Catalonia has a rich filmmaking tradition backed by public investment in local artists and production companies. Four years ago, the region expanded its existing financing structures by launching its Minority Co-Production Fund. It’s now beginning to prove to be a success story.
The fund provides financing to films with at least one Catalan minority co-producer, showcasing the region’s talent and helping local companies grow their international networks.
Launched in 2020, the fund initially had a budget of €1.5 million ($1.6 million) ear- marked to support up to five high-end films annually. Since then, the number of projects backed has steadily increased, with total funding rising to €2 million ($2.2 million) annually, capped at €300,000 per title.
“When we launched, the goal was to provide Catalan producers with the best conditions and framework to enhance and promote their creative, professional and artistic exchanges in the international arena,” says Edgar Garcia, director of the governmental culture industry unit Icec,...
The fund provides financing to films with at least one Catalan minority co-producer, showcasing the region’s talent and helping local companies grow their international networks.
Launched in 2020, the fund initially had a budget of €1.5 million ($1.6 million) ear- marked to support up to five high-end films annually. Since then, the number of projects backed has steadily increased, with total funding rising to €2 million ($2.2 million) annually, capped at €300,000 per title.
“When we launched, the goal was to provide Catalan producers with the best conditions and framework to enhance and promote their creative, professional and artistic exchanges in the international arena,” says Edgar Garcia, director of the governmental culture industry unit Icec,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Malaga, Spain — “The Chapel,” from “Piggy” director Carlota Pereda, Celia Rico’s competition title “Little Loves,” loved by a lot of critics, and “Free Falling,” produced by “Society of the Snow’s” J.A. Bayona and that film’s producer Belén Atienza, looked like three of the hottest tickets at this week’s Malaga market and Spanish Screenings which rated as the most upbeat in years.
Most all sales agents on the films – focusing on titles from Spain and Latin America – whose ranks are now swelled by Antonia Nava’s Neo Art International, forecast or saw deal traction on more than one title or a broad slate of films.
“Malaga was great for our movies,” said Latido Films’ Antonio Saura.
“For us, it’s been the best Spanish Screenings of the last years,” reported Luis Recart at Bendita Film Sales.
Why of course is another matter. 10 takeaways on a Spanish bull market,...
Most all sales agents on the films – focusing on titles from Spain and Latin America – whose ranks are now swelled by Antonia Nava’s Neo Art International, forecast or saw deal traction on more than one title or a broad slate of films.
“Malaga was great for our movies,” said Latido Films’ Antonio Saura.
“For us, it’s been the best Spanish Screenings of the last years,” reported Luis Recart at Bendita Film Sales.
Why of course is another matter. 10 takeaways on a Spanish bull market,...
- 3/8/2024
- by John Hopewell and Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Todos los detalles de la próxima serie española de vampiros encabezada por Anna Castillo y Ester Expósito.
Después de abordar temas crudos y socialmente relevantes en “Cerdita”, Carlota Pereda se sumerge en el género del thriller vampírico con su primera serie titulada “Que Muera el Amor”, protagonizada por las talentosas Anna Castillo y Ester Expósito.
Aunque no se conocen muchos detalles de la trama, la serie trata de una vampiresa abandonada que intenta superar la separación de su ex, también vampiresa, a lo largo de varios siglos. La directora, además, ha descrito la serie como “una propuesta visceral y romántica”.
Anna Castillo, ganadora del Goya a la mejor actriz revelación en 2016, ha protagonizado éxitos en Netflix como “Un Cuento Perfecto” o “Nowhere”. Por otro lado, Ester Expósito, conocida por su papel en las primeras temporadas de “Élite”, ha diversificado su repertorio con proyectos como “Alguien Tiene que Morir” y “Venus...
Después de abordar temas crudos y socialmente relevantes en “Cerdita”, Carlota Pereda se sumerge en el género del thriller vampírico con su primera serie titulada “Que Muera el Amor”, protagonizada por las talentosas Anna Castillo y Ester Expósito.
Aunque no se conocen muchos detalles de la trama, la serie trata de una vampiresa abandonada que intenta superar la separación de su ex, también vampiresa, a lo largo de varios siglos. La directora, además, ha descrito la serie como “una propuesta visceral y romántica”.
Anna Castillo, ganadora del Goya a la mejor actriz revelación en 2016, ha protagonizado éxitos en Netflix como “Un Cuento Perfecto” o “Nowhere”. Por otro lado, Ester Expósito, conocida por su papel en las primeras temporadas de “Élite”, ha diversificado su repertorio con proyectos como “Alguien Tiene que Morir” y “Venus...
- 3/6/2024
- by Marta Medina
- mundoCine
Two Spanish female stars who have broken out to huge global audiences in Netflix hits – “Nowhere” and “A Perfect Story” lead Anna Castillo and Ester Expósito, highly prominent in “Elite” in early seasons – are set to star in dramedic vampire thriller “Death to Love,” (“Que muera el amor”), the first series created by “Piggy” director Carlota Pereda, who will also serve as its showrunner.
“If there are two actresses you can believe are immortals, with their out-of-this-world allure and talent, it’s Anna and Ester. I can’t wait to explore this world of darkness, joy and Eternal Love with them,” Pereda told Variety.
With that talent package, and the backing of two Spanish powerhouse producers, Morena Films and Buendía Estudios, “Death to Love” is shaping up as one of the hottest packages to come to market from Spain after it emerged from February’s Berlinale Series Market as one...
“If there are two actresses you can believe are immortals, with their out-of-this-world allure and talent, it’s Anna and Ester. I can’t wait to explore this world of darkness, joy and Eternal Love with them,” Pereda told Variety.
With that talent package, and the backing of two Spanish powerhouse producers, Morena Films and Buendía Estudios, “Death to Love” is shaping up as one of the hottest packages to come to market from Spain after it emerged from February’s Berlinale Series Market as one...
- 3/4/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
From Namibian western to animated revenge thriller, from Bosnian family saga to a lesbian vampire breakup story, 10 upscale scripted TV projects were spotlighted at the Berlinale Series Market’s Co-Pro Series on Tuesday morning, representing “unique and bold choices with regard to genre and perspective, on top of great storytelling,” Martina Bleis, Head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market, observed before the presentation..
“This should attract buyers and co-producers now, and will surely convince discerning audiences once they have been made,”
With Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy joining climate change satire “S.O.L.,” created by late Ruth McCance, or Cannes-awarded director Aida Begić now focusing on “Mirrors,” it was a high-profile affair.
“This female family chronicle serves as a bridge between two centuries, two eras and two societies, shedding light on the hidden lives of Balkan women. Female secrets touch on taboos such as sexuality, violence and mental health. What would...
“This should attract buyers and co-producers now, and will surely convince discerning audiences once they have been made,”
With Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy joining climate change satire “S.O.L.,” created by late Ruth McCance, or Cannes-awarded director Aida Begić now focusing on “Mirrors,” it was a high-profile affair.
“This female family chronicle serves as a bridge between two centuries, two eras and two societies, shedding light on the hidden lives of Balkan women. Female secrets touch on taboos such as sexuality, violence and mental health. What would...
- 2/21/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Series from Atresmedia TV, Rtve, Movistar Plus+, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (“La Mesías”), Zeta Studios (“Elite”) and director Carlota Pereda and Morena Films (behind Sundance hit “Piggy”) will unspool or be unveiled at the Berlinale. They underscore the breadth and depth of Spanish TV output:
“Death to Love,”
Carlota Pereda dazzled at Sundance with first feature, “Piggy.” Now, Pereda’s at the Berlinale Co-Pro Series on Feb. 20 with her debut series, “Death to Love,” in which afemale vampire struggles over centuries to end a toxic relationship with her vampire female lover and culminates in a modern-day climax. “A visceral and romantic proposition,” Pereda says.
