erea Barros, both make their market debut at next March’s Malaga Festival Fund & Co-Production Event (Maff), one of the top forums for arthouse projects in the Spanish-speaking world.
Some seven further projects have been added to the initial opine announced at December’s Ventana Sur, including a pair from Paraguay, Málaga’s country of honour, and “Women in the City,” a doc feature exec produced by Rafael Cobos, creator, director and showrunner of the Canneseries-awarded show, “El hijo zurdo.”
Proving the possibility to carve out an international film career based out of Panama, “The Simple Life” (“La Vida Simple”) marks the sixth feature from Benaim, Oscar shortlisted for “Plaza Catedral.”
Marking a departure, “The Simple Life” looks like a more personal turn, about a film director, sans camera and crew, in Panama, compelled by unforeseen circumstances to live the very movie he’s longed to capture on film, suffering existential crisis.
Some seven further projects have been added to the initial opine announced at December’s Ventana Sur, including a pair from Paraguay, Málaga’s country of honour, and “Women in the City,” a doc feature exec produced by Rafael Cobos, creator, director and showrunner of the Canneseries-awarded show, “El hijo zurdo.”
Proving the possibility to carve out an international film career based out of Panama, “The Simple Life” (“La Vida Simple”) marks the sixth feature from Benaim, Oscar shortlisted for “Plaza Catedral.”
Marking a departure, “The Simple Life” looks like a more personal turn, about a film director, sans camera and crew, in Panama, compelled by unforeseen circumstances to live the very movie he’s longed to capture on film, suffering existential crisis.
- 1/12/2024
- by John Hopewell and Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Buenos Aires — Galvanised by backing from Netflix, BBC Studios and Flixxo, the presence of top regional producers – Fabula, Kapow, Pampa Films – power panels, a spread of project from Buenos Aires City, SoloSerieS, Ventana Sur’s TV strand looks in 2022 to have come of age.
That’s hardly surprising. Latin America is a key market for platforms, including Netflix, which looks set to try to reach out to broader cross-section of Argentine producers at two presentations on Thursday, headed by Belén Piñeiro, manager & content, legal, Latin America, and Francisco Ramos, VP of content, Netflix.
The diaspora of on-the-rise filmmakers into TV continues, Chile’s multi-prized cineastes Dominga Sotomayor and Francisca Alegría and Dominican Yanillys Pérez presenting their first TV projects at SoloSeries.
Women make much of the running, packing all five berths in Netflix’s strand and half of the projects competing for two BBC Studios mentorships. Short format series, in contrast,...
That’s hardly surprising. Latin America is a key market for platforms, including Netflix, which looks set to try to reach out to broader cross-section of Argentine producers at two presentations on Thursday, headed by Belén Piñeiro, manager & content, legal, Latin America, and Francisco Ramos, VP of content, Netflix.
The diaspora of on-the-rise filmmakers into TV continues, Chile’s multi-prized cineastes Dominga Sotomayor and Francisca Alegría and Dominican Yanillys Pérez presenting their first TV projects at SoloSeries.
Women make much of the running, packing all five berths in Netflix’s strand and half of the projects competing for two BBC Studios mentorships. Short format series, in contrast,...
- 11/30/2022
- by John Hopewell, Pablo Sandoval and Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Following a vibrant 2022 edition in a three-year cycle dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean which she oversaw in an interim capacity, Zsuzsi Bánkuti has been appointed the new head of Locarno’s Open Doors.
She replaces long-time Open Doors chief Sophie Bourdon, who stepped down earlier this year.
The key to this year’s Open Doors was its inspired choice of a focus on smaller territories in Latin America which are often home to first-class directors – one director this year, Dominican Yanillys Pérez scooped a Discovery Award at the Toronto Festival with her doc-feature “Jeffrey,” for example – but, apart from the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, lack robust state subsidy systems enabling producers to produce movies easily out of their own countries.
The obvious solution is international co-production. Tailor-made to advance this, Open Doors offers producers and directors networking opportunities and targeted training as well as a showcase for...
She replaces long-time Open Doors chief Sophie Bourdon, who stepped down earlier this year.
The key to this year’s Open Doors was its inspired choice of a focus on smaller territories in Latin America which are often home to first-class directors – one director this year, Dominican Yanillys Pérez scooped a Discovery Award at the Toronto Festival with her doc-feature “Jeffrey,” for example – but, apart from the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, lack robust state subsidy systems enabling producers to produce movies easily out of their own countries.
The obvious solution is international co-production. Tailor-made to advance this, Open Doors offers producers and directors networking opportunities and targeted training as well as a showcase for...
