Exclusive: Big World Pictures has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights from Paris-based sales firm Charades to Giacomo Abbruzzese’s debut feature, Disco Boy.
Winner of the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution earlier this year, the largely French-language film stars rising German actor Franz Rogowski as a Belarusian immigrant haunted by his actions as a mercenary in the French Foreign Legion. Above is an English-language trailer for the movie.
An early 2024 theatrical release is being lined up following fall festival play. France’s Films Grand Huit produces.
Rogowski is best known for Ira Sachs’ Passages, Christian Petzold’s Transit and Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom. Upcoming he will star in Andrea Arnold’s Bird and David Michôd and A24’s Wizards!.
In Disco Boy, Rogowski plays Aleksei, who reaches Paris following a difficult and undocumented journey across Europe. In Paris he enlists in the French Foreign Legion,...
Winner of the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution earlier this year, the largely French-language film stars rising German actor Franz Rogowski as a Belarusian immigrant haunted by his actions as a mercenary in the French Foreign Legion. Above is an English-language trailer for the movie.
An early 2024 theatrical release is being lined up following fall festival play. France’s Films Grand Huit produces.
Rogowski is best known for Ira Sachs’ Passages, Christian Petzold’s Transit and Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom. Upcoming he will star in Andrea Arnold’s Bird and David Michôd and A24’s Wizards!.
In Disco Boy, Rogowski plays Aleksei, who reaches Paris following a difficult and undocumented journey across Europe. In Paris he enlists in the French Foreign Legion,...
- 8/15/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Alliance 4 Development – a co-development initiative for film projects from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland hosted by Locarno Pro – is ready to embrace a “variety of genres, themes and visions,” says project manager Francesca Palleschi.
Among 11 titles selected for its 8th edition, emerging filmmakers will be featured alongside their more established colleagues.
“We are proud to support these projects along the path of their development, including several debuts and more than half helmed by female directors,” she adds.
That said, Alliance 4 Development, part of Locarno Pro, headed by Markus Duffner (pictured) features most of the bigger projects being brought to market at Locarno, some bigger-budgeted by European standards.
Ann Oren will bring her unique point of view to “Objet a,” about a couple that, she states, “falls out of sync,” and starts following a mysterious woman with “unusually wild armpit hair.”
“They enter a surreal dialogue with nature, which turns...
Among 11 titles selected for its 8th edition, emerging filmmakers will be featured alongside their more established colleagues.
“We are proud to support these projects along the path of their development, including several debuts and more than half helmed by female directors,” she adds.
That said, Alliance 4 Development, part of Locarno Pro, headed by Markus Duffner (pictured) features most of the bigger projects being brought to market at Locarno, some bigger-budgeted by European standards.
Ann Oren will bring her unique point of view to “Objet a,” about a couple that, she states, “falls out of sync,” and starts following a mysterious woman with “unusually wild armpit hair.”
“They enter a surreal dialogue with nature, which turns...
- 8/4/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Lila Aviles received best director in the international competition.
Marie Amachoukeli’s Ama Gloria and Juraj Lerotic’s Safe Place lead the winners of the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival, which handed out 1m Ils in prizes this evening (July 20).
Ama Gloria, which premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes this year, won the best international film award. The film depicts the last summer between a six-year-old girl and her nanny Gloria, before the latter returns to Cape Verde to care for her own children.
Scroll down for the full list of feature winners
A jury led by Claire Denis and consisting of Whit Stillman,...
Marie Amachoukeli’s Ama Gloria and Juraj Lerotic’s Safe Place lead the winners of the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival, which handed out 1m Ils in prizes this evening (July 20).
Ama Gloria, which premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes this year, won the best international film award. The film depicts the last summer between a six-year-old girl and her nanny Gloria, before the latter returns to Cape Verde to care for her own children.
Scroll down for the full list of feature winners
A jury led by Claire Denis and consisting of Whit Stillman,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Marie Amachoukeli’s Ama Gloria has won the Best International Film Prize at the 40th edition of the Jerusalem Film Festival, running from July 13 to July 26.
The feature, which world premiered as the opening film of Cannes Critics’ Week in May, revolves around a motherless six-year-old girl who travels to Cape Verde to reunite with her longtime nanny.
The jury presided over by Claire Denis, and also figuring Whit Stillman, Florian Zeller, Joana Vicente, and Maria Schrader praised the film’s “extraordinary poignancy, beauty and insight”.
Ama Gloria is produced by Bénédicte Couvreur, the long-time producer of Céline Sciamma and her films Petite Maman and Portrait Of A Lady On Fire.
Other winners in the International Competition include Best Director for Mexico’s Lila Avilés for Berlinale-selected family drama Totem and a Special Mention for the ensemble cast of Argentinian director Rodrigo Moreno’s The Delinquents, which debuted in Un Certain Regard this year.
The feature, which world premiered as the opening film of Cannes Critics’ Week in May, revolves around a motherless six-year-old girl who travels to Cape Verde to reunite with her longtime nanny.
The jury presided over by Claire Denis, and also figuring Whit Stillman, Florian Zeller, Joana Vicente, and Maria Schrader praised the film’s “extraordinary poignancy, beauty and insight”.
Ama Gloria is produced by Bénédicte Couvreur, the long-time producer of Céline Sciamma and her films Petite Maman and Portrait Of A Lady On Fire.
Other winners in the International Competition include Best Director for Mexico’s Lila Avilés for Berlinale-selected family drama Totem and a Special Mention for the ensemble cast of Argentinian director Rodrigo Moreno’s The Delinquents, which debuted in Un Certain Regard this year.
- 7/20/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Jurors include Whit Stillman, Florian Zeller, Maria Schrader, Joana Vicente.
French filmmaker Claire Denis will lead the international competition jury for the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival, which runs from July 13-23.
Denis will be joined by directors Whit Stillman, Florian Zeller and Maria Schrader on the jury, plus Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente.
Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo will preside over the Israeli competition jury. Directors make up the majority of the jurors across the competitive sections, including Jasmila Zbanic, Ali Abbasi, Sebastian Meise, Julian Rosefeldt, Joseph Cedar, Sebastien Lifshitz, Barbara Albert, Alexandru Belc and Manuela Martelli, plus Mathilde Henrot from Locarno Film Festival.
French filmmaker Claire Denis will lead the international competition jury for the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival, which runs from July 13-23.
Denis will be joined by directors Whit Stillman, Florian Zeller and Maria Schrader on the jury, plus Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente.
Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo will preside over the Israeli competition jury. Directors make up the majority of the jurors across the competitive sections, including Jasmila Zbanic, Ali Abbasi, Sebastian Meise, Julian Rosefeldt, Joseph Cedar, Sebastien Lifshitz, Barbara Albert, Alexandru Belc and Manuela Martelli, plus Mathilde Henrot from Locarno Film Festival.
- 7/7/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Greenbird Flies To New Owner
Scotland’s Stv Studios has acquired the 15 companies operated by “Lego Masters” company Greenbird Media for £21.4 million ($27.3 million). Israel’s Keshet International acquired 60% of Greenbird five years ago. Stv Studios has now acquired 100% of Greenbird, including Keshet’s stake.
Greenbird founders, Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin, will join the Stv Studios board in the roles of chief commercial officer and finance and integration director respectively, working alongside COO, Paul Sheehan, and under the leadership of MD, David Mortimer.
The deal boosts the number of labels within Stv Studios from nine to 24. As a result of the acquisition, Stv Studios now has expanded bases in Glasgow and London, as well as offices in Cardiff, Belfast, Brighton and Manchester.
Hit shows made by the producers in Greenbird’s cluster include: “Lego Masters” (Tuesday’s Child for Channel 4/Fox) and “The Hit List” (Tuesday’s Child for BBC One...