“Dressed in Blue: Veneno Season 2,”
The Sundance world premiere “La Mesías” sealed the standing of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi as most probably the coolest creative duo in Spain. This time around, they produce, with Mikel Rueda, a director on “Veneno,” and Claudia Costafreda and Ian de la Rosa,...
“Death to Love,”
Carlota Pereda dazzled at Sundance with first feature, “Piggy.” Now, Pereda’s at the Berlinale Co-Pro Series on Feb. 20 with her debut series, “Death to Love,” in which afemale vampire struggles over centuries to end a toxic relationship with her vampire female lover and culminates in a modern-day climax. “A visceral and romantic proposition,” Pereda says.
“Dressed in Blue: Veneno Season 2,”
The Sundance world premiere “La Mesías” sealed the standing of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi as most probably the coolest creative duo in Spain. This time around, they produce, with Mikel Rueda, a director on “Veneno,” and Claudia Costafreda and Ian de la Rosa,...
- 2/19/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Cementing its reputation as a harbinger of emerging talent, Madrid-based Latido Films has acquired the international sales rights to “Tras el Verano,” the debut film from Yolanda Centeno picked out as one of Variety’s 10 Women Directors to Watch from Spain, compiled in 2021.
Alfa Pictures is handling distribution in Spain.
Following on hits such as Colombia’s “Killing Jesus” and “Carmen & Lola” and “Lullaby” from Spain, this acquisition not only underscores Latido’s interest in nurturing and promoting fresh, innovative voices in cinema but also highlights the strength of a new generation of talent emanating from the Spanish-speaking world.
Centeno’s debut feature has attracted strong talent in the form of Goya and Gaudi winners Ruth Gabriel (“Numbered Days”) and Alexandra Jiménez (“The Distances” “100 Metres”).
Joining them is actor Juan Diego Botto whose own directorial debut “On The Fringe” reaped recognition at the Goyas, Venice and other festivals.
Alfa Pictures is handling distribution in Spain.
Following on hits such as Colombia’s “Killing Jesus” and “Carmen & Lola” and “Lullaby” from Spain, this acquisition not only underscores Latido’s interest in nurturing and promoting fresh, innovative voices in cinema but also highlights the strength of a new generation of talent emanating from the Spanish-speaking world.
Centeno’s debut feature has attracted strong talent in the form of Goya and Gaudi winners Ruth Gabriel (“Numbered Days”) and Alexandra Jiménez (“The Distances” “100 Metres”).
Joining them is actor Juan Diego Botto whose own directorial debut “On The Fringe” reaped recognition at the Goyas, Venice and other festivals.
- 10/30/2023
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
In less than a week our amigos y familia at Morbido will be hosting the sixteenth edition of their famed genre film festival. This year genre icons Eli Roth and Ted Raimi will be attending the festival to present their films, Thanksgiving and Failure! respectively. Festival alumni Gigi Saul Guerrero will be in town to present V/H/S/85 and LG White will be back to present her doc, Tripping the Dark Fantastic, the documentary about composer Simon Boswell with performance footage and interviews with the likes of Argento and Jorodowsky. Carlota Pereda's new film, The Chapel, is a must-see part of the program as is Demian Rugna's When Evil Lurks. Don't miss Weston Razooli's Riddle of Fire either. Morbido Film Fest Celebrates 16 years...
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- 10/25/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Spain’s Basque Country, an ever-evolving film hub, continues to see a consolidation of talent driven by an animation boom alongside an increase in the production of ambitious genre cinema, marked by the colossal success of recent projects on streaming platforms and pick-ups by labs and festivals.
As San Sebastian unspools, the sequel to “The Platform,” the second most watched non-English Netflix movie in the streamer’s history, is in production in the Basque Country, produced by Carlos Juárez at Basque Films. Director Paul Urkijo, who opened the Fantastic Pavilion, heads to the fest to screen“Irati,” which has broken box office records for a Basque film and continues its prize trawl at festivals.
Spanish helmer Carlota Pereda’s follow-up to “Piggy,” “The Chapel” was produced in the region by Filmax and the Basque Country’s Bixagu, co-founded by producer Iñaki Gómez and amusing and intimate short effort “Priorities,” (“Prioridades”) from writer-director Tamara Lucarini Cortés,...
As San Sebastian unspools, the sequel to “The Platform,” the second most watched non-English Netflix movie in the streamer’s history, is in production in the Basque Country, produced by Carlos Juárez at Basque Films. Director Paul Urkijo, who opened the Fantastic Pavilion, heads to the fest to screen“Irati,” which has broken box office records for a Basque film and continues its prize trawl at festivals.
Spanish helmer Carlota Pereda’s follow-up to “Piggy,” “The Chapel” was produced in the region by Filmax and the Basque Country’s Bixagu, co-founded by producer Iñaki Gómez and amusing and intimate short effort “Priorities,” (“Prioridades”) from writer-director Tamara Lucarini Cortés,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish sales, distribution, exhibition and production outfit has a line-up of 16 titles in different stages of production.
Barcelona-based Filmax, one of Spain’s leading entertainment companies, has lined up its next genre production, El Nido, the third fiction feature from Hugo Stuven following Solo and English-language Anomalous.
A psychological thriller feature, El Nido (which translates to ‘the nest’) tells the story of Marta, who is obsessed with protecting her family from the terrifying outside world and keeps her mother and her young son locked in their home. Everything seems peaceful until, one day, a man arrives, looking to destroy everything Marta has built.
Barcelona-based Filmax, one of Spain’s leading entertainment companies, has lined up its next genre production, El Nido, the third fiction feature from Hugo Stuven following Solo and English-language Anomalous.
A psychological thriller feature, El Nido (which translates to ‘the nest’) tells the story of Marta, who is obsessed with protecting her family from the terrifying outside world and keeps her mother and her young son locked in their home. Everything seems peaceful until, one day, a man arrives, looking to destroy everything Marta has built.
- 9/25/2023
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
‘The Chapel’ Teaser Trailer – Preview Supernatural Horror Movie from ‘Piggy’ Director Carlota Pereda
The director of last year’s Piggy, Spanish filmmaker Carlota Pereda is back with new movie The Chapel, and Filmax has shared the supernatural horror film’s teaser trailer today.
Carlota Pereda describes The Chapel as “a very personal story” about “how hard being a mother and daughter can be, how, sometimes, we don’t understand each other until we reach adulthood and, like in all ghost stories, it’s too late…. Or maybe, just maybe, this time, it isn’t.”
In the film, “Emma wants to learn how to communicate with the spirit of a little girl who has spent centuries trapped inside a chapel and so she tries to convince Carol, a skeptical and fake medium, to help her. Contacting the spirit will help her to remain close to her sick mother once she dies. What Carol doesn’t suspect is that Emma really does have “the gift” and,...
Carlota Pereda describes The Chapel as “a very personal story” about “how hard being a mother and daughter can be, how, sometimes, we don’t understand each other until we reach adulthood and, like in all ghost stories, it’s too late…. Or maybe, just maybe, this time, it isn’t.”
In the film, “Emma wants to learn how to communicate with the spirit of a little girl who has spent centuries trapped inside a chapel and so she tries to convince Carol, a skeptical and fake medium, to help her. Contacting the spirit will help her to remain close to her sick mother once she dies. What Carol doesn’t suspect is that Emma really does have “the gift” and,...
