the confines of a dystopian patriarchal society.
Awarding the prize, open to CineMart projects that will be a European co-production, the jury said it...
- 2/5/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Not long ago, it would have been difficult for Greek production outfit Heretic to board a project such as “Do Not Hesitate,” an ambitious, Afghanistan-set war drama that is partly being filmed on the island of Crete.
But for Giorgos Karnavas, who is producing “Hesitate” alongside the Netherlands’ Lemming Film, the calculus has changed since Greece introduced a 35% cash rebate last year. “The cash rebate gives us the [ability] to step into projects that we would not be able to otherwise, and is also a tool to attract new projects that appeal to us,” Karnavas says.
The rebate has given a fresh jolt to an industry still recovering from the country’s crippling economic crisis, with a wave of majority and minority co-productions in the cards from Greek producers. The 35% cash rebate on qualifying spend is available to feature films, documentaries, TV drama series, animated films and digital games, with a...
But for Giorgos Karnavas, who is producing “Hesitate” alongside the Netherlands’ Lemming Film, the calculus has changed since Greece introduced a 35% cash rebate last year. “The cash rebate gives us the [ability] to step into projects that we would not be able to otherwise, and is also a tool to attract new projects that appeal to us,” Karnavas says.
The rebate has given a fresh jolt to an industry still recovering from the country’s crippling economic crisis, with a wave of majority and minority co-productions in the cards from Greek producers. The 35% cash rebate on qualifying spend is available to feature films, documentaries, TV drama series, animated films and digital games, with a...
- 10/24/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Babis Makridis’ film expected to be Greek Oscars entry.
The Greek-Polish co-production Pity, an existential drama by Babis Makridis, was crowned best film at the Iris Hellenic Film Academy (Helfiac) awards on Tuesday evening (April 23).
Steve Krikris’ debut feature The Waiter won four awards, whilst Her Job by Nikos Labot, and Angelos Frantzis’ Still River won three each, including best director for Frantzis and best first film for Her Job.
Pity arrived at the awards after appearing at festivals including Sundance, Rotterdam, Odessa (best film and direction), Valetta (best director) and Montenegro (best film). It also won best sound for...
The Greek-Polish co-production Pity, an existential drama by Babis Makridis, was crowned best film at the Iris Hellenic Film Academy (Helfiac) awards on Tuesday evening (April 23).
Steve Krikris’ debut feature The Waiter won four awards, whilst Her Job by Nikos Labot, and Angelos Frantzis’ Still River won three each, including best director for Frantzis and best first film for Her Job.
Pity arrived at the awards after appearing at festivals including Sundance, Rotterdam, Odessa (best film and direction), Valetta (best director) and Montenegro (best film). It also won best sound for...
- 4/25/2019
- by Alexis Grivas
- ScreenDaily
Titles both score Benelux deals.
New Europe Film Sales has closed early deals on two of its titles playing this week at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr).
Source: Iffr
Loveling / Pity
Brazil-Uruguay drama Loveling, which premiered as the opening film of Sundance’s World Cinema Competition and had its European premiere in Iffr’s Voices strand, has been picked up for France (Condor/Version Original) and Benelux (September Film Distribution).
The film follows a mother, played by Karine Teles, who struggles to let go of her 17-year-old son after he signs up for a sporting contract in Germany. Gustavo Pizzi directed, Tatiana Leite produced and executive producers were Leo Ribeiro and Rodrigo Leite.
Screen’s review called it a “charming drama” and an “audience-pleaser” that is “destined for healthy festival exposure”.
New Europe has also struck a Benelux deal (Filmfreak) alongside an agreement for Turkey (Bir) on its title Pity. The film also premiered...
New Europe Film Sales has closed early deals on two of its titles playing this week at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr).
Source: Iffr
Loveling / Pity
Brazil-Uruguay drama Loveling, which premiered as the opening film of Sundance’s World Cinema Competition and had its European premiere in Iffr’s Voices strand, has been picked up for France (Condor/Version Original) and Benelux (September Film Distribution).
The film follows a mother, played by Karine Teles, who struggles to let go of her 17-year-old son after he signs up for a sporting contract in Germany. Gustavo Pizzi directed, Tatiana Leite produced and executive producers were Leo Ribeiro and Rodrigo Leite.
Screen’s review called it a “charming drama” and an “audience-pleaser” that is “destined for healthy festival exposure”.
New Europe has also struck a Benelux deal (Filmfreak) alongside an agreement for Turkey (Bir) on its title Pity. The film also premiered...
- 1/31/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
While the nation of Greece undergoes vast economic reform and it’s unstable political climate is shaking the boat, there is a neat little output of filmmaking talents who are taking the international film festival circuit by storm. We might be adding the name of Sofia Exarchou to a list that includes Babis Makridis, Panos H. Koutras and Alexandros Avranas as Greek filmmakers to look out for. With a pair of shorts under her belt, work on her feature debut began in 2012, Park collected a slew of support in the Crossroads Cnc Development Prize, Thessaloniki 2012, Eurimages Development Award, Sarajevo 2013 and both of the Sundance Institute’s January Screenwriter’s Lab & June Director’s Lab. It was the recent winner of the work in progress at Karlovy Vary, so all signs point to a 2016 fest unveiling with Park City a strong possibility.
