Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced a new batch of mostly international titles set to launch in its Festival Favorites and Treasures strands, including the international premiere of U.S. actor-turned-director Jennifer Esposito’s New York City mob drama “Fresh Kills.”
Inspired by Esposito’s upbringing in Staten Island, “Fresh Kills” – in which Esposito co-stars with Annabella Sciorra – bowed stateside at the Tribeca Festival in June.
Other international talents peppered throughout the Red Sea sections likely to be making the trek to Saudi include Anna Kendrick with her period crime drama “Woman of the Hour”; David Oyelowo, producer of high-profile soccer doc “Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story”; Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn for Swedish director Niclas Larsson’s “Mother, Couch”; Serena and Venus Williams as executive producers of “Copa 71,” the story of the groundbreaking 1971 Women’s World Cup; and French writer-director Laetitia Colombani with her drama “The Braid.
Inspired by Esposito’s upbringing in Staten Island, “Fresh Kills” – in which Esposito co-stars with Annabella Sciorra – bowed stateside at the Tribeca Festival in June.
Other international talents peppered throughout the Red Sea sections likely to be making the trek to Saudi include Anna Kendrick with her period crime drama “Woman of the Hour”; David Oyelowo, producer of high-profile soccer doc “Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story”; Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn for Swedish director Niclas Larsson’s “Mother, Couch”; Serena and Venus Williams as executive producers of “Copa 71,” the story of the groundbreaking 1971 Women’s World Cup; and French writer-director Laetitia Colombani with her drama “The Braid.
- 11/9/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour and family drama Mother Couch, starring Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, are headed to the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah.
The titles will play in the Festival Favorites sidebar which was announced on Thursday alongside the event’s Red Sea: Treasures strand.
Kendrick directs and stars in Netflix-acquired drama Woman Of The Hour as a woman whose path crosses notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, whilst in Niclas Larsson’s first film Mother Couch, McGregor plays a man whose mother squats the family furniture store.
Further films in the line-up – showcasing 21 buzzy festival titles from the last 12 months – include the David Oyelowo produced documentary Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story; Women’s World Cup doc Copa 71, executive produced by Serena and Venus Williams, Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills,...
The titles will play in the Festival Favorites sidebar which was announced on Thursday alongside the event’s Red Sea: Treasures strand.
Kendrick directs and stars in Netflix-acquired drama Woman Of The Hour as a woman whose path crosses notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, whilst in Niclas Larsson’s first film Mother Couch, McGregor plays a man whose mother squats the family furniture store.
Further films in the line-up – showcasing 21 buzzy festival titles from the last 12 months – include the David Oyelowo produced documentary Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story; Women’s World Cup doc Copa 71, executive produced by Serena and Venus Williams, Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Festival
Anurag Kashyap, Sunny Leone, Taapsee Pannu, Rahul Bhat, Ranjan Singh, Anup Singh, Don Palathara, and Sami Khan are among the guest list at the 12th edition of Bmo International Film Festival of South Asia (Iffsa), Toronto (Oct. 12-22).
With a lineup of some 120 films and more than 30 events, Iffsa is among the largest South Asian-themed festivals in the world. Selections include Cannes duo – Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” starring Leone and Bhat, and Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” starring Kim Raver (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Berlin selections “Ghaath” by Chhatrapal Ninawe and “Aatmapamphlet” by Ashish Bende. From Rotterdam, Palathara’s “Family,” starring Vinay Forrt and Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” headlined by Manoj Bajpayee, feature alongside Jagath Manuwarna’s Sri Lankan film “Whispering Mountains.”
Acclaimed Bangladesh series “Pett Kata Shaw” will feature as will Canadian Bengali-language production “Meghna Konnya” by Fuad Chowdhury, Atul Sabharwal’s Hindi-language “Berlin” and Osman...
Anurag Kashyap, Sunny Leone, Taapsee Pannu, Rahul Bhat, Ranjan Singh, Anup Singh, Don Palathara, and Sami Khan are among the guest list at the 12th edition of Bmo International Film Festival of South Asia (Iffsa), Toronto (Oct. 12-22).