Scotland’s Stv Studios has acquired the 15 companies operated by “Lego Masters” company Greenbird Media for £21.4 million ($27.3 million). Israel’s Keshet International acquired 60% of Greenbird five years ago. Stv Studios has now acquired 100% of Greenbird, including Keshet’s stake.
Greenbird founders, Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin, will join the Stv Studios board in the roles of chief commercial officer and finance and integration director respectively, working alongside COO, Paul Sheehan, and under the leadership of MD, David Mortimer.
The deal boosts the number of labels within Stv Studios from nine to 24. As a result of the acquisition, Stv Studios now has expanded bases in Glasgow and London, as well as offices in Cardiff, Belfast, Brighton and Manchester.
Hit shows made by the producers in Greenbird’s cluster include: “Lego Masters” (Tuesday’s Child for Channel 4/Fox) and “The Hit List” (Tuesday’s Child for BBC One...
- 7/6/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Pitch Point includes new projects from Nir Bergman, Yona Rozenkier, Hadar Morag.
Jerusalem Film Festival has confirmed the Industry Days programme for its 40th-anniversary edition, including the 10 projects for its Pitch Point Competition for Israeli co-production features.
The Industry Days will run from July 13-15, and will also include the final pitching event of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab on July 14.
Scroll down for the full list of Pitch Point projects.
Pitch Point pitches will run on July 13, to a jury presided over by Arte Cinema France’s Olivier Pere, and including Beta Cinema’s Thorsten Ritter,...
Jerusalem Film Festival has confirmed the Industry Days programme for its 40th-anniversary edition, including the 10 projects for its Pitch Point Competition for Israeli co-production features.
The Industry Days will run from July 13-15, and will also include the final pitching event of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab on July 14.
Scroll down for the full list of Pitch Point projects.
Pitch Point pitches will run on July 13, to a jury presided over by Arte Cinema France’s Olivier Pere, and including Beta Cinema’s Thorsten Ritter,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Jerusalem Film Fest Unveils 2023 Industry Program
Nir Bergman and Yona Rozenkier will be among the Israeli filmmakers presenting new projects at the Jerusalem Film Fest’s Pitch Point event this year. The annual meeting connecting Israeli directors with international partners is one pole of the festival’s Jerusalem Industry Days, running July 13 to 15. Jurors will be Olivier Père (Arte Cinema France), Thorsten Ritter (Beta Cinema), Kevin Chan (Mubi) and Claudia Solano (The Match Factory), alongside Helge Albers and producer Yael Fogiel (Les Films du Poisson). The Industry Days will also host the final pitching session for the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab. Other highlights include a focus on Austria, accompanied by Austrian Films’ Anne Laurent-Delage and Emilie Dauptain and producers Antonin Svoboda (coop99), Oliver Neumann (FreibeuterFilm), Sabine Gruber (Golden Girls) and Barbara Pichler (Kgp Filmproduktion). Filmmakers Sebastian Meise,...
Nir Bergman and Yona Rozenkier will be among the Israeli filmmakers presenting new projects at the Jerusalem Film Fest’s Pitch Point event this year. The annual meeting connecting Israeli directors with international partners is one pole of the festival’s Jerusalem Industry Days, running July 13 to 15. Jurors will be Olivier Père (Arte Cinema France), Thorsten Ritter (Beta Cinema), Kevin Chan (Mubi) and Claudia Solano (The Match Factory), alongside Helge Albers and producer Yael Fogiel (Les Films du Poisson). The Industry Days will also host the final pitching session for the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab. Other highlights include a focus on Austria, accompanied by Austrian Films’ Anne Laurent-Delage and Emilie Dauptain and producers Antonin Svoboda (coop99), Oliver Neumann (FreibeuterFilm), Sabine Gruber (Golden Girls) and Barbara Pichler (Kgp Filmproduktion). Filmmakers Sebastian Meise,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Wasikowska will be joined by jurors including ‘Triangle of Sadness’ star Zlatko Buric.
Australian actress and filmmaker Mia Wasikowska will lead the competition jury for the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs from August 11 to 18 this summer.
Wasikowska will be joined on the jury by Croatian actor Zlatko Buric, who starred in Ruben Ostlund’s 2022 Palme d’Or winner Triangle Of Sadness; and Serbian actress Danica Curcic, who recently appeared in Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom Exodus.
Completing the five-strong jury are Croatian actor and filmmaker Juraj Lerotic, whose debut feature Safe Place won best actor and the Heart...
Australian actress and filmmaker Mia Wasikowska will lead the competition jury for the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs from August 11 to 18 this summer.
Wasikowska will be joined on the jury by Croatian actor Zlatko Buric, who starred in Ruben Ostlund’s 2022 Palme d’Or winner Triangle Of Sadness; and Serbian actress Danica Curcic, who recently appeared in Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom Exodus.
Completing the five-strong jury are Croatian actor and filmmaker Juraj Lerotic, whose debut feature Safe Place won best actor and the Heart...
- 6/27/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The European Film Academy (Efa) has unveiled 462 film professionals as new members in an announcement timed to coincide with Europe Day on May 9.
The new arrivals will be eligible to vote in the academy’s European Film Awards, the region’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, as well as contribute to its other initiatives across the year.
The Efa said a record number of professionals had accepted to join the organization this year, adding that 50% were female, 49%, were male, and 1% defined as non-binary.
The bigger intake comes amid a drive to revamp the academy which recently announced it would be moving the Efa ceremony to January in 2026, from its traditional December slot, to make it more relevant in the annual film awards season culminating with the Oscars.
The Efa currently now counts 4,600 members based in 52 countries.
The new members mainly hailed from Germany (68), France (38), Switzerland (37), Poland (36), Italy (33), Spain (24), UK (28) and...
The new arrivals will be eligible to vote in the academy’s European Film Awards, the region’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, as well as contribute to its other initiatives across the year.
The Efa said a record number of professionals had accepted to join the organization this year, adding that 50% were female, 49%, were male, and 1% defined as non-binary.
The bigger intake comes amid a drive to revamp the academy which recently announced it would be moving the Efa ceremony to January in 2026, from its traditional December slot, to make it more relevant in the annual film awards season culminating with the Oscars.
The Efa currently now counts 4,600 members based in 52 countries.
The new members mainly hailed from Germany (68), France (38), Switzerland (37), Poland (36), Italy (33), Spain (24), UK (28) and...
- 5/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
After a hugely successful year for domestic films, Austria’s movie industry is looking forward to another impressive crop of titles, including many international co-productions that reflect not only cultural and historical ties with neighboring countries but also the sector’s strong cross-border partnerships.
Highly anticipated films this year include Hans Steinbichler’s “A Whole Life,” the story of a humble man’s existence in an Alpine valley that spans more than eight decades; Dieter Berner’s “Alma and Oskar,” which explores the passionate and tumultuous affair between Viennese composer and socialite Alma Mahler and artist Oskar Kokoschka in the early 1900s; and Timm Kröger’s “The Theory of Everything,” a black-and-white, 1960s-set mystery-thriller that takes place in a scientific conference in the Alps.
Forthcoming releases include works from established directors and young filmmakers, says Anne Laurent-Delage, executive director of promotional organization Austrian Films. This year’s strong showing follows...
Highly anticipated films this year include Hans Steinbichler’s “A Whole Life,” the story of a humble man’s existence in an Alpine valley that spans more than eight decades; Dieter Berner’s “Alma and Oskar,” which explores the passionate and tumultuous affair between Viennese composer and socialite Alma Mahler and artist Oskar Kokoschka in the early 1900s; and Timm Kröger’s “The Theory of Everything,” a black-and-white, 1960s-set mystery-thriller that takes place in a scientific conference in the Alps.
Forthcoming releases include works from established directors and young filmmakers, says Anne Laurent-Delage, executive director of promotional organization Austrian Films. This year’s strong showing follows...
