Santa Barbara Film Festival Winners Include ‘Transmexico’, ‘Andragogy’, More

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief This month’s Hong Kong International Film Festival will showcase over 190 films from 62 countries and regions, including five world premieres, and 64 Asian premieres. Running 12 days (March 28 – April 8), the festival will open with the Asian premiere of local director Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well,” which won the Teddy Award at the recent Berlin festival.

Julianne Moore is working on her Spanish. The Hollywood star revealed that she is putting on her best effort to learn a new language, as she is now involved in a new production, directed by Pedro Almodovar, which is set to be the first full-length English-language film from the acclaimed director, titled ‘The Room Next Door.’Kim Kardashian schools Salma Hayek on how to take a selfie like a proNatalie Portman channeled Grace Kelly in head-to-toe Dior during latest outing in ParisPedro Pascal reveals the role that ‘changed his life’The new project is being filmed in Madrid and New York, and it seems Julianne is interested in learning more every day with the help of the popular app Duolingo.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ahead of its U.S. premiere at SXSW, “The Queen of My Dreams” has been sold to a flurry of international markets, including in the U.K. and Ireland to Peccadillo Pictures.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer on the ill-fated Western film “Rust,” was convicted on Wednesday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of the film’s cinematographer. Jurors returned a verdict after less than three hours of deliberations on Wednesday afternoon, following two weeks of testimony about safety lapses on set. Gutierrez Reed was acquitted of a separate charge of tampering with evidence.

Caroline Brew editor Grasshopper Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “The 50,” a documentary from Brenton Gieser centered on some of the nation’s first incarcerated substance abuse counselors. The film will be released on VOD on April 9, tied to a series of special screenings in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco.

Mad Cool has announced a series of improvements to the festival site in time for the 2024 edition.The festival is set to return to the Spanish city of Madrid for the seventh time later this summer, running between July 10 and July 13.Now, before the 2024 instalment kicks off – with artists including Dua Lipa, Pearl Jam and Bring Me The Horizon leading the line-up – the festival organisers have announced a list of improvements made to the site.Taking place at the Iberdrola Music venue, the enhancements come following audience feedback, and include a reduction of capacity going forward. Unlike previous years, Mad Cool 2024 will now have a reduced capacity, to improve the flow of people both inside and outside the venue and reduce the queues across the site.Additionally, 2024 will also see the number of stages at the festival site reduced from eight to six – an adjustment to once again aid the flow of people, as well as minimise schedule clashes and prevent noise bleed across stages.Elsewhere, more bathroom facilities and water supply points will be added, as well as an increased number of wristband charging points and more relaxing areas across the space.More food options will also be added to the restaurant area, as will more bar spaces.

Anna Marie de la Fuente The #MeToo movement has claimed another casualty. Spain’s Málaga Film Festival, unspooling March 1-10, has canceled the participation of U.S.-born director Julio Hernandez Cordon’s vampire drama “The Day is Long and Dark” (“El día es largo y oscuro”) at the festival, citing “complaints regarding acts of gender violence.” In a press release issued on Feb.

EXCLUSIVE: Beta Film‘s Crown-esque high-end drama series Maxima has sold to networks in Lat Am, Israel and across Europe.

With 7.35 million admissions at the box office, horror-comedy film Agak Laen has become the second biggest Indonesian box office hit of all time.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Paradises of Diane,” which premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, came out of an exploration of the “dark side of maternity” and the role of the mother in society, director Carmen Jaquier tells Variety. The film, which was directed with Jan Gassmann, starts with Diane abandoning her new-born baby at a maternity clinic in Zurich, and heading to the seedy Spanish seaside resort Benidorm, without telling anyone.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are enjoying their life in Miami. The couple was photographed this Monday in Coconut Grove, one of Miami’s most vibrant areas, as they enjoyed the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Lauren Sanchez congratulates her ex Tony Gonzalez on premiere of new movieLauren Sánchez effortlessly transitions from red-carpet glam to off-duty chicPhotos captured show the two happy to be spending time together as they looked relaxed and dressed comfortably for the occasion.

