Exclusive: United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed up Iranian-French actress, director, producer, and casting director Zar Amir.
Amir, best known for her breakout turn in Ali Abbasi’s 2022 Cannes competition title Holy Spider, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas and will continue to be represented by Untitled Entertainment, Das Imperium in Berlin, Adequat in Paris, and Alh PR.
With Holy Spider, Amir picked up the best actress award at Cannes. She also served as an associate producer and casting director on the pic, which was Denmark’s submission for the Academy Awards. As an actor, she can next be seen in the Cate Blanchett-produced Shayda, which debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The pic, directed by Noora Niasari, took the audience award in the World Cinema competition at Sundance and has since been chosen as Australia’s submission for the best international feature race at this year’s Oscars.
Amir, best known for her breakout turn in Ali Abbasi’s 2022 Cannes competition title Holy Spider, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas and will continue to be represented by Untitled Entertainment, Das Imperium in Berlin, Adequat in Paris, and Alh PR.
With Holy Spider, Amir picked up the best actress award at Cannes. She also served as an associate producer and casting director on the pic, which was Denmark’s submission for the Academy Awards. As an actor, she can next be seen in the Cate Blanchett-produced Shayda, which debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The pic, directed by Noora Niasari, took the audience award in the World Cinema competition at Sundance and has since been chosen as Australia’s submission for the best international feature race at this year’s Oscars.
- 11/6/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
A long-anticipated adaptation of the 2003 bestselling novel “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi is hitting the Marché du Film at Cannes this month.
Directed by award-winning director Eran Riklis (“Lemon Tree”) and written by Marjorie David, the film stars an ensemble cast led by Golshifteh Farahani (“Pirates of the Caribbean”), Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider”) and Mina Kavani (“Red Rose”).
Set in post-revolution Iran as extremism took hold, Nafisi’s book tells the autobiographical story of a fearless teacher who secretly gathered seven of her female students to read forbidden Western classics.
According to a synopsis: “As the Islamic Republic took power, morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran and as fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, the women in Nafisi’s living room, whose rights had been systematically removed, risked everything to find a safe space to remove their veils and speak their minds. Despite the grave danger they are in,...
Directed by award-winning director Eran Riklis (“Lemon Tree”) and written by Marjorie David, the film stars an ensemble cast led by Golshifteh Farahani (“Pirates of the Caribbean”), Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider”) and Mina Kavani (“Red Rose”).
Set in post-revolution Iran as extremism took hold, Nafisi’s book tells the autobiographical story of a fearless teacher who secretly gathered seven of her female students to read forbidden Western classics.
According to a synopsis: “As the Islamic Republic took power, morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran and as fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, the women in Nafisi’s living room, whose rights had been systematically removed, risked everything to find a safe space to remove their veils and speak their minds. Despite the grave danger they are in,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Iranian-American writer Azar Nafisi’s classic memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran has been adapted for the big screen with an ensemble cast led by actors Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson) and Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (Holy Spider).
The pic is an Italian-Israeli co-production directed by Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) from a screenplay by Marjorie David. Production took place in Italy. It’s now in post, and WestEnd will launch sales at the upcoming Cannes market.
Translated into 32 languages and set after the revolution in Iran as extremism took hold, Nafisi’s memoir tells the autobiographical story of a bold and inspired teacher, who secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics, while their world as they knew it closed in around them. As the Islamic Republic took power, morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, and as fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, the women in Nafisi’s living room,...
The pic is an Italian-Israeli co-production directed by Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) from a screenplay by Marjorie David. Production took place in Italy. It’s now in post, and WestEnd will launch sales at the upcoming Cannes market.
Translated into 32 languages and set after the revolution in Iran as extremism took hold, Nafisi’s memoir tells the autobiographical story of a bold and inspired teacher, who secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics, while their world as they knew it closed in around them. As the Islamic Republic took power, morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, and as fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, the women in Nafisi’s living room,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Golshifteh Farahani (Pirates of the Caribbean, About Elly, Paterson) and Zar Amir-Ebrahami (Palme d’Or-winner in 2022 for Holy Spider) — two of most recognized and in-demand Iranian stars working outside of Iran today — have teamed for the feature adaptation of Azar Nafisi’s bestselling Iranian novel Reading Lolita in Tehran.
The two lead an ensemble cast in the the drama — from award-winning director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree, The Syrian Bride, Dancing Arabs) and written by Marjorie David — alongside Mina Kavani (Red Rose, No Bears). WestEnd Films are launching sales of the film in Cannes.
Translated into 32 languages across the world and set after the revolution in Iran as extremism took hold, Reading Lolita in Tehran tells the autobiographical story of a bold and inspired teacher, who secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden western classics while their world as they knew it closed in around them.
The two lead an ensemble cast in the the drama — from award-winning director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree, The Syrian Bride, Dancing Arabs) and written by Marjorie David — alongside Mina Kavani (Red Rose, No Bears). WestEnd Films are launching sales of the film in Cannes.
Translated into 32 languages across the world and set after the revolution in Iran as extremism took hold, Reading Lolita in Tehran tells the autobiographical story of a bold and inspired teacher, who secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden western classics while their world as they knew it closed in around them.
- 5/5/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Co-financing, co-production forum takes place September 11-12.
New projects involving the producer of The Babadook, Game Of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin and Lemon Tree filmmaker Eran Riklis will be front and centre when the first in-person Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (Iff) in three years kicks off at TIFF next month.
Now in its 17th year, the two-day co-financing and co-production market takes place from September 11-12 in association with TIFF and features 42 feature film producer teams – 20 from Canada and 22 from as far afield as Australia, India, Norway, Scotland and the US.
The producers will participate in one-on-one producer...
New projects involving the producer of The Babadook, Game Of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin and Lemon Tree filmmaker Eran Riklis will be front and centre when the first in-person Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (Iff) in three years kicks off at TIFF next month.
Now in its 17th year, the two-day co-financing and co-production market takes place from September 11-12 in association with TIFF and features 42 feature film producer teams – 20 from Canada and 22 from as far afield as Australia, India, Norway, Scotland and the US.
The producers will participate in one-on-one producer...
- 8/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Co-financing, co-production forum takes place September 11-12.
New projects involving the producer of The Babadook, Game Of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin and Lemon Tree filmmaker Eran Riklis will be front and centre when the first in-person Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (Iff) in three years kicks off at TIFF next month.
Now in its 17th year, the two-day co-financing and co-production market takes place from September 11-12 in association with TIFF and features 42 feature film producer teams – 20 from Canada and 22 from as far afield as Australia, India, Norway, Scotland and the US.
The producers will participate in one-on-one producer...
New projects involving the producer of The Babadook, Game Of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin and Lemon Tree filmmaker Eran Riklis will be front and centre when the first in-person Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (Iff) in three years kicks off at TIFF next month.
Now in its 17th year, the two-day co-financing and co-production market takes place from September 11-12 in association with TIFF and features 42 feature film producer teams – 20 from Canada and 22 from as far afield as Australia, India, Norway, Scotland and the US.
The producers will participate in one-on-one producer...
- 8/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Portrait of a refugee dreaming of home in a sensitive, sombre documentary that also has thoughts about friendship, politics and birds
Artist and film-maker Sarah Beddington makes her feature documentary debut with this record of her friendship with Fadia Loubani, a Palestinian woman in Bourj el-Barajneh in Beirut, one of the 58 Un refugee camps. Loubani’s story is fraught with drama and sadness: when she was a much younger woman – and a widow – her extended family had the chance to get refugee status and EU citizenship in Denmark, but bureaucratic qualifications meant her children would only be eligible if she sent them on alone without her. She chose instead to keep them with her, closer to that yearned-for Palestinian homeland which is just a few miles away but behind grim barriers.
Loubani’s friendship with Beddington is complicated by history but she tells Beddington about her family’s home village...
Artist and film-maker Sarah Beddington makes her feature documentary debut with this record of her friendship with Fadia Loubani, a Palestinian woman in Bourj el-Barajneh in Beirut, one of the 58 Un refugee camps. Loubani’s story is fraught with drama and sadness: when she was a much younger woman – and a widow – her extended family had the chance to get refugee status and EU citizenship in Denmark, but bureaucratic qualifications meant her children would only be eligible if she sent them on alone without her. She chose instead to keep them with her, closer to that yearned-for Palestinian homeland which is just a few miles away but behind grim barriers.
