Notícias

Leading Spanish arthouse sales outfit Bendita Film Sales has swooped on the international sales rights of Ernesto Martínez Bucio’s “The Devil Smokes” ahead of its world premiere at the Berlinale’s new Perspectives sidebar.

Co-written with Karen Plata, Martínez Bucio’s debut feature delves into sibling relationships and how fears are passed down from one generation to the next.

Set in mid-90s Mexico City, “The Devil Smokes” revolves around five young siblings whose grandmother is their sole guardian after the sudden disappearance of their parents. As they fight to survive, the line between reality and something darker starts to blur. The grandmother, haunted by eerie visions and deepening fears, becomes more distant, while the children’s grip on reality begins to unravel. After a clash with their neighbors, the siblings withdraw even further into isolation, cutting themselves off from the outside world.

Said Bendita Film Sales CEO, Luis Renart...

“Memories of a Burning Body” skillfully combines documentary and fiction elements, crafting a unique narrative that feels personal and broad. The narrative innovations seen in films by modern directors like Noah Baumbach, who frequently conflate the lines between reality and fiction, are reminiscent of this hybrid approach.

Real conversations with three women in their 60s and 70s raise the film’s emotional weight. This gives the film a sense of authenticity. Audiences are invited into a layered exploration of femininity and resilience thanks to the candor of their stories, which creates a rich tapestry of real-life experiences that shape the composite character played by Sol Carballo.

The filmmakers’ decision to keep the guests’ identities secret during the audio interviews gives the story a touching depth. This choice is similar to the style choices made in French New Wave movies, where voiceovers often show what characters are thinking and feeling. While...

Cinema Tropical, the premier presenter of Latin American cinema in the United States, has announced its annual list of the Best Latin American and U.S. Latinx Films of 2024. This year’s prestigious selection showcases 32 exceptional films—26 from across Latin America and six from U.S. Latinx filmmakers—representing a vibrant spectrum of contemporary storytelling. These films will compete for the 15th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards, with winners to be revealed on January 14, 2025, at a ceremony at Film at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The selected films span diverse genres, themes, and countries, highlighting the creative and cultural richness of Latin American cinema. Festival favorites such as La Cocina by Alonso Ruizpalacios, The Delinquents by Rodrigo Moreno, Pepe by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, and Sujo by Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero are among the contenders for top honors. The winners will be recognized in categories including Best Film,...

‘La Habitación de al Lado’ no logra la nominación a Mejor Película y sorprende la ausencia de Najwa Nimri como Mejor Actriz. © Goya |A Contracorriente Films | Beta Films| BTeamPictures | El Deseo

Hoy ha tenido lugar la lectura de nominados a los Premios Goya 2025, en la que las películas El 47, La Infiltrada y Segundo Premio han conseguido el mayor número de nominaciones. Los ganadores se conocerán el 8 de febrero en Granada. Aquí os dejamos con la lista completa de nominados:

Mejor PELÍCULA

Casa en flames

El 47

La estrella azul

La infiltrada

Segundo premio

Mejor DIRECCIÓN

Pedro almodóvar (La habitación de al lado)

Arantxa Echavarría (La infiltrada)

Paula Ortiz (La virgen roja)

Aitor Arregi y Jon Garaño (Marco)

Isaki Lacuesta y Pol Rodríguez (Segundo premio)

Mejor DIRECCIÓN Novel

Miguel Faus (Calladita)

Pedro Martín-Calero (El llanto)

Javier Macipe (La estrella azul)

Sandra Romero (Por donde pasa el silencio)

Paz Vega (Rita...

Spain’s Academia de Cine has unveiled its list of nominations for the 39th Goya Awards, the country’s equivalent to the Oscar. Leading the field is Marcel Barrena’s biographical drama El 47, with 14 mentions. It’s followed by thriller La Infiltrada (Undercover) at 13.

Also in the mix is Segundo Premio (Saturn Return) with 11 nods. The movie about real-life rock band Los Planetas was Spain’s submission for the International Feature Oscar, though it did not make AMPAS’ shortlist cut which was revealed yesterday.

Meanwhile, Spanish maestro Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door, scored 10 nominations including Best Director and a pair of Best Actress nods for Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. It did not surface in the Goyas’ Best Picture race, despite taking the top prize Golden Lion in Venice earlier this year, his first ever top A-list festival prize.

The Goyas will be handed out on February 8 in Granada.

Local hits The 47 and Undercover lead the nominations for Spain’s 2025 Goya Awards, with 14 and 13 nods respectively.

