Barraclough International Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Sales agency Utopia Docs has shared the international trailer in exclusivity with Variety for “Canuto’s Transformation,” winner of the best film and outstanding artistic contribution awards in the Envision section of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. After IDFA, the film was selected at ​Taiwan Documentary Festival​, Cinelatino Toulouse, Jean Rouch Film Festival and Tempo Doc Fest.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor European Film Promotion is playing host at the Cannes Film Festival to 20 up-and-coming European producers, selected for its Producers on the Move program. Variety invited the producers to share details of their upcoming projects. Katharina Posch, Austria“I’m Not Here to Make Friends”Director: Julia Niemann“I’m Not Here to Make Friends” is a sleek and sunny psycho thriller about a reality TV show set on a remote island.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Sola Media has acquired worldwide sales rights to CGI animated film “Captain Sabertooth and the Countess of Gral,” the follow-up to “Captain Sabertooth and the Magic Diamond,” which Sola Media sold to more than 160 countries. Sola Media will present “Captain Sabertooth and the Countess of Gral” to buyers for the first time at the Cannes Film Market and will unveil first footage. In the film, best friends Raven and Pinky serve under Captain Sabertooth, the feared pirate and King of the Seven Seas.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Films Boutique has taken world sales rights to documentary “Elementary,” directed by Claire Simon, ahead of the film’s world premiere in the Special Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film was shot at the Makarenko public elementary school on the outskirts of Paris.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Studio 100 Intl., in collaboration with Germany’s Caligari Film and Studio Isar Animation, and Spain’s 3 Doubles Producciones, is to produce action-comedy CGI movie “Dougie Dolittle.” Targeting a core demographic of 8-12 year olds and a family audience, the movie is planned for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026. Studio 100 Film is handling global sales and will introduce the film at Marché du Film in Cannes.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor European Film Promotion has revealed the participants for its Producers on the Move program, which runs before and during the Cannes Film Festival. The promotion and networking program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, brings together 20 of Europe’s most promising producers.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Submarine‘s action thriller series “Safe Harbor,” whose showrunner and executive producer is Emmy-nominated “Ozark” co-creator Mark Williams, has added several cast members, including Colm Meaney, whose credits include “Layer Cake,” “Con Air” and “Star Trek.” Also joining the cast are Pauline McLynn (“Father Ted,” “Last Night in Soho”), Damien Molony (“The Split,” “Crashing”), Charlotte Timmers (“Billie vs. Benjamin,” “Zillion”) and Daniel Lapaine (“Catastrophe,” “Black Mirror”).

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Picture Tree Intl. has boarded international sales for Constantin Film’s comedy fantasy blockbuster “Chantal and the Magic Kingdom,” which will receive its market premiere in Cannes. The film has been No.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema is launching international sales in Cannes for director Fatih Akin‘s upcoming film “Amrum,” which starts shooting in Hamburg Monday. The film stars Jasper Billerbeck, Laura Tonke and Diane Kruger. “Amrum” will be released in German theaters in September 2025, distributed by Warner Bros.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been granted exclusive access to the trailer (below) for Portuguese director Miguel Gomes‘ “Grand Tour,” which will have its world premiere in Cannes Film Festival’s Competition section. Variety can also exclusively reveal that that distribution on “Grand Tour” will be handled in France by Tandem, and in Italy by Lucky Red, and that Gomes’ next film will be “Savagery.” “Grand Tour” kicks off in 1917 in Burma. It centers on Edward, a civil servant for the British Empire, who runs away from his fiancée Molly the day she arrives to get married.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Distortion Studios, launched by the team behind long-running production company Studio Giggle, has opened a virtual production facility in Bristol, South-West England. The 200m² studios will enable producers to create original IP utilizing virtual production technology, driven by real-time 3D content creation tool Unreal Engine. The initiative, supported with funding from Creative UK and in partnership with iMAG Displays, will see the first permanent virtual production studio in Bristol, the current UNESCO City of Film, and the South West of England.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International sales agency Lightdox has acquired documentary “Marching in the Dark” in advance of its world premiere at CPH:DOX. The feature debut from Kinshuk Surjan focuses on how the growing number of suicides among farmers in India is affecting the agricultural community. The trailer debuts exclusively on Variety below.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Toronto’s Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, has unveiled the full lineup of films that will screen in its Special Presentations program. The festival runs April 25 to May 5. World premieres include “Red Fever,” which sees Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond travel to the four corners of Turtle Island and across Europe to explore the world’s fascination with Native Americans; “American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly,” in which “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” correspondent Amy Hoggart explores the controversial practice of declawing cats; “The Ride Ahead,” an expansion of co-director Samuel Habib’s short film “My Disability Roadmap” (which got an Honorable Mention in the International Shorts section of Hot Docs in 2022), exploring a typical 21-year-old itching to move out, start a career and find love—all while navigating life with a disability; “Lost in the Shuffle,” which follows world champion magician Shawn Farquhar as he simultaneously devises a new trick and delves into a medieval murder cold case; and “Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation,” which explores the tragic Le Mans race in 1955 where more than 80 spectators were killed.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer (below) for dinosaur bone trade documentary “The Bones,” which will have its world premiere at CPH:DOX as part of the festival’s Science program. The producer is Ina Fichman, Oscar nominated for “Fire of Love.” Dogwoof is handling world sales.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given exclusive access to a first-look clip (below) from Simon Ennis’ documentary “The Hobby,” which world premieres at SXSW on Friday. International sales are being handled by Vortex Media. “The Hobby” is an affectionate, character-driven portrait of the subculture of board games, covering the World Series of Board Games in Las Vegas and reaching back to Ancient Mesopotamia.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has revealed further sales on its Berlinale and Europe Film Market lineup, including “500 Miles,” “Führer and Seducer,” “Hammarskjöld,” “The Light” and “From Hilde, With Love.” After a first deal on the upcoming Bill Nighy-roadmovie “500 Miles” with True Brit Ent. for U.K. was announced during the market, Beta Cinema has confirmed further territories have picked up the dramedy: Australia and New Zealand (Kismet), Middle East (Front Row), Italy (Maestro Distribution), Benelux (September Film), Greece (Feelgood) and former Yugoslavia (Discovery).