- 2/18/2023
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin-based sales agent
Berlin-based Salzgeber is to handle international sales for actor Fabian Stumm’s feature directorial debut Bones And Names, which premieres in the Berlinale’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino section.
A sensitive and humorous reflection on relationships, the film has been nominated for the Teddy Award, Compass-Perspektibe Award and Heiner Carow Prize.
Stumm, whose acting credits include Cate Shortland’s Lore and Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom, directed the short Bruxelles in 2020 and the award-winning medium-length film Daniel a year later before developing Bones and Names as his feature debut.
“Everything happened in a very short period: I wrote...
Berlin-based Salzgeber is to handle international sales for actor Fabian Stumm’s feature directorial debut Bones And Names, which premieres in the Berlinale’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino section.
A sensitive and humorous reflection on relationships, the film has been nominated for the Teddy Award, Compass-Perspektibe Award and Heiner Carow Prize.
Stumm, whose acting credits include Cate Shortland’s Lore and Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom, directed the short Bruxelles in 2020 and the award-winning medium-length film Daniel a year later before developing Bones and Names as his feature debut.
“Everything happened in a very short period: I wrote...
- 2/15/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
This year, the jury of the First Feature Competition has decided to hand out two Special Jury Prizes, the first of which was given to the Croatian director Filip Heraković for his film “Pelican”. The second went to Siddharth Chauhan’s “Amar Colony” ‘for originality of vision’. In their statement, the jury comprising of Sebastian Meise, Pippa Cross, Therese Malvar, Jean des Forêts, and Michael Idov explained their decision with the following words: “This film delighted us with a bold and innovative presentation of a small town community whose frank sensuality and unabashed pursuit of urges, both human and divine, are set against the resonant backdrop of a culturally rich and deeply personal setting. The director daringly takes us by the hand and leads us on a journey to his world, introducing us to his characters and their lives with affection and often with humor.”
Siddharth Chauhan takes...
Siddharth Chauhan takes...
- 12/8/2022
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Swiss-Kosovar feature ‘The Land Within’ takes best first feature film.
Hilmar Oddsson’s Icelandic dark comedy Driving Mum won the Grand Prix for best film in Competition at the award ceremony of the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), held on Saturday, November 26.
The Official Selection jury, headed by Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi, said Driving Mum “charmed us all with its transparent, simple but bold film language, with its graceful sense of humour, with its unpretentious way of speaking about burning questions of personal life. A film which tells us that it is never too late.”
Scroll down for...
Hilmar Oddsson’s Icelandic dark comedy Driving Mum won the Grand Prix for best film in Competition at the award ceremony of the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), held on Saturday, November 26.
The Official Selection jury, headed by Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi, said Driving Mum “charmed us all with its transparent, simple but bold film language, with its graceful sense of humour, with its unpretentious way of speaking about burning questions of personal life. A film which tells us that it is never too late.”
Scroll down for...
- 11/27/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
German actor Udo Kier to receive lifetime achievement award.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 11-27) has unveiled the full line-up of its 2022 edition and revealed it will open with Leon Prudovsky’s My Neighbor Adolf.
My Neighbor Adolf will also launch this year’s 15-film country focus on Israel. The English-language drama, which premiered at Locarno, is set in 1960s Colombia where a Holocaust survivor becomes convinced his new neighbour, played by Udo Kier, is Adolf Hitler. German actor Kier was today announced as the recipient of Tallinn’s lifetime achievement award, the first of three the...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 11-27) has unveiled the full line-up of its 2022 edition and revealed it will open with Leon Prudovsky’s My Neighbor Adolf.
My Neighbor Adolf will also launch this year’s 15-film country focus on Israel. The English-language drama, which premiered at Locarno, is set in 1960s Colombia where a Holocaust survivor becomes convinced his new neighbour, played by Udo Kier, is Adolf Hitler. German actor Kier was today announced as the recipient of Tallinn’s lifetime achievement award, the first of three the...
- 11/4/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Croatian writer-director Juraj Lerotić’s “Safe Place,” an emotional story of a family reeling in the wake of a suicide attempt, took the top prize at the Sarajevo Film Festival, which wrapped a record-setting 2022 edition in the Bosnian capital on Friday night.
The Heart of Sarajevo Award for best feature film was given by a jury headed by Austrian filmmaker Sebastian Meise (“The Great Freedom”), which included French filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilović (“Earwig”), Croatian writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović (“Murina”), Serbian actor Milan Marić (“Dovlatov”) and Israeli producer and consultant Katriel Schory.
“Safe Place” plays on Lerotić’s own pained family history, with the Croatian multihyphenate taking on the lead role in his deeply personal story — a performance that also earned him the award for best actor in Sarajevo.
Fresh off a triumphant world premiere in Locarno, where the film won three awards including best first feature, “Safe Place” was described by...
The Heart of Sarajevo Award for best feature film was given by a jury headed by Austrian filmmaker Sebastian Meise (“The Great Freedom”), which included French filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilović (“Earwig”), Croatian writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović (“Murina”), Serbian actor Milan Marić (“Dovlatov”) and Israeli producer and consultant Katriel Schory.
“Safe Place” plays on Lerotić’s own pained family history, with the Croatian multihyphenate taking on the lead role in his deeply personal story — a performance that also earned him the award for best actor in Sarajevo.
Fresh off a triumphant world premiere in Locarno, where the film won three awards including best first feature, “Safe Place” was described by...
- 8/20/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Eight films battled it out in competition at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, but Austrian director Sebastian Meise’s jury—including French director Lucile Hadžihalilović , Croatian director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, Serbian actor Milan Marić and Israeli producer Katriel Schory—spread the love quite widely.
By far the critics’ darling, Juraj Lerotić’s powerful suicide drama Safe Place was a popular choice for the big winner, with plaudits for Berlin/Sundance title Klondike and Cannes favorite Corsage.
The winners were…
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film
Safe Place, dir: Juraj Lerotić (Croatia)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director
Maryina Er Gorbach, dir: Klondike (Ukraine/Turkey)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress
Vicky Krieps, Corsage (Austria/Luxembourg/Germany/France)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actor
Juraj Lerotić, Safe Place (Croatia)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film
Museum of the Revolution, Srđan Keča
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Documentary Film
We,...
By far the critics’ darling, Juraj Lerotić’s powerful suicide drama Safe Place was a popular choice for the big winner, with plaudits for Berlin/Sundance title Klondike and Cannes favorite Corsage.
The winners were…
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film
Safe Place, dir: Juraj Lerotić (Croatia)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director
Maryina Er Gorbach, dir: Klondike (Ukraine/Turkey)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress
Vicky Krieps, Corsage (Austria/Luxembourg/Germany/France)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actor
Juraj Lerotić, Safe Place (Croatia)
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film
Museum of the Revolution, Srđan Keča
Heart of Sarajevo for Best Short Documentary Film
We,...
- 8/20/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Schrader will present ‘The Card Counter’ at the festival and hold a masterclass.
US writer-director Paul Schrader will receive the honorary Heart of Sarajevo award at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, which takes place from August 12-19 this year.
Schrader will attend the festival to collect his award on August 13, with the presentation followed by a screening of his most recent film The Card Counter, starring Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish.
He will also give a masterclass that morning as the opening session of the Talents Sarajevo Masterclasses programme.
Schrader broke out as a writer with Martin Scorsese-directed Taxi Driver,...
US writer-director Paul Schrader will receive the honorary Heart of Sarajevo award at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, which takes place from August 12-19 this year.
Schrader will attend the festival to collect his award on August 13, with the presentation followed by a screening of his most recent film The Card Counter, starring Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish.
He will also give a masterclass that morning as the opening session of the Talents Sarajevo Masterclasses programme.
Schrader broke out as a writer with Martin Scorsese-directed Taxi Driver,...
- 7/13/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Schrader will present ‘The Card Counter’ at the festival and hold a masterclass.