- 8/13/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Inspired by director Marcel Beltrán’s walking on a dry, polluted lake in his hometown, Moa, in Cuba, “Moa” won the biggest prize on offer at this year’s Open Doors, a Locarno Fest co-production and talent hub dedicated, in an inspired choice, to smaller territories in Latin American and countries in the Caribbean. The focus lasts three-years, over 2022-24.
The territories boast world class filmmakers with urgent stories to tell. Equally it is distinguished by fragile or non-existent state support in most places, with exceptions such as Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
“Moa” took the biggest cash prize on offer, a CH35,000 Open Doors grant from Swiss production support fund Visions Sud Est and the City of Bellinzona.
“Kids Swimming in the Lake,” from Venezuela’s Michael Labarca, snagged the second biggest plaudit, a CH15,000 Open Doors grant. Bolivia’s Yashira Jordan’s “Diamond,” won an €8,000 development grant, adjudicated...
The territories boast world class filmmakers with urgent stories to tell. Equally it is distinguished by fragile or non-existent state support in most places, with exceptions such as Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
“Moa” took the biggest cash prize on offer, a CH35,000 Open Doors grant from Swiss production support fund Visions Sud Est and the City of Bellinzona.
“Kids Swimming in the Lake,” from Venezuela’s Michael Labarca, snagged the second biggest plaudit, a CH15,000 Open Doors grant. Bolivia’s Yashira Jordan’s “Diamond,” won an €8,000 development grant, adjudicated...
- 8/9/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Filmmakers Marcel Beltrán, Yashira Jordán and Michael Labarca among prize-winners at Latin American and Caribbean focused event.
Filmmakers from Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela were among the big winners at the 20th anniversary edition of Locarno’s Open Doors.
The festival’s Open Doors programme champions filmmaking from regions where independent cinema is especially challenging, and this year’s event focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Marcel Beltrán, one of Cuba’s most promising filmmakers, received two awards for his debut fiction feature Moa.
The story of a couple’s relationship being tested when they find themselves on different sides...
Filmmakers from Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela were among the big winners at the 20th anniversary edition of Locarno’s Open Doors.
The festival’s Open Doors programme champions filmmaking from regions where independent cinema is especially challenging, and this year’s event focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Marcel Beltrán, one of Cuba’s most promising filmmakers, received two awards for his debut fiction feature Moa.
The story of a couple’s relationship being tested when they find themselves on different sides...
- 8/9/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Modern-day production in Argentina lifted off from its new Argentine Cinema, born over 1991-95, in Brazil with Walter Salles’ 1998 “Central Station,” in Mexico from Carlos Reygadas’ 2002 “Japón.”
Now, Latin America is seeing second-phase expansion based out of smaller markets, driven by the energies of forward-thinking production companies determined to not just build slates but their national film industries.
In line with the massive new talent focus of many of Locarno’s industry programs – this year’s Germany First Look with five feature debuts, the Match Me! emerging producer springboard – Open Doors will focus on Latin America’s most under-represented territories and the Caribbean, where production companies have sprung up after national cinema lift-off in more major countries in the region.
Bolivia’s Empatía Cinema, for example, was founded in 2007, but most key companies at Locarno launched significantly later: Ypr Films in 2010, La Linterna Films in 2011, Paraguay’s Asociación Cultural Arraigo...
Now, Latin America is seeing second-phase expansion based out of smaller markets, driven by the energies of forward-thinking production companies determined to not just build slates but their national film industries.
In line with the massive new talent focus of many of Locarno’s industry programs – this year’s Germany First Look with five feature debuts, the Match Me! emerging producer springboard – Open Doors will focus on Latin America’s most under-represented territories and the Caribbean, where production companies have sprung up after national cinema lift-off in more major countries in the region.
Bolivia’s Empatía Cinema, for example, was founded in 2007, but most key companies at Locarno launched significantly later: Ypr Films in 2010, La Linterna Films in 2011, Paraguay’s Asociación Cultural Arraigo...
- 8/1/2022
- by John Hopewell and Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
Water pollution, organ harvesting and the complex relationships between mothers and daughters were among the subjects to emerge from the Dominican Republic pitching sessions that took place live on Wednesday afternoon during the second day of Cannes’ Film Market.
Nine feature projects were presented at the session, which was organized by the Dr’s film commission, in a bid to attract sales agents, investors and co-producers.
Among them was environmental thriller “Candy Town,” which follows four female friends as they attempt to prevent an industrial company from polluting a nearby river that is contaminating the village’s crucial pineapple crops. While the women come up with a plan to seek justice, they risk both their lives and their futures.
