"I wanted to do network television," Fran Drescher says of her return to broadcast TV in NBC's Indebted. The actress, who is such a singular archetype that she typically plays characters named Fran, had been in the beginning stages of developing a new project for herself when her manager mentioned that the Sony-produced sitcom was currently looking for a "Fran Drescher type."
A few phone calls later, and the TV veteran was reading alongside star Adam Pally for her first series regular role since her TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced ended in 2013. This time, though, she ...
A few phone calls later, and the TV veteran was reading alongside star Adam Pally for her first series regular role since her TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced ended in 2013. This time, though, she ...
Mexico City — In what is already an extraordinary year for Mexican filmmaking, Piano, the Mexico City-based production-distribution house, has boarded “Memoria,” from Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul who dazzled the Cannes Festival in 2010 with Palme d-Or winner “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.”
The move comes after Piano, founded by Julio Chavezmontes and Sebastián Hofmann, has also pacted to co-produce Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Bergman Island.” Coming in a year when Guillermo del Toro won the best picture Academy Award and Alfonso Cuarón the Venice Festival’s Golden Lion, Piano’s two co-production accords underscore another way that Mexican filmmakers are making an impact on the world stage – joining a highly select clutch of production houses who support the most robust and original directorial voices from around the globe.
That is far more than a commercial play for foreign markets. “We see ourselves as part of an international community of filmmakers that believes in openness,...
The move comes after Piano, founded by Julio Chavezmontes and Sebastián Hofmann, has also pacted to co-produce Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Bergman Island.” Coming in a year when Guillermo del Toro won the best picture Academy Award and Alfonso Cuarón the Venice Festival’s Golden Lion, Piano’s two co-production accords underscore another way that Mexican filmmakers are making an impact on the world stage – joining a highly select clutch of production houses who support the most robust and original directorial voices from around the globe.
That is far more than a commercial play for foreign markets. “We see ourselves as part of an international community of filmmakers that believes in openness,...
- 11/6/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Monday night at the Tribeca Film Festival belonged to lovers of Patti Smith. Bruce Springsteen was a surprise guest at the Beacon Theater as Smith tore through a short set following the world premiere of Steve Sebring’s documentary “Horses: Patti Smith and her Band.”
The docu chronicles Smith’s 2015 and 2016 tour marking the 40th anniversary of her landmark album “Horses.”
As soon as the film ended, the curtain rose on Smith and her ensemble, which included longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye. They delivered a rousing hour of tunes, including “Dancing Barefoot,” “Land,” “Gloria,” and the Buffalo Springfield chestnut “For What It’s Worth.” She dedicated the latter song to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Fla., who have become gun control activists in the wake of the mass shooting that left 17 dead in February.
“We are moving to a new time and I look at young people to lead us,...
The docu chronicles Smith’s 2015 and 2016 tour marking the 40th anniversary of her landmark album “Horses.”
As soon as the film ended, the curtain rose on Smith and her ensemble, which included longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye. They delivered a rousing hour of tunes, including “Dancing Barefoot,” “Land,” “Gloria,” and the Buffalo Springfield chestnut “For What It’s Worth.” She dedicated the latter song to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Fla., who have become gun control activists in the wake of the mass shooting that left 17 dead in February.
“We are moving to a new time and I look at young people to lead us,...
- 4/24/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Director Stephen Sebring will premiere his second documentary about punk icon Patti Smith tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival. “Horses: Patti Smith and Her Band” bows at New York City’s Beacon Theatre as one of the festival’s special screenings. A decade ago, Sebring’s feature debut, “Patti Smith: Dream of Life,” picked up a cinematography award out of Sundance before earning a Primetime Emmy nomination following its PBS “P.O.V.” broadcast.
Executive produced by Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine, “Horses: Patti Smith and Her Band” captures one of the final concerts of the 40th-anniversary tour celebrating Smith’s first album, “Horses.” The venue was Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater, in January 2015. In the trailer, posted Monday and filmed in a muted palette consisting of much black-and-white footage, Smith growls her song “Land.” She is also seen brushing her teeth before showtime, hopping around onstage, and whipping imaginary stallions during that song’s chorus.
Executive produced by Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine, “Horses: Patti Smith and Her Band” captures one of the final concerts of the 40th-anniversary tour celebrating Smith’s first album, “Horses.” The venue was Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater, in January 2015. In the trailer, posted Monday and filmed in a muted palette consisting of much black-and-white footage, Smith growls her song “Land.” She is also seen brushing her teeth before showtime, hopping around onstage, and whipping imaginary stallions during that song’s chorus.
