News

The trial of Gerard Depardieu was as much farce as it was tragedy.

As France grapples with its own #MeToo moment and a parliamentary commission examines abuse and violence against women in the country’s arts industries, the country’s biggest film star appeared in a courtroom in Paris last week to face allegations he sexually assaulted two women on the set of the film Les Volets verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021.

The tragedy came from the women’s testimony — a set decorator who spoke of how Depardieu trapped her between his legs and groped her; an assistant director who detailed multiple occasions when the actor touched her breasts, buttocks and genitals. The farce came from Depardieu’s performance in court. In his testimony, the 76-year-old actor seemed to be performing a parody of toxic masculinity, admitting to shouting words like “Dick!” and “Pussy!” on set, “joking” that “it’s so hot in here,...

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...

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...

“Erratics,” featuring Denis Lavant, was awarded at IFFR’s co-production market CineMart. Directed by Thomas Woodroffe it tells the story of a ghost of a filmmaker, Lucien Castelnau, who, after a long time trapped in the glaciers of Patagonia, finally breaks free.

The film – produced by Bloques Erráticos and co-produced by La Belle Affaire Productions and Un Puma – was given the Eurimages New Lab Award – Outreach, and called “multilayered” by jurors Carole Kremer, Tupac Martir and Nelleke Driessen, as it explores “ghosts of the past and their relationship with the modern era, by questioning who is the owner of those memories.”

“Ghosts are a metaphor for memories. Something that happened in a place, still exists there,” Woodroffe told Variety, praising Lavant.

“He really cares about what his projects are about and not about the industry side of things. Despite being a well-known actor, he decided to work with us when...

Netflix's latest movie, Ad Vitam, includes a small ensemble of talented French actors. Directed by Rodolphe Lauga, the Netflix international movie is currently the number one non-English film on the streaming platform. Ad Vitam follows Franck, a former member of the elite French tactical police, the Gign, as he is forced to delve into his past after his pregnant wife is kidnapped. While Ad Vitam uses a similar plotline that several films in the genre employ, it sets itself apart with its action and incredible performances from its cast.

Since most of the actors in Ad Vitam are French, they might not be familiar to an American audience, but they've featured in several French movies and TV Shows. The Netflix action movie is engaging from start to finish, with an intense storyline that makes audiences root for the primary protagonist. Although there's a lot to like about Ad Vitam,...

Both features will form part of Paris-based mk2 films’ line-up at Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris event this week.

mk2 films, the sales outfit behind Anatomy Of A Fall and How To Have Sex, has acquired Jonathan Millet’s thriller Ghost Trail and Laetitia Dosch’s high-concept comedy Who Let the Dog Bite? ahead of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema that opens tomorrow in Paris.

Inspired by real-life events, Ghost Trail is about a Syrian man pursuing some of the people who perpetrated horrors in the name of the regime during the civil war. His mission takes him to France...

Federation Studios, the Paris-based indie production and sales outfit behind popular French series “The Bureau,” is preparing to hit the sales block, Variety has confirmed.

Federation Studios has started discussions with investment banks in recent weeks for an advisor role, according to Reuters, which was first to report the news and said the banner could be valued at over €500 million ($535 million).

The company, which was founded by industry veteran Pascal Breton, indeed started these preliminary talks with financial advisors months ago and is looking sell to large chunk of the outfit, if not a majority stake, according to sources. The sales process could be launched during the first half of 2024. Federation Studios declined to comment on the reports.

Federation Studios previously ramped up its international business with the backing of Montefiore Investment, a French private equity firm which invested €50 million into the outfit in 2021. Several companies are already potentially interested in the asset.

Marco Chimenz, Co-CEO of Italy’s Cattleya the prominent ITV-owned outfit behind “Gomorrah” and “ZeroZeroZero,” will be leaving the company in January to join pan-European powerhouse Federation Studios.

At Federation Chimenz will serve as group co-managing director of the expanding production and distribution studio that currently comprises 35 production companies, working closely with founder and CEO Pascal Breton and Federation co-director Lionel Uzan.

Founded in 2013, Federation is a production, financing and distribution studio with subsidiaries and associate production companies based in Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Cologne, London, Brussels and Tel Aviv. The group’s best-known titles include “The Bureau,” “In Treatment,” “Baby,” “Hostages,” “Marseille,” “Bad Banks,” “Your Honor,” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”

Chimenz will continue to work with Cattleya’s Spanish affiliate on several productions until 2025. He will also continue to operate with longtime collaborator Joshua Berman, who is currently head of business affairs at Cattleya.

