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Would you rather be judged in court by a human or by artificial intelligence? That was one key question in focus on Wednesday night at the Iberseries & Platino Industria conference and market in Madrid.

Platino Educa, the educational platform of the event, screened the new film Artificial Justice (Justicia Artificial) from Spain and Portugal. Written and directed by Simón Casal, it stars Verónica Echegui, Tamar Novas, Alba Galocha and Alberto Ammann.

“In the near future, the government aims to replace judges with artificial intelligence software, pledging to effectively automate and depoliticize the justice system,” explains a synopsis. “Carmen Costa, a distinguished judge, has been invited to assess this new procedure. However, when the software’s creator is found dead, she realizes her life is in danger and that she will have to fight the powerful interests that are at play in the highest echelons of the state.”

The audience gave...

Leading film and entertainment execs from Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia converged this week at the Tablakera, the former tobacco factory turned contemporary culture centre, for the third annual Creative Investors’ conference, held as part of San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Among those participating in the two-day event that aims to encourage collaboration between the Spanish and international industry were leading financiers and agents (Roeg Sutherland from CAA), former studio heads (ex-Universal chairman and Participant CEO David Linde), high-profile investors (Vania Schlogel from Atwater Capital) and top producers among them Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and Recorded Picture Company’s Jeremy Thomas.

CAA Media Finance’s Roeg Sutherland, Goodfellas’ Vincent Maraval and Recorded Picture Company’s Jeremy Thomas are set for the San Sebastian Festival’s 2024 Creative Investors’ Conference, co-organised for the third year running in collaboration with CAA Media Finance.

The Conference runs Sept. 24-25 at San Sebastian’s Tabakalera center.

Other high-profile execs confirmed as the world’s film industry debates ways forward for growth –despite still lagging post-pandemic box office recovery and the contraction of global streamer investment – are Netflix’s Teresa Moneo, Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Anton Corp.’s Louis Balsan, Charades’ Yohann Conte, Caroline Benjo at France’s Haut et Court, David Davoli at Anonymous Content, Infinity Hill’s Axel Kuchevatzsky, Good Chaos’ Mike Goodridge, Matías Mosteirín at K&s Films, Bronte Payne at Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and Michael Weber at The Match Factory.

Sutherland, from CAA Media Finance as well as...

Polish producer Dariusz Jablonski of Apple Film Production has been elected president of the influential European Producers Club (Epc).

Previously a vice-president of the Epc, Jablonski takes over from Gudny Hummelvoll who has held the post since 2020.

Pandora da Cunha Telles of Portugal’s Ukbar Filmes has been re-elected as a vice-president of the Epc, while Carlotta Calori of Rome based Indigo Film and Mariela Besuievsky of Spain’s Tornasol Films also become vice-presidents.

Speaking to Screen at Cannes, Jablonski stressed that the incoming team would focus on protecting independent producers, big or small “especially in light of more and more illiberal governments taking power.

David Pérez Sañudo (“Ane is Missing”) and Carlos Vila Sexto (“Motivos Personales”) are ready for a different kind of hero in “Detective Touré.”

A six-episode series, backed by Spanish public broadcaster Rtve, Detective Touré Aie, Tornasol Media, DeAPlaneta and Basque state TV Eitb, the series is based on stories by Jon Arretxe.

The series first caught attention when selected as a project at Series Mania’s 2022 Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. Sneak-peaked at Content Americas in January, it was one of the highlights at its Spain Content Goldmine.

Set in Bilbao’s neighborhood San Francisco, it sees an immigrant from Guinea – with acute skills of deduction – who becomes immersed in a complex investigation, with the Nigerian mafia on his trail.

“We are used to having police officers involved in these kinds of shows, but an illegal immigrant? That’s something we have never seen before, at least in Spain,” says Vila Sexto.

San Sebastian Festival’s 2nd Creative Investors’ Conference (Cic), co-organized once more with CAA Media Finance, has lured some of the most prominent names in the international entertainment business, led by CAA Media Finance’s Roeg Sutherland, Goodfellas’ Vincent Maraval and Cinetic Media’s John Sloss.

Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.

Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.

Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...

Few European arthouse-crossover film sales agents have better weathered the ebb and flow of international market dynamics than Madrid’s Latido Films, which turns 20 in 2023.

Proof of that came at April’s Platino Awards, where Latido scored six statuettes, split between an acting double for Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s “Lullaby” and four for Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts,” which has already swept Spain’s Goya Awards and scored a French Cesar for foreign film.

Scoring €6.8 million ($7.5 million) in Spain, and 327,000 admissions in France, “The Beasts” also rates as one of the top-performing recent Spanish-language movies.

If Latido has survived for so long, insists director general Antonio Saura, it’s because of a core strategy of “working with talent, our search for talent.” Beyond that, other keys have been “collaboration with production companies that understand long-term relationships, and well-established relationships with clients.”

Companies with which Latido has held or holds...

26th edition wrapped on Sunday.

Estíbaliz Urresola’s 20,000 Species Of Bees and Kattia G. Zúñiga’s Sister & Sister won top awards at 2023 Málaga Film Festival, taking best Spanish film and best Latin American film, respectively, as the Andalusian event closed on Sunday.