- 9/12/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Underscoring a renaissance on Spain’s genre scene, a duo of titles – Daniel Calparsoro’s “All the Names of God” and Carlota Pereda’s “The Chapel” – lead the lineup of the second Spanish Screenings on Tour, which unspools at Rome’s Mia forum, taking place Oct. 9-13.
A platform of market premieres, projects, pics in post and potential remake titles, the Spanish Screenings also underscore the ever stronger emergence in Spain of open arthouse titles – Isaki Lacuesta’s “Saturn Return,” Arantxa Echeverría “Chinas,” Benito Zambrano’s “Jumping the Fence” and Gerardo Herrero’s “Under Therapy,” which was one of the best-selling titles at March’s Malaga Spanish Screenings.
With titles in Next from Spain set to present trailers, Spanish Screenings on Tour will also position a bevy of anticipated feature debuts, at different stages of production, from Spain’s seemingly bottomless well of new talent, such as Jaume Claret Muxart.
A platform of market premieres, projects, pics in post and potential remake titles, the Spanish Screenings also underscore the ever stronger emergence in Spain of open arthouse titles – Isaki Lacuesta’s “Saturn Return,” Arantxa Echeverría “Chinas,” Benito Zambrano’s “Jumping the Fence” and Gerardo Herrero’s “Under Therapy,” which was one of the best-selling titles at March’s Malaga Spanish Screenings.
With titles in Next from Spain set to present trailers, Spanish Screenings on Tour will also position a bevy of anticipated feature debuts, at different stages of production, from Spain’s seemingly bottomless well of new talent, such as Jaume Claret Muxart.
- 9/11/2023
- by John Hopewell and Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Our friends at Celluloid Screams, the genre film festival based out of Sheffield, England, have announced the lineup for this year's festival. We Are Zombies, the horror comedy from our friends at Rkss, is this year's Opening Gala. Rep screenings of Hellraiser 2 and Killer Klowns From Outer Space mark each movie's 35th anniversary. Carlota Pereda's (Piggy) new film The Chapel will close out this year's festival. Check out the complete lineup in the announcement below. Celluloid Screams Announces 2023 Programme! A horror-themed music show from comedian and podcast host Adam Buxton and anniversary screenings of a trio of cult classics are among the highlights at Celluloid Screams 2023 (Presented by Arrow Video), along with the UK Premiere of We Are...
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- 9/8/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Madrid-based sales house Latido Films and indie distributor-producer #ConUnPack are joining forces to handle international distribution rights to Tribeca Festival’s hit “One Night with Adela,” the feature debut of Spanish writer-director Hugo Ruiz snagged Tribeca’s best new narrative director award.
An audacious revenge thriller, lensed using a single-shot technique, the film marries concepts of religion and sin with childhood trauma.
“One Night with Adela” toplines Laura Galán, the star of Carlota Pereda’s 2022 Sundance hit “Piggy,” a role that earned her a Goya prize for best new actress.
In “One Night,” Galán plays a disturbed street sweeper in Madrid, who savagely enacts retribution for an incident from her youth over the course of one night.
Although not everyone is to blame for her miserable life, a cocktail of drugs, sex, and deep-seated fury fuels her cruelty towards most who cross her path, culminating in a shocking scene.
Variety...
An audacious revenge thriller, lensed using a single-shot technique, the film marries concepts of religion and sin with childhood trauma.
“One Night with Adela” toplines Laura Galán, the star of Carlota Pereda’s 2022 Sundance hit “Piggy,” a role that earned her a Goya prize for best new actress.
In “One Night,” Galán plays a disturbed street sweeper in Madrid, who savagely enacts retribution for an incident from her youth over the course of one night.
Although not everyone is to blame for her miserable life, a cocktail of drugs, sex, and deep-seated fury fuels her cruelty towards most who cross her path, culminating in a shocking scene.
Variety...
- 8/28/2023
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
On Saturday evening, the curtain fell on the vibrant 22nd edition of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff). For 9 days, over 55,000 festival-goers were able to explore the many aspects of genre cinema in the presence of our 122 guests. The International Jury awarded the prestigious H.R. Giger “Narcisse” Award for best feature film to Tiger Stripes, the first feature film from Amanda Nell Eu. The overall prize list gives prominence to emerging filmmakers. It also awarded the Imaging The Future Award for best production design to Ti West's Pearl.
“Amanda Nell Eu managed to create a unique world that makes the audience experience the simultaneously realistic and fantastic adventures of a young girl that hits puberty in contemporary Malaysia. The maturity and the freshness of this debut feature convinced us. Granting it the award seemed like the obvious choice: we have discovered a new voice of fantastic cinema”, declared...
“Amanda Nell Eu managed to create a unique world that makes the audience experience the simultaneously realistic and fantastic adventures of a young girl that hits puberty in contemporary Malaysia. The maturity and the freshness of this debut feature convinced us. Granting it the award seemed like the obvious choice: we have discovered a new voice of fantastic cinema”, declared...
- 7/9/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Upon taking the reins of the Neuchatel Intl. Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff) last year, incoming artistic director Pierre-Yves Walder marked his first edition with Scream Queer, a thematic retrospective that explored the thorny and thrillingly diverse forms of queer representation in genre fare. Now building on the success of that well-received program, the Nifff director wanted to deliver a sequel of sorts.
“We want to continue last year’s investigations and to take our thematic journeys a step further,” Walder explains. “You could say that this focus will continue to ask and answer the same questions with a slightly different emphasis.”
And so here comes Female Trouble, a 20-film, century-spanning spotlight built on a French play-on-words that blurs gender and genre. Starting with Mario Roncoroni’s silent serial “Filibus,” which mixed sci-fi motifs with gender-fluidity and lesbian desire all the way back in 1915, and on through Jacques Tourneur’s “Cat People...
“We want to continue last year’s investigations and to take our thematic journeys a step further,” Walder explains. “You could say that this focus will continue to ask and answer the same questions with a slightly different emphasis.”
And so here comes Female Trouble, a 20-film, century-spanning spotlight built on a French play-on-words that blurs gender and genre. Starting with Mario Roncoroni’s silent serial “Filibus,” which mixed sci-fi motifs with gender-fluidity and lesbian desire all the way back in 1915, and on through Jacques Tourneur’s “Cat People...
- 6/23/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The event runs June 30-July 8.
Die Hard director John McTiernan and leading French actress and writer Josiane Balasko are among those taking part in this year’s Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff), which runs June 30-July 8.
The full programme for the 22nd edition of the Swiss event, again under the artistic direction of Pierre-Yves Walder, includes 124 films from 5 continents and 44 countries. There are eight world premieres, among them Irish director Ian Hunt-Duffy’s horror thriller Double Blind starring The Walking Dead’s Pollyanna McIntosh, alongside Millie Brady and Kate Ashfield, and Quarxx’s new horror Pandemonium, both screening in the festival’s Ultra Section.
Die Hard director John McTiernan and leading French actress and writer Josiane Balasko are among those taking part in this year’s Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff), which runs June 30-July 8.
The full programme for the 22nd edition of the Swiss event, again under the artistic direction of Pierre-Yves Walder, includes 124 films from 5 continents and 44 countries. There are eight world premieres, among them Irish director Ian Hunt-Duffy’s horror thriller Double Blind starring The Walking Dead’s Pollyanna McIntosh, alongside Millie Brady and Kate Ashfield, and Quarxx’s new horror Pandemonium, both screening in the festival’s Ultra Section.