The accusations span the production of projects including Netflix series Marseille, period biopics L’Autre Dumas and La Vie En Rose and French comedy Disco.

French actor Gerard Depardieu has been accused of sexual misconduct by 13 women in an extensive report from Paris-based investigative news website Mediapart.

Depardieu has denied any wrongdoing through his legal team and has not been formally charged following the accusations.

Mediapart reported the accusations of actresses, make-up artists and production staff, many of whom preferred to remain anonymous. Their accusations detail inappropriate behaviour that allegedly occurred during the shooting of 11 films released between 2004 and 2022.

The...

Gérard Depardieu is facing fresh allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour by 13 women.

The accusations have emerged after a months-long investigation into the French film star, known for his appearances in Paris, je t’aime and Jean de Florette.

The French investigative news website Médiapart has reported numerous cases of groping, obscene comments and inappropriate acts by Depardieu on film and TV sets between 2004 and 2022, including on the French comedy Big House, the period biopic Dumas and Netflix crime show Marseille.

The Independent has contacted representatives of Depardieu for comment, though they have declined to comment on the Médiapart story.

Depardieu has denied any criminal behaviour through his Paris-based law firm Cabinet Temime. The company said some of the allegations in the report seem to be based on “very subjective assessments and/or moral judgments”.

Médiapart reported that the accusations against Depardieu involve unwanted touching and groping of young female stars,...

Acclaimed French actor Gérard Depardieu faces allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by 13 women who spoke to the French investigative news website Médiapart. Médiapart published its report on Wednesday, April 12, which details accusations linked to several films and series between 2004 and 2022, including the comedy Big House, the period biopic Dumas, and the Netflix crime series Marseille. The accusations include cases of groping, obscene comments, and inappropriate acts while on set. Depardieu’s lawyers at the Paris-based law firm Cabinet Temime said the actor denies any criminal behavior and also stated that the Médiapart report appears to be based on “very subjective assessments and/or moral judgments.” Médiapart said that the report was the result of a months-long investigation, in which they spoke to 13 women and contacted 20 producers and directors involved in the productions where the incidents are said to have taken place. Of those 20 contacted, 11 responded, with all but one saying...

An extensive investigation by Mediapart details allegations of on-set actions by the actor – who denies criminal behaviour – between 2004 and 2022

A new investigation has alleged multiple incidents of sexually inappropriate behaviour by the actor Gérard Depardieu. French investigative website Mediapart published on Wednesday the results of a months-long examination of Depardieu’s on-set actions over an almost-20 year period, ending last year.

The report, which features testimony from 13 women, alleges multiple incidences of obscene comments, groping and inappropriate acts by Depardieu on high-profile TV and film sets, including Netflix series Marseille, period biopic Dumas and the comedy Big House.

Gérard Depardieu faces fresh allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by 13 women who spoke to French investigative news website Médiapart as part of a months-long investigation into the French film star.

The Médiapart report, published on Wednesday, details numerous cases of groping, obscene comments and inappropriate acts by Depardieu on film and TV sets between 2004 and 2022, including on the French comedy Big House, the period biopic Dumas and Netflix crime series Marseille.

Depardieu declined to comment for the story but, through his Paris-based law firm Cabinet Temime has denied any criminal behavior. The firm said some of the accounts in the Médiapart report appear to be based on “very subjective assessments and/or moral judgments.”

As reported by Médiapart, Depardieu’s behavior followed a common pattern, involving unwanted touching and groping of young actresses, make-up artists or technical staff, as well as obscene sexual remarks and “persistent groaning noises.” In most cases,...

French actor Gérard Depardieu has been accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by 13 women in an in-depth report published by the French investigative news website Médiapart.

Médiapart said the accusations were linked to eleven films and series between 2004 – 2022. The productions included the comedy Big House, bio-pic Dumas and Netflix crime series Marseille.

Depardieu’s lawyers at Paris-based law firm Cabinet Temime said some of the accounts appeared to be based on “very subjective assessments and/or moral judgments”.

“He formally denies all the charges likely to fall under criminal law,” the cabinet said in a statement issued on Depardieu’s behalf to Médiapart.

Deadline has also contacted Cabinet Temime for further comment.

A number of the directors and producers involved in the productions cited in the report also put out statements denying any knowledge of Depardieu’s actions.

Médiapart said the findings were the fruit of an investigation lasting several months,...

