Canvas Media, MarVista Entertainment Partner on Six Film Slate to Promote Diverse and First-Time Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE)

As the land we now know as Britain was being invaded, the Celts were pushed to the fringe, to places such as Cornwall or Wales. This is evident when you hear the idiosyncratic and distinct Welsh or Cornish languages being spoken.

Naman Ramachandran For acclaimed Indian actor R. Madhavan ( (“Alai Payuthey,” “Tanu Weds Manu”), making his directorial debut, “Rocketry: The Nambi Effect,” literally required an understanding of rocket science.In addition to directing, Madhavan plays the role of Indian scientist, Nambi Narayanan, a former Indian Space Research Organization scientist and aerospace engineer known for developing efficient liquid fuel engines and who became embroiled in a spy scandal.The director attached to the project had to drop out at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts and Madhavan who had a deep understanding of the script having written it himself after conversations with Narayanan had to take up the mantle.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaScreen Media has acquired North American rights to “Code Name Banshee,” an upcoming action-thriller with Antonio Banderas and Jamie King. The film will receive a day-and-date theatrical and on-demand release in July.Directed by Jon Keeyes and written by Matthew Rogers, the duo behind “The Survivalist,” the film follows Caleb (Banderas), a former government assassin in hiding, who resurfaces when his protégé, the equally deadly killer known as Banshee (King), discovers a bounty has been placed on Caleb’s head.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaIFC Films has acquired North American rights to “R.M.N.,” the new film from acclaimed writer, director and producer Cristian Mungiu, ahead of its world premiere in Cannes this week.It’s a grand reunion for the indie studio and the director, marking their fifth distribution collaboration. IFC Films will release “R.M.N.” theatrically in 2022.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentParis-based company Kinology has secured international sales to “Il Sol Dell’Avvenire,” from Italian auteur and Cannes regular Nanni Moretti. Pic is currently shooting in Rome.The deal between Kinology and Domenico Procacci’s Fandango, which is producing in tandem with Moretti’s Sacher shingle and RAI Cinema, marks the first time Kinology has handled a Moretti pic.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaWestEnd Films has closed a series of new deals on “Out of the Blue,” an upcoming thriller that brings together Neil LaBute and Diane Kruger.Rights for the film, which LaBute writes and directs, have gone to Australia and New Zealand (Kismet Movies), France (Metropolitan Filmexport), Germany (Koch Films), Spain (A Contracorriente Films), Italy (Eagle Pictures), Middle East (Phoenicia Pictures) Israel (Forum Film), Poland (Galapagos Films), Greece (Spentzos Film), former Yugoslavia (Investacommerce) and Portugal (Nos Lusomundo). WestEnd is also sharing a moody first-look image.Kruger, best known for her performances in “Inglourious Basterds” and “Troy,” leads an ensemble that also includes Ray Nicholson (“Promising Young Woman”), Hank Azaria (“Love & Other Drugs”) and Chase Sui Wonders (“Genera+ion”).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Midsommar” producer Patrik Andersson from B-Reel Films and Jakob Abrahamsson, a distribution veteran from NonStop Entertainment, have joined forces to launch Mylla Films, a Scandinavian genre film and TV production company.Aiming to nurture local talent and stories, and folklore and myths for an international audience, the banner is bowing at Cannes with a strong slate comprising of “Devastation,” Sweden’s first gothic Western, and “Hoin,” a conspiracy thriller based on a hit Swedish podcast and penned by Jerker Virdborg (Netflix’s “Black Crab”).“Devastation” revolves around two brothers who keep a town under a tyrannical stronghold during the never-ending winter and plague of 1867. An uprising begins from the most unexpected place.

has been renewed for a third season at Fox.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterMayim Bialik’s “Call Me Kat” has been renewed for a third season by Fox.The multi-cam comedy stars Bialik as Kat, an optimistic and fun-loving woman continuously defying societal expectations, and her mother’s wishes, to prove she can live a happy and fulfilling life on her own terms. Her first move? Using her entire savings to open a cat café in Louisville, KY.Along with Bialik, “Call Me Kat” stars Swoosie Kurtz as Sheila, Leslie Jordan as Phil, Kyla Pratt as Randi, Cheyenne Jackson as Max and Julian Gant as Carter.CLICK HERE to follow Variety’s coverage of Upfronts 2022Based on the British series “Miranda,” “Call Me Kat” is created by Miranda Hart.

