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French prosecutors have requested an 18-month suspended jail sentence for French actor Gerard Depardieu,who is on trial for the sexual assault of two women during a 2021 film shoot.

A judge will now deliberate on the sentence request.

The lead prosecutor Laurent Guy also asked Depardieu be fined €20,000 and pay damages to the plaintiffs – an unnamed assistant director and a set dresser who worked with the actor on Jean Becker’s The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts)that co-starred Anouk Grinberg and Fanny Ardant.

“What we have here are evidently sexual assaults with intent,” Guy told the court.

He said...

French actor Gerard Depardieu is facing an 18-month suspended prison sentence for the alleged sexual assaults of two women he worked with on the filming of “The Green Shutters” in 2021.

After a four-day-trial during which Depardieu refuted all accusations, French prosecutors requested a suspended prison sentence along with a fine of 20,000 euros, as well as an obligation to undergo psychological treatment and registration in the sex offenders file.

Depardieu, long considered a leading figure of France’s cinematic history who has starred in over 150 films, including classics such as Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” has been accused by a set decorator and an assistant director on “The Green Shutters.”

Ahead of the trial, the prosecutors office had told Variety that Depardieu was accused of “offenses punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.”

The assistant director reported in her complaint that Depardieu had touched her buttocks in the street,...

The Paris prosecutor’s office has requested an 18-month suspended prison sentence with a three-year probationary period and a €20,000 fine for actor Gérard Depardieu following his sexual assault trial this week related to events on a 2021 film shoot.

He also asked that Depardieu undergo psychological treatment and be placed on France’s sex offenders list.

The requested sentence concluded a tumultuous four-day hearing in Paris, which marked Depardieu’s first time in court against a backdrop of at least 20 public allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior against him.

This week’s trial was related to accusations of sexual assault against the actor by a set dresser and a third assistant director, alleged to have taken place during the shoot of Jean Becker’s The Green Shutters in 2021.

Depardieu could stand trial a second time in the coming months in relation to rape allegations by actress Charlotte Arnould, dating back to 2018, following...

Fanny Ardant, the well-known French actor of Francois Ozon’s “Eight Women,” took the stand at Gerard Depardieu’s sexual assault trial in Paris, defending the actor who is her longtime friend.

“I have never witnessed a gesture that I found shocking,” Ardant said in court, according to Le Monde newspaper. “I am a woman myself, I have experienced things like that, I’ve thrown out slaps and insults. I know that you can say no to Gérard,” she continued.

Depardieu is being accused of sexual assault by two women — a set decorator and an assistant director — who worked with him on the set of “The Green Shutters” in southern France in 2021.

The assistant director reported in her complaint that Depardieu had touched her buttocks in the street, then touched her breasts a few days later on location and touched her buttocks again on another occasion.

Depardieu has denied all...

French star Fanny Ardant took to the stand at Gerard Depardieu’s ongoing sexual assault trial in Paris on Wednesday, to defend her long-time friend and sporadic co-star.

Ardant was speaking on the third day of Depardieu’s trial in the French capital on charges of sexual assault related to two separate accusations of incidents alleged to have happened on the set of Jean Becker’s The Green Shutters in 2021.

The trial – which follows at least 20 public allegations against Depardieu of recent and historic sexually inappropriate behavior – marks the first time any of the accusations have landed the actor in court.

Ardant, who co-starred opposite Depardieu in films such as The Women Next Door (1981) and Hello Goodbye (2008), is one of the few figures from the French film world to continue publicly showing solidarity with the actor.

“I know that we are here to seek the truth, that the truth is...

Gérard Depardieu denied accusations of sexually assaulting a set dresser on a 2021 film shoot in a Paris court hearing on Tuesday but acknowledged for the first time that he had grabbed her by the hips.

The Oscar-nominated Cyrano de Bergerac and Green Card star is currently being tried on two separate charges of sexual assault related to events alleged to have taken place on the set of Jean Becker’s The Green Shutters.

