Locarno First Look: ‘De Noche Los Gatos Son Pardos,’ ‘Semret,’ ‘Reduit’ Win Prizes

James Bond is putting on his best tux for a special premiere.

“Thank God for each and everyone of you,” MGM Motion Picture Group Chairman Michael De Luca told theater owners and managers in the crowd at CinemaCon this morning, “There is no industry without all of you. There is no Hollywood without all of you.” The kickoff to the MGM reel repped the studio’s return to CinemaCon after a 20-year absence.

Fans of beloved soap “Days of Our Lives” are in for a treat with the impending arrival of a new spin-off, “Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem”, a five-episode limited series for the Peacock streaming service.

We’re getting a look at some of the first episodic photos from Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, Peacock’s five-episode limited series spawned by the long-running NBC daytime drama. Check them out below.

Some indie stalwarts have been around for so long; you’re kind of surprised when you realize they haven’t worked with another indie veteran. Such is kind of the case with actor Ethan Hawke and indie filmmaker Abel Ferrara.

Netflix said Thursday that its limited series Colin In Black & White, created by Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick, will premiere on October 29, 2021.

Emiliano Granada Directed by Elene Naveriani and written alongside brother Sandro Naveriani, “Wet Sand” world premieres today in the Cineasti del Presente competition at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival.Very much in line with the section’s mission statement, the Swiss-Georgian co-production is a vibrant example of emerging talent that has quickly grown into versatile auteurs with a striking control of their craft.“Wet Sand” is Naveriani’s second feature and, beyond its craft and structure,

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentBuenos Aires-based Compañía de Cine has swooped on sales rights to “Mostro,” a trenchant take on one consequence of violence in Mexico: Its thousands of women who suddenly join the ranks of Mexico’s “disappeared.”The boutique sales company is introducing the feature to buyers at this week’s Locarno Film Festival where it world premiered Wednesday in the Swiss Fest’s Cineasti del Presente section.The first feature of Mexico’s José Pablo Escamilla,

Will Thorne Staff WriterIt’s been a challenging year-and-a-half for co-productions between Switzerland the U.K., but there appears to be cause for optimism.Directors of media funds from both countries, as well as a pair of producers, gathered at a Locarno Film Festival panel to discuss co-financing and co-production opportunities between the two countries, and to try and entice the room to share in that positive outlook.Neil Peplow, BFI director of industry and international affairs, was at the

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentFast emerging as a go-to company for high-profile Chilean and women director titles, Buenos Aires boutique agency Meikincine has swooped on “My Brothers Dream Awake,” ahead of its world premiere at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival on Saturday.Competing in Cineasti del Presente, a section reserved for emerging filmmakers from around the world, “My Brothers Dream Awake” marks the second feature outing for young Chilean Mapuche cineaste Claudia

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentNew Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, who is the former head of the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, is starting to put his stamp on the Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema with a lineup comprising comedies and genre films alongside more straightforward auteur cinema, driven by a desire to make the selection “more audience friendly,” as he puts it.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentHigh-flying Spanish outfit Filmika Galaika has boarded Gabriel Azorín’s poetic, time-blending “Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes”(“Anoche conquisté Tebas”), a buzz title at the Locarno Festival Match Me forum.A networking platform for up-and-coming producers, and a few who have pretty much arrived, Match Me runs on-site at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival over Aug.

Will Thorne Staff WriterAt this year’s edition of Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development, both the future of the selected nine projects, and the co-production market as a whole, will be on the table.The Locarno Film Festival program, which facilitates international co-production for projects from France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, skipped a year due to COVID-19, but is back stronger than ever.“We received more than 70 submissions from the four countries,” says program manager Francesca

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentIceland’s Pegasus Pictures and sales agent Alief have just dropped a first trailer for “Cop Secret,” a full-on pulse pounding cop actioner that world premieres in main competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.Alief President Brett Walker will introduce the propulsive, high testosterone movie to buyers at Locarno Pro, the Swiss festival’s robust industry program which kicks off Friday.The movie tips its hat to ‘80s and ‘90s buddy cop action

Will Thorne Staff WriterThe latest edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors section, which highlights new projects and fresh voices from Asia, feels like a culmination in more ways than one.After an entirely remote affair last time around, Open Doors is adopting a hybrid in-person and online approach this time around, welcoming more than half of the filmmakers and producers to the Swiss fest.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Locarno Film Festival’s StepIn think tank on the state of the film industry is taking a humanistic tack this year by choosing to zero in on issues crucial to a healthy workplace such as gender equality, diversity representation, inclusion and economic fairness.The Swiss fest’s initiative that sees mostly European execs from different industry sectors convene in the lakeside town to share experiences and thoughts on the independent film community’s

See How They Run has been revealed.The film is the feature debut from This Country‘s Tom George.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentAlief, the London-based sales agent and production outfit, has swooped on bad ass action comedy “Cop Secret” in the build up to the movie’s world premiere at August’s Locarno Film Festival.Brett Walker, Alief president, will introduce the propulsive, high testosterone movie to buyers at Locarno Pro, the Swiss festival’s robust industry program, where it is sure to get tongues wagging.While big fests are embracing genre, few selections to date offer

EXCLUSIVE: Sister, the independent studio founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, Stacey Snider and Jane Featherstone, has struck a first-look deal with Chris Goldberg and his Winterlight Pictures to develop and produce television and feature content. Under the pact, Goldberg will be based out of Sister Los Angeles.