With a lineup of some 120 films and more than 30 events, Iffsa is among the largest South Asian-themed festivals in the world. Selections include Cannes duo – Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” starring Leone and Bhat, and Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” starring Kim Raver (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Berlin selections “Ghaath” by Chhatrapal Ninawe and “Aatmapamphlet” by Ashish Bende. From Rotterdam, Palathara’s “Family,” starring Vinay Forrt and Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” headlined by Manoj Bajpayee, feature alongside Jagath Manuwarna’s Sri Lankan film “Whispering Mountains.”
Acclaimed Bangladesh series “Pett Kata Shaw” will feature as will Canadian Bengali-language production “Meghna Konnya” by Fuad Chowdhury, Atul Sabharwal’s Hindi-language “Berlin” and Osman...
- 8/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Film stars Raphael Personnaz and Jeanne Balibar.
Paris-based Snd has boarded Anne Fontaine’s Boléro about the birth of the renowned orchestral work from Maurice Ravel, now shooting in France.
Set in the Roaring 1920s, the film stars Raphael Personnaz, known for Our Brothers, Julia(s) and The French Minister, as the composer. Jeanne Balibar, who has appeared in Lost Illusions, Cold War and Grace Of Monaco, plays the Russian dancer-choreographer Ida Rubinstein who commissioned the now legendary music.
Snd, the film arm of France’s M6 group, is on board as co-producer and French distributor and is launching international sales at Cannes.
Paris-based Snd has boarded Anne Fontaine’s Boléro about the birth of the renowned orchestral work from Maurice Ravel, now shooting in France.
Set in the Roaring 1920s, the film stars Raphael Personnaz, known for Our Brothers, Julia(s) and The French Minister, as the composer. Jeanne Balibar, who has appeared in Lost Illusions, Cold War and Grace Of Monaco, plays the Russian dancer-choreographer Ida Rubinstein who commissioned the now legendary music.
Snd, the film arm of France’s M6 group, is on board as co-producer and French distributor and is launching international sales at Cannes.
- 5/3/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
French sales company’s titles include ’The Book of Wonders’, ‘The Baby’ and ’The Braid’.
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French sales company Snd has revealed a first look image and fresh production details for Princes Of The Desert, Eric Barbier’s adventure film starring Alexandra Lamy, and has unveiled details of its extensive AFM slate.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mika is behind the soundtrack for Princes of the Desert which was previously titled Tehu. Lamy, whose credits include Rolling To You, replaces the previously announced Charlotte Gainsbourg in the film.
The film, produced by Snd alongside Vertigo Productions, follows a young Berber boy who...
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French sales company Snd has revealed a first look image and fresh production details for Princes Of The Desert, Eric Barbier’s adventure film starring Alexandra Lamy, and has unveiled details of its extensive AFM slate.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mika is behind the soundtrack for Princes of the Desert which was previously titled Tehu. Lamy, whose credits include Rolling To You, replaces the previously announced Charlotte Gainsbourg in the film.
The film, produced by Snd alongside Vertigo Productions, follows a young Berber boy who...
- 10/27/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Snd has closed a flurry of sales across its slate, including the animated feature “The Jungle Bunch: World Tour,” the French comedy “Ooh La la,” and the international melodrama “The Braid.”
Produced by leading animation studio Tat Productions, “The Jungle Bunch: World Tour” is the sequel to the animated feature hit “The Jungle Bunch – The 3D Movie” which was one of the highest grossing French productions worldwide in 2017 and sold to over 70 territories. The spinoff movies expand on the popular animated series “The Jungle Bunch” which follows the adventures of a group of misfit animals on a mission to protect their kingdom.
In “The Jungle Bunch: World Tour,” a mysterious super-villain covers the jungle with a toxic pink foam that explodes on contact with water, prompting the heroic animals to set off on a race-against-time journey around the world to find an antidote before the start of the rainy season.