- 6/16/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
A host of emerging talents gathered at Cannes’ Plage des Palmes on May 22 for the latest edition of Focus Copro’, an event launched in 2018 by the Cinéma de Demain Rendez-vous Industry program to give a boost to first-time feature directors.
Seven up-and-coming filmmakers whose previous shorts have bowed at the Cannes Film Festival and other prestigious fests including Berlin, New Directors New Films and Clermont-Ferrand, gathered under sunny skies on the French Riviera for an informal lunch with a host of industry decision-makers.
The event offered a casual setting for the directors to chat about their upcoming feature debuts, seated alongside veteran producers and sales agents, as well as reps from leading co-production markets, labs, residencies, workshops and institutions focused on identifying and nurturing emerging talent.
Previous editions of Focus Copro’ have yielded success stories such as “Piggy,” Spanish director Carlota Pereda’s boundary-pushing body-image horror which premiered at Sundance last year.
Seven up-and-coming filmmakers whose previous shorts have bowed at the Cannes Film Festival and other prestigious fests including Berlin, New Directors New Films and Clermont-Ferrand, gathered under sunny skies on the French Riviera for an informal lunch with a host of industry decision-makers.
The event offered a casual setting for the directors to chat about their upcoming feature debuts, seated alongside veteran producers and sales agents, as well as reps from leading co-production markets, labs, residencies, workshops and institutions focused on identifying and nurturing emerging talent.
Previous editions of Focus Copro’ have yielded success stories such as “Piggy,” Spanish director Carlota Pereda’s boundary-pushing body-image horror which premiered at Sundance last year.
- 5/23/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Founded in 1953, bought by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one of its biggest true-blue independent studios in Spain, involved in film and TV production, and movie distribution, international film and TV sales and exhibition.
How it got there is another question. “At Filmax, we’ve always bet on creative talent. In Spain, there’s always been creative talents that have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax executive producer. “Filmax has known how to find talent in all parts of film production: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and directors.”
Jaume Balagueró’s “Nameless” gave Filmax its first experience of fulsome international pre-sales at 1999’s Mifed, helping to usher in a golden age of Spanish auteur genre that resonates to this day.
A director on “Polseres Vermelles,” the original Catalan version of “The Red Band Society...
How it got there is another question. “At Filmax, we’ve always bet on creative talent. In Spain, there’s always been creative talents that have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax executive producer. “Filmax has known how to find talent in all parts of film production: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and directors.”
Jaume Balagueró’s “Nameless” gave Filmax its first experience of fulsome international pre-sales at 1999’s Mifed, helping to usher in a golden age of Spanish auteur genre that resonates to this day.
A director on “Polseres Vermelles,” the original Catalan version of “The Red Band Society...
- 5/18/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The director of last year’s Piggy, Spanish filmmaker Carlota Pereda is back with new movie The Chapel, and Variety has shared a first-look image from the film today (above).
Variety also reports that Filmax ([Rec]) is bringing The Chapel to the Cannes market.
The film centers on “Emma, 8, who seeks out Carol, a fake medium, to communicate with the spirit of a little girl which has spent centuries trapped in a chapel.
“Contact, Emma thinks, will allow her to still talk to her own terminally ill mother when she dies. What Carol doesn’t realise is that Emma has a real gift and, if she goes on trying to use it without Carol’s help, will put her young life in mortal danger.”
Carlota Pereda describes The Chapel as “a very personal story” about “how hard being a mother and daughter can be, how, sometimes, we don’t understand...
Variety also reports that Filmax ([Rec]) is bringing The Chapel to the Cannes market.
The film centers on “Emma, 8, who seeks out Carol, a fake medium, to communicate with the spirit of a little girl which has spent centuries trapped in a chapel.
“Contact, Emma thinks, will allow her to still talk to her own terminally ill mother when she dies. What Carol doesn’t realise is that Emma has a real gift and, if she goes on trying to use it without Carol’s help, will put her young life in mortal danger.”
Carlota Pereda describes The Chapel as “a very personal story” about “how hard being a mother and daughter can be, how, sometimes, we don’t understand...
- 5/17/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Five Catalan movies made Cannes Festival’s cut, six were selected for Marché du Film sections. Details and other top Catalan movies on the Croisette:
“20,000 Species of Bees,” (Estibaliz Urresola)
One of the big winners at Berlin, taking Leading Performance, and two other key prizes, and now healthy racking up healthy sales, including a Film Movement U.S. pickup, “Bees” builds from a naturalistic base – a family off for a village summer holiday – to become a moving an ode to women’s freedom. Produced out of Barcelona by Valérie Delpierre’s Inicia Films. Sales: Luxbox
“Blondi,” (Dolores Fonzi)
From La Unión de los Ríos, behind “Argentina, 1985”), the awaited directorial debut of Fonzi, star of Santiago Mitre’s Cannes winner “Paulina,” a double mother-son coming of age dramedy. Sales: Film Factory
“A Bright Sun,” (Monica Cambra, Ariadna Fortuny)
Facing the end of the world, Mila, 11, tries to keep her family together by celebrating a party.
“20,000 Species of Bees,” (Estibaliz Urresola)
One of the big winners at Berlin, taking Leading Performance, and two other key prizes, and now healthy racking up healthy sales, including a Film Movement U.S. pickup, “Bees” builds from a naturalistic base – a family off for a village summer holiday – to become a moving an ode to women’s freedom. Produced out of Barcelona by Valérie Delpierre’s Inicia Films. Sales: Luxbox
“Blondi,” (Dolores Fonzi)
From La Unión de los Ríos, behind “Argentina, 1985”), the awaited directorial debut of Fonzi, star of Santiago Mitre’s Cannes winner “Paulina,” a double mother-son coming of age dramedy. Sales: Film Factory
“A Bright Sun,” (Monica Cambra, Ariadna Fortuny)
Facing the end of the world, Mila, 11, tries to keep her family together by celebrating a party.
- 5/17/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Iconic Spanish horror producer Filmax, which is behind such films as “The Machinist,” “Darkness” and “[Rec],” is bringing onto the open market at Cannes one of the most anticipated Spanish smart genre films of 2023, Carlota Pereda’s “The Chapel,” the Spanish director’s follow-up to “Piggy.”
Excerpts from “The Chapel” will be unveiled by Filmax at Fantastic 7, a showcase of international genre movies in advanced production put forward by seven leading film festivals which unspools May 21 at the Marché du Film. The Chapel is nominated by the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival.
Bowing at 2022’s Sundance, “Piggy” was hailed by Variety as a “viciously impressive debut,” establishing Pereda as one of the most sought-after new helmers in Spain..
A Filmax and Bixagu Entertainment production backed by Netflix, Rtve and EiTB, “The Chapel” is written by Albert Bertrán Bas, Carmelo Viera and the director. It turns on Emma, 8, who seeks out Carol,...
Excerpts from “The Chapel” will be unveiled by Filmax at Fantastic 7, a showcase of international genre movies in advanced production put forward by seven leading film festivals which unspools May 21 at the Marché du Film. The Chapel is nominated by the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival.
Bowing at 2022’s Sundance, “Piggy” was hailed by Variety as a “viciously impressive debut,” establishing Pereda as one of the most sought-after new helmers in Spain..
A Filmax and Bixagu Entertainment production backed by Netflix, Rtve and EiTB, “The Chapel” is written by Albert Bertrán Bas, Carmelo Viera and the director. It turns on Emma, 8, who seeks out Carol,...
- 5/17/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Industry figures pay respects to late Erik Lomis, departing NATO head John Fithian.