“Music,” Angela Schanelec’s German drama, has been bought by Cinema Guild for North

American distribution following its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

Cinema Guild will release the film in theaters following its North American festival premiere later this year. The film tells the story of a a pair of wayward young people who abandon their

newborn child on a stormy night in the mountains of Greece. Taken in by a family of farmers, Jon grows up without knowing his father or mother. Years later, after a tragic accident, he is sent to prison, where he meets Iro. The two form a connection, expressed through music, that will, by turns, haunt them and uphold them the rest of their days. Freely inspired by the story of Oedipus, Schanelec’s latest is as terrifying as myth and as gentle as a folk song.

“With Music, Angela Schanelec continues to...

Angela Schanelec’s “Music,” which will have its world premiere on Feb. 21 in competition at the Berlinale, has debuted its trailer with Variety. The film, which stars Aliocha Schneider and Agathe Bonitzer, is freely inspired by the myth of Oedipus. International sales are handled by Shellac.

Found at birth abandoned on a stormy night in the Greek mountains, Jon is taken in and adopted, without having known his father or mother.

As a young man, he meets Iro, a warden in the prison where he is incarcerated after a deadly tragic accident. She seems to seek out his presence, takes care of him, records music for him.

Jon’s eyesight begins to fail… From then on, for every loss he suffers, he will gain something in return. Thus, in spite of going blind, he will live his life more fully than ever.

Asked what led to her decision to deal with the Oedipus myth,...

Tunis-set police thriller revolves around the discovery of a series of badly burned corpses on a building site.

Screen can reveal the first trailer for Tunisian director Youssef Chebbi’s edgy police thriller Ashkal ahead of its world premiere in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight this month.

The drama unfolds against the backdrop of an unfinished new neighbourhood called the Gardens Of Carthage on the outskirts of Tunis, the construction of which stalled due to the 2011 revolution.

As building work starts up, a series of badly burned bodies begin turning up on the site. Local police officers Fatma and Batal are assigned to investigate.

Marrakech International Film Festival’s project incubator showcased 15 projects in development and nine projects.

Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother Of All Lies and Tunisian-French director Erige Sehiri’s Under The Fig Trees have won the top post-production prizes at the Marrakech International Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops talent and project incubator.

The films were among 15 projects in development and nine projects in post-production presented in the fourth edition of the workshops, running online from November 22 to 25 and attended by more than 300 international film professionals.

The post-production jury comprised Nuha Eltayeb, director of content acquisitions for the Middle East,...

Laïla Marrakchi talks Atlas Workshops strawberry picker drama ‘La Más Dulce’

Moroccan director Laïla Marrakchi broke out internationally in 2005 with debut feature and Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Marock, a Casablanca-set love story between a Jewish boy and Muslim girl, which she followed with the 2013 female-focused family drama Rock The Casbah.

The Paris-based, Casablanca- born director has not made a feature film in seven years, however, having become caught up in the high-end drama boom, taking directing credits on French language series Marseille, The Bureau, The Eddy and most recently L’Opera, set against France’s iconic Le Garnier Opera house.

Exclusive: Pascal Breton and Lionel Uzan’s Federation Entertainment, the production company behind Canal Plus’ cult spy series The Bureau, is extending its reach to the UK. The prolific indie player is partnering with former eOne Head of Scripted Polly Williams and former eOne VP of Scripted Arielle Gottlieb to launch a new London-based production outfit. The company has yet to be named.

Williams, who will join as Managing Director, and Gottlieb, who will join as Creative Director, will focus on working with premium drama creators to create ambitious English-language content for a global audience. The duo will also aim to bring more female-led content to the Federation slate.

The new venture currently has a slate of high-profile projects currently in development, which are expected to be announced shortly. The company will develop, produce and invest in drama for TV and film and says it will offer flexibility for creators...

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we take a deep dive into Federation Entertainment, the production-sales studio behind Canal Plus’ hit series The Bureau and Netflix Italian hit Baby. Founder Pascal Breton and CEO Lionel Uzan give us the lowdown on the company’s ambitions and why now is the perfect time to be in the game of creating pan-European content.

When French producer Pascal Breton launched Federation Entertainment in 2014, the veteran television executive had a hunch that the international production and distribution landscape was on the precipice of great change. The year before, he stepped down as CEO of Marathon Entertainment after 23 years, because the old model “was no longer exciting for producers.” Federation, he vowed, would anticipate market changes and respond accordingly with...

