The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has selected 44 projects for its 2024 spring grants cycle, including Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown, which has its world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes next Wednesday, May 22.
Fleifel’s fiction feature debut is a crime thriller about a Palestinian refugee living on the fringes of Athens society, who seeks revenge on the smuggler who ripped him off.
Scroll down for the full list of grants
Palestinian-Danish filmmaker Fleifel studied at the UK’s National Film and Television School, and previously made 2012 feature-length documentary A World Not Ours, which played at the Berlinale and Cph:dox.
Fleifel’s fiction feature debut is a crime thriller about a Palestinian refugee living on the fringes of Athens society, who seeks revenge on the smuggler who ripped him off.
Scroll down for the full list of grants
Palestinian-Danish filmmaker Fleifel studied at the UK’s National Film and Television School, and previously made 2012 feature-length documentary A World Not Ours, which played at the Berlinale and Cph:dox.
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
Erige Sehiri, Danielle Arbid and Francisco Márquez’s latest projects are among the 10 co-productions receiving €60,000 each through the Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf) of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
The projects, eight supported for co-production and two for post-production, are helmed by mostly first- or second-time filmmakers from Singapore, Turkey, Lebanon, Chile, Tunisia, Mexico and Argentina. The European co-producers, through which the projects are awarded, hail from the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, France and Spain.
Tunisian director Sehiri, whose debut Under The Fig Tree debuted in Directors’ Fortnight 2022, is supported for Marie & Jolie. The film centres around a pastor, a trafficker...
The projects, eight supported for co-production and two for post-production, are helmed by mostly first- or second-time filmmakers from Singapore, Turkey, Lebanon, Chile, Tunisia, Mexico and Argentina. The European co-producers, through which the projects are awarded, hail from the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, France and Spain.
Tunisian director Sehiri, whose debut Under The Fig Tree debuted in Directors’ Fortnight 2022, is supported for Marie & Jolie. The film centres around a pastor, a trafficker...
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Palestinian director Hana Elias’ “If These Stones Could Talk,” which follows a Palestinian man’s return to his homeland to restore his family’s ancestral garden, and Argentine filmmaker María Silvia Esteve’s “Mailin,” about a woman’s painful struggle to overcome her childhood trauma, took the top prizes at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival’s industry award ceremony Wednesday night.
During an emotionally charged conclusion to the festival’s Agora strand, in which several filmmakers voiced their strident support for Palestine and called for a ceasefire to the more than five-month-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, a tearful Elias took the stage alongside producer Asmahan Bkerat to receive the top prize in the Agora’s pitching forum, a €10,000 cash prize from the International Emerging Film Talents Assn. (Iefta).
“This film’s been happening for a long time, and there’s no hope right now. But we’re so grateful for this award,...
During an emotionally charged conclusion to the festival’s Agora strand, in which several filmmakers voiced their strident support for Palestine and called for a ceasefire to the more than five-month-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, a tearful Elias took the stage alongside producer Asmahan Bkerat to receive the top prize in the Agora’s pitching forum, a €10,000 cash prize from the International Emerging Film Talents Assn. (Iefta).
“This film’s been happening for a long time, and there’s no hope right now. But we’re so grateful for this award,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Taking place just weeks after the historic passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Greece, the 26th edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival — which runs March 7 – 17 — pays tribute to that watershed moment in the long-running fight for equal rights for the country’s LGBTQ community, while also issuing a rallying cry for diversity, inclusion and empowerment across the globe.
“Our festival aspires to map out a detailed and thorough overview of our world’s complexity, welcoming films from the four corners of the world, which outline the radical changes, the challenges and the problems of our times,” says festival general director Elise Jalladeau. The program spotlights “the urgent call for diversity, stories of women’s empowerment [and] the visibility not only of the Lgbtqi+ community, but of all marginalized and oppressed groups of people who have suffered discrimination due to their identity,” she adds.
Following on the historic victory for...
“Our festival aspires to map out a detailed and thorough overview of our world’s complexity, welcoming films from the four corners of the world, which outline the radical changes, the challenges and the problems of our times,” says festival general director Elise Jalladeau. The program spotlights “the urgent call for diversity, stories of women’s empowerment [and] the visibility not only of the Lgbtqi+ community, but of all marginalized and oppressed groups of people who have suffered discrimination due to their identity,” she adds.
Following on the historic victory for...
- 3/7/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Over the last seven years or so, the ever more capitalized Catalan industry, much based in capital Barcelona, has driven into domestic co-production with other parts of Spain. One result: an exciting new generation of young directors and producers, often women, which have scored a Berlin Golden Bear (Carla Simon’s “Alcarràs”) and best lead performance.
The Catalan film-tv industry is now, however, in the throes of a gathering industry makeover which is showing its first fruits. One driver, as so often in Europe, is public sector funding.
In 2019, total allocated Catalan government audiovisual funding stood at €12.6 million ($13.7 million). It rose to €40.8 million ($44.5 million) in 2022 and will rise again to an estimated €50 million ($54.5 million) in 2024, if the Catalan Parliament approves the budget, says Edgar Garcia, director of the governmental culture industry unit Icec.
In response to ramped-up funding, Catalonia industry has grown vibrantly. 130 execs and talent, representing 80 companies, attend 2024’s Berlin Film Market.
The Catalan film-tv industry is now, however, in the throes of a gathering industry makeover which is showing its first fruits. One driver, as so often in Europe, is public sector funding.
In 2019, total allocated Catalan government audiovisual funding stood at €12.6 million ($13.7 million). It rose to €40.8 million ($44.5 million) in 2022 and will rise again to an estimated €50 million ($54.5 million) in 2024, if the Catalan Parliament approves the budget, says Edgar Garcia, director of the governmental culture industry unit Icec.
In response to ramped-up funding, Catalonia industry has grown vibrantly. 130 execs and talent, representing 80 companies, attend 2024’s Berlin Film Market.
- 2/15/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival’s industry-focused Agora section has selected 12 projects from 11 countries for this year’s Thessaloniki Pitching Forum and 11 films from 16 countries for the Agora Docs in Progress sidebar. Scroll down for the full list of projects.
All selected projects are from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
The re-shaped Thessaloniki Pitching Forum is the festival’s co-financing and co-production forum for documentaries in development. Recent projects that have passed through the program include Boylesque, which premiered at Hot Docs 2022, Dead Sea Guardians, which premiered at Haifa Iff (2021) and was screened in Thessaloniki (2022), Karaoke Nation premiered at Cph: Dox (2022), A Steady Job premiered at Visions du Reel (2022), We Will Not Fade Away premiered at Berlinale 2023 and Mighty Afrin (Greece) premiered at Thessaloniki Idf 2023 and won the WWF Award.
This year, the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum has secured three new awards for its participants.
All selected projects are from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
The re-shaped Thessaloniki Pitching Forum is the festival’s co-financing and co-production forum for documentaries in development. Recent projects that have passed through the program include Boylesque, which premiered at Hot Docs 2022, Dead Sea Guardians, which premiered at Haifa Iff (2021) and was screened in Thessaloniki (2022), Karaoke Nation premiered at Cph: Dox (2022), A Steady Job premiered at Visions du Reel (2022), We Will Not Fade Away premiered at Berlinale 2023 and Mighty Afrin (Greece) premiered at Thessaloniki Idf 2023 and won the WWF Award.
This year, the Thessaloniki Pitching Forum has secured three new awards for its participants.