- 4/23/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Exclusive: French outfit also scores sales on The Teacher and The Third Wave.
French sales company Bac Films is reporting strong interest for French director Léa Mysius’s debut feature Ava [pictured], which premiered to packed theatres in Critics’ Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The title has sold to Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), China (Lemon Tree), Taiwan (Catchplay), Switzerland (Praesens), and Turkey (Filmarti).
Bac sales chief Gilles Sousa said there was strong interest from several other territories, notably Benelux, Germany and the Us.
The picture, which is in the running for Cannes Caméra d’Or as a first-time feature, stars rising French actress Laure Calamy as a teenager who is losing her sight and embarks on a momentous summer and steals a big black dog.
Other new Bac titles drawing buyers include Olivier Ayache-Vidal’s feel-good tale The Teacher starring Denis Podalydès as a teacher seconded to a tough school who strikes-up an unlikely...
French sales company Bac Films is reporting strong interest for French director Léa Mysius’s debut feature Ava [pictured], which premiered to packed theatres in Critics’ Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The title has sold to Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), China (Lemon Tree), Taiwan (Catchplay), Switzerland (Praesens), and Turkey (Filmarti).
Bac sales chief Gilles Sousa said there was strong interest from several other territories, notably Benelux, Germany and the Us.
The picture, which is in the running for Cannes Caméra d’Or as a first-time feature, stars rising French actress Laure Calamy as a teenager who is losing her sight and embarks on a momentous summer and steals a big black dog.
Other new Bac titles drawing buyers include Olivier Ayache-Vidal’s feel-good tale The Teacher starring Denis Podalydès as a teacher seconded to a tough school who strikes-up an unlikely...
- 5/23/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: French outfit also scores sales on The Teacher and The Third Wave.
French sales company Bac Films is reporting strong interest for French director Léa Mysius’s debut feature Ava [pictured], which premiered to packed theatres in Critics’ Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The title has sold to Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), China (Lemon Tree), Taiwan (Catchplay), Switzerland (Praesens), and Turkey (Filmarti).
Bac sales chief Gilles Sousa said there was strong interest from several other territories, notably Benelux, Germany and the Us.
The picture, which is in the running for Cannes Caméra d’Or as a first-time feature, stars rising French actress Laure Calamy as a teenager who is losing her sight and embarks on a momentous summer and steals a big black dog.
Other new Bac titles drawing buyers include Olivier Ayache-Vidal’s feel-good tale The Teacher starring Denis Podalydès as a teacher seconded to a tough school who strikes-up an unlikely...
French sales company Bac Films is reporting strong interest for French director Léa Mysius’s debut feature Ava [pictured], which premiered to packed theatres in Critics’ Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The title has sold to Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), China (Lemon Tree), Taiwan (Catchplay), Switzerland (Praesens), and Turkey (Filmarti).
Bac sales chief Gilles Sousa said there was strong interest from several other territories, notably Benelux, Germany and the Us.
The picture, which is in the running for Cannes Caméra d’Or as a first-time feature, stars rising French actress Laure Calamy as a teenager who is losing her sight and embarks on a momentous summer and steals a big black dog.
Other new Bac titles drawing buyers include Olivier Ayache-Vidal’s feel-good tale The Teacher starring Denis Podalydès as a teacher seconded to a tough school who strikes-up an unlikely...
- 5/23/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Film revolves around native American family. Bac Film showing first images in Cannes.
Swiss producer Michel Merkt has boarded Babak Jalali’s upcoming drama Land about a native American family dealing with the scourge of alcoholism and the death of a loved one serving in Afghanistan.
Merkt, whose recent credits include the Oscar-nominated My Life As A Courgette, Xavier Dolan’s It’s Only The End Of The World and Toni Erdmann, has helped close a post-production financing gap.
The deal was begun during the Doha Film Institute’s talent development event Qumra in March, where Land was presented as a work-in-progress. “It’s a great asset for us. Michel’s doing a fantastic job and is behind so many high-quality cinema productions right now,” said lead producer Ginevra Elkann of Rome-based Asmara Films.
The picture is now close to picture lock with Belgian editor Nico Leunen attached and sights set on an autumn festival release...
