Toronto Festival Breakout ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ Boarded by Charades for International Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paris-based sales and co-production banner Have A Good One (HAGO), has boarded two new series, “Sex (re) Education” (“Septième Ciel”) and “Caro Nostra,” in the run up to Mipcom, the Cannes TV market. “Sex (re) Education” is a 10-part half-hour comedy series directed by Alice Vial, who won the Cesar Award in 2018 with her short “The Winkles.” The series, penned by Clémence Azincourt, Clement Marchand and Vial, follows Jacques, an pensioner who has been placed by his daughter in a retirement home. When he thinks his life is over, he meets Rose and embarks on a passionate and lustful affair, wrecking havoc in the residence. The cast includes Irene Jacob, the well-known actor of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Rouge.” Ordered by French pay TV group OCS, the show recently won best series at La Rochelle Fiction Festival and is produced by Next Episode, Henri Debeurme’s UGC-backed company.

EXCLUSIVE: Yvonne Senat Jones (Sneakerella, Gone in the Night) has been cast in a recurring role in the Disney+ Original series, The Crossover.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pathé and Chapter 2, a Mediawan company, are set to reteam with “Three Musketeers” director Martin Bourboulon on a riveting thriller set in the backdrop of the fall of Kabul and the takeover by the Taliban. The film is an adaptation of “13 days, 13 Nights, in the Hell of Kabul,” a sprawling real-life account of the events written by commander Mohamed Bida and published by Denoël last month. Bourboulon, who recently completed shooting “The Three Musketeers,” a big-budget two-part saga based on Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece, will be filming the movie in French and English with an immersive and ultra-realistic style.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mediawan Kids & Family’s animation label Somewhere Animation is set to produce its first show, “Chefclub Adventures,” a colorful comedy series set in the world of cooking. The Paris-based company, which is dedicated to 2D animation, is partnering up with the popular brand and studio Chefclub to create the series. “Chefclub Adventures” will be distributed in France and worldwide by Mediawan Kids & Family. It will be introduced to buyers at Mipcom Junior as one of the five finalists. Founded in 2016 by the Lang brothers, Chefclub runs an online digital cooking channel and website drawing 2.5 billion views each month worldwide, including 390 million views each month in France and one billion in the U.S., according to Mediawan.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Cinemed, the Mediterranean Cinema Film Festival, is partnering up with Lebanese film org Aflamuna / Beirut DC to launch a new co-production and co-financing initiative aimed at high-profile projects from the Arab world. The new program, which is also backed by France’s National Film Board and is part of the festival’s industry showcase Cinemed Meetings, will present seven projects involving 22 Arab countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Liban, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Syria, among others. All selected projects are currently in development and are being brought by filmmakers who have previously directed at least one short film.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given access to the international trailer (below) for “A Thousand Lines,” by one of Germany’s most successful directors, Michael Bully Herbig (“Manitou’s Shoe”), and starring two of its leading actors, Elyas M’Barek (“Fuck You Göhte”) and Jonas Nay (“Deutschland 83”). The film opened via Warner Bros. across German-speaking Europe two weeks ago. Beta Cinema is presenting it to buyers at AFM. “A Thousand Lines” – a blend of satire, drama and comedy – is written by Hermann Florin, inspired by Juan Moreno’s “Tausend Zeilen Lüge.” It is the fictional adaptation of one of Germany’s biggest media scandals. The story centers on freelance journalist Juan Romero, played by M’Barek, who encounters inconsistencies in a cover story by award-winning reporter Lars Bogenius, played by Nay.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent French production powerhouse Studiocanal is moving into the Italian production market by joining forces with Rome-based shingle Elsinore Film with plans to co-develop and coproduce a slate of scripted and unscripted content for the Italian and international market. Elsinore Film is a boutique outfit headed by Annamaria Morelli (pictured, left), a former head of production at Italian streamer TimVision, who is known for her scouting activity. Morelli has had a hand in shepherding “Skam Italia,” the Italian adaptation of the Nordic drama series that’s a hit in Italy. She was more recently among producers of “Amanda,” a quirky teen dramedy about female friendship by newcomer Carolina Cavalli, that launched positively in September from the Venice fest’s Horizons section. 

