What Cannes Country of Honor Status Means for Spain

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Germany’s Beta has licensed Spanish special ops thriller “La Unidad – Kabul,” to Max for the U.S., the third instalment in one of Movistar Plus+’s longest running franchises, “La Unidad,” whose six episodes deliver an engrossing and sometimes shocking take on the 2021 Fall of Kabul. With the purchase, all 18 episodes of Spanish series “La Unidad” are now available to stream on Max in the U.S.   Beta has previously sold the thriller, spangled by action scenes and haunting in its sudden deaths, to 50 territories including France, Latin America, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Australia.  

Pedro Pascal was noticeably absent at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The Chilean actor is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and the world is captivated by his every move.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent “Creatura,” the feature debut of Elena Martín, exploring female sexual desire and repression, has won this year’s 20th Europa Cinemas Cannes Label for best European Film at the 2022 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. Announced Thursday by Europa Cinemas, ahead of the closing ceremony this afternoon, the prize is one of two at Directors’ Fortnight, and awarded by one of the sidebar’s partners, given the section is non-competitive.   A second partner plaudit, the SACD Prize, handed out by France’s Writers’ Guild, will be announced simultaneously to the Europa Cinemas Label. 

Emiliano De Pablos Variety’s Global Locations Panel Conversations kicked off Saturday with a focus on Spain in which Juan-Manuel Guimeráns, Spain Film Commission general secretary, posited a new further reason for shooting in Spain.  Much is made of the country’s OMG locations, highlighted in “Game of Thrones,” its talent and technical prowess, and now extraordinary incentives. Now, as big international companies seek cost control and to promote sustainability, increasing attention will be paid to the Spanish industry’s ability to produce quality, cost-effective film and TV content very largely shot on a limited number of soundstages. Variety’s John Hopewell, in conversation with Guimeráns, pointed to the example of milestone series from Spain, such as “Grand Hotel,” “Velvet” and the first two parts of “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”). In the final stretches of the conversation, Guimeráns drilled down on some of key projects and recently opened studio facilities in Spain. 

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Álvaro Morte, immortalized by his performance as the Professor in “Money Heist,” has inked a multi-year producing deal with Sony Pictures Television through his Madrid-based production company 300 Pistolas, which he founded alongside Blanca Clemente. The accord sees 300 Pistolas, a theater company, making the transition into producing scripted TV, with Morte developing English-language scripted series exclusively with SPT, which he and Clemente will serve on as producers via 300 Pistolas.  Morte and Clemente will have access to SPT’s development teams. SPT will serve as exclusive production and distribution partner to any projects produced under the deal, SPT confirmed Wednesday.

Manu Rios is enjoying the warm weather in Cannes and he went shirtless during a beach day!

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent CANNES —  Belinda, one of Mexico’s biggest popstars and a star of Netflix hit “Welcome to Eden,” is attached to headline “The Red Diamond,” the latest project from Erik Barmack’s L.A. and Mexico City-based Wild Sheep Content. One of the fastest-growing of production companies in international markets, Wild Sheep has a production alliance with The Mediapro Studio.  “The Red Diamond” is also set up at Mexico City’s Wild Sheep Content Latin America, headed by producer Jimena Rodríguez who produced “3 Idiots,” the second highest-grossing Mexican movie of 2017. Rodríguez was instrumental in helping bringing Belinda to the project.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Spain’s Revelations showcase has focused on shorts, not features, unveiling the huge breadth of animation talent and techniques in Spain. Some shorts directors are already stars, such as Alberto Mielgo with the Oscar-winner “The Windshield Wiper.” Diego Porral, director of “Leopoldo From the Bar,” served as animation lead on “Love, Death + Robots” episode “Kill Team Kill.” Standouts among new projects in Revelations included “Latente,” a Next Lab Generation winner from Carlos Zaragoza and Aurora Jiménez, and Martín Romero’s “To Bird or Not to Bird,” from Uniko and Abano Producións, which is a 2D short made largely in black and white featuring an angst-ridden clock cuckoo and other birds beset by environmental destruction.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Former Netflix exec Juan Mayne has hung up his own shingle, Madrid-based N&L Films, built with strong talent relationships, a strategic alliance with Exile Content Studio and a sure sense of market opportunities. Exile Content Studio and N&L Films have struck a first-look development deal. Jeff Glaser, who oversaw Netflix production finance in Mexico City and Madrid, has joined N&L Films.  N&L’s first slate include a Mexican remake of “Miracle in Cell No. 7” and “Aristides: A Righteous Life,” the true-life account of a Portuguese diplomat who saved thousands from the Nazis in WWII, from Seanne Winslow.

Harrison Ford had a hard time fighting back tears at the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France Thursday night. Ford attended the festival with wife Calista Flockhart for the premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." This marks Ford's fifth and final movie in the franchise. Variety reported that once the film concluded, there was a standing ovation that lasted more than five minutes in the Palais des Festivals.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Spain’s Nostromo Pictures, producer of “Through My Window,” one of the most-watched non-English movies ever on Netflix, is producing “Control Room,” a female-led sci-fi action movie pitched by producer Adrián Guerra as “‘Aliens’ meets ‘The Guilty.’” Based on an original screenplay from Julien Deladrière, “Control Room” is directed by Luiso Berdejo, helmer of “The New Daughter,” starring Kevin Coster, and writer of horror smash hit “[REC”].” Produced by Guerra, Nuria Valls and Miguel Angel Faura for Nostromo Pictures, “Control Room” is currently in post-production. Film Factory is launching worldwide sales at Cannes.

Cannes Film Festival was bursting with powerful auteurs debuting new work and a bevy of titles being prepped for acquisition. From Pedro Almodóvar to Steve McQueen, festival attendees were flush for choice on what to watch — this despite reports that issues with tickets were still happening.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Founded in 1953, bought by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one of its biggest true-blue independent studios in Spain, involved in film and TV pro- duction, and movie distribution, international film and TV sales and exhibition. Founded in 1953, bought by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one of its biggest true-blue independent studios in Spain, involved in film and TV production, and movie distribution, international film and TV sales and exhibition. How it got there is another question. “At Filmax, we’ve always bet on creative talent. In Spain, there’s always been creative talents that have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax executive producer. “Filmax has known how to find talent in all parts of film production: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and directors.”

Marta Balaga The Sitges–International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has revealed the opening film for its 56th edition at Cannes’ Fantastic Pavilion: “Hermana Muerte” by Paco Plaza. Produced by El Estudio for Netflix, it was written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría. Shot almost entirely in the Valencian monastery of San Jerónimo de Cotalba, Plaza’s seventh feature is “a horror tale with a feminine touch,” it was stated, which will take its viewers all the way back to post-Civil War Spain, when a convent is shaken up by the arrival of Narcisa, a young novice with supernatural powers.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Every time two cowboys point their guns at one another on screen, there’s something homoerotic at play. Hollywood Westerns may be loath to admit as much, but not so Pedro Almodóvar, who casts Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as lonesome cowboys reunited after 25 years in “Strange Way of Life.” Commissioned by Saint Laurent Productions (which is also premiering a Jean-Luc Godard short at Cannes), this half-baked half-hour serves as a sexy showcase for creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s latest designs, while barely delivering on the promise that an Almodóvar-made “gay cowboy” movie conjures in the imagination. At the Cannes premiere, the Spanish director described “Strange” as his response to a question posed by “Brokeback Mountain”: What can two men do on a ranch? Silva (Pascal) gives Jake (Hawke) his answer in the final seconds of the short, and it’s sweet, though it turns out Almodóvar is misremembering Ang Lee’s 2005 Western. The scene he’s thinking of is probably the one where Heath Ledger’s character tells Jake Gyllenhaal how his father made a point of showing him an old rancher’s corpse, gay-bashed with a tire iron and then “drug … around by his dick.” With an image like that in their minds, no wonder the couple decide to keep their forbidden love on the down low.

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar rode into the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday with his short film Strange Way Of Life, pushing boundaries for LGBT representation in the Western genre.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Nine more minutes of footage would take Pedro Almodóvar’s film “Strange Way of Life” from a live action short frontrunner to a best picture contender. To be eligible for the Academy Awards’ best picture category, a film must have a minimum 40-minute runtime. Almodóvar’s movie runs 31 minutes. With those extra nine minutes, we could also highlight the worthiness of actors Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal and the project’s artisan categories. But for his second English language endeavor, coming three years after “The Human Voice” with Tilda Swinton, the Spanish auteur’s sensibilities are never lacking. His new Spanish Western stands proudly next to some of his most audacious movies such as “Talk to Her” and “Volver.”

The great Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar is a rabid fan of the western genre but until now had never made one, and also has only dabbled in directing any english language film with the exception of the 2020 short, The Human Voice that starred Tilda Swinton. His latest movie is also a short, just 31 minutes, but he finally got to do his western in english, and it is a nice homage to the form and those great directors who made it that way, one it is safe to say could only have come from this master of cinema, and a true cineaste himself. Almodovar brought the finished product to its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival today and, if flattered by the attention, the ghosts of John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Sturges, Anthony Mann, Raoul Walsh , and Sam Peckinpah may be surprised at the twist in Strange Way Of Life that this 73 year old fanboy has given it.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The 2023 Cannes Film Festival is jam-packed with buzzy world premieres, from Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.” Todd Haynes is also back to unveil “May December,” featuring the A-list pairing of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, while Disney is bringing Harrison Ford to the Croisette for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” New films from Pedro Almodovar, Jessica Hautner, Jonathan Glazer, Catherine Corsini, Hirokazu Kore-eda and more are also set to make their debuts at Cannes this year. Cannes is often seen as a launching pad for Oscar season. Warner Bros. in 2022 kicked off its lengthy awards run for Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” on the French Riviera, with the film going on to land eight Academy Award nominations, including best picture. Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” also picked up Oscar nods for best picture, director and original screenplay. Two international film nominees, “Close” and “EO,” launched at last year’s festival, while “Aftersun” best actor nominee Paul Mescal got his awards start in the Directors Fortnight sidebar. All of this is to say the industry will be closely watching the buzz on all of this year’s world premieres.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Five Catalan movies made Cannes Festival’s cut, six were selected for Marché du Film sections. Details and other top Catalan movies on the Croisette: “20,000 Species of Bees,” (Estibaliz Urresola) One of the big winners at Berlin, taking Leading Performance, and two other key prizes, and now healthy racking up healthy sales, including a Film Movement U.S. pickup, “Bees” builds from a naturalistic base – a family off for a village summer holiday – to become a moving an ode to women’s freedom. Produced out of Barcelona by Valérie Delpierre’s Inicia Films. Sales: Luxbox