According to the film’s director and producer Yanillys Perez, the film, which has been earmarked for a 2022 shoot, was developed in Cannes four years ago at L’Atelier Cinefoundation.
So...
Nine feature projects were presented at the session, which was organized by the Dr’s film commission, in a bid to attract sales agents, investors and co-producers.
Among them was environmental thriller “Candy Town,” which follows four female friends as they attempt to prevent an industrial company from polluting a nearby river that is contaminating the village’s crucial pineapple crops. While the women come up with a plan to seek justice, they risk both their lives and their futures.
According to the film’s director and producer Yanillys Perez, the film, which has been earmarked for a 2022 shoot, was developed in Cannes four years ago at L’Atelier Cinefoundation.
So...
- 7/8/2021
- by Ann-Marie Corvin
- Variety Film + TV
Belize City, Belize – Mexican films and shorts dominated the winners of the 13th Belize Intl. Film Festival on Sunday in a brisk closing ceremony punctuated by pulsing reggae music performances by the likes of Ras Indio & Boss Lady, Ernestine Carballo and Jah Art.
The event was broadcast live on local television station, Channel 5.
“Guerrero,” Ludovic Bonleux’s harrowing documentary about the disappearance of 43 students and the protests that paralyzed the Mexican state, won best film in the festival’s Collective Memories section.
“You wouldn’t know it, but it’s a feel-good musical,” quipped juror Dan Mirvish, co-founder of Slamdance, who presented the award.
Mexican short films also beat out other contenders from the region with Toronto-based multihyphenate-juror Nicole Brooks – who showed off her prodigious dancing skills to kick off the event – giving out the best short prizes.
Mexican short “The Good Man” (“El Hombre Bueno”) by Jose Luis Solis,...
The event was broadcast live on local television station, Channel 5.
“Guerrero,” Ludovic Bonleux’s harrowing documentary about the disappearance of 43 students and the protests that paralyzed the Mexican state, won best film in the festival’s Collective Memories section.
“You wouldn’t know it, but it’s a feel-good musical,” quipped juror Dan Mirvish, co-founder of Slamdance, who presented the award.
Mexican short films also beat out other contenders from the region with Toronto-based multihyphenate-juror Nicole Brooks – who showed off her prodigious dancing skills to kick off the event – giving out the best short prizes.
Mexican short “The Good Man” (“El Hombre Bueno”) by Jose Luis Solis,...
- 11/12/2018
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Damien Chazelle.s brilliant musical .La La Land. starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (she recently won Best Actress at Venice International Film Festival) took home the People.s Choice Award making it the one to beat this award season! Since 2008 (except for 2011.s .Where Do We Go Now?.), every single People.s Choice Award Winner has been nominated for Best Picture Oscar with films like .Room,. .The Imitation Game,. .Silver Linings Playbook,. and .Precious.. Some even won Best Picture like .Slumdog Millionaire,. .The King.s Speech,. and .12 Years a Slave.. But don.t go betting on the film yet. There were some movies that dominated Tiff but was ignored by the Academy such as the aforementioned .Where Do We Go Now?,. .Bella,. .Eastern Promises,. .Zatoichi,. and .The Hanging Garden..
We shall see if .La La Land. will score big with Academy voters. For now, here.s the complete list...
We shall see if .La La Land. will score big with Academy voters. For now, here.s the complete list...
- 9/19/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Damien Chazelle’s musical romance starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling was the people’s favourite as the Toronto International Film Festival wrapped on Sunday.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Award is a timely boost heading into awards season: Last year, Room took the prize and went on to garner the best lead actress Oscar for Brie Larson.
La La Land is shaping up to be a strong awards prospect. Stone won the Coppa Volpi for best actress in Venice, where the film received its world premiere, and observers have noted its strong all-round profile.
The festival has set a free screening of La La Land on Sunday evening at 6pm at Roy Thomson Hall. Lionsgate will release the film in the Us on December 16.
Lion was named runner-up and Queen Of Katwe second runner-up.
Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, while Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro won the...
The Grolsch People’s Choice Award is a timely boost heading into awards season: Last year, Room took the prize and went on to garner the best lead actress Oscar for Brie Larson.
La La Land is shaping up to be a strong awards prospect. Stone won the Coppa Volpi for best actress in Venice, where the film received its world premiere, and observers have noted its strong all-round profile.
The festival has set a free screening of La La Land on Sunday evening at 6pm at Roy Thomson Hall. Lionsgate will release the film in the Us on December 16.