US writer-director Paul Schrader will receive the honorary Heart of Sarajevo award at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, which takes place from August 12-19 this year.
Schrader will attend the festival to collect his award on August 13, with the presentation followed by a screening of his most recent film The Card Counter, starring Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish.
He will also give a masterclass that morning as the opening session of the Talents Sarajevo Masterclasses programme.
Schrader broke out as a writer with Martin Scorsese-directed Taxi Driver,...
US writer-director Paul Schrader will receive the honorary Heart of Sarajevo award at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival, which takes place from August 12-19 this year.
Schrader will attend the festival to collect his award on August 13, with the presentation followed by a screening of his most recent film The Card Counter, starring Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish.
He will also give a masterclass that morning as the opening session of the Talents Sarajevo Masterclasses programme.
Schrader broke out as a writer with Martin Scorsese-directed Taxi Driver,...
- 7/13/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Black-and-white biopic of Thomas Brasch won best film, director and actor Albrecht Schuch
Andreas Kleinert’s Dear Thomas has swept the German Film Awards with nine wins including best film, director and actor Albrecht Schuch.
The awards, known as the Lolas, were handed out during a gala ceremony attended by 1,700 guests at Berlin’s Palais am Funkturm on Friday (June 24).
Dear Thomas, a black-and-white historical biopic of East German author and filmmaker Thomas Brasch, picked up the Golden Lola for best film and won further awards for best director, screenplay, actor, production design, costume design, supporting actress, cinematography and editing.
Andreas Kleinert’s Dear Thomas has swept the German Film Awards with nine wins including best film, director and actor Albrecht Schuch.
The awards, known as the Lolas, were handed out during a gala ceremony attended by 1,700 guests at Berlin’s Palais am Funkturm on Friday (June 24).
Dear Thomas, a black-and-white historical biopic of East German author and filmmaker Thomas Brasch, picked up the Golden Lola for best film and won further awards for best director, screenplay, actor, production design, costume design, supporting actress, cinematography and editing.
- 6/27/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Dear Thomas, Andreas Kleinert’s black-and-white artistic biopic of the late poet, writer, and film director Thomas Brasch, has won the Lola for best film at the 2022 German Film Awards.
Kleinert also won best director and Albrecht Schuch took the 2022 best acting prize for his starring role as Brasch. It’s the third acting Lola in three years for Schuch, who won two Lolas in 2020, both for best actor (for System Crasher) and best-supporting actor (for Berlin Alexanderplatz). His Dear Thomas co-star Jella Haase won best supporting actress, and Thomas Wendrich took the best screenplay Lola for his script. Dear Thomas also won the Lola for best editing for Gisela Zick, best costume design for Anne-Gret Oehme, and best cinematography for Johann Feind.
Keeping Dear Thomas from a clean sweep at the 2022 Lolas in Berlin Friday night was Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush,...
Dear Thomas, Andreas Kleinert’s black-and-white artistic biopic of the late poet, writer, and film director Thomas Brasch, has won the Lola for best film at the 2022 German Film Awards.
Kleinert also won best director and Albrecht Schuch took the 2022 best acting prize for his starring role as Brasch. It’s the third acting Lola in three years for Schuch, who won two Lolas in 2020, both for best actor (for System Crasher) and best-supporting actor (for Berlin Alexanderplatz). His Dear Thomas co-star Jella Haase won best supporting actress, and Thomas Wendrich took the best screenplay Lola for his script. Dear Thomas also won the Lola for best editing for Gisela Zick, best costume design for Anne-Gret Oehme, and best cinematography for Johann Feind.
Keeping Dear Thomas from a clean sweep at the 2022 Lolas in Berlin Friday night was Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush,...
- 6/24/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Austrian writer-director Sebastian Meise has been named president of the Jury at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival. He’ll be joined on his jury by screenwriter and producer Lucile Hadžihalilović, writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, actor Milan Marić and producer and senior consultant for international co-productions Katriel Schory.
Meise co-founded Viennese production company Freibeuter Film before his acclaimed debut feature film Still Life premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and garnered several awards. His further credits include documentary Outing and Great Freedom, the latter of which won the Cannes Jury Prize for Un Certain Regard and was also awarded the Heart Of Sarajevo award for Best Feature Film and Best Actor (George Friedrich).
Hadžihalilović’s debut mini-feature La Bouche De Jean-Pierre premiered in Un Certain Regard in Cannes in 1996 and further credits that were hits on the international film festival circuit include Innocence, Evolution and, her latest film,...
Meise co-founded Viennese production company Freibeuter Film before his acclaimed debut feature film Still Life premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and garnered several awards. His further credits include documentary Outing and Great Freedom, the latter of which won the Cannes Jury Prize for Un Certain Regard and was also awarded the Heart Of Sarajevo award for Best Feature Film and Best Actor (George Friedrich).
Hadžihalilović’s debut mini-feature La Bouche De Jean-Pierre premiered in Un Certain Regard in Cannes in 1996 and further credits that were hits on the international film festival circuit include Innocence, Evolution and, her latest film,...
- 5/25/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
The 28th Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled the jury of its feature film competition jury.
Director and screenwriter Sebastian Meise will serve as jury president and fellow jurors include director, screenwriter and producer Lucile Hadžihalilović, writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, actor Milan Marić and producer and senior consultant for international co-productions Katriel Schory.
Meise debuted with “Still Life,” which premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and won several awards. His documentary film “Outing” was presented at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. His latest feature film “Great Freedom” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Jury Prize – Un Certain Regard. The film was also awarded the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature Film and best actor for Georg Friedrich, as well as the Cicae Arthouse Award at the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival.
Hadžihalilović’s debut mini-feature “La Bouche De Jean-Pierre” premiered at the Un...
Director and screenwriter Sebastian Meise will serve as jury president and fellow jurors include director, screenwriter and producer Lucile Hadžihalilović, writer-director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, actor Milan Marić and producer and senior consultant for international co-productions Katriel Schory.
Meise debuted with “Still Life,” which premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and won several awards. His documentary film “Outing” was presented at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. His latest feature film “Great Freedom” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Jury Prize – Un Certain Regard. The film was also awarded the Heart of Sarajevo for best feature Film and best actor for Georg Friedrich, as well as the Cicae Arthouse Award at the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival.
Hadžihalilović’s debut mini-feature “La Bouche De Jean-Pierre” premiered at the Un...
- 5/25/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Meise joined by Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Milan Maric, Katriel Schory.
Austrian writer-director Sebastian Meise will lead a five-person jury for the Competition programme of the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival.
Meise will be joined by filmmakers Lucile Hadzihalilovic from France and Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic from Croatia; Serbian actor Milan Maric; and Katriel Schory, producer, consultant and former director of the Israel Film Fund.
Meise’s Great Freedom won the jury prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2021, going on to take the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film and for Best Actor for Georg Freidrich at last year’s Sarajevo Film Festival.
Austrian writer-director Sebastian Meise will lead a five-person jury for the Competition programme of the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival.
Meise will be joined by filmmakers Lucile Hadzihalilovic from France and Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic from Croatia; Serbian actor Milan Maric; and Katriel Schory, producer, consultant and former director of the Israel Film Fund.
Meise’s Great Freedom won the jury prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2021, going on to take the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film and for Best Actor for Georg Freidrich at last year’s Sarajevo Film Festival.
- 5/25/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Arthouse distribution, streaming and production company Mubi has taken all rights for the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Turkey, India and Southeast Asia (excluding the Philippines and theatrical rights in Cambodia) for Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul,” which plays in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival. MK2 films is handling international sales.
Sony Pictures Classics recently picked up rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
The film centers on 25-year-old Freddie, who on an impulse to reconnect with her origins, returns to South Korea for the first time, where she was born before being adopted and raised in France. The headstrong young woman starts looking for her biological parents in a country she knows so little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.