“At 76, I am passed the age of groping,” he told the Paris court after listening to the testimony of a set director named simply as Amélie, one of two plaintiffs – alongside an assistant director – testifying in the trial.

Amélie recounted how she had found herself in the same space as Depardieu while dressing a scene in an apartment where the shoot was taking place.

She said he had gestured to her to come closer, as if he wanted to say something,...

France’s #MeToo movement is back in the spotlight today (March 24) as actor Gerard Depardieu is expected at a Paris criminal court to face charges of sexual assault on a film set.

The now 76-year-old French actor is being tried for the sexual assault of two women – an assistant director and a set designer – during the 2021 film shoot for Jean Becker’s The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts) released in 2022 that co-stars Anouk Grinberg and Fanny Ardant.

If he is found guilty, he could face five years in prison and a €75,000 fine. He is also facing other charges in separate cases.

French actor Gerard Depardieu appeared in court today in Paris to be trialed on charges of sexual assault.

The trial was initially scheduled to take place on Oct. 28 and was postponed due to the 76 year-old actor’s health.

Depardieu is being tried on two alleged sexual assaults, which date back to the filming of Jean Becker’s “The Green Shutters” (“Les volets verts”) in the South of France in August and September 2021. He was taken into police custody on April 29, 2024 and was summoned to appear before the criminal court in October.

Based on the charges, Depardieu — long considered a mascot of France’s cinematic history who has starred in over 150 films, including classics such as Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” — risks five years of imprisonment and a fine of €75,000.

In a letter sent to the prosecutor on Feb. 23, 2024, Amelie K., who worked as a set decorator on “The Green Shutters,...

Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne, known for her breakout role in Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Palme d’Or winning Rosetta, has died aged 43.

Her agent announced that she had died of a rare cancer at a hospital just outside of Paris on Sunday evening.

Dequenne, who starred in more than 50 films during her long career,won the best actress prize in Cannes for Rosetta in 1999 and has been nominated for five Cesar awards, including a win in 2021 for Emmanuel Mouret’s Love Affair(s).

She balanced commercial films with more auteur fare and worked with acclaimed filmmakers including Claude Berri,...

Pulsar Content has nabbed worldwide sales on “Two Women,” a Canadian sexy comedy which is slated to world premiere at Sundance.

Directed by Chloé Robichaud, “Two Women” is written by critically acclaimed playwright Catherine Léger based on her own play, “Home Deliveries,” which is itself a modern adaptation of Claude Fournier’s 1970 comedy “Two Women In Gold.”

“Two Women” follows neighbors Violette and Florence who are haunted by a sense of failure despite having successful careers and families. “What if happiness lies in rebelling against a rigid performance-driven society by sometimes choosing short-term satisfaction over success, freedom over being good? In a world where having fun is nowhere near the top of the priority list, having an adventure with the delivery guy can become revolutionary. For Violette and Florence this is the breath of fresh air they’ve been longing for,” reads the synopsis.

The cast is lead by Karine Gonthier-Hyndman,...

Pulsar Content has boarded “Howl,” an anticipated movie executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and celebrated environmental activist Jane Goodall. The Paris-based company is executive producing as well as handling international sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the AFM in Las Vegas.

Unfolding through the animals’ perspective, the survival tale revolves around Harry, a recently orphaned family dog who finds himself home alone at the onset of winter in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and forms an unlikely bond with a young wolf who is the last remaining member of a pack decimated by hunters. After initial fear and conflict, the lovable dog and wild wolf start to show each other their worlds, learn from each other and ultimately realize that they must cooperate in order to survive.

“Howl” was written by Christopher Monger (“The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain”) and will be directed by Elias E.

Exclusive: Pulsar Content has acquired world sales rights for Joséphine Japy’s upcoming feature The Wonderers following a family navigating the severe disability of the youngest daughter.

Produced by Cowboys Films, the feature marks Japy’s first time in the director’s chair.