Lion was named runner-up and Queen Of Katwe second runner-up.
Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, while Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro won the...
- 9/18/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Yanillys Perez has won the 2016 Dropbox Discovery Filmmakers Award for “Jeffrey,” her debut feature. The jury for the prize, which comes as part of the Toronto International Film Festival, consisted of Caroline Benjo, Partner and Producer at Haut et Court; Lane Kneedler, Director of Programming at AFI Fest; and Alice Tynan, Dropboxer and film critic. “Jeffrey” focuses on a 12-year-old boy who washes the windshields of passing cars in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and dreams of becoming a reguetón singer.
Read More: Toronto: ‘La La Land’ Wins Tiff’s People’s Choice Award; Plus All Other Award Winners Announced
“A true collaboration between subject and storyteller, ‘Jeffrey’ weaves verite and socially conscious observation together with poetic moments of magical realism,” the jury said in a statement. “With this beautiful combination director Yanillys Perez not only captures the boundless spirit and imagination of her protagonist, but also offers new possibilities for narrative filmmaking.
Read More: Toronto: ‘La La Land’ Wins Tiff’s People’s Choice Award; Plus All Other Award Winners Announced
“A true collaboration between subject and storyteller, ‘Jeffrey’ weaves verite and socially conscious observation together with poetic moments of magical realism,” the jury said in a statement. “With this beautiful combination director Yanillys Perez not only captures the boundless spirit and imagination of her protagonist, but also offers new possibilities for narrative filmmaking.
- 9/18/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
With the Toronto International Film Festival wrapping up today, they’ve handed out their award winners. While our top picks will be arriving shortly, the big winner of the festival was Damien Chazelle‘s La La Land, which won the People’s Choice Awards, while Raoul Peck‘s I Am Not Your Negro won on the documentary side. Other winners include Free Fire in the Midnight Madness category and Jackie in the Platform section, which is in its second year.
Check out the full press release below.
The short film awards below were selected by a jury comprised of American filmmaker Abteen Bagheri (That B.E.A.T.), French filmmaker Eva Husson (Bang Gang), and Canadian filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls).
Short Cuts Award For Best Canadian Short Film
The Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Alexandre Dostie’s Mutants. The jury remarked, “Mutants...
Check out the full press release below.
The short film awards below were selected by a jury comprised of American filmmaker Abteen Bagheri (That B.E.A.T.), French filmmaker Eva Husson (Bang Gang), and Canadian filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls).
Short Cuts Award For Best Canadian Short Film
The Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Alexandre Dostie’s Mutants. The jury remarked, “Mutants...
- 9/18/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Toronto International Film Festival has closed out its annual ten-day run with a star-studded awards brunch, which featured the announcement of the festival’s various awards and prizes. Chief among them is the People’s Choice Award, Tiff’s most prestigious award and one chosen by audience members themselves (fans of the various films could log their vote either by depositing their ticket stubs in voting boxes available post-screening, or by voting online on the official Tiff app).
This year’s winner is Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. You can read our full review of the film here. Runner-ups included “Lion” and “Queen of Katwe.”
Read More: IndieWire’s Movie Podcast (115): How Tiff Changed the Fall Movie Season
Often viewed as a harbinger of awards season glory, the Tiff People’s Choice Award winner has typically continued on to major Oscar attention.
This year’s winner is Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. You can read our full review of the film here. Runner-ups included “Lion” and “Queen of Katwe.”
Read More: IndieWire’s Movie Podcast (115): How Tiff Changed the Fall Movie Season
Often viewed as a harbinger of awards season glory, the Tiff People’s Choice Award winner has typically continued on to major Oscar attention.
- 9/18/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Toronto International Film Festival’s Discovery section showcases films from up-and-coming directors who promise to be the future of world cinema. One of the films in this section is the documentary “Jeffrey,” which follows a 12-year-old street washer working in Santo Domingo in order to help his mom make ends meets. But Jeffrey has bigger plans of becoming a reggaetón singer, and with the help of his older brother Jeyson, he composes and records songs about his neighborhood and his way of life. The real-life story captures the layered beauty of the Dominican Republic and the stylized story of a child trying to achieve a dream. Watch an exclusive trailer for the film below.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The film is the feature-length documentary by Yanillys Perez. She has previously directed the...
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The film is the feature-length documentary by Yanillys Perez. She has previously directed the...
- 9/14/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Programmers at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) announced that Isabelle Huppert, Kunle Afolayan and Genevieve Nnaji and Mark Wahlberg will be among the eight participants in the In Conversation With… series.