The film stars Park Ji-Min, Oh Kwang-Rok, Guka Han, Kim Sun-Young, Yoann Zimmer and Louis-Do De Lencquesaing.
Sony Pictures Classics recently picked up rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
The film centers on 25-year-old Freddie, who on an impulse to reconnect with her origins, returns to South Korea for the first time, where she was born before being adopted and raised in France. The headstrong young woman starts looking for her biological parents in a country she knows so little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.
The film stars Park Ji-Min, Oh Kwang-Rok, Guka Han, Kim Sun-Young, Yoann Zimmer and Louis-Do De Lencquesaing.
- 5/22/2022
- by Leo Barraclough and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Pablo Larrain’s ‘Spencer’ has been nominated for best film.
Andreas Kleinert’s Dear Thomas has emerged as the front runner at this year’s German Film Awards, known as the Lolas, with 12 nominations.
The black-and-white biopic of East German poet, dramatist and filmmaker Thomas Brasch is nominated in the best feature film category, as well as for direction, screenplay, lead actor, cinematography and production design.
Andreas Dresen’s Berlinale competition title Rabiye Kurnaz Vs. George W. Bush is not far behind Dear Thomas with 10 nominations, the same number his Gundermann attracted in 2019.
Austrian director Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom,...
Andreas Kleinert’s Dear Thomas has emerged as the front runner at this year’s German Film Awards, known as the Lolas, with 12 nominations.
The black-and-white biopic of East German poet, dramatist and filmmaker Thomas Brasch is nominated in the best feature film category, as well as for direction, screenplay, lead actor, cinematography and production design.
Andreas Dresen’s Berlinale competition title Rabiye Kurnaz Vs. George W. Bush is not far behind Dear Thomas with 10 nominations, the same number his Gundermann attracted in 2019.
Austrian director Sebastian Meise’s Great Freedom,...
- 5/13/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Rising German actor Franz Rogowski, who most recently starred in Cannes Film Festival critical hit Great Freedom, has signed with CAA.
Sebastian Meise’s drama, about the criminilization of homosexuality in post-war Germany, won the 2021 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize in Cannes. Rogowski gives a magnetic performance as Hans, a man repeatedly imprisoned under Paragraph 175 but who over the span of decades develops an unlikely bond with his cellmate.
Rogowski is also known for Christian Petzold films Transit and Undine, Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, Gabriele Mainetti’s Venice Film Festival title Freaks Out and Sebastian Schipper’s Berlin drama Victoria.
The former Berlin Shooting Star also starred in In The Aisles for which he won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role at the 2018 German Film Awards and a Lola Award.
Rogowski continues to be represented in the UK by Sam Fox and Kate Morrison at B-Side Management,...
Sebastian Meise’s drama, about the criminilization of homosexuality in post-war Germany, won the 2021 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize in Cannes. Rogowski gives a magnetic performance as Hans, a man repeatedly imprisoned under Paragraph 175 but who over the span of decades develops an unlikely bond with his cellmate.
Rogowski is also known for Christian Petzold films Transit and Undine, Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, Gabriele Mainetti’s Venice Film Festival title Freaks Out and Sebastian Schipper’s Berlin drama Victoria.
The former Berlin Shooting Star also starred in In The Aisles for which he won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role at the 2018 German Film Awards and a Lola Award.
Rogowski continues to be represented in the UK by Sam Fox and Kate Morrison at B-Side Management,...
- 5/4/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Park Chan-wook’s anticipated Cannes Competition title Decision to Leave has sold to arthouse streamer, theatrical distributor and producer Mubi in what we understand to be the company’s biggest film deal to date.
Mubi, which has made waves in the past 12 months for its voracious appetite for significant festival movies and its acquisition of German sales firm The Match Factory, has picked up Decision to Leave for North America, the UK, Ireland, Turkey, and India.
The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. and the UK with a fall 2022 date planned, followed by an exclusive Mubi streaming release. Parasite outfit Cj is handling international sales and negotiated the deal with the growing arthouse player.
Korean-language thriller Decision to Leave charts the aftermath of a man falling from a mountain peak to his death. The detective in charge of the investigation, Hae-joon, comes to meet the dead man’s wife Seo-rae.
Mubi, which has made waves in the past 12 months for its voracious appetite for significant festival movies and its acquisition of German sales firm The Match Factory, has picked up Decision to Leave for North America, the UK, Ireland, Turkey, and India.
The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. and the UK with a fall 2022 date planned, followed by an exclusive Mubi streaming release. Parasite outfit Cj is handling international sales and negotiated the deal with the growing arthouse player.
Korean-language thriller Decision to Leave charts the aftermath of a man falling from a mountain peak to his death. The detective in charge of the investigation, Hae-joon, comes to meet the dead man’s wife Seo-rae.
- 4/28/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The May 2022 lineup at Mubi here in the United States has been unveiled, most notably featuring a Cannes Takeover timed with the 75th edition of the festival. At long last, Arnaud Desplechin’s Philip Roth adaptation Deception will arrive stateside alongside Karim Ainouz’s documentary Mariner of the Mountains. Reaching further back into the festival’s history, Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure and The Square, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible, and Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank will also come to the service.
Their Franz Rogowski series will also continue with Great Freedom and Love Steaks, while works from Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Gia Coppola, Joachim Trier, Jeff Nichols, Satyajit Ray, Takashi Miike, and more will also arrive.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
5/1/2022 | Everybody Street | Cheryl Dunn
5/2/2022 | Love Steaks | Jakob Lass
5/3/2022 | Our Lady of the Nile | Atiq Rahimi
5/4/2022 | Time Piece | Jim Henson
5/5/2022 | R100 | Hitoshi Matsumoto...
Their Franz Rogowski series will also continue with Great Freedom and Love Steaks, while works from Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Gia Coppola, Joachim Trier, Jeff Nichols, Satyajit Ray, Takashi Miike, and more will also arrive.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
5/1/2022 | Everybody Street | Cheryl Dunn
5/2/2022 | Love Steaks | Jakob Lass
5/3/2022 | Our Lady of the Nile | Atiq Rahimi
5/4/2022 | Time Piece | Jim Henson
5/5/2022 | R100 | Hitoshi Matsumoto...
- 4/28/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Get ready to get your Q on!
The 15th Annual QFest St. Louis — presented by Cinema St. Louis (Csl) — will take place from April 29-May 5 at the Galleria 6 Cinemas, with a selection of programs also available online. The online programs can be streamed at any time during the festival’s dates.
The St. Louis-based LGBTQ film festival, QFest will present an eclectic array of 35 films from 13 countries. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture.
The fest is especially pleased to host the St. Louis premiere of “The Depths,” a rarely seen 2001 work by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and a reprise from Sliff of Sebastian Meiser’s prison drama “Great Freedom.” Another highlight is this year’s Q Classic,...
The 15th Annual QFest St. Louis — presented by Cinema St. Louis (Csl) — will take place from April 29-May 5 at the Galleria 6 Cinemas, with a selection of programs also available online. The online programs can be streamed at any time during the festival’s dates.
The St. Louis-based LGBTQ film festival, QFest will present an eclectic array of 35 films from 13 countries. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture.
The fest is especially pleased to host the St. Louis premiere of “The Depths,” a rarely seen 2001 work by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and a reprise from Sliff of Sebastian Meiser’s prison drama “Great Freedom.” Another highlight is this year’s Q Classic,...
- 4/4/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
‘BTS Permission to Dance On Stage’ was the number three title across the weekend.
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. The Batman (Warner Bros) £7.4m £26.5m 2 2. Uncharted (Sony) £1.1m £21.8m 5 3. BTS Permission to Dance On Stage (Trafalgar Releasing) £899,127 £899,127 1 4. Sing 2 (Universal) £818,617 £31.3m 7 5. The Duke (Pathé) £496,681 £3.9m 3
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
Warner Bros’ The Batman dominated the UK-Ireland box office for a second weekend, adding £7.4m to its total to reach £26.5m from 10 days in play.