Rock drama Saturn Return and Pedro Almodóvar’s Golden Lion winnerThe Room Next Door are also high up on the list of nominees.

The Goya winners will be announced at a ceremony in Granada on February 8.

Marcel Barrena’s The 47, produced by The Mediapro Studio, tells the story of a working-class community in the hills of Barcelona and its struggle to get public transport and better living conditions. It has grossed €3m at the Spanish box office to date.

The 47’s 14 nominations include best film,...

There’s an unexpected implication when Antonella Sudasassi Furniss exposes the parameters of her film set at the start of “Memories of a Burning Body,” following lead Sol Carabello into one room to have her makeup done and a gaffer in another arranging the lights for a scene. It isn’t to accept the artifice of the film or to set up a premise, but rather to plant the idea that there may be certain limitations to what a particular life can be, with Sudasassi Furniss’ refusal to leave the room for the rest of the film reflecting something that might be too on the nose to ever say directly. The film centers on a trio of wisened women, all around the age of 70, who are asked to recall how they developed their individual sexual consciousness in a culture where to even speak of the subject was considered shameful.

Even now,...

Miami-based FiGa Films has sold “Beloved Tropic” (“Querido Tropico”), the debut fiction feature of Panamanian documentary filmmaker Ana Endara, to Costa Rica-based Pacifica Grey ahead of its market debut at Ventana Sur.

Starring Chile’s Paulina Garcia, who clinched a Berlinale Best Actress Silver Bear for her turn in Sebastian Lelio’s “Gloria,” the drama was pounced on by Spain’s Vitrine prior to its debut at the San Sebastian Film Festival in September.

Said FiGa founder-ceo Sandro Fiorin: “I’m honored to be collaborating with Ana Endara, who I’ve admired for years. She’s a real talent, with a precise director’s touch. Ana is definitely going places, we’re lucky to have her as part of our family.”

For Pacifica Grey founder Marcelo Quesada, whose company acquired the rights to the drama for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and the Dominican Republic, “Beloved...

Michael Gracey’s Robbie Williams biopic musical Better Man will open the 36th annual Palm Springs Film Festival on Thursday, January 2, while The Penguin Lessons, directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Steve Coogan in the heartwarming story of a teacher who rescues and adopts an adorable penguin, closes it out January 13. Both films had premieres at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year, and Better Man first had its world premiere at Telluride.

As always a hallmark of Psiff are screenings of numerous entries into the Oscar International Feature Film race, this year with 35 scheduled to screen in the desert.

The festival has programmed 158 films from 71 countries including 68 premieres. The lineup also includes sections like Talking Pictures, a focus on Spanish films with a spotlight on Pedro Almodóvar, New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer Cinema, Cine Latino, True Stories,...

On Tuesday, the Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) announced its official 2025 lineup for the nearly two-week event that’s being held from Jan. 2 to Jan. 13.

The opening night movie will be Paramount Pictures’ “Better Man,” starring Robbie Williams and directed by Michael Gracey, which chronicles the pop star’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall. And the festival will close with Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Penguin Lessons,” starring Steve Coogan and directed by Peter Cattaneo, in the dramedy about a teacher whose life changes when he adopts a penguin. In all, Psiff will screen 158 films from 71 countries, including 68 premieres.

Artistic director Lili Rodriguez said, “Our lineup this year is truly something special. In true Psiff fashion, it spans genres and crosses borders to bring an exciting mix of films to the Coachella Valley. Over the past year, our Palm Springs International Film Festival team has carefully crafted a program that celebrates the art of storytelling,...

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is set to kick off on Jan. 2 with “Better Man,” directed by Michael Gracey, while the closing film on Jan. 12 will be “The Penguin Lessons,” directed by Peter Cattaneo.

The lineup will feature 35 of the international feature film Oscar submissions. Over 11 days, the festival will screen 158 films from 71 countries, including 68 premieres.

Also set are a focus on Spanish films including a spotlight on Pedro Almodóvar, and the return of sections such as New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer Cinema, Cine Latino, True Stories and World Cinema Now.

“Better Man” is based on the true story of the rise, fall and return of British musician Robbie Williams. Cattaneo will be in attendance for “The Penguin Lessons,” a dramedy about a schoolteacher in militaristic Argentina who rescues a penguin.

Several of the honorees from the Palm Springs International Film Awards are set to participate in the Talking Pictures screenings,...

Two Brazilian titles, Marcelo Gomes’ “Portrait of a Certain Orient” and Marianne Brennand’s “Manas,” swept the three biggest awards at Spain’s Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night in the Southern Spanish city.