The actress was recently seen in Netflix’s BAFTA-winning fictionalized Bernard Tapie biopic Class Act, with previous credits including On The Wandering Paths, Love At Second Sight, Breathe, as well as Claude François biopic My Way, early on in her career.

Set against the backdrop of a summer on the French riviera, the drama revolves around the Roussier family and its fragile equilibrium shaped by the uncertain diagnosis of its youngest daughter, 13-year-old Bertille, who suffers from a severe disability.

Her parents and 17-year-old older sister Marion live in constant fear of losing her. Disconnected from typical teenage dreams, Marion seeks escape in a relationship with an older boy.

"The ladies here are quite special..." Rialto has revealed an official international trailer for a French comedy titled Mr. Blake at Your Service! in English. The other French title is Complètement Cramé (which means Completely Burnt Out) that was also translated to Well Done! at first, until they went with the more playful Mr. Blake title. John Malkovich stars in this as Mr. Andrew Blake, a widowed British businessman who takes the job as a butler of a manor house in France to feel closer to the memories of his late French wife. His life takes a turn as he navigates the eccentric behavior of the three ladies of the manor and the staff. It is based on the novel of the same name (Complètement Cramé), with the writer of the novel taking a shot at directing his very first feature film. It also co-stars Fanny Ardant, Émilie Dequenne, Philippe Bas,...

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. Today we’re talking to French execs Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner, founders of Paris-based production and distribution company Superprod Group. The group is on the rise with a recent high-profile company acquisition, an eclectic multi-format slate and embrace of cutting-edge Usd pipeline technology pioneered by Pixar which is giving it the edge.

It’s hard to define Paris-based content company Superprod. Launched in 2010 with an accent on animation, the group has since branched out into live action, working on original in-house content and commissions across all formats.

The company’s eclectic slate spans hit animated series Batwheels and Paddington and the upcoming update of iconic Dutch children’s character Miffy as well as French live action drama series Panda and feature...

Paris-based Pulsar Content has taken on world sales rights to Colombian director Camila Beltrán’s debut feature Mi Bestia, which is making its world pemeire in Cannes’ Acid 2024 line-up.

Set in Bogotá in 1996, the film follows a 13 year-old girl grappling with adolescence as everyone around her grows frightened of an approaching red moon lunar eclipse said to bring the devil to earth.

Mi Bestia is produced by the filmmaker’s Colombia-based production house Felina Films with France’s Films Grand Huit, and Colombia’s Inercia Películas and Ganas Producciones. Beltrán, whose experimental short films have been shown across festivals including Locarno and Clermont-Ferrand,...

Six months after world-premiering to poor reviews at the Venice Film Festival, Roman Polanski’s latest film “The Palace” has been acquired by a French distribution company, Swashbuckler Films.

The Paris-based banner, which specializes in classic movies, is hoping to release “The Palace” on May 15. The company’s owner, Sebastien Tiveyrat, told Variety he hasn’t yet obtained the exhibition visa from the National Film Board and hasn’t started contacting exhibitors in France to book theaters.

Although Polanski’s inclusion at the Venice festival sparked a controversy due to the fact that he’s still currently facing sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” sold across many territories, including Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland where it came out between September and January. The black comedy will next open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles international sales on the movie.

“The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve...

Nolita Cinema’s musical Hear Me Love, starring France’s biggest pop star Clara Luciani in her first lead role, has started shooting in Paris as part of a revival of the film musical in France.

Set between Paris and Rome’s Cinecitta’s Studios in the 1970s, Hear Me Love (Joli Joli) follows a struggling writer looking for inspiration for his second novel who falls in love with a famous movie star. It is the fifth feature by French film and theatre director Diastème and is being scored by composer Alex Beaupain.

Ginger & Fed is selling the film...

Shudder has picked up North America, UK & Ireland and Australia & New Zealand to David Moreau’s continuous shot genre title MadS from French outfit Pulsar Content.

The film shot in five takes over five days. It is set on a summer night and follows a teen who stops to see his dealer, tries a new drug and sets out to party, but ends up picking up an injured woman as the night takes a shocking, surreal turn.