The Batman dropped 44.5% - a relatively steep fall with little competition in the market, although it was coming from a strong start.
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. The Batman (Warner Bros) £7.4m £26.5m 2 2. Uncharted (Sony) £1.1m £21.8m 5 3. BTS Permission to Dance On Stage (Trafalgar Releasing) £899,127 £899,127 1 4. Sing 2 (Universal) £818,617 £31.3m 7 5. The Duke (Pathé) £496,681 £3.9m 3
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
Warner Bros’ The Batman dominated the UK-Ireland box office for a second weekend, adding £7.4m to its total to reach £26.5m from 10 days in play.
The Batman dropped 44.5% - a relatively steep fall with little competition in the market, although it was coming from a strong start.
- 3/14/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
‘BTS Permission to Dance On Stage’ was the number three title across the weekend.
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. The Batman (Warner Bros) £7.5m £27m 2 2. Uncharted (Sony) £1.1m £21.8m 5 3. BTS Permission to Dance On Stage (Trafalgar Releasing) £899,127 £899,127 1 4. Sing 2 (Universal) £818,617 £31.3m 7 5. The Duke (Pathé) £283,213 £7.2m 3
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
Warner Bros’ The Batman dominated the UK-Ireland box office for a second weekend, adding £7.5m to its total to reach £27m from 10 days in play.
The Batman dropped 44.5% - a relatively steep fall with little competition in the market, although it was coming from a strong start.
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. The Batman (Warner Bros) £7.5m £27m 2 2. Uncharted (Sony) £1.1m £21.8m 5 3. BTS Permission to Dance On Stage (Trafalgar Releasing) £899,127 £899,127 1 4. Sing 2 (Universal) £818,617 £31.3m 7 5. The Duke (Pathé) £283,213 £7.2m 3
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
Warner Bros’ The Batman dominated the UK-Ireland box office for a second weekend, adding £7.5m to its total to reach £27m from 10 days in play.
The Batman dropped 44.5% - a relatively steep fall with little competition in the market, although it was coming from a strong start.
- 3/14/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The law used by the Third Reich to oppress gay men continued long after its downfall. Director Sebastian Meise on Great Freedom, his searing film about a man incarcerated almost all his life
Paragraph 175 sounds innocuous enough. A minor piece of legislation, perhaps, or part of those terms and conditions that any one of us would be forgiven for skimming over. But as the award-winning new film Great Freedom makes clear, it was in fact a vindictive article of the German penal code that criminalised male homosexuality and blighted the lives of 140,000 men, more than a third of whom received prison sentences. As well as remaining in force for more than a century, Paragraph 175 exposed a tacit accord between the Nazis – who lowered the threshold for punishment while raising the sentence – and the postwar liberating forces.
“Other laws were reset after the war to how they had been before the Nazis,...
Paragraph 175 sounds innocuous enough. A minor piece of legislation, perhaps, or part of those terms and conditions that any one of us would be forgiven for skimming over. But as the award-winning new film Great Freedom makes clear, it was in fact a vindictive article of the German penal code that criminalised male homosexuality and blighted the lives of 140,000 men, more than a third of whom received prison sentences. As well as remaining in force for more than a century, Paragraph 175 exposed a tacit accord between the Nazis – who lowered the threshold for punishment while raising the sentence – and the postwar liberating forces.
“Other laws were reset after the war to how they had been before the Nazis,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Laws of Attraction: Rogowski Shines Bright in Recuperative Queer Prison Drama
Although there’s nary an upside down pink triangle in sight, Austria’s Sebastian Meise cultivates a trajectory of virulent, state sanctioned homophobia in his sophomore feature Great Freedom. Filtered through the lifespan of one particular German man surviving the concentration camps of WWII to the country’s large-scale social reformations of the late 1960s, Meise embraces a certain fetishized mise en scene for this nonlinear odyssey of prison cell vignettes. If at times the storytelling functions as a way to negate itself, restricted to the confines of the prison as if to metaphorically suggest restraint crystallizes itself into meaningful experience, Franz Rogowski consistently elevates this somber procedure with empathetic aplomb.…...
Although there’s nary an upside down pink triangle in sight, Austria’s Sebastian Meise cultivates a trajectory of virulent, state sanctioned homophobia in his sophomore feature Great Freedom. Filtered through the lifespan of one particular German man surviving the concentration camps of WWII to the country’s large-scale social reformations of the late 1960s, Meise embraces a certain fetishized mise en scene for this nonlinear odyssey of prison cell vignettes. If at times the storytelling functions as a way to negate itself, restricted to the confines of the prison as if to metaphorically suggest restraint crystallizes itself into meaningful experience, Franz Rogowski consistently elevates this somber procedure with empathetic aplomb.…...
- 3/11/2022
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Indie titles ‘Foscadh’, ‘A Banquet’, ‘Great Freedom’ also out.
Universal Pictures’ US indie drama Red Rocket opens in a busy weekend at the UK-Ireland box office, with 12 new films arriving in cinemas but none on wide release as Warner Bros’ The Batman moves into its second week on screens.
Opening in 171 sites, Sean Baker’s Red Rocket is the biggest release of the weekend. It is about a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown where no-one really wants him back. The film premiered in Competition at Cannes 2021, and has since played festivals including Telluride, New York,...
Universal Pictures’ US indie drama Red Rocket opens in a busy weekend at the UK-Ireland box office, with 12 new films arriving in cinemas but none on wide release as Warner Bros’ The Batman moves into its second week on screens.
Opening in 171 sites, Sean Baker’s Red Rocket is the biggest release of the weekend. It is about a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown where no-one really wants him back. The film premiered in Competition at Cannes 2021, and has since played festivals including Telluride, New York,...
- 3/11/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros,’ “The Batman” ruled the U.K. and Ireland box office, debuting at pole position with £13.5 million ($17.8 million), according to numbers released by Comscore.
In its fourth weekend, Sony’s “Uncharted” dropped a place down to second with £1.3 million and now has a total of £20.2 million.
In third position was Universal’s “Sing 2” with £1 million and the animated sequel has a robust £30.3 million total after six weekends.
In its second weekend, Warner Bros’ “The Duke,” the late “Notting Hill” director Roger Michell’s last fiction feature, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, collected £682,096 in fourth place and has a total of £2.7 million.
Rounding off the top five was Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, with £283,550. The film has a total of £7.1 million after four weekends.
Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” continued its mighty performance at...
In its fourth weekend, Sony’s “Uncharted” dropped a place down to second with £1.3 million and now has a total of £20.2 million.
In third position was Universal’s “Sing 2” with £1 million and the animated sequel has a robust £30.3 million total after six weekends.
In its second weekend, Warner Bros’ “The Duke,” the late “Notting Hill” director Roger Michell’s last fiction feature, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, collected £682,096 in fourth place and has a total of £2.7 million.
Rounding off the top five was Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, with £283,550. The film has a total of £7.1 million after four weekends.
Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” continued its mighty performance at...
- 3/9/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
German actor Franz Rogowski is typically intense as recidivist Hans who finds a form of freedom while incarcerated
Grosse Freiheit (Great Freedom) is the name of the Fassbinder-ish gay bar in this film with a dungeon-style sex club beneath: director and co-writer Sebastian Meise leaves it to us to gauge the exact level of irony in his title. It is visited by Hans, to whom 36-year-old German actor Franz Rogowski brings his typically intense, coiled and opaque personality. It is 1969, just after the West German government has decriminalised gay sex. Hans, recently out of jail for this crime, wanders the subterranean sex-filled corridors with an unfathomable smile. Perhaps he sees their resemblance to prison, whose interiors themselves resemble the public lavatories where Hans broke the law, that prison to which lifer Hans had an institutionalised loyalty, part of the lost generations of gay men whose entire lives were pointlessly consumed.