With Brazil’s Marcelo Caetano scooping a fourth trophy of a total seven on offer for competition titles, Huelva served to confirm the building renaissance of Brazilian cinema, already seen in Karim Aïnouz making Cannes main Competition cut two years running – with “Firebrand” and “Motel Destino” – and Walter Salles’ comeback and Brazilian Academy Award entry “I’m Still Here’s” reaping a rave review and reporting in Variety and other media, prompting Oscar buzz.

“Portrait of a Certain Orient,” Marcelo Gomes, Brazil, Italy: Golden Columbus, Best Picture

Shot in black-and-white and a 4:3 box format, “Portrait,” which took Huelva’s Best Picture Golden Columbus, tells a tender, lamenting parable of the tragedy of bigotry and patriarchy,...

There are 31 animated films, 85 international films and 169 documentaries competing in the 2024 Oscar races for Best Animated Feature, Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature, the Academy announced on Thursday.

In the animated feature category, contenders include “Flow,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Piece by Piece,” “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rorhirrim,” “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” and “The Wild Robot.”

In the international category, the list includes “Emilia Perez,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and “I’m Still Here.” The list of eligible films was reported exclusively by TheWrap in October.

In documentaries, the field includes “Sugarcane,” “Dahomey,” “No Other Land,” “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” “Black Box Diaries” and “Daughters,” among many others.

In all three categories, Academy members are given lists of films that are required viewing, but are eligible to view and vote for films outside their lists as...

L.A.-based Outsider Pictures, a U.S. distribution hub for Spanish-language cinema, has snagged North American rights to three International Oscar entries to the 97th Academy Awards: Costa Rica’s “Memories of a Burning Body,” Spain’s “Saturn Return” and Switzerland’s “Queens” (Reinas”), directed by Peruvian-born helmer, Klaudia Reynicke.

In addition, it has picked up Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed” by Argentina’s Hernán Rosselli and Toronto Platform awardee “They Will Be Dust,” starring Chile’s Alfredo Castro and Spain’s Angela Molina.

“I think the recent acquisitions from Outsider reflect the exciting and challenging cinema being produced in Latin America and Spain. These may not be star driven or hugely commercial films, but like most independent cinema, they are labors of love, passion pieces that film-makers have worked so hard for and that any company would be proud to distribute,” said Outsider Pictures founder-ceo Paul Hudson.

Paramount’s leading the charge this weekend with the highly anticipatedGladiator II, out at 722 sites across the UK and Ireland.

The original 2000 historical epic Gladiator was also directed by Ridley Scott and starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen and Oliver Reed, taking $466m at the global box office, with over $43m in the UK alone.

This time, it’s Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington taking centre stage. A young barbarian named Lucius (Mescal) lives with his wife and child in Numidia, which is invaded and conquered by the powerful Roman army. It is the widest ever opening...

Huelva’s main Competition titles, all premieres in Spain, pick up on big festival standouts that still merit further attention. Some brief details:

“Bionico’s Bachata”

Bionico’s Bachata

The film which won Morales, production house Mentes Fritas and producer and co-writer Cristián Monica a South by Southwest 2024 Audience Award. A mockumentary, shot in a box format, Biónico, an equally hopeless romantic and crack addict, battles to clean up his act and make some cash before his fiancée arrives back from rehab. A “romantic story in a hostile Caribbean city” about a “serious topic but handled via the absurd and dark comedy that we have in our culture,” Morales has told Variety.

“El Cuento del Lobo”

The latest from López Amado, a director on big Spanish TV series such as “El Principe” and “The Time In Between,” plus notable films from upscale supernatural thriller “Nos Miran” (2002), his first feature, to...

Firmly established as one of Europe’s biggest dedicated showcases for movies from Latin America, Spain and Portugal, Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival celebrates its 50th edition with a bang, with a high-caliber main Competition, a new showcase on Spain. Following, some highlights and trends at this year’s festival, which runs Nov. 15-23.

Paz Vega: A Director is Born

Paz Vega will accept at Huelva a Premio Luz at this year’s opening ceremony. It comes at an opportune time. Known to date as a performer – star of Adam Sandler comedy “Spanglish” and Julio Medem’s carnal physiological odyssey “Sex and Lucia” – Vega has just bowed her first feature, the heavily autobiographical “Rita,” to upbeat reviews. Major plaudits to not only the central performance of the eponymous Rita, a loveable seven year-old moppet growing up in 1984 working class Seville, but Vega’s helming. “Rita’ is shot with an exquisite taste for light,...

