Les Arcs Film Festival Unveils Work in Progress Roster, Including ‘The Swedish Torpedo,’ ‘U Are The Universe’

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Slow,” Marija Kavtaradze’s delicate romance, won the Crystal Arrow at the 15th edition of Les Arcs Film Festival from a jury presided over by Oscar-nominated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation”). Kavtaradze’s sophomore outing, “Slow” world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it won best director.

Director Ruben Östlund announced in Cannes that he wanted one of the scenes in his upcoming airplane disaster movie The Entertainment System Is Down to prompt the biggest walkout in the history of cinema.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor South Korean director Hong Sang-soo was awarded the El Gouna Gold Star for best narrative film for his meditation on art and relationships, “In Our Day,” as the delayed edition of the El Gouna Film Festival held its closing ceremony on Thursday. The Italian animated film “A Greyhound of a Girl,” directed by Enzo D’Alò, and the Brazilian director Guto Parente’s “A Strange Path” picked up the Silver and Bronze Stars respectively.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor The 6th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has wrapped with a feeling of quiet triumph. The glitz and celebrities were largely absent, although Egyptian star Yousra and legendary French actor Christophe Lambert both appeared at In Conversation events. But in a way, this allowed festival organizers to better focus on the core values which they wish to take forward.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent SF Studios, Scandinavia’s oldest film studio, is set to start introducing concert films to theaters, kicking off with “Hov1 Forever” which follows the popular Swedish band Hov1 across their sold-out summer tour. Hov1, whose tour spanned 27 cities in Sweden and Norway, was Sweden’s most streamed artist in 2023. Portraying Hov1 members Ludwig Kronstrand, Noel Flike, Dante Lindhe, and Axel Liljefors, the movie will show the band performing their biggest hits on stage and engaging with fans, as well as behind-the-scenes glimpse into their off-stage lives, discussions and music production.

The Les Arcs Film Festival has handed out a raft of prizes to feature projects and works-in-progress participating in its 15th Industry Village, running from December 16 to 19.

Kevin Bacon. The plot follows a family on vacation to a rental house in Long Island, who get interrupted by strangers showing up, amid a mysterious blackout and technology glitches. Both families work together to decide how to survive as technology such as phones and television break down, and airplanes start crashing.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Next Step, a program organized by Cannes Critics’ Week whose recent alumni include Molly Manning Walker (“How to Have Sex”), has unveiled the participants of its milestone 10th edition. Spearheaded by Thomas Rosso, a producer turned artistic director, the workshop selects emerging directors who have had their short films play at Cannes’ parallel section, Critics’ Week, and helps to develop their feature debuts.

In one of the earliest announcements in recent memory, the Cannes Film Festival announced early Thursday morning Paris time the president of the jury for 2024. And, in something of a surprise, this year’s president is Greta Gerwig, a soon-to-be multiple Oscar nominee for the 2023 blockbuster “Barbie.” Gerwig is the first woman to lead the jury since Cate Blanchett in 2018 and the second American this decade after Spike Lee presided over the first post-pandemic jury in 2021.

Nick Holdsworth At the closing ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival Thursday, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in front of an audience that included Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Jason Statham and Adrien Brody, the Golden Yusr for best film and a $100,000 cash prize went to Pakistani-Canadian horror film “In Flames,” directed by Zarrar Kahn. The director said that the indie movie was shot for “just $300,000 — the size of a Red Sea Fund production grant.” He urged “everyone who gets a grant to go make a movie, because this was made for nothing.” The Silver Yusr prize for best feature film went to Tarsem Singh for “Dear Jassi.” The film, an India/Canada/U.S.

The Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the 13 upcoming features selected for its upcoming Work-in Progress showcase.

The Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary in January and it’s no surprise that some legendary Park City filmmakers are returning with new films for the 2024 edition. Among the alumni are Steven Soderbergh, whose landmark film “Sex, Lies and Videotape” debuted at the 1989 fest; Debra Granik, whose Best Picture nominated “Winter’s Bone” won the Grand Jury Dramatic prize at the 2010 festival; and Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who will premiere their fourth movie at Sundance following 2006’s “Half Nelson,” 2008’s “Sugar” and 2015’s “Mississippi Grind.” READ MORE: “American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” Top 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards Soderbergh’s latest effort is “Presence,” starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and Julia Fox.

MBC Studios is developing a series adaptation of popular Saudi writer Osamah Almuslim’s best-selling debut horror novel Khawf (Fear).

EXCLUSIVE: Fox has handed a script commitment to animated workplace comedy Taskmasters, from Brian Keith Etheridge (The Neighborhood), Brendon Walsh (Crank Yankers), cartoonist Johnny Ryan, Fox Entertainment Studios and Fox’s Bento Box Entertainment.

Jaden Thompson The 30th Slamdance Film Festival has announced its complete 2024 lineup, including 32 features, 75 shorts and five episodic titles. Slamdance will take place in-person at Yarrow Hotel in Park City and in Salt Lake City, Utah from Jan. 19-25, and online screenings will be offered on the Slamdance Channel from Jan.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor Freida Pinto took a break from her jury duties at the Red Sea Film Festival to talk to Variety about her career and her hopes for the future. The Indian actor shot to world fame for her starring role in Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) and remains committed to the breadth of cinema. “I’ve always looked at cinema globally,” she tells Variety.

Bianca Censori and Kanye West continue to make headlines about their marriage. The celebrity couple recently went through a difficult moment, being apart from each other for over a month and reuniting in Dubai to discuss some important decisions, including their relocation from the United States.BIANCA CENSORI STEALS THE SHOW IN DUBAI WITH EYE-CATCHING FASHION ACCESSORYKANYE WEST AND BIANCA CENSORI BACK TOGETHER AFTER APPARENT ULTIMATUMThe pair had been spotted spending most of their time in Italy during recent months, going on different outings and meetings.

Morrissey has announced that he will be playing a pair of shows in the US in 2024 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his album ‘You Are the Quarry’. The first concert will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on January 26, followed by a show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on January 27. Tickets will be available from 10am local time on Friday December 8 here.

Former Mister Smith sales executive Antone Saliba has launched management and production company Untamed Talent, with the backing of Dubai-based Front Row Productions.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival launched its third edition on Thursday with a characteristically starry red carpet featuring the likes of Michelle Williams, Johnny Depp, Sharon Stone and Will Smith.