Swiss producer Michel Merkt has boarded Babak Jalali’s upcoming drama Land about a native American family dealing with the scourge of alcoholism and the death of a loved one serving in Afghanistan.
Merkt, whose recent credits include the Oscar-nominated My Life As A Courgette, Xavier Dolan’s It’s Only The End Of The World and Toni Erdmann, has helped close a post-production financing gap.
The deal was begun during the Doha Film Institute’s talent development event Qumra in March, where Land was presented as a work-in-progress. “It’s a great asset for us. Michel’s doing a fantastic job and is behind so many high-quality cinema productions right now,” said lead producer Ginevra Elkann of Rome-based Asmara Films.
The picture is now close to picture lock with Belgian editor Nico Leunen attached and sights set on an autumn festival release...
- 5/19/2017
- ScreenDaily
Producer Michel Merkt, Cohen Media Group’s John Kochman and long-time The Simpsons writer-producer Mike Reiss will also attend.
The Doha Film Institute kicked off the third edition of its bespoke event Qumra on Friday bringing together up and coming film-makers and experienced cinema professionals from across the globe.
A total of 34 Dfi-backed projects from 25 countries at different stages of development are due to attend the six-day event featuring master-classes, screenings seminars and one-on-one sessions.
“Our focus remains to cultivate the exchange of knowledge, ideas, creativity and inspiration, and create a supportive and productive space for your projects to benefit from interactions with some of the most experienced industry professionals,” said commented Dfi CEO Fatma Al-Remaihi who welcomed the guests alongside the event’s artistic director Elia Suleiman.
Prolific Portuguese producer Paulo Branco will kick off the master-classes on Saturday (5), having chosen to screen Wim Wenders’s 1994 Lisbon Story as a work representative of his career.
French...
The Doha Film Institute kicked off the third edition of its bespoke event Qumra on Friday bringing together up and coming film-makers and experienced cinema professionals from across the globe.
A total of 34 Dfi-backed projects from 25 countries at different stages of development are due to attend the six-day event featuring master-classes, screenings seminars and one-on-one sessions.
“Our focus remains to cultivate the exchange of knowledge, ideas, creativity and inspiration, and create a supportive and productive space for your projects to benefit from interactions with some of the most experienced industry professionals,” said commented Dfi CEO Fatma Al-Remaihi who welcomed the guests alongside the event’s artistic director Elia Suleiman.
Prolific Portuguese producer Paulo Branco will kick off the master-classes on Saturday (5), having chosen to screen Wim Wenders’s 1994 Lisbon Story as a work representative of his career.
French...
- 3/3/2017
- ScreenDaily
Upcoming films by Babak Jalali, Kaouther Ben Hania and Bassem among the 34 projects due to attend this year.Scroll down for full list of projects
Argentine film-maker Lucrecia Martel and veteran producer Paulo Branco have been confirmed as the final two ‘masters’ at the Doha Film Institute’s talent development event Qumra.
They will join previously announced mentor-speakers Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, French auteur Bruno Dumont and creative documentarian Rithy Panh at the third edition of the bespoke event, running March 3 to 8, 2017.
Colourful Portuguese producer Paulo Branco – who is based between Paris and Lisbon – has more than 300 producing credits to his name, amassed over four decades, working with the likes of David Cronenberg, Wim Wenders, Chantal Akerman, Alain Tanner, Werner Schroeter, Olivier Assayas, and Cédric Kahn.
His Paris-based sales and production company Alfama Films is at the Efm this year with Robert Schwentke’s long-awaited Second World War adventure title The Captain.
“Paulo Branco is one...
Argentine film-maker Lucrecia Martel and veteran producer Paulo Branco have been confirmed as the final two ‘masters’ at the Doha Film Institute’s talent development event Qumra.
They will join previously announced mentor-speakers Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, French auteur Bruno Dumont and creative documentarian Rithy Panh at the third edition of the bespoke event, running March 3 to 8, 2017.
Colourful Portuguese producer Paulo Branco – who is based between Paris and Lisbon – has more than 300 producing credits to his name, amassed over four decades, working with the likes of David Cronenberg, Wim Wenders, Chantal Akerman, Alain Tanner, Werner Schroeter, Olivier Assayas, and Cédric Kahn.
His Paris-based sales and production company Alfama Films is at the Efm this year with Robert Schwentke’s long-awaited Second World War adventure title The Captain.
“Paulo Branco is one...
- 2/12/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Bac Films to premiere first images of Ellen Page-starrer at Efm.
Paris-based Sales company Bac Films has released a first image of Ellen Page in post Zombie era drama The Third Wave.
The drama - the first feature of Irish director David Freyne - unfolds in the aftermath of a devastating virus which transformed the infected into zombie-like monsters.
Mankind is struggling to rebuild societies deeply divided between the uninfected and those who did succumb to the virus and are still haunted by their violent actions.
In the backdrop, the rise of a terrorist movement threatens to plunge the world into chaos again.
Freyn directed from his own screenplay developed out of proof of concept prequel short The First Wave.
Bac Films will screen first footage on the first and second day of the Efm along fresh images from Paolo Virzi’s The Leisure Seeker and Babak Jalali’s Land.
Paris-based Sales company Bac Films has released a first image of Ellen Page in post Zombie era drama The Third Wave.
The drama - the first feature of Irish director David Freyne - unfolds in the aftermath of a devastating virus which transformed the infected into zombie-like monsters.
Mankind is struggling to rebuild societies deeply divided between the uninfected and those who did succumb to the virus and are still haunted by their violent actions.
In the backdrop, the rise of a terrorist movement threatens to plunge the world into chaos again.
Freyn directed from his own screenplay developed out of proof of concept prequel short The First Wave.
Bac Films will screen first footage on the first and second day of the Efm along fresh images from Paolo Virzi’s The Leisure Seeker and Babak Jalali’s Land.
- 2/7/2017
- ScreenDaily
Massoud Bakhshi’s Yalda wins two prizes at the event.
Production awards worth more than €470,000 were handed out at the 2016 TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event (Nov 23-25), held within the Torino Film Festival.
Three films were awarded Tfl co-production awards worth €50,000 each; Danielle Lessovitz’s Port Authority; Maya Da-Rin’s The Fever and Massoud Bakhshi’s Yalda.
Yalda also took home the audience award, voted for by attendees at event, worth €30,000.
Tehran-born Bakhshi’s feature debut, A Respectable Family, premiered at Cannes in 2012.
The international jury, which was chaired by the Venice Film Festival’s Artistic Director Alberto Barbera, also awarded production awards worth €40,000 each to three films; The Guest by Duccio Chiarini; The Orphanage by Shahrbanoo Sadat and The Staffroom by Sonja Tarokić.
New award
A new prize this year was the Lago development award, worth €5000, which went to Jan-Ole Gerster’s Imperium.
Apprentice by Boo Junfeng, Felicity by Alain Gomis, Jesús by [link...
Production awards worth more than €470,000 were handed out at the 2016 TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event (Nov 23-25), held within the Torino Film Festival.
Three films were awarded Tfl co-production awards worth €50,000 each; Danielle Lessovitz’s Port Authority; Maya Da-Rin’s The Fever and Massoud Bakhshi’s Yalda.
Yalda also took home the audience award, voted for by attendees at event, worth €30,000.
Tehran-born Bakhshi’s feature debut, A Respectable Family, premiered at Cannes in 2012.
The international jury, which was chaired by the Venice Film Festival’s Artistic Director Alberto Barbera, also awarded production awards worth €40,000 each to three films; The Guest by Duccio Chiarini; The Orphanage by Shahrbanoo Sadat and The Staffroom by Sonja Tarokić.
New award
A new prize this year was the Lago development award, worth €5000, which went to Jan-Ole Gerster’s Imperium.
Apprentice by Boo Junfeng, Felicity by Alain Gomis, Jesús by [link...
- 11/25/2016
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Dutch outfit signs up for Iffr Tiger Award-winner’s follow-up to Radio Dreams.
Prolific Dutch production outfit Topkapi is on board the latest feature from Iffr Tiger Award winner Babak Jalali.
Last month, the Iranian-born Jalali won the Tiger award for his film Radio Dreams. Now, he is working on Land, which is being sold by Bac Films.
Billed as a “modern western”, the new film deals with alcoholism within a native-American community. It is produced by Asmara Films and is being put together as an Italian-French-Mexican-Dutch coproduction and will shoot in Mexico. Topkapi is the Dutch partner.
Topkapi was also a minority coproduction partner on Thomas Vinterberg’s The Commune, screening in competition at Berlin. The company also co-produced All Of A Sudden, selected for Berlin Panorama Special. This is the third feature from Turkish director Asil Ozge. September Films is abroad as Dutch distributor. Memento is handling sales.
The company...
Prolific Dutch production outfit Topkapi is on board the latest feature from Iffr Tiger Award winner Babak Jalali.
Last month, the Iranian-born Jalali won the Tiger award for his film Radio Dreams. Now, he is working on Land, which is being sold by Bac Films.
Billed as a “modern western”, the new film deals with alcoholism within a native-American community. It is produced by Asmara Films and is being put together as an Italian-French-Mexican-Dutch coproduction and will shoot in Mexico. Topkapi is the Dutch partner.
Topkapi was also a minority coproduction partner on Thomas Vinterberg’s The Commune, screening in competition at Berlin. The company also co-produced All Of A Sudden, selected for Berlin Panorama Special. This is the third feature from Turkish director Asil Ozge. September Films is abroad as Dutch distributor. Memento is handling sales.
The company...
- 2/15/2016
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Other winners included Bodkin Ras, Land Of Mine and Embrace Of The Serpent.
Babak Jalali’s Radio Dreams has tonight won the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition and €40,000 - shared by director and producer - at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 27-Feb 7).
The film, which received its world premiere at Iffr, is a comedy about an Iranian writer who pursues an ambitious goal of bringing together Metallica and Kabul Dreams, Afghanistan’s first rock band. It marks the second feature of Jalali, whose Frontier Blues debuted at Locarno in 2009.
The jury said it had awarded the prize to Radio Dreams “for its subtle and humorous reflection on displacement and alienation of a group of misfits in a foreign culture.” [Click here for Babak Jalali interview]
In addition, a special jury award worth €10,000 was presented to La última tierra by Pablo Lamar, “for exceptional artistic achievement in sound design”. [Click here for interview]
The winners were announced at the Iffr 2016 Awards Ceremony, held at the...
Babak Jalali’s Radio Dreams has tonight won the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition and €40,000 - shared by director and producer - at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 27-Feb 7).
The film, which received its world premiere at Iffr, is a comedy about an Iranian writer who pursues an ambitious goal of bringing together Metallica and Kabul Dreams, Afghanistan’s first rock band. It marks the second feature of Jalali, whose Frontier Blues debuted at Locarno in 2009.
The jury said it had awarded the prize to Radio Dreams “for its subtle and humorous reflection on displacement and alienation of a group of misfits in a foreign culture.” [Click here for Babak Jalali interview]
In addition, a special jury award worth €10,000 was presented to La última tierra by Pablo Lamar, “for exceptional artistic achievement in sound design”. [Click here for interview]
The winners were announced at the Iffr 2016 Awards Ceremony, held at the...
- 2/5/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Hiner Saleem’s Money Babe set to shoot in Erbil this autumn.
Paris-based Bac Films has picked up world sales on a trio of arthouse films by emerging talents, Hiner Saleem’s Money Babe, Babak Jalali’s Land and Bogdan Mirica’s Dogs.
“These pick-ups continue our working with emerging, new talents who we can drive up with,” said Bac general manager Mathieu Robinet.
Saleem’s Money Babe is a film noir which kicks off with an uneasy meeting between a former Kurdish resistance hero, who has made it big as a businessman, and a former comrade in arms.
The film - Saleem’s first feature since My Sweet Pepper Land which screened in Un Certain Regard in 2013 – is due to shoot in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey this autumn.
Described as a ‘modern western about Indians, Whites, distance, longing, roadwork and abuse’, Jalali’s Land explores the issue of alcoholism within a Native American...
Paris-based Bac Films has picked up world sales on a trio of arthouse films by emerging talents, Hiner Saleem’s Money Babe, Babak Jalali’s Land and Bogdan Mirica’s Dogs.
“These pick-ups continue our working with emerging, new talents who we can drive up with,” said Bac general manager Mathieu Robinet.
Saleem’s Money Babe is a film noir which kicks off with an uneasy meeting between a former Kurdish resistance hero, who has made it big as a businessman, and a former comrade in arms.
The film - Saleem’s first feature since My Sweet Pepper Land which screened in Un Certain Regard in 2013 – is due to shoot in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey this autumn.
Described as a ‘modern western about Indians, Whites, distance, longing, roadwork and abuse’, Jalali’s Land explores the issue of alcoholism within a Native American...
- 5/17/2015
- ScreenDaily
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