Karlovy Vary Film Festival 54½ Canceled by Ongoing COVID-19 Lockdowns – Global Bulletin

After being dealt some major personal and professional blows in 2020, things seem to be ending on a brighter note for Johnny Depp. The actor just accepted an award from the Polish EnergaCamerimage Film Festival, and decided to show off holding his trophy in an usual setting.

Anna Marie de la Fuente In a nod to the exponentially growing interest in premium TV content and the swelling number of content-ravenous platforms, the Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG)’s industry section has launched a competitive television section dubbed Episode 0: Series in Development.Its participants will be given the opportunity to network and vie for prizes that consist of post-production services worth a combined total of some $35,000 (700,000 pesos) from Cinecolor Mexico and Shalala

Anna Marie de la Fuente Like many of its counterparts worldwide, the Guadalajara Int’l Film Festival (FICG), Mexico’s largest film festival, faced the quandary of whether to go online, reschedule or cancel altogether because of the pandemic.It opted for a rescheduled hybrid 35th edition which would serve those either unable or afraid to travel and those without an internet connection in Mexico.“We struck a deal with Canal 44 to have them air some of our films,” said festival director Estrella

Will Tizard ContributorIndie ethos, costume drama and rich fantasy won the day at Poland’s top cinematography fest this year, with Joshua James Richards’ naturalistic filming in Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” taking the Golden Frog plus FIPRESCI jury honors.

Christmas classic “Feliz Navidad” by releasing a new version featuring Jason Mraz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shaggy and more.Pop balladeer Michael Bolton, Latin boy band CNCO, country duo Big & Rich, and Mexican singer and actress Patricia Manterola are among the 30 acts who teamed up remotely for the reimagined track, which is being released Friday by Amazon Music.

Naman Ramachandran ITV orders detective series; WarnerMedia, Blue Ant Media and Rogo Productions strengthen teams; Comedy Central orders Rhod Gilbert show; “Frankenstein” adaptation in the works; and Netflix looks for African writers.U.K.

Dave McNary Film ReporterMexico has chosen Fernando Frías de la Parra’s drama “I’m No Longer Here” as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film to the 93rd Academy Awards.“I’m No Longer Here” premiered in the 2019 edition of the Morelia Film Festival, where it was awarded the Feature Film Competition Award and the Audience Award. Netflix acquired worldwide rights in 2018 and released it in May.

Mexico to find her teenage son who went missing while trying to reach the United States, won the top prize at Greece’s Thessaloniki Film Festival on Monday.Organizers said the feature film by Mexican debut director Fernanda Valadez had been awarded the Golden Alexander prize.“In a cruel world of heartbreaks, tragedy, and survival, a story of an unexpected bond is born,” the organizers said in a statement.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterThe 10th edition of U.S. In Progress Wroclaw, the industry wing of the American Film Festival in Poland which was held online this year, wrapped over the weekend and presented a variety of awards to the participating American film projects.The awards range from post-production services to travel bursaries and cash.

Christopher Vourlias “Identifying Features,” Fernanda Valadez’s searing abduction drama set along the U.S.-Mexico border, was awarded the Golden Alexander for best feature film at the 61st Thessaloniki Film Festival.The awards were announced Monday at the conclusion of the Greek fest’s digital edition, which ran Nov. 5-15.

The unknown story of a brilliant illustrator who survived the Spanish Civil War only to be interned in a French concentration camp, where he was beaten, tortured and starved to death for several years until he escaped and eventually made it over to Mexico, where he became the lover of Frida Kahlo, after which he moved to New York and frequented painters like Rothko and De Kooning, is definitely one worth telling.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterViaplay, the streaming service run by Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group), is launching in the U.S. next year.

Kaleem Aftab There are rising concerns over a number of coronavirus cases believed to have originated at last week’s El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt.“I’m seeing a growing number of people who attended the Gouna Film Festival are learning they got COVID-19,” warns a Facebook post circulating among those who attended the Oct. 23-31 event.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, Raindance announces its winners, Göteborg goes hybrid, Movistar Plus announces a new climate change docuseries, and Dopamine hires Maria Garcia-Castrillon to lead the company’s international business. Raindance Film Festival’s virtual awards ceremony unspooled on Thursday, live streamed from the Leicester Square Theater, where Giorgos Georgopoulos’ dark comedy “Not to Be Unpleasant But We Need to Have a Serious Talk” was declared Film of the Festival and

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentMedia Luna New Films has acquired worldwide rights to Rodrigo Fiallega’s gritty Mexican drama “Ricochet,” whose star Martijn Kuiper won best actor Sunday at the Morelia Film Festival. Media Luna will present the film to buyers at the American Film Market, which starts Monday.In “Ricochet,” quiet loner Martijn leads a hermit’s life on the outskirts of the city after his son was murdered at the local festival.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian film critic Giona A.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorRebel Wilson Stars In Sky’s ‘Straight Talking’Pitch Perfect actress Rebel Wilson has signed up for Sky’s wilderness interview format Straight Talking, hosted by SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton. Produced by ITV Studios-owned Potato, Ant Middleton & Rebel Wilson: Straight Talking airs next year and features the pair traveling across Mexico with only a 4×4, a backpack, and each other’s company.

The Tokyo International Film Festival kicked off its 33rd edition Saturday with an abbreviated red carpet and a series of photo ops featuring Japanese stars separated by plexiglass dividers. Representatives of the global film community, meanwhile, including Robert De Niro, Christopher Nolan and Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux, beamed into the event via a series of video messages wishing the festival well amid the challenges of COVID-19.