- 2/8/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Tunisian filmmaker Ala Eddine Slim attended this week’s Atlas Workshops at Marrakech Film Festival with the rough cut of his third feature film, “Agora.”
The film revolves around three missing people who return to a remote town in Tunisia, where the local police inspector, Fathi, tries to unravel the mystery with the help of her friend Amine. Then a second inspector arrives from the capital. The events of the film develop as if they were taking place in the dreams of two animals – a blue dog and a black crow.
Slim’s previous two films, with minimal dialogue and powerful atmospheric images, have garnered significant critical acclaim: “The Last of Us” (2016), which won the Lion of the Future Prize at Venice, and “Tlamess” (2019), which was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.
“Agora” is a French-Tunisian coproduction between Julie Viez’s Cinenovo and Slim’s Exit Productions. It has secured 80% of its €623,593 budget.
The film revolves around three missing people who return to a remote town in Tunisia, where the local police inspector, Fathi, tries to unravel the mystery with the help of her friend Amine. Then a second inspector arrives from the capital. The events of the film develop as if they were taking place in the dreams of two animals – a blue dog and a black crow.
Slim’s previous two films, with minimal dialogue and powerful atmospheric images, have garnered significant critical acclaim: “The Last of Us” (2016), which won the Lion of the Future Prize at Venice, and “Tlamess” (2019), which was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.
“Agora” is a French-Tunisian coproduction between Julie Viez’s Cinenovo and Slim’s Exit Productions. It has secured 80% of its €623,593 budget.
- 12/3/2023
- by Martin Dale
- 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
Tunisian Youssef Chebbi’s “Plague,” Moroccan Adnane Baraka’s “We Don’t Forget” and Meryam Joobeur’s “Motherhood” feature among buzz titles at this year’s Marrakech Festival Atlas Workshops, which will have Martin Scorsese as their official patron.
Consolidated as a key platform for Moroccan, Arab and African projects and pix in production made by a new generation of filmmakers and created by Marrakech Festival artistic director Remi Bonhomme, the Atlas Workshops unspool Nov. 27-30. They take place alongside the 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 24-Dec. 2.
In a definite potential highlight of the Atlas Workshops, Meryjam Joubeur, whose “Brotherhood” was Oscar nominated for best live action short, will present 10 minutes of “Motherhood,” one of the awaited feature debuts of 2023. It is sure to spark major festival interest.
“Plague” marks Chebbi’s second feature after acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight genre blender “Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation,...
Consolidated as a key platform for Moroccan, Arab and African projects and pix in production made by a new generation of filmmakers and created by Marrakech Festival artistic director Remi Bonhomme, the Atlas Workshops unspool Nov. 27-30. They take place alongside the 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 24-Dec. 2.
In a definite potential highlight of the Atlas Workshops, Meryjam Joubeur, whose “Brotherhood” was Oscar nominated for best live action short, will present 10 minutes of “Motherhood,” one of the awaited feature debuts of 2023. It is sure to spark major festival interest.
“Plague” marks Chebbi’s second feature after acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight genre blender “Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation,...
- 11/3/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Agora, the industry section of Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival, kicks into gear this weekend with an eye on expansion as industry head Angeliki Vergou and her team introduce a series of changes to the established event.
Agora Series, the fest’s hybrid film-series industry strand, returns for its sophomore outing, now running over an extended two days, starting November 4 with a focus on the creative process of series screenwriting. Paper Entertainment CEO and Tehran executive producer Julien Leroux will serve as program consultant. The two-day schedule features a range of masterclass sessions from local and international series professionals. Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Podeswa, best known for his work on shows like Game Of Thrones and The Handmaid’s Tale, will host a masterclass on the future of storytelling.
The festival will also launch Bridge to the North, a new collaborative strand aimed at fostering connections between professionals from the local region and Northern Europe.
Agora Series, the fest’s hybrid film-series industry strand, returns for its sophomore outing, now running over an extended two days, starting November 4 with a focus on the creative process of series screenwriting. Paper Entertainment CEO and Tehran executive producer Julien Leroux will serve as program consultant. The two-day schedule features a range of masterclass sessions from local and international series professionals. Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Podeswa, best known for his work on shows like Game Of Thrones and The Handmaid’s Tale, will host a masterclass on the future of storytelling.
The festival will also launch Bridge to the North, a new collaborative strand aimed at fostering connections between professionals from the local region and Northern Europe.
- 11/3/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Projects come from 11 different countries across the Arab world and African continent.
The Atlas Workshops, the industry platform of the Marrakech International Film Festival, has unveiled 25 projects for its sixth edition, which runs from November 27-30.
Atlas Workshops has lined up 16 projects in development and nine films in production or post-production from 11 countries across the Arab world and African continent.
The line-up includes projects from Tunisian directors Youssef Chebbi and Erige Sehiri. Chebbi’s feature Ashkal played in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes last year, as did Sehiri’s Under The Fig Trees.
Also coming to The Atlas Workshops is Somalia...
The Atlas Workshops, the industry platform of the Marrakech International Film Festival, has unveiled 25 projects for its sixth edition, which runs from November 27-30.
Atlas Workshops has lined up 16 projects in development and nine films in production or post-production from 11 countries across the Arab world and African continent.
The line-up includes projects from Tunisian directors Youssef Chebbi and Erige Sehiri. Chebbi’s feature Ashkal played in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes last year, as did Sehiri’s Under The Fig Trees.
Also coming to The Atlas Workshops is Somalia...
- 11/3/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
The Marrakech International Film Festival has unveiled the 25 projects selected for the sixth edition of its industry-focused Atlas Workshops, aimed at nurturing emerging Moroccan, Arab and African talent.
Running from November 27 to 30, the event will present 16 projects in development and nine films in production or post-production from 11 countries, selected from among the 320 applications received from the Arab world and African continent.
In a reflection of the growing diversity of the stories being told by Arab and African independent filmmakers, the selection spans a diverse range of film genres, from Lebanese director Sandra Tabet’s horror picture Rabies to Moroccan filmmaker Hind Bensari’s humanist documentary Out of School and Adnane Baraka’s poetic work We Don’t Forget.
Moroccan filmmaker Baraka made waves with his documentary Fragments from Heaven, about a nomad living in a tent in a remote part of Morocco who goes in search of meteorite fragments to boost the family fortunes.
Running from November 27 to 30, the event will present 16 projects in development and nine films in production or post-production from 11 countries, selected from among the 320 applications received from the Arab world and African continent.
In a reflection of the growing diversity of the stories being told by Arab and African independent filmmakers, the selection spans a diverse range of film genres, from Lebanese director Sandra Tabet’s horror picture Rabies to Moroccan filmmaker Hind Bensari’s humanist documentary Out of School and Adnane Baraka’s poetic work We Don’t Forget.
Moroccan filmmaker Baraka made waves with his documentary Fragments from Heaven, about a nomad living in a tent in a remote part of Morocco who goes in search of meteorite fragments to boost the family fortunes.
- 11/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
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
Submissions to the competition sections up 23% for this year’s festival.
Sudabeh Mortezai’s Europa is one of 10 feature world premieres set to screen in competition at the Sarajevo Film Festival next month (August 11-18).
Europa is the fifth feature from Austrian-Iranian filmmaker Mortezai, and follows an ambitious executive working at a mysterious corporation looking to expand into the Balkans. Mortezai’s previous feature Joy debuted at Venice in 2018; while her 2014 title Macondo premiered at the Berlinale.
Five of the 10 titles in the feature film competition are directed by women. Also having its world premiere in the feature film competition...
