City Buenos Aires Showbiz Latest News and Updates

ROME -- Pope Francis has long lamented that he can't walk around town unnoticed like he used to before becoming pope. But he seems to have nevertheless kept his sense of humor after he was caught on camera making an unannounced visit to a Rome record shop this week.Francis wrote a note to the Vatican reporter who happened to be in the right place at the right time Tuesday evening when the pope slipped out of the Vatican to bless the newly renovated Stereo Sound shop near the Pantheon.Javier Martinez-Brocal, director of the Rome Reports news agency, filmed Francis leaving the shop, in footage that went viral and even got written up in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.Martinez-Brocal wrote the pope a note afterward, explaining that he wasn’t a paparazzo and regretting Francis can't move around unnoticed anymore, but adding that the story provided a much-needed dose of good news for a world inundated with tragedy.“I won’t deny that it was (bad luck) that after taking all the precautions, there was a journalist waiting for someone on the taxi line,” Francis replied.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentAs new COVID protocols bedeviled travel to the U.K. and other parts of Europe, 3,000 lucky souls, including several hundred execs from Europe, were able to enjoy summer sun and post-lockdown reunions at Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentArgentine Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Armanda Bó has set as his next feature a film on the heroic opposition of the Buenos Aires Herald and its editor Robert Cox to Argentina’s heinous 1976-83 military dictatorship.To make the film, About Entertainment, Bó’s new Buenos Aires based production house, has acquired the rights to the script “Dirty War,” written by Michael Steinberger, a journalist for The New York Times Magazine.The screenplay

Jamie Lang Buenos Aires-based Meikincine, sales agents for Paula Hernández’s 2020 Argentine Oscar submission “The Sleepwalkers,” has closed an exclusive agreement with Barcelona’s Harpo Entertainment for distribution in Spain of the filmmaker’s follow-up feature “Las Siamesas,” recently nominated for the best Ibero-American film of the year at the upcoming Spanish Academy Goya Awards.The news comes hot off the heels of a high-profile deal struck by Meikincine, which just scooped the rights to

Meikincine has acquired the international rights to “Sublime,” the first feature film from Argentine director Mariano Biasin,A coming-of-age drama, the title screened at Buenos Aires’ Cinemark Puerto Madero cinema to sales agents, fest heads and buyers on Tuesday.

Emilio Mayorga Fernando Díaz’s Machaco Films and Roxana Ramos’ Aramos Cine have partnered to set up a joint venture: La Puerta Roja, focused on horror and fantasy movies as well as working with prominent genre directors from Ibero-America.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentParis-based MPM Premium is bringing onto the market “Eami,” the latest film from Paraguay’s Paz Encina whose debut “Hamaca Paraguay” won a Cannes Un Certain Regard Fipresci Prize.A timely ecological fable and tale of the pain of exile, “Eami” will be presented to select buyers in person at Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur this week as well as online by MPM Premium’s Quentin Worthington.He used 2020’s Ventana Sur market to unveil “The Pink Cloud,” from

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentThe Cannes Festival’s greatest industry achievement in the last decade, apart from maintaining the global preeminence of its Riviera-set meet, is Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur. Launched in 2009 by the Cannes Festival and Market, in partnership with Argentina’s INCAA film-TV agency, it became from its very get-go the biggest film industry event in Latin America.Running Nov.

Jamie Lang Up-and-coming Argentine production house Sewati Audiovisual has boarded “Portraits,” one of the most frightening titles pitching at this year’s Morbido Lab for genre projects within the framework of a rescheduled and in-person Sanfic Industria.Sewati joins original Buenos Aires-based producers Latitud Audiovisual, co-founded in 2017 by “Portraits” director Gabriel Musco and Ezequiel de San Pio and Walter Ponte, both producers on the film, with the intention of creating quality

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based Bikini Films, led by Edson Sidonie, has boarded “Ofelia,” the sophomore pic of Juan Pablo Felix whose acclaimed feature debut “Karnawal” won best direction at last year’s Guadalajara fest and best Ibero-American film at the Malaga Film Festival in June.France’s Luz Verde has also come on board as a producer.“Ofelia” has been selected to participate in Ibermedia’s Ibero-American Project Development Course currently taking place in Madrid.

