Animated Series Are Growing Export for French Producers

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentDirectors’ Fortnight, the sidebar running alongside the Cannes Film Festival, has unveiled a strong lineup for its 54th edition, which will be the last one for outgoing artistic director Paolo Moretti. The sidebar has landed a pair of movies from A24, Alex Garland’s Men” which will play in the Special Screening section, and “God’s Creatures,” a psychological thriller directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, the filmmaking duo who made their feature debut with the Sundance film “The Fits.” Set in an Irish fishing village, “God’s Creatures” stars Aisling Franciosi, Emily Watson and Paul Mescal.

Holly Jones Simon Crowe’s SC Films International has boarded Filipino superhero adventure, “Zsazsa Zaturnnah vs. the Amazonistas of Planet X,” a buoyant animated feature produced by Franck Priot at Paris’ Ghosts City Films and director Avid Liongoren of Manila-based Rocketsheep Studio.The acquisition looks set to push Filipino animation into a more global spotlight, pairing this trailblazing project with a highly respected, long-standing animation sales company.SC Films has already been linked to high-profile French production companies on animated features such as Folivari’s “Pachamama” and TeamTO’s “Yellowbird.”“‘Zsazsa’ continues SC Films interest in the wonderful world of animation.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentA few hours after unveiling Cannes Film Festival’s 2022 Official Selection on the Champs Elysees, artistic director Thierry Fremaux sat down with Variety to discuss the festival’s drive to not give in to calls for a cultural boycott of Russian films and filmmakers, efforts to have more female directors in competition, discussions to bring back streamers in a near future and what those rumors about David Lynch in the lineup were about. The all-star competition lineup of this upcoming 75th edition boasts no less than four Palme d’Or winning directors, including Japanese master Kore-eda Hirokazu (Japan) and Swedish helmer Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”), as well new films by David Cronenberg (“Crimes of the Future”), Kelly Reichardt (”Showing Up”), James Gray (“Armageddon Time”) and dissident Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov (“Tchaïkovski’s Wife”).

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled seven new shows from the likes of Jean Dujardin, Nicolas Bedos, Franck Gastambide and Maïmouna Doucouré, while recommissioning Celebrity Hunted and LOL: Qui Rit, Sort!. in the region.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAmazon Prime in France has unveiled its upcoming slate of director-driven Originals, including ‘Hawa,’ a new movie by “Cuties” director Maimouna Doucouré, Nicolas Bedos’ TV debut “Alphonse” and Franck Gastambide’s “”Medellín.” “Hawa” follows the coming-of-age tale of a teenage girl who lives with her grandmother and worries she will be removed by social services. She sets off to get adopted by someone she admires more than anything, one of the most powerful woman in the world.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefFilmRise, the New York-based film and television studio and streaming network, has acquired the North American rights to a large swath of Japanese anime titles, headlined by more than episodes of the “Yu- Gi-Oh!” franchise.The deal with Konami Cross Media NY, part of Japan’s Konami Group, grants AVOD streaming rights for the FilmRise Streaming Network, including apps and free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels.The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise is based on the manga series that inspired a trading card game played with monsters, spells, and traps, several video games, and a television series.“This iconic Japanese property will be featured alongside other beloved anime content, on our FilmRise Anime channel a growing new destination for North American anime fans,” said Max Einhorn, FilmRise’s SVP of acquisitions and co-production. The video streaming package includes 808 episodes of the “Yu-Gi-Oh!” TV series in English, and 541 dubbed in Spanish.

A.D. Amorosi When is a timeless children’s tale not quite right for children’s theater? When it is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved and ever-so-slightly surreal 1942 novella, “The Little Prince.” Published following France’s liberation during World War II, the French aristocrat turned military aviator’s story was always something of an adult-oriented, nebulous dreamscape, one in which a tousled-haired young prince travels through space, lands on various planets (including Earth) and touches quietly on topics as nuanced as love and as rough as our loss of humanity and earth’s natural resources.“The Little Prince” is a lovely, delicate story.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSydney-based Odin’s Eye Animation has secured sales of kids’ TV series “The Beachbuds” to Disney Japan and ABC Australia. Other territories are under negotiation at the MipTV market in Cannes.

Dawn French delighted fans with a new selfie on Sunday, almost a week after she revealed she tested positive for coronavirus. The Vicar of Dibley actress, 64, revealed that despite still testing positive for COVID-19, she is feeling "springy".MORE: Dawn French reveals the cheeky comment she made when she met Prince Charles"Still with the [COVID-19] but cheerfully Springy as hell here…" she remarked alongside a stunning new selfie which was taken against a beautiful backdrop of primroses and daffodils.WATCH: Dawn French clarifies flippant Strictly Come Dancing remarkFans flocked to the comments section with one writing: "Hopefully soon you will be negative.

Those lockdown months taught us plenty of things about our hair: scrunchies are an acceptable hair accessory at any age, yes we CAN survive without our six-weekly highlights top-ups – and seeing naturally grey hair on display is no longer as taboo as it once was. In fact, in a recent poll Wella Professionals discovered that 57% of women feel that “grey is back in fashion”, with one in five seeing going grey as an “exciting new chapter” in their lives.

Naman Ramachandran Netflix has revealed 40 anime titles that will bow on the service in 2022, including new shows and returning fan favorites. Titles revealed at the AnimeJapan 2022 event include “Thermae Romae Novae,” launching on Monday, which is part of the partnership that the streamer had announced in 2020 with six anime creators.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterA Chinese visual effects and animation studio filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that it is the victim of two American swindlers who forged documents, impersonated the CEO, and conned investors out of $234 million.Base FX, headquartered in Beijing, states that it was duped into trusting the two men — Remington Chase and Kevin Robl — over the course of several years, in which they engaged in several financing arrangements and a joint venture in Malaysia.However, over the last year and a half, the company has discovered that the men were using the relationship as a lure for investors, who were deceived into signing over $234 million, in what they thought were loans and investments in the company and its projects. Base FX alleges that Chase and Robl forged the signature of the company’s CEO on investment documents, created fake entities and bank accounts, had someone pretend to be the CEO in calls with investors, and set up a fake office for the company in Pasadena, Calif.

Anna Marie de la Fuente At a time when journalists are under attack in many parts of the world and the odious term “fake news” has become part of the global lexicon, Spain’s Mediacrest presents the topical drama series “Fake” at a key event in France-based Series Mania, the invitation-only Spain Pitching Breakfast, on Thursday.Leading the charge is industry vet-producer Gustavo Ferrada (“Klaus,” “Nobody Knows Anybody”), Mediacrest’s executive director of fiction, who joined the fast-rising Spanish production company in January.“Fake” is one of five selected projects from leading Spanish production companies seeking European partners, comprising Fedent España, Friki Films, Onza, Vertice 360 and Mediacrest. Created in-house by Mediacrest’s deputy head of fiction, Carlos Molinero and senior scriptwriter Nicolás Romero, the Strasbourg-based series of six 52-minute episodes follows a high-powered couple as their once idyllic relationship turns toxic.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentUGC, the long-running French film studio whose biggest hits include “Amelie Poulain,” has successful branched into TV series by acquiring stakes in a flurry of talent-driven production companies such as Itineraire Productions (“HPI”) and Headline Pictures (“Call My Agent!’s” British remake) in the U.K.Opting for a different approach to Gaumont’s or large media groups like Mediawan, the company has been building its label UGC Series as a coalition of independently-ran production companies under the leadership of Laurence Lenica, a veteran UGC executive, and Franck Calderon, a well-known writer, producer and former boss of TF1 Productions.So far, UGC Series comprises six banners. Along with Headline Pictures and Itineraire Productions, these include Henri Debeurne’s Next Episode whose credits take in “Christmas Flow” for Netflix and “J’ai tué mon mari” for NBCU and TF1; UGC Fiction, which Calderon is leading with Karine Evrard and Sophie Exbrayat, and which has delivered the ratings hit ”Jacqueline Sauvage, It was Him or Me”, and most recently “La Traque” for TF1.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentVariety shined a spotlight on European talents at its jam-packed dinner cocktail party at Series Mania Festival in Lille, France.The event, which was co-hosted by Variety and Series Mania Forum, celebrated Mo Abudu, the CEO of Nigeria’s EbonyLife Media who won the 2022 Woman in Series Award. The party also brought together the laureates of the Copro pitching sessions and over 800 international industry players.Following an introduction by Series Mania Forum’s head Francesco Capurro, Variety‘s international editor Manori Ravindran welcomed on stage three rising series directors and creators who are part of Variety’s 10 European Talents to Watch: Chas Appeti and Junior Okoli, the cinematographer and director of “Jungle,” and Quoc Dang Tran, the creator, showrunner and writer of Disney Plus’ French original “Parallels.” “Jungle” is an Amazon Original Series showcasing the creativity of the U.K.’s drill, grime and rap music.

Jared Leto hits the red carpet in an animal print fuzzy coat for the Parisian premiere of Morbius at the Gaumont Champs Elysees on Tuesday (March 22) in France.

Frank Doelger, who was an executive producer on Game Of Thrones between 2011 and 2019, provided an update on his new company in Germany during a Series Mania panel today.

WCCB.Those looking to help rescue Fezco can call the Stanly County Animal Shelter at (704) 986-3881. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, mounting, thrusting (humping), and masturbation are normal behaviors exhibited by most dogs.

K.J. Yossman Keira Knightley-voiced animated biopic “Charlotte” has an official trailer.The feature, from Good Deed Entertainment, the studio behind “Loving Vincent,” tells the story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who was murdered in Auschwitz at the age of 26.“Charlotte” is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana and features the voices of Jim Broadbent (“Downton Abbey,” Brenda Blethyn (“Pride and Prejudice”), Sam Claflin (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), Eddie Marsan (“Ridley Road”), Sophie Okonedo (“Death on the Nile”) and Mark Strong (“1917”).It also features one of the last performances from “Peaky Blinders” star Helen McRory, who died of cancer in 2021.A French version of the film stars Marion Cotillard (“Inception”) as Charlotte.

“The Batman” earns its third No. 1 weekend with $10 million grossed on Friday and an estimated $39 million weekend total.