Sudabeh Mortezai’s Europa is one of 10 feature world premieres set to screen in competition at the Sarajevo Film Festival next month (August 11-18).
Europa is the fifth feature from Austrian-Iranian filmmaker Mortezai, and follows an ambitious executive working at a mysterious corporation looking to expand into the Balkans. Mortezai’s previous feature Joy debuted at Venice in 2018; while her 2014 title Macondo premiered at the Berlinale.
Five of the 10 titles in the feature film competition are directed by women. Also having its world premiere in the feature film competition...
- 7/20/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The lineup for the 2023 Rocklahoma festival has been announced, headlined by Godsmack, Pantera, Rob Zombie, and Limp Bizkit. The annual gathering of heavy music is set for Labor Day weekend (September 1st-3rd) at the Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma.
Other major acts on the bill include Bush, Chevelle, Corey Taylor, Daughtry, Theory of a Deadman, Ministry, Asking Alexandria, Code Orange, Gwar, P.O.D., Mammoth Wvh, Atreyu, Jinjer, Crobot, Buckcherry, Skid Row, Filter, and more. Radio personality Eddie Trunk will preside over the festivities as the weekend’s official host.
“We are excited to be coming back for our 17th year with our biggest lineup yet,” said Rocklahoma founder Dave Geincke in a press announcement. “Celebrating the end of summer over Labor Day with our Rocklahoma family is the highlight of our year and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Pryor, Ok to party with us!
Other major acts on the bill include Bush, Chevelle, Corey Taylor, Daughtry, Theory of a Deadman, Ministry, Asking Alexandria, Code Orange, Gwar, P.O.D., Mammoth Wvh, Atreyu, Jinjer, Crobot, Buckcherry, Skid Row, Filter, and more. Radio personality Eddie Trunk will preside over the festivities as the weekend’s official host.
“We are excited to be coming back for our 17th year with our biggest lineup yet,” said Rocklahoma founder Dave Geincke in a press announcement. “Celebrating the end of summer over Labor Day with our Rocklahoma family is the highlight of our year and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Pryor, Ok to party with us!
- 3/6/2023
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival has called off its opening ceremony on Thursday as the Greek government declared three days of national mourning following a train crash Tuesday night that claimed at least 36 lives.
In a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday evening, the festival said it had canceled its official curtain raiser, “as well as all festive events and concerts scheduled to be held within the framework of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, taking part in the three-day mourning declared following the unprecedented tragedy of the train collision in Tempi.
“In these hours of grief and pain, our thoughts are with the families of the victims, to whom we express our most sincere condolences,” the statement read.
Tuesday’s fatal accident, in which a passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a freight train in northern Greece, has sparked mass outpourings of grief across the nation of 11 million. It is believed...
In a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday evening, the festival said it had canceled its official curtain raiser, “as well as all festive events and concerts scheduled to be held within the framework of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, taking part in the three-day mourning declared following the unprecedented tragedy of the train collision in Tempi.
“In these hours of grief and pain, our thoughts are with the families of the victims, to whom we express our most sincere condolences,” the statement read.
Tuesday’s fatal accident, in which a passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a freight train in northern Greece, has sparked mass outpourings of grief across the nation of 11 million. It is believed...
- 3/1/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
As the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival reaches the quarter-century mark this year, the festival’s industry arm, Agora, will host a range of events and initiatives looking to bolster documentary production and distribution in both the host country and the wider region.
Headlining the industry program is the Agora’s co-production and co-financing forum, which takes place March 6 and will present 14 projects in development by documentary filmmakers from Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and the Black Sea region. Another highlight, Agora Docs in Progress, showcases 11 films nearing completion and ready to hit the festival circuit this year.
The success of those two programs is evident in the selection at this year’s festival: Fifteen documentaries that have been supported in previous editions of the Agora will celebrate world, international or European premieres in the competition sections or Open Horizons section, including Agora Docs in Progress alumni “Narrow Path to Happiness” (pictured), by Kata Oláh,...
Headlining the industry program is the Agora’s co-production and co-financing forum, which takes place March 6 and will present 14 projects in development by documentary filmmakers from Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and the Black Sea region. Another highlight, Agora Docs in Progress, showcases 11 films nearing completion and ready to hit the festival circuit this year.
The success of those two programs is evident in the selection at this year’s festival: Fifteen documentaries that have been supported in previous editions of the Agora will celebrate world, international or European premieres in the competition sections or Open Horizons section, including Agora Docs in Progress alumni “Narrow Path to Happiness” (pictured), by Kata Oláh,...
- 2/28/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
In a bid to adapt to the ever-changing content market, Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s industry component, Agora, is unveiling a slew of new initiatives as it gears up for its 63rd edition.
This year, it’s launching its newly-established Agora Series section, where it will dedicate an entire day (November 10) to shining a spotlight on the TV sector. Representatives from Greek broadcasters and international execs from places such as Netflix Italy, Sky Studios and Germany’s Nadcon Production, will touch down for the event, which will also feature networking events, discussion panels and a masterclass from Big Mouth and Glow scriptwriter and producer Victor Quinaz.
“We wanted to introduce this to the Agora line-up to reflect what is happening right now in Greece and how we’re working with TV series,” says Angeliki Vergou, head of Agora. “There has been a boom of production in Greece right now from abroad and that,...
This year, it’s launching its newly-established Agora Series section, where it will dedicate an entire day (November 10) to shining a spotlight on the TV sector. Representatives from Greek broadcasters and international execs from places such as Netflix Italy, Sky Studios and Germany’s Nadcon Production, will touch down for the event, which will also feature networking events, discussion panels and a masterclass from Big Mouth and Glow scriptwriter and producer Victor Quinaz.
“We wanted to introduce this to the Agora line-up to reflect what is happening right now in Greece and how we’re working with TV series,” says Angeliki Vergou, head of Agora. “There has been a boom of production in Greece right now from abroad and that,...
- 10/27/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
“Alex Honnold: The Soloist” and “Glimpse” were awarded at Cannes Xr x VeeR Future Awards on May 22, named best VR story and best VR interactive experience respectively. The winners were announced by jurors Zhang Ziyi and Bad Robot’s Hannah Minghella, who judged 18 shortlisted VR works alongside Michel Reilhac, Vicki Dobbs Beck, Kari Skogland and Doug Chiang.
The event, marking the third year of the partnership, took place online on a shared metaverse called “Alexandria,” created by Cannes Xr and NewImages Festival.
Directed by Jonathan Griffith, two-part series “Alex Honnold: The Soloist” follows the famous rock climber and the star of “Free Solo,” using the latest VR panoramic shooting technology.
“That’s how I fell in love with VR straight away: it’s the best way to bring people into our alien world of climbing,” Griffith tells Variety about “the absolute passion project” of his career.
Also behind “Everest VR:...
The event, marking the third year of the partnership, took place online on a shared metaverse called “Alexandria,” created by Cannes Xr and NewImages Festival.
Directed by Jonathan Griffith, two-part series “Alex Honnold: The Soloist” follows the famous rock climber and the star of “Free Solo,” using the latest VR panoramic shooting technology.
“That’s how I fell in love with VR straight away: it’s the best way to bring people into our alien world of climbing,” Griffith tells Variety about “the absolute passion project” of his career.
Also behind “Everest VR:...
- 5/24/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Munich-based Beta Film has closed a raft of major deals over Europe and beyond on Spanish TV dramas “You Shall Not Lie” and “La Fortuna,” two of the most successful recent originals produced by Movistar Plus, Spain’s biggest pay-tv/SVOD operator.