Grosse Freiheit (Great Freedom) is the name of the Fassbinder-ish gay bar in this film with a dungeon-style sex club beneath: director and co-writer Sebastian Meise leaves it to us to gauge the exact level of irony in his title. It is visited by Hans, to whom 36-year-old German actor Franz Rogowski brings his typically intense, coiled and opaque personality. It is 1969, just after the West German government has decriminalised gay sex. Hans, recently out of jail for this crime, wanders the subterranean sex-filled corridors with an unfathomable smile. Perhaps he sees their resemblance to prison, whose interiors themselves resemble the public lavatories where Hans broke the law, that prison to which lifer Hans had an institutionalised loyalty, part of the lost generations of gay men whose entire lives were pointlessly consumed.
- 3/9/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Moviegoing Memories is a series of short interviews with filmmakers about going to the movies. Sebastian Meise's Great Freedom is Mubi Go's Film of the Week in the UK for March 11, 2022.Sebastian Meise on the set of Great Freedom. Photo by Thomas Reider.Notebook: How would you describe your movie in the least amount of words?Sebastian Meise: A love story.Notebook: Where and what is your favorite movie theater? Why is it your favorite?Meise: The Gartenbaukino in Vienna. If there is one place in Austria that has not only brought film history to the screen, but has itself become part of film history, it is this cinema. With its eight hundred or so seats (whose wooden struts in the ancient cushioning make themselves felt extremely painfully in the lumbar region after just a few minutes) and its huge curved screen—which is covered by a magnificent...
- 3/8/2022
- MUBI
Mubi U.S. Distribution Chief On NYC Cinema Pass Success, ‘Great Freedom’ Open – Specialty Box Office
Mubi’s German-language, post-wwii drama Great Freedom grossed a solid $8,814 at NYC’s Film Forum this weekend, the latest in a string of foreign films to open well and with younger demos previously atypical of the genre.
Austria’s shortlisted Oscar submission for Best International Feature was also Mubi’s pick of the week for its Mubi Go program that’s been available to NYC streaming subscribers since October. It offers one free ticket a week to a prestige pic (from diverse distributors) and is set to roll out to LA and other U.S. markets this spring.
“We are firm believers that the more people that see films in theaters the better. We are about the theatrical experience and a healthier film culture. Generally, it doesn’t exist just on screen or just in theaters. It’s a rising tide. People are more apt to watch something in a...
Austria’s shortlisted Oscar submission for Best International Feature was also Mubi’s pick of the week for its Mubi Go program that’s been available to NYC streaming subscribers since October. It offers one free ticket a week to a prestige pic (from diverse distributors) and is set to roll out to LA and other U.S. markets this spring.
“We are firm believers that the more people that see films in theaters the better. We are about the theatrical experience and a healthier film culture. Generally, it doesn’t exist just on screen or just in theaters. It’s a rising tide. People are more apt to watch something in a...
- 3/6/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The last of the Nazi concentration camps were liberated in 1945, but not all of their survivors were freed. For many gay men born during the Weimar Republic — who had been disqualified from Hitler’s master race no matter their religion — the end of the Holocaust marked the beginning of another, longer sentence, as both sides of post-war Germany continued to enforce the criminalization of homosexuality under Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code (with West Germany adopting the Nazis’ aggressive revisions to the 1871 law). Already hollowed and dehumanized by their suffering in the Shoah, these men were shuttled directly from Auschwitz or Dachau to prisons in Munich or Berlin without so much as a sniff of the new world order. As the rest of the planet spun forward into the second half of the 20st century, they remained shackled to a statute that belonged to the 19th.
That atemporality is at...
That atemporality is at...
- 3/4/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Watching director Sebastian Meise’s “Great Freedom” is a process of watching the main character, Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski), get brutalized and dehumanized. The narrative takes place almost entirely in prison over a period of around 25 years, with Hans repeatedly put into the dark of solitary confinement, and this return to solitary acts as a linking device for Meise, whose screenplay with co-writer Thomas Reider is intricately structured.
“Great Freedom” begins with grainy color footage of Hans in a public lavatory as he hooks up with a series of men, and the furtive vibe is erotic until we are made to realize that what we are seeing is film being used against Hans in court. It is 1968 in Germany, and Hans is being prosecuted under Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality. He is sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The style of “Great Freedom” is cool, measured and austere, with near-invisible editing and barely any score.
“Great Freedom” begins with grainy color footage of Hans in a public lavatory as he hooks up with a series of men, and the furtive vibe is erotic until we are made to realize that what we are seeing is film being used against Hans in court. It is 1968 in Germany, and Hans is being prosecuted under Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality. He is sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The style of “Great Freedom” is cool, measured and austere, with near-invisible editing and barely any score.
- 3/3/2022
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
Few actors in cinema right now are as distinctive and exhilarating as Franz Rogowski. Among a sea of bland leading men he has a presence wholly his own, making every new film an event just to see what he’s going to do next. He’s impossible to pin down, possessing an unpredictability from one scene to the next, and the ability to convey that there’s so much going on underneath the surface of his characters––some of which we can interpret, much of which we may never fully know.
Being a mystery we’re not used to seeing in modern film, it’s no surprise Rogowski quickly made a name for himself working with some of our best directors, with key supporting roles in Sebastian Schipper’s one-shot wonder Victoria, and the most recent films of Michael Haneke (Happy End) and Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life). He is...
Being a mystery we’re not used to seeing in modern film, it’s no surprise Rogowski quickly made a name for himself working with some of our best directors, with key supporting roles in Sebastian Schipper’s one-shot wonder Victoria, and the most recent films of Michael Haneke (Happy End) and Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life). He is...
- 3/2/2022
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
In a new series, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Film Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what they’ve learned so far, and what’s taken them off guard.
In “Great Freedom,” the winner of the runner-up prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, Austrian director Sebastian Meise takes an empathetic look at the relationship between two prisoners in a German jail: convicted murderer Viktor (Georg Friedrich), and a gay man, Hans (Rogowski), imprisoned repeatedly over three decades under the country’s homophobic Paragraph 175 statute. The film is Austria’s entry in the International Feature Film category of the Oscars, and is one of 15 films to be shortlisted.
What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar?
It’s incredibly exciting, and personally, I wasn’t expecting it at all. When we finished...
In “Great Freedom,” the winner of the runner-up prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, Austrian director Sebastian Meise takes an empathetic look at the relationship between two prisoners in a German jail: convicted murderer Viktor (Georg Friedrich), and a gay man, Hans (Rogowski), imprisoned repeatedly over three decades under the country’s homophobic Paragraph 175 statute. The film is Austria’s entry in the International Feature Film category of the Oscars, and is one of 15 films to be shortlisted.
What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar?
It’s incredibly exciting, and personally, I wasn’t expecting it at all. When we finished...
- 1/31/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The topics of their films are wide-ranging — but four directors whose movies have made the shortlist for Academy Award consideration for International Feature Film all described their movies as tales of challenging the obstacles to forming essential human connections. Of a total of 92 eligible films, 15 made the final short list.
Four of those 15 finalists joined TheWrap’s Steve Pond for a discussion about the inspiration behind their movies. The list includes Sebastian Meise, director of Austrian entry “Great Freedom;” Blerta Basholli; Fernando León de Aranoa and Maria Schrader,. All four directors also served as writer or co-writer of their movies, and have very personal connections with the stories on screen.
Meise’s “Great Freedom” tells the story of Hans (Franz Rogowski) who is repeatedly imprisoned over decades for being a homosexual. Despite the odds, he establishes a loving relationship with his longtime cell mate, Viktor, a convicted murderer.
Meise said...
Four of those 15 finalists joined TheWrap’s Steve Pond for a discussion about the inspiration behind their movies. The list includes Sebastian Meise, director of Austrian entry “Great Freedom;” Blerta Basholli; Fernando León de Aranoa and Maria Schrader,. All four directors also served as writer or co-writer of their movies, and have very personal connections with the stories on screen.
