Dogwoof, Elk Film, Danish Growth Fund Team for Documentary Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

Addie Morfoot ContributorStory Syndicate, the production house founded by Oscar and Emmy-winning documentary powerhouse couple Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus, is bulking up its development and production team with a new hire, a promotion and a first-look deal with producer and investigative journalist Amy Herdy.The New York-based production company, which launched in 2019, was behind several popular docs and docuseries in 2021, including Garbus’ “Becoming Cousteau” (National Geographic), Orlando von Einsiedel’s “Convergence: Courage in a Crisis” (Netflix) and John Hoffman and Janet Tobias’ “Fauci” (Nat Geo).Jon Bardin, most recently Story Syndicate’s head of creative, has been named head of documentary and nonfiction. Bardin, who has been at the production company since its inception, has served as a producer or executive producer on Story Syndicate documentaries including Jesse Moss’ “Mayor Pete,” Erin Lee Carr’s “Britney Vs.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentWith just a week to go before Cannes’ Official Selection is unveiled, festival director Thierry Fremaux took a break from binge-watching movies to tell Variety about the preparations for this year’s milestone edition.Although the festival has already confirmed the world premieres of “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Elvis,” a surprisingly small number of titles have leaked so far, and the name of the jury president, as well as the opening night movie, have yet to be revealed. Besides addressing the potential presence of Russian filmmakers and COVID protocols, Fremaux said this year’s lineup will see a stronger showcase of female directors and movies from less-represented countries.Fremaux also revealed special plans for the celebration of Cannes’ 75th anniversary on May 24 and how partnerships with TikTok and Brut will impact the festival going forward.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSF Studios is set to co-produce and distribute “The Riot,” a Norwegian historical action film chronicling a miners’ uprising at the start of the 20th century.Produced by Storyline NOR, the epic film is directed by Nils Gaup (“The Kautokeino Rebellion”), and stars Swedish actors Otto Fahlgren (“Beartown”) and Simon J. Berger (“Margrete – Queen of the North”).Inspired by a true story, “The Riot” follows workers in copper mines located in the Arctic mountains, in a place nicknamed Lapland’s Hell, who rebelled against the powerful industrial company and its ruthless leader.

Emiliano De Pablos Beta Film’s high-concept spy thriller cycle “Agent Hamilton – New Missions” has scored a series of territory deals, including the U.S. and Northern Europe.The stand-alone reboot of the “Agent Hamilton” series has been sold to MHz for the U.S., TV2 in Norway, DR for Denmark, NPO for Netherlands and Syn for Island.Based on the iconic novels and characters by best-selling author Jan Guillou, as was its predecessor “Agent Hamilton,” “New Missions” is produced by Dramacorp Pampas Studios in co-production with TV4/C-More, Beta Film and ZDF.In further deals on its 2022 MipTV slate, the Munich-based international distributor has sold to France Télévision and Israel’s Hot Network the Norwegian YA series “Rod Knock,” a Fenomen and Storyline Studios production for NRK, which is back for Season 3, and was honored with seven Gullruten awards in 2021.

Manori Ravindran International EditorA Vice Studios documentary series on the 2014 disappearance of Malaysian flight MH370 has been sold to History Channel in the U.S. and a raft of broadcasters in Europe.Vice Distribution, the global distribution and licensing arm of Vice Media Group, pre-sold the three-part series, entitled “MH370: The Lost Flight,” into A+E Networks’ History, TV2 in Denmark and Viaplay across its European territories (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Poland and the pan-Baltics).

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentA Canneseries main competition contender, “The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen” begins with a voiceover from Connie Nielsen (“Gladiator,” “Wonder Woman”) reading, in beautifully cadenced Danish, a letter ‘Out of Africa’ author Karen Blixen writes to her mother in 1931.In it, she expresses the joy Africa has given her, that the family farm she ran has gone bankrupt, and she will soon take her life.Exquisite shots of Africa play out, meanwhile, on the screen.It this mix of lush period detail and big production value and a harder economic edge and sustained portrait of a woman’s sentiments and soul –  through read letters, dialog confession and Nielsen’s central commanding central performance – that sets “The Dreamer” apart. Developed from a concept by Nielsen, “The Dreamer” begins when Blixen near ends, economically and emotionally bankrupt after her farm fails and her soulmate, as she calls English aristocrat Denys Finch Hatton, dies in an air crash at Kenya’s Voi Airport.Her suicide fails.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorFeature documentary “The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft,” directed by German filmmaker Werner Herzog and distributed by Abacus Media Rights, has been acquired by Arte for France and Germany.In addition, ahead of its official launch at MipTV in Cannes, AMR has pre-sold the feature, about French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, to BBC Storyville for the U.K., DR in Denmark, SVT in Sweden and NRK in Norway.Written, directed and narrated by Herzog, “The Fire Within” pays homage to the Kraffts, who left an archive of more than 200 hours of footage.Herzog has produced, written and directed more than 60 narrative and documentary feature films, including “Grizzly Man,” “Invincible,” “Encounters at the End of the World” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams.” He was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2009. The film is produced by Brian Leith Productions, Bonne Pioche and Titan Films.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentMediawan Rights, the commercial arm of the European media powerhouse, is set to expand its scope with the launch of a sales division dedicated to light entertainment programming. Estelle Bodén, an industry veteran, has been appointed head of distribution of this newly-created unit.Bodén will report to Valérie Vleeschhouwer, managing director of Mediawan Rights, and will be in charge of developing and structuring this new initiative.Boasting 25 years of experience, the executive previously worked at Strix Television, the outfit behind hit reality TV formats such as “The Farm” and “The Bar.” In 2004, Bodén co-founded Friday TV whose portfolio included factual formats around the world, notably “Clash of the Choirs,” “Single Moms” and “Minute to Win It” which aired on NBC in the U.S.

