Beta Cinema Closes First Deals for Tragicomedy ‘One Last Evening,’ Winner of Locarno Prize (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Forest,” an Italian eco-themed animation film about deforestation, has scored some strong pre-sales for Rome-based True Colours at the Cannes Marché du film. The still-in-production 3-D animation feature – the protagonist of which is a young mushroom named Fey – has been picked up for roughly 20 territories by Top Film Distribution which will distribute “Forest” in Ukraine, CIS, the Baltics, and Eastern European countries including former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Poland, Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania, and Hungary.  Helmed by Luca Della Grotta and Francesco Dafano, the film is produced by Italy’s AI One, the same team that previously spawned 2020 similarly themed animation feature “Trash” that sold in more than 30 countries. 

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Roman Polanski’s “The Palace” has been set for release in Italian theatres in September, prompting speculation that the controversial director’s black comedy set in a posh hotel in the Swiss Alps resort of Gstaad on the eve of the new millennium could be launching from the Venice Film Festival. Italy’s RAI Cinema, which is a main backer of Polanski’s new film, has slated a September 28 local release date via its 01 Distribuzione unit for “The Palace” which has an ensemble cast including Mickey Rourke, John Cleese and Fanny Ardant. Other key cast members include German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”); Portugal’s Joaquin De Almeida; the U.K.’s Bronwyn James (“The Dig”) and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”).

EXCLUSIVE: Gaga Corp. and Goodfellas have revealed new sales on Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or contender Monster as the drama enjoys a strong theatrical kick-off at the Japanese box office.

Here are your Man United morning headlines on Tuesday, June 7

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. A new limited-time deal from Rosetta Stone offers unlimited access to their language-learning program for nearly half the price.

From Terminator to Governator! Arnold Schwarzenegger played many roles throughout his impressive career.

Tenacious D have released a recorded version of their viral cover of Chris Isaak‘s ‘Wicked Game’ – check out the video below.The fan-favourite cover, which was originally performed in December for SiriusXM, comes weeks after the duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass released their first new track in five years titled ‘Video Games’.Directed by longtime collaborator Taylor Stephens, the video for the track features both Black and Gass frolicking by the sea while wearing their undergarments. It’s a homage to the original video of the 1989 hit which featured Isaak and model Helena Christensen.Their previous single, ‘Video Games’, was released last month.

The Little Mermaid has been criticized by a prominent media diversity advocate for failing to acknowledge the horrors of slavery in the Caribbean.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Charlie Harper,” starring Emilia Jones from Oscar-winning film “Coda,” has been sold to multiple international territories. The film will be directed by Tom Dean and Mac Eldridge from a script written by Dean. Toby Wallace (“Babyteeth,” FX’s “Pistol”) will star opposite Jones. The film has been sold to Germany/Austria (Tobis), France (SND), Japan (Kinoshita), Australia/New Zealand (Roadshow), Spain (TriPictures), Scandinavia (SF Studios), Switzerland (Ascot Elite), Israel (Forum Film), South Africa (Empire), Latin America (Sun), Portugal (NOS), Greece (Odeon), Middle East (Front Row), Benelux (The Searchers), Baltics (ACME), and Eastern Europe (Unicorn).

Romance pic Charlie Harper, starring CODA actor Emilia Jones alongside Toby Wallace (Babyteeth), has inked a series of international deals out of last week’s Cannes Market.

Manchester City will look to sign Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies if he leaves the German side and could rival Real Madrid for his signature.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International sales house Totem Films has closed distribution deals in multiple territories for “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry,” which had its world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. The company also closed a deal for France for another Directors’ Fortnight film, “A Song Sung Blue.” “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry” was sold to France (Capricci), U.K. (New Wave), Benelux (Vedette), Sweden (Folkets Bio), Greece (Ama Films), Czech Republic (Artcam), and Germany (Eksystent). More deals are in negotiation. The distributor in Switzerland is Frenetic. The film, directed by Elene Navierani, centers on Etero, a 48-year-old woman living in a small village in Georgia. Etero never wanted a husband and cherishes her freedom as much as her cakes. But her choice to live alone is the cause of much gossip among her fellow villagers.

Hollywood Vampires have been forced to reschedule their upcoming shows while Johnny Depp recovers from an ankle injury. The 59-year-old actor took to Instagram on Monday to announce that he had fractured his ankle and was unable to perform in the U. S.

told CBS News. “So my thing is, let’s go and rephrase this and communicate differently about it and really tell people we’re talking about pollution. Pollution creates climate change, and pollution kills.”Having recently hosted the Austrian World Summit, a conference that aims to decrease the impact of climate change that the former California governor has hosted for eight years, Schwarzenegger has focused his “crusade” against the climate crisis for this chapter of his life.“I’m on a mission to go and reduce greenhouse gases worldwide, because I’m into having a healthy body and a healthy Earth,” Schwarzenegger said.

A24 has unveiled a raft of key territory deals for Jonathan Glazer’s hotly tipped Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or frontrunner The Zone Of Interest ahead of the awards ceremony on Saturday.

Kaouther Ben Hania’s powerful drama “Four Daughters” which mixes documentary and fiction to tell the story of Tunisian mother whose two elder daughters joined ISIS is scoring a slew of sales following its well-received Cannes competition premiere. French company The Party Films Sales has sealed deals on “Four Daughters” for: Benelux (Cineart); Spain (Caramel Films); Italy (I Wonder); Switzerland (Trigon); Sweden (Triart); Denmark (Camera Film); Norway (Arthaus); Finland (Cinemanse); Poland (New Horizons); Greece (Ama Films); former Yougoslavia (Discovery) and Turkey (Bir Film). Rights to the film for multiple other territories are under negotiations, the company said.

Fatima Djoumer has been appointed General Director of independent exhibitor network Europa Cinemas, replacing Claude-Eric Poiroux who is stepping down after 30 years in the role.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Kirsten Niehuus, CEO at Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, which funds films and TV series production in the Berlin region, and Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films, which promotes and supports the release of German films abroad, welcomed a wide array of guests to their garden party at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. Three Medienboard-funded films are in this year’s Competition: Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters,” Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner’s “Club Zero,” and U.S. helmer Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.” Niehuus told Variety: “Those are three very different productions, but it shows the spectrum [of films] that Medienboard supports.” Tunisian films, like “Four Daughters,” need international co-production funding to get made, she said, and “we believe in world cinema, so were very happy [to back it].” Hausner is “one of the most impressive female filmmakers [in the world], and I think there should be more female filmmakers on the Croisette and every other ‘A’ festival,” she said. “Asteroid City” is “the best of American arthouse filmmaking; very stylish, with a great narrative – so we love it,” she said.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Maxime Rappaz’s debut film “Let Me Go,” which plays in the Cannes ACID sidebar, has been sold to Brazil and Taiwan. The film stars Cannes regular Jeanne Balibar in the lead role as a fiftysomething woman torn between her family commitments and pursuing her own desires. Every Tuesday, a neighbor takes care of Claudine’s son while she goes to a mountain hotel to meet men passing through. When one of them decides to extend his stay for her, Claudine is confused and finds herself dreaming of another life. Imovision has acquired all rights for Brazil, and will release the film in cinemas after a Brazilian festival premiere. “The mise en scène is excellent and Jeanne Balibar is extraordinary,” Jean-Thomas Bernardini, president of Imovision, commented.

Naman Ramachandran Classic cult film streamer Cultpix has struck a deal with Polish cultural institution WFDiF – Documentary and Feature Film Studios (Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych) for a season of Polish erotic cinema classics from the 1980s and early 1990s. Titles featured in the season include Krzysztof Nowak’s “What Do the Tigers Like: (1989); Andrzej Barański’s “Bachelor Life in a Foreign Country” (1992); Roman Załuski’s “Och Carol” (1985); Ryszard Ber’s “Thais” (1983); Marek Koterski’s “Porn” (1990); and Jacek Bromski’s The Art of Loving (1989). The deal was revealed at the ongoing Cannes film market, where Cultpix expanded deals with previously signed film libraries – Germany’s The Playmaker Munich, as well as Echelon Studios and Vinegar Syndrome from the U.S. – for over 250 titles to be released later in 2023 and in early 2024.