MadS stars newcomers Milton Riche, Laurie Pavy and Lucille Guillaume.

Pulsar Content is at the EFM with Michele Placido’s Eternal Visionary about the life of Luigi Pirandello,...

Pulsar Content has boarded “Mikado,” a heartwarming family film written and directed by Baya Kasmi, who previously directed “Iʼm All Yours” and “The (in)famous Youssef Salem.”

“Mikado” is produced by Karé Production (“The Presidentʼs Wife”) and Films Grand Huit (“Disco Boy”). The film stars Felix Moati (“No Manʼs Land”) alongside Ramzy Bedia (“Donʼt Die Too Hard!”) and Vimala Pons (“Vincent Must Die”), who previously worked with Kasmi.

Pulsar Content will be launching international sales at the European Film Market with an exclusive promo-reel.

The film follows Mikado and Laetitia, who lead an alternative lifestyle aboard a van with their home-schooled children Nuage and Zephir. One day, their van breaks down, forcing them to lead a somewhat “normal” life over summer.

“We immediately fell in love with Bayaʼs script,” said Pulsar Content co-founders Gilles Sousa and Marie Garrett. “It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and a wonderful role for Felix Moati.

Exclusive: Paris-based Pulsar Content has acquired world sales rights for Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar’s U.S. road movie Silver Star, co-starring Grace Van Dien and Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, for a launch at the upcoming EFM.

The production sees French duo Bessis and Amar reunite behind the camera for the first time since their 2013 SXSW breakout Swim Little Fish Swim, having first sparked attention with 2011 short film Checkpoint.

Johnson plays a young African-American Civil War reenactor freshly out of jail, who learns that the lives of her estranged parents are at risk and tries to help them by robbing a bank.

In her botched robbery attempt, she takes a hostage named Franny (Van Dien), who turns out to be a charmingly impulsive pregnant teenager with nothing left to lose.

Together, they embark on a twisted electric chase through scenic American landscapes, clashing and struggling...

Golden Globe winner Ian McShane stars in American Star, a character drama mixed with a tense hitman thriller. McShane and director Gonzalo López-Gallego enjoyed creative freedom throughout the making of the film. The movie was shot on location in the Canary Islands, providing a beautiful setting that plays a significant role in the story.

Ian McShane returns to the world of assassins in a different fashion with American Star. The Golden Globe winner stars in the thriller as Wilson, a hitman sent to the island of Fuerteventura to take down an unknown target, though after meeting a local who opens his eyes to the tranquility of the area, he finds himself contemplating his next steps.

Alongside McShane, the ensemble American Star cast includes Army of the Dead's Nora Arnezeder, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's Thomas Kretschmann, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon's Adam Dagaitis and Fanny Ardant.

Eight years after making the neo-Western The Hollow Point, actor Ian McShane and Spanish director Gonzalo López-Gallego have teamed up once more for American Star, a new character-first thriller set on the dusty and desolate island of Fuerteventura, located off the African coast. McShane plays Wilson, a government-sponsored hitman sent to the island on assignment. But with his target surprisingly not at home, Wilson decides to check into a local hotel and take a bit of vacation. While he waits, he befriends a free-spirited local named Gloria (Nora Arnezeder), her protective mother Anne (Fanny Ardant), and a young boy named Max (Oscar Coleman), who's staying down the hall from him in the hotel. Further complicating matters is the arrival of Ryan (Adam Nagaitis), a long-time family friend who's also in the assassination game and might have been sent to keep an eye on Wilson.

Besides killing their targets with the greatest of ease, assassins on the big screen are also known for their cold and emotionless exterior. Until this protective shell is ripped away from the gunman, that is. In IFC Films' latest thriller, American Star, this doesn't happen to Ian Mcshane's Wilson because of suspenseful gunplay or a more powerful foe, but instead through encounters with interesting people and vast new surroundings. His once careless disposition is then temporarily exchanged for a renewed sense of life which, sadly, becomes his profession's greatest flaw. The older hitman who happens to be on his last job travels all the way to the island of Fuerteventura to kill a man who means nothing to him. When Wilson arrives, though, the target is not home and won’t be back for a period of time.