In a sentimental state of the industry session at CinemaCon, delegates paid tribute to the late distribution veteran Erik Lomis who died last month, while outgoing NATO head John Fithian was himself the subject of appreciation.
CEO and president Fithian, who has served as theatre owners’ head lobbyist in Washington for more than two decades and received praise from industry figures including James Cameron in a taped message, started his address by recounting a dream in which Lomis was in his corner urging him on in a boxing bout.
In a sentimental state of the industry session at CinemaCon, delegates paid tribute to the late distribution veteran Erik Lomis who died last month, while outgoing NATO head John Fithian was himself the subject of appreciation.
CEO and president Fithian, who has served as theatre owners’ head lobbyist in Washington for more than two decades and received praise from industry figures including James Cameron in a taped message, started his address by recounting a dream in which Lomis was in his corner urging him on in a boxing bout.
- 4/25/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Fantastic 7 is the showcase of international genre projects at an advanced stage of production.
Carlota Pereda’s second film The Chapel, her follow-up to Sundance hit Piggy, is among the seven films selected for Fantastic 7, the showcase of international genre projects at various stages of production to be showcased at the Cannes market this year.
Fantastic 7 is a joint initiative of the Cannes Marche du Film, Sitges’ International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur co-director Bernardo Bergeret. Each film has been selected by a different genre-focused festival
The Chapel, which is in post, is the selection of Sitges.
Carlota Pereda’s second film The Chapel, her follow-up to Sundance hit Piggy, is among the seven films selected for Fantastic 7, the showcase of international genre projects at various stages of production to be showcased at the Cannes market this year.
Fantastic 7 is a joint initiative of the Cannes Marche du Film, Sitges’ International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur co-director Bernardo Bergeret. Each film has been selected by a different genre-focused festival
The Chapel, which is in post, is the selection of Sitges.
- 4/25/2023
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
Love is in the air this February, particularly regarding horror. The month is packed with theatrical darlings finding new homes on streaming, brand-new originals, and unearthed deep cuts. February has everything from polarizing indie darlings to sleeper hits and beyond.
Here are ten noteworthy horror titles available for streaming in February 2023 on some of the most popular streaming services, along with when/where you can watch them.
The Loved Ones – Paramount+
What’s February without horror romances? This brutal feature introduces Lola, who wants to be a princess and find Prince Charming. She decides that Brent is the one and invites him to the school dance. When he rejects her offer, and she sees him with another girl, Lola decides she’ll get what she wants. Lola doesn’t take rejection lightly, and things get downright brutal. The truth is that maybe no one will love her as much as daddy,...
Here are ten noteworthy horror titles available for streaming in February 2023 on some of the most popular streaming services, along with when/where you can watch them.
The Loved Ones – Paramount+
What’s February without horror romances? This brutal feature introduces Lola, who wants to be a princess and find Prince Charming. She decides that Brent is the one and invites him to the school dance. When he rejects her offer, and she sees him with another girl, Lola decides she’ll get what she wants. Lola doesn’t take rejection lightly, and things get downright brutal. The truth is that maybe no one will love her as much as daddy,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Writer/Director Carlota Pereda‘s feature debut, Piggy, presents a compelling, violent depiction of bullying and revenge. And it’s out on DVD and Blu-ray now.
In celebration of the Magnolia Home Entertainment release, Bloody Disgusting can exclusively reveal Alt Poster Art that highlights how mean Piggy can get. Each one gives a closer look at the main characters, framed by blood.
Check out the images below.
In the Spanish horror film…
“During the sweltering summertime of rural Spain, Sara carries an extra load of teenage agony due to the perpetual bullying from her peers. She’s also an outsider at home—her parents and little brother just don’t understand her—so, feelings internalized, she’s often found buried in her headphones, drowning out her surroundings. One day, Sara’s usual solo dip at the local pool is disrupted by the presence of a mysterious stranger in the water...
In celebration of the Magnolia Home Entertainment release, Bloody Disgusting can exclusively reveal Alt Poster Art that highlights how mean Piggy can get. Each one gives a closer look at the main characters, framed by blood.
Check out the images below.
In the Spanish horror film…
“During the sweltering summertime of rural Spain, Sara carries an extra load of teenage agony due to the perpetual bullying from her peers. She’s also an outsider at home—her parents and little brother just don’t understand her—so, feelings internalized, she’s often found buried in her headphones, drowning out her surroundings. One day, Sara’s usual solo dip at the local pool is disrupted by the presence of a mysterious stranger in the water...
- 1/11/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Every month during 2022, I had a new film competing for my favorite horror film of the year. Significant theatrical experiences like "Barbarian" and "Nope" surprised me with ingenious storytelling. The small screen independent movie experiences with films like "Terrifier 2" and "Bones and All" broke free of my expectations. Even the wide selection of straight-to-streaming movies on my many apps like "Hellraiser," "Prey," and "Fresh" challenged in every way their theatrical counterparts. 2022 was one hell of a year for horror films. We had movies to celebrate, discover, grow reacquainted with, and travel to new territories. It was amazing to see such a variety of genre filmmaking on so many different levels. Here are my favorite horror films of 2022.
Watcher: Director Chloe Okuno's "Watcher," a story about a young actress who moves to a foreign country and believes someone is watching her from the apartments across the street, was a...
Watcher: Director Chloe Okuno's "Watcher," a story about a young actress who moves to a foreign country and believes someone is watching her from the apartments across the street, was a...
- 1/11/2023
- by Monte Yazzie
- DailyDead
La ermita
Not too many filmmakers on our list will have three film outputs in just as many years but this appears to be the case for madrileños filmmaker Carlota Pereda. After collective project The Devil’s Tail (2021) and Sundance breakout Piggy (2022), Pereda moved into Basque backdrop for La ermita. Production on her sophomore film took place in October with Belén Rueda toplining. Maia Zaitegi, Josean Bengoetxea, Loreto Mauleón, Jon Olivares, Elena Irureta and Nagore Aranburu also star in a tale of about a medium tormented by her past. Laura Fernández produces the project.
Gist: This tells the story of how Emma (Maia Zaitegi) who wants to learn how to communicate with the spirit of a girl who has been trapped in a hermitage for centuries, and to that end, she tries to persuade Carol (Rueda), a sceptical medium, to help her.…...
Not too many filmmakers on our list will have three film outputs in just as many years but this appears to be the case for madrileños filmmaker Carlota Pereda. After collective project The Devil’s Tail (2021) and Sundance breakout Piggy (2022), Pereda moved into Basque backdrop for La ermita. Production on her sophomore film took place in October with Belén Rueda toplining. Maia Zaitegi, Josean Bengoetxea, Loreto Mauleón, Jon Olivares, Elena Irureta and Nagore Aranburu also star in a tale of about a medium tormented by her past. Laura Fernández produces the project.
Gist: This tells the story of how Emma (Maia Zaitegi) who wants to learn how to communicate with the spirit of a girl who has been trapped in a hermitage for centuries, and to that end, she tries to persuade Carol (Rueda), a sceptical medium, to help her.…...
- 1/10/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Mubi is opening Berlinale Golden Bear winner ‘Alcarràs’.
A new cinema year gets underway this weekend with Chinonye Chukwu’s historical race drama Till, and Tom Hanks comedy A Man Called Otto opening across the UK and Ireland.
Released by Universal in 424 cinemas, Till tells the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old American boy who was murdered in a racially-motivated attack in 1955. In the film, Mamie vows to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice.
Till launched at New York Film Festival in October last year,...
A new cinema year gets underway this weekend with Chinonye Chukwu’s historical race drama Till, and Tom Hanks comedy A Man Called Otto opening across the UK and Ireland.