In other key awards at the festival’s 26th edition, Gerardo Herrero’s Under Therapy earned a special jury prize director and Matías Bize claimed the best director prize for The Punishment.

20,000 Species Of Bees won the Berlin Silver Bear for best leading performance for young Sofía Otero last month and added the Golden Biznaga for...

Portuguese producers Pandora Cunha Telles and Pablo Iraola, of Ukbar Filmes, are bringing a delegation of six Portuguese women helmers to the Berlinale, to showcase their ambitious project “Told by Women,” – a slate of 10 TV movies by 10 first-time women filmmakers – coproduced with Portuguese public broadcaster, Rtp.

The producers have lined up an intensive mentoring experience with leading international women producers that aims to endow them with the tools to embrace new challenges.

The first season of five films of “Told by Women” was broadcast by Rtp in October 2022, to strong ratings, and the second season of five films will bow this spring.

The mentoring program at the Berlinale involves international producers Sara Silveira, Brazilian producer and founder of Dezenove Som e Imagens, Mariela Besuievsky from Tornasol Filmes, and Gudny Hummelvoll, producer at Hummelfilm, the first woman president of the European Producers Club.

The delegation of Portuguese women directors is comprised by Ana Cunha,...

The thriller is being pitched at San Sebastian’s Creative Investors’ Conference.

Spain’s Latido Films has boarded Raqqa, the next project of Oscar-winning producer-director Gerardo Herrero, as international sales agent.

Herrero will direct the film. As a producer he won the best international feature Oscar for Juan Jose Campanella’s The Secret In Their Eyes in 2010.

Herrero is alos producing Raqqa, with Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Films as a co-production with Storylines Projects and Entre Chien et Loup.

Raqqa is about two spies, one working for the Russian secret services, the other for Western intelligence, who realise they have...

Sweden’s Svt Orders ‘Whiskey On The Rocks’ From Skyverse Nordic

Sweden’s public service broadcaster Svt has boarded Skyverse Nordic comedy-drama Whiskey On The Rocks as its main commissioning broadcaster. The six-part series is still at script and production development stage and is being billed as a “premium, epic Cold War dramedy special event” directed by Björn Stein (Midnight Sun) and based on an original story from author Jonas Jonasson. It is among the first shows from Skyverse Nordic, which is a subsidiary of Sparkling, the Stockholm-based sister company to Humanoids that Deadline revealed back in May. The show reunites Jonasson with Skyverse boss Patrick Nebout and creative producer Henrik Jansson-Schweizer, who were collectively behind Sweden’s biggest export success, the Oscar-nominated The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. A Scandinavian and international cast are being sought to play the drama’s protagonists onboard the submarine and in Moscow.

Netflix and the European Producers Club (Epc) have revealed the winners of a pitch contest for fictional series at the ongoing Venice Film Festival.

The pitch contest is a joint initiative by Epc and Netflix to help create new opportunities for European women producers. It was launched at Series Mania in March, and open to Epc producers working for women-owned companies. Following a selection process by an independent jury, composed of Cia Edstrom, Francine Raveney and Olivier Kohn, the competition finalists pitched their projects to the Netflix content team.

Anna Mannion of Tri Moon Films, Ireland, won the first prize of €50,000, while Ada Solomon of Microfilm, Romania, won the second prize of €20,000.

Mariela Besuievsky, Tornasol Media (Spain), Martichka Bozhilova, Agitprop (Bulgaria), Gabriele M. Walther, Caligari (Germany) and Olena Yershova, Tato Film (Ukraine/Turkey), each won the third prize of €5,000.

The initiative is funded by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity,...

The award was presented this evening in Venice.

Irish producer Anna Mannion of Tri Moon Films has won the inaugural pitch contest for women producers run by the European Producers Club (Epc) and Netflix, for her project The Girl and the Ghost.

Launched at Series Mania in March this year, the contest aims to create new opportunities for European women producers, who entered fictional series pitches.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

Mannion receives a €50,000 award for first place, to further develop her project. All six finalists received prizes, with €20,000 for Romanian producer Ada Solomon of Microfilm in...

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Female producers from Ireland, Romania, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany and Ukraine are the winners of the first-ever series pitch contest, the results of which were announced at the Venice Film Festival by Netflix and the European Producers Club (Epc) on Friday.

The pitch contest, set up by the Epc and Netflix with backing from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, aims to build new opportunities for underrepresented communities within the entertainment industry.

The first prize, which comes with 50,000 (€50,000) in development funding, went to producer Anna Mannion of Ireland’s Tri Moon Films. Second prize, and 20,000 in funding, was awarded to Ada Solomon of Romania’s Microfilm. Netflix and the Epc also picked four third place winners: Mariela Besuievsky of Spain’s Tornasol Media, Martichka Bozhilova from Agitprop in Bulgaria, Gabriele M. Walther of German production company Caligari and Olena Yershova from the Ukraine/Turkish company Tato Film.

Spain’s TV industry will make history at Series Mania Forum 2022, with its biggest panel and sneak peek series presentation presence ever at a major TV market.