While this waiting game is very easy to win, Wilson starts...

Paris and Los Angeles-based sales agency has boarded films by Nicolas Benamou, Artus and Christophe Duthuron

Paris and Los Angeles-based Other Angle Pictures has boarded three French comedy dramas: Nicolas Benamou’s We Should Have Gone to Greece, Artus’ A Little Something Extra and Christophe Duthuron’s Happiness Therapy.

The company will launch sales for all three films at this week’s Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris in the French capital.

We Should Have Gone to Greece is the latest feature from Benamou, known for co-directing local and international hit comedies Babysitting and Babysitting 2 with Philippe Lacheau, 2020’s Mystery in St. Tropez,...

Ginger & Fed, the new international film sales arm of Federation Studios headed by former TF1 Studio boss Sabine Chemaly, will launch several high profile titles at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous, including “The Future Awaits,” Niels Tavernier’s WWII-set drama based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor. Ginger & Fed will also bow sales on “Riviera Revenge,” a heartwarming comedy starring André Dussollier (“The Crime is Mine”), Sabine Azéma (“Tanguy”) and Thierry Lhermitte (“The Dinner Game”), along with continuing deals on “Rachel’s Game,” “Survive” and “Oldies and Goodies.”

Produced by Yves Darondeau at Bonne Pioche Cinema (“March of the Penguins”), “The Future Awaits” tells the story of Tauba Birenbaum, whose testimony was collected in July 1997 to become part of Steven Spielberg’s Institute for Visual History. The film opens in July 1942, during the Vel’ d’Hiv’ Roundup of Jewish families in Paris. 13-year-old Tauba and her parents, who are Polish Jews,...

Orange Studio has boarded true-crime-tinged psychological thriller “An Ordinary Case” and will launch sales at this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris. Top-lined, co-written and directed by French cinema stalwart Daniel Auteuil, this pulled-from-the-headlines drama also boasts “Borgen” and “Westworld” star Sidse Babett Knudsen alongside acclaimed actor Grégory Gadebois (“An Officer and a Spy”).

Auteuil adapted the feature from the work of Jean-Yves Moyart – a jurist-turned-blogger-turned-bestselling author who wrote of his experiences in the French legal system – and will star as Jean Monier, a disillusioned lawyer defending a man accused of murdering his wife. While all signs point to the accused’s guilt, Monier remains steadfast in his presumption of innocence. What begins as an ordinary case turns out to be anything but.

Following in the footsteps of Alice Diop’s Venice and César winner “Saint Omer,” of Cédric Kahn’s Cannes-acclaimed “The Goldman Case,” and of Justine Triet’s...

Chevrollier is behind hit French series including Oussekine and international hit thriller The Bureau

Paris-based sales house Pulsar Content has hopped aboard Antoine Chevrollier’s Block Pass and will kick off sales at Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris which takes place from January 16-23.

Block Pass is the anticipated debut feature from Chevrollier, who is well known as a series director in France. His credits including police brutality drama Oussekine, spy thriller The Bureau and political drama Baron Noir.

The film is produced by Nicolas Blanc’s Agat Films and reteams the director with Oussekine star Sayyid El Alami alongside fresh face Amaury Foucher,...

Ian McShane has his sights set on a new target in the trailer for IFC Films’ American Star. Transferring the wealth of knowledge he’s gained from playing the owner of the assassins’ hotel in the John Wick franchise, McShane is now picking up the big guns himself. With the backdrop of the gorgeous island scenery of Fuerteventura, McShane’s gun-toting killer has come to paradise on business. Directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego (The Hollow Point), the action flick also stars Thomas Kretschmann (Resident Evil: Apocalypse), Nora Arnezeder (Safe House), Adam Nagaitis (The Man with the Iron Heart), Fanny Ardant (Elizabeth), and Oscar Coleman (Bridgerton).

