SND Boards Laetitia Colombani’s International Bestseller Adaptation ‘The Braid’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Naman Ramachandran Paris and Mumbai-based production service company La Fabrique Films is looking forward to a further surge in business in the wake of new Indian filming incentives that were announced in Cannes.International productions filming in India can be reimbursed up to 35% of qualifying production spend in the country.La Fabrique, which specializes in European films shooting in India, has been operational since 2013 and films they have provided production services for include “Les Cowboys,” “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead.” La Fabrique has just wrapped work on Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” and company principals Déborah Benattar and Javed Wani are currently attending the Cannes Film Market. The initial reimbursement for international shoots in India is 30%, which can go up by an additional 5% for productions employing 15% or more manpower in India.“The incentives will be a great advantage for foreign producers who decide to come and shoot in India also, because there is this bonus of 5%, they may want to employ more Indian technicians, because, from our experience, we have amazing technicians in India.

Manori Ravindran International EditorRocket Science has boarded the biopic “The Good Spy,” about CIA operative Robert Ames, from Oscar-nominated “Paradise Now” and “Omar” director Hany Abu-Assad.The pic is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kai Bird’s biography of Ames. Scott Frazier (“Berliner”) is adapting for screen.“Free Solo” and “Everest” producer Evan Hayes will produce under his ACE (Anomaly Content & Entertainment) production company.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Panama’s award-winning Hypatia Films and Guatemala’s Jayro Bustamante, whose most recent film, “La Llorona,” made the Oscar international film shortlist, is partnering with Jonathan Keasey of Mind Riot Entertainment to make WWII drama “Down Wind.”The film marks a rare collaboration between two major Central American filmmakers and an American writer-producer. Bustamante will direct based on a screenplay by Keasey, who has also boarded as a producer.The drama’s lead production company, Hypatia Films, run by Pituka Ortega Heilbron and Marcela Heilbron, is an associate producer on Claire Denis’ Cannes competition contender “The Stars at Noon,” which was filmed in Panama and on which Hypatia provided production services.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Apocalypse Clown,” an ensemble comedy directed by BAFTA-nominated George Kane (“Timewasters”) has been boarded by Charades for international rights excluding the U.K. which is handled by Vertigo Releasing.The movie was penned by Shane O’Brien, James Walmsley and Demian Fox from the comedy outfit Dead Cat Bounce.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentIn February, Carla Simon’s “Alcarràs” walked off with Spain’s first Berlin Golden Bear in nearly 40 years as Spain notched up its biggest main competition presence at the Berlinale since 1997.This May, Spain has four movies selected for Cannes – Albert Serra’s Competition entry “Pacifiction”; Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts,” in Premiere; Elena López Riera’s Directors’ Fortnight bow “The Water”; and José Luis López Linares’ “Goya, Carrière and the Ghost of Buñuel,” a Cannes Classics doc feature. That reps a Cannes presence roughly on par with recent standout years such as 2018 and 2019.With Netflix launching “Through My Window” in February, three of the streaming giant’s five most-watched non-English language movies are from Spain.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentOne of the hottest European projects on sale at Cannes, “The Pot Au Feu,” Tran Anh Hung’s period romance starring Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel has already been nabbed by major international distributors. Gaumont is handling sales on the movie.The movie, which is currently shooting in a French castle, is set in the world of French gastronomy in 1885 and charts the relationship between Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin, the gourmet she has been working for over the last 20 years.

EXCLUSIVE: Brad Anderson, the multi-hyphenate behind the iconic Christian Bale thriller The Machinist, has signed with Paradigm for representation.

Love Island's Olivia Bowen and fellow TOWIE star Lydia Bright have lead congratulations to Sam Faiers, who has just given birth to a little boy. Sam, 31, took to Instagram on Sunday 15 May to share her family's joy at their third addition finally arriving.The tot is the reality TV star's third child with Paul Knightley, 34.They pair also share son Paul Jr, six, and Rosie, four, together. Sharing a sweet video to Instagram, Sam penned: "No words can describe how in love we are with you baby boy.

's Kenya Moore and Marlo Hampton prove you can have a fit at any age! In ET's sneak peek at Sunday's all-new episode, the group gathers at a tea-themed party for Kenya's daughter, Brooklyn's, third birthday, but things go off the rails quickly when Kenya pulls out her phone and starts to read what sound like Yelp reviews about Marlo's fashion business, Le'Archive. She quotes one potential customer who «couldn't order» from the showroom's website.«Well, you can't order,» Marlo informs Kenya. «You don't order.

