Oscars: France Selects 'Two of Us' for International Feature Category

As it looks towards the launch of HBO Max in Europe next year, WarnerMedia has set its leadership teams for France & Benelux and Germany/Austria/Switzerland. The group falls under the oversight of longtime Warner Bros exec Iris Knobloch, who was recently named Country Manager for those markets.

France has been roiled for days, with mass protests and collective outrage, over a proposed security law that would criminalize recording or photographing police behavior with “obvious intention to harm their physical and psychological integrity” in the public square. The proposal garnered such extreme backlash, with thousands of people taking to the streets in opposition of the legislation, that the ruling party of President Emmanuel Macron promised to rewrite the bill.

pic.twitter.com/vV00dOtmsg— Loopsider (@Loopsidernews) November 26, 2020Speaking to Loopsider, Zecler shared his side of the story, talking the reporter through the footage. “Right then, I was scared.

European film, TV and media group Wild Bunch is moving to strengthen its involvement in production and co-productions in France, placing longtime in-house execs Adeline Fontan Tessaur and Jerome Rougier in charge of the effort. They will respectively continue as Managing Director of Elle Driver and Director of French Theatrical Distribution, and will spearhead acquisitions with a particular focus on co-productions. The first films will be announced in the coming weeks.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentParis-based company Alba Films has acquired French distribution rights to Sabrina Van Tassel’s timely social justice documentary “The State of Texas vs. Melissa.”The documentary premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and recently made its U.K.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentStreaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Plus will soon be forced to play a more significant role in the financing of European content when the Audiovisual Media Services Directive officially kicks off on Jan.

Amazon has struck a deal to exclusively stream YA movie After We Collided on Prime Video in the UK, France, Italy and Spain.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentFrance, which has been on lockdown since Oct. 30 to curb the second wave of the pandemic, will see its cinemas, theaters and museum reopen on Dec.

Movie theaters in France will be allowed to reopen from December 15, President Emmanuel Macron announced this evening in an address to the nation. The country’s second COVID-19 spike has peaked, said Macron, and there will be an overall, gradual easing of restrictions over the next several weeks. Culture “is essential,” Macron insisted. A 9PM curfew will nevertheless be imposed for some time.

Vaca Films (“Extinction”) is producing with Sábado Películas (“A Perfect Enemy”), La Ley del Plomo AIE (“Gun City”) and France’s Playtime whose current slate includes Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, 13th District.” “Project Emperor” is expected to start filming in April.

Kris Ajer will be fit to face Hibs on Saturday despite a confusion over his injury status. A message went out on Celtic's Twitter feed earlier where the big Norwegian and his fellow 'Chris' were confused as Neil Lennon gave an injury update.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentFilippo Meneghetti’s feature debut “Two of Us” will represent France in the race for the best international feature film award at the Oscars.“Two of Us” was selected over Maiwenn’s “DNA,” François Ozon’s “Summer 85,” Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s “Gagarine” and Maïmouna Doucouré’s “Cuties” which were short-listed.“Two of Us” was released in France on Feb. 12 and was represented in international markets by The Party Film Sales.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorFrance’s Oscar selection committee has chosen comedy/drama Two Of Us as its submission to the International Feature Film category at the 2021 Academy Awards. From director Filippo Meneghetti, the feature debut world premiered in the Discovery section of Toronto last year and was released in France in early 2020 via Sophie Dulac Distribution.

Series Mania, one of Europe’s biggest and most prestigious TV festivals, has pushed back its 2021 edition by two months, setting new dates of May 28 to June 5.Remaining in Lille, northern France, the event’s industry centerpiece, the Series Mania Forum, will be held at the Lille Grand Palais over June 1-3.Series Mania was originally slated to run over March 19-27 next year.

Peter White Television EditorThe latest wave of redundancies at NBCUniversal are starting today with around 5% of employees within the Frances Berwick-run business side of its Television & Streaming division set to depart.Deadline, which last month revealed layoffs were coming in mid-November, understands that this amounts to fewer than 100 employees.The layoffs are part of wider cuts across the Comcast-owned company, which is expected to cut back around 10% of its total 35,000-person