Both series have been sold to Italy’s Rai and to HBO for its platform HBO Max for Eastern Europe, Benelux, the Nordics, Netherlands, and Portugal, among other territories.
A six-part thriller by Pau Freixas, co-creator of “The Red Band Society,” “You Shall Not Lie” was sold to Rtl Deutschland for Germany, where it will premiere on its streaming platform Rtl Plus this spring.
In France, the drama has been picked up by M6 with an exclusive window for its SVOD service Salto. Furthermore, Antenna TV secured rights for Greece and Cyprus, as well as Blue TV for Turkey.
Produced by Movistar Plus in collaboration with Filmax, “You Shall Not Lie...
Both series have been sold to Italy’s Rai and to HBO for its platform HBO Max for Eastern Europe, Benelux, the Nordics, Netherlands, and Portugal, among other territories.
A six-part thriller by Pau Freixas, co-creator of “The Red Band Society,” “You Shall Not Lie” was sold to Rtl Deutschland for Germany, where it will premiere on its streaming platform Rtl Plus this spring.
In France, the drama has been picked up by M6 with an exclusive window for its SVOD service Salto. Furthermore, Antenna TV secured rights for Greece and Cyprus, as well as Blue TV for Turkey.
Produced by Movistar Plus in collaboration with Filmax, “You Shall Not Lie...
- 4/5/2022
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Rebranding
Germany’s Leonine Studios has rebranded its television subsidiary Odeon Entertainment as Madame Zheng Production to reflect its primary focus of “equality and diversity in every aspect of the production business, both in front of and behind the camera.” Tina Wagner, previously producer and executive producer at RedSeven Entertainment, and Nina Etspüler, co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, are joining the management team and will lead the company under Wagner’s direction along with Martin Schneider, Odeon Entertainment’s long-standing managing director.
Fred Kogel, CEO and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, said: “Ever since Nina Etspüler joined Leonine in Jan. 2021, we have jointly pursued the goal of establishing a production brand that advocates for equality and diversity in front of and behind the camera, in order to firmly anchor these themes, which are essential for Leonine Studios, in the production market. The entertainment sector in Germany, in particular,...
Germany’s Leonine Studios has rebranded its television subsidiary Odeon Entertainment as Madame Zheng Production to reflect its primary focus of “equality and diversity in every aspect of the production business, both in front of and behind the camera.” Tina Wagner, previously producer and executive producer at RedSeven Entertainment, and Nina Etspüler, co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, are joining the management team and will lead the company under Wagner’s direction along with Martin Schneider, Odeon Entertainment’s long-standing managing director.
Fred Kogel, CEO and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, said: “Ever since Nina Etspüler joined Leonine in Jan. 2021, we have jointly pursued the goal of establishing a production brand that advocates for equality and diversity in front of and behind the camera, in order to firmly anchor these themes, which are essential for Leonine Studios, in the production market. The entertainment sector in Germany, in particular,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Alexandria is a distant memory on The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 10, airing Sunday, February 27 on AMC.
The characters have spent years fighting zombies and battling to survive in the harshest conditions, but all of that changes thanks to the Commonwealth.
The storyline started with Eugene (Josh McDermitt) speaking to Stephanie on the radio. It was a risky endeavor, and McDermitt believes it was a big risk for Eugene to divulge the location to Lance (Josh Hamilton).
"I think that's something he didn't want to do," McDermitt shared with TV Fanatic earlier this month.
"But he found himself in a position where he definitely had to do that, but he's also trusting enough of the people he's now living with."
McDermitt believes Eugene thinks this new living situation will work out, and he thinks fans will see a more comfortable Eugene, who is "settling in" to life at this new location.
The characters have spent years fighting zombies and battling to survive in the harshest conditions, but all of that changes thanks to the Commonwealth.
The storyline started with Eugene (Josh McDermitt) speaking to Stephanie on the radio. It was a risky endeavor, and McDermitt believes it was a big risk for Eugene to divulge the location to Lance (Josh Hamilton).
"I think that's something he didn't want to do," McDermitt shared with TV Fanatic earlier this month.
"But he found himself in a position where he definitely had to do that, but he's also trusting enough of the people he's now living with."
McDermitt believes Eugene thinks this new living situation will work out, and he thinks fans will see a more comfortable Eugene, who is "settling in" to life at this new location.
- 2/26/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The Olympics are Over, and that means all of your favorite shows return.
Can we get a huzzah?!?
We’re going to be very busy keeping the conversations alive, so please find out what you should be watching this week.
Sunday, February 20
8/7c Power Book IV Force (Starz)
Now that Tommy has decided to make Chicago his home, the number one thing on his mind is making money.
And he knows that to make money in Chicago, there are two drug gangs he has to court. But will Tommy be able to get two heavyweights to the table to talk?
This is another strong installment for the new series, so make sure you watch it live!
8/7c Abraham Lincoln (History) Three Night Event
From Lincoln’s impoverished childhood to his days as a young prairie lawyer and budding politician, through his unlikely election to the presidency and his assassination only...
Can we get a huzzah?!?
We’re going to be very busy keeping the conversations alive, so please find out what you should be watching this week.
Sunday, February 20
8/7c Power Book IV Force (Starz)
Now that Tommy has decided to make Chicago his home, the number one thing on his mind is making money.
And he knows that to make money in Chicago, there are two drug gangs he has to court. But will Tommy be able to get two heavyweights to the table to talk?
This is another strong installment for the new series, so make sure you watch it live!
8/7c Abraham Lincoln (History) Three Night Event
From Lincoln’s impoverished childhood to his days as a young prairie lawyer and budding politician, through his unlikely election to the presidency and his assassination only...
- 2/19/2022
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11 Part 1
Befitting any scripted drama that’s lasted 11 years filming in hot Georgia summers, The Walking Dead’s final season is a grand affair.
AMC handed its flagship zombie drama a 24-episode order for its 11th and final season back in 2020. The only catch is that those 24 episodes will come in three 8-episode installments. That’s led to a somewhat difficult situation for the show’s marketing department, which now has to hype up the end of The Walking Dead no fewer than three times…and that’s not even counting the spinoffs.
The second batch of The Walking Dead’s final 24 episodes is set to begin soon. The Walking Dead season 11 episode 9 will premiere Sunday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. Et on AMC. That episode, and all future episodes, will be available to stream one week prior on AMC+. Given that...
Befitting any scripted drama that’s lasted 11 years filming in hot Georgia summers, The Walking Dead’s final season is a grand affair.
AMC handed its flagship zombie drama a 24-episode order for its 11th and final season back in 2020. The only catch is that those 24 episodes will come in three 8-episode installments. That’s led to a somewhat difficult situation for the show’s marketing department, which now has to hype up the end of The Walking Dead no fewer than three times…and that’s not even counting the spinoffs.
The second batch of The Walking Dead’s final 24 episodes is set to begin soon. The Walking Dead season 11 episode 9 will premiere Sunday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. Et on AMC. That episode, and all future episodes, will be available to stream one week prior on AMC+. Given that...
- 2/13/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Starring “The Lovely Bones’” Stanley Tucci and “Da 5 Bloods’” Clarke Peters and produced by Movistar Plus in association with AMC Studios, “La Fortuna” is set to roll out in half the major distribution territories in the world.
First up is Germany, where Sky will air the TV debut of “The Others” director Alejandro Amenábar from Dec. 24.