Participant and French sales agent MK2 Films have teamed up to jointly represent worldwide rights to Rahul Jain’s documentary feature “Invisible Demons.” The feature film will have its world premiere at Cannes in the cinema for the climate special section.

In “Invisible Demons,” Jain explores the dramatic consequences of India’s growing economy and what it means on the broader world stage.

Using Jain’s experimental style and strong visuals, the documentary zooms in on the situation in New Delhi, where climate change is impacting the daily lives and health of 30 million locals.

Set for July 12, the premiere will mark the Cannes debut of Jain, a rising filmmaking who made his critically acclaimed debut feature with “Machines,” which won Sundance’s best cinematography award in 2017. “Machines” went on to nab 17 international awards at more than 160 festivals.

Rob Williams, Participant’s VP of content sales, and Fionnuala Jamison, MK2 Films’ MD,...

Paris and Los Angeles-based Federation Entertainment has acquired the TV format and remake rights to Alejandro Amenábar’s debut feature, “Thesis.” It’s a prime example of the value of key older movie titles from standout younger foreign-language auteurs.

Producer of “The Bureau,” “Marseille,” “Bad Banks” and “Hostages,” Federation Entertainment will produce a drama series based on the film along with Raphaël Rocher at Empreinte Digitale, a company with a strong line in genre and sci-fi which produced “Missions,” a TV Critics Award winner at the 2017 MipDrama Screenings.

Federation Entertainment’s Lionel Uzan is understood to have clinched the remake rights in a competitive bidding situation from Guido Rud’s FilmSharks-owned the Remake Co. and Enrique Cerezo’s Video Mercury.

The move opens up a whole new front for rights-holders to exploit the commercial and artistic value of past movies. Further movie-to-series deals in the Spanish-speaking world look set to...

Above: I Was At Home, But...In some sense, Angela Schanelec has been doing the same thing for 30 years. Even before she completed her thesis project, I Stayed in Berlin All Summer (1993), she was making movies according to her own inimitable design. As far back as 1991’s Beautiful Yellow Color, which runs just 5 short minutes, the now-familiar Schanelec system appears already operational: the compositions will be stable and severe; the cutting will be swift and hard; and the narrative—or what remains of it—will lie somewhere in the breach, between the two. These principles continue to shape Schanelec’s work to the present day, and, under her direction, constitute a more or less exhaustive formal approach. It’s perfectly logical, then, that we might take Schanelec to be the kind of artist who, with preternatural assurance, etches a roadmap for herself at the outset, and whose career traces a pre-established arc of concentration,...

Arnaud Ducret, Géraldine Pailhas, Stéphane de Groodt and Alison Wheeler star in the cast of this Les Films du Cap and Mm Films production, sold by Other Angle. Filming came to an end on 23 December for Tendre et saignant, Christopher Thompson’s second feature film as a director following his initial Bus Palladium (which earned two César nominations in the categories of Male Newcomer and Musical Score in 2011). Standing tall in lead roles are Arnaud Ducret and Géraldine Pailhas, among others, as well as the series Marseille), who are flanked by Belgium’s Stéphane de...

Erin White (Photo credit: Vicki Jones).

Essential Media Group (Emg) is in advanced development on a cold case murder mystery created by writer-director Erin White – Emg’s first drama since the sale of its scripted division to Fremantle.

Set in Australia in 1992 and the present, the eight-part drama entitled Aftermath will be a co-production between Emg and French studio Federation Entertainment.

The show is being pitched to international networks and platforms at C21’s Content London this week with the aim of going into production next year, produced by Emg’s VP of scripted Michelle Hardy.

The project was developed by White and Hardy’s production company Hardy White Pictures, which has a development deal with Essential, under a Screen Australia Gender Matters grant.

The plot follows two estranged high-school best friends as they reunite to pursue the truth surrounding the murder of their art teacher 28 years earlier.

White conceived the idea two years ago,...

Italy’s Mediaset and Lucisano Media Group have teamed up with France’s Federation Entertainment on a TV series for the international market titled “Sienna,” centering on a multi-billion-dollar banking scandal that rocked the world oldest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

The skein, which combines financial thriller and historical saga elements, is a further indication of a shift at Mediaset, Italy’s top commercial network, towards commissioning TV dramas that aspire to travel. The linear broadcaster has recently announced another drama series with international ambitions, “Don Masino,” about Cosa Nostra’s first high-ranking turncoat. The company also pacted with Netflix last week on a slate of Italian movies that the streaming giant will play around the world.