The Spanish conference attendance – alongside Finland’s panel spread – also weighs in as the biggest from any single country at the upcoming edition of the most important co-production event for scripted TV series in Europe.

Series Mania Forum runs on-site over March 22-24 in Lille, northern France, under the larger Series Mania Festival umbrella.

Organized by Icex Spain Trade & Investment, the country’s export and inward investment board, the Spanish pavilion at the Lille Grand Palais will host a record-breaking delegation for Spain of around 20 companies and more than 50 executives.

That’s a sign of just how much Series Mania has grown as an industry forum in the last few years, and of Spain’s ambition to ramp up exports of Spanish movies...

Spanish Academy Award-winning filmmaker David Pérez Sañudo (“Ane is Missing”) is shifting his gaze to the small screen, writing the upcoming eight-part drama series “Detective Touré,” which he will co-pen with novelist and TV writer Carlos Vila (“Los misterios de Laura”).

Based on the “Detective Touré Saga” books by Basque author John Arretxe, the series is produced by Oscar-winning studio Tornasol (“The Secret In Their Eyes”) and DeAPlaneta, a prolific sales-distribution outfit now focused on producing literary adaptations (“Ana. All In”).

Just this week, the project was picked as one of 15 finalists selected to pitch at next month’s Series Mania Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, with a €50,000 cash prize on the line.

Set in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, the series, like the six books on which it is based, follows Touré, an undocumented sub-Saharan African immigrant living in the Basque Country. With no badge and no papers, Touré uses...

Italy’s “The Impossible She,” Spain’s “Detective Touré,” South Africa’s “Paradys” and France’s “Hormones” feature among 15 drama series projects selected for the Series Mania Forum’s 2022 Co-Pro Pitching Sessions.

One of Europe’s most prestigious TV competitions, with titles competing for a €50,000 grand prize, this year’s Sessions form part of the Forum, which runs March 22-24.

The lineup is rich in projects backed by top-tier producers and sales forces, while sluiced by large themes, such as racial and gender equality.

The latest from top Italian company Fandango, producer of “Gomorrah” and “My Brilliant Friend,” “The Impossible She” turns on young Neapolitan aristocrat Maria Teresa de Filippis, the first female Formula 1 driver.

Co-produced by Academy Award winner Tornasol (“The Secret in My Eyes”), “Detective Touré” features Touré a sub-Saharan immigrant settled in Bilbao who will become the best detective of the city, despite no badge, nor papers.

French TV festival and industry meeting unveils 2022 selection

Michael Hirst’s Billy The Kid, Channel 4 drama The Birth Of Daniel F Harris and HBO’sThe Baby are among nine dramas selected for the international competition of Series Mania TV festival, running March 18-25 in the northern French city of Lille.

The Birth Of Daniel F Harris is produced by the UK’s Clerkenwell Films, the company behind The End Of The F**king World. Lewis Gribben plays a young man who was locked away as a child by his father following the death of his mother as a child.

Series Mania has unveiled the nine shows from six countries competing for the prestigious International Competition along with revealing the lineup and Guests of Honor for this year’s edition, the first to take place in person for three years.

Scroll down for the full list. Shows competing for the Competition include Michael Hirst’s Billy the Kid, for Epix, MGM and Viaplay, Israel’s Fire Dance, France’s Le Monde De Demain and The UK’s The Birth of Daniel F. Harris, each of which are being handed a world premiere.

The president of the jury announced soon will be joined by German actor Christian Berkel, Franco-Belgian actress Cécile de France, Israeli actress Shira Haas (Unorthodox), Turkish creator and director Berkun Oya (Bir Baskadir) and French singer-songwriter and model Yseult.

The jury will award the Grand Prize for Best Series, the Prize for Best Actress,...

Navarre has never had such a prominent presence at the San Sebastian Festival as in this year’s lineup.

Five linked-to-Navarre productions – three films, a TV series and a documentary – will screen at the Festival, highlighting its status as a standout hub for the Spanish audiovisual industry.

Navarre’s higher-profile at San Sebastian, the biggest movie event in the Spanish-speaking world, is no coincidence.

Since 2015, the northern Spain region has attracted Spanish productions and co-production shoots thanks in part to a 35% corporate tax deduction for Navarre-based companies investing in productions that spend at least 40% of their budgets in the territory.

Productions such as HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Terry Gillian’s “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” Asian B.O. hit “Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy,” Netflix hit prison drama “La noche de 12 años,” and local blockbuster “Ocho apellidos vascos” (“Spanish Affair”) filmed there in recent years.

The region is taking advantage of accessible,...

While the pandemic has reduced film festivals’ capacity to showcase new work, an all-singing all-dancing Spanish-Italian number has been selected for two.

Sold by Latido Films, “Explota Explota” (“My Heart Goes Boom!”), the assured debut feature of music promo and commercials director Nacho Álvarez, will receive an Rtve Gala Screening at the San Sebastian Festival next week and has also made the selection for the Toronto Festival’s market screenings.

Set in dictator Francisco Franco’s Spain during the 1970s, the musical comedy tells an unlikely love story between an aspiring dancer (“Beautiful Youth’s” Ingrid García-Jonnson) and the man who must censor her.