Loubani’s friendship with Beddington is complicated by history but she tells Beddington about her family’s home village...
- 8/4/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: U.S. management and production house Anonymous Content is teaming up with Euro firm Federation Entertainment to launch France-based TV label Anonymous/Federation.
The company is the latest joint venture between True Detective and Bad Robot producer Anonymous and an international firm, joining AC Nordic, AC Brazil and Chapter One in the UK as part of the company’s global expansion.
Development and production label Anonymous/Federation will be overseen by Dawn Olmstead and David Levine on behalf of Anonymous Content, and by Pascal Breton, Lionel Uzan and Patrick Wachsberger on behalf of The Bureau (pictured), Bad Banks and Around The World In 80 Days outfit Federation.
The MD of the newly created company, which will make content for the French and global markets, is to be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the first project for the label has been set as The Abduction of Yossele Schumacher, a limited series thriller based on a true story,...
The company is the latest joint venture between True Detective and Bad Robot producer Anonymous and an international firm, joining AC Nordic, AC Brazil and Chapter One in the UK as part of the company’s global expansion.
Development and production label Anonymous/Federation will be overseen by Dawn Olmstead and David Levine on behalf of Anonymous Content, and by Pascal Breton, Lionel Uzan and Patrick Wachsberger on behalf of The Bureau (pictured), Bad Banks and Around The World In 80 Days outfit Federation.
The MD of the newly created company, which will make content for the French and global markets, is to be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the first project for the label has been set as The Abduction of Yossele Schumacher, a limited series thriller based on a true story,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Eran Riklis is developing a new feature that he hopes will strike a chord at this week’s Mia Market in Rome, where the acclaimed Israeli director will be pitching it to potential partners.
“Last Chord in Thessaloniki” follows a family of jazz musicians who are forced to confront their dysfunctions while traveling together to perform in Greece’s second city, where the family’s roots, though buried deep in the past, upend the present and cast a dark shadow over the future. Setting off on a journey from Tel Aviv to Thessaloniki, they are waylaid and sidetracked along the way – offering an opportunity, however, for them to arrive at an unexpected destination.
“Sometimes you have to travel really far in order to rediscover yourself,” Riklis explained. “The distance is possibly quite short. It’s actually traveling somewhere between your mind and your heart. The fact that you’re out...
“Last Chord in Thessaloniki” follows a family of jazz musicians who are forced to confront their dysfunctions while traveling together to perform in Greece’s second city, where the family’s roots, though buried deep in the past, upend the present and cast a dark shadow over the future. Setting off on a journey from Tel Aviv to Thessaloniki, they are waylaid and sidetracked along the way – offering an opportunity, however, for them to arrive at an unexpected destination.
“Sometimes you have to travel really far in order to rediscover yourself,” Riklis explained. “The distance is possibly quite short. It’s actually traveling somewhere between your mind and your heart. The fact that you’re out...
- 10/15/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Rome’s new concept Mia Market dedicated to international TV series, feature films, documentaries and more kicked off Wednesday in the Eternal City’s 17th century Palazzo Barberini with 1,700 registered industry execs – roughly 600 of whom have made the trek from abroad – and 350 new titles of various types, in development and production, on display.
At a press conference attended by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and all top Italian industry reps, organizers also boasted a 30% increase in completed films screening at the Mia film market where about 80 mostly European titles will be having their market – or, in some cases, even world – premieres.
While the Oct. 11-14 Mipcom market in Cannes is suffering a reduced presence, and the AFM this year has gone entirely online, Mia seems to be reaping the benefits of being conceived more congenially to how the global content industry is evolving.
“Mia was born as a challenge,” said...
At a press conference attended by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and all top Italian industry reps, organizers also boasted a 30% increase in completed films screening at the Mia film market where about 80 mostly European titles will be having their market – or, in some cases, even world – premieres.
While the Oct. 11-14 Mipcom market in Cannes is suffering a reduced presence, and the AFM this year has gone entirely online, Mia seems to be reaping the benefits of being conceived more congenially to how the global content industry is evolving.
“Mia was born as a challenge,” said...
- 10/13/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Seven years in the making, the Jerusalem Cinematheque is now ready to launch an English-language on-demand digital version of its Israel Film Archive.
The archive, based in a climate-controlled film centre adjacent to Jerusalem’s Old City walls, holds 96% of all features ever produced in Israel. To date, it has largely served cultural institutions, researchers, and filmmakers in Israel and abroad.
From Monday October 18, the Archive is being opened for people to search and stream on demand from around the world. The opening follows a $10M preservation, restoration, and digitization process begun in 2015.
The materials on the new site will all be translated, tagged, and searchable in English by keyword or phrase, year, landmark, and location.
The Archive holds around 32,000 titles, including a new print of Otto Preminger epic Exodus starring Paul Newman. Among the site’s main projects in recent years has been the restoration of 16mm original...
The archive, based in a climate-controlled film centre adjacent to Jerusalem’s Old City walls, holds 96% of all features ever produced in Israel. To date, it has largely served cultural institutions, researchers, and filmmakers in Israel and abroad.
From Monday October 18, the Archive is being opened for people to search and stream on demand from around the world. The opening follows a $10M preservation, restoration, and digitization process begun in 2015.
The materials on the new site will all be translated, tagged, and searchable in English by keyword or phrase, year, landmark, and location.
The Archive holds around 32,000 titles, including a new print of Otto Preminger epic Exodus starring Paul Newman. Among the site’s main projects in recent years has been the restoration of 16mm original...
- 10/12/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Film and TV market devoted to scripted and unscripted content will unfold October 13 to 17.
Rome’s Mia film and TV market has unveiled the line-up and highlights of its seventh edition, unfolding October 13 to 17 in and around the Italian capital’s Piazza Barberini district.
The market is expected to be of greater importance for European film buyers and sellers this autumn, after the Covid-19 pandemic deterred many from travelling to Toronto earlier this September and forced the American Film Market (Nov 1-5) to move online for a second year.
In a sign of this, Mia has reported a 30% increase in...
Rome’s Mia film and TV market has unveiled the line-up and highlights of its seventh edition, unfolding October 13 to 17 in and around the Italian capital’s Piazza Barberini district.
The market is expected to be of greater importance for European film buyers and sellers this autumn, after the Covid-19 pandemic deterred many from travelling to Toronto earlier this September and forced the American Film Market (Nov 1-5) to move online for a second year.
In a sign of this, Mia has reported a 30% increase in...
- 9/23/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Rome’s growing Mia market, dedicated to international TV series, feature films and documentaries, has secured a rich roster of fresh international product in various stages and announced a clutch of prominent U.S. and European execs set to make the trek for the mostly in-person Oct. 13-17 event.
While companies such as ITV Studios, Banijay and Fremantle are either bowing out or reducing their presence at the Oct. 11-14 Mipcom market in Cannes — and the AFM has gone entirely online — Mia seems to be succeeding in luring a robust group of international industry heavyweights. They are also boasting a 30% increase in completed films screening on its film market side while some 80 new European film, TV and doc projects will be pitched to prospective partners.
Joe Russo, who with his older brother Anthony became the creative superheroes of the Marvel Universe with a string of four blockbusters climaxing with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,...
While companies such as ITV Studios, Banijay and Fremantle are either bowing out or reducing their presence at the Oct. 11-14 Mipcom market in Cannes — and the AFM has gone entirely online — Mia seems to be succeeding in luring a robust group of international industry heavyweights. They are also boasting a 30% increase in completed films screening on its film market side while some 80 new European film, TV and doc projects will be pitched to prospective partners.
Joe Russo, who with his older brother Anthony became the creative superheroes of the Marvel Universe with a string of four blockbusters climaxing with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,...
- 9/23/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Respected Jerusalem project lab is up and running again after two-year hiatus
Israeli filmmaker Netelie Braun has won the ninth edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab for Oxygen, the tale of a mother who takes drastic action when her son volunteers for active duty in Lebanon.
It will be writer and director Braun’s first fiction feature after documentary Hope I’m In The Frame, about pioneering female director Michal Bat-Adam, and a number of short films including The Hangman, about the man who hanged Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.