"Rule Number 1 – the less you know about the target, the better." IFC Films has revealed an official trailer for an assassin film called American Star, directed by Spanish filmmaker Gonzalo López-Gallego. There are no American actors in this movie, however, and the title is actually a reference to big shipwreck called the "American Star", which really exists and can be found on the west coast of the Fuerteventura island in the Canary Islands – which is where this film was shot and it also takes place. This 2024 films follows an assassin on his final assignment on Fuerteventura, who remains on the island while his target is delayed in arriving. He becomes drawn to the people he meets and a ghostly shipwreck which complicates his mission greatly when the target arrives. Ian McShane stars + produces, with Nora Arnezeder, Adam Nagaitis, Fanny Ardant, Oscar Coleman, Andres Gertrudix, and Thomas Kretschmann. This really doesn't look that bad,...

Victor Erice’s “Close Your Eyes” won best film at the 17th edition of Leffest Lisboa Film Festival, which announced awards Saturday night.

Marking Erice’s first feature film since his 1992 docudrama “The Quince Tree Sun” and garnering almost universal positive reviews – Variety called it “an aching ode to film, time and memory” – following its world premiere at Cannes, “Close Your Eyes” has screened at Toronto, Busan, BFI London and New York.

During Leffest, in a session moderated by Paulo Branco, 83-year old Erice took part in a conversation with preeminent 64-year old Portuguese helmer, Pedro Costa, whose short “The Daughters of Fire,” was a Cannes Special Screening and also had its Portuguese premiere at the fest.

Erice remarked during the event, one fest highlight, that both he and Costa are working in the shadow of two great filmmakers – “Don Luis Buñuel” and “Don Manoel de Oliveira” – and he added...

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has announced details of this year's selection of films from Saudi Arabia, alongside the Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition features strands. Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.

The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.

While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...

Polish actress and singer Joanna Kulig and French icon Fanny Ardant are co-starring in “Island,” a psychological thriller by Italian-German writer director Nora Jaenike filmed on the Italian island of Elba.

Filming on the mostly English-language atmospheric noir wrapped on Nov. 4 on the island, which is located off the coast of Tuscany. Kulig, who won a best actress European Film Award for her performance in Pawel Pawilkowski’s Oscar-nominated “Cold War,” plays Joanna, a woman in her 40s married to a rich and controlling bedridden man. Through an encounter with Ada (Ardant) Joanna begins “a process of emancipation that will push her to do things that she had never thought of,” according to a provided synopsis. See a first-look image from the film above.

Italian actor Marco Rossetti, who stars in hit local medical drama “Doc — Nelle tue mani,” is among the feminist thriller’s other key cast members. The...

Other Angle Pictures was founded by Olivier Albou and Laurence Schonberg.

France’s Other Angle Pictures has expanded its footprint into the US market with a new Los Angeles-based arm focused on distribution, production and international sales of French features with a focus on crowd-pleasing comedies and more commercial dramas.

The company, founded by longtime French film executive Olivier Albou and his wife Laurence Schonberg in 2008, is looking to tap into its network of US producers and buyers looking for French remakes and original content. The company intends to acquire titles independently and release them in association with US distribution partners in limited theatrical release.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced the bulk of its lineup from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), signaling that the event is forging ahead with its third edition despite the Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world.

The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, will feature a slew of films from the Mena region and comprise 11 feature films from Saudi, underlining the local film industry’s growth. This year’s theme is “Your Story, Your Festival”.

There are two Saudi films in the 17-title competition dedicated to features from the Arab world as well as Africa and Asia. They are “Norah,” a drama by first-time helmer Tawfik Alzaidi set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height, and Ali Alkalthami’s bold comedy “Mandoob...

The Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled its selection of 36 movies from Saudi Arabia, as well as its Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition lineups for this year’s third edition.

“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.

The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...

Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.

The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’

Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.

The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...

Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.

The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.

Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...

AFM slate also includes a blend of local drama, comedy and thriller titles.