Federation Entertainment, a leading player in international drama and kids’ entertainment and the company behind Netflix’s first French original series, “Marseille,” has been developing close ties with Italy lately. Last year...

“To carry a secret is a great thing,” says Gabriel Byrne, reflecting on his latest role. “You never have to show the secret, because the audience knows it… and they’ll do the work for you in that situation.”

The actor was doing press rounds for a new, and very loose adaptation of “War of the Worlds,” from Urban Myth, Canal Plus, Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa, Agc Television, and Studiocanal – a powerful combination – which updates H.G. Wells’ alien invasion novel by grounding the story in the here-and-now and by focusing more on character than on spectacle.

Functioning instead as a survival thriller set in both England and France, the eight-episode series follows a diverse group living in the aftermath of a cataclysmic attack that has wiped out most life on Earth.

Written and created by BAFTA winner Howard Overman (“Misfits”) and produced by Urban Myth Films, the sci-fi...

When Netflix bowed in France in late 2004, industry insiders predicted the U.S. streaming service would struggle to get access to local producers, talent and ultimately content, because of pre-existing relationships with French TV networks and the pay TV group Canal Plus.

Five years later, Netflix is about to launch a fully staffed office in Paris. It has also become one of the world’s biggest purveyors of French TV projects, not only through acquisitions but also with original series ranging from the political thriller “Marseille” to the romantic comedy “Plan Coeur,” and from the sci-fi drama “Osmosis” to the comedy “Family Business” and most recently the horror show “Marianne.” This year, Netflix also started collaborating with French broadcasters on ambitious big-budget shows, such as “The Bazar de la Charité” with TF1.

Boasting distribution deals with every French telco group — Orange, Bouygues, Free and Sfr — Netflix now has an estimated 6.5 million subscribers in France.

Paris prosecutors have announced that they are dropping their rape investigation into actor Gerard Depardieu.

They said Tuesday that there was not evidence to back up the allegations made by a young actress who accused Depardieu of assaulting her last August. “The several investigations conducted…didn’t yield proof of the offense,” the prosecutors said in a statement.

The 22-year-old woman, who was reportedly a student at a school where Depardieu was teaching, alleged that he raped her at his Paris home on two occasions, on Aug. 6 and Aug. 13, 2018, when she was there to rehearse for a play.

At the time, Depardieu’s lawyer, Hervé Témime, told French media that Depardieu was “shaken by this complaint” and strongly denied “any assault, rape, or any criminal act.”

Depardieu stars in Netflix’s French original “Marseille” and earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1990 film “Cyrano de Bergerac.” He also...

As it prepares to launch a fully staffed Paris office and beefs up its roster of French series and movies originals, Netflix commissioners Sara May, Damien Couvreur, Dominique Bazay and Diego Buñuel discussed the particularities of their development process and deal-making with the French industry, as well as their diversity-friendly approach, at Series Mania.

Although France has presented many challenges for Netflix because of its strict window release schedule (which sets the Svod window at 36 months) and protests from film bodies, the French market has now become one of the fastest-growing for the streaming service, which currently boasts more than 5 million subscribers locally.

Netflix has nearly 20 French originals in the pipeline. So far, it has delivered a couple films, including “Je ne suis pas un homme facile” and “Paris est à Nous,” and three series: political drama “Marseille,” with Gerard Depardieu; romantic comedy “Plan Coeur”; and the science-fiction series “Osmosis,...

If movies and TV are any indication, the future of online dating is very bleak. The streaming service that brought you the “Hang the DJ” episode of “Black Mirror” (which ended up being surprisingly hopeful!) is back with a story about how science and true love maybe weren’t meant to be mixed at all. The French series “Osmosis,” which premieres next month on Netflix, follows a group of participants in a new dating service that uses brainwaves to guarantee finding a soulmate. Some are eager participants, while others remain a little skeptical that a pill and a spot of time in a hallucination dome can bring about magical true love. But, as these things tend to do, it looks like the people in this trial end up giving a little bit more than their personal data when this effort starts to fall apart.

Series creator Audrey Fouché previously worked...

French actress-turned-director Nicole Garcia is set to direct “Lisa Redler” (working title), a drama starring Stacy Martin. France Television Distribution has come on board to handle international sales on “Lisa Redler.”

Produced by Les Films Pelléas and Mars Films, “Lisa Redler” is set in Paris and follows Lisa, who, while on vacation with her husband, rekindles a passionate affair with her ex-boyfriend. But that may lead to murder.