Released by Universal in 424 cinemas, Till tells the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old American boy who was murdered in a racially-motivated attack in 1955. In the film, Mamie vows to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice.
Till launched at New York Film Festival in October last year,...
- 1/6/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
2022 saw the loss of one of my most admired film directors, a man who brought me to seek out different films and examine cinema on another level. Jean-Luc Goadard’s Pierrot le Fou, a film which I was so excited to see featured in this year’s updated Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time, and one that still brings me the same joy it did when I first watched it at University. Films, for me, alongside so much, are a vehicle of escapism allowing me to spend a few precious hours outside of the constant push and pulls of life and this year I have been awed and delighted by an incredible array of talent and features which have stuck with me long after the credits rolled.
Honourable Mentions: Barbarian, Speak No Evil, Athena, Pearl, God’s Creatures, Tár, Rrr, Kanaval: A People’s History of Haiti in Six Chapters.
Honourable Mentions: Barbarian, Speak No Evil, Athena, Pearl, God’s Creatures, Tár, Rrr, Kanaval: A People’s History of Haiti in Six Chapters.
- 12/30/2022
- by Sarah Smith
- Directors Notes
Exclusive: Vertigo Releasing has set a January 20th North American release for BAFTA winner After Love, marking the company’s first stateside theatrical release.
Aleem Khan’s well-received debut stars Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It), Nathalie Richard and Tali Ariss in the story of a widow who discovers her husband’s secret family after his unexpected death.
Scanlan plays Mary, a white English woman who converted to islam when she married her Pakistani husband, Ahmed, and they settled in Dover, England. Following Ahmed’s unexpected death, Mary discovers that her late husband had a secret life just twenty-one miles away across the Channel in Calais, France. The shocking discovery compels her to go there to find out more, and as she grapples with her shattered sense of identity, her search for understanding has surprising consequences.
UK distributor and producer Vertigo will release the film on at least 20 screens stateside,...
Aleem Khan’s well-received debut stars Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It), Nathalie Richard and Tali Ariss in the story of a widow who discovers her husband’s secret family after his unexpected death.
Scanlan plays Mary, a white English woman who converted to islam when she married her Pakistani husband, Ahmed, and they settled in Dover, England. Following Ahmed’s unexpected death, Mary discovers that her late husband had a secret life just twenty-one miles away across the Channel in Calais, France. The shocking discovery compels her to go there to find out more, and as she grapples with her shattered sense of identity, her search for understanding has surprising consequences.
UK distributor and producer Vertigo will release the film on at least 20 screens stateside,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Cannes Festival will have for the first time ever a Fantastic Pavilion, a significant booth and exhibition space located at the Cannes Marché du Film in the Palais des Festivals.
Conceived by Pablo Guisa, Grupo Mórbido CEO, Bernardo Bergeret, Ventana Sur co-director, and Daniel de la Vega, co-ordinator of Ventana Sur’s Maquinitas video game forum, the Fantastic Pavilion is hailed by Guisa as “the dawn of a new era for our industry.”
Looking set to both accelerate and symbolise the now significant role that genre plays in international market dynamics, the Fantastic Pavilion is being organised by members of the genre/fantastic film community spread across the world in partnership, crucially, with the Méliès International Festival Federation which groups most of the world’s key genre/fantastic events.
These includes 19 festivals represented in Europe and supporting members in Asia, North America, Latin America and the Middle East, taking in Europe’s Sitges,...
Conceived by Pablo Guisa, Grupo Mórbido CEO, Bernardo Bergeret, Ventana Sur co-director, and Daniel de la Vega, co-ordinator of Ventana Sur’s Maquinitas video game forum, the Fantastic Pavilion is hailed by Guisa as “the dawn of a new era for our industry.”
Looking set to both accelerate and symbolise the now significant role that genre plays in international market dynamics, the Fantastic Pavilion is being organised by members of the genre/fantastic film community spread across the world in partnership, crucially, with the Méliès International Festival Federation which groups most of the world’s key genre/fantastic events.
These includes 19 festivals represented in Europe and supporting members in Asia, North America, Latin America and the Middle East, taking in Europe’s Sitges,...
- 12/1/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s ’The Beasts’ has 17 nominations.
Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts leads the nominees for Spain’s prestigious Goya awards, with 17, followed closely by Alberto Rodríguez’s Prison 77 on 16.
The Beasts, which had its world premiere at Cannes, centres around a French couple who cause tensions in the local village to which they move. The psychological thriller is nominated in all major categories including best film where it lines up with Prison 77, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Lullaby, Pilar Palomero’s La Maternal and Carla Simón’s Golden Bear winner Alcarràs.
Scroll down for the full nominations
Alcarràs is...
Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts leads the nominees for Spain’s prestigious Goya awards, with 17, followed closely by Alberto Rodríguez’s Prison 77 on 16.
The Beasts, which had its world premiere at Cannes, centres around a French couple who cause tensions in the local village to which they move. The psychological thriller is nominated in all major categories including best film where it lines up with Prison 77, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Lullaby, Pilar Palomero’s La Maternal and Carla Simón’s Golden Bear winner Alcarràs.
Scroll down for the full nominations
Alcarràs is...
- 12/1/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Carlos Saura’s “Walls Can Talk,” Alex de la Iglesia’s “Four’s a Crowd” and Alex Murrull and Dani de la Orden’s “The Final Game” head as market premieres the most major addition to this year’s Cannes-backed Ventana Sur, Spanish Screenings on Tour, Spanish cinema’s biggest international industry platform ever.
Since 2009, when Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur launched, also backed by Argentina’s Incaa institute, no single country has had such a powerful presence at the event. The Screenings also catch Spanish cinema in a magnificent year of multiple standout titles which are impacting at Spain’s domestic box office, where national titles are making much of the running.
Forming part of Spain’s 1.6 billion Spain Avs Hub Plan, and packing 150 titles – from projects to pix in post, theater and online screenings and potential remake properties – the Screenings will also host 20 events, including a panel on Ibero-American co-productions,...
Since 2009, when Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur launched, also backed by Argentina’s Incaa institute, no single country has had such a powerful presence at the event. The Screenings also catch Spanish cinema in a magnificent year of multiple standout titles which are impacting at Spain’s domestic box office, where national titles are making much of the running.
Forming part of Spain’s 1.6 billion Spain Avs Hub Plan, and packing 150 titles – from projects to pix in post, theater and online screenings and potential remake properties – the Screenings will also host 20 events, including a panel on Ibero-American co-productions,...
- 11/25/2022
- by John Hopewell and Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
Debut film “A Life, A Rose” has attracted a heavyweight international investor in France’s Backup Media.
The proposed film is by Kaushik Ray who has previously worked in film finance as a lawyer on projects such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Fish Tank.” His first two short films as director are only now in pre-production.
Paris-based Backup Media, represented by producer Jean-Baptiste Babin, is a vastly experienced co-producer and interface between the European and international film industries. It has previously backed Wim Wenders’ “Submergence,” Brian de Palma’s “Domino,” Carlota Pereda’s “Piggy” and “Still Alice” which earned Julianne Moore a best actress Oscar in 2015.
A part of Nfdc Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market 2022, “A Life A Rose” is structured as a co-production between companies in India, France, the U.K. and Germany. It’s the story of a decades-long silent mutual love, told through the eyes of 70-year-old protagonist Namita Sinha,...
The proposed film is by Kaushik Ray who has previously worked in film finance as a lawyer on projects such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Fish Tank.” His first two short films as director are only now in pre-production.
