Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Berlin Film Festival, which runs Feb. 15-25, has revealed the lineup of its Berlinale Co-Production Market.
22.12.2023 - 17:45 / variety.com
Callum McLennan In a vibrant move reinforcing its commitment to Brazilian cinema, Paris-based MPM Premium has announced its acquisition of “Betânia,” prior to its Berlinale bow. The film will world premiere in the diverse Panorama strand of the festival.
The announcement marks another stride in MPM Premium’s journey of accompanying new and established Brazilian directors, having previously supported works from Sundance-selected Iuli Gerbase’s “The Pink Cloud” to Berlinale hits like Flavia Neves’ “Fogaréu” and renowned Karim Aïnouz recent experimental docs (“Nardjes A.” “Mariner of the Mountains.”)
“Set in a magical place – the sand dunes of Lençois in Northern Brazil – Betânia is a heartfelt portrait of a community observing the end of the world as they know it,” Quentin Worthington, head of sales and acquisitions at MPM Premium, told Variety. “Far from playing a sad tone, we got euphoric with self-affirmed characters larger than life, a catchy music playing to our ears and a visually stunning cinematography. The beauty of this diverse and multicultural Brazilian folklore coupled to the sense of urgency conveyed by the film’s environmental message, convinced us to acquire the film,” he added.
The aforementioned Betânia is a 65-year-old matriarch forced to return to her roots after the death of her husband. The narrative delves into her turbulent journey as she and her family navigate the challenges and changes of their traditional life against the encroaching desertification near the Amazon.
The director, Marcelo Botta, has found success with his television work (“Foca News,” “Auto Posto”) honing skills in both documentary and narrative. This feature was a section fave and triple winner at Ventana Sur’s Primer Corte, in
.Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Berlin Film Festival, which runs Feb. 15-25, has revealed the lineup of its Berlinale Co-Production Market.
The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the 34 projects, hailing from 27 countries and selected from 318 submissions, that will be showcased at its Berlinale Co-Production Market, running from February 17 to 21.
Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Want to know which international features vying for Oscar gold are worth watching? Variety‘s team of critics has been on the ground at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and other major film festivals, on the hunt for the best of the best. In December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences unveiled its shortlist of 15 films eligible for the second round of voting in the Best International Feature Film category.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Bertrand Bonello‘s “Coma,” which won a prize at the Berlin Film Festival in 2022, has been acquired by Film Movement for North American distribution. The film follows a teenager who is stuck at home during once of France’s strict early-pandemic lockdowns.
Taiwan’s government has suspended its Taiwan International Co-funding Program (TICP) in a move that appears to signal a change in direction towards more mainstream projects.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Melvil Poupaud, an actor in Francois Ozon’s “By the Grace of God” and Maiwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” will receive the French Cinema Award from Unifrance, the French promotion organization. The ceremony will be held on Jan. 18 at the Culture Ministry during the Rendez-Vous With French Cinema market.
Elvis Presley is set to join ABBA in the strange new world of immersive concerts more than 45 years after he passed away.
Money Heist” is back for another round. Two years after its conclusion, the beloved Spanish series is releasing a prequel show based on one of its most intriguing characters. Aptly titled “Berlin,” the series explores the enigmatic character’s past and premiered on Netflix this December 29th.
The new series Berlin is almost here and we’re so excited for the Money Heist spinoff to arrive!
Thania Garcia Prajin Parlay Inc. has added Mexican singer-songwriter Ángel Quezada, also known as Santa Fe Klan, for a management deal. Led by George Prajin, Prajin Parlay Inc.
Martin Scorsese, whose latest film “Killers of the Flower Moon” is one of the most buzzed about movies of this awards season, will receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival on Feb. 20. The festival’s directors, Carlo Chatrian and Mariëtte Rissenbeek said Scorsese in “an unmatched role model” for “anyone who considers cinema as the art of shaping a story in such a way that is both completely personal and universal.
Martin Scorsese will be feted with an honorary Golden Bear at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, running from February 15 to 25, 2024.
Sure, there’s still a little under two weeks left in 2023, but we really are starting to look ahead at 2024, particularly when it comes to the first few film festivals of the year. That includes the Berlin International Film Festival, which is still about a month away from a full announcement of the competition films.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Johan Renck’s Netflix sci-fi drama “Spaceman,” starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano, and German filmmaker Julia von Heinz’s “Treasure” – formerly titled “Iron Box” – with Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry, are among high-profile titles set to launch from the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. The 74th Berlinale – which will unveil its competition lineup on Jan.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Berlin Film Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian is in an upbeat mood as he puts the finishing touches on assembling his fourth and final edition. It appears to be shaping up nicely with a rich mix comprising prestige star-driven titles, such as the world premiere of Netflix’s “Spaceman” in which Adam Sandler plays an imperiled astronaut, and films with “political elements” that are intrinsic to the fest’s DNA. The day before revealing his Berlin Special lineup that includes several star-studded galas – the main lineup will be announced on Jan.
Holly Jones Paris-based outfit Luxbox – one of Europe’s biggest sales agents and sometimes producers – of higher-profile Spanish-language art house fare, has swooped on international rights to “Reas,” a prison musical in which female and trans ex-cons process their experiences, which was confirmed last week as one of the first eight films selected for Berlin’s Forum section. The second film by Argentine playwright and writer Lola Arias (“Theater of War”), and winner of the HEAD Pitchings du Réel Award at Visions du Réel in 2020, “Reas” was also selected by San Sebastian Film Festival for its 2023 WIP Latam.
John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent “There are really only two things that can turn a bad day into a great one: The first is love. But to be honest, that’s not for today. My third wife just dumped me.
The shortlist of 15 films to vie for a Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination is set to be announced on December 21. In all, movies from 88 countries are eligible this year, and as we regularly see, they offer up a rich treasure trove.
Hello, Insiders. It’s the penultimate international newsletter before the holiday season, but there’s no festive slowdown in TV and film news just yet. Jesse Whittock here taking you through. Read on and sign up here.
Berlin Film Festival has appointed Tricia Tuttle, the former director of the BFI London Film Festival, to become the new director of the international film event starting in 2024. Tuttle will succeed Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek who have co-led the Berlinale as artistic and executive directors since 2020 and will step down after this year’s edition when their respective mandates end. The Berlin Film Festival is the world’s second biggest international film festival after Cannes.