Martin stars with Benoit Magimel (“Marseille”) and Pierre Niney (“Yves Saint Laurent”). France Television Distribution is kicking off pre-sales at the European Film Market.

“Lisa Redler” marks Garcia’s follow up to “From the Land of the Moon,” which starred Marion Cotillard and competed at the Cannes Film Festival.

France Televisions is also selling Andre Techine’s “Farewell to the Night” with Catherine Deneuve, Kacey Mottet Klein and Oulaya Amamra, which is playing at the festival out of competition.

The film, produced by Curiosa Films,...

The film is directed by Angela Schanelec.

Deutsche Kinemathek has boarded world sales on Angela Schanelec’s I Was At Home, But… , which is making its world premiere in Competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival (Febuary 7-17).

Berlin-based Deutsche Kinemathek is principally a film archive, but it also occasionally handles sales for select German titles.

German director Schanelec’s previous films include Un Certain Regard titles Places In Cities (1998) and Marseille (2004), Berlin title Orly (2010) and Cannes special screening Bridges Of Sarajevo (2014).

I Was At Home, But… is about a 13-year-old schoolboy who vanishes without a trace for a week.

Indie veteran will continue to develop film projects through his Picture Perfect.

Indie sales veteran and former Lionsgate film co-chairman Patrick Wachsberger is getting into television, forming a Los Angeles-based joint venture with France’s Federation Entertainment to develop and produce premium TV series for the Us and international co-production.

Wachsberger will work on the joint venture, labeled Picture Perfect Federation and expected to focus mainly on English-language projects, with Ashley Stern, head of Us television for Paris-based Federation, best known as producer of French-language Netflix drama series Marseille.

Wachsberger is reportedly in the process of optioning a series of...

Patrick Wachsberger, the former co-chairman of Lionsgate who recently created Picture Perfect Entertainment, is joining forces with France’s Federation Entertainment to launch a new TV production company called Picture Perfect Federation.

The banner will be dedicated to the development and production of premium TV series for the U.S., as well as international co-productions. Wachsberger and Ashley Stern, Federation’s head of U.S. television, will be based in Los Angeles representing the newly formed venture.

“Patrick Wachsberger has long been a game-changer in the market. And we at Federation have also intensely ‘disrupted’ the status quo by attracting and associating the best European talent to our independent studio,” said Pascal Breton, the founder of Federation Entertainment.

Federation is the producer of “Marseille,” “The Bureau” and “The Collection,” among other series.

Wachsberger said that “after starting the original Summit in 1993 and its ultimate sale to Lionsgate in 2012,” he had...

Former Lionsgate co-chair Patrick Wachsberger and Federation Entertainment, the French producer behind Marseille, are joining forces to create an L.A.-based production powerhouse Picture Perfect Federation.

Wachsberger's Picture Perfect and the Paris-based Federation, headed by Pascal Breton and Lionel Uzan, will form a joint venture to focus on TV development and production for the U.S.

Wachsberger was at the helm of Lionsgate Motion Picture group, and behind the development of Twilight and La La Land, among other hit films.

Federation was behind Netflix's first French series, the political thriller Marseille starring Gerard Depardieu, and has quickly expanded its ...

New films by Francois Ozon, Fatih Akin and Denis Cote are among the titles that will compete for the Golden Bear at the upcoming Berlin Film Festival.

German director Akin’s “Der Goldene Handschuh” (“The Golden Glove”) and French helmer Ozon’s “Grâce à dieu” (“By the Grace of God”) were announced by the Berlinale in its first batch of competition films Thursday. Akin won the Golden Bear in 2004 with “Head-On.”

The lineup also includes “Der Boden unter den Fuessen” (“The Ground Beneath My Feet”) by Austrian director Marie Kreutzer; “Répertoire des villes disparues” (“Ghost Town Anthology”) by Canadian director Cote; “Ich war zuhause, aber” by German director Angela Schanelec; and “Kız Kardeşler” (“A Tale of Three Sisters”) by Turkish helmer Emin Alper.

All six competition films unveiled Thursday will have their world premieres in Berlin with the exception of “By the Grace of God,” which gets its international premiere at the festival.

High-profile Paris-based Moroccan filmmaker Laila Marrakchi is partnering up with Backup Films (“Donnybrook”) and Alexandre Aja (“The Hills Have Eyes”) on “My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece,” her long-gestating English-language project based on Annabel Pitcher’s bestselling novel.