Inspired by “Mamma Mia” and “Hairspray,” Álvarez – brother of Uruguayan Fede Álvarez (“Evil Dead” “Don’t Breathe”) – takes the songs of popular singer, dancer and actress Raffaella Carrà and threads them into a story of forbidden love.

While some might balk at making a musical as their debut feature,...

Five Madrid-based companies, led by leading Spanish production house Tornasol Films, producer of Oscar-winner “The Secret in Their Eyes,” are teaming to launch services consortium Centro Navarro para la Producción Cinematográfica in Navarre, Northern Spain.

Based out of the Sarrio industrial park in Berrioplano, a town near Pamplona, Cnpc will provide production services, develop R&d projects and launch industry training programs in a region of Spain that is consolidating as a film-tv hub bulwarked by tax incentives.

Since 2015, Navarre offers a competitive 35% tax credit for Spanish shoots and co-productions.

“The Cnpc aims to complete the value chain of a film’s production,” said Miguel Iturralde, manager of Cnpc, which officially starts operations in October.

“Navarre is in vogue thanks to its tax incentives, although in order to be eligible for them, production must meet a series of requirements. The main one and the most complicated: Making 40% of production spend in the region,...

A burgeoning film-tv hub and shoot locale in Spain, Navarre is proving a hotbed for new companies and projects which are now helping the region to gain bigger visibility abroad. Some start-up, or standout Navarre-based outfits expected to attend this week’s on-site Conecta Fiction in Pamplona:

Adhokers Navarra

Created by Beatriz Acinas and José Luis Tejedor, Adhokers has offices in Madrid and Pamplona and produces TV contents and commercials. Upcoming projects include TV series “Encuentros en Villa Lancaster” and “Manual de usar y tirar.”

Apolo Films

Founded by legendary animation creator-entrepreneur Claudio Biern Boyd, indie studio Apolo has operated in Navarre since 2018, focusing on toon features inspired by well-known international brands. On Jan. 21, it will release in Spain swashbuckling adventure “Dogtanian & The Three Muskehounds,” the newest installment in the the 40-year-old iconic TV property. “Dogtanian” is helmed by Apolo creative director Toni García and written by “Puss in Boots...

Latido Films has picked up international sales rights to musical comedy “Explota Explota” (“My Heart Goes Boom!”), a Spanish-Italian co-production, based on the hit songs by Italian singer Raffaella Carrà.

Produced by Mariela Besuievsky at Madrid-based Tornasol Films and Carlotta Calori at Rome’s Indigo Film, the movie marks the feature debut by Uruguayan-Spanish director Nacho Álvarez.

“My Heart” teams two Oscar-winning European companies: “The Secret In Their Eyes” producers Besuievsky and Gerardo Herrero’s Tornasol with Indigo, the shingle behind Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty.”

Spanish pubcaster Rtve is also co-producing.

Amazon Prime Video will offer “The Heart” after its theatrical release, which will be handled by Universal Pictures International Spain.

The film went into production in early November and will shoot for eight weeks in Madrid, Pamplona and Rome.

Set in the ’70s, it tells the story of María, played by Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Beautiful Youth”), a young...

Terry Gilliam’s “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” is finally getting some good news.

The film will now get a theatrical release along with its previously announced video-on-demand release at the end of this week on April 19, distributor Screen Media announced Monday. “Don Quixote” was at first only available to be seen as part of a one-night-only theatrical event on April 10 from Fathom Events, but the success of that screening prompted a wider theatrical release.

“The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” will roll out in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Texas and other top markets starting April 19. The film will also be released on all major VOD platforms on the 19th as well and will continue to expand theatrically throughout the spring and beyond.

Also Read: Terry Gilliam Feels a 'Huge Emptiness' Waiting for Him Now That 'Don Quixote' Is Finally Finished

In an interview with TheWrap,...

Updated, 10:32 A.M: Following its one-night-onl screenings last week, Terry Gilliam’s long-gestating The Man Who Killed Don Quixote will begin its North American theatrical rollout Friday. Screen Media said the pic will hit screens in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Austin and other top markets day-and-date with its all-platform VOD bow. The pic will continue to expand its treatrical rollout through the spring and beyond, the distributor said.

Previously, December 17: Screen Media has picked up North American rights to Terry Gilliam’s long-in-the-works drama The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, starring Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard, Olga Kurylenko and Jordi Molla.

Screen Media, in partnership with event cinema specialist Fathom Events, is planning a theatrical release for March 2019. The deal was negotiated by Seth Needle, Svp of Worldwide Acquisitions at Screen Media with the filmmakers.

The film had its world premiere as the Closing Night...

Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is finally making its way to theaters after an arduous journey — and they have a new trailer to prove it. The film, which made its world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, will play via via Screen Media and Fathom Events in over 700 U.S. cinemas and select Canadian locations for one night April 10 with exclusive bonus features.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is the story of Toby (Adam Driver), a cynical advertising director, who finds himself trapped in the outrageous delusions of an old Spanish shoe-maker (Jonathan Pryce) who believes himself to be Don Quixote. In the course of their comic and increasingly surreal adventures, Toby is forced to confront the tragic repercussions of a film he made in his idealistic youth – a film that changed the hopes and dreams of a small Spanish village forever. The surreal heartfelt...