A U.S. release date, on AMC Networks premium service AMC Plus, has been set for Jan. 20.
Before then, AMC Plus will begin airing the series in Latin America (Jan. 16) and in the U.K. (Jan. 17). Sbs will air the series in Australia in 2022. Movistar Plus began airing the series in Spain in September. Germany’s Beta Film, a strategic partner of Movistar Plus, is handling international sales.
The only drama series selected for September’s San Sebastian Festival where it received its world premiere, “La Fortuna” weighs in as a modern-day adventure tale.
First up is Germany, where Sky will air the TV debut of “The Others” director Alejandro Amenábar from Dec. 24.
A U.S. release date, on AMC Networks premium service AMC Plus, has been set for Jan. 20.
Before then, AMC Plus will begin airing the series in Latin America (Jan. 16) and in the U.K. (Jan. 17). Sbs will air the series in Australia in 2022. Movistar Plus began airing the series in Spain in September. Germany’s Beta Film, a strategic partner of Movistar Plus, is handling international sales.
The only drama series selected for September’s San Sebastian Festival where it received its world premiere, “La Fortuna” weighs in as a modern-day adventure tale.
- 12/22/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming platforms are increasingly gaining traction across the Middle East, prompting Arab TV production companies to start transitioning from churning out strictly local shows — many of which launched during Ramadan — to making bolder skeins, some with ambitions for international play.
After a slow start, the subscription video-on-demand market in the 13 leading Arabic territories is expected to rise from 8.61 million paying SVOD customers by the end of this year to 15 million by 2026, according to a recent study by London-based Digital TV Research.
Over the next five years, the study predicts that current market leader Netflix will increase subs from 3.4 million to 5.4 million, beating Amazon, which is still a small player in the region, and also beating fast-growing local platforms Shahid VIP, Starz Play Arabia and Osn, whose numbers are currently boosted by its content deal with Disney. Meanwhile, Disney Plus has announced that it will launch in the Middle East next summer,...
After a slow start, the subscription video-on-demand market in the 13 leading Arabic territories is expected to rise from 8.61 million paying SVOD customers by the end of this year to 15 million by 2026, according to a recent study by London-based Digital TV Research.
Over the next five years, the study predicts that current market leader Netflix will increase subs from 3.4 million to 5.4 million, beating Amazon, which is still a small player in the region, and also beating fast-growing local platforms Shahid VIP, Starz Play Arabia and Osn, whose numbers are currently boosted by its content deal with Disney. Meanwhile, Disney Plus has announced that it will launch in the Middle East next summer,...
- 10/10/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Few high-end series say as much about their producers’ ambitions as Movistar Plus’ “La Fortuna,” starring Stanley Tucci and Clarke Peters, one of nine market screenings at this year’s Mipcom trade fair.
“La Fortuna” weighs in as the single biggest U.S.-Spain co-production in history, teaming Spain’s Movistar Plus, the pay TV-svod unit of giant European telecom Telefonica, and AMC Studios.
It has the Spanish media company’s biggest stars to date. Tucci, a 2021 Emmy winner for “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” plays Frank Wild, owner of Atlantis Underwater Searching, the world’s biggest American deep-sea discovery company. Peters (“The Wire”) takes on the role of Jonas Pierce, the world’s best maritime rights lawyer.
The AMC deal delivers, moreover, the most far-reaching distribution deal for any Movistar series to date with AMC Plus releasing the series in the U.S. and Canada this winter and Latin...
“La Fortuna” weighs in as the single biggest U.S.-Spain co-production in history, teaming Spain’s Movistar Plus, the pay TV-svod unit of giant European telecom Telefonica, and AMC Studios.
It has the Spanish media company’s biggest stars to date. Tucci, a 2021 Emmy winner for “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” plays Frank Wild, owner of Atlantis Underwater Searching, the world’s biggest American deep-sea discovery company. Peters (“The Wire”) takes on the role of Jonas Pierce, the world’s best maritime rights lawyer.
The AMC deal delivers, moreover, the most far-reaching distribution deal for any Movistar series to date with AMC Plus releasing the series in the U.S. and Canada this winter and Latin...
- 10/8/2021
- by John Hopewell and Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
[Warning: The following contains Major spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 5, “Out of the Ashes.”] Ross Marquand has given us a new nickname for Aaron: “The Hardass with a Heart of Gold.” In “Out of the Ashes,” Alexandria’s ever-diplomatic, kindhearted-to-a-fault leader leaned hard into the first half of that title. Desperate to keep Alexandria going and enraged by the realization that the Whisperers were still out there and could still be a threat, he tortured one of the former baddies for information—and he even let a walker bite the guy. Season 5 Aaron would never! We chatted with Marquand about what it was like to explore his character’s dark side, why Aaron’s so determined to remain in Alexandria and, just for fun, where he thinks Aaron would fit in the Commonwealth. Josh Stringer/AMC Last time we talked about Aaron, you said you thought he was coming to realize that you can “be a nice person,...
- 9/20/2021
- TV Insider
The fifth edition of project incubator event will showcase 20 projects in development and post-production.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (October 14-22) has unveiled the selection of 20 projects in development and post-production from Arab filmmakers to be showcased at the fifth annual CineGouna Platform.
The platform will run from October 16-21.
The 13 projects in development include Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s second feature A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers, about a woman whose plans to deal with an unwanted pregnancy are derailed by other life events.
Djama’s debut film The Blessed made its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (October 14-22) has unveiled the selection of 20 projects in development and post-production from Arab filmmakers to be showcased at the fifth annual CineGouna Platform.
The platform will run from October 16-21.
The 13 projects in development include Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s second feature A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers, about a woman whose plans to deal with an unwanted pregnancy are derailed by other life events.
Djama’s debut film The Blessed made its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons...
- 9/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Few big European telecoms have driven into original high-end drama series production at the scale of Movistar Plus.
When it world-premiered at the San Sebastian festival in 2017, “The Plague,” a re-creation of 1580 Seville in its dazzling glory and poverty, was most probably the biggest-budget Spanish series ever made.
Yet, even by such measures, Alejandro Amenábar’s “La Fortuna,” which world-premieres at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival, sets a new bar for Movistar Plus’ ambitions.
The six-part series also says much about how Movistar Plus, the pay TV-svod unit of giant European telecom Telefonica, is setting out to consolidate audiences in Spain and secure even more of a global viewership.
“La Fortuna” weighs in as the single biggest single U.S.-Spain co-production in history, teaming AMC Studios, Movistar Plus and Spain’s Mod Producciones. It has the Spanish media company’s biggest stars to date: Stanley Tucci, who plays Frank Wild,...
When it world-premiered at the San Sebastian festival in 2017, “The Plague,” a re-creation of 1580 Seville in its dazzling glory and poverty, was most probably the biggest-budget Spanish series ever made.
Yet, even by such measures, Alejandro Amenábar’s “La Fortuna,” which world-premieres at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival, sets a new bar for Movistar Plus’ ambitions.
The six-part series also says much about how Movistar Plus, the pay TV-svod unit of giant European telecom Telefonica, is setting out to consolidate audiences in Spain and secure even more of a global viewership.
“La Fortuna” weighs in as the single biggest single U.S.-Spain co-production in history, teaming AMC Studios, Movistar Plus and Spain’s Mod Producciones. It has the Spanish media company’s biggest stars to date: Stanley Tucci, who plays Frank Wild,...
- 9/13/2021
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
This is not the Maggie we know.
The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 2 gave us a deep dive into her psyche as she made some tough decisions and recounted some of the most harrowing parts of her life since leaving the group.