Paris-based Backup Media, represented by producer Jean-Baptiste Babin, is a vastly experienced co-producer and interface between the European and international film industries. It has previously backed Wim Wenders’ “Submergence,” Brian de Palma’s “Domino,” Carlota Pereda’s “Piggy” and “Still Alice” which earned Julianne Moore a best actress Oscar in 2015.
A part of Nfdc Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market 2022, “A Life A Rose” is structured as a co-production between companies in India, France, the U.K. and Germany. It’s the story of a decades-long silent mutual love, told through the eyes of 70-year-old protagonist Namita Sinha,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Udita Jhunjhunwala
- Variety Film + TV
Piggy Will Be Released In UK Cinemas And On Digital Platforms 6th January 2023 Vertigo Releasing is thrilled to announce that Piggy will be released in UK cinemas and on digital platforms from the 6th of January 2023. It is written and directed by Carlota Pereda and stars Laura Galán, Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi, Irene …
The post Piggy // New Release Date // Friday 06 January appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Piggy // New Release Date // Friday 06 January appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 11/13/2022
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
La Pietà.Something strange is brewing in Spain. At this year’s Fantastic Fest, the biggest genre festival in the US, two Spanish horror films picked up major awards: Eduardo Casanova’s La Pietà won the top prize in the Main Competition, and Carlota Pereda’s Piggy won best picture in the Horror Features category. This year’s selection included not just one or two, but eight Spanish-made horror films (plus one co-production and a series): the sci-fi adjacent Amazing Elisa and The Antares Paradox; new work by established names like Carlos Vermut with Manticore, Jaume Balangueró with Venus, and Casanova with La Pietà; and the series Garcia! (In the interest of full disclosure: I’m a programmer at the festival.) Outside of the strong representation at this year’s showcase, over the last few years there has been a noticeable upsurge in genre pictures coming from mainland Spain:...
- 10/30/2022
- MUBI
The Sundance premiere won in the best director, best film and best actress categories.
Spanish thriller Piggy, the feature fiction debut of Spanish TV drama veteran Carlota Pereda, was the big winner at UK horror, sci-fi and fantasy festival Grimmfest.
The Manchester festival awarded Piggy with the best director, best film and best actress prizes, with Laura Galán scooping the win for best actress.
Piggy expands on Pereda’s 2018 short of the same name about a teenager – played by Galán – who is mercilessly bullied about her weight until, from the confines of her family’s butcher shop, she has an...
Spanish thriller Piggy, the feature fiction debut of Spanish TV drama veteran Carlota Pereda, was the big winner at UK horror, sci-fi and fantasy festival Grimmfest.
The Manchester festival awarded Piggy with the best director, best film and best actress prizes, with Laura Galán scooping the win for best actress.
Piggy expands on Pereda’s 2018 short of the same name about a teenager – played by Galán – who is mercilessly bullied about her weight until, from the confines of her family’s butcher shop, she has an...
- 10/19/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Laura Galán is a delight as an awkward teen caught in a web of small-town gossip and murder in this socially conscious Spanish slasher
With its rosy, sun-drenched colour palette (at least initially), Carlota Pereda’s spiky Spanish horror understands girlish anxiety so well that it could comfortably be a coming-of-age pic. Behind the glass counter of her parents’ butcher shop, Sara (Laura Galán) keeps a safe distance from the cool-girl clique which mercilessly makes fun of her weight. Highly aware of her body, Sara’s self-consciousness is exacerbated by an overly protective mother, who watches her every move. As if growing pains aren’t bad enough, Richard Holmes’s burly, oddly charismatic serial killer wanders into the small Spanish town and starts abducting her bullies. Talk about awkward!
Weaving together grindhouse thrills and adolescent dilemmas, Piggy has a dark humour that proves deliciously entertaining. Shots where Sara tries to...
With its rosy, sun-drenched colour palette (at least initially), Carlota Pereda’s spiky Spanish horror understands girlish anxiety so well that it could comfortably be a coming-of-age pic. Behind the glass counter of her parents’ butcher shop, Sara (Laura Galán) keeps a safe distance from the cool-girl clique which mercilessly makes fun of her weight. Highly aware of her body, Sara’s self-consciousness is exacerbated by an overly protective mother, who watches her every move. As if growing pains aren’t bad enough, Richard Holmes’s burly, oddly charismatic serial killer wanders into the small Spanish town and starts abducting her bullies. Talk about awkward!
Weaving together grindhouse thrills and adolescent dilemmas, Piggy has a dark humour that proves deliciously entertaining. Shots where Sara tries to...
- 10/19/2022
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Carlota Pereda’s debut feature, Piggy, takes horror’s revenge trope and twists it just so. It isn’t so simple as a much-abused underdog getting a freakish chance to get her payback and painting the landscape with her enemies’ dispatched blood and guts, though in this case, as in many cases, you might forgive her if she did. Bullying is at the forefront of Piggy. Our heroine, Sara (Laura Galán), is fat, and because of that, she becomes a target. “Piggy” is what some of the local hotties, with...
- 10/17/2022
- by K. Austin Collins
- Rollingstone.com
In exactly ten days the 28th edition of Lund Fantastic kicks off in the picturesque town in the south of Sweden (October 27 - November 5). As previously announced, the festival opens on October 27 with Carlota Pereda’s sensational Sundance debut, Piggy, a blood-soaked thriller that presents a relevant, honest story packed with talent and emotion in equal measure. Closing honors go to Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt, a highly inventive love letter to the power of storytelling that celebrates art as something vital that gives meaning to life. In between those creative and richly cinematic bookends, the festival welcomes a host of new features, classics and shorts from all corners of the world for in-person and online screenings (the latter...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/17/2022
- Screen Anarchy
Jalmari Helander’s WWII action thriller “Sisu” has made good on its upbeat reception at Toronto Midnight Madness – Variety called it “outrageously entertaining” – winning the top award at this year’s Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia which is showing, like genre itself, clear signs of expansion.
The over 70,000 tickets sold at 2022’s Sitges were 10 up on 2019, and an all-time record. Sitges guests stood at 610, also the biggest figure ever, announced Mònica García Massagué, director of the Sitges Foundation.
One of the other big winners at Sitges was “The House of the Devil’s” Ti West, with “Pearl,” a prequel to porn shoot slasher “X” which plays like a cross between “Psycho” and “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,” Variety announced in its review.
In further awards, Michele Garza’s body horror thriller “Huesera,” a probing motherhood drama and arresting mix of Lgtbq passion and genre innovation, added to...
The over 70,000 tickets sold at 2022’s Sitges were 10 up on 2019, and an all-time record. Sitges guests stood at 610, also the biggest figure ever, announced Mònica García Massagué, director of the Sitges Foundation.
One of the other big winners at Sitges was “The House of the Devil’s” Ti West, with “Pearl,” a prequel to porn shoot slasher “X” which plays like a cross between “Psycho” and “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,” Variety announced in its review.
In further awards, Michele Garza’s body horror thriller “Huesera,” a probing motherhood drama and arresting mix of Lgtbq passion and genre innovation, added to...
- 10/16/2022
- by Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
Quentin Dupieux awarded screenplay prize ex-aequo with himself for Smoking Causes Coughing and Incredible But True.
Finnish production Sisu directed by Jalmari Helander took the main award at the 55th edition of Sitges, marking the director’s second time winning the prestigious Catalan genre event’s best feature award after his 2010 selection Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.
Helander’s third feature also earned best actor at Europe’s biggest genre film festival for Jorma Tommila, cinematography for Kjell Lagerroos, and music for Juri Seppä and Tuomas Wäinölä. Handled by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (excluding Nordics), the Second World War survival...