Screen Media finally released a trailer Monday for Terry Gilliam’s long-delayed film, “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” a passion project that has taken the director nearly two decades to get to the screen.

The film stars Jonathan Pryce as the title character alongside Adam Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Olga Kurylenko and Jordi Mollà. Driver plays a frustrated filmmaker and disillusioned advertising executive who becomes pulled into a world of time-jumping fantasy when a Spanish cobbler (Pryce) who believes he is Don Quixote mistakes Toby for his trusted squire Sancho Panza. Pulled further into the cobbler’s world, Toby gradually becomes unable to tell his dreams from reality.

In 2018, Gilliam lost a legal dispute when a French court ruled that he would have to pay one of the film’s former producer, Paulo Branco, €10,000 for breach of contract. Branco also sought an injunction to prevent “Don Quixote” from being released...

Screen Media has bought North American rights to Terry Gilliam’s troubled “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” starring Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard, Olga Kurylenko, and Jordi Molla.

The film had its world premiere as the closing night film at Cannes 2018. Directed and written by Terry Gilliam, the film is co-written by Tony Grisoni and produced by Mariela Besuievsky, Amy Gilliam, Gerardo Herrero, and Gregoire Melin.

Amazon had been set to handle U.S. release of the film, which was embroiled in an ongoing legal dispute over its ownership, but backed out earlier this year. Gilliam started shooting the picture in 1998 with Jean Rochefort as Quixote and Johnny Depp playing a marketing executive who is sent back in time. But shooting stopped after Rochefort became ill and the film was riddled with financial difficulties and insurance problems.

The movie was the subject of a 2002 documentary “Lost in La Mancha.

The long-in-the-making comedy drama will be released theatrically next March.

Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has been acquired for North America by Screen Media, with the distributor planning a national theatrical release, in partnership with Fathom Events, for March 2019.

Eighteen years in the making, the film had its world premiere out of competition on the closing night of this year’s Cannes festival.

Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce and Stellan Skarsgard star in the story of a frustrated filmmaker and disillusioned advertising executive who gets pulled into a world of time-jumping fantasy when he is mistaken for...

U.S. audiences will finally get the chance to see Terry Gilliam’s long-delayed film “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” a passion project that has taken the director nearly two decades to get to the screen.

Screen Media acquired the North American rights to “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” and, barring yet another unforeseen mishap, it is planning a March 2019 theatrical release in partnership with Fathom Events, the company announced Monday.

The film stars Jonathan Pryce as the title character alongside Adam Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Olga Kurylenko and Jordi Mollà. Driver plays a frustrated filmmaker and disillusioned advertising executive who becomes pulled into a world of time-jumping fantasy when a Spanish cobbler (Pryce) who believes he is Don Quixote mistakes Toby for his trusted squire Sancho Panza. Pulled further into the cobbler’s world, Toby gradually becomes unable to tell his dreams from reality.

Also Read: 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote...

After years of stops and starts, near-misses and almost-disasters, legal snafus and financial mishaps, Terry Gilliam’s plagued passion project “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” is finally bound for U.S. release. Screen Media has picked up the North American rights to the film, starring Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard, Olga Kurylenko, and Jordi Molla.

The company, in partnership with Fathom Events, is planning a national theatrical release for March 2019. After nearly 25 years of attempts to make the film, “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” had its world premiere as the closing night selection at Cannes 2018.

At one time, the film was set to be distributed by Amazon, after it committed significant financing to the feature, which draws inspiration from Spaniard Miguel de Cervantes’ two-part novel, “Don Quixote.” Last May, however, the streaming powerhouse pulled out of the deal, just days after Gilliam reportedly suffered a stroke and...

Álvaro Brechner said the genesis of the idea to take on the true-life tale depicted in A Twelve-Year Night, which debuted this year at the Venice Film Festival, was not easy to discern. But he described the path to telling the story of courage, imagination and sheer will — the film is about three political prisoners in Uruguay who in 1973 are thrown into solitary confinement for more than 12 years, then survive to see the end of the brutal dictatorship and become, among them, Uruguay’s president, a minister of defense and a poet — as a journey.

“A director is like an explorer — you jump into the jungle and you know the north, but the north is always just a point, it’s not a place where you can arrive,” said Brechner, who with producer Mariela Besuievsky spoke onstage recently at the Awardsline Screening Series at The Landmark in Los Angeles. “For...

Terry Gilliam’s “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” is still in need of a U.S. distributor, but in the meantime the movie is opening in markets around the world, most recently in Belgium and the Netherlands. To celebrate the film’s international roll out, Gilliam has started a poster contest on his official Facebook page.

Since July 27, Gilliam has been debuting gorgeous one-sheets for “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” on social media and asking his nearly 500,000 followers to weigh in with their reactions to the artwork in the comments section. The filmmaker announced he plans to put together a ballot once all the posters are revealed and have fans pick the winning poster.

“Don Quixote” stars Jonathan Pryce as a delusional older man who is convinced he is the title character. After he mistakes a young advertising executive (Adam Driver) to be his loyal squire Sancho Pancho,...

Exclusive: Producer Paolo Branco is not letting up in his pursuit of compensation over The Man Who Killed Don Quixote rights snafu. However, a statement sent to me today from the film’s producers indicates that they are not ceding ground either.

According to a statement from Branco on Wednesday, a Madrid court ruling from July 13 backs up previous London and Paris judgments that his Alfama Films has an improperly terminated contract with Don Quixote director Terry Gilliam.

The prolific Portuguese producer, whose credits include David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis and Raoul Ruiz’s Mysteries Of Lisbon, claims that his sales and production outfit Alfama is the “sole owner of exploitation rights in France” as well as much of the world.

The statement continues, “All funds acquired through contracts signed after the dated co-production contract of May 9, 2016 without the consent of Alfama Films are therefore illegal, including funding from Eurimages, the French distribution Mg,...

The plot thickens — again. After losing his trial in the Paris Court of Appeals last week, Terry Gilliam also appeared to have lost the rights to his long-in-the-making passion project “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.” Former producer Paulo Branco claimed both victory and the rights to the film, which premiered at Cannes last month, but now Gilliam’s producer Mariela Besuievsky is firing back: “We have the rights of ‘Don Quixote’ and it will be released all over the world,” she tells El Español in a new interview.

Branco “had the option to buy, but never exercised that right of purchase,” Besuievsky adds in her translated conversation. Branco and Gilliam have been embroiled in a protracted legal battle over “Don Quixote,” which Gilliam has been laboring to make in one form or another for 25 years; Johnny Depp was originally attached to star, but the version that was finally completed...

In the ongoing war of words and court filings over Terry Gilliam’s troubled The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, comes a new, strongly-stated missive. On behalf of French distributor Océan Films and the movie’s producers, the communiqué released today is titled “Why Paulo Branco Was Never, Is Not And Never Will Be The Producer Of Terry Gilliam’s Don Quixote.”

This is a response to the latest move by Branco who, as part of a rights dispute, is seeking an injunction against the official closing night screening of the movie at the Cannes Film Festival. That matter is to be decided by a judge on May 7, one day before the festival kicks off.

To recap, Gilliam first began work on his passion project in 1989 and first started filming in 2000. After a series of ill-fated events, the movie was finally completed last year. The legal wrangle began in 2016 when...

Director celebrates wrapping production on the long delayed project.

Terry Gilliam has finished shooting The Man Who Killed Don Quixote after struggling to make the film for nearly 20 years.

In a celebratory Facebook post, the director said: “Sorry for the long silence. I’ve been busy packing the truck and am now heading home. After 17 years, we have completed the shoot of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Muchas gracias to all the team and believers. Quixote Vive!”

Gilliam later said in a statement: ““Don Quixote is a dreamer, an idealist, and a romantic, determined not to accept the limitations of reality, marching on regardless of setbacks, as we have done. We’ve been at it so long that the idea of actually finishing shooting this “clandestine” film, is pretty surreal. Any sensible person would have given up years ago but sometimes pig-headed dreamers win in the end, so thank you to all of the ill paid...

A partnership between Miami International Film Festival (Miff) and The Related Group to develop projects from Argentine filmmakers has announced the three recipients of $32,500 in cash prizes.

Tuesday’s announcement follows a pitching session at the Ventana Sur market in Buenos Aires last week when seven filmmakers were invited to present their development projects.

The international jury comprised of Mariela Besuievsky, Fabien Westerhoff and Mauricio Kinoshita has awarded the following prizes:

A first prize of $12,500 to A Sort Of Family, directed by Diego Lerman and produced by Nicolás Avruj (Campo Cine).

A second prize of $10,000 to The Death Of Marga Maier, directed by Camila Toker and produced by Pablo Ingercher (Oh My Gomez!) and Martín Cuinat (Roberto Me Dejó Films).

A third prize of $10,000 to Dolores, directed by Gonzalo Tobal and produced by Benjamín Domenech (Rei Cine Srl)

The directors will be invited to attend the 33th Miff when one of their previous features will be presented...

A partnership between Miami International Film Festival (Miff) and The Related Group to develop projects from Argentine filmmakers has announced the three recipients of $32,500 in cash prizes.

Tuesday’s announcement follows a pitching session at the Ventana Sur market in Buenos Aires last week when seven filmmakers were invited to present their development projects.

The international jury comprised of Mariela Besuievsky, Fabien Westerhoff and Mauricio Kinoshita has awarded the following prizes:

A first prize of $12,500 to A Sort Of Family, directed by Diego Lerman and produced by Nicolás Avruj (Campo Cine).

A second prize of $10,000 to The Death Of Marga Maier, directed by Camila Toker and produced by Pablo Ingercher (Oh My Gomez!) and Martín Cuinat (Roberto Me Dejó Films).

A third prize of $10,000 to Dolores, directed by Gonzalo Tobal and produced by Benjamín Domenech (Rei Cine Srl)

The directors will be invited to attend the 33th Miff when one of their previous features will be presented...

Sunray Films MD and former Focus Features International co-president to give address.

Alison Thompson, managing director of Sunray Films, is to deliver this year’s keynote address at the Film London Production Finance Market (Pfm) (Oct 15-16).

Opening the eighth Pfm in London on 15 October, Thompson will provide the 200 plus delegates and industry guests an insight into successfully financing, packaging, selling and positioning a diverse range of independent feature films across low and high budget ranges.

Thompson will also share her experience of spotting and nurturing talent and her move from indie sales companies to working for a studio-owned company.

As a sales agent, Thompson has represented films such as The Crying Game, The Motorcycle Diaries and Blue Jasmine. Recently formed sales-production company Sunray Films launched its first feature film production, Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Daniel Brühl, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is also representing Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner.

Pfm...

The 34th annual Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) announced its full festival program, featuring over 190 films and a full slate of special events, to be presented over eight days in Halifax, September 11-18.

"A film festival’s primary reason for existing is to celebrate film and to say this year’s line up of films and events is a celebration is a dramatic understatement,” said Wayne Carter, Executive Director. “The sheer breadth and quality of films from both our Atlantic region and beyond offers something for everyone and when you match that with special events that deliver an experience to remember we confidently feel we are raising the bar like never before."

“Our Government is pleased to support this iconic event through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, as part of our commitment to building a strong, competitive regional economy, said the Honorable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). The Festival generates tangible benefits for our region, opening new doors to international markets for local artists and industry professionals.”

The Atlantic Film Festival’s Gala Red Carpet Opening Night will take place at a new venue this year, the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Sponsored by NBC Universal, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, this star-studded evening will feature the

Opening Gala presentation of "Elephant Song," directed by Charles Binamé ("The Rocket," "Seraphin" ).

Set in 1966, a psychiatrist (Bruce Greenwood) cautiously pries one secret after another from a charismatic but unbalanced patient (Xavier Dolan) concerning the disappearance of the patient’s doctor. What begins as a psychological cat-and-mouse game quickly becomes a far more serious exchange about loss, memory and mystery, with deadly consequences all around. Fuelled by moving performances from an all-star cast, including Bruce Greenwood, Xavier Dolan, Catherine Keener and Carrie-Ann Moss, "Elephant Song" is an exceptional trip into the world of imagination and desire. "Elephant Song" is produced Richard Goudreau and Melenny Productions and is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.

Following the Opening Gala film presentation is the Opening Night Party. Penned as one of Halifax’s ‘most anticipated parties of the year’, the red-carpet event is once again sponsored by NBCUniversal and will take place at the Cunard Centre on Thursday, Sept. 11.

The Festival's Closing Gala presentation on Thursday, Sept. 18 will be "Maps to the Stars" by director, David Cronenberg. His latest feature film sees the veteran horror director veering into satire, comedy, and social commentary while still providing enough shocks to satisfy his old audience as he courts the new. This time out it is Hollywood itself that is the Toronto filmmaker’s target, telling multiple tales of past-it thespians, desperate wannabees and out-of-control child actors all colliding in a fast-paced, fame-obsessed world where nobody holds anything back. Both funny and terrifying, "Map To the Stars" sees "All About Eve" accelerated into Entourage on steroids.

"Maps to the Stars" is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.

Featuring the newest and most anticipated films of the year, moviegoers will want to be first in line to see the eight films comprising the

2014 Rogers Special Presentations. Savour the sights and sounds of soon to be award-winning films: ’71 , a moving combat film set during a terrifying riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971; "Foxcatcher," starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo; Simon Pegg as a disillusioned psychiatrist on the hunt for meaning in "Hector and the Search for Happiness;" Mike Leigh’s "Mr. Turner," featuring the award-winning performance of Timothy Spall; the hilarious and heart-warming film, "My Old Lady" with Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith; Jake Gyllenhaal’s career-defining performance in Dan Gilroy’s "Nightcrawler;" and Ruba Nadda’s

"October Gale," starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth.

The Aff will once again feature French films from Canada and around the world. This year’s Cinéma En Français S.V.P. program will take place from Friday, Sept. 12 to Monday, Sept. 15 and will feature two Gala Presentations. Xavier Dolan’s "Mommy" will be the Gala Français Canadien and Jean-Luc Godard’s "Adieu au langage 3D" ("Goodbye to Language 3D") will be the Gala Français International – reuniting the two Jury Prize winners from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Rounding out this year’s complete program is a top-tier line up of features and documentaries from Canada and throughout the world. Viewers will delight in a wide range of features such as: François Girard’s "Boychoir;" Kristen Stewart in both "Camp X-Ray" and "Clouds of Sils Maria;" Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s "Coming Home" (Gui Lai); "God Help the Girl" by Belle & Sebastien’s Stuart Murdoch; Cannes opener, "Grace of Monaco;" Sundance winner, "Whiplash;" Palme d’Or winner, "Winter Sleep;" and many more.

Select documentaries include: Nick Cave-focussed "20,000 Days on Earth;" a career-spanning look at one of film’s greatest directors in

"Altman;" the story of Russian hockey dominance in "Red Army;" a look inside Sesame Street’s most beloved character in "I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story;" and an exposé of bird poaching in "Emptying the Skies," among many other captivating and enlightening titles.

