Ana de Armas to be Honored at Deauville – Global Bulletin
FESTIVALS
Ana de Armas will be honored with the Hollywood Rising-Star Award at the Deauville American Film Festival (Sept. 2-11). After it debuts at Venice, her latest film “Blonde,” where she plays Marilyn Monroe, will have its French premiere at the festival, with her and director Andrew Dominik in attendance.
Cuban born actor de Armas’s star has been in the ascendant and she has worked with several noted filmmakers including Denis Villeneuve (“Blade Runner 2049”), Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”), Olivier Assayas (“Wasp Network), Cary Joji Fukunaga (“No Time to Die”) and the Russo Brothers (“The Gray Man”).
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Past winners of the award include Ryan Gosling (2011), Jessica Chastain (2011), Paul Dano (2012), Robert Pattinson (2015), Elizabeth Olsen (2015), Chloé Grace Moretz (2016), Daniel Radcliffe (2016), Shailene Woodley (2018), Elle Fanning (2018), Sophie Turner (2019) and Dylan Penn (2021).
Cannes Film Festival
Meanwhile, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF, Aug. 12-20) has added Cannes titles, Owen Kline’s “Funny Pages” and Annie Ernaux and David Ernaux-Briot’s “My Super 8 Years” to the lineup. EIFF has also revealed that curator Gaylene Gould will serve as jury president for the Powell and Pressburger best film award. Fellow jurors are producer Rosie Crerar and author Sarah Winman.
The jury for EIFF’s Mclaren award for animation include leading animators Bastien Dubois, Jennifer Zheng and Sue Loughlin. The Mclaren short film award jury is led by Sheffield Doc/Fest film program head Raul Niño Zambrano, curator Raymah Tariq and filmmaker Sean Dunn.
Front Row Filmed Entertainment
DISTRIBUTION
Dubai-based independent distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has acquired all Middle East and North Africa rights to 2022 Sundance Arab films “Warsha” and “Sirens.” Directed by Lebanese-Syrian filmmaker Dania Bdeir, “Warsha” follows a a migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut, who, one morning volunteers to take on one of the tallest and notoriously most dangerous cranes in Lebanon. Away from everyone’s eyes, he is able to live out his secret passion and find freedom. The film went on to win the short film jury award at Sundance and has played in over 82 festivals and won 28 awards since.
Executive produced by Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne and directed by Moroccan-American filmmaker Rita Baghdadi, feature documentary “Sirens” follows the story of Lilas and Shery, the co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band as they wrestle with friendship, sexuality and destruction in their pursuit of becoming Thrash metal rock stars. The film has played in over 40 festivals internationally.
Both “Warsha” and “Sirens” will be released later this year preceded by their MENA festival runs. International sales for “Warsha” are being handled by Polish outfit New Europe Film Sales with Autlook Film Sales handling “Sirens.”
Miljan Gogić
INCENTIVES
The Czech government has approved €23 million/CZK570 million ($23.5 million) for film incentives, which will add to the €32.5 million/CZK800 million decided in the original draft budget. The amendment will now be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies. Additional support is expected in 2023 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Culture.
The system solution for film incentives will be divided into two phases. First, the funding will increase by €23 million/CZK570 million and at the end of 2022 an amendment, which will be discussed in August, will enter into force introducing a limit of €6 million/CZK150 million per project.
The second phase is the preparation of the new law which will transform the Czech Film Fund by a major amendment to the Audiovisual Act. The Ministry of Culture is already working on a draft and in Aug. 2022 it will discuss it in an advisory group together with professional associations.
The transformation of the Czech Film Fund is expected to take place in 2024.
This article is published in partnership with online news service Film New Europe, which covers film and TV industry news from across Central and Eastern Europe.
PROMOTION
“Dune” and “No Time to Die” VFX and animation studio DNEG has promoted Chas Jarrett to creative director. Based out of the company’s London studio and working closely with Josh Jaggars, DNEG’s group president, VFX and stereo, Jarrett will partner with directors and filmmakers to leverage DNEG’s creative capabilities and innovative technology in service of their projects, while helping to maintain and build upon the company’s working relationships with its studio clients. Jarrett will also nurture and support the progression and development of DNEG’s artists and represent DNEG’s creative teams at executive level.
Jarrett, who joined DNEG as senior VFX supervisor in 2019, takes over from incumbent DNEG creative director and two-time Oscar winning VFX supervisor Paul Franklin, who will continue as visual effects consultant, a role he has maintained on projects such as “Blade Runner 2049,” “First Man,” “Jungle Cruise” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”
Jarrett previously had more than a decade of experience as a client-side production VFX supervisor with credits including Disney’s live-action “Aladdin,” “Logan” and “Sweeney Todd.” He was a co-founder of boutique VFX house BlueBolt VFX, and previously served on the executive committee of visual effects company MPC.
STREAMING
Amazon Prime Video has revealed a second season for “Todo Por Lucy,” a modern and reimagined version of the classic comedy series “I Love Lucy,” which will premiere on Aug. 19 in Latin America and the U.S. Lucy (Natalia Téllez) and Ricky (Daniel Tovar) are the perfect imperfect couple. Ricky wants to get married. Lucy is not ready for that commitment. Moving in together is the middle ground they find.
The series was developed and produced by Endemol Shine Boomdog, who teamed with Elefantec Global to acquire the rights and create an adaptation of the comedy classic. Rights to the format were licensed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Leonardo Zimbrón (“Get on My Moto”) is the executive producer, while Joe Rendon is the showrunner/director.
Boomdog is also currently in production with “A Beautiful Lie,” an adaptation of Endemol Shine Australia’s modern take on Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” Starring Kate del Castillo, who serves as EP via her Cholawood label, the series will launch on Spanish-language streamer Pantaya.
Endemol Shine Boomdog
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