Braun describes the feature as ”a political film,...
Israeli filmmaker Netelie Braun has won the ninth edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab for Oxygen, the tale of a mother who takes drastic action when her son volunteers for active duty in Lebanon.
It will be writer and director Braun’s first fiction feature after documentary Hope I’m In The Frame, about pioneering female director Michal Bat-Adam, and a number of short films including The Hangman, about the man who hanged Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.
Braun describes the feature as ”a political film,...
- 8/31/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The industry centerpiece at Series Mania’s Forum, Monday’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions take on a special relevance this year as the number of admissions have almost doubled – up to 560, near twice the usual number, says Series Mania director Francesco Capurro. “Producers have had more time to develop with Covid-19. Projects run a wide gamut. The idea is tat there will be something for everybody attending,” Capurro explains. Ambitions – budgetary, artistic – are often high. There are multiple period thrillers, as projects wrestle with key issues – identity, peace, high-tech, big business, sacrifice, survival – crucial to these convulsive times.
“Amal,” (Eran Riklis, Israel)
Powered by one of the most established talents at the Forum, reputed film director Riklis (“Lemon Tree”). Also one of its most ambitious projects, an epic yet intimate love story between a Palestinian woman and Israeli man, spanning three decades and Columbia U, Hollywood, Ramallah and Gaza through to...
“Amal,” (Eran Riklis, Israel)
Powered by one of the most established talents at the Forum, reputed film director Riklis (“Lemon Tree”). Also one of its most ambitious projects, an epic yet intimate love story between a Palestinian woman and Israeli man, spanning three decades and Columbia U, Hollywood, Ramallah and Gaza through to...
- 8/29/2021
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Past participants have included ‘Son Of Saul’, ‘The Death Of Cinema and My Father Too’ and ‘Beginning’.
The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel International Film Lab (Jsfl) has unveiled the 12 projects selected for its 9th edition, which is running online for now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 2011 under the auspices of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School (Jsfs), the lab traditionally selects six international and six Israeli projects.
The lab usually combines residential workshops and remote support but this year most of the programme is expected to take place online.
The first writing session will take place in December, followed...
The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel International Film Lab (Jsfl) has unveiled the 12 projects selected for its 9th edition, which is running online for now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 2011 under the auspices of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School (Jsfs), the lab traditionally selects six international and six Israeli projects.
The lab usually combines residential workshops and remote support but this year most of the programme is expected to take place online.
The first writing session will take place in December, followed...
- 11/16/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Past participants have included ‘Son Of Saul’, ‘The Death Of Cinema and My Father Too’ and ‘Beginning’.
The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel International Film Lab (Jsfl) has unveiled the 12 projects selected for its 9th edition, which is running online for now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 2011 under the auspices of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School (Jsfs), the lab traditionally selects six international and six Israeli projects.
The lab usually combines residential workshops and remote support but this year most of the programme is expected to take place online.
Participants include UK director Claire Oakley with English Animals, her...
The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel International Film Lab (Jsfl) has unveiled the 12 projects selected for its 9th edition, which is running online for now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 2011 under the auspices of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School (Jsfs), the lab traditionally selects six international and six Israeli projects.
The lab usually combines residential workshops and remote support but this year most of the programme is expected to take place online.
Participants include UK director Claire Oakley with English Animals, her...
- 11/16/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Streaming online via video presentations from March 25, Series Mania’s experimental Digital Forum will make or break on the quality of its centerpiece, its Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. This year’s lineup, at least on paper, looks particularly strong.
Following, a break-down on the 16 originally selected projects:
“The Abduction of Yossele Shuchmacher” (Israel)
Co-created and to be directed by celebrated Israeli cineaste Eran Riklis, based on a notorious true case in 1961 and co-created by “Fauda” writer Moshe Zonder.-Backed by veteran producer Michael Sharfshtein, the title “blends an intimate, painful drama within a powerful social-political set up, wrapped as a psychological thriller,” says Riklis.
“The Black Lady”
An English-language six-part bio-series led by Brussels-based At-Prod about Madga Goebbels which author Hélène Duchateau describes as a “depressingly modern” miniseries: “Beyond Madga Goebbels’ unique experience, it echoes the growing populist trends in Europe and the processes of radicalization in our time.”
“Casa Girls” (France)
A comedic,...
Following, a break-down on the 16 originally selected projects:
“The Abduction of Yossele Shuchmacher” (Israel)
Co-created and to be directed by celebrated Israeli cineaste Eran Riklis, based on a notorious true case in 1961 and co-created by “Fauda” writer Moshe Zonder.-Backed by veteran producer Michael Sharfshtein, the title “blends an intimate, painful drama within a powerful social-political set up, wrapped as a psychological thriller,” says Riklis.
“The Black Lady”
An English-language six-part bio-series led by Brussels-based At-Prod about Madga Goebbels which author Hélène Duchateau describes as a “depressingly modern” miniseries: “Beyond Madga Goebbels’ unique experience, it echoes the growing populist trends in Europe and the processes of radicalization in our time.”
“Casa Girls” (France)
A comedic,...
- 3/23/2020
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — Never has a TV Festival re-launched in such extraordinary circumstances, or using such novel means.
France’s Series Mania, one of Europe’s two or three most reputed TV events, confirmed on March 11 that it was canceling 2020’s March 20-28 edition, amid inescapable fears of Covid-19 contagion.
Six days later, it announced it was launching a Digital Forum, to feature a Buyers Showcase with, two days out from its lift-off, a sizable number of the series scheduled to world premiere in cinemas at Lille, and video presentations, which would before have been made onstage, of its major industry showcases, led by the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions of series projects.
Following, 10 points about this year’s unique event.
Industry in Contingency Mode
Drama series shoots have been shut down all over Europe. So Series Mania’s digital reincarnation catches Europe’s TV industry at an equally extraordinary time, at it seeks...
France’s Series Mania, one of Europe’s two or three most reputed TV events, confirmed on March 11 that it was canceling 2020’s March 20-28 edition, amid inescapable fears of Covid-19 contagion.
Six days later, it announced it was launching a Digital Forum, to feature a Buyers Showcase with, two days out from its lift-off, a sizable number of the series scheduled to world premiere in cinemas at Lille, and video presentations, which would before have been made onstage, of its major industry showcases, led by the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions of series projects.
Following, 10 points about this year’s unique event.
Industry in Contingency Mode
Drama series shoots have been shut down all over Europe. So Series Mania’s digital reincarnation catches Europe’s TV industry at an equally extraordinary time, at it seeks...
- 3/23/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
In one of the first concrete instances of a new virtual TV marketplace building in Europe as a response to the Covid-19 crisis, Series Mania, which cancelled its 2020 edition in Lille, is instead launching Series Mania Digital Platform.
The Platform will feature video pitches of the 16 selected projects in the Co-Pro Pitching sessions, Series Mania’s industry centerpiece, Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, announced Tuesday.
Other Digital Platform features take in selected events from the Ugc Writers Campus Pitching sessions, video pitches from the Franco-Israeli residency, “Coming Next From” sessions in collaboration with Sodec, Tvfi and German Films, and curated series from its Buyers Showcase.
The platform will be made available to an online audience of accredited industry decision-makers starting Wednesday March 25, the day the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions were programmed to take place in Lille, northern France, kicking off Series Mania’s three day industry Forum.
The Platform will feature video pitches of the 16 selected projects in the Co-Pro Pitching sessions, Series Mania’s industry centerpiece, Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, announced Tuesday.
Other Digital Platform features take in selected events from the Ugc Writers Campus Pitching sessions, video pitches from the Franco-Israeli residency, “Coming Next From” sessions in collaboration with Sodec, Tvfi and German Films, and curated series from its Buyers Showcase.
The platform will be made available to an online audience of accredited industry decision-makers starting Wednesday March 25, the day the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions were programmed to take place in Lille, northern France, kicking off Series Mania’s three day industry Forum.
