Film Industry Veterans Launch Ashland Hill Media Finance (EXCLUSIVE)

Plans are in the works to launch a new documentary film festival in Washington, D.C. in June 2023, with a launch event to take place later this month.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“January,” Viesturs Kairiss’s autobiographical film set in the former Soviet Union, has been acquired for world sales by The Yellow Affair. The movie will have its world premiere at Tribeca in the international narrative competition. The coming-of-age film sheds light on the political upheaval in the early 1990’s.

Harry Styles fans had the experience of a lifetime. During a segment on , the 28-year-old singer teamed up with host James Corden to film a music video for his song, «Daylight.»James was named director of the video, but hadn't locked down a location for the shoot, so he opted to crash four fans' apartment and film the video there.

Naman Ramachandran Indian activist filmmaker Pa. Ranjith has revealed an extensive production slate featuring top stars and socially relevant themes.Ranjith was at the Cannes Film Market, where he revealed “Vettuvam”, a linked film and TV series, a co-production between his and Aditi Anand’s Neelam Studios and Golden Ratio Films, the film production arm of Vistas Media Capital.First up for Ranjith is “Natchathiram Nagargirathu,” starring Dushara Vijayan (“Sarpatta Parambarai”), Kalaiyarasan Harikrishnan (“Kuthiraivaal”) and Kalidas (“Paava Kadhaigal”). The film is set against the backdrop of the Tamil-language theater scene and explores different facets of love that go beyond gender, and includes straight and LGBTQ+ romances, Ranjith says.

Angelique Jackson Screenwriter Matt Lopez has signed with CAA for representation just ahead of the premiere of his adaptation of “Father of the Bride” for HBO Max. The new movie, starring Andy Garcia as the titular father, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona, and Isabela Merced, will debut on June 16, timed to Father’s Day Weekend.Lopez also penned the script for another upcoming adaptation — this time, Walt Disney Studios’ “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” movie, which is set to be directed by Marvin Lemus, with 21 Laps and the Jim Henson Company producing.

Anne Hathaway is channeling one of her most iconic characters. On Thursday, the 39-year-old actress stepped out for a screening of her new flick, , at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and gave off serious Mia Thermopolis vibes.Hathaway stunned on the red carpet in a custom, white Giorgio Armani Privé gown that included a train and oversized bow.

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.

Anna Marie de la Fuente In response to shifting dynamics at film festivals, many of which have been impacted by the pandemic, a new curated Spanish film platform, Panoramic.film is entering the market.Spearheaded by curator Xavier Puerto, director of the Festival REC de Tarragona and a Spanish-language film programmer for the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, Panoramica’s offer is two-fold: “We offer festivals the possibility of completing their line-up with especially curated programs and, through our selective catalogue, offer filmmakers the chance to see their films extend their rounds on the international festival circuit,” said Puerto.The idea for the platform came about after conversations with various festival heads and cultural institutions as they grappled with the changes brought about by the pandemic, with many forced to hold online or hybrid editions. “On the other hand, it is a common conversation among filmmakers that most films, for a variety of reasons, have a very ‘short’ life on the festival scene, regardless of their quality,” Puerto noted.With a number of festivals coming to realize that a hybrid version has enabled them to reach audiences beyond their borders, many have embraced it for the long term.“We want to help festivals with the sometimes rather complex process of presenting a hybrid version and help its audiences discover hidden gems,” said Puerto.In practice, Panoramica is integrated into the programming of the festival itself, as well as on its website with a series of conditions such as viewings with geo-blocking, specific dates or viewing limitations.

Carson Burton Cannes is bringing the metaverse to the film industry.The first-ever NFTCannes Summit will take place at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. This annual event is designed to connect leading minds from the media and entertainment industry to innovators, creators and investors in web3.Officially kicking off on May 23 at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the summit is run by a coalition of groups, including production studio Electromagnetic Productions (EMP), global cryptocurrency financial management company Galaxy Interactive, NFT app OP3N, leading blockchain platform Avalanche and private investing platform Republic.

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”).

EXCLUSIVE: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Hans Canosa’s film, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, from international sales agent Mister Smith Entertainment. Currently in post-production, the film is slated for release in theaters this fall.

shutter its Pico Boulevard location at the end of May.In a statement to media Wednesday, Landmark Theaters president Kevin Holloway said that the location has tried to extend its tenancy to no avail.“We send our deepest appreciation to the Pico staff, guests, and the filmmaking community for their support over the years. We’re exploring opportunities to expand our Los Angeles footprint, which we hope to be able to share more on soon,” he added.Many decried The Landmark Pico’s closing as yet another sign of small movie theaters losing out to corporate purchasing power on part of national chains like AMC.

Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) is attached to star in the upcoming film Pain Hustlers, from director David Yates (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore). Pic will be introduced to buyers at the Cannes Film Market by The Veterans and CAA Media Finance, going into production in late August.

EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan Glickman’s production banner Panoramic Media has tapped Rob Lamonaca as Senior Vice President of Production, a role in which he will be responsible for sourcing, developing and overseeing film and television projects for Panoramic.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentPublicists Jack Ketsoyan and Pia Malihi have partnered to launch the new agency Full Scope Public Relations, Variety has learned exclusively.Full Scope Public Relations will be based in West Hollywood, Calif., where it opens its business this month.Ketsoyan, a PR vet and author, started his career with PMK, before co-founding the publicity firm EMCBowery, which recently closed its doors after 14 years. Malihi started her career at EMCBowery, under at Ketsoyan, before joining Jonesworks where she worked with talent, corporate and executive clients.“We are thrilled to be embarking on this new chapter with Full Scope Public Relations,” Ketsoyan and Malihi said in a joint statement.