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP), an annual film industry event taking place in Germany, has unveiled the lineup of its 5th edition which will showcase 28 projects selected out of 150 submissions. The event, set to take place Oct. 17-19 in the run up to the Cologne Film Festival, will hand out approximately €60,000 worth of funding and will introduce a new prize, the EWIP TorinoFilmLab Audience Design Award. All projects will be presented in a 15-minute pitching session to EWIP guests and an international jury. This year’s jury will include Olivier Barbier, head of acquisitions at mk2 films; Vanja Kaludjercic, director of the Rotterdam festival (IDFA); Julien Rejl, Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight’s new artistic director; Saralisa Volm, a filmmaker and actress; and Thanassis Karathanos, producer at Twenty Twenty Vision.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Munich-based sales agency Beta Cinema has launched the international trailer (below) for “In a Land That No Longer Exists,” which has its international premiere on Oct. 21 in the competition section of the Rome Film Festival. Aelrun Goette’s feature debut, which was released in Germany on Thursday by Tobis, is inspired by the director’s own experiences in East Germany during the late 80s, when she worked as a model for fashion magazine Sibylle, the so-called “Vogue of the East.” The action takes place in East Berlin in the early summer of 1989, a few months before the fall of the Wall. Eighteen-year-old Suzie is thrown headfirst into the vibrant fashion scene in socialist East Germany when a photograph of her ends up on the cover of Sibylle.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mediawan Rights has expanded its unscripted division with the appointment of former Shine France top executive Jeremy Klif, and is opening up to formats from third-party producers. Klif has been tapped deputy director of international sales for the unscripted unit which was launched by Mediawan Rights’ managing director Valérie Vleeschhouwer, in April. Klif began his career in the U.S. at Mark Burnett Productions, and later worked as head of sales and acquisitions for Shine France (“The Voice,” “MasterChef”) upon his return to Paris. He went on to launch Borderline Media, a production and distribution banner specialized in formats, in 2017. At Mediawan Rights, Klif will work alongside Estelle Bodén, the co-founder of Sweden’s Elk Entertainment, who serves as head of distribution for the division. Like Klif, Bodén has a track record as an entrepreneur and also worked for indies and big groups such as Strix Television.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Ticket to Paradise,” a romantic comedy that reunites Julia Roberts and George Clooney, is (surprise, surprise) charming audiences at the international box office. The movie has generated $60 million overseas to date, a promising start given the current challenges facing theatrical rom-coms. Of course, it helps when the genre gets a boost from megawatt stars like Roberts and Clooney. According to Universal, which is backing the film, “Ticket to Paradise” is outpacing recent meet-cute stories like “The Lost City,” “Last Christmas” and “Crazy Rich Asians” at the same point in their respective big-screen rollouts. Over the weekend, “Ticket to Paradise” earned $10.5 million from 61 territories, including debuts in France ($1 million), Mexico ($1 million) and Italy ($800,000). In holdover markets, “Ticket to Paradise,” which features Clooney and Roberts as exes who try to stop their daughter from marrying a near stranger, has been popular in Australia ($8.5 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($7.4 million) and Germany ($7.4 million). It opens Oct. 21 in the U.S. and Canada.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France tv distribution has boarded “Sweetheart” (“Chouchou”), an eight-part drama series produced by well-known Quebec-based company Passez Go. Written by Simon Boulerice, the drama show revolves around Chanelle, a 38-year-old teacher who is happily married with two children. Her life unravels after she meets Sandrick, a 17-year-old teenager who has just been transferred to her class, and falls under his charm. Chanelle tries to help Sandrick as he struggles at home with his dysfunctional mother, but their relationship turns into an illicit and passionate affair that leaves no one unscathed. The series is directed by Félix Tétreault and Marie-Claude Blouin (“Le Chalet”).

Italy’s International Audiovisual Market MIA is expecting a return to full force this year ahead of its eighth edition in Rome from October 11 to15.

Bella Hadid steps out for the Miu Miu dinner and Aftershow Party held at Gigi Paris Tuesday (October 4) in Paris, France.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Award-winning filmmakers Alice Diop (“Saint Omer”), Audrey Diwan (“Happening”), Julia Ducournau (“Titane”), Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”), Jacques Audiard (“Dheepan”), and actors Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Huppert, Lea Seydoux are among nearly 1,000 prominent French film figures who have signed an open letter to support Iranian women and civil rights activists in their revolt over the death of 22 year-old Mahsa Amini, as well as denounce the “murderous violence” of the Iranian regime. Amini, a Kurdish woman, died in custody on Sept. 16, three days after being arrested in Tehran because she allegedly breached the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women. Her death has sparked protests across Iran, including in Tehran, Isfahan and Yazd, and in cities around the world, including in Paris, Istanbul and Los Angeles. Amnesty International said Iranian authorities have been “intentionally using lethal force against the protesters,” causing more than more 52 deaths (as of Sept. 30). The organization has urged international action “beyond statements of condemnation” to prevent more people from being killed.

‘Power Of The Dog’ Producer Tanya Seghatchian To Lead London Film Festival Jury

Bella Hadid hits the runway in a killer look for the Thom Browne show!

Anna Marie de la Fuente In a clear vote of confidence for Colombian director Juan Sebastián Mesa, Bordeaux-based Dublin Films has boarded his third film “Lovers Go Home!” The company also co-produced Mesa’s lauded sophomore pic, “The Rust.” “Lovers Go Home!” centers on a Colombian single mom who leads a double life as a webcammer. One day she meets a U.S. veteran online who becomes obsessed with her. He flies to Colombia to meet her in person. Their meeting makes them reflect on who they truly are. In development, the project participated in this year’s Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, one of San Sebastian Film Festival’s key industry events, which ran over Sept. 19-21. 

, the semi-autobiographical dramedy from Ramy Youssef, just released its third season on Hulu Friday, and similarly to the last, it's chock full of guests stars. In addition to the show's series regulars,  sees the likes of Majid Jordan, Sarita Choudhury and Bella Hadid joining the cast for the show's long-awaited third season.The supermodel makes her acting debut in episode 4, which is aptly titled, «that's what she said.» Hadid, who has been outspoken about her Palestinian heritage, and her ties to Islamic culture, appears as Lena, the «odd,» quirky, Muslim girlfriend of Steve (Steve Way), Ramy's best friend.As viewers remember from previous seasons, Steve suffers from muscular dystrophy and is wheelchair-bound. Ramy goes to dinner with Steve and Lena, not just because he's their ride to a wrestling match later, but because this is his first time meeting Steve's significant other after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to spend some time apart.The match instantly perplexes Ramy.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Kompromat,” an action thriller film directed by Jerome Salle (“The Largo Winch” ), starring Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”). SND, the commercial arm of M6, is representing the film in international markets. Loosely based on a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working in Siberia who is arrested overnight by the Russian authorities. Accused of sexually abusing his own daughter and imprisoned, he realizes he is a victim of a Kompromat. Someone is working with the FSB (Federal Security Service) to frame him. His only way out is to escape.