- 3/17/2020
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Second prize went to Noura’s Dream, while Giuseppe Battiston and Stefano Fresi were crowned Best Actors, 143 Sahara Street Best International Doc and Fuori tutto Best Italian Doc. A White, White Day, the second work by the Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason, has been named Best Film of the 37th Turin Film Festival, which drew to a close on Saturday 30 November. The award was handed over by a jury presided over by Cristina Comencini (Italy) and composed of Fabienne Babe (France), Bruce McDonald (Canada), Eran Riklis (Israel) and Teona Strugar Mitevska (Macedonia). The next most important accolade, the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation Award, went to Noura’s Dream by Hinde Boujemaa, while Viktoria Miroshnichenko and Vasilisa Perelygina were named Best Actresses (for Kantemir Balagov’s Beanpole), and Giuseppe Battiston and Stefano Fresi Best Actors (for Antonio Padovan’s Il grande passo). Within the international documentary section, a jury comprising Sara...
This week sees the release of director Eran Riklis’ atmospheric espionage thriller, Spider in the Web, starring Ben Kingsley as an Israeli Mossad agent, who is assigned to investigate an organisation that could be selling chemical weapons to a Syrian dictatorship.
Monica Bellucci plays the mysterious Angela Caroni, a shady operative who may also be involved in the weapons supply while harbouring other, darker secrets.
Heyuguys recently caught up with Bellucci to discuss the film, her role, balancing family life with film-making and the magical moments bringing characters to life.
Heyuguys: Your character Angela is quite elusive and enigmatic, but the story was also complex and labyrinthine? Was it the character that appealed to you more, or the script?
Monica Bellucci: What really drew me to the story was the humanity more than the espionage. The characters have great depth and delicateness which is ultimately their downfall. To me,...
Monica Bellucci plays the mysterious Angela Caroni, a shady operative who may also be involved in the weapons supply while harbouring other, darker secrets.
Heyuguys recently caught up with Bellucci to discuss the film, her role, balancing family life with film-making and the magical moments bringing characters to life.
Heyuguys: Your character Angela is quite elusive and enigmatic, but the story was also complex and labyrinthine? Was it the character that appealed to you more, or the script?
Monica Bellucci: What really drew me to the story was the humanity more than the espionage. The characters have great depth and delicateness which is ultimately their downfall. To me,...
- 10/24/2019
- by Daniel Goodwin
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Budapest Israeli Film Week Wrap
By Alex Cousy Deleon
Apparently about basketball, but not really …
There were altogether some fourteen films programmed in this overview of recent Israeli films, however, due to overlapping scheduling at the Puskin Art Mozi it was not possible to get to them all. One or two that looked particularly enticing were missed. What films were seen indicate that the Israeli film industry is thriving, loaded with talent, entering into many co-productions to expand productivity, and forging full steam ahead. The last film I managed to get to was the following.
Playoff 2011 director Eran Riklis is also the director of The Syrian Bride and Lemon Tree, two of the highest profile Israeli films at festivals and generally during the past dozen years.
This latest Riklis effort, ( # Editor note below) filmed entirely in Germany with non-Israeli actors, featured American actor Danny Huston as “Max Soller” a legendary...
By Alex Cousy Deleon
Apparently about basketball, but not really …
There were altogether some fourteen films programmed in this overview of recent Israeli films, however, due to overlapping scheduling at the Puskin Art Mozi it was not possible to get to them all. One or two that looked particularly enticing were missed. What films were seen indicate that the Israeli film industry is thriving, loaded with talent, entering into many co-productions to expand productivity, and forging full steam ahead. The last film I managed to get to was the following.
Playoff 2011 director Eran Riklis is also the director of The Syrian Bride and Lemon Tree, two of the highest profile Israeli films at festivals and generally during the past dozen years.
This latest Riklis effort, ( # Editor note below) filmed entirely in Germany with non-Israeli actors, featured American actor Danny Huston as “Max Soller” a legendary...
- 7/30/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
"There are a lot of people out there who'd do anything to stop me from exposing the truth." Vertical Ent. has unveiled an official trailer for spy drama Spider in the Web, the latest film from Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis. This "riveting new spy drama in the vein of John Le Carré" stars Sir Ben Kingsley as an aging Mossad agent struggling to maintain his relevance. His bond with a younger operative sent to monitor him while he's on a secret mission in the heart of a troubled Europe is a reflection on human relationships as well as "on the Europe of today – fragile, troubled, under constant threats from the outside and in turmoil on the inside." Also starring Monica Bellucci, Makram Khoury, Filip Peeters, and Itay Tiran. This looks like a solid, action-y spy thriller with some big twists, but it also looks rather derivative without anything new to offer.
- 7/29/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Michael Sharfstein of Topia Communications also involved in new outfit; debut slate revealed.
Eran Riklis, the director whose credits include the upcoming Spider In The Web with Monica Bellucci and Ben Kingsley, has joined forces with Moshe Edery, founder of Israeli company United King Films, and producer Michael Sharfstein of Topia Communications to launch venture Utr Film Projects.
The outfit will develop and produce feature films and series and is officially being launched here in Cannes, where Rikilis, Edery and Sharfstein are taking meetings about their initial slate. The trio previously collaborated on Spider In The Web and are formalising...
Eran Riklis, the director whose credits include the upcoming Spider In The Web with Monica Bellucci and Ben Kingsley, has joined forces with Moshe Edery, founder of Israeli company United King Films, and producer Michael Sharfstein of Topia Communications to launch venture Utr Film Projects.
The outfit will develop and produce feature films and series and is officially being launched here in Cannes, where Rikilis, Edery and Sharfstein are taking meetings about their initial slate. The trio previously collaborated on Spider In The Web and are formalising...
- 5/18/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Israeli actor Itay Tiran also stars in Eran Riklis’ latest film.
London-based Film Constellation has sold out its Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci spy drama Spider In The Web and struck a North American deal with Vertical Entertainment.
Eran Riklis’ latest film centres on a young agent dispatched to follow an older operative whose behaviour has come into question and is following a tip on a chemical weapons sale to a Middle Eastern dictatorship.
Israeli actor Itay Tiran (Lebanon) also stars. Film Constellation co-financed Spider In The Web and announced the project and previously licensed Germany (Concorde/Telemuenchen), Greece-Cyprus (Tanweer...
London-based Film Constellation has sold out its Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci spy drama Spider In The Web and struck a North American deal with Vertical Entertainment.
Eran Riklis’ latest film centres on a young agent dispatched to follow an older operative whose behaviour has come into question and is following a tip on a chemical weapons sale to a Middle Eastern dictatorship.
Israeli actor Itay Tiran (Lebanon) also stars. Film Constellation co-financed Spider In The Web and announced the project and previously licensed Germany (Concorde/Telemuenchen), Greece-Cyprus (Tanweer...
- 5/16/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Company boards Annie Silverstein’s debut feature.
London-based Film Constellation has picked up international sales rights, excluding North America, to Us filmmaker Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull ahead of its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The film stars Rob Morgan and newcomer Amber Havard and is a drama about a troubled 14-year-old who destroys her neighbour’s rundown house in an act of youthful defiance and now faces state prison. She forms a bond with a man working on the rodeo circuit.
North American rights are being handled by Us outfit 30West which helped to source financing for the project.
London-based Film Constellation has picked up international sales rights, excluding North America, to Us filmmaker Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull ahead of its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The film stars Rob Morgan and newcomer Amber Havard and is a drama about a troubled 14-year-old who destroys her neighbour’s rundown house in an act of youthful defiance and now faces state prison. She forms a bond with a man working on the rodeo circuit.
North American rights are being handled by Us outfit 30West which helped to source financing for the project.
- 4/30/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Film Constellation boards Annie Silverstein’s debut feature.
London-based Film Constellation has picked up international sales rights, excluding North America, to Us filmmaker Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull ahead of its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The film stars Rob Morgan and newcomer Amber Havard and is a drama about a troubled 14-year-old who destroys her neighbour’s rundown house in an act of youthful defiance and now faces state prison. She forms a bond with a man working on the rodeo circuit.
North American rights are being handled by Us outfit 30West which helped to source financing for the project.
London-based Film Constellation has picked up international sales rights, excluding North America, to Us filmmaker Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull ahead of its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The film stars Rob Morgan and newcomer Amber Havard and is a drama about a troubled 14-year-old who destroys her neighbour’s rundown house in an act of youthful defiance and now faces state prison. She forms a bond with a man working on the rodeo circuit.
North American rights are being handled by Us outfit 30West which helped to source financing for the project.