EXCLUSIVE: TriCoast Worldwide has locked down international sales rights to the coming-of-age film Dear Zoe, starring Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink, with plans to screen the pic for potential buyers and festival reps at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

K.J. Yossman Anna Faris, Alicia Silverstone and Patrick Wilson are set to join leads Susan Sarandon and Jaeden Martell in John Krokidas’ upcoming feature “Tunnels.”Bankside Films have acquired the film from “Kill Your Darlings” director Krokidas, which is based on a screenplay by Victoria Rose.In “Tunnels,” Martell (“Knives Out”) and Oscar-winner Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking”) play a duo who strike up the unlikeliest friendship in the wake of unthinkable tragedy.Sarandon stars as Ruby, a woman whose grandson becomes a school shooter.

A remarkable charity cycle challenge will get under way at Kirkbean later this month – involving riders in Scotland, England – and Kazakhstan.

Manori Ravindran International EditorEuropean cinema giant Vue is partnering with the British Film Institute to create more exhibition opportunities for British, independent and international movies.From May, the cinema chain is set to screen a series of films curated by the BFI across all of its venues in the U.K. The program will be called “BFI Presents” and films will screen at Vue’s 88 movie theaters across the country.Vue and the BFI have a special connection given the exhibition chain’s CEO and founder Tim Richards was appointed chairman of the film org in February 2021.

EXCLUSIVE: Film Constellation has boarded sales on debut feature Blue Jean, an identity drama set during Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as UK Prime Minister.

EXCLUSIVE: Jack Huston (House of Gucci) has signed on to star alongside Isabelle Fuhrman and Don Johnson in Andy Tennant’s thriller Unit 234, which is currently in production in the Cayman Islands.

Emiliano De Pablos After a two-and-a half year hiatus, renowned Spanish producer Manuel Cristobal has returned to toon production, joining the team behind animated feature project “The Glassworker,” directed by Usman Riaz, and created by Pakistan-based Mano Animation Studios. “The Glassworker” marks the first hand-drawn animated feature from Pakistan. Scheduled for a 2023 release, the project is said to be in the running for a berth at this year’s Annecy Work in Progress showcase, a prestige selection which would earn the title considerable international profile. Targeting family audiences, the film is set in a location loosely inspired by Pakistan, telling the story of young Vincent and his father Tomas, who run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an approaching war in which they want no part.  The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young talented, violinist daughter, Alliz, shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son.The love that develops between Vincent and Alliz is challenged constantly by the differing views of their fathers.

Big Brother contestants have paid tribute to their late friend Nikki Grahame on what would have been her 40th birthday. Fans and friends alike were devastated by the news that bubbly Big Brother star Grahame died on April 10 aged 38, after battling anorexia since childhood.

K.J. Yossman Protagonist Pictures have boarded Riley Keough’s directorial debut “War Pony” (previously known as “Beast.”) Keough (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) co-directed the feature with Gina Gammell (“Manodrome”).

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentGerman actor Oliver Masucci and French star Fanny Ardant have joined the cast of Roman Polanski’s new movie “The Palace,” which will surely be a subject of controversy at the Cannes Film Festival where distribution rights are being sold.The ensemble drama, which had already cast Mickey Rourke, will be headlined by Masucci, the German actor who appeared in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” and the Netflix series “Dark,” and Ardant, the esteemed French star of “La Belle Epoque” and “8 Women.” Budgeted at €13 million ($13.9 million), the movie is currently shooting on location in Gstaad, Switzerland, and is being sold by Wild Bunch International, the powerhouse behind several movies competing at Cannes, notably Arnaud Desplechin’s “Brother and Sister,” Claire Denis’s “Stars at Noon” and the opening night film “Final Cut” from Michel Hazanavicius. The key crew includes Oscar-winning music composer Alexandre Desplat, along with Polanski’s regular cinematographer Pawel Edelman, who previously worked with Polanski on “An Officer and a Spy,” “The Pianist,” “Oliver Twist” and “The Ghost Writer,” as well as set designer Monica Sironi (“Volare”).“The Palace” is produced by Luca Barbareschi at Eliseo Entertainment company, and co-produced by CAB Productions in Switzerland and Lucky Bob in Poland.Penned by Polanski and Jerzy Skolimowski, the movie takes place at a palace in Gstaad on New Year’s Eve in 1999.