The book has been translated into more than 20 languages and has earned many prizes including the Royal Society of Authors’ Betty Trask nod and the Hull Children’s book of the year. Marrakchi is writing the script with British writer Amber Trentham (“Rhapsody in Blueberry”). The pair is working on the final draft and has incorporated new elements, such as Brexit, into the storyline. The British Film Institute has just come on board to support the project.

The film will revolve around a 10-year-old boy whose sister was killed in a terrorist attack in London when he was 5 years old and has been raised by his father who has become Islamophobic. When...

Italy’s Lucisano Media Group and Pascal Breton’s Paris-based Federation Entertainment have signed a deal to co-develop and co-produce a high-end TV series based on U.S. author Glenn Cooper’s “Library of the Dead” trilogy of thrillers.

The partnership to adapt these global bestsellers is being touted by Lucisano Group, which is among Italy’s oldest producers of film and TV genre content, as “an important step” towards becoming more international, the company said in a statement. Lucisano’s English-language releases include “Drive” by Nicolas Winding Refn, with whom it is developing a previously announced TV series “Les Italiens.”

The “Library of the Dead” trilogy features a New York-based FBI agent named Will Piper and involves a library situated under an ancient monastery where deadly secrets are concealed. Cooper’s books have been translated into 31 languages and sold over 6 million copies worldwide, and are particularly popular in Italy.

Federation, Pascal Breton’s Paris-based company which has just raised $18.4 million to expand its footprint, has signed a joint distribution agreement with leading independent production banner Elephant.

Created by Emmanuel Chain and Thierry Bizot, Elephant is the company behind French drama hits such as “Desperate Parents,” “Killer by the Lake” and WorkinGirls.”

The partnership with Federation will allow Elephant to develop shows for the global market, tapping into Federation’s experience working with international talents, co-producers, broadcasters and streaming services.

Elephant recently hired Sandra Ouaiss, a former high-ranking executive from Newen, to came on board as executive producer and head of international.

With offices in Paris and Los Angeles, Federation Entertainment is one of the market’s most dynamic independent distributors, boasting international drama hits such as “The Bureau,” “Bad Banks,” “Hostages,” “Marseille” and “Find me in Paris.”

“When it comes to bringing together indie European talents, what better partners...

Pascal Breton’s Federation Entertainment, the Paris-based production and distribution firm whose credits include “The Bureau” (pictured), “Marseille” and “Find Me in Paris,” has raised 16 million Euros ($18.4 million) as it plans to expand globally and diversify.

The minority funding round was made with the financial institutions Bpifrance, BNP Paribas Développement, Amundi Private Equity Funds, Alliance Entreprendre and Entrepreneur Venture.

Under the helm of its founder and CEO Pascal Breton, and his partners, Lionel Uzan, David Michel, Serge Hayat and Stéphane Sperry, the thriving independent company is active in the drama, kids & family and light entertainment genres. The banner has offices in Paris and Los Angeles, and works with a wide range of streamers and networks.

Breton, who remains a majority shareholder in Federation Entertainment, said the new investors were a “consortium of solid, cohesive companies close to the audiovisual sector.”

“After having put in place a number of innovative financing tools for production and distribution,...

Pascal Breton's Federation Entertainment, the French production house behind Netflix's Marseille, has raised $18.4 million in funding.

With offices in Paris and Los Angeles, the five-year-old Federation is seeking to grow its international footprint with particular focus on the U.S. and English-language market, where it is eyeing potential acquisitions.

Breton's Federation is also behind Amazon Prime's The Bureau and Hulu's Find Me in Paris. Plus, the company has Ryan Engle's Ibiza and Jaume Collet Serra's Banker's Wife in the pipeline.

The new round of cash comes just after Federation acquired former Shine ...

CEO Reed Hastings spoke on the French set of ’Osmosis’

Netflix has confirmed a further push into France, with the opening of a new office in Paris next year, as well as investment in three new French-language drama series and the acquisition of another four local productions.

CEO Reed Hastings made the announcement to journalists on the set of the sci-fi drama series Osmosis in France on Thursday (Sept 27).

He said the new Paris outpost would initially employ some 20 people. It is the company’s third European operation, after its regional headquarters in Amsterdam and London offices. The latter is...