- 4/30/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Film Constellation boards Annie Silverstein’s debut feature.
London-based Film Constellation has picked up international sales rights, excluding North America, to Us filmmaker Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull ahead of its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The film stars Rob Morgan and newcomer Amber Havard and is a drama about a troubled 14-year-old who destroys her neighbour’s rundown house in an act of youthful defiance and now faces state prison. She forms a bond with a man working on the rodeo circuit.
North American rights are being handled by Us outfit 30West which helped to source financing for the project.
London-based Film Constellation has picked up international sales rights, excluding North America, to Us filmmaker Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull ahead of its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The film stars Rob Morgan and newcomer Amber Havard and is a drama about a troubled 14-year-old who destroys her neighbour’s rundown house in an act of youthful defiance and now faces state prison. She forms a bond with a man working on the rodeo circuit.
North American rights are being handled by Us outfit 30West which helped to source financing for the project.
- 4/30/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
The company is screening ’The Love Letter’ in the Short Film Competition.
Tel Aviv University’s fledgling company Gaudeamus Productions is enjoying a high-profile Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff) debut this year, both in the festival line-up and its parallel industry events.
The production outfit showed Atara Frish’s award-winning work The Love Letter in the Israeli Short Film Competition on Monday (Aug 30) and will premiere its first feature-length work, Yona Rozenkier’s sibling drama The Dive in the Feature Competition on Wednesday (Aug 1), which heads to the Locarno Film Festival later this month.
Gaudeamus is also celebrating a win for...
Tel Aviv University’s fledgling company Gaudeamus Productions is enjoying a high-profile Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff) debut this year, both in the festival line-up and its parallel industry events.
The production outfit showed Atara Frish’s award-winning work The Love Letter in the Israeli Short Film Competition on Monday (Aug 30) and will premiere its first feature-length work, Yona Rozenkier’s sibling drama The Dive in the Feature Competition on Wednesday (Aug 1), which heads to the Locarno Film Festival later this month.
Gaudeamus is also celebrating a win for...
- 8/1/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
St. Louis Jewish Film Festival at Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Monday, June 4, at 7 pm
Israel • English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles
Director: Eran Riklis
Feature: 83 minutes
The Israeli thriller Shelter is a film that has been getting a lot of buzz in film circles as it make the rounds of international film festivals. Writer/director Eran Riklis’ drama is a mix of psychological and spy thriller mostly in English although the action takes place primarily at a Mossad safe house in Germany
Naomi (Neta Riskin) is a former Mossad agent who has been out of service for a couple of years. She is lured back by her former boss (Lior Ashkenazi) to take what she is told is a simple two-week assignment, guarding a female Lebanese informer in Germany while she heals from facial plastic surgery to give her a new identity. But the assignment becomes more complex than originally expected,...
Monday, June 4, at 7 pm
Israel • English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles
Director: Eran Riklis
Feature: 83 minutes
The Israeli thriller Shelter is a film that has been getting a lot of buzz in film circles as it make the rounds of international film festivals. Writer/director Eran Riklis’ drama is a mix of psychological and spy thriller mostly in English although the action takes place primarily at a Mossad safe house in Germany
Naomi (Neta Riskin) is a former Mossad agent who has been out of service for a couple of years. She is lured back by her former boss (Lior Ashkenazi) to take what she is told is a simple two-week assignment, guarding a female Lebanese informer in Germany while she heals from facial plastic surgery to give her a new identity. But the assignment becomes more complex than originally expected,...
- 6/4/2018
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Titles include action thriller Spider In The Web and BBC drama series Baptiste.
Belgian audiovisual fund Screen Flanders is investing €1.99m ($2.3m) across ten projects as part of its first funding call of 2018.
The chosen projects include six international co-productions. Amongst them are Spider In The Web, an action thriller from Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride) which stars Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci. Telling the story of an elderly Mossad agent on his last mission, the film was shot mainly on location in Antwerp.
Also receiving funding is BBC series Baptiste, which is a spin-off of hit drama series The Missing,...
Belgian audiovisual fund Screen Flanders is investing €1.99m ($2.3m) across ten projects as part of its first funding call of 2018.
The chosen projects include six international co-productions. Amongst them are Spider In The Web, an action thriller from Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride) which stars Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci. Telling the story of an elderly Mossad agent on his last mission, the film was shot mainly on location in Antwerp.
Also receiving funding is BBC series Baptiste, which is a spin-off of hit drama series The Missing,...
- 6/4/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Film Constellation has pre-sold Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci espionage thriller “Spider in the Web” in territories including Germany and China, as the stars are seen together in an exclusive first-look image from the movie.
Production has just wrapped on the film, which is helmed by Eran Riklis and was shot in Belgium and the Netherlands. Concorde has picked it up for Austria and Germany, and Lemon Tree Media for China. Tanweer has prebought it for Greece and Cyprus. A studio deal is thought to be in the cards in another major territory.
Set in modern-day Europe and inspired by true events, the story follows a once-lauded but aging secret agent, Adereth (Kingsley), whose bosses want to put him out to grass. He embarks on a covert mission that involves finding the enigmatic Angela (Bellucci), while also being tracked by a rival agent played by Itay Tiran (“Lebanon”). Who is hunting whom becomes the question.
Production has just wrapped on the film, which is helmed by Eran Riklis and was shot in Belgium and the Netherlands. Concorde has picked it up for Austria and Germany, and Lemon Tree Media for China. Tanweer has prebought it for Greece and Cyprus. A studio deal is thought to be in the cards in another major territory.
Set in modern-day Europe and inspired by true events, the story follows a once-lauded but aging secret agent, Adereth (Kingsley), whose bosses want to put him out to grass. He embarks on a covert mission that involves finding the enigmatic Angela (Bellucci), while also being tracked by a rival agent played by Itay Tiran (“Lebanon”). Who is hunting whom becomes the question.
- 5/7/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The Marlene Meyerson Jcc Manhattan has set the lineup for its sixth annual Israel Film Center Festival, marking the 70th anniversary of Israel's independence.
The event will open with Eran Riklis' <em>Shelter</em>, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It will close with Asaf Saban's <em>Outdoors</em>. Other noteworthy films set to screen at this year's edition of New York's leading Israeli film festival include the premiere of Savi Gabizon's <em>Longing</em> as well as screenings of Nir Bergman's <em>Saving Neta</em>, <em>The Testament</em>, Karlovy Vary award winner <em>The Cakemaker</em> and actor Mike Burstyn's directorial debut <em>Azimuth</em>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
The fest will also ...
The event will open with Eran Riklis' <em>Shelter</em>, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It will close with Asaf Saban's <em>Outdoors</em>. Other noteworthy films set to screen at this year's edition of New York's leading Israeli film festival include the premiere of Savi Gabizon's <em>Longing</em> as well as screenings of Nir Bergman's <em>Saving Neta</em>, <em>The Testament</em>, Karlovy Vary award winner <em>The Cakemaker</em> and actor Mike Burstyn's directorial debut <em>Azimuth</em>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
The fest will also ...
Attempting to be both a spy thriller and psychological drama about the emotionally complex relationship between two women from very different worlds, Eran Riklis' Shelter fails to convince on either front. Lacking suspense and at times bordering on unintentional silliness in its characterizations, the film is a misfire that sorely disappoints as it comes from the director of such acclaimed efforts as The Syrian Bride and The Lemon Tree.
The story is largely set within the confines of a spacious apartment in Hamburg, Germany. It's an Israeli safe house where the Israeli Mossad is protecting Mona (Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani),...
The story is largely set within the confines of a spacious apartment in Hamburg, Germany. It's an Israeli safe house where the Israeli Mossad is protecting Mona (Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani),...
- 4/4/2018
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shelter Menemsha Films Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Eran Riklis Screenwriter: Eran Riklis based on the novel Cast: Golshifteh Farahani, Meta Riskin, Lior Ashkenazi Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 3/15/18 Opens: April 6 in L.A. before a national rollout “Shelter” gets its impetus from the world-wide terror situation, a phenomenon too well known in Israel, […]
The post Shelter Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Shelter Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/1/2018
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
"I'm here to protect you..." Menemsha Films has debuted a new Us trailer for an Israeli psychological drama titled Shelter, from veteran Iranian filmmaker Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride, Lemon Tree). Golshifteh Farahani (from Paterson) and Neta Riskin star in this "high-stakes game of deception", about a Mossad agent sent to protect their informant in Hamburg. "The intimacy of the relationship that develops between Mona and Naomi is exposed to the threat of terror that is engulfing the world today... Beliefs are questioned and choices are made that are not their own. And yet their fate takes a surprising turn in this suspense-laden, elegant neo-noir." The cast includes Lior Ashkenazi (from Foxtrot), Yehuda Almagor, Doraid Liddawi, and Haluk Bilginer. The bandages on the face are cool, a bit like Phoenix or The Skin I Live In. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Eran Riklis' Shelter, direct from YouTube:...
- 3/28/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley, Italian actress Monica Bellucci and Israeli actor Itay Tiran (Lebanon) have signed on to star in Spider in the Web, a contemporary thriller from Israeli director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree).
Kingsley plays Adereth, a highly lauded secret agent now judged by his superiors to be past his prime, who gets an opportunity for redemption when he discovers a lead on the sale of chemical weapons to a Middle Eastern dictator.
The story, from a script by Gidon Maron and Emmanuel Nakkache, is inspired by real events.
Shooting on the Israel/Belgium/Holland/Portugal co-production is set to start in the...
Kingsley plays Adereth, a highly lauded secret agent now judged by his superiors to be past his prime, who gets an opportunity for redemption when he discovers a lead on the sale of chemical weapons to a Middle Eastern dictator.
The story, from a script by Gidon Maron and Emmanuel Nakkache, is inspired by real events.
Shooting on the Israel/Belgium/Holland/Portugal co-production is set to start in the...
- 1/29/2018
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Author: Zehra Phelan
Spectre’s Monica Bellucci and Oscar-winning actor Ben Kingsley have signed up to star in Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) counterespionage thriller, Spider in the Web.
Inspired by true events, the story focuses a once highly-lauded secret agent, Adereth – played by Kingsley – who’s is deemed to be past his prime by his superiors. An opportunity for last-minute redemption presents itself in a covert mission as he discovers a lead on the sale of chemical weapons to a Middle Eastern dictatorship. But with Mossad placing young agent Daniel on his tail, and his target, the enigmatic Angela (Bellucci) blurring lines, Adereth begins to realize the hunter may become the hunted.
In describing his new project, Riklis said “Spider is an intimate story, depicting the complexities of trust, loyalty and betrayal. It explores my central universal motifs of self-discovery and identity, in a contemporary-set thriller mirroring current geopolitics“.
Spider...
Spectre’s Monica Bellucci and Oscar-winning actor Ben Kingsley have signed up to star in Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) counterespionage thriller, Spider in the Web.
Inspired by true events, the story focuses a once highly-lauded secret agent, Adereth – played by Kingsley – who’s is deemed to be past his prime by his superiors. An opportunity for last-minute redemption presents itself in a covert mission as he discovers a lead on the sale of chemical weapons to a Middle Eastern dictatorship. But with Mossad placing young agent Daniel on his tail, and his target, the enigmatic Angela (Bellucci) blurring lines, Adereth begins to realize the hunter may become the hunted.
In describing his new project, Riklis said “Spider is an intimate story, depicting the complexities of trust, loyalty and betrayal. It explores my central universal motifs of self-discovery and identity, in a contemporary-set thriller mirroring current geopolitics“.
Spider...
- 1/29/2018
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Israeli helmer Eran Riklis is prepping Spider In The Web, a contemporary spy thriller with Ben Kingsley, Monica Bellucci and Israeli actor Itay Tiran (Lebanon) attached to star. Shooting begins in the spring on the Israel/Belgium/Holland/Portugal co-production. Fabien Westerhoff’s Film Constellation is co-financing and handling worldwide sales, introducing the project at the Efm next month. Kingsley plays a once highly-lauded secret agent, Adereth, who’s is deemed to be…...
- 1/29/2018
- Deadline
Berlin winner Eran Riklis directing project.
Source: Film Constellation
Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci
Ben Kingsley, Monica Bellucci and Israeli actor Itay Tiran will lead the cast of contemporary spy thriller Spider In The Web for director Eran Riklis.
Riklis’ previous credits include 2009 drama The Lemon Tree, an award-winner in Berlin’s Panorama strand, 2012 Toronto selection Zaytoun and 2004 comedy-drama The Syrian Bride.
Set to shoot in spring 2018 in Belgium and Holland, the film will see Kingsley play a highly-lauded secret agent, Adereth, who is deemed to be past his prime by his superiors. Haunted by his past, a last-minute redemption opportunity presents itself when he discovers a lead to the sales of chemical weapons to a middle-eastern dictatorship.
Bellucci is playing his enigmatic target Angela, while Tiran is young Mossad agent Daniel.
Writers on the film are Gidon Maron and Emmanuel Nakkache.
The project is an Israel-Belgium-Holland-Portugal co-production. Producers are Riklis, Michael Sharfshtein of [link...
Source: Film Constellation
Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci
Ben Kingsley, Monica Bellucci and Israeli actor Itay Tiran will lead the cast of contemporary spy thriller Spider In The Web for director Eran Riklis.
Riklis’ previous credits include 2009 drama The Lemon Tree, an award-winner in Berlin’s Panorama strand, 2012 Toronto selection Zaytoun and 2004 comedy-drama The Syrian Bride.
Set to shoot in spring 2018 in Belgium and Holland, the film will see Kingsley play a highly-lauded secret agent, Adereth, who is deemed to be past his prime by his superiors. Haunted by his past, a last-minute redemption opportunity presents itself when he discovers a lead to the sales of chemical weapons to a middle-eastern dictatorship.
Bellucci is playing his enigmatic target Angela, while Tiran is young Mossad agent Daniel.
Writers on the film are Gidon Maron and Emmanuel Nakkache.
The project is an Israel-Belgium-Holland-Portugal co-production. Producers are Riklis, Michael Sharfshtein of [link...
- 1/29/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Arsinee Khanjian, Anne Muylaert also onboard portmanteau project.
Us director Todd Solondz, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, actress-screenwriter Arsinee Khanjian and Brazilian director Anne Muylaert have arrived in Jerusalem to begin pre-production on an ambitious portmanteau feature set against the backdrop of the Old City.
Titled The Quarters, the picture will capture the four different districts of the Old City - Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian - through the eyes of an outsider with ethnic or religious ties to the neighbourhood.
Set against the backdrop of the Jewish Quarter, Solondz’s contribution will revolve around a 13-year-old American Jewish boy who reluctantly comes to Israel for the first time to perform his Bar Mitzvah. Makhmalbaf will tackle the Muslim Quarter with a tale of four friends who decide to run away together because they fear the religious divisions around them will eventually drive them apart.
Muyleart’s story revolves around a hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro who makes...
Us director Todd Solondz, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, actress-screenwriter Arsinee Khanjian and Brazilian director Anne Muylaert have arrived in Jerusalem to begin pre-production on an ambitious portmanteau feature set against the backdrop of the Old City.
Titled The Quarters, the picture will capture the four different districts of the Old City - Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian - through the eyes of an outsider with ethnic or religious ties to the neighbourhood.
Set against the backdrop of the Jewish Quarter, Solondz’s contribution will revolve around a 13-year-old American Jewish boy who reluctantly comes to Israel for the first time to perform his Bar Mitzvah. Makhmalbaf will tackle the Muslim Quarter with a tale of four friends who decide to run away together because they fear the religious divisions around them will eventually drive them apart.
Muyleart’s story revolves around a hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro who makes...
- 7/14/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Beyond The Mountains And The Hill director aiming for early 2018 shoot on latest feature.
Israeli director Eran Kolirin is turning the wheels on his adaptation of Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua’s 2006 novel Let It Be Morning, about an Arab village under Israeli blockade, early next year.
“We’ve started casting and the aim is to shoot in February 2018,” says Keren Michael, creative producer at the feature film arm of Israeli media and entertainment company Dori Media Paran, who is overseeing the production.
Kolirin had put development of the film on hold for a few months to focus on promoting his last feature Beyond The Mountains And Hills [pictured], which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2016 and went onto play in several territories and festivals worldwide. “Eran wanted to go back into the script so we’ve just got a new draft and have kickstarted the project again this month,” says Michael...
