A high-powered panel at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents and Film Market pondered the condition of the theatrical market for arthouse films in Asia and Europe post-pandemic.
The two themes that emerged from the discussion were the necessity for films to have an X factor that can be marketed and, second, that restored classics are finding new audiences.
June Lee, content business team lead at Korea’s Watcha said that the company’s acquisition strategy for this year and the next is to either pick up a Hollywood blockbuster or “really arthouse films with elements that could go viral.”
The panel, which was moderated by Katarzyna Siniarska, head of sales at Poland’s New Europe Film Sales, also included Valeska Neu, international sales agent at Germany’s Films Boutique, Kini Kim of France’s The Jokers Films, Felix Tsang, sales and acquisitions manager at Hong Kong’s...
The two themes that emerged from the discussion were the necessity for films to have an X factor that can be marketed and, second, that restored classics are finding new audiences.
June Lee, content business team lead at Korea’s Watcha said that the company’s acquisition strategy for this year and the next is to either pick up a Hollywood blockbuster or “really arthouse films with elements that could go viral.”
The panel, which was moderated by Katarzyna Siniarska, head of sales at Poland’s New Europe Film Sales, also included Valeska Neu, international sales agent at Germany’s Films Boutique, Kini Kim of France’s The Jokers Films, Felix Tsang, sales and acquisitions manager at Hong Kong’s...
- 10/10/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Closing ceremony of festival in Gdynia sees Polish film community speak up against “awful hatred” directed at Holland in recent weeks.
Pawel Maslona’s second feature Scarborn (Kos) won the Grand Prix - Golden Lion at the 48th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia whose closing ceremony saw the Polish film community express their solidarity with Agnieszka Holland in the light of the vociferous political campaign against her and her film The Green Border.
In his acceptance speech, Maslona spoke out against the “awful hatred” directed at Holland in recent weeks and noted that, despite Poland being a country with a strong Christian faith,...
Pawel Maslona’s second feature Scarborn (Kos) won the Grand Prix - Golden Lion at the 48th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia whose closing ceremony saw the Polish film community express their solidarity with Agnieszka Holland in the light of the vociferous political campaign against her and her film The Green Border.
In his acceptance speech, Maslona spoke out against the “awful hatred” directed at Holland in recent weeks and noted that, despite Poland being a country with a strong Christian faith,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Focus Features has boarded Goran Stolevski’s anticipated next project, “Housekeeping for Beginners,” ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section.
Focus will be distributing the film in the U.S. with Universal Pictures handling international distribution (excluding Eastern Europe). “Housekeeping for Beginners” reteams Focus Features with the critically acclaimed Macedonian-Australian director following his first two films: “You Won’t Be Alone,” which premiered at Sundance in 2022 and represented Australia in the Oscar race, and his sophomore outing “Of an Age,” which kicked off Melbourne festival.
Stolevski, who was born and raised in North Macedonia before migrating to Australia as a teenager, was featured in Variety’s annual 10 Directors to Watch list earlier this year.
Represented internationally by New Europe Film Sales, “Housekeeping for Beginners” stars Anamaria Marinca as Dita, a queer woman who never wanted to be a mother and finds herself forced to...
Focus will be distributing the film in the U.S. with Universal Pictures handling international distribution (excluding Eastern Europe). “Housekeeping for Beginners” reteams Focus Features with the critically acclaimed Macedonian-Australian director following his first two films: “You Won’t Be Alone,” which premiered at Sundance in 2022 and represented Australia in the Oscar race, and his sophomore outing “Of an Age,” which kicked off Melbourne festival.
Stolevski, who was born and raised in North Macedonia before migrating to Australia as a teenager, was featured in Variety’s annual 10 Directors to Watch list earlier this year.
Represented internationally by New Europe Film Sales, “Housekeeping for Beginners” stars Anamaria Marinca as Dita, a queer woman who never wanted to be a mother and finds herself forced to...
- 8/15/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Asian buyers are ultra-cautious as theatrical markets are still in recovery following the pandemic, but bright spots include animation and re-releases of classic titles, said a group of leading European sales agents at the Cannes Marche’s Spotlight Asia panel today.
Sellers including Charades, Kinology, Films Boutique and StudioCanal said Asian buyers are finally back in person at markets, following three years of pandemic travel restrictions, but there is very little pre-buying activity as buyers in most Asian markets now won’t make a decision before seeing completed films.
Stronger territories include Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, but South Korea is taking longer to come back. “Korea was traditionally a strong market for arthouse, but is now very difficult for us,” said Films Boutique’s Valeska Neu. “From time to time you see something break through, but Korea’s arthouse market is now very concentrated on high profile cast and big names.
Sellers including Charades, Kinology, Films Boutique and StudioCanal said Asian buyers are finally back in person at markets, following three years of pandemic travel restrictions, but there is very little pre-buying activity as buyers in most Asian markets now won’t make a decision before seeing completed films.
Stronger territories include Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, but South Korea is taking longer to come back. “Korea was traditionally a strong market for arthouse, but is now very difficult for us,” said Films Boutique’s Valeska Neu. “From time to time you see something break through, but Korea’s arthouse market is now very concentrated on high profile cast and big names.
- 5/20/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Altered Innocence has picked up all U.S. rights to Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s second feature film “Beautiful Beings,” which was an official selection in the Panorama section of Berlinale this year. A theatrical release is planned for early next year.
The follow-up to the critically acclaimed “Heartstone” is an exploration of the deep bonds of adolescent friendship disrupted by penchants for violence with one foot placed in the realm of the supernatural.