Kelly Osbourne has revealed she is expecting her first child with her partner and Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson. The former Osbournes star shared the amazing news of her pregnancy with her Instagram followers this week as posted some picture of her holding the baby scan, and she revealed she is ‘over the moon’. She wrote: ‘I know that I have been very quiet these past few months so I thought I would share with you all as to why… I am over the moon to announce that I am going to be a Mumma.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaJosh Peck and Kea Ho have joined the cast of “Junction,” an upcoming drama about the opioid crisis. The film is written and directed by Bryan Greenberg, who is best known for his work as an actor on “How to Make It in America” and “One Tree Hill.” “Junction” will be his feature directorial debut.Peck and Ho join an ensemble that includes Griffin Dunne (“After Hours”), Sophia Bush (“Chicago P.D.”), Hilarie Burton (“One Tree Hill”), Jamie Chung (“Dexter: New Blood”), Michaela Conlin (“Bones”), Hill Harper (“The Good Doctor”) Ashley Madekwe (“Country Lines”), Ryan Eggold (“The Blacklist”), Dascha Polanco (“Orange Is the New Black”), Dash Mihok (“I Am Legend”), Geoff Stults (“Wedding Crashers”), Eddie Kaye Thomas (“American Pie”) and Hannah Dunne (“Marriage Story”).

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDavid Duchovny will write, direct and star in “Bucky F*cking Dent.” But those aren’t the only ways in which this is a true David Duchovny production from start to finish. The film is also based on Duchovny’s book of the same name, a novel that topped the best-seller list and was embraced by critics.“Bucky F*cking Dent” is set in New York during 1978, and follows an aimless thirty-something named Ted, who moves back in with his father Marty (Duchovny) after learning of his terminal illness.

Naman Ramachandran India’s T-Series, Reliance Entertainment and Match Cut Productions have teamed on Srijit Mukherji’s Hindi-language satire “Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga.”Inspired by true events, the film is about the adverse effects of urbanization, human-animal conflict and poverty, leading to a bizarre practice in a village located on the edge of a forest.It stars Pankaj Tripathi (“Sacred Games”), Neeraj Kabi (“Paatal Lok”) and Sayani Gupta “(Four More Shots Please”).Mukherji’s credits include Bengali-language films “Autograph” (2010), which was a Glasgow International Film Festival and Abu Dhabi International Film Festival selection, “Jaatishwar” (2014), “Chotushkone” (2015), “Rajkahini (2015) and “Ek Je Chilo Raja” (2019), which played at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. “Sherdil” will be his second Hindi film after the 2017’s “Begum Jaan,” the remake of “Rajkahini.” Mukherji said: “I got inspired by the real incident of tragic practises in villages bordering the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and I knew I had to capture it in my next.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, The Chicks, SZA, Kacey Musgraves, Flume, Paramore and Lil Nas X all set to perform headline sets across the six-day festival. As it has for the past eight IRL editions, ACL ’22 will be held over two weekends in October. Each will feature a vastly different bill, though many acts – including the likes of Diplo, Wallows, The War On Drugs, Conan Gray, Spoon and Japanese Breakfast – will perform sets on both weekends.Other names appearing on both line-ups include Sofi Tukker, Omar Apollo, Arlo Parks, Pinkpantheress, Nathaniel Rateliff And The Night Sweats, The Midnight, Oliver Tree and Genesis Owusu. 39 names are down to perform exclusively during the first weekend, with standouts including Lil Durk, Carly Rae Jepsen, Rag ’N’ Bone Man, Slayyyter, James Blake, Manchester Orchestra and Muna.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaRLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, and Shudder, the company’s streaming service for horror, thriller and supernatural content, have acquired the North American rights to “The Reef: Stalked.” The shark survival tale will be released in theaters, as well as on digital and on-demand platforms on July 29, 2022. It will be available to Shudder subscribers on the same day.

Christopher Vourlias Progress Film, the historic distributor established in 1950 to handle the release of films produced by communist East Germany’s state-owned film studio, has announced plans to relaunch theatrical distribution and international sales.The company has also acquired Sergei Loznitsa’s “The Natural History of Destruction,” which will have its world premiere as a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Progress is handling world sales as well as distribution in Germany, where it’s planning a theatrical release.Based on WWII archive footage, “The Natural History of Destruction” puts forward the questions: Is it morally acceptable to use civilian populations as a means of war, and is it possible to justify mass destruction for the sake of higher “moral” ideals? Those questions remain as relevant today as they were 80 years ago, becoming ever more urgent amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Happening” unfolds in 1963 France, but the story of a woman risking imprisonment and her health to obtain an illegal abortion has emerged as the year’s most urgent drama.“When I started thinking about making a movie about this topic, everybody asked why I would want to do that at this time?” says Audrey Diwan, director and co-writer of the IFC film, debuting in theaters May 6. “Now everybody tells me how timely it is.”That’s because in the years that it took Diwan to bring “Happening” to the screen, the composition of the U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: LeToya Luckett (Greenleaf), Romeo Miller (Honey) and Keith David (Greenleaf) have signed on to star in the film A Miracle Before Christmas, from writer-director LazRael Lison (#Unknown).

Veteran communications executive Michael Fabiani has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Communications, Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios.