Ventana Sur’s Blood Window Announces 2020 Works in Progress, International Projects (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: It has taken a little longer than usual due to COVID complications and an evolving market, but the virtual AFM deals are now funnelling through.

Vaca Films (“Extinction”) is producing with Sábado Películas (“A Perfect Enemy”), La Ley del Plomo AIE (“Gun City”) and France’s Playtime whose current slate includes Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, 13th District.” “Project Emperor” is expected to start filming in April.

Pablo Sandoval Producer-director Kristina Konrad’s Berlin-based Weltfilm has boarded “Amateur,” the feature debut of Spaniard Martin Gutiérrez which won the top Malaga Festival Prize for best Spanish film at this Spring’s Malaga WIP pix in post competition.Konrad, one of the jury members for Spanish titles at Malaga WIP, along with Berlin Panorama director Paz Lázaro and Gijón Film Festival programer Ricardo Apilánez, signed up to co-produce “Amateur” after the Malaga WIP showcase.Written by

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentLending some bigger movie heft to the Malaga market, Latido Films is bringing onto the international sales scene two thrillers – though very different propositions – from Academy Award winning producer Tornasol Media (“The Secret in Their Eyes”).“Thrillers have high export potential, but they’re a highly competitive market and since Spanish movies can’t compete with U.S.

Mexican producer, actress and activistOlga Segura has partnered with Exile Content to create a Latina Talent Incubator for the development of emerging female and non-gender binary Latinx content creators. Segura, whose most recent project is the Robert Pattinson and Johnny Depp-starrer Waiting for the Barbarians, also signed afirst-look production deal with the film and TV studio, which centers on content aboutunder-represented groups for global audiences in Spanish and English.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Rome-based international sales and production company TVCO has scooped up sales rights to Argentine comedy “El Padre de Mis Hijos” (“The Father of My Sons”) which TVCO is presenting along with drama “El Silencio del Cazador” (“The Hunter’s Silence”) at the Malaga Spanish screenings (Nov. 17-20).

Emilio Mayorga Spanish producer-distributor Wanda Films is set to co-produce Antonio Méndez Esparza‘s “Madrid Is It,” a thriller with comedic touches produced by Pedro Hernández’s Aquí y Allí Films, the Madrid-based outfit that has backed all of the features directed by Esparza, one of Spain’s most laureled and lauded directors.“Madrid Is It” focuses on Lucía, who leads a discrete life, has a peculiar sense of humor and sense of duty, and a dreamy personality.

Emiliano De Pablos London-based Kaleidoscope Film Distribution has scored a flurry of deals on Spaniard Daniel H. Torrado’s horror thriller “COVID 21: Lethal Virus,” which market premieres at the Malaga Festival’s Spanish Screenings online showcase.Recent deals inked by Kaleidoscope, who manages “COVID 21” worldwide rights outside Spain, take in a pan-Asian agreement with The Walt Disney Company, a Scandinavian rights sale to Danish indie distributor Mis.

Naman Ramachandran AGC International has sold most major territories on “Universe’s Most Wanted,” a sci-fi fantasy about a small town’s fight to save the world, starring Dave Bautista and directed by Brad Peyton.Deals have been closed with Entertainment Film Distribution in the U.K.

Morrissey has been dropped by his label BMG Records, according to a post on his website Morrissey Central.A statement on the site revealed that all “projected BMG Morrissey releases/reissues have been scrapped.”“BMG Records have dropped Morrissey,” the post read. “Following the March 2020 release of I AM NOT A DOG ON A CHAIN (#1 Scotland, #1 Poland, #3 Britain, #3 France, #10 Spain, #13 Germany, #2, #9, #17, #18 U.S.A.

Christopher Vourlias The Thessaloniki Film Festival’s industry arm, Agora, announced the awards from this year’s online edition at a virtual ceremony held Friday.The Crossroads Co-Production Forum’s Two Thirty-Five Co-Production Award, which offers full post-production image and sound to the winning project, went to writer-director Estibaliz Urresola’s “20,000 Species of Bees,” produced by Lara Izagirre of Spain’s Gariza Films.The jury praised the project “for the exceptional directorial vision

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentWinner of Andalusia Cinema Awards for best new director and new actress (Silvia Acosta), Guillermo Rojas’ debut feature “Once Again” (“Una vez más”) has been acquired for international by Javier’s Krause KAF Europa, a Switzerland-based sales company.The news comes just before “Once Again” bows in the Market Premieres section of Spain’s Malaga Festival Spanish Screenings, which run Nov.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentGracia Querejeta’s “The Invisible,” toplining Emma Suárez, star of Pedro Almodovar’s “Julieta,” and Toni Bestard’s “Pullman” have been acquired for international sales by Feel Content.They will be made available for online access to buyers as part of next week’s Malaga Festival’s Spanish Screenings Market Premieres showcase, one of the industry event’s main draws.A distinguished director of now 10 increasingly varied features – including 2017 dark

Ed Meza @edmezavarBoston-based international sales company 34T has picked up Enrique García’s Spanish thriller “Black Stain.”Set in an isolated Andalusian village in the early 1970s, the story revolves around a family mourning the death of the elderly matriarch and the deep tensions that are reignited with the return of her estranged son Eugenio, who left years earlier.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent“Ane Is Missing,” the feature debut of Spain’s David Pérez Sanudo, begins with a fixed shot of a woman security guard sitting in a hut on a construction site. For a full 45 seconds absolutely nothing happens until a firebomb suddenly flares outside the hut.

straight to your inbox Manchester City's injury problems have worsened after Nathan Ake was the latest to suffer a setback on Wednesday night. The versatile defender started at centre-back for the Netherlands in their friendly match with Spain in Amsterdam but had to be taken off after just six minutes.He was pictured clutching his right hamstring, which appears to be the cause of the injury.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentOften a bellwether of talent and market trends in Spain, Filmax, the Barcelona-based production-distribution-sales studio, has acquired international sales rights for two comedies, “When Brooklyn Met Seville” and “Brothers in Law.”Both make passing social comment on Spain’s plight in their portrait of normal folk in desperate fixes, facing eviction or huge debt, and reacting with harebrained scams, which reflect their lack of schooling in real

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentMK2 Films has lured key European buyers with “The Good Boss,” starring Javier Bardem.

Mediawan, one of Europe’s most thriving independent production-distribution groups, is looking to expand its leadership further into Europe with the acquisition of Lagardere Studios and a minority stake in Madrid-based banner Weekend Studio.Following last month’s clearance by the anti-trust board, Mediawan has finalized its takeover of Lagardere Studios, an expansive French TV producer-distributor comprised of 27 companies, including the Spanish banner Boomerang, which owns rights to a number of