Italian club Venezia have announced the signing of former Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero on a free transfer.

Anna Marie de la Fuente In a series of key pacts for Argentine political horror pic, “History of the Occult,” Netflix has snapped up streaming rights to the film for Spain and Latin America, which it plans to drop on Oct.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentChile’s Picardia Films, headed by director-producer Diego Rougier, has boarded “The White Room” (“La Habitación Blanca”), the next feature by Argentina’s Ana Piterbarg who caught international attention with Viggo Mortensen starrer “Everybody Has a Plan,” her 2012 feature debut distributed by Fox Intl.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentOrganized by the Cannes Festival and Market and Argentina’s INCAA film agency, this year’s Ventana Sur, the biggest film-TV event in Latin America, is rapidly gaining in critical mass.In one crucial development, INCAA president Luis Puenzo confirmed to Variety that Ventana Sur will coincide with the latest meetings of CAACI, the body of governmental audiovisual authorities in Ibero-America – Latin America, Spain and Portugal – and of its biggest

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based sales and production company FilmSharks International has scored a number of deals with South Korea, France and Italy in recent days.South Korean indie film distributor Bluelable Pictures picked up all rights to erotic thriller “Bandit Love” and plans a wide theatrical release.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based sales and production company FilmSharks International has snatched world sales rights to Patagonik title “Cato,” outside of Latin America, which Disney’s Star Distribution will handle. The Walt Disney Company owns a significant stake in the Patagonik Film Group.

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

EXCLUSIVE: FilmSharks, the Buenos Aires-based sales agency, is busy on the ground here in Cannes and has inked a series of significant deals on key titles from its slate.

Jamie Lang Brazilian audiovisual promotion group Projeto Paradiso and Argentina’s Cannes-backed market-festival Ventana Sur are launching a new $10,000 award to be handed out at the Buenos Aires event, earmarked for the best Brazilian fiction projects in post-production.The announcement was made by Projeto Paradiso’s Josephine Bourgois – executive director of the Olga Rabinovich Institute – and Ventana Sur co-executive director Bernardo Bergeret, who will launch an open call for Brazilian works

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - An Argentine prosecutor began hearing evidence on Monday involving seven people accused of contributing to the death of soccer player Diego Maradona. Maradona, the revered former Boca Juniors and Napoli star who had alcohol and drug addictions for many years, died last Nov.

MIFA market, Argentina’s National Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute (INCAA) has announced that it will launch three regional animation schools as it proclaims animation a strategic growth sector.Forming part of INCAA’s Enerc federal film school system, currently headquartered in Buenos Aires, the new animation training facilities will be based in Mar del Plata, already home to Latin America’s only “A” grade film festival, as well as Santa Fe’s Rosario and Patagonia’s Comodoro Rivadavia.

In a year full of tragedy, one of the most far-reaching losses was that of football icon Diego Maradona.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Worldwide and remake rights to Argentine political horror pic, “History of the Occult,” has been snapped up by leading Buenos Aires-based sales and production company, FilmSharks International.According to FilmSharks’ CEO Guido Rud, advanced talks are underway with a streaming giant while a major U.S.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A defense lawyer involved in the case around the death in Argentina last year of soccer star Maradona slammed what he called a "trial by media" on Monday after the leak of a report last week alleged "deficient and reckless" behavior by the footballer's medical team.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Int’l has picked up worldwide rights to sci-fi-horror film “Virtual Reality” by Argentine terror meister Hernan Findling who has directed and produced a slew of genre films.“We’d been chasing this title ever since we saw it at the 2020 Sitges Film Festival’s Coming Soon section, a preview of upcoming genre films, and were up against tough competition,” said FilmSharks CEO, Guido Rud.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Int’l has nabbed worldwide rights to Daniel Werner’s feature debut, erotic thriller “Bandit Love” (“Amor Bandido”), after it screened at Argentine indie film festival Bafici, where it garnered both audience and critical acclaim.“This slow burn thriller, disguised as an illicit romance, surprised everyone at its Bafici premiere and critics went mad. It’s a kind of high concept festival gem that is hard to find nowadays….