Holly Jones In anticipation of screening at Cannes’ MipTV market, Beta Film, which handles distribution, has provided Variety exclusive access to the international trailer for Greek abduction thriller “Silent Road.”Written by Melina Tsampani and Petros Kalkovalis and directed by Vardis Marinakis, the series dissects the entangled lives of an affluent family in Athens after a school bus carrying their children is held hostage, the kids and bus drivers inside being abducted and held for ransom. A slight nod to the eerie legend, turning on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the town must come to grips with the event while police dig into the crime, desperate to resolve the atrocity.“While shaping the idea for ‘Silent Road,’ we wanted to use a fairytale in the narration, as a bridge that connects the world of adults to that of the children.

Lise Pedersen “The Eclipse” by Nataša Urban has picked up the top Dox:Award at Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival.It was awarded at a ceremony in the Danish capital, which opened with a homage to Ukraine – where fest organizers announced they would be screening Daniel Roher’s “Navalny” in theaters across the nation immediately after the festival to show “that there is another Russia.”“The Eclipse” was competing with 11 others for the top award – half of them had their world premiere at the fest, part of no fewer than 76 world premieres during the event.Focusing on the events of Aug.

Christopher Vourlias CAA Media Finance is representing worldwide distribution rights to a new documentary feature from the producers of “The Lost Leonardo,” Variety can reveal.The untitled project follows a Swiss art dealer and Russian oligarch caught in a web of secrets, lies and mad money, telling the inside story of an international, billion-dollar game where power is the ultimate currency. The film is produced by Elk Film (Denmark) and Pumpernickel Films (France) and directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, whose previous credits include “The Lost Leonardo” and “The War Show.”The pulled-from-the-headlines documentary follows the scandal that erupted in 2015 with the arrest of the Swiss businessman and free port magnate Yves Bouvier, “a very discreet guy who was suddenly arrested in Monaco, accused of swindling a billion dollars from the Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev…[through] the purchase of 38 masterworks,” according to Dalsgaard.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentTrustNordisk, which is at the Canneseries Festival (Apr. 1-6) with “The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen,” has scored a raft of deals on Christian Tafdrup’s psychological horror film “Speak No Evil.”The Sundance film follows a Danish family who befriends a Dutch family while vacationing in Tuscany.

Netflix is partnering with sporting events organizer A.S.O. on a documentary series about the 2022 Tour de France cycling race. With the participation of France Télévisions and produced by Quadbox, the series will follow the journey of eight teams taking part in the most world’s most challenging bike race.

Emily Longeretta The 2022 holiday season is underway at GAC Family. Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing will star in “Catering Christmas” (working title), set to being production on April 3. The movie is the first announced movie in GAC Family’s annual Great American Christmas slate.“Catering Christmas” follows Molly Frost (Patterson) as she struggles to launch her new catering business and unexpectedly lands New Hampshire’s biggest event of the year.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAquarius Films has optioned the film development and production rights to Abdul Karim Hekmat’s acclaimed article “True Love in Nauru,” and aims to produce it as feature film “Paradise.”“Paradise” is the powerful true story of two men who meet and fall in love in an Australian offshore detention center. Their relationship becomes a life-affirming source of strength as they take on institutional indifference and overcome hopelessness, finally making their way to freedom.Hekmat’s original article was published in The Monthly, an Australain political and society magazine.

Japan has won the award, and the first time since 2008.It beat out Italy’s “The Hand of God,” Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World,” Denmark’s “Flee” and Bhutan’s “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.”———For more of AP’s Oscar coverage visit: https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards

Filmmaker Michael Bay has been criticized by some for his bombastic films and their reliance on special effects over plot. His latest film, Ambulance, is also being downgraded by one critic for its use of CGI. The critic? Michael Bay.