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know Maggie had suffered great loss during her tenure on the series, but hearing what happened when she was away from the group, well, it's a surprise she has any humanity left.
Leaving Gage in the subway cart was a tough decision, but it perfectly reiterated the fact that Maggie has changed considerably.
The wider issue with the decision is that it didn't feel like Maggie had entertained any other thoughts about saving the youngster from the walkers. It felt more like she decided without thinking it through.
But who can blame her? The decision might have saved everyone else. Yes,...
The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 2 gave us a deep dive into her psyche as she made some tough decisions and recounted some of the most harrowing parts of her life since leaving the group.
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know Maggie had suffered great loss during her tenure on the series, but hearing what happened when she was away from the group, well, it's a surprise she has any humanity left.
Leaving Gage in the subway cart was a tough decision, but it perfectly reiterated the fact that Maggie has changed considerably.
The wider issue with the decision is that it didn't feel like Maggie had entertained any other thoughts about saving the youngster from the walkers. It felt more like she decided without thinking it through.
But who can blame her? The decision might have saved everyone else. Yes,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
We are just days away from the linear premiere of The Walking Dead Season 11, and one of the big questions have centered on whether Negan and Maggie would be able to work together.
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know Negan did some terrible things, including murdering the love of Maggie's life, Glenn, on The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1.
Upon Maggie's return at the end of The Walking Dead Season 10, it was clear the drama was well and truly brewing for them.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has opened up to TV Line about where things could go in the final season.
"In his head, had made some progress with this group," the actor shared with the outlet.
"[By the time Season 11 starts, already] he's saved just about everybody at one time or another and put his life on the line to kill Alpha. He'd done some good things."
"Then suddenly, Maggie's back, and he's back...
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know Negan did some terrible things, including murdering the love of Maggie's life, Glenn, on The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1.
Upon Maggie's return at the end of The Walking Dead Season 10, it was clear the drama was well and truly brewing for them.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has opened up to TV Line about where things could go in the final season.
"In his head, had made some progress with this group," the actor shared with the outlet.
"[By the time Season 11 starts, already] he's saved just about everybody at one time or another and put his life on the line to kill Alpha. He'd done some good things."
"Then suddenly, Maggie's back, and he's back...
- 8/16/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The Walking Dead may have concluded the series-regular run of Danai Gurira’s Michonne over a year ago, but her presence on the AMC television show remains. That’s because the latest teaser for the show’s eleventh and final season seemingly confirms the upcoming presence of a character from the comic book source material who’s crucial to the sword-swinging survivor: her long-lost daughter. So, how will that work with Michonne no longer on the series?
Elodie Hawthorne, a comic book character who is the apocalypse-estranged daughter of the TV show-departed Michonne Hawthorne, is coming to The Walking Dead Season 11. While no casting has been revealed, the character’s presence is implied in the new teaser’s blink-and-you-miss-it flash of a storefront window from the character’s comic-inspired bakery, which indicatively brandishes the business’s name of “Elodie’s Treats.” The logo was just one of many things showcased...
Elodie Hawthorne, a comic book character who is the apocalypse-estranged daughter of the TV show-departed Michonne Hawthorne, is coming to The Walking Dead Season 11. While no casting has been revealed, the character’s presence is implied in the new teaser’s blink-and-you-miss-it flash of a storefront window from the character’s comic-inspired bakery, which indicatively brandishes the business’s name of “Elodie’s Treats.” The logo was just one of many things showcased...
- 7/8/2021
- by Joseph Baxter
- Den of Geek
One year after the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival was among the world’s first industry events to pivot to an online edition because of the coronavirus pandemic, planning for the 2021 follow-up “has been feverish, to say the least,” says festival director Orestis Andreadakis.
But with open-air cinemas across Greece reopening this spring, and life in this sun-splashed Mediterranean nation—as it is elsewhere in Europe and some parts of the world—beginning to return to something like normal, the timing couldn’t have been better to raise the curtain on the festival’s 23rd edition.
“It was a painstaking task worthy of every effort as a physical festival, a festival with actual audience watching films in actual cinemas on a large screen, was sorely missed,” Andreadakis tells Variety. “We missed seeing films the way they are supposed to be seen, and most of all we missed sharing the screen with our friends,...
But with open-air cinemas across Greece reopening this spring, and life in this sun-splashed Mediterranean nation—as it is elsewhere in Europe and some parts of the world—beginning to return to something like normal, the timing couldn’t have been better to raise the curtain on the festival’s 23rd edition.
“It was a painstaking task worthy of every effort as a physical festival, a festival with actual audience watching films in actual cinemas on a large screen, was sorely missed,” Andreadakis tells Variety. “We missed seeing films the way they are supposed to be seen, and most of all we missed sharing the screen with our friends,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The main prize goes to Science Fiction from Argentina, Chinese entry Yoga Village gets two awards; awarded European projects hail from Georgia, France and Serbia. Visions du Réel’s pitching competition took place online last week, and the awards were given out Tuesday night in three sections: VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress, and Opening Scenes, which is dedicated to completed student films taking part in the festival's programme. In the VdR-Pitching section, only two European projects grabbed prizes: But Dear Lord Why? by Georgian filmmaker Rati Tsiteladze bagged the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Award, consisting of an accreditation and accommodation at Tdf and access to its industry programme Agora for one person, while Senegalese director Rama Thiaw received the Chf 10,000 visions sud est Award for The Vanishing, a co-production with France. Ezeguiel Yanco's Science Fiction (Argentina) got the Chf 5,000 VdR-Pitching Award, while The Party Film Sales Award, consisting of acquisition of...
This Walking Dead article contains spoilers.
The Walking Dead season 10 is the show’s longest season to date, with 22 episodes, but the 11th and final season will take the cake. Kicking off later this year, season 11 will run for 24 episodes through 2022, concluding this chapter of The Walking Dead franchise. While we know there is more story to tell beyond the flagship series, with Daryl and Carol getting their own spin-off and a Rick Grimes movie still on the way, season 11 will mostly likely close the door on a few other storylines. It wouldn’t be surprising, for example, if the series finale was the last time we saw Alexandria.
But there are plenty of stories to tell before then and a few things left unsolved. Who are the mysterious soldiers who’ve captured Eugene and friends and where do they come from? What do the Reapers want with Alexandria? Will Maggie kill Negan?...
The Walking Dead season 10 is the show’s longest season to date, with 22 episodes, but the 11th and final season will take the cake. Kicking off later this year, season 11 will run for 24 episodes through 2022, concluding this chapter of The Walking Dead franchise. While we know there is more story to tell beyond the flagship series, with Daryl and Carol getting their own spin-off and a Rick Grimes movie still on the way, season 11 will mostly likely close the door on a few other storylines. It wouldn’t be surprising, for example, if the series finale was the last time we saw Alexandria.
But there are plenty of stories to tell before then and a few things left unsolved. Who are the mysterious soldiers who’ve captured Eugene and friends and where do they come from? What do the Reapers want with Alexandria? Will Maggie kill Negan?...
- 4/5/2021
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Shamir has finally released a cover of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” after teasing the drop earlier this month.
True to his description, the cover has a “haunted emo shoegaze” feel, elevating Eilish’s lines to new heights across a thunderous drum-machine and spooky guitar.
Shamir kicked off this year by releasing a video for “Diet” from his self-titled album — a song he admitted he hadn’t planned on releasing a video for.
“It wasn’t a single, nor was it planned to be one, but it’s a song...
