Distrib Films Acquires U.S. Rights to ‘Josep,’ Sisters,’ ‘Tokyo Shaking’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Alissa Simon Film CriticOne of several animated biopics about to segue from the festival circuit to the big screen, “Josep” is a slim but engaging tribute to the legacy of Spanish artist Josep Bartolí (1910-95), a Catalonian republican whose Goya-esque drawings of his time in French concentration camps inspired the film’s Gallic helmer and art director Aurel (birth name Aurélien Froment), himself an acclaimed press illustrator and cartoonist.

Emilio Mayorga San Sebastian-based production-distribution outfit Atera Films has taken Spanish distribution rights to Inés María Barrionuevo’s “Camila Comes out Tonight” –sold by Latido Films – and Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s “Clara Sola,” whose international sales are handled by Luxbox.With the two new titles, Atera underscores its aim of discovering and making available to Spanish audiences young Ibero-American directors including those who explore LGTBI+ issues.

JD Linville Filmax has acquired international rights to animated Basque feature “Save the Tree,” a new film from director duo Iker Alvarez and Haizea Pastor following the adventures of forest pixies and their quest to reconnect children with nature.A market premiere at this week’s Spanish Screenings-Málaga de Cine, the film has a central theme of environmental protection and subtly warns of the dangers of our technologically obsessed culture.“Save the Tree” is set amongst the forests of the

Joe Goldberg, is that you? Fans have been binging season 3 of Netflix’s You since its debut earlier this month — and one fan pointed out a potential filming flaw that has viewers shook.

EXCLUSIVE: Cohen Media Group and Curzon have jointly acquired all U.S., U.K. and Irish distribution rights to Mark Cousins’ Cannes Film Festival documentary The Storms Of Jeremy Thomas about the Oscar-winning producer of The Last Emperor.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefRising Chinese-Singapore entertainment group GHY Culture & Media has revealed that its proposed takeover of producer and distributor Clover Films is not going ahead.GHY announced plans in mid-June to acquire a 51% stake in the 12-year-old indie film company without revealing financial details.In a stock exchange filing, GHY said that its MOU with Clover and its period of exclusive negotiations had expired.

Beach bod season may be over, but that didn’t stop Joseph Baena from flexing his absolutely ripped body. The 24-year-old bodybuilder showed off his muscles in a Saturday October 16 Instagram post. Joseph looked just like his father Arnold Schwarzenegger, 74, during his younger years, with a very similar chiseled physique. Given that it’s nearly the end of October, Joseph also invited fans to guess at his Halloween costume.

Ed Meza @edmezavarParis-based Carlotta Films, a leading player in the distribution of heritage cinema, is preparing a number of major releases next year, including a retrospective of Pier Paolo Pasolini and a showcase of works by Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorCologne-based The Match Factory, one of the world’s leading arthouse sales agencies, is at MIA Market in Rome with two German features and one upcoming Italian project, following a busy summer with 20 premieres between Cannes and Toronto. Nana Neul, best known for her film “My Friend From Faro,” is back with an entertaining German-Italian-Greek feature “Daughters,” starring Birgit Minichmayr, Alexandra Maria Lara and Josef Bierbichler.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSamuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to “True Things,” Harry Wootliff‘s critically acclaimed sophomore film headlined by “The Affair” star Ruth Wilson and Tom Burke. The psychological drama world premiered at this year’s Venice and went on to play at Toronto and London film festivals.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Interview With the Vampire” series at AMC has cast Kalyne Coleman in a recurring role, Variety has learned exclusively.Coleman joins series leads Jacob Anderson, who will play Louis, and Sam Reid, who will play Lestat, in the adaptation of the Anne Rice novel of the same name. Coleman will appear in the role of Grace, Louis’ sister.

Christopher Vourlias Grindstone Entertainment Group, which has a distribution partnership with Lionsgate, has acquired North American rights to the Russian animated adventure “My Sweet Monster,” which is scheduled to be released theatrically in Russia by Sony Pictures on Dec.

Ann-Marie Corvin London-based doc specialist Taskovski Films has acquired the world sales rights to Irish director Pat Collins’ feature doc “The Dance,” which is running in the Documentary Competition at this week’s London Film Festival.Produced through Irish prod cos Harvest Films and South Wind Blows with support from Screen Ireland and RTE, the observation documentary claims to give an insight into the creative mind of choreographer Michael Keegan Dolan as he stages a new international dance

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAfter breaking ground in France, Franck Gastambide’s hit Canal Plus show “All the Way Up” (“Validé”), a comedy drama series unfolding on France’s vibrant rap scene, is set to roll out around the world.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSingapore-based distributor and producer Clover Films has partnered with Taiwan’s Machi Xcelsior Studios for the worldwide theatrical rights (except Taiwan and South Korea) to Giddens Ko’s “Till We Meet Again.”The film is a fantasy romance starring Kai Ko (“You Are The Apple Of My Eye”), Gingle Wang (“Detention”) and Vivian Sung (“Our Times”) that recently garnered eleven nominations at the Golden Horse Film Awards.The producers will retain the rights in Taiwan.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorA fight for answers as to why their children were battling rare cancers forms the crux of “In the Dark of the Valley,” the newest acquisition by MSNBC Films, a nascent unit that hopes to build the cable-news network’s pipeline of longform projects.The documentary tells the story of a mother in southern California who finds that an abandoned rocket-testing facility, called the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, near her home was the site of one of the largest nuclear

Every so often, a film truly becomes banned, typically due to content that is so violent and/or sexual that censors are scared to allow the film to be shown to the public. Back in the late-‘70s, Iran banned the film “Chess of the Wind” not because it is so racy that it was a danger to the public, but instead because the film dared to show people morally unscrupulous people during a time when the theocratic country was scared of showing such three-dimensional people.

Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will launch in March 2022 as an Epic Games Store exclusive.During the Tokyo Game Show 2021 last week (October 1) a brand new trailer debuted for the upcoming Final Fantasy title along with an official release date of March 18, 2022.

Annika Pham Paris-based APC (About Premium Content) has acquired world sales rights on the six-part Finnish thriller “A Good Family,” currently filming in Estonia before moving back to Finland.The high-end drama about love, marriage and parenthood is based on Finnish author and screenwriter Petri Karra’s 2019 novel “The Dark Light” (“Musta Valo”).

We love the bond between Arnold Schwarzenegger, 74, and son Joseph Baena! The Terminator actor took to Instagram to celebrate Joseph’s 24th birthday on Sunday, Oct. 3, sharing photos from a celebratory brunch as well as a beautifully written tribute for his lookalike son. “Happy birthday @projoe2! I am so proud of you and I love you!” Arnold began his post. “You are crushing it in the gym, in your real estate career, and in acting. I know this will be another fantastic year,” he added.