Meise’s “Great Freedom” tells the story of Hans (Franz Rogowski) who is repeatedly imprisoned over decades for being a homosexual. Despite the odds, he establishes a loving relationship with his longtime cell mate, Viktor, a convicted murderer.
Meise said...
- 1/26/2022
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature is made difficult by the three-step process that began after the November 1 deadline for countries to submit entries. To be part of the selection process for this category, which was called Best Foreign Language Film before 2020, requires a great deal of dedication. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2022 Oscar predictions for Best International Feature.)
First, the several hundred academy members of the International Feature screening committee were divided into groups and required to watch a minimum of 12 of the submissions over a six-week period that ended in mid December. They rated them from 6 to 10 and their top 15 vote-getters made it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists was revealed on December 21, 2021.
These 15 films are made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final five nominees provided they attest to having watched all the entries.
First, the several hundred academy members of the International Feature screening committee were divided into groups and required to watch a minimum of 12 of the submissions over a six-week period that ended in mid December. They rated them from 6 to 10 and their top 15 vote-getters made it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists was revealed on December 21, 2021.
These 15 films are made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final five nominees provided they attest to having watched all the entries.
- 1/24/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
If you wanted to name a winner from the Oscar international film shortlist right now, it would be the Cannes Film Festival. Nine of the 15 titles that made the cut came from the fest, even though the Palme d’Or winner, France’s submission “Titane,” did not. But then only those who were not paying attention to past trends in stage one voting assumed that it would be included.
Although a record 93 countries put forward an entry, only 15 are moving on. The ones selected for the shortlist come from almost every continent, although Africa, despite some exciting entries such as Somalia’s “The Gravedigger’s Wife,” Chad’s “Lingui: The Sacred Bonds” and Morocco’s “Casablanca Beats,” was ignored (all three titles premiered at Cannes).
Cannes players that are in the mix include Iran’s “A Hero,” helmed by previous Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi; Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World...
Although a record 93 countries put forward an entry, only 15 are moving on. The ones selected for the shortlist come from almost every continent, although Africa, despite some exciting entries such as Somalia’s “The Gravedigger’s Wife,” Chad’s “Lingui: The Sacred Bonds” and Morocco’s “Casablanca Beats,” was ignored (all three titles premiered at Cannes).
Cannes players that are in the mix include Iran’s “A Hero,” helmed by previous Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi; Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World...
- 1/22/2022
- by Shalini Dore and Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
In most stories, the liberation of the concentration camps is the beginning of the end of a nightmare. But Austrian film “Great Freedom” shows that the truth wasn’t as simple for everyone. In many cases, LGBTQ+ concentration camp inmates were simply transferred to prison cells.
That’s the most inhuman scandal explored in director Sebastian Meise’s Cannes Un Certain Regard winner: Germany’s Paragraph 175, a provision of a German criminal code that reigned from 1871 to (shockingly) early 1994, criminalizing all homosexual acts between men. The story is told through the eyes and heavy, wearied soul of the fictional Hans Hoffmann, who is repeatedly imprisoned over decades in post-World War II Germany for being gay. He’s played by Franz Rogowski, the muse of German director Christian Petzold and one of the most striking actors working in European cinema and beyond.
Over the course of his imprisonment, Hans forms a...
That’s the most inhuman scandal explored in director Sebastian Meise’s Cannes Un Certain Regard winner: Germany’s Paragraph 175, a provision of a German criminal code that reigned from 1871 to (shockingly) early 1994, criminalizing all homosexual acts between men. The story is told through the eyes and heavy, wearied soul of the fictional Hans Hoffmann, who is repeatedly imprisoned over decades in post-World War II Germany for being gay. He’s played by Franz Rogowski, the muse of German director Christian Petzold and one of the most striking actors working in European cinema and beyond.
Over the course of his imprisonment, Hans forms a...
- 1/18/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Paolo Sorrentino, director of the 86th Academy Awards winner The Great Beauty, has his latest The Hand Of God (a Netflix release) shortlisted for the 94th Academy Awards Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
From Kosovo, Hive, Blerta Basholli director; Belgium, Playground, Laura Wandel director; Bhutan, Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom, Pawo Choyning Dorji director; Austria, Great Freedom, Sebastian Meise director; Germany, I’m Your Man, Maria Schrader director; Italy, The Hand Of God, Paolo Sorrentino director (also of the Oscar-winning The Great Beauty at the 86th Academy Awards); Japan, Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi director; Panama, Plaza Catedral, Abner Benaim director; Norway, The Worst Person In The World, Joachim Trier director; Iran, A Hero, Asghar Farhadi director; Spain, The Good Boss, Fernando León de Aranoa director; Denmark, Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen director; Mexico, Prayers For The Stolen, Tatiana Huezo director; Finland, Compartment No. 6, Juho Kuosmanen director, and Iceland, Lamb, Valdimar Jóhannsson director...
From Kosovo, Hive, Blerta Basholli director; Belgium, Playground, Laura Wandel director; Bhutan, Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom, Pawo Choyning Dorji director; Austria, Great Freedom, Sebastian Meise director; Germany, I’m Your Man, Maria Schrader director; Italy, The Hand Of God, Paolo Sorrentino director (also of the Oscar-winning The Great Beauty at the 86th Academy Awards); Japan, Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi director; Panama, Plaza Catedral, Abner Benaim director; Norway, The Worst Person In The World, Joachim Trier director; Iran, A Hero, Asghar Farhadi director; Spain, The Good Boss, Fernando León de Aranoa director; Denmark, Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen director; Mexico, Prayers For The Stolen, Tatiana Huezo director; Finland, Compartment No. 6, Juho Kuosmanen director, and Iceland, Lamb, Valdimar Jóhannsson director...
- 12/21/2021
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Bosnian war drama also wins best director and best actress.
Jasmila Žbanić’s Quo Vadis, Aida? won three prizes including best film at this year’s European Film Awards, which went ahead as a hybrid event in Berlin tonight (Dec 11).
Žbanić was also named best director by the European Film Academy’s (Efa) 4,200-strong membership, whilst the film’s star Jasna Đuričić won best actress.
In her acceptance speech, Žbanić dedicated her award to “the women of Srebrenica and mothers who taught us how to turn destruction into love. I hope it will encourage more female solidarity, female stories, female perspective in film,...
Jasmila Žbanić’s Quo Vadis, Aida? won three prizes including best film at this year’s European Film Awards, which went ahead as a hybrid event in Berlin tonight (Dec 11).
Žbanić was also named best director by the European Film Academy’s (Efa) 4,200-strong membership, whilst the film’s star Jasna Đuričić won best actress.
In her acceptance speech, Žbanić dedicated her award to “the women of Srebrenica and mothers who taught us how to turn destruction into love. I hope it will encourage more female solidarity, female stories, female perspective in film,...
- 12/11/2021
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
After four consecutive years of losing out to other continents, European cinema reclaimed the international feature Oscar earlier this year with Thomas Vinterberg’s Danish entry “Another Round.” It was a return to form for the region that has traditionally dominated the race, and annually boasts the lion’s share of contenders at the submissions stage. More than 40% of the 93 submissions in this year’s race are European, and with many of the season’s buzziest titles among them, the continent has a strong collective chance of holding onto the gold.
Not that buzz always translates to gold in this category, in which no year passes without at least one hotly hyped contender failing to make even the pre-nomination shortlist.
The biggest wild card in this year’s race comes from the country that holds the record for the most nominations in the category’s history: having pushed 39 films into the final five before,...
Not that buzz always translates to gold in this category, in which no year passes without at least one hotly hyped contender failing to make even the pre-nomination shortlist.
The biggest wild card in this year’s race comes from the country that holds the record for the most nominations in the category’s history: having pushed 39 films into the final five before,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
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