Buddhism and Digital Discoveries Intersect in Venice Critics’ Week Opener ‘Karmalink’ Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentIn Italian director Francesco Lettieri’s “Lovely Boy,” which is the closing film of Venice’s independently run Venice Days section, a rising star of Rome’s never before depicted trap music scene gets sucked into a spiral of self-destruction.“Lovely Boy” is the sophomore feature by Lettieri, who made his debut with “Ultras,” a drama about Neapolitan soccer hooligans that plays worldwide on Netflix.Both “Ultras” and “Lovely Boy” were lead produced by

Ashanti as the international superstar triple-threat, Fancy G, hosting a talent competition to discover the next big pop star.«I definitely had a few Build-a-Bears,» Ashanti told ET's Rachel Smith from the set of. «I didn't have the Honey Girls, but I did have other Build-a-Bears.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentEgyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy’s production shingle Film Clinic –– at Venice with “Amira,” Mohamed Diab’s drama about Palestinian children conceived behind bars with smuggled sperm –– is getting a financial boost that will triple its resources just as two new film and TV projects go into production.Film Clinic is having an outstanding festival presence this year.

Naman Ramachandran The first trailer for Venice competition title “La Caja” (The Box) has landed. The film is by Lorenzo Vigas, who won the Venice Golden Lion in 2015 for “Desde allá” (From Afar).The film follows Hatzin, a young teenager from Mexico City who travels to collect the remains of his father, which have been found in a communal grave amid the huge skies and empty landscape of Northern Mexico.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorBerlin-based sales agency Picture Tree International has boarded “Farha,” the debut feature from Jordanian writer-director Darin J. Sallam, which world premieres in the Discovery section of Toronto Film Festival.

What if you’ve paid your debt to society, but the spiritual weight of what you truly owe for your past actions can never be repaid in full? Following the terrific comeback reception to “First Reformed” and the spartan, Bresson-ian transcendental style employed within, feeling good about his chances, filmmaker Paul Schrader doubles down on austere slow cinema again in “The Card Counter,” a movie about the moral balance a man can accrue.

Helen Mirren shows off her spectacular silver gown while arriving at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival on Wednesday evening (September 1) in Venice, Italy.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Ivan Fund’s “Dusk Stone” (“Piedra Noche”) is bowing its trailer in Variety on the eve of its world premiere at the Venice Lido where it participates in the Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori ) sidebar.The Elle Driver international sales pick-up will also participate in the San Sebastián Film Festival’s Horizontes Latinos and at Biarritz where it opens the French festival.“Dusk Stone” turns on the mysterious disappearance of a young boy near his family’s beach house.

Christopher Vourlias New Europe Film Sales has closed several deals for “Leave No Traces,” from Polish director Jan P. Matuszyński (“The Last Family”), which has its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

Anna Marie de la Fuente L.A.-based Outsider Pictures has snapped up world sales rights to Rodrigo Plá and Laura Santullo’s family drama “The Other Tom,” ahead of its Venice Film Festival world premiere and its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.“I had read the script of ‘The Other Tom’ three years ago and always liked the story,” said Outsider Pictures’ Paul Hudson, who relates how he continued to track the film’s progress from then on.

EXCLUSIVE: Shout Studios and Hideout Pictures’ Old Henry has been set for a U.S. theatrical release on October 1. This will follow the western’s world premiere as an out of competition official selection title at the Venice Film Festival on September 7. Check out the trailer above.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorVariety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari’s satirical, surrealistic film “Land of Dreams,” which opens the Horizons Extra section of the Venice Film Festival. The filmmakers won the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival for their first feature film, “Women Without Men.”“Land of Dreams” stars Sheila Vand, Matt Dillon, William Moseley and Isabella Rossellini.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorKiernan Shipka has signed on to star in supernatural thriller “Treat,” studio Cadence13’s first feature-length podcast — which the company describes as an “audio movie.”“Treat” is in production now and is scheduled to premiere on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, timed for Halloween, available worldwide on all major podcast platforms.

After its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival two years ago, Pablo Larraín‘s “Ema” finally made had its theatrical release in US theaters last week. US audiences hopefully won’t need to wait as long for Larraín’s next film, “Spencer” The highly anticipated biopic has its world premiere in Venice next month, as it vies for the coveted Golden Lion.

Madelyn Cline is taking a break from digging stuff up on to instead bury a secret in the upcoming thriller, — and ET can exclusively debut the trailer.Set in the '90s, the coming-of-age drama stars Cline (of the Netflix hit series and soon to be in ) and Sofia Hublitz () as unlikely friends whose carefree summer takes a dark turn when they find themselves at the center of a murder case. Will the secret bond them for life or tear them apart?«Working on is one of my best memories.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Venice Film Festival and Italy’s Mymovies streaming platform have devised what the streamer’s chief Gianluca Guzzo calls “a unique model.”It’s an SVOD service called Biennale Cinema Channel that offers Italians Lido titles from past editions that never made it into local theaters and in September will also provide them with a selection of world premieres launching from Venice’s upcoming 78th edition.It all started with Alberto Barbera’s second

Christopher Vourlias Heretic, the Athens-based boutique production company and sales agent, has acquired world sales rights for “Vera Dreams of the Sea,” the feature-length debut of Kosovan director Kaltrina Krasniqi, which will have its world premiere in the Horizons sidebar of the Venice Film Festival.

Trace Adkins as the outlaw Captain Hensley.«My love of Western films and the storied history of the Old West was passed along to me from my dad,» Adkins tells ET. «There is a boldness and fearlessness to that era that I admire with great reverence.

Early-risers at Neon’s CinemaCon presentation this morning got a first look at the trailer and an extended clip for Spencer, the biopic about Princess Diana that stars Kristen Stewart and which will world premiere at the Venice Film Festival next Friday, Sept. 3, then move on to TIFF.

Chad Michael Murray’s portrayal of serial killer in, Peyton List is taking on notorious murderer Aileen Wuornos in.