France Televisions Buys Award-Winning Series ‘Jasmine & Jambo’ from Dandelooo

Waterworks! Ozark’s Jessica Frances Dukes had quite the emotional reaction to reading the show’s final script — and she wants people to prepare themselves.

Sphere, the Montreal-based production and distribution outfit, has acquired fellow Canadian company MK2 Mile End.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAlain Goldman, the well-respected French producer of “La Vie en rose” who’s just joined forces with Banijay, has teamed up with Amazon Prime Video on “Alphonse,” a humor-laced series by Nicolas Bedos (“La Belle Epoque”)The high-concept Prime original series is based on an original idea by Jean Dujardin, the Oscar-winning actor of “The Artist,” and Bedos. It marks the TV debut of Bedos, the Cesar-winning filmmaker of “Monsieur & Madame Adelman” and “La Belle Epoque,” which played out of competition at Cannes in 2019 and sold worldwideDujardin will star alongside Pierre Arditi (“La Belle Epoque”), Charlotte Gainsbourg (“Antichrist,” “Samba”) and Nicole Garcia (“Lupin”).

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAudrey Diwan’s Venice’s Golden Lion prize-winning “Happening,” has won France’s Alice Guy Award for the best female-directed French film of the year.The Alice Guy Prize, which was named in honor of the first female helmer, was created by veteran film journalist Veronique Le Bris in 2018 to highlight the work of women directors. The other four movies which were vying for the prize were Aissa Maiga’s lushly-lensed documentary feature “Marcher sur l’eau” and Catherine Corsini’s timely social drama “La fracture” which world premiered at last year’s Cannes in the official selection; as well as Aurélie Saada’s uplifting dramedy “Rose” and Charlène Favier’s “Slalom,” a coming-of-age film set in the world of competitive skiing.

Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot won a competition promoting the art of virtual photography.The winning entry was submitted by Joe Meizies and featured a silhouetted figure on horseback. All entries were displayed around Trafalgar Square as part of the London Games Festival, which ends on April 10.“The challenge celebrates the new artistic medium of virtual photography where creators can bring video game design and virtual worlds to life.

EXCLUSIVE: French major Superprod Group’s distribution arm Superights is to shop Emmy Award-winning pre-school series Go! Go! Cory Carson worldwide.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentGaumont, the powerhouse behind “Narcos,” “Lupin” and “Barbarians,” has boarded “Le Prince,” a period mystery thriller series written by Charles den Tex and Paul de Vrijer (“Hunter Street”). Currently in development, “Le Prince” will be produced by Gaumont, as well as Stories, a label launched by France TV Distribution, and Dutch producers Paradise Media.

Ashley Tisdale is being refreshingly real about getting her home ready for an Architectural Digest feature!

Ben Croll Up until a few short years ago, French scripted dramas offered terrestrial viewers and international buyers the same steady promise: Be they criminal investigators or 17th-century dukes, rarely would a series’ cast skew too young.“Traditional French broadcasters served a somewhat old­er set of viewers,” says Series Mania artistic director Frederic Lavigne. “And they oriented their programming toward that public.

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.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentGaining ground on the field of live sports, Netflix is teaming up with with A.S.O. to create a documentary series on the Tour de France 2022, with the participation of France Télévisions.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorFanny Herrero, “Call My Agent!” creator and showrunner, will be president of the jury at television series festival Canneseries, which runs April 1-6.

Oscars handed out the night's big honor at the close of Sunday's star-studded ceremony, when the show gave the Academy Award for Best Picture to !It was the film's third win of the night after Tory Kotsur won for Best Supporting Actor. The film also hauled in a gold statuette for Best Adapted Screenplay. The sweet coming-of-age family drama — starring Kotsur, Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant — beat out and .'s win is historic, marking the first film to star a predominantly deaf cast to ever earn the Oscar's top honor.

Sian Heder brought the Oscar audience to its feet winning her first Academy Award for adapting CODA (Child Of Deaf Adult), from the 2014 French film  La famille Bélie written by Victoria Bedos. This is the first Oscar and nomination for Heder.  

Marta Balaga Netflix and Arte’s musical show “Le Monde de Demain” (“The World of Tomorrow”) took the top prize in the International Competition of television festival Series Mania at the event’s awards ceremony Friday.The series, created by Katell Quillévéré, Hélier Cisterne – both also directing – Vincent Poymiro and David Elkaïm, takes a look at the birth of the French hip-hop movement in the 1980s. Made with the collaboration of Laurent Rigoulet and the participation of Kool Shen, JoeyStarr and DJ Détonateur S, it was described by the organizers as “a personal chronicle about a Parisian suburban youth reaching adulthood, claiming its own space in a new France, a country to reinvent.” In the acting categories, Michelle De Swarte was noticed for her role in the U.K.’s “The Baby,” produced by Sky, HBO and OCS, while Israeli actor Yehuda Levi impressed the jurors with his performance in “Fire Dance,” a Yes TV, Firma Productions and Kuma Studios production about an 18-year-old girl falling for a much-older married son of their ultra-Orthodox community’s leader.“He had to be charismatic in a manly way,” helmer Rama Burshtein-Shai told Variety ahead of the series’ premiere.“Levi, a very big star here in Israel, is so talented.