Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Polish Oscar Entry ‘The Peasants’ From ‘Loving Vincent’ Filmmakers

Christopher Vourlias Slovak directors Ivan Ostrochovsky and Pavol Pekarčík’s Ukraine war drama “Photophobia,” which won the Europa Cinemas Label Award after its Venice Days premiere and is Slovakia’s entry in the best international feature film Oscar race, has been acquired by Prague-based sales agent Filmotor. Set on a cold February morning in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, “Photophobia” follows 12-year-old Niki and his family as they arrive at the Kharkiv metro station to take shelter from the terrifying war raging outside.

Lise Pedersen The coveted Lumière Classics label is today as sought-after in the heritage film industry as any prestigious film festival label for contemporary film fare. Launched back at the 2019 edition of the Lumière Film Festival, Europe’s leading classic film event, the label was created to showcase a carefully curated selection of restorations of 20th century films with the aim of highlighting the work carried out by archives, cinematheques, rights holders and foundations around the world.

Jada Pinkett Smith was left stunned at the 2022 Oscars — but for a totally different reason than the rest of us!

EXCLUSIVE: Allen Media Group has acquired North American rights to the period action-adventure pic The Oath, from actor-filmmaker Darin Scott (Yellowstone), slating its release via their division Freestyle Releasing. The film will hit over 650 theaters across the country on Friday, December 8, emerging on digital and VOD March 26, 2024.

Jessica Kiang New-made furniture, scuffed to look vintage, rarely convinces as anything other than pastiche. Portraits painted as closely as possible to resemble the photographs on which they’re based are a similarly strange phenomenon: admiration for the painter’s skill is undercut by the sense of creative constraint.

Angelique Jackson Veteran film executive Paul Davidson has acquired the remake rights to “Electric Dreams,” the 1984 film written and produced by Rusty Lemorande. Davidson — who previously ran The Orchard and IDW Entertainment — struck the deal with Lemorande (“Yentl,” “Caddyshack”), who retained the rights to the film after its release nearly four decades ago. Brian T.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Sony Pictures Animation is shoring up its executive ranks with the addition of Damien de Froberville, who has been named executive vice president of production and operating strategy. De Froberville comes from the Spain-based shop Sergio Pablos Animation and will largely assume a portfolio held by long-serving SPA executive Pam Marsden.

Scott Derrickson is opening up about his favorite films of the year which includes the Greta Gerwig-directed film Barbie and why it deserves to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

Paul Noble, a veteran executive who served as co-head of global theatrical marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment since 2021, has died. He was 51.

UPDATED, 11:34 a.m.: Sony Pictures Classics has firmed up release plans for its drama Freud’s Last Session, starring Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode, which charts the relationship between psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and author C.S. Lewis. Based on the stage play by Mark St. Germain, who wrote the script, the film opens in theaters in New York and L.A. December 22nd, with an expansion to follow in January.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given access to the international trailer for animated film “The Peasants,” which is Poland’s entry for the international feature category of the Academy Awards. The film had its world premiere in the Special Presentation section of Toronto Film Festival last month, and screens next week at the London Film Festival.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Fusion Entertainment has signed on to manage Joanna Arnow, an acclaimed acclaimed writer, director, actor and editor whose narrative feature debut “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” impressed audiences and critics when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section.The film was later acquired by Magnolia Pictures. It will be released domestically in 2024 after having its U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Movies are back on PlayStation — although they’re all titles from corporate cousin Sony Pictures Entertainment. More than two years ago, PlayStation shut down its service offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals.

The indie drama City of Wind, marking the feature directorial debut of Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, has been set as Mongolia’s International Feature Oscar entry for 2024.

‘Poor Things’ to Screen at Chicago International Film Festival With Costume Designer Holly Waddington Accepting Tour de Force Award Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” had been added to the lineup of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival, which will run from Oct. 11-22. Costume designer Holly Waddington will appear to receive the festival’s Tour de Force Award.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant and Symbolic Exchange’s We Grown Now, which had its world premiere in the Centerpiece and Next Wave Selects section at this year’s TIFF. The movie’s writer, director, producer Minhal Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award which explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television has promoted Lamar Chase to SVP, Current Programming. Reporting to EVP Current Programming Marie Jacobson, who heads the indie studio’s current scripted series department, Chase will continue to work alongside Morgana Cabrera-Rosenberg who was promoted to SVP, Current Programming in March.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Michelle Grady has been upped to President of Sony Pictures Imageworks. She was previously, EVP Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Caroline Brew editor In collaboration with Sony Pictures, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) announced the return of the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator. The initiative aims to identify and equip the next generation of AAPI animation professionals with the skills to become directors in feature film and episodic animation.

EXCLUSIVE: Carmen Jaquier and Mohamed Kordofani, a pair of fast-rising international filmmakers whose respective films Thunder and Goodbye Julia have both recently been submitted for International Feature Oscar consideration, have signed with Jewerl Ross at Silent R Management.