Israeli director Eran Kolirin is turning the wheels on his adaptation of Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua’s 2006 novel Let It Be Morning, about an Arab village under Israeli blockade, early next year.
“We’ve started casting and the aim is to shoot in February 2018,” says Keren Michael, creative producer at the feature film arm of Israeli media and entertainment company Dori Media Paran, who is overseeing the production.
Kolirin had put development of the film on hold for a few months to focus on promoting his last feature Beyond The Mountains And Hills [pictured], which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2016 and went onto play in several territories and festivals worldwide. “Eran wanted to go back into the script so we’ve just got a new draft and have kickstarted the project again this month,” says Michael...
- 7/14/2017
- ScreenDaily
Richard Gere (Norman Oppenheimer) with Lior Ashkenazi (Micha Eshel) at Lanvin: "It's almost like theater."
Star of Joseph Cedar's Footnote and Norman: The Moderate Rise And Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer, Lior Ashkenazi, spoke with me on growing up seeing Kirk Douglas, Steve McQueen, and Paul Newman movies with his father, Burt Lancaster in Robert Siodmak's The Crimson Pirate being his first, shooting Eytan Fox's Walk On Water at Berlin's Tempelhof airport, meeting Son Of Saul director László Nemes at the Cannes Film Festival, and performing a silent scene with Richard Gere.
Lior's upcoming films include Julie Delpy's My Zoe (with Gemma Arterton, Richard Armitage, Daniel Brühl); Dragos Buliga's The Wanderers (Armand Assante); Eran Riklis's Refuge (Golshifteh Farahani, Neta Riskin), Samuel Maoz's Foxtrot (Sarah Adler), and José Padilha's Entebbe (Rosamund Pike, Brühl), where he portrays Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Star of Joseph Cedar's Footnote and Norman: The Moderate Rise And Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer, Lior Ashkenazi, spoke with me on growing up seeing Kirk Douglas, Steve McQueen, and Paul Newman movies with his father, Burt Lancaster in Robert Siodmak's The Crimson Pirate being his first, shooting Eytan Fox's Walk On Water at Berlin's Tempelhof airport, meeting Son Of Saul director László Nemes at the Cannes Film Festival, and performing a silent scene with Richard Gere.
Lior's upcoming films include Julie Delpy's My Zoe (with Gemma Arterton, Richard Armitage, Daniel Brühl); Dragos Buliga's The Wanderers (Armand Assante); Eran Riklis's Refuge (Golshifteh Farahani, Neta Riskin), Samuel Maoz's Foxtrot (Sarah Adler), and José Padilha's Entebbe (Rosamund Pike, Brühl), where he portrays Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
- 5/12/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
“NY84” will have a gala opening and theatrical release this October 14 at the Arena Theater in Hollywood.
A unique venue for a unique film written and directed by Cyril Morin and starring Sam Quartin, Chris Schellenger and Davy J. Marr, “NY84” follows the adventures of three young artists in the downtown New York art scene in the early 1980s. Young and carefree, Kate, Anton, and Keith party, photograph, paint, sing, and play their way through the clubs and lofts of Alphabet City.
The party ends in 1984 when Anton and Keith contract a mysterious illness known as the “gay cancer.” We gain an intimate glimpse into their creative and emotional lives as the three lose their youth and innocence.
Cyril Morin
This is a lyrical poetic paen to those times some of us were lucky enough to have lived through. The sexual revolution and its sexual freedom in effect then for the newly liberated homosexual community, also opened the way for Kate to express herself. And it opened a door for transexuals, women and the whole diversity of humanity to assert itself today.
A unique venue for a unique film written and directed by Cyril Morin and starring Sam Quartin, Chris Schellenger and Davy J. Marr, “NY84” follows the adventures of three young artists in the downtown New York art scene in the early 1980s. Young and carefree, Kate, Anton, and Keith party, photograph, paint, sing, and play their way through the clubs and lofts of Alphabet City.
The party ends in 1984 when Anton and Keith contract a mysterious illness known as the “gay cancer.” We gain an intimate glimpse into their creative and emotional lives as the three lose their youth and innocence.
Cyril Morin
This is a lyrical poetic paen to those times some of us were lucky enough to have lived through. The sexual revolution and its sexual freedom in effect then for the newly liberated homosexual community, also opened the way for Kate to express herself. And it opened a door for transexuals, women and the whole diversity of humanity to assert itself today.
- 9/30/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
In the chaotic aftermath of the Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution, many fled their homeland braved hostile travel conditions in order to find refuge abroad. This is the premise of Raja Amari’s new film “Foreign Body,” which follows the young Samia (Sarra Hannachi) as she illegally arrives in France only to discover a new set of struggles. With no family or immigration papers, Samia reconnects with Imed (Salim Kechiouche), a young man from her past, and soon finds work in the employ of the elegant Leila (Hiam Abbass), but Samia finds herself caught in a web of sexual tension and class anxiety between the two of them. Watch an exclusive trailer for the film below and check out the poster as well.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
Amari has previously directed “Satin Rouge,” about...
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
Amari has previously directed “Satin Rouge,” about...
- 9/14/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Director of The Band’s Visit to explore dilemma of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.
Eran Kolirin is gearing up to shoot an adaptation of Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua’s 2006 tragi-comic novel Let It Be Morning in early 2017.
The work explores the trademark themes of Kashua, who rose to fame in Israel and internationally for his Hebrew-language newspaper columns, novels and TV dramas about the complexity of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.
Kolirin’s adaptation revolves around Sami, an urbane Palestinian accountant (rather than a journalist as per the novel) with Israeli citizenship who left his Arab home village years ago to take up a post in Jerusalem.
He is forced to re-assess his Palestinian roots and Israeli citizenship after he is trapped in his Arab home village when an Israeli army blockade is unexpectedly set up while he is attending a family wedding with his wife and young son.
Yoni Paran, CEO of...
Eran Kolirin is gearing up to shoot an adaptation of Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua’s 2006 tragi-comic novel Let It Be Morning in early 2017.
The work explores the trademark themes of Kashua, who rose to fame in Israel and internationally for his Hebrew-language newspaper columns, novels and TV dramas about the complexity of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.
Kolirin’s adaptation revolves around Sami, an urbane Palestinian accountant (rather than a journalist as per the novel) with Israeli citizenship who left his Arab home village years ago to take up a post in Jerusalem.
He is forced to re-assess his Palestinian roots and Israeli citizenship after he is trapped in his Arab home village when an Israeli army blockade is unexpectedly set up while he is attending a family wedding with his wife and young son.
Yoni Paran, CEO of...
- 7/8/2016
- ScreenDaily
Upcoming filmmaker Omri Burstyn wrote and directed the short film "At Dawn", a coming of age story set in the violence of present-day Israel. But before he even finished shooting the film, the reality of the Middle East blew up in his face.
Born in 1985, Omri was politically involved in human rights and peace movements during his youth. Those experiences set the tone for his new short film. Here is what he has to say about the film and his experience.
Tell me a bit about the film.
"At Dawn" deals with present-day Israel; with revengeful acts of right and left winged extremists. It's a coming of age story set in a violent, racist society. In the film, we are following a young teenager named Ali (Tawfeek Barhom). He is the sole Palestinian-Israeli in a radical activist youth group. Ali is struggling to impress Yael, a Jewish-Israeli member of the group, when a series of political outbursts in the west bank lead him to a dangerous position.
Why did you chose to make a political film?
I wanted to tell a story about apocalyptic-like right winged acts that encourage a young group of left wing activists to respond with similar violence. I believe that through this set-up I am able to tell the story of the Real Israel. The way I look at it is that everything here is politicized and this invokes the violent side of people. It's not that I think people here are inherently bad, nothing like that. I just think this is what happens to a society that is in a war for so many generations.
You set the story inside a left wing youth group. Why criticize the "peace people"?
This film is based on my experience as a member of a political youth group during the second intifada. In our group, there was only one Palestinian-Israeli. He was the sole Arab amongst us Israeli Jews. Having an Arab among us seemed like an opportunity to live up to our ideals - to pursue co-existence for real. My friends and I took him in happily, blind to the built-in differences that stood between us. We always treated him as our Arab friend, instead of just our friend.