Exclusive: Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) is set to star in and executive produce The Banker’s Wife, a high stakes international thriller drama series based on Cristina Alger’s book. The project, from Federation Entertainment (Marseille) and producer Sherry Marsh (Pose), also has brought on board top TV writer-creator Meredith Stiehm and top TV director Lesli Linka Glatter.

Stiehm will adapt the novel and executive produce, Glatter will direct and executive produce. The two reunite after working together on Showtime’s Homeland where Stiehm was an executive producer and Glatter is currently an executive producer.

Federation Entertainment, based in the U.S. and France, recently optioned The Banker’s Wife, which was released in early July by Putnam, and teamed with Pose and Vikings exec producer Marsh to develop a drama based on the novel.

Federation Entertainment’s boss Pascal Breton and U.S. chief Ashley Stern will...

A woman in her early 20s has accused 69-year old Gerard Depardieu of rape on two occasions. The first allegedly occurred on August 6th, and then the second on August 13th of this year. Depardieu denies all allegations. French officials have announced that an investigation has been launched after the unnamed woman told police that she was raped by Depardieu in his home in Paris. The woman was reportedly getting professional guidance for work on an upcoming play from the actor when the incidents occurred.

Gerard Depardieu's lawyer, Herve Temime, says that his client strongly denies the sexual assault allegations and states that his client, "is shaken by this complaint... and is absolutely contesting any assault, rape, or any criminal act." Depardieu is the second French film industry member to be accused of sexual assault in the past several months. Director Luc Besson is still under investigation for allegedly raping actress Sand Van Roy.

22-year-old actress makes claim against 69-year-old.

French actor Gérard Depardieu has been accused of rape and sexual assault by an unnamed 22-year-old actress, according to various news agencies.

Afp has since reported that Depardieu’s lawyer says the actor “absolutely denies any attack, any rape”.

The allegations concern an incident that is said to have taken place this month at a property in Paris owned by Depardieu.

The claim was made to police in Lambesc, southern France, and the case has now been passed to prosecutors in the French capital, says the BBC.

Depardieu is the Oscar-nominated star of Cyrano de Bergerac,...

Gérard Depardieu has been accused of rape by a 22-year-old French actress, judicial sources confirm (via BBC News). French news channel Bfm reports the accusation against the 69-year-old actor was made on Monday.

The unnamed actress alleges Depardieu raped her at one of his Paris homes this month. The two allegedly knew each other before the reported crime took place. Bfm reports the woman was studying at a school where Depardieu gives classes (via Variety). Depardieu’s lawyer released a statement saying the actor denies the accusation “absolutely.” The assault was first reported to police in Lambesc, France, after which it was passed to prosecutors in the capital.

Depardieu is a wildly prolific French actor, having starred in over 150 movies since his film debut in 1972. The actor recently appeared in the television series “Marseille,” which streamed on Netflix, and appeared in the films “The End” and “Tour de France.” Depardieu...

Gerard Depardieu has been accused of sexual assault and rape by a 22-year-old actress who filed a complaint on Aug. 27, according to French news channel BFM.

The unnamed actress is accusing Depardieu of having assaulted and raped her at his Paris home on two occasions, on Aug. 6 and Aug. 13.

A preliminary investigation has been launched. The young woman was studying at a school where Depardieu is teaching, according to BFM. The pair was meeting at Depardieu’s home to rehearse for a play.

Depardieu’s lawyer, Hervé Témime, told BFM that his client strongly denied the allegations. “Gerard Depardieu is shaken by this complaint … and is absolutely contesting any assault, rape, or any criminal act.”

Depardieu is the second major French film industry figure to be accused of sexual assault, following prominent French director Luc Besson.

Depardieu stars in Netflix’s French series “Marseille.”

More to come.

The Prosecutors Office in Paris has opened a preliminary inquiry into Oscar-nominated French actor Gérard Depardieu after a complaint was filed by a 22-year-old actress alleging that he sexually assaulted and raped her this month at one of his homes in Paris. The news is just breaking in France via national news service FranceInfo.

According to the news service, the unidentified actress filed a complaint Monday claiming rape and sexual assault. The public prosecutor’s office in Aix-en-Provence, where the original complaint was filed, forwarded the case to the Paris-based territorial brigade of the National Gendarmerie.

Depardieu’s lawyer told Agence France Presse that the actor “absolutely denies any attack, any rape.” “I regret the public nature of this process which poses a major prejudice to Gerard Depardieu, whose innocence I am convinced will be recognized,” attorney Herve Termime told Afp.

One of France’s most famous actors, Depardieu was...