The International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk) is set to return for its 29th edition, bringing together filmmakers, cinephiles, and industry voices from around the world to Thiruvananthapuram from December 13 to 20, 2024. Known for its celebration of global storytelling and commitment to diverse perspectives, Iffk’s International Competition promises to spotlight a powerful collection of films that delve into cultural, social, and political themes with depth and artistry.

This year’s selection for the International Competition reflects the festival’s dedication to amplifying unique voices across borders. Each film in the lineup not only represents its distinct region but also resonates with universal human experiences, inviting audiences into narratives that blend personal and political, intimate and epic. Here’s a closer look at the ten films that will compete for top honors at Iffk 2024.

An Oscillating Shadow / Una sombra oscilante Director: Celeste Rojas Mugica Countries: Chile, Argentina, France East of Noon Director: Hala Elkoussy Countries: Egypt,...

Costa Rican director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss explains why her docu-fiction about the sexual lives of an earlier generation of women is also a story for today

‘Women are always burning inside,” says Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, over video call from Costa Rica. So they were in her 2019 debut as a writer and director, The Awakening of the Ants, in which a mother maddened by patriarchal oppression lays waste to a birthday cake at a children’s party.

And so they are in Furniss’s docufiction follow-up about the pleasures and horrors of female sexuality, Memories of a Burning Body. A hybrid documentary of the conversations she “never had with my grandmothers”, it uses voice recordings of three mature women – Ana (68), Patricia (69) and Mayela (71) – embodied on screen by 65-year-old actor Sol Carballo.

The fourth annual Jakarta Film Week recently concluded, awarding top honors to Costa Rica’s “Memories of a Burning Body” for best global film and Indonesia’s “Yohanna” as best Indonesian feature. More than 140 films from 50 countries screened over the five-day festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Memories of a Burning Body,” directed by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, explored themes of female sexuality. It had previously won an audience award at the Berlin International Film Festival. “Yohanna,” directed by Razka Robby Ertanto, addressed the challenging issue of child labor and built on momentum from its premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival earlier this year.

This year’s event showcased emerging Indonesian cinema with its opening film “Goodbye, Farewell,” one of few Indonesian movies entirely filmed in South Korea. It drew notable industry figures like producer Kim Young-min and director Duong Dieu Linh to foster cultural exchange. The festival also expanded its industry programs,...

Antonella Sudasassi Furniss’ Memories Of A Burning Body and Razka Robby Ertanto’s Yohanna have won the best global feature and best Indonesian feature respectively at the 4th Jakarta Film Week (Jfw).

Female sexuality drama Memories Of A Burning Body by Costa Rica’s Furniss previously won the Panorama audience award when it premiered at the Berlinale while child labour drama Yohanna from Indonesia’s Ertanto first played Rotterdam earlier this year.

Jfw’s closing night (October 27) also marked the first public appearance of Indonesia’s new minister of culture Fadli Zon, who presented the awards of the pitching forum,...

“While progress has been made, gender equality in directing, screenwriting and producing is still slow, with women holding only 10-20% of these roles worldwide,” says Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) senior programmer Andrijana Cvetkovikj, when asked why the festival has introduced a Women’s Empowerment Section for the first time this year.

“This program is not just about celebrating women’s achievements but about creating an inclusive industry where more women can tell their stories. There’s still a long way to go, but this is a meaningful step in the right direction.”

TIFF, which was the first Asian film festival to sign the Collectif 50/50 charter promoting gender equality in the film industry, is working with Tokyo Metropolitan Government on the new section following their successful collaborations on filmmaking workshops and film education programmes for teens.

The new section will screen seven features programmed by Cvetkovikj; host a special screening of Doctor-x The Movie,...

Korean drama The Land Of Morning Calm and Myanmar feature Ma – Cry Of Silence have won the New Currents competition at the 29th Busan International Film Festival (Biff), which has confirmed it will shift to an earlier date in 2025.

The festival also revealed Rima Das’s Indian feature Village Rockstars 2 and Tom Lin’s Taiwan drama Yen And Ai-Lee as joint winners of the Kim Jiseok Award.

Scroll down for full list of winners

The Land Of Morning Calm marks the second feature of Korean filmmaker Park Ri-woong, whose received acclaim for his 2021 debut The Girl On A Bulldozer. His...

The Busan International Film Festival has revealed its award winners and confirmed earlier dates for 2025.

Park Ri-woong’s “The Land of Morning Calm” (Korea) and The Maw Naing’s “Ma – Cry of Silence”(Myanmar/Korea/Singapore/France/Norway/Qatar) shared the New Currents Award.