Today, more than a decade later, I see things in a different light and with a sense of criticism. I examine the violent approach that I was sometimes a part of. It's a hidden violence, but It still existed. We had good intentions, but we were unable to see what co-existence really means. I believe that the only way to achieve peace in this country is to embrace the differences amongst ourselves, our societies, and our cultures. These longings are the roots of this film.
You cast Tawfeek Barhom as the lead actor. How did that happen?
Tawfeek Barhom is a famous and acknowledged actor, but when we first met, it was just after he finished shooting "A Borrowed Identity" by Eran Riklis. I had never seen him act before this. He read the script and reacted very emotionally — it was so close to his own life. He immediately felt obligated to the story and the film — from that moment, I knew he was Ali. Tawfeek is one of the most interesting, talented, deep and devoted actors in Israel today. Working with him was an honor.
Was it hard to shoot this kind of story in Jerusalem?
It's a powerful and intense city. The last day of shooting was in downtown Jerusalem. It was a long and tiring day, but we all were happy and excited to finish the production. I woke up the next morning to hear sad news — there was a terror attack in the exact same place we were shooting. We were lucky I guess. This is, in a nutshell, the painful story of the Middle East — the reality here beats imagination every time.
How do people react to the film?
We have just finished the post-production stage, and have received very good feedback so far. We do have some problems showing it in Israel, due to the political nature of the film and its criticism towards Israeli society. After all the violence and tension we've had this past year, there's a growing fear of voicing difficult questions. Politicians are making it harder and harder to get stories like this out in Israel, putting pressure on festivals and decision makers to hold back. I hope we don't run into censorship in Israel, and we still have our world premiere in front of us. For me, this is a story of a generation, born into a violent broken society. It's a story that needs to be heard.
You can follow the film on twitter: @AtDawnFilm
Or like it on Fb here.
See Trailer Below:...
Born in 1985, Omri was politically involved in human rights and peace movements during his youth. Those experiences set the tone for his new short film. Here is what he has to say about the film and his experience.
Tell me a bit about the film.
"At Dawn" deals with present-day Israel; with revengeful acts of right and left winged extremists. It's a coming of age story set in a violent, racist society. In the film, we are following a young teenager named Ali (Tawfeek Barhom). He is the sole Palestinian-Israeli in a radical activist youth group. Ali is struggling to impress Yael, a Jewish-Israeli member of the group, when a series of political outbursts in the west bank lead him to a dangerous position.
Why did you chose to make a political film?
I wanted to tell a story about apocalyptic-like right winged acts that encourage a young group of left wing activists to respond with similar violence. I believe that through this set-up I am able to tell the story of the Real Israel. The way I look at it is that everything here is politicized and this invokes the violent side of people. It's not that I think people here are inherently bad, nothing like that. I just think this is what happens to a society that is in a war for so many generations.
You set the story inside a left wing youth group. Why criticize the "peace people"?
This film is based on my experience as a member of a political youth group during the second intifada. In our group, there was only one Palestinian-Israeli. He was the sole Arab amongst us Israeli Jews. Having an Arab among us seemed like an opportunity to live up to our ideals - to pursue co-existence for real. My friends and I took him in happily, blind to the built-in differences that stood between us. We always treated him as our Arab friend, instead of just our friend.
Today, more than a decade later, I see things in a different light and with a sense of criticism. I examine the violent approach that I was sometimes a part of. It's a hidden violence, but It still existed. We had good intentions, but we were unable to see what co-existence really means. I believe that the only way to achieve peace in this country is to embrace the differences amongst ourselves, our societies, and our cultures. These longings are the roots of this film.
You cast Tawfeek Barhom as the lead actor. How did that happen?
Tawfeek Barhom is a famous and acknowledged actor, but when we first met, it was just after he finished shooting "A Borrowed Identity" by Eran Riklis. I had never seen him act before this. He read the script and reacted very emotionally — it was so close to his own life. He immediately felt obligated to the story and the film — from that moment, I knew he was Ali. Tawfeek is one of the most interesting, talented, deep and devoted actors in Israel today. Working with him was an honor.
Was it hard to shoot this kind of story in Jerusalem?
It's a powerful and intense city. The last day of shooting was in downtown Jerusalem. It was a long and tiring day, but we all were happy and excited to finish the production. I woke up the next morning to hear sad news — there was a terror attack in the exact same place we were shooting. We were lucky I guess. This is, in a nutshell, the painful story of the Middle East — the reality here beats imagination every time.
How do people react to the film?
We have just finished the post-production stage, and have received very good feedback so far. We do have some problems showing it in Israel, due to the political nature of the film and its criticism towards Israeli society. After all the violence and tension we've had this past year, there's a growing fear of voicing difficult questions. Politicians are making it harder and harder to get stories like this out in Israel, putting pressure on festivals and decision makers to hold back. I hope we don't run into censorship in Israel, and we still have our world premiere in front of us. For me, this is a story of a generation, born into a violent broken society. It's a story that needs to be heard.
You can follow the film on twitter: @AtDawnFilm
Or like it on Fb here.
See Trailer Below:...
- 10/26/2015
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Other winners include Venice title Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me and documentary Rabin In His Own Words.
Elad Keidan’s debut feature Afterthought (Hayored Lemaala) was crowned Best Israeli Film at this year’s Haifa Film Festival (Sept 26-Oct 5).
London-based Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf presided over the jury that included Karlovy Vary artistic director Karel Och, MoMA’s former cinema curator Laurence Kardish, Israeli cinematographer-director-actress Yvonne Miklosh and director Julie Schlez.
Screened earlier this year in Cannes’ Special Screenings section, the film is a metaphor of Israel today, focusing on two characters, one going up and the other down the staircases crisscrossing Haifa’s Mount Carmel and was entirely shot on location in the city.
Back from Venice’s Horizons section, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me (Lama Azavtani), a gloomy portrait of a city slum and of a teenager living on the fringes of society who desperately tries to find his own identity, gained director...
Elad Keidan’s debut feature Afterthought (Hayored Lemaala) was crowned Best Israeli Film at this year’s Haifa Film Festival (Sept 26-Oct 5).
London-based Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf presided over the jury that included Karlovy Vary artistic director Karel Och, MoMA’s former cinema curator Laurence Kardish, Israeli cinematographer-director-actress Yvonne Miklosh and director Julie Schlez.
Screened earlier this year in Cannes’ Special Screenings section, the film is a metaphor of Israel today, focusing on two characters, one going up and the other down the staircases crisscrossing Haifa’s Mount Carmel and was entirely shot on location in the city.
Back from Venice’s Horizons section, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me (Lama Azavtani), a gloomy portrait of a city slum and of a teenager living on the fringes of society who desperately tries to find his own identity, gained director...
- 10/5/2015
- by dfainaru@netvision.net.il (Edna Fainaru)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The Paz brothers are eyeing their first European production, titled Plan A.
Yoav and Doron Paz, the directing duo whose apocalyptic horror film JeruZalem had a work-in-progress screening at Jerusalem Film Festival (July 9-19) on Friday, are planning their first European production.
The film, which has a completed script and is titled Plan A, will be a historical thriller based on the Nakam, the Jewish revenge squad that targeted Nazi war criminals at the end of the Second World War; it promises to tell the real story behind Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film Inglourious Basterds.
“It’s an amazing true story that not a lot of people in Israel know about,” said Yoav Paz. “It’s about Jews after the Second World War who, after going through the Holocaust, through hell, decide they can’t go on with their lives as if nothing happened and decide to take justice into their own hands.”
Producers [link=nm...
Yoav and Doron Paz, the directing duo whose apocalyptic horror film JeruZalem had a work-in-progress screening at Jerusalem Film Festival (July 9-19) on Friday, are planning their first European production.
The film, which has a completed script and is titled Plan A, will be a historical thriller based on the Nakam, the Jewish revenge squad that targeted Nazi war criminals at the end of the Second World War; it promises to tell the real story behind Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film Inglourious Basterds.
“It’s an amazing true story that not a lot of people in Israel know about,” said Yoav Paz. “It’s about Jews after the Second World War who, after going through the Holocaust, through hell, decide they can’t go on with their lives as if nothing happened and decide to take justice into their own hands.”
Producers [link=nm...
- 7/14/2015
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.