True to his description, the cover has a “haunted emo shoegaze” feel, elevating Eilish’s lines to new heights across a thunderous drum-machine and spooky guitar.
Shamir kicked off this year by releasing a video for “Diet” from his self-titled album — a song he admitted he hadn’t planned on releasing a video for.
“It wasn’t a single, nor was it planned to be one, but it’s a song...
- 2/23/2021
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
From a twisty cabin-in-the-woods to a brutal Basque fairytale and a musical combining flamenco and vampires, Ventana Sur’s “Window Within the Blood Window” has unveiled a broad church of genre projects from Spain.
Designed to flag up five of the top Spanish projects in development, the new Bloody Cinema session was curated by the Icaa’s marketing director Tito Rodriguez, Sitges festival general manager Mónica Garcia Massagué and Javier Fernandez, head of Ventana Sur’s Blood Window program.
Rapidly gaining buzz is Daniel Hernadez Torrado’s “Virtual: The Hologames,” a 90-minute post-apocalyptic tale set in a world dominated by technology, in which a gamer is forced to take part in a dangerous virtual tournament.
So far this year the project has received a special mention at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and was submitted for Blood Window’s international section on the recommendation of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.
Designed to flag up five of the top Spanish projects in development, the new Bloody Cinema session was curated by the Icaa’s marketing director Tito Rodriguez, Sitges festival general manager Mónica Garcia Massagué and Javier Fernandez, head of Ventana Sur’s Blood Window program.
Rapidly gaining buzz is Daniel Hernadez Torrado’s “Virtual: The Hologames,” a 90-minute post-apocalyptic tale set in a world dominated by technology, in which a gamer is forced to take part in a dangerous virtual tournament.
So far this year the project has received a special mention at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and was submitted for Blood Window’s international section on the recommendation of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.
- 12/2/2020
- by Ann-Marie Corvin
- Variety Film + TV
Launched in 1998 to promote Spanish cinema, the Malaga Festival once promised a fantastic shot of Spring sunshine, a competition whose winners were maybe unlucky not to get to Cannes, an annual state of the business pronouncement from Spain’s producer association Fapae, and screaming fans around the red carpet, proving Spain had a new, TV-based star system.
That in itself was an achievement. Under Juan Antonio Vigar, Malaga Festival director from 2013, the event, however, has built, broadened and added large industry heft, as the importance of Spanish language fiction has skyrocketed in a streaming platform age, to become a not-to-be-ignored event on the international circuit.
Evidence suggests the Malaga Festival is not done yet but will add new initiatives and allies as Spain thrashes out new distribution models in a post-platform investment quota digital age, whose parameters are only now being set.
One key to growth, says Vigar, was opening...
That in itself was an achievement. Under Juan Antonio Vigar, Malaga Festival director from 2013, the event, however, has built, broadened and added large industry heft, as the importance of Spanish language fiction has skyrocketed in a streaming platform age, to become a not-to-be-ignored event on the international circuit.
Evidence suggests the Malaga Festival is not done yet but will add new initiatives and allies as Spain thrashes out new distribution models in a post-platform investment quota digital age, whose parameters are only now being set.
One key to growth, says Vigar, was opening...
- 11/17/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Giorgos Valsamis could not have predicted where his career path would lead almost a decade ago, when, as a student of fine arts and accounting, he bought a camera to photograph the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, where he was on a study-abroad program. “It never crossed my mind that I could be a cinematographer,” Valsamis told Variety. “Until 2013, I didn’t know what a director of photography actually was.”
Seven years and two Palmes d’Or later, Valsamis is a fast-rising talent, and one of eight Greek cinematographers being feted this week as part of the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Meet the Future program, which launched last year to give a boost to emerging film professionals from across Europe.
For its first edition, Meet the Future showcased 15 promising young Greek directors who were developing their first feature films. This year, the program trained its lens on up-and-coming local cinematographers. “The...
Seven years and two Palmes d’Or later, Valsamis is a fast-rising talent, and one of eight Greek cinematographers being feted this week as part of the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Meet the Future program, which launched last year to give a boost to emerging film professionals from across Europe.
For its first edition, Meet the Future showcased 15 promising young Greek directors who were developing their first feature films. This year, the program trained its lens on up-and-coming local cinematographers. “The...
- 11/9/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
With their Athens offices shuttered by the pandemic in the weeks leading up to this year’s Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival, industry head Yianna Sarri and her brain trust began holding weekly meetings at cafés in the Greek capital, social-distancing and trying to make the most of an increasingly fluid and unpredictable situation.
Despite the uncertainty about whether or not the festival would move forward with a physical edition—a plan that was ultimately scrapped just days before the opening night on Nov. 5—Sarri and her team knew that Agora, the festival’s industry arm, would be an online affair. “We took this decision from the beginning,” she told Variety.
The group might have felt an uncanny sense of déjà vu: this spring, TIFF’s sister event, the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, was among the first international film fests to go virtual, live-streaming the pitching forum of its annual Agora Doc...
Despite the uncertainty about whether or not the festival would move forward with a physical edition—a plan that was ultimately scrapped just days before the opening night on Nov. 5—Sarri and her team knew that Agora, the festival’s industry arm, would be an online affair. “We took this decision from the beginning,” she told Variety.
The group might have felt an uncanny sense of déjà vu: this spring, TIFF’s sister event, the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, was among the first international film fests to go virtual, live-streaming the pitching forum of its annual Agora Doc...
- 11/4/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Survios Inc. and AMC have partnered for a new VR game, The Walking Dead Onslaught, and it's now available on multiple VR platforms! Here's a look at the brand new launch trailer:
Culver City, Calif — September 29, 2020 — Survios Inc., the industry-leading virtual reality studio known for the critically acclaimed hits Creed: Rise to Glory and Westworld Awakening, and AMC announced today the worldwide digital release of The Walking Dead Onslaught on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and Steam VR. The all new immersive VR action shooter releases just days before the highly-anticipated The Walking Dead Special Event: The Whisperer War Final Showdown on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 9/8c on AMC.
Starting today, players can purchase and download the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition of The Walking Dead Onslaught via the PlayStation Store, Oculus Home, and Steam. The game will be compatible with the Valve Index, Htc Vive, Oculus Rift and Rift S,...
Culver City, Calif — September 29, 2020 — Survios Inc., the industry-leading virtual reality studio known for the critically acclaimed hits Creed: Rise to Glory and Westworld Awakening, and AMC announced today the worldwide digital release of The Walking Dead Onslaught on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and Steam VR. The all new immersive VR action shooter releases just days before the highly-anticipated The Walking Dead Special Event: The Whisperer War Final Showdown on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 9/8c on AMC.
Starting today, players can purchase and download the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition of The Walking Dead Onslaught via the PlayStation Store, Oculus Home, and Steam. The game will be compatible with the Valve Index, Htc Vive, Oculus Rift and Rift S,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Egyptian drama follows two teenage sisters who escape conversative reality via the social networks.
Brussels-based Best Friend Forever has acquired world sales rights to Ayten Amin’s second feature Souad, a Cannes 2020 selection.
The Alexandria-set drama revolves follows two teenage sisters growing up within a conservative family, the older of whom escapes into a secret life via the virtual world of social networks. When real-life catches up with her, tragedy strikes and her younger sister embarks on a journey looking for answers.
The cast features non-professional newcomers Bassant Ahmed, Basmala El Ghaiesh and Hussein Ghanem.
Amin’s debut feature...