Finnish production Sisu directed by Jalmari Helander took the main award at the 55th edition of Sitges, marking the director’s second time winning the prestigious Catalan genre event’s best feature award after his 2010 selection Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.
Helander’s third feature also earned best actor at Europe’s biggest genre film festival for Jorma Tommila, cinematography for Kjell Lagerroos, and music for Juri Seppä and Tuomas Wäinölä. Handled by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (excluding Nordics), the Second World War survival...
- 10/16/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
The sweltering heat of summer in a small town hangs thick in the air in “Piggy,” the blistering feature debut from Spanish filmmaker Carlota Pereda. Part coming-of-age romance, part psychological body horror, “Piggy” firmly establishes Pereda as a bold new voice in feminist horror — that recently flourishing sub-genre popularized by the likes of Julia Ducournau, Ana Lily Amirpour, and Jennifer Reeder.
Aided by a dynamite performance from newcomer Laura Galán, As body shame and self-loathing morph into a disturbing complicity with violence, “Piggy” pushes the torments of youth to their naturally wicked ends. The film’s most brilliant trick is to mire the audience in the twisted moral dilemma with which its protagonist is grappling, taunting us with the question: What would you have done differently?
Loading its resonant title with double meaning, “Piggy” opens in a butcher shop. The opening frames include a whole pig hanging from a meat...
Aided by a dynamite performance from newcomer Laura Galán, As body shame and self-loathing morph into a disturbing complicity with violence, “Piggy” pushes the torments of youth to their naturally wicked ends. The film’s most brilliant trick is to mire the audience in the twisted moral dilemma with which its protagonist is grappling, taunting us with the question: What would you have done differently?
Loading its resonant title with double meaning, “Piggy” opens in a butcher shop. The opening frames include a whole pig hanging from a meat...
- 10/14/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Center Stage (Stanley Kwan)
Following her breakout with Jackie Chan in Police Story and before her iconic roles in the films of Wong Kar-wai and Olivier Assayas, Maggie Cheung delivered one of the best performances of her career in Stanley Kwan’s lush, definitive, and boldly conceived biopic Center Stage, also known as Actress. Now gorgeously restored in 4K from the original negative, and approved by Kwan himself, the film follows Cheung as iconic silent film star Ruan Lingyu, who committed suicide at the age of 24 in 1935 after a tumultuous private life that was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids—and began to mirror the melodramas that brought her fame. With Cheung receiving the Best Actress award at Berlinale, the film...
Center Stage (Stanley Kwan)
Following her breakout with Jackie Chan in Police Story and before her iconic roles in the films of Wong Kar-wai and Olivier Assayas, Maggie Cheung delivered one of the best performances of her career in Stanley Kwan’s lush, definitive, and boldly conceived biopic Center Stage, also known as Actress. Now gorgeously restored in 4K from the original negative, and approved by Kwan himself, the film follows Cheung as iconic silent film star Ruan Lingyu, who committed suicide at the age of 24 in 1935 after a tumultuous private life that was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids—and began to mirror the melodramas that brought her fame. With Cheung receiving the Best Actress award at Berlinale, the film...
- 10/14/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Today Focus Features opens Tár, the strikingly original return of Todd Field, in four locations in NY and LA. The film premiered at Venice winning star Cate Blanchett Best Actress as musician and conductor Lydia Tár. Early this week, it seemed to mesmerize a sold-out Alice Tully Hall at the New York Film Festival.
A 97 with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Deadline’s review here called Field’s first film since Little Children 16 years ago, a “daring and quite comprehensive immersion in a rarified world [that] features a lead performance the likes of which doesn’t come along very often.” Field wrote the part for Blanchett but at an NYFF Q&a he said he waited to send her the script until it was done and Focus chairman Peter Kujawski “asked me, ‘Who do you have in mind?’ I said I was still thinking about it. Because I was superstitious. That she would say no.
A 97 with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Deadline’s review here called Field’s first film since Little Children 16 years ago, a “daring and quite comprehensive immersion in a rarified world [that] features a lead performance the likes of which doesn’t come along very often.” Field wrote the part for Blanchett but at an NYFF Q&a he said he waited to send her the script until it was done and Focus chairman Peter Kujawski “asked me, ‘Who do you have in mind?’ I said I was still thinking about it. Because I was superstitious. That she would say no.
- 10/7/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
As we work into the second week of the New York Film Festival, the theatrical shift towards awards-season fare officially begins at your local multiplexes, a bunch of the highly touted titles from acclaimed directors that critics raved about all September making their way to the public. And with only Black Adam (October 21) readying to siphon off the mainstream populace, there’s potential for a lot of turnover to ensure everything gets its shot.
Carefully check out those posters on the wall to see what’s playing and what’s coming so as not to miss a potential nominee squeaking in last second for a week-long engagement. There are a few stunners below to distract you from the rest too. So don’t forget to stop staring at them in-person and eventually scan the rest.
Alone
I’m not going to lie: the poster for Piggy is a bit misleading.
Carefully check out those posters on the wall to see what’s playing and what’s coming so as not to miss a potential nominee squeaking in last second for a week-long engagement. There are a few stunners below to distract you from the rest too. So don’t forget to stop staring at them in-person and eventually scan the rest.
Alone
I’m not going to lie: the poster for Piggy is a bit misleading.
- 10/7/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Director Carlota Pereda makes a bold solo debut feature in the shocker Piggy (Cerdita). A bullied girl participates in a brutal revenge through apathy in this Spanish genre highlight, delivering a complex and evocative character study that is sure to spark conversation. Teenage Sara (Laura Galán) is a shy girl. An overweight girl who works in her family’s butcher shop – not the most glamourous of jobs – Sara is cruelly nicknamed Cerdita, or Piggy, by the local cool girls who taunt her mercilessly for everything from her job handling offal to her appearance. While Sara attempts to disappear, it’s almost impossible, as her family is one of her small town’s leading providers of meat, meaning she is constantly forced to interact with her tormentors. While...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/6/2022
- Screen Anarchy
The Lund Fantastic Film Festival is back and about to celebrate the broad spectrum of genre cinema once more. From October 27 until November 5, the 28th edition of Lund Fantastic is set to return to Kino and TriArtPlay for a selection of physical and virtual screenings that bring the most distinct or diverse fantastic films to the local Swedish audience. Opening on October 27, Carlota Pereda’s Sundance sensation Piggy reveals a blood-soaked debut that presents a relevant, honest story packed with talent and emotion in equal measure. The festival is also proud to reveal the first titles of its feature film competition, with both Raúl Cerezo’s and Fernando Gonzalez’s The Passenger and Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die. The former is a complex...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/6/2022
- Screen Anarchy
There’s a reason Carlota Pereda films Sara (Laura Galán) urinating through her clothes as an old friend (Irene Ferreiro’s Claudia), who’s drifted away towards the clique that bullies her, puts a bloody hand on the back window of a serial killer’s van while screaming for help. We need to understand her fear. Just because Sara is a teenager who’s been brutally victimized by an entire town of peers doesn’t mean she’s measuring the situation and deciding to let Claudia, Maca (Claudia Salas), and Roci (Camille Aguilar) die. She’s afraid for her own life. What if she tries to save them and the killer (Richard Holmes) watching from the driver’s seat simply throws her in the back? So she freezes. And, to her surprise, he helps her instead.
Therein lies the complexity of Piggy, a feature expansion of Pereda’s short film of the same name.
Therein lies the complexity of Piggy, a feature expansion of Pereda’s short film of the same name.
- 10/4/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
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