Produced by leading animation studio Tat Productions, “The Jungle Bunch: World Tour” is the sequel to the animated feature hit “The Jungle Bunch – The 3D Movie” which was one of the highest grossing French productions worldwide in 2017 and sold to over 70 territories. The spinoff movies expand on the popular animated series “The Jungle Bunch” which follows the adventures of a group of misfit animals on a mission to protect their kingdom.
In “The Jungle Bunch: World Tour,” a mysterious super-villain covers the jungle with a toxic pink foam that explodes on contact with water, prompting the heroic animals to set off on a race-against-time journey around the world to find an antidote before the start of the rainy season.
- 6/10/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paris and Mumbai-based production service company La Fabrique Films is looking forward to a further surge in business in the wake of new Indian filming incentives that were announced in Cannes.
International productions filming in India can be reimbursed up to 35 of qualifying production spend in the country.
La Fabrique, which specializes in European films shooting in India, has been operational since 2013 and films they have provided production services for include “Les Cowboys,” “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead.” La Fabrique has just wrapped work on Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” and company principals Déborah Benattar and Javed Wani are currently attending the Cannes Film Market.
The initial reimbursement for international shoots in India is 30, which can go up by an additional 5 for productions employing 15 or more manpower in India.
“The incentives will be a great advantage for foreign producers who decide to...
International productions filming in India can be reimbursed up to 35 of qualifying production spend in the country.
La Fabrique, which specializes in European films shooting in India, has been operational since 2013 and films they have provided production services for include “Les Cowboys,” “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead.” La Fabrique has just wrapped work on Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” and company principals Déborah Benattar and Javed Wani are currently attending the Cannes Film Market.
The initial reimbursement for international shoots in India is 30, which can go up by an additional 5 for productions employing 15 or more manpower in India.
“The incentives will be a great advantage for foreign producers who decide to...
- 5/22/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Snd has boarded “The Braid,” an adaptation of Laetitia Colombani’s bestseller which is currently shooting in Italy, Canada and India with Kim Raver (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Fotini Peluso (“Romanzo famigliare”) and Mia Maelzer (“Beyond the Clouds”).
Colombani is directing the film based on her book which sold more than two million copies worldwide and was translated in 40 languages. Olivier Delbosc’s Curiosa Films, whose credits include Claire Denis’s “Stars at Noon” and “Lost Illusions,” and Marc Missonnier’s Moana Films (“The Odyssey””) are producing the movie with Snd, Canada’s Forum Films and Italy’s Indigo Film co-producing. Snd will handle worldwide sales and French distribution. MK2 Mile End is set to handle Canadian distribution.
The movie opens in India, where Smita (Maelzer) dreams of giving her young daughter an education and will go to any length to make that happen, including leaving behind all she knows in search of a better future.
Colombani is directing the film based on her book which sold more than two million copies worldwide and was translated in 40 languages. Olivier Delbosc’s Curiosa Films, whose credits include Claire Denis’s “Stars at Noon” and “Lost Illusions,” and Marc Missonnier’s Moana Films (“The Odyssey””) are producing the movie with Snd, Canada’s Forum Films and Italy’s Indigo Film co-producing. Snd will handle worldwide sales and French distribution. MK2 Mile End is set to handle Canadian distribution.
The movie opens in India, where Smita (Maelzer) dreams of giving her young daughter an education and will go to any length to make that happen, including leaving behind all she knows in search of a better future.
- 5/4/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
€5,000,000 has been earmarked for winning projects of the 2020 call for submissions, which offers selective funding for co-produced or minority Italian films. La Tresse, the upcoming film by French director Laetitia Colombani (He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not), Los impactados by Argentine director Lucia Puenzo (The German Doctor), Baltazar by the Polish master Jerzy Skolimowski (11 Minutes) and Il volo by Italy’s Pietro Marcello (Martin Eden), which will be produced by France (CG Cinéma), are just some of the winning projects of the second session of the 2020 call for submissions, which offers selective aid to co-produced or minority Italian films. The call was issued by the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Directorate General for Film and Audiovisual Works (formerly Mibact) and is geared towards projects which are made in co-production with foreign states and in which Italian co-producers hold a minority stake....