Brussels-based Best Friend Forever has acquired world sales rights to Ayten Amin’s second feature Souad, a Cannes 2020 selection.
The Alexandria-set drama revolves follows two teenage sisters growing up within a conservative family, the older of whom escapes into a secret life via the virtual world of social networks. When real-life catches up with her, tragedy strikes and her younger sister embarks on a journey looking for answers.
The cast features non-professional newcomers Bassant Ahmed, Basmala El Ghaiesh and Hussein Ghanem.
Amin’s debut feature...
- 9/9/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Could your weekend playlist use a little more seasoning? Rolling Stone Latin selects some of the best new music releases from Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Keep track of the latest in Latin via our playlist on Spotify.
Natti Natasha, Danna Paola, Ally Brooke and Greeicy’s Selena Tribute at the 2020 Premios Juventud
This year’s Premios Juventud, a.k.a. Univision’s annual Youth Awards, was nothing short of a nail-biter. Planned and executed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards show became the first of its kind — namely for...
Natti Natasha, Danna Paola, Ally Brooke and Greeicy’s Selena Tribute at the 2020 Premios Juventud
This year’s Premios Juventud, a.k.a. Univision’s annual Youth Awards, was nothing short of a nail-biter. Planned and executed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards show became the first of its kind — namely for...
- 8/14/2020
- by Suzy Exposito
- Rollingstone.com
For the first time since the show debuted in 2010, The Walking Dead will miss its usual October premiere date. Delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have forced AMC to push back the premiere of The Walking Dead season 11 to 2021.
In the new season’s place, AMC will instead air the season 10 finale, the episode titled “A Certain Doom,” on Oct. 4, followed by six “extra” season 10 episodes in early 2021. At the moment, it’s unclear what exactly those six new episodes will be about, although the fact that they’re a continuation of the season suggests that these will be formed out of unused footage from the season 10 shoot. AMC hasn’t gone into detail about these episodes yet, though.
Fortunately, the network is already on the move when it comes to season 11, which now has a production start date. AMC CEO Josh Sapan confirmed during an earnings call (via THR...
In the new season’s place, AMC will instead air the season 10 finale, the episode titled “A Certain Doom,” on Oct. 4, followed by six “extra” season 10 episodes in early 2021. At the moment, it’s unclear what exactly those six new episodes will be about, although the fact that they’re a continuation of the season suggests that these will be formed out of unused footage from the season 10 shoot. AMC hasn’t gone into detail about these episodes yet, though.
Fortunately, the network is already on the move when it comes to season 11, which now has a production start date. AMC CEO Josh Sapan confirmed during an earnings call (via THR...
- 8/4/2020
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Bebel Gilberto prances around her hotel room in the charming new video for “Deixa.” The track appears on her upcoming album Agora, out August 21st via Pias Recordings.
Directed by Erik Sohlström, the clip features Gilberto at the Nomad Hotel in Los Angeles, applying makeup and eating decadent pastries while dressed in a striking pink sequined suit. The word “Deixa” translates to “leave” in Portuguese, but Gilberto takes her time in the video, basking in the sun and drinking champagne by the pool.
“I filmed this video in Los Angeles...
Directed by Erik Sohlström, the clip features Gilberto at the Nomad Hotel in Los Angeles, applying makeup and eating decadent pastries while dressed in a striking pink sequined suit. The word “Deixa” translates to “leave” in Portuguese, but Gilberto takes her time in the video, basking in the sun and drinking champagne by the pool.
“I filmed this video in Los Angeles...
- 4/1/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Brazilian singer-songwriter Bebel Gilberto unveiled a mesmerizing new song, “Deixa,” that will appear on her first album in six years, Agora, out May 1st via Pias Recordings.
“Deixa” — which translates to “leave” in Portuguese — boasts a steady groove that anchors a dream-like drone of horns and periodic flourishes of chimes, bells and strings. Gilberto’s voice easily drifts over the production, but there’s often a sharp kick to her phrasing to counterbalance the engrossing instrumentals.
Gilberto recorded Agora with producer Thomas Bartlett and made the album after several personal tragedies,...
“Deixa” — which translates to “leave” in Portuguese — boasts a steady groove that anchors a dream-like drone of horns and periodic flourishes of chimes, bells and strings. Gilberto’s voice easily drifts over the production, but there’s often a sharp kick to her phrasing to counterbalance the engrossing instrumentals.
Gilberto recorded Agora with producer Thomas Bartlett and made the album after several personal tragedies,...
- 3/3/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Caramel Films has boarded Manuel Martin Cuenca’s “The Daughter,” produced by Fernando Bovaira (“The Others” ) at Mod Producciones and Cuenca’s own La Loma Blanca. Pic was unveiled at Berlin’s European Film Market by its sales agent, Film Factory Entertainment.
Set to be released in Spain by Caramel in late 2020, “The Daughter” marks the new movie from one of Spain’s most resilient auteurs, whose “Cannibal” proved a breakout hit for Cuenca, La Loma Blanca and Mod Producciones. Mod’s production credits include Alejandro Amenábar’s hit “While at War,” Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Biutiful,” with Javier Bardem, and historical drama “Agora,” with Rachel Weisz.
Described as a dramatic thriller, “The Daughter” tells the story of Dana, a pregnant 15-year-old who’s just escaped from a juvenile center and given a safe place to hide by Javier, her tutor, and his wife, Adela, if she follows their rules...
Set to be released in Spain by Caramel in late 2020, “The Daughter” marks the new movie from one of Spain’s most resilient auteurs, whose “Cannibal” proved a breakout hit for Cuenca, La Loma Blanca and Mod Producciones. Mod’s production credits include Alejandro Amenábar’s hit “While at War,” Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Biutiful,” with Javier Bardem, and historical drama “Agora,” with Rachel Weisz.
Described as a dramatic thriller, “The Daughter” tells the story of Dana, a pregnant 15-year-old who’s just escaped from a juvenile center and given a safe place to hide by Javier, her tutor, and his wife, Adela, if she follows their rules...
- 2/23/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The long winter break for AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is nearly over and we have just gotten a look at the final trailer for the last eight episodes of season ten. We can definitely see that the war between Alexandria and The Whisperers is getting more and more heated and Michonne has once again taken up arms. She definitely looks ready for an all-out war! The eight remaining episodes of season ten will see the departure of Danai Gurira, better known as Michonne, from the series, so we are only left to wonder just what the outcome of this battle will be, however, if Judith’s tears in the trailer are any indication things might not have ended so well for Michonne. The writers have not yet revealed whether or not they are planning to kill off Michonne’s character or leave her fate in the air much as...
- 2/16/2020
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
When the winners of the 72nd Directors Guild of America ceremony were handed out Saturday, January 25, all eyes were on the feature film category. (Read our live blog here.) Would Sam Mendes (“1917”) continue his winning streak after claiming the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award? Would Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”), who tied Mendes with the critics, prevail with the directors guild? Or would Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”), Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) or Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”) triumph instead? Scroll down to see who won all of the film and TV categories at the 2020 DGA Awards, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
SEEJanuary 25 is busiest day on 2020 Oscars calendar: DGA Awards plus cinematographers, sound mixers and Annies
DGA voters have a great track record with predicting what will ultimately win the Oscar for Best Director, including the past six in a...
SEEJanuary 25 is busiest day on 2020 Oscars calendar: DGA Awards plus cinematographers, sound mixers and Annies
DGA voters have a great track record with predicting what will ultimately win the Oscar for Best Director, including the past six in a...
- 1/26/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
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