Deadline’s Top International Films Of 2023

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Be For Films, an independent film sales company based in Brussels, has acquired international rights to German filmmaker Michael Fetter Nathansky‘s “Every You Every Me,” which has been selected in the Panorama section of the Berlinale. “Every You Every Me” won two Work-in-Progress Awards, under its previous title “Mannequins,” at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Ben Fowlie, executive and artistic director of the Points North Institute and founder of Camden Intl. Film Festival, is stepping down from his position after 20 years with the organization. Longtime board member Rick Rector will serve as interim executive director until a search for a permanent replacement is completed.

When the Oscar shortlist of feature documentaries was announced in December, it was dominated by films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival – films like Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, The Eternal Memory, Beyond Utopia and A Still Small Voice. 

Ben Fowlie, founder of the Camden International Film Festival, is departing as executive and artistic director of the Points North Institute, the nonprofit that produces the highly-respected documentary festival in coastal Maine.

Whiplash” has topped the Sundance Film Festival‘s list of top 10 feature films from the past four decades. In honor of the 40th edition of the festival that starts Thursday, the Sundance Institute surveyed over 500 filmmakers, critics and industry members who selected from nearly 4,000 features that have played the festival.

Jaden Thompson The complete program for the 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival has been announced. Taking place from Feb. 7-17, the festival will open with the world premiere of the documentary “Madu,” directed by Matt Ogens and Joel ‘Kachi Benson.

Cinema export agency Unifrance’s annual international box office report for 2023 revealed on Tuesday that Russia was the top market in terms of admissions for French cinema last year.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie, will be among those taking part in on-stage talks at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which runs Jan. 25 to Feb.

French cinema saw its fortunes rise at the international box office in 2023 after three difficult Covid-19 and post pandemic years, according to the annual report of export agency Unifrance released on Tuesday.

Ryan Gosling hit the red carpet ahead of receiving his big award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Scream franchise amid recent news that several cast members and the director departed the upcoming film in the long-running series.Back in December, Scream 7‘s director Christopher Landon confirmed he left work on the project. The Happy Death Day director was announced to be helming the seventh instalment in August, which would have marked his debut in the Scream franchise.

Refresh for latest…: Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Heyday Films’ Wonka continues its sweet run, crossing the $500M mark globally this weekend. The worldwide cume through Sunday is $505.3M including $329.1M from the international box office and with Korea, which has a fondness for Hollywood musicals, still to release at the end of the month.

Puck News. The new installment would see the “Mission Impossible” star, 61, return to his role of naval aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, as well as his “Top Gun: Maverick” co-stars Miles Teller and Glen Powell.

Some 100 top European film professionals have published an open letter expressing their shock and concern over the unexplained, sudden firing of long-time Flanders Image boss Christian De Schutter.

EXCLUSIVE: Kristin Jones is leaving The North Road Company, we can reveal.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Tom Cruise may be headed back to the danger zone. Paramount has tapped “Top Gun: Maverick” co-writer Ehren Kruger to work on a script for a sequel to the action blockbuster, according to Puck. The studio is also reportedly hoping that “Top Gun: Maverick”director Joe Kosinski will get back into the cockpit for another installment in the series, which would potentially see Cruise’s younger co-stars Miles Tiller and Glen Powell return for more high-altitude excitement.

As awards season switches up a gear, with the handing out of the Golden Globes and the publication of the Bafta shortlists, one major title stands out in the International categories of both: Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. It would be a reasonable bet for the Oscar win in any year — if it were actually eligible. In lieu of Triet’s film, which fell well within Academy rules in terms of the amount of English spoken, the French selection panel opted instead for period gourmet drama The Taste of Things to do battle for the country’s honor, a move that is sure to cause a lot of confusion in the coming weeks.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Sandra Hüller, who is an awards contender with “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall,” will be one of the guest speakers taking part in the International Film Festival Rotterdam‘s Talks program later this month. In her talk, Hüller will “delve into her acting trajectory, discussing the highlights of her career, but also lesser-known performances – including work in the theater and other arts,” the festival said.

Marta Balaga As the battle for international feature film Oscar heats up, female directors behind this year’s submissions urge Academy members to stay open-minded. “Many outstanding films won’t be noticed simply because people don’t watch them. Established directors, big production companies or rich distributors are in a better starting position, but I encourage Academy voters to go for bold and diverse choices,” says Estonia’s Anna Hints, who’s behind crowd-pleasing doc “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.” “The safest choice is not always the best,” echoes Tizza Covi, who co-directed Austrian selection “Vera” with Rainer Frimmel.

Audiences didn’t have a lot of new choices, nor a mega late-December blockbuster to ring in the first weekend of the new year at the movies, but the studio titles on offer are still drawing crowds and seeing strong holds, particularly with ongoing holidays in many international box office markets. Milestones are also being set as Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Heyday Films’ Wonka topped $300M overseas while Disney’s Wish crossed $200M worldwide and AMC touted a new benchmark for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.