Also included in this year’s line up are Short Film Programs, featuring both a Canadian and international selection, a ViewFinders: Films for Youth program, film retrospectives at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, and the Festival’s always popular Late Shift program, which this year will screen the 40th Anniversary Restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The 2014 Festival will host several one-of-a kind special events and parties to celebrate the movies, the people and the city of Halifax. In addition to the Opening Night Party and debuting at this year’s festival is the Festival Music House Atlantic presented by Radio Starmaker Fund . The event offers some of the hottest music acts in the country (open exclusively to Festival Passholders and Festival Delegates).

The event will also feature A State of Mine Exhibition , an exhibition from photographer, Chris Geworsky exploring the personal, intimate and unique place each subject visits when he/she loses themselves in their own music; the Ofe@Aff – an Aff Outdoor Film Experience screening of Aff’s 2012 Atlantic Gala film, The Disappeared on the Dartmouth Waterfront; and the 34th Atlantic Film Festival Awards Reception , honoring the amazing talents of Atlantic Canadian film industry professionals.

Strategic Partners , a one-of-a-kind event focusing on film, television and digital fiction, from across Canada and around the world, will take place as part of Aff, Sept. 11-14. Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters, aggregators and distributors are selected to attend. Recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent co-production markets and celebrating its 17th year, Strategic Partners 2014 is shining the Country Spotlight brightly on Latin America and the U.S., and offering delegates over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, screenings and receptions as well as the popular Film & Creative Industries Nova Scotia Lobster Dinner By the Sea.

Keynote speakers include: Peter Gerard , Head of Content and Audience Engagement at Vimeo and Mariela Besuievsky , Academy award-winning producer at Tornasol Films. In addition there will be a case study of The Games Maker , a Canada/Agentina co-production success story; digital panel: Web Series Wizards Weigh In , with moderator Catherine Tait (Guidestones, Sos: Save Our Skins ) which will give independent producers insight on how to create/finance successful online content; and TV panel: Beyond Broadcast , with moderator Damon D’Oliveira ( What We Have, The Book of Negroes ) who will explore the changing broadcast landscape and original television programming in an increasingly digital-first world.

Financed with the support of the Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development and Telefilm Canada as the Presenting Partner, Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results. For more information, visit: atlanticfilm.com/sp

About the Atlantic Film Festival

The Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event takes place from September 11-18.

Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the Aff is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the Aff depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.

The Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through film. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, Aff Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.

Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs:

atlanticfilm.com , on Facebook page:

/atlanticfilmfestival , on Twitter account:...

Strategic Partners, a presentation of the Atlantic Film Festival, has announced the producers selected to participate as part of the inaugural project exchange with Mexico’s Los Cabos International Film Festival and Brazil’s RioContentMarket, in addition to an incredible line-up of producers and projects. As part of a two year spotlight on Latin America, one Mexican producer with a feature film in development and one Brazilian producer with a television project in development have been invited to participate at Strategic Partners 2014, September 11 - 14 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A Canadian feature film in development will then be selected from this year’s Strategic Partners to participate at Los Cabos International Film Festival, November 11 - 14, 2014. Additionally, a Canadian television project in development looking for Brazilian co-production partners will be chosen to attend RioContentMarket, February 2015. This initiative is sponsored by the Canadian Media Production Association.

Producer and co-founder of the Mexican production company Agrupación Caramelo Cinematografica, April Shannon, has been selected to participate in this year’s Strategic Partners from Los Cabos International Film Festival. Shannon’s impressive career includes working as producer on Bernardo Arellano’s "Between Night and Day" as well as production manager on James Franco’s "The Broken Tower." Shannon recently produced Arellano’s second feature "The Beginning of Time," now in post-production, to be released in late 2014. Shannon will bring the dark thriller "Franco’s Night" to Strategic Partners with production slated for 2015 in Mexico.

Brazilian producer Marcelo Galvão has been selected from RioContentMarket’s esteemed alumni of 2014. Galvão established production company Gatacine in 2001 and has since directed six features including "Farewell," "La Rina and Bellini"and the "Devil." He has won over 50 renowned awards including Best Film at the Gramado Film Festival, Best Director at the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival and Best Screenwriter at Paulína Film Festival (Brazil) among many others. Galvão will bring the highly anticipated television miniseries, The Gardener, to this year’s Strategic Partners.

“Ushering in the very first project exchange with producers April Shannon and Marcelo Galvão sets the bar incredibly high and truly complements the illustrious roster of delegates we will have at this year’s events,” says Strategic Partners Director, Laura Mackenzie. “The results couldn’t have been more ideal and I look forward to continuing our newly founded relationships with Los Cabos International Film Festival and RioContentMarket.”

A snapshot of the producers and 108 projects slated for Strategic Partners 2014:

"Prisoner’s Dilemma," (Feature Film, Sci-Fi Noir Thriller): Rebecca Knapp, The Content Providers/Dark Engine (UK), Director: Mark Anthony Galluzzo (RSVP), Attