Cannes: Films Boutique Picks up Un Certain Regard Title ‘Rehana’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Will Thorne Staff WriterTo what lengths will a desperate mother go to recover her kidnapped daughter?That’s the central question posed in Belgian-Romanian director Teodora Ana Mihai’s first fiction feature “La Civil,” which is set to debut at the Cannes Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.“La Civil” was produced by Hans Everaert’s Menuetto with the assistance of four illustrious Cannes winning directors, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Cristian Mungiu, and Michel Franco.Menuetto has

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefInternational distributors will get a first look at action thriller “Gasoline Alley” at the upcoming Cannes Market. The film, which stars Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson and Devon Sawa, is represented by Highland Film Group.The project was first announced at the European Film Market in Berlin, around the time that it was moving into production.

Rebecca Davis editor“Moneyboys,” the China-set first feature from up-and-coming helmer C.B. Yi, dropped its first trailer Wednesday.

Will Thorne Staff WriterMark Duplass and Natalie Morales are taking their “Language Lessons” around the world.Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the international rights to the pair’s secret pandemic film. News of the acquisition comes only a few months after “Language Lessons” made an eye-catching debut at the Berlin Festival and won an Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival.The global distributor plans to introduce it to buyers at the upcoming Cannes virtual market.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentPreparing to launch its biggest and broadest sales slate ever at Cannes, driven by 13 festival titles, The Match Factory has dropped a first trailer to Tatiana Huezo’s “Prayers for the Stolen,” lead-produced by the award-winning producer of “Roma” Nicolás Celis.Playing at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, the new feature – glimpsed via a couple of excerpts at Los Cabos Festival in 2019 – marks the much anticipated fiction film debut of Huezo, who has

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentBrussels-based company Best Friend Forever has closed major territories on Hadas Ben Aroya’s daring sophomore outing, “All Eyes Off Me,” which world premiered at Berlin in the panorama section. The drama, which is set in contemporary Tel Aviv, was sold to Film Movement for North America, and also lured buyers in France (Wayna Pitch), Japan (Klockworx), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nitrato) and South Korea (Lumix Media).

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentOscar-nominated French actor Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”) has joined Pierfrancesco Favino (“The Traitor”), Nanni Moretti, and the Italian cast of romantic drama “Il Colibrì,” which has started shooting in Rome.Fandango Sales is launching sales at the virtual Cannes market on this high-profile drama directed by Francesca Archibugi (“A Question of the Heart”) based on the eponymous novel by Sandro Veronesi, winner of Italy’s top literary prize, the Premio

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentFilms Boutique (“Charlatan,” “Dear Comrades!”) has boarded international sales rights to “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour,” the feature debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Noémie Merlant. The movie will world premiere in the Special Screenings section at Cannes.

Naya Rivera's father, George Rivera, isn't bothered by tabloid reports scrutinizing his younger daughter Nickayla's decision to move in with Naya's ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, after Naya's death in order to take care of Naya and Ryan's 5-year-old son, Josey.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorSales, production and financing company Premiere Entertainment Group has acquired worldwide rights to the live-action musical fantasy “A Fairy Tale After All.” PEG will be introducing the film to buyers during the virtual Cannes market. The family film stars Emily Shenaut as Sky, a high school teenager who is magically transported to the fairy tale Kingdom of Celestia, where the villagers know her as Princess Geneva.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentWhile U.S. blockbusters deserted screens in 2020, French animated features had 10-year record-breaking performance at the local box office last year, according to a study conducted by the CNC (National Film Board) and unveiled on the opening day of Annecy Film Festival.

Naman Ramachandran French filmmaker Arthur Harari’s “Onoda – 10 000 Nights In The Jungle” will open the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes’ Official Selection. The film tells the story of soldier Hiroo Onoda who was sent to an island in the Philippines in 1944 to fight against the American forces.

EXCLUSIVE: Famed sports broadcaster Jim Rome has signed with ICM Partners for representation.

As expected, the Cannes Film Festival has made several additions to its lineup for the 74th edition which runs July 6-17. Among the major new titles are the latest from Gaspar Noé and Ari Folman, as well as a concert film starring Bill Murray who will be present in Cannes.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentBrussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired “Medusa,” a timely drama directed by rising Brazilian helmer Anita Rocha da Silveira. The film will world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.

After taking a year off due to COVID-19, Cannes’ Critics’ Week, the parallel side-bar part of Cannes that focuses on first and second films by emerging filmmakers, is back and has revealed its line-up. The head of the jury for the 60th edition of Semaine de la Critique, as it is known in France, will be led by Romanian auteur Cristian Mungiu, and it’s a very French-heavy line-up.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Classics has taken all global rights to the documentary Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story co-directed by five-time Oscar nominee Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern (Finding Oscar). Marshall recently directed the HBO documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart which is in consideration for this Emmy season.

Ed Meza @edmezavarFresh off their debut feature documentary “Davos,” Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann have lined up a number of new projects, among them an upcoming series for HBO Max and ZDF.Produced by Berlin-based Komplizen Film (“Tony Erdmann“), “Fck My Heritage” (working title) is set in an elite boarding school and follows a group of students who decide to reject their inheritances and trigger a global social revolution.Christian Schwochow (“Munich,” “Bad Banks”) is serving as showrunner on

EXCLUSIVE: The Match Factory has boarded international rights to Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s (Asako I & II) anticipated Haruki Murakami short story adaptation Drive My Car.