Mamoru Hosoda’s ‘Belle’ Sells to Major Western Territories, Including U.K., France (EXCLUSIVE)

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are not only a beloved comedy partnership but they are also the very best of friends. So there was no way that Dawn was going to let Jennifer's birthday pass by without a little fanfare.The Vicar of Dibley star shared two tributes – one on Instagram and one on Twitter – in celebration of Jennifer's 63rd birthday on 6 July.

Ahead of raising the curtain on its 74th edition on Tuesday (July 6), Cannes has made a late addition to its program in the form of Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda’s feature animation Belle.

Series Mania has announced its line-up ahead of the television festival taking place in Lille, France, on August 26-September 2.

Clayton Davis The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its rules and campaign regulations for the upcoming awards season on Wednesday, roughly a week before the Cannes Film Festival opens in France. That festival often hosts a number of possible Oscars contenders, with the likes of “Parasite” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” screening in the 2019 edition.One of the most significant announcements came in the artisan categories.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentA group of French insurers have set up a clause to protect film productions in case of sexual harassment incidents during filming.Leading French insurance companies MAIF and AREAS have created the new clause for contracts with the support of the National Film Board (CNC), following negotiations spearheaded by Hugo Rubini, a high-profile insurance broker who specializes in film and commercial productions.The clause, which will be included in contracts

Serena Williams‘ precious three-year-old daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian looked just like royalty during her day out in Paris on June 23! Olympia Ohanian was captured in a new photograph on Instagram channeling Princess Bell of Beauty and the Beast just outside the walls of Château de Versailles in Paris. The youngster of the 23-time Grand Slam champion, 39, and Reddit co-founder, 38, looked absolutely too cute, holding the pleats of her dress and smiling for the camera.

Will Thorne Staff WriterSaban Films has made another major step in its global distribution push.Ahead of the Cannes film festival, the North American-based company has unveiled new distribution deals with partners across 11 territories, with a view to acquiring product in the Cannes market.The fresh set of pacts in question are with Splendid in Austria and Germany, ACE Entertainment in France, Mis.Label in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, Key2Media in Spain, and Defiant Screen

The 74th Cannes Film Festival unveiled its jury which includes five women; a majority in the nine-person group including President Spike Lee.

Cannes 2021 will make history, as for the first time the festival’s jury will be majority female.Among the jurists are actress-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, French actress-director Mélanie Laurent, French-Senegalese actor-director Mati Diop, Austrian director Jessica Hausner and French singer Mylene Farmer.Director Spike Lee will preside over the jury, which includes Brazilian director Kleber Mendonca Filho, South Korea’s Song Kang-ho, and French actor Tahar Rahim.More to come…

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the jury for the competition, which will be powered by a majority of women, including American actor-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, French actor-helmer Mélanie Laurent, French-Senegalese actor-director Mati Diop, Austrian director Jessica Hausner and cult French singer Mylene Farmer.Spike Lee will presider over the jury which will also include French actor Tahar Rahim, Brazilian helmer Kleber Mendonça Filho and South

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentBrussels-based company Best Friend Forever has closed major territories on Hadas Ben Aroya’s daring sophomore outing, “All Eyes Off Me,” which world premiered at Berlin in the panorama section. The drama, which is set in contemporary Tel Aviv, was sold to Film Movement for North America, and also lured buyers in France (Wayna Pitch), Japan (Klockworx), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nitrato) and South Korea (Lumix Media).

French media giant Vivendi has reached a deal to sell a 10% stake in Universal Music Group to hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square in a deal that values the music company at more than $42 billion.

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Gkids has acquired North American distribution rights to Belle, the latest animated film from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda and Japan’s Studio Chizu. A winter theatrical release is in the works for the pic, which represents a re-team of the distributor, Hosoda and Studio Chizo after 2018’s Mirai, which scored an Oscar nomination.