Orange Studio will kick off sales at AFM for Like A Prince, the debut feature from actor Ali Marhyar about a star boxer attempting a career comeback in a French chateau after a bar fight gone wrong.

Like A Prince stars Ahmed Sylla as the titular athlete who is sentenced to community service at the prestigious Château de Chambord following a bar fight that injures him and threatens his career. There, amidst horses, strange bosses and knight-inspired stunts, he meets a foster child with a knack for...

Pascal Breton’s Federation Studios has launched an international theatrical sales label, Ginger & Fed, teaming up with former TF1 Studio sales executive Sabine Chemaly’s Ginger Films on the new division.

Chemaly will head up the new group, handling both film acquisitions and international sales, focusing on titles with theatrical potential in various international territories. She will work together with Federation’s sales team of Monica Levy, Guillaume Pommier, Sarah Zarka, Lucile Avezard and Jeromine Ader, as well as the company’s business affairs, servicing and marketing teams.

The first project under the new label will be Survive, a post-apocalyptic thriller from Monkey Pack, the Federation Studios-owned producers of Coralie Fargeat’s 2017 action horror hit Revenge. Frédéric Jardin is directing with Émilie Dequenne (Love Affair(s)) and Andreas Pietschmann (Dark) starring as a couple celebrating their son’s birthday on their boat in the middle of the ocean. But when...

First slate to include Rachel’s Game, Oldies But Goodies, Survive.

Powerhouse Paris-based media group Federation Studios has joined forces with veteran sales executive Sabine Chemaly to launch international film sales company Ginger & Fed.

The new venture, a partnership between Federation and Chemaly’s Ginger Films, will take on acquisitions and international sales for both in-house and third party films.

The feature-focused foray is an extension of Federation’s existing distribution of fiction, documentary and children’s programming and presence in production via global companies like Bonne Pioche, Cheyenne and Monkey Pack (Robin & Co) in France, Vertigo in the UK,...

It follows the recent rescheduling of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival.

This year’s Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) in Egypt has been cancelled due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The festival confirmed that the decision had been made by Egypt’s ministry of culture and comes less than a month before it was due to open. The 45th edition of Ciff was scheduled to take place from November 15-24 alongside the Cairo Film Industry Days.

In a short statement, organisers said: “Minister of Culture Dr. Neven El-Kelany has decided to postpone the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival…...

It follows the recent rescheduling of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival.

The upcoming 45th Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) in Egypt has been postponed due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The festival confirmed that the decision had been made by Egypt’s ministry of culture and comes less than a month before it was due to open. It was scheduled to take place from November 15-24 alongside the Cairo Film Industry Days.

In a short statement, organisers said: “Minister of Culture Dr. Neven El-Kelany has decided to postpone the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival… The new...

Producer is France’s Ts Productions, whose credits include Golden Bear-winner ’On The Adamant’.

France TV Distribution has taken worldwide rights to Giulio Callegari’s debut feature Robot T-0 now in production in France. It is selling the film at Rome’s Mia film market this week.

Callegari is best known in France for co-writing and co-creating Canal+ hit series All the Way Up (Validé) and as a co-writer on French anthology film Selfie that explored humans’ relationship with technology.

Robot T-0 is set in a near future where robots have replaced humans in every household. The film follows a...

Nadine Labaki heads “Back to Alexandria” in Tamer Ruggli’s debut feature that allowed him to celebrate Egyptian women.

“I am very close to my mother, who is Egyptian. I don’t know if you know many Egyptian women, but they are exuberant, dominant and endearing.”

In a story based on his mother’s experiences, Sue (Labaki) returns home after 20 years. Her eccentric mom, Fairouz (Fanny Ardant), is dying. She gets into a pink Cadillac and starts driving to Alexandria, talking to Fairouz every step of the way. Even though it’s just in her head.

“This relationship between a mother and a daughter… There is so much depth to it and so much conflict, or at least that was the case in my family,” says Ruggli.

“In the end, this film is about loss and how we can deal with it. When we lose a parent, there are so many things left unsaid.