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor World sales agency Square Eyes has boarded Vietnamese drama “Cu Li Never Cries,” which has its world premiere in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival. Variety debuts the trailer below. The film is directed by Phạm Ngọc Lân, who wrote the screenplay with Nghiêm Quỳnh Trang.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Aneurin Barnard, Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden lead the cast of science fiction movie “Rogue Trooper,” written and directed by Duncan Jones, whose credits include “Moon,” “Source Code,” “Warcraft” and “Mute.” The animated film, which is being created with Epic’s 3D tool Unreal Engine 5, was adapted by Jones from the comic book published by 2000 AD, home to “Judge Dredd,” “Halo Jones” and “Sláine.” “Rogue Trooper,” produced by Rebellion and Liberty Films, has wrapped principal photography at Rebellion Film Studios in the U.K. The film is set to be finished next year.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International Film Festival Rotterdam has revealed that Belgian cinematographer Grimm Vandekerckhove will be the recipient of the fifth annual Robby Müller Award, which pays homage to the craft of artists working behind the lens in the spirit of the celebrated cinematographer. Vandekerckhove is “known for delicately capturing the inner lives of characters,” the festival said, such as a cleaning lady on a late-night journey in “Ghost Tropic” or the encounter of a foreign construction worker and a moss researcher in “Here,” both directed by Bas Devos.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Rise and Shine World Sales has acquired In-Soo Radstake’s “Selling a Colonial War,” which world premieres in the International Competition section of documentary festival IDFA in Amsterdam. “Selling a Colonial War” looks to encourage the Dutch government and society to accept responsibility for their actions as a colonial power in Indonesia – and especially their actions when fighting a war in Indonesia after the country declared independence in 1945. The Dutch government still refrains from using the term “war crimes” to describe their actions as this would have great impact on calls for reparation.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International sales agency the Playmaker has signed a deal with Blue Finch Film Releasing to distribute the one-shot horror film “Home Sweet Home — Where Evil Lives” in the U.K. and Ireland. Thomas Sieben’s film, which made its world premiere in August at FrightFest in London, has its market premiere at AFM.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International sales house Totem Films has closed distribution deals in multiple territories for “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry,” which had its world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. The company also closed a deal for France for another Directors’ Fortnight film, “A Song Sung Blue.” “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry” was sold to France (Capricci), U.K. (New Wave), Benelux (Vedette), Sweden (Folkets Bio), Greece (Ama Films), Czech Republic (Artcam), and Germany (Eksystent). More deals are in negotiation. The distributor in Switzerland is Frenetic. The film, directed by Elene Navierani, centers on Etero, a 48-year-old woman living in a small village in Georgia. Etero never wanted a husband and cherishes her freedom as much as her cakes. But her choice to live alone is the cause of much gossip among her fellow villagers.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety will bestow its International Achievement in Film Award on German production, licensing and distribution company LEONINE Studios at a ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival next month. This award is the most prestigious honor Variety can bestow on an international film company or executive, and is designed to spotlight the honoree’s achievements over the past few years. Steven Gaydos, Executive Vice President, Global Content, Variety, said: “Building on the links to a storied, successful history, LEONINE Studios has rapidly established itself in the past few years as one of the world’s leading producers, licensors and distributors of premium movies and series.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Cologne-based sales company The Match Factory has expanded and restructured its acquisition and development team. Former head of sales, Thania Dimitrakopoulou, has been promoted to vice president of acquisitions and sales. Claudia Solano comes on board as senior manager of acquisitions, and Cécile Tollu-Polonowski, a long-time partner with the company, has been appointed as head of development. Dimitrakopoulou, who joined The Match Factory in 2007, will now be heading up all acquisitions activities and manage the sales team, reporting to Michael Weber, managing director.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor International TV market Mipcom came back with gusto this year, but it’s not back to the level reached at its pre-pandemic peak. A total of 10,896 delegates attended this year, which is down from the peak year of 2019, when more than 13,500 delegates came to the Cannes event. MipJunior, which ran over the weekend, had 1,311 delegates this year. In 2019, there were 1,500. There were 3,100 buyers this year, compared with more than 4,700 in 2019. The largest numbers of buyers this year came from the U.S. (442), followed by the U.K. (301), France (251), Germany (242) and Spain (140). In 2019, it was U.S. (461), U.K. (450), France (423), Germany (359) and Russia (207).