The film centers on Addi, a boy raised by a clairvoyant mother, who decides to adopt a bullied misfit into his gang of outsiders. Left to their own devices, the boys explore aggression and violence but also learn about loyalty and love. As the group’s behavior escalates toward life-threatening situations, Addi begins to experience a series of dreamlike visions.
In Jessica Kiang’s review for Variety, she writes: “Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s beautiful and cruel second...
The follow-up to the critically acclaimed “Heartstone” is an exploration of the deep bonds of adolescent friendship disrupted by penchants for violence with one foot placed in the realm of the supernatural.
The film centers on Addi, a boy raised by a clairvoyant mother, who decides to adopt a bullied misfit into his gang of outsiders. Left to their own devices, the boys explore aggression and violence but also learn about loyalty and love. As the group’s behavior escalates toward life-threatening situations, Addi begins to experience a series of dreamlike visions.
In Jessica Kiang’s review for Variety, she writes: “Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s beautiful and cruel second...
- 4/14/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Adeline Chauveau takes over from Daphne Kapfer, who joins Unifrance.
European sales agency network Europa International has recruited Adeline Chauveau as its managing director, as the organisation heads into a busy Berlinale next month.
Effective immediately, Chauveau will take over the role from Daphne Kapfer, who has managed Europa International for the last 10 years. Kapfer is joining Unifrance as head of cross-sectors actions.
Chauveau previously worked at the Institut Français in Paris on European Film Factory, a European film education project funded by Creative Europe Media. She has also worked as an audiovisual officer at the French embassies in China and Turkey.
European sales agency network Europa International has recruited Adeline Chauveau as its managing director, as the organisation heads into a busy Berlinale next month.
Effective immediately, Chauveau will take over the role from Daphne Kapfer, who has managed Europa International for the last 10 years. Kapfer is joining Unifrance as head of cross-sectors actions.
Chauveau previously worked at the Institut Français in Paris on European Film Factory, a European film education project funded by Creative Europe Media. She has also worked as an audiovisual officer at the French embassies in China and Turkey.
- 1/28/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Although the public part of this year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival — the key event for the film business in Central and Eastern Europe — was canceled, the festival pressed ahead with its industry section, Eastern Promises, which ran July 6-8 in an online format.
Eastern Promises selected 41 projects in development, production and post-production from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa, and presented them to potential co-producers, sales companies, international buyers and festival programmers.
An addition to the section this year was First Cut Plus, which featured eight films in post-production from Central and Eastern Europe. It also delivered a mentoring program that sought to improve the projects’ marketing and commercial chances. The sessions covered promotion, marketing, press, trailer-making, festival launch and sales strategy.
Ilaria Gomarasca, former festivals manager at Pyramide Intl., is head of First Cut Plus, and one of its mentors.
Eastern Promises selected 41 projects in development, production and post-production from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa, and presented them to potential co-producers, sales companies, international buyers and festival programmers.
An addition to the section this year was First Cut Plus, which featured eight films in post-production from Central and Eastern Europe. It also delivered a mentoring program that sought to improve the projects’ marketing and commercial chances. The sessions covered promotion, marketing, press, trailer-making, festival launch and sales strategy.
Ilaria Gomarasca, former festivals manager at Pyramide Intl., is head of First Cut Plus, and one of its mentors.
- 7/10/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Ewa Puszczyńska, Klaudia Śmieja, Jan Naszewski join forces.
Ewa Puszczyńska and Klaudia Śmieja have joined forces with Jan Naszewski’s Poland-based New Europe Film Sales (Rams) to form production company Nem Corp.
The company is putting together a slate that will aim to attract international film projects to Poland, with a view to taking advantage of the 30% tax incentives newly introduced by the Polish parliament, as well as the soft money and private funding opportunities available in the country.
It will do co-production and service work, as well as developing new projects with Polish talents. New Europe will take on...
Ewa Puszczyńska and Klaudia Śmieja have joined forces with Jan Naszewski’s Poland-based New Europe Film Sales (Rams) to form production company Nem Corp.
The company is putting together a slate that will aim to attract international film projects to Poland, with a view to taking advantage of the 30% tax incentives newly introduced by the Polish parliament, as well as the soft money and private funding opportunities available in the country.
It will do co-production and service work, as well as developing new projects with Polish talents. New Europe will take on...
- 8/31/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Ewa Puszczyńska, the producer behind Pawel Pawlikowski’s Oscar-winner “Ida” and the director’s Cannes best director award winner and Toronto Film Festival entry “Cold War,” is setting up a new production company, Nem Corp., with Klaudia Śmieja, the producer of Claire Denis’ Toronto film “High Life” and Agnieszka Holland’s upcoming “Gareth Jones,” and sales agent Jan Naszewski’s New Europe Film Sales.
Nem Corp. intends to attract “prestigious international film projects” to Poland, both as co-productions and service work, as well as develop projects of its own with top Polish talent. The company, which is already working on a slate of projects, wants to take advantage of the 30% tax incentive newly introduced by the Polish parliament as well as the soft money and private funding opportunities available in Poland.
Puszczyńska co-produced Robert Schwentke’s “The Captain” and Rezo Gigineishvili’s Berlinale-selected “Hostages,” and works as an expert for the Torino Film Lab.
Nem Corp. intends to attract “prestigious international film projects” to Poland, both as co-productions and service work, as well as develop projects of its own with top Polish talent. The company, which is already working on a slate of projects, wants to take advantage of the 30% tax incentive newly introduced by the Polish parliament as well as the soft money and private funding opportunities available in Poland.
Puszczyńska co-produced Robert Schwentke’s “The Captain” and Rezo Gigineishvili’s Berlinale-selected “Hostages,” and works as an expert for the Torino Film Lab.
- 8/31/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
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