Annika Pham Copenhagen-based sales and financing outlet REinvent has inked major deals on the Danish/German thriller “Oxen”, ahead of its screening Feb. 19 as part of the Berlinale Series Market Selects label. The show, produced by Scandi major SF Studios with Germany’s Square One for TV2 Denmark and ZDF, has been acquired by GSN Networks for the UK, AMC for Spain/Portugal as well as Orion Group for Poland.

EXCLUSIVE: Singapore’s Momo Film Co has boarded Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja‘s third feature film, Levitating (working title).

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Jean Labadie’s Le Pacte and sales agency Film Factory have joined Spanish pay giant Movistar Plus on the next film from Alberto Rodríguez (“Marshland”), which is shaping up fast with as one of the biggest packages from Spain this year at the Berlinale’s European Film Market. Le Pacte will co-produce the thriller out of France and handle French distribution rights. Film Factory is launching international sales at Berlin.

Diego Ramos Bechara editor “TransMexico,” “Edge of Everything” and Andragogy” are among the winners of the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The SBIFF, whose mission is to discover and showcase the “best in independent and international cinema,” has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting roughly 100,000 attendees for a packed week slatted with screenings of over 200+ films. A panel of jury members selected the winners, which included Lesley Chilcott, Alex Keledjian, Chris Landon, Lael Loewenstein, Jacqueline Lyanga, David Magdael, Gail Mancuso, Greg Nava, Pituka Ortega Heilbron, Carla Renata, Gil Robertson, Ondi Timoner, Clay Tweel and Ali Wolfe.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Highland Film Group has locked key territory deals for sci-fi thriller “The Astronaut” from “A Quiet Place” producer Brad Fuller Pic stars Kate Mara (“A Teacher”), Laurence Fishburne (“John Wick” films) and Gabriel Luna (“Terminator: Dark Fate”). The film wrapped shooting late last year in Ireland. “The Astronaut” has sold to Signature Entertainment for the U.K., Capelight Pictures for Germany, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, DeAPlaneta for Spain, Spentzos Film for Greece, Cinemania Group for former Yugoslavia, Shoval Film Production for Israel, Falcon Films for the Middle East, Filmfinity for South Africa and Roadshow Films for Australia and New Zealand.

Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios has had a winning record coming to the Berlin Film Festival since 2013, when his film Gueros took the Best First Feature prize. Five years later he was back with his second, the sensational museum-heist film Museo, and deservedly won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. His third, A Cop Movie, which plays with the traditional docu form by using actors, won Best Documentary at Mexico’s Golden Ariel Awards.

Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Billie Eilish seemingly weren’t tuned in for the Super Bowl this year as they had another big event happening!

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Mark Ruffalo has struck again! During a Q&A about his career at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday, the recent Oscar nominee seemed to confirm that he will be reprising his role as the Hulk in Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World.” Asked by moderator Anne Thompson if he would next appear in the 2025 feature, Ruffalo nodded his head and said, “Yeah.” “Are you allowed to talk about that?” Thompson asked.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor The 10th annual Variety Artisans Awards at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival hosted its biggest crowd to date at this year’s event, with 2,000 attendees packing the Arlington Theater to hear artisans behind Oscar-nominated films discuss their projects. After one-on-one conversations, honorees Stephane Ceretti, visual effects supervisor on “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Billie Eilish and Finneas, songwriters on “Barbie’s” “What Was I Made For,” Ludwig Göransson, composer on “Oppenheimer,” Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, production designers on “Barbie,” Kazu Hiro, makeup artist on “Maestro,” Jennifer Lame, editor on “Oppenheimer,” Rodrigo Prieto, cinematographer on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Michael Semanick, re-recording mixer on “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Holly Waddington, costume designer on “Poor Things,” gathered for a panel discussion.