Rima Das’ “Village Rockstars 2” (India/Singapore) and Tom Lin Shu-Yu’s “Yen and Ai-Lee” (Taiwan) jointly claimed the Kim Jiseok Award for more experienced filmmakers.

“The Land of Morning Calm” impressed the jury with its “storytelling skills and ability for subtle emotional depth,” exploring personal struggles within a rural coastal community. “Ma – Cry of Silence” was recognized for its “courageous portrayal of resistance” to Myanmar’s political challenges. “The Land of Morning Calm” additionally secured the Kb New Currents Audience Award. The film also won the Netpac Award, which announced previously as part of the Busan Vision Awards.

The New Currents Award jury was led by...

The Land Of Morning Calm, from Korean director Park Ri-woong, and Ma Cry Of Silence, directed by Myanmar’s The Maw Naing, were presented with the New Currents Awards at the close of Busan International Film Festival (October 2-11).

The jury, headed by exiled Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, praised The Land Of Morning Calm, set among the inhabitants of a rural coastal community, for navigating “themes of economic uncertainty, loss, xenophobia, and societal prejudice, creating a narrative that never falters”.

The Land Of Morning Calm also won the Kb New Currents Audience Award and the Netpac Award.

Ma Cry of Silence, about a young Burmese woman who moves to the big city to work in a garment factory, was praised for “its courageous portrayal of resistance to historical and ongoing political challenges under Myanmar’s political junta”. The film was made as a co-production with Korea, Singapore, France, Norway and Qatar.

Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature is made difficult by the three-step process that begins after the October 2, 2024 deadline for countries to submit entries. To be part of the selection process for this category, which was called Best Foreign Language Film before 2020, requires a great deal of dedication. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best International Feature.)

In the days following the deadline for submissions, the academy determines each film’s eligibility. Then the several hundred academy members who serve on the International Feature screening committee are divided into groups and required to watch all their submissions over a six-week period that ends in early December. Their top 15 vote-getters will make it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists will be revealed on December 17, 2024.

These 15 films will be made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final...

The Tokyo International Film Festival revealed its full 2024 lineup on Wednesday, including its main competition program and the Asian Future section for emerging regional filmmakers, as well as the all-new Women’s Empowerment section, which highlights nine films directed by women or involving female-focussed stories.

Tokyo’s 15-title main competition reveals a preference for securing world premieres over previously shown titles by established festival names. There are eight world premieres in the section — including Big World and My Friend An Delie by China’s Yang Lina and Dong Zijian, respectively; Papa from Hong Kong’s Philip Yung; The Englishman’s Papers from Portugal’s Sergio Graciano; and three Japanese features, among others (see full lineup below). Additional highlights include the international premiere of Midi Z’s The Unseen Sister and Huang Xi’s recent Toronto Film Festival entry Daughter’s Daughter, starring Sylvia Chang.

As previously announced, the competition titles will...

France has selected Jacques Audiard’s bold musical “Emilia Perez” to represent the country in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film race, giving that category an instant frontrunner at the 97th Academy Awards.

The Netflix film, which caused a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival with its story of a Mexican drug lord undergoing sex reassignment surgery, is considered one of the year’s likeliest Best Picture nominees, making it a clear favorite in the international category as well.

It was chosen on Wednesday by a selection committee that had narrowed its choices to four: “Emilia Perez,” Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” Matthieu Delaporte’s “The Count of Monte Cristo” and Alain Guiraudie’s “Misericordia.”

Last year, that committee chose “The Taste of Things” over “Anatomy of a Fall,” going with a ravishing romance over an edgier drama that had won the top prize in Cannes. “The Taste of Things...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

The Busan International Film Festival will expand its screening program by some 8% in what it calls “an effort to maintain a scale befitting Asia’s top film festival.” This is despite a 50% cut in government financial support.

The festival will open on Oct. 2 with “Uprising,” a star-studded period drama from Netflix that was scripted and produced by Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) and directed by Kim Sang-man.

It will close on Oct. 11 with the Eric Khoo-directed “Spirit World,” which the Singaporean director shot in Japan with French icon Catherine Deneuve in the lead role.

“Uprising” involves a servant (played by Gang Dong-won) and his master, the som of a noble family with military connections. While they agree that the servant should be free, complications arise. The film also stars Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rock, Jin Sun-kyu and Jung Sung-il. “With Park Chan-wook’s signature humor oozing through the well-woven narrative, full of intense conflict and tension,...