Berlinale’s ‘1341 Frames of Love and War’ Debuts Trailer, Reservoir Docs Launches Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

The Tinder Swindler is speaking out!

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a strong first English-language trailer for director Rama Burshtein’s (Fill The Void) anticipated TV debut Fire Dance, which has just been announced for Series Mania’s main competition.

Julia Fox is speaking out about her split from Kanye West.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorAhead of Sunday’s world premiere of documentary “1341 Frames of Love and War,” which plays in Berlinale Special, Variety spoke to Israeli writer/director Ran Tal about the film and its subject, Israeli war photographer Micha Bar-Am.In some ways “Frames” continues Tal’s interest in Israeli history evident in his previous work, “What If? Ehud Barak on War and Peace,” which centered on the former prime minister of Israel. Bar-Am was born in Berlin in 1930, but grew up in what became Israel, and across a five decade-long career as a photographer he documented many of the major episodes – in particular the wars – in the life of the young country, founded in 1948.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorDutch-Caribbean teen documentary “Shabu” has debuted an exclusive clip, ahead of its screening at Berlin Film Festival on Monday. Reservoir Docs is handling world sales, except for Netherlands, Belgium and France.The film, directed by Aruban-Dutch filmmaker Shamira Raphaëla, world premiered at IDFA, winning the best youth documentary award, and also played at Rotterdam Film Festival.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorThe trailer for Gu∂mundur Arnar Gu∂mundsson’s teen drama “Beautiful Beings” has debuted ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday. The film, which plays in Panorama, is being sold by Jan Naszewski’s New Europe Film Sales.

Christopher Vourlias “Gotham” star Ben McKenzie and “Instinct” actress Bojana Novakovic are attached to star in the new J-horror film “Bloat,” Variety can reveal.Produced by Bazelevs, the production banner of Screenlife pioneer Timur Bekmambetov (“Unfriended,” “Searching,” “Profile”), “Bloat” is a co-production with Russian streaming platform Okko, French production and sales house Pulsar Content (“The Deep House”), and Japanese production company flag Co., Ltd.Filming has already started in New York and will continue in Japan. Pic marks the first time Okko has co-financed an international production.

Star-crossed lovers? Liam Neeson confessed that he nearly sparked a romance while filming his new action film, Blacklight, in Australia.

Wilson Chapman editorOne day after nabbing her first Oscar nomination, Jessie Buckley’s full talents are on display in the first trailer for “Men,” a horror film from A24 and director Alex Garland (“Ex Machina,” “Annihilation”). It will premiere in theaters May 20.The official synopsis for “Men” reads: “In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper (Buckley) retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal.

Holly Jones In anticipation of its world premiere at the Berlinale, Latido Films, which is handling international distribution, has provided Variety exclusive access to the international trailer for Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s debut feature, “Lullaby.”The film, which takes an earnest glimpse into the fraught dynamics of cross-generational caregiving, will be included as part of the Panorama strand at the fest, which lends a platform to projects covering societal taboos and topics not oft-breached by commercial cinema.In “Lullaby,” an exhausted Amaia (Laia Costa) is tasked with seeking comfort and aid from her aging parents as her husband, Javi (Mikel Bustamante), follows his career out of town after the birth of their child. A wide range of emotions are displayed as Amaia learns to understand and engage with her mother, Begoñia (Susi Sanchez), while forging her way towards independence. “We never talk about motherhood as a crisis.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorAction-drama “The Way,” written and directed by Dastan Khalili (“Master,” “Insomnia Manica”), has been picked up for international sales by Iuvit Media Sales. Iuvit will launch sales at the upcoming European Film Market (Feb. 10-17).

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorDark comedy-drama “Concerned Citizen,” which has its world premiere in the Panorama section of the Berlinale, has debuted its trailer. Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal will be selling the film during the European Film Market. The film, a satirical parable on the insidious ways in which privilege can unleash the prejudice within, centers on Ben, who thinks of himself as a liberal and enlightened gay man, living in the perfect apartment with his boyfriend Raz.

The con artist at the heart of Netflix's latest phenomenon, The Tinder Swindler, has vowed to share his side of the story.The documentary follows several women on their mission to track down the man who tricked them into giving him tens of thousands of dollars after meeting him on a dating app. Shimon Hayut, 31, known to his victims as Simon Leviev, is estimated to have stolen $10m (£7.4m) through expensive dates and manipulative ploys. He was arrested and sentenced to 15 months on fraud, theft and forgery charges in December 2019, but only served five months of his sentence, being released on 'good behaviour' in May 2020.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorThe con man investigated in Netflix’s new documentary “The Tinder Swindler” has been banned from the dating app.Shimon Hayut allegedly met women on Tinder before swindling them for millions of dollars after catfishing them into believing his name was “Simon Leviev” and that he was the son of Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev.“We have conducted internal investigations and can confirm Simon Leviev is no longer active on Tinder under any of his known aliases,” Tinder said in a statement to Variety on Friday.When the doc was released on Wednesday on Netflix, it reported that Hayut was still active on Tinder.While Tinder has now banned him, he still has an account on Instagram with more than 200,000 followers. In an Instagram story posted on Friday, Hayut said he was preparing to tell his version of the story.

Naman Ramachandran Principal photography has wrapped on “He Went That Way,” the true crime thriller starring Jacob Elordi (“Euphoria”) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek Franchise). Mister Smith Entertainment have revealed a first look image and will be showing the first footage to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.Set in 1964, “He Went That Way” is based on the true crime story of celebrity animal trainer Dave Pitts and his famous TV chimp, Spanky, centerpiece of the traveling entertainment show The Ice Capades in the 1960s, and his fateful three-day encounter with the serial killer Larry Lee Ranes.

Manori Ravindran International EditorEvan Rachel Wood, Eliza Scanlen, Rufus Sewell and Vanessa Redgrave are set to lead an adaptation of World War II-era book “All That I Am,” Variety can reveal.AGC Studios is fully financing the film, which will be shot in Berlin and Sydney in late summer. The studio, led by Stuart Ford, introduced the project to buyers this week as part of the virtual European Film Market, which generally runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorIrish writer/director Colm Bairéad’s narrative feature debut “The Quiet Girl,” which world premieres at the Berlin Film Festival in the Generation Kplus section, has debuted a clip from the film with Variety. Rosa Bosch Films is handling world sales.The film is a complex and delicate coming-of-age drama that explores questions of family, neglect and grief through the eyes of its young protagonist. Commenting on the film, director Mark Cousins said: “What a tender jewel of a film.

Naman Ramachandran British singer-songwriter George Ezra, best known for hit singles “Shotgun,” “Paradise” and “Budapest,” will star in feature documentary “End to End.”The documentary is from producers Richard Yee (“An Idiot Abroad”), Catherine Miller and Fiona Neilson (“Oasis:Supersonic”) and is directed by Adam Scarborough and Christy Tattershall.Protagonist Pictures is handling worldwide sales and will introduce the hot project to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market, while runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival. U.K.