"The Palace" is a new 'black comedy' feature directed by Roman Polanski ("Chinatown"), starring Oliver Masucci, Fanny Ardant, John Cleese, Joaquim de Almeida, Barbareschi, Milan Peschel, Bronwyn James, Fortunato Cerlino, Michelle Shapa and Mickey Rourke, with a North American theatrical release Tba:

"...the film takes place on 'New Year's Eve' 1999, where a dinner party at the 'Gstaad Palace' takes an unexpected turn.."

Click the images to enlarge...

The director won the Oscar for best international feature in 2001 with ‘No Man’s Land’

Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanović has been named president of the international competition jury for the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival.

Tanović is best known for 2001’s No Man’s Land which won the Oscar for best international feature and 2016’s Death In Sarajevo which picked up the jury grand prix at the Berlinale. His other credits include 2013’s Episode In The Life Of An Iron Picker and 2010’s Cirkus Colombia.

Ciff also revealed that Tamer Ruggli’s debut Back To Alexandria starring Fanny Ardant...

Bosnian director and screenwriter Danis Tanović, whose “No Man’s Land” won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, has been selected as the president of the Official Competition Jury at the 45th edition of the Cairo Film Festival.

As well as the Oscar, “No Man’s Land” won best screenplay at Cannes in 2001. Tanović has also directed films such as 2005’s “L’enfer,” starring Emmanuelle Béart, 2009’s “Shell Shock,” starring Colin Farrell and Paz Vega, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2013, and “Death in Sarajevo,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2016.

Amir Ramsis, director of the festival, said Danis Tanović had been “crowned in cinema history with major international awards from the Academy, Cannes and Berlin.” He added: “I am delighted that our festival has always given its audience the opportunity to interact with names that...

Superprod Animation Moves Into Tween Fare With ‘Heroic Football’

French animation studio Superprod has announced new series Heroic Football, set against a fantasy land in which soccer is its only salvation. The project brings together a host of French animation talent including writers Guillaume Mautalent and Sébastien Oursel (Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia). They are joined by Antoine Charreyron, who directed Batwheels, produced at Superprod Animation for Warner Bros Animation, as well as the movie The Prodigies and cult-animated series Galactik Football. Art director Florent Auguy is also attached. Superprod will present the 26 x 22 minutes series at Cartoon Forum 2023 in Toulouse on September 20. The series marks the company’s first foray into animation aimed at the tween demographic. “Each project we undertake is a chance to delve into fresh realms. With Heroic Football,...

The 19th Zurich Film Festival promises to be a star-studded affair with plenty of Hollywood A-list talent attending.

Todd Haynes will be honored with the festival’s A Tribute to… Award and will present his film “May December.” Previous recipients include Paolo Sorrentino, Wim Wenders, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Oliver Stone, Maïwenn and Luca Guadagnino.

“It’s a real honor to celebrate this master of American cinema. Todd Haynes is renowned for his elegant mise-en-scène and his ability to get the best from his actors and actresses,” said festival director Christian Jungen.

Ethan Hawke will be present with his film “Wildcat.” As previously announced, Jessica Chastain will receive the festival’s Golden Icon Award. Diane Kruger will receive the Golden Eye prize.

The festival’s feature film competition for first, second and third works will see “Ama Gloria,” “Enea,” “Fair Play,” “Femme,” “Hesitation Wound,” “How To Have Sex,...

Swiss festival programmes 148 films for this year’s edition.

The Zurich Film Festival (Zff) has unveiled a line-up of 148 films for its 2023 edition which takes place from September 28 to October 8.

The festival’s Focus Competition – which showcases feature films and documentaries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland - has six world premieres. They include Swiss films The Driven One by Piet Baumgartner, a long-term study of students at the elite university Hsg St. Gallen, and road movie Return To Alexandria by Zurich-based Tamer Ruggli, which stars Nadine Labaki and Fanny Ardant.

Scroll down for Focus and Feature Film Competition line-up

Other...