Emiliano Granada HBO Latin America’s latest production, “Entre Hombres” (“Amongst Men”), made with Argentina’s Pol-ka, also marks one of Latin America’s first series ever in the prestige Berlinale Series section.It was worth the wait. Based on Germán Maggiori’s same-titled novel and adapted for the screen between the author and series director Pablo Fendrik, the show boldly plunges spectators into the crime world of 1990s Buenos Aires.

Jamie Lang Buenos Aires-based sales agency Meikincine Entertainment has closed a deal with Amazon Prime Video for the U.S. and Latin American rights to this year’s Argentine Oscar submission “The Sleepwalkers,” which will debut on the platform March 31.“The Sleepwalkers” is the fourth feature from Argentine auteur Paula Hernández, who pulls double duty as the film’s screenwriter, and was produced by Tarea Fina in Argentina and Oriental Films in Uruguay.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Int’l has scooped up worldwide rights to Paraguayan filmmaker Simon Franco’s “Charlotte,” a dramedy starring the grande dame of Spanish cinema, Angela Molina.“Charlotte” is produced by Franco’s Paraguay-based Lemon Cine, along with Argentina’s Pelicano Cine and FAM Contenidos.In addition, Lemon Cine has acquired the remake rights to Chilean comedy “Sin Filtro” from FilmSharks subsidiary The Remake Company, to make a Paraguayan version.Shot

EXCLUSIVE: The Remake Co, FilmSharks’ specialty label handling remake rights, has closed a deal with Korea’s Covenant Pictures for rights to the Argentinian feature Crazy Heart.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Int’l has snapped up worldwide sales rights to “The Death of God,” the much-coveted documentary about Argentina’s iconic soccer star Diego Maradona.“After a fierce bidding war, we are thrilled to have closed this deal on such a powerful, untold story,” said FilmSharks’ Guido Rud. “It’s a remarkable addition to our Berlin lineup,” he noted, adding that he’ll be showing some footage from the doc during EFM.

Emiliano De Pablos Madrid-based sales company Feel Content has picked up international sales rights to black comedy “El cuento del tío” (“Pigeon Drop”), the feature debut of Argentine writer-director Ignacio Guggiari.An Argentina-Chile co-production, produced by Gastón Klingenfeld at Buenos Aires’ outfit Gancho, Agustín Gosende at Cooperativa Mental and Picardía Films’ Diego Rougier, “El cuento del tío” world premieres on March 5 at the 2021 Miami Film Festival edition.The feature, which also

straight to your inbox every day for freeMarcos Rojo has completed his transfer from Manchester United to join Boca Juniors.The centre-back has completed a medical with the Buenos Aires side, with the two clubs agreeing a free transfer, after Rojo had been made surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. MEN Sport understands United agreed to terminate Rojo's contract early, from its original June 2021 expiry, allowing the 30-year-old to join the Argentine giants on a three-year deal.

Berlinale Series, the television industry event that runs alongside Berlin's International Film Festival, has unveiled its 2021 lineup, highlighting some of the world's best new small-screen drama.

Ed Meza @edmezavarStienette Bosklopper of the Netherlands’ Circe Films and Meike Martens of Germany’s Blinker Filmproduktion have boarded “Do Fish Sleep With Their Eyes Open?,” the latest film from director Nele Wohlatz, whose 2016 documentary hybrid “The Future Perfect” won best feature in Locarno.The co-production partnerships add European support and financing muscle to an Argentine project produced by Buenos Aires’ Ruda Cine, which has already attracted a Brazilian partner, CinemaScópio.In

straight to your inbox every day for freeSergio Romero has said goodbye to Manchester United staff ahead of a possible transfer this month.The MEN understands the Argentinian goalkeeper bid farewell to staff members at United's Carrington training complex and Romero has not been in training since the turn of the year.It was reported in Argentina Romero, 33, is back in his homeland and training in Buenos Aires, with a move to Boca Juniors touted ahead of the summer's Copa America, which is to be