The Rome Film Festival (October 17-27) has unveiled its 2019 official selection, which includes Downton Abbey, Waves, Judy, The Aeronauts, Hustlers and Werner Herzog documentary Nomad[/link] about writer Bruce Chatwin.
A total of 33 films and documentaries will play in the official lineup (full list below). As previously announced, the fest will open with Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn while Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman will have a centerpiece screening. Only two Italian movies are included in the main selection.
The festival also revealed a pre-opening October 16 world premiere for John Turturro’s anticipated The Big Lebowski spinoff, The Jesus Rolls, which follows Lebowski character Jesus Quintana.
The impressive lineup of onstage interviews includes Bill Murray and Viola Davis – both of whom will receive lifetime achievement awards – Fanny Ardant, Olivier Assayas, Ethan Coen, Benicio Del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Ron Howard, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Edward Norton, Bertrand Tavernier, John Travolta and Jia Zhangke.
A total of 33 films and documentaries will play in the official lineup (full list below). As previously announced, the fest will open with Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn while Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman will have a centerpiece screening. Only two Italian movies are included in the main selection.
The festival also revealed a pre-opening October 16 world premiere for John Turturro’s anticipated The Big Lebowski spinoff, The Jesus Rolls, which follows Lebowski character Jesus Quintana.
The impressive lineup of onstage interviews includes Bill Murray and Viola Davis – both of whom will receive lifetime achievement awards – Fanny Ardant, Olivier Assayas, Ethan Coen, Benicio Del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Ron Howard, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Edward Norton, Bertrand Tavernier, John Travolta and Jia Zhangke.
- 10/4/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Happy Birthday
For his eleventh feature, Happy Birthday, actor/director Cédric Kahn nabs the legendary Catherine Deneuve in the lead role, starring opposite himself, writer/director Emmanuelle Bercot (who cast Deneuve in both her 2013 film On Her Way and 2015’s Standing Tall), Laetitia Colombani, Alain Artur, and Vincent Macaigne. Produced by Sylvie Pialat and Benoit Quainon for Les Films du Worso, the project is also co-produced by France 2 Cinema, Tropdebonheur Productions, and Scope Pictures (Belgium). Kahn was programmed in the Directors’ Fortnight with Too Much Happiness in 1994, and competed in the 2001 Cannes competition with Roberto Succo.…...
For his eleventh feature, Happy Birthday, actor/director Cédric Kahn nabs the legendary Catherine Deneuve in the lead role, starring opposite himself, writer/director Emmanuelle Bercot (who cast Deneuve in both her 2013 film On Her Way and 2015’s Standing Tall), Laetitia Colombani, Alain Artur, and Vincent Macaigne. Produced by Sylvie Pialat and Benoit Quainon for Les Films du Worso, the project is also co-produced by France 2 Cinema, Tropdebonheur Productions, and Scope Pictures (Belgium). Kahn was programmed in the Directors’ Fortnight with Too Much Happiness in 1994, and competed in the 2001 Cannes competition with Roberto Succo.…...
- 1/3/2019
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
For her directorial debut, 26-year-old Laetitia Colombani has assembled a top-notch cast including Samuel Le Bihan ("Brotherhood of the Wolf") and Audrey Tautou ("Amelie"). But they cannot compensate for a movie that stretches the audience's attention span to the breaking point.
"A la folie ... pas du tout" ("He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not") is oddly billed as a romantic thriller, but Colombani readily admits to the influence of such films as Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense". Certainly, the first part of the film has a definite "Fatal Attraction" feel to it.
Angelique (Tautou) is passionately in love with Loic (Le Bihan), a successful cardiologist who appears to have everything -- including a wife. On first impression, Loic seems to return Angelique's love, but he is reluctant to commit himself to a more long-term relationship. Gradually, he becomes less attentive and reliable until Angelique realizes he is never going to leave his wife.
Her behavior grows increasingly abnormal. There's a failed attempt to kill Loic's wife in a hit-and-run accident. She has more success in murdering one of Loic's patients, who is threatening to ruin his career by bringing a lawsuit against him. As her descent into madness accelerates, she decides that her only option is suicide.