Gist: Nine years have passed, and the Olympic Village in Athens,...
Gist: Nine years have passed, and the Olympic Village in Athens,...
- 11/25/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Drama set in a decaying contemporary Greece wins prize.
Sofia Exarchou’s feature debut Park, a Greek-language drama about disaffected youth in a decaying contemporary Greece, has won the Works in Progress prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) (July 3-11).
The film was previously selected for both the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and Director’s Lab, the only European project in the line-ups.
Park will receive an award of €10,000 in services from the event’s partner, Barrandov Studios.
It was one of 15 projects - selected out of 57 - showcased at Kviff’s Works in Progress event.
Selecting the most promising project, the international jury said of Park: “Set in the ruins of past glory, this film takes us to the bottom of society and ignites a firework of raw energy. A portrayal of a young generation that has been betrayed and deprived of its future.”
The jury comprised the Berlinale’s Paz Lázaro, [link...
Sofia Exarchou’s feature debut Park, a Greek-language drama about disaffected youth in a decaying contemporary Greece, has won the Works in Progress prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) (July 3-11).
The film was previously selected for both the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and Director’s Lab, the only European project in the line-ups.
Park will receive an award of €10,000 in services from the event’s partner, Barrandov Studios.
It was one of 15 projects - selected out of 57 - showcased at Kviff’s Works in Progress event.
Selecting the most promising project, the international jury said of Park: “Set in the ruins of past glory, this film takes us to the bottom of society and ignites a firework of raw energy. A portrayal of a young generation that has been betrayed and deprived of its future.”
The jury comprised the Berlinale’s Paz Lázaro, [link...
- 7/8/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Two veterans and a newcomer shared the top honours at the Hellenic Film Academy (Hfa) awards.Scroll down for full list of winners
Pantelis Voulgaris’ Little England (Mikra Anglia) won best film while Yiorgos Tsemberopoulos’ The Enemy Within (O ehthros mou) won best director at the fifth edition of the awards on Monday evening.
Newcomer Elina Psikou was named best first time director for The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas (I aionia epistrofi tou Antoni Paraskeva).
Little England was produced by Katerina Helioti and Yiannis Iakovidis for Mikra Anglia Productions in co-production with among others Black Orange and Ote TV.
Set on the island of Andros in the 1930s and 1940s, the film is based on the bestselling novel by Voulgaris’ wife, Ioanna Karistiani. It centres how the community copes while the men of the island spend long absences on ships around the world.
The €1.5m budget was entirely financed by Andros shipowner Spyros Polemis and is...
Pantelis Voulgaris’ Little England (Mikra Anglia) won best film while Yiorgos Tsemberopoulos’ The Enemy Within (O ehthros mou) won best director at the fifth edition of the awards on Monday evening.
Newcomer Elina Psikou was named best first time director for The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas (I aionia epistrofi tou Antoni Paraskeva).
Little England was produced by Katerina Helioti and Yiannis Iakovidis for Mikra Anglia Productions in co-production with among others Black Orange and Ote TV.
Set on the island of Andros in the 1930s and 1940s, the film is based on the bestselling novel by Voulgaris’ wife, Ioanna Karistiani. It centres how the community copes while the men of the island spend long absences on ships around the world.
The €1.5m budget was entirely financed by Andros shipowner Spyros Polemis and is...
- 4/16/2014
- by alexisgrivas@yahoo.com (Alexis Grivas)
- ScreenDaily
Linklater's third film about Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is one of the most truthful depictions of a relationship ever seen on film. Here, Xan Brooks talks to the trio
The premiere comes to Athens on Tuesday night, sandwiched between the storm clouds and the picket lines. Its future is uncertain, its schedule in flux. The government pulls the plug on state broadcaster Ert, which throws the press coverage into disarray. The forecast is for rain, necessitating a last-minute change of venue from outdoors to in. There are beggars on the street, protesters outside the parliament and a caterpillar of riot police closing in on Syntagma square. "Welcome to Greece," says film producer Amanda Livanou, overseeing the arrivals outside the theatre. "Greece is a mess."
Inside, sheltered from a downpour that never materialises, the guests watch Before Midnight, a new film from the American director Richard Linklater. Julie Delpy...
The premiere comes to Athens on Tuesday night, sandwiched between the storm clouds and the picket lines. Its future is uncertain, its schedule in flux. The government pulls the plug on state broadcaster Ert, which throws the press coverage into disarray. The forecast is for rain, necessitating a last-minute change of venue from outdoors to in. There are beggars on the street, protesters outside the parliament and a caterpillar of riot police closing in on Syntagma square. "Welcome to Greece," says film producer Amanda Livanou, overseeing the arrivals outside the theatre. "Greece is a mess."
Inside, sheltered from a downpour that never materialises, the guests watch Before Midnight, a new film from the American director Richard Linklater. Julie Delpy...
- 6/13/2013
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
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