Moonlight, festival closing night screening The Edge Of Seventeen, Noces and Handsome Devil take their place in the youth-oriented Next Wave strand, while Discovery selections include The Empty Box, Godless, Hunting Flies and The Red Turtle.
A five-strong roster of virtual reality work brings new work from Canadian superstars Felix & Paul as well as Memesys Culture Lab in India.
Overall 397 films will play at the festival from September 8-18, comprising 296 features and 101 shorts, compared to 287 and 110 last year.
Festival organisers received 6,933 submissions (6,118 in 2015), of which 1,240 came from Canada (1,225) and the 5,693 balance from the rest of the world (4,893).
Festival Street
For the third consecutive year, King Street will close to traffic between Peter and University Streets over opening weekend from September 8-11.
“Festival Street brings great value...
Moonlight, festival closing night screening The Edge Of Seventeen, Noces and Handsome Devil take their place in the youth-oriented Next Wave strand, while Discovery selections include The Empty Box, Godless, Hunting Flies and The Red Turtle.
A five-strong roster of virtual reality work brings new work from Canadian superstars Felix & Paul as well as Memesys Culture Lab in India.
Overall 397 films will play at the festival from September 8-18, comprising 296 features and 101 shorts, compared to 287 and 110 last year.
Festival organisers received 6,933 submissions (6,118 in 2015), of which 1,240 came from Canada (1,225) and the 5,693 balance from the rest of the world (4,893).
Festival Street
For the third consecutive year, King Street will close to traffic between Peter and University Streets over opening weekend from September 8-11.
“Festival Street brings great value...
- 8/23/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Programmers at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) announced that Isabelle Huppert, Kunle Afolayan and Genevieve Nnaji and Mark Wahlberg will be among the eight participants in the In Conversation With… series.
Moonlight, festival closing night screening The Edge Of Seventeen, Noces and Handsome Devil take their place in the youth-oriented Next Wave strand, while Discovery selections include The Empty Box, Godless, Hunting Flies and The Red Turtle.
A five-strong roster of virtual reality work brings new work from Canadian superstars Felix & Paul as well as Memesys Culture Lab in India.
Overall 397 films will play at the festival from September 8-18, comprising 296 features and 101 shorts, compared to 287 and 110 last year.
Festival organisers received 6,933 submissions (6,118 in 2015), of which 1,240 came from Canada (1,225) and the 5,693 balance from the rest of the world (4,893).
Festival Street
For the third consecutive year, King Street will close to traffic between Peter and University Streets over opening weekend from September 8-11.
“Festival Street brings great value...
Moonlight, festival closing night screening The Edge Of Seventeen, Noces and Handsome Devil take their place in the youth-oriented Next Wave strand, while Discovery selections include The Empty Box, Godless, Hunting Flies and The Red Turtle.
A five-strong roster of virtual reality work brings new work from Canadian superstars Felix & Paul as well as Memesys Culture Lab in India.
Overall 397 films will play at the festival from September 8-18, comprising 296 features and 101 shorts, compared to 287 and 110 last year.
Festival organisers received 6,933 submissions (6,118 in 2015), of which 1,240 came from Canada (1,225) and the 5,693 balance from the rest of the world (4,893).
Festival Street
For the third consecutive year, King Street will close to traffic between Peter and University Streets over opening weekend from September 8-11.
“Festival Street brings great value...
- 8/23/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Next month’s Toronto International Film Festival has nearly completed its lineup announcements, and each one is more impressive than the last. Today’s Tiff picks feature a number of slate additions for sections as varied as the forward-focused Discovery, their burgeoning Pop Vr section and even a handful of last minute additions to the Tiff Docs list. New titles of note that have just been announced include the Cannes hit “The Red Turtle,” Wayne Roberts’ “Katie Says Goodbye” and the well-regarded “Sand Storm,” all of which will screen as part of Discovery.
Read More: Tiff Lineup: 5 Reasons to Get Excited About the 2016 Program
Both the Next Wave and Tiff Kids section pull titles from other, previously announced sections to create an appealing lineup for the next generation of cinephiles. Standout titles include “Moonlight,” “My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea” and “The Eagle Huntress.”
Additionally, the festival has...
Read More: Tiff Lineup: 5 Reasons to Get Excited About the 2016 Program
Both the Next Wave and Tiff Kids section pull titles from other, previously announced sections to create an appealing lineup for the next generation of cinephiles. Standout titles include “Moonlight,” “My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea” and “The Eagle Huntress.”
Additionally, the festival has...
- 8/23/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.