Here, the film stops and -- literally -- rewinds to the beginning. We start the whole story again, only this time we see it from Loic's point of view. And what a different tale it is. The denouement brings the two characters face to face and allows the audience to distinguish the truth from the lies.
There is little doubt that Colombani has done her homework: There are no inconsistencies in the story as told by the different characters. But this meticulous attention to detail slows the action to a crawl. Colombani takes the audience by the hand and guides them carefully through the plot's twists and turns. A more successful thriller sometimes has the intelligence to leave the audience at times alone in the dark.
As Angelique, Tautou seems on autopilot. The childlike innocence she brought to her title role in "Amelie" serves her well here. Any hint of a darker side to her character is shown by a furrowing of the brow soon banished with a toothy, wide-eyed smile. LeBihan seems similarly untaxed and appears to tread water as the movie comes to a climax. Unfortunately, there are few surprises at the end for those who manage to stay the course.
A LA FOLIE ... PAS DU TOUT
Telema
Credits:
Producer: Charles Gassot
Director: Laetitia Colombani
Screenwriters: Laetitia Colombani, Caroline Thivel
Production designer: Jean Marc Keldehue
Director of photography: Philippe Aim
Music: Jerome Coullet
Costume designer: Jacqueline Bouchard
Editor: Veronique Parnet
Cast:
Angelique: Audrey Tautou
Loic: Samuel Le Bihan
Rachel: Isabelle Carre
David: Clement Sibony
Heloise: Sophie Guillemin
Julien: Eric Savin
Claire Belmont: Michele Garay
Anita: Elodie Navarre
No MPPA rating, running time 100 minutes...
"A la folie ... pas du tout" ("He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not") is oddly billed as a romantic thriller, but Colombani readily admits to the influence of such films as Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense". Certainly, the first part of the film has a definite "Fatal Attraction" feel to it.
Angelique (Tautou) is passionately in love with Loic (Le Bihan), a successful cardiologist who appears to have everything -- including a wife. On first impression, Loic seems to return Angelique's love, but he is reluctant to commit himself to a more long-term relationship. Gradually, he becomes less attentive and reliable until Angelique realizes he is never going to leave his wife.
Her behavior grows increasingly abnormal. There's a failed attempt to kill Loic's wife in a hit-and-run accident. She has more success in murdering one of Loic's patients, who is threatening to ruin his career by bringing a lawsuit against him. As her descent into madness accelerates, she decides that her only option is suicide.
Here, the film stops and -- literally -- rewinds to the beginning. We start the whole story again, only this time we see it from Loic's point of view. And what a different tale it is. The denouement brings the two characters face to face and allows the audience to distinguish the truth from the lies.
There is little doubt that Colombani has done her homework: There are no inconsistencies in the story as told by the different characters. But this meticulous attention to detail slows the action to a crawl. Colombani takes the audience by the hand and guides them carefully through the plot's twists and turns. A more successful thriller sometimes has the intelligence to leave the audience at times alone in the dark.
As Angelique, Tautou seems on autopilot. The childlike innocence she brought to her title role in "Amelie" serves her well here. Any hint of a darker side to her character is shown by a furrowing of the brow soon banished with a toothy, wide-eyed smile. LeBihan seems similarly untaxed and appears to tread water as the movie comes to a climax. Unfortunately, there are few surprises at the end for those who manage to stay the course.
A LA FOLIE ... PAS DU TOUT
Telema
Credits:
Producer: Charles Gassot
Director: Laetitia Colombani
Screenwriters: Laetitia Colombani, Caroline Thivel
Production designer: Jean Marc Keldehue
Director of photography: Philippe Aim
Music: Jerome Coullet
Costume designer: Jacqueline Bouchard
Editor: Veronique Parnet
Cast:
Angelique: Audrey Tautou
Loic: Samuel Le Bihan
Rachel: Isabelle Carre
David: Clement Sibony
Heloise: Sophie Guillemin
Julien: Eric Savin
Claire Belmont: Michele Garay
Anita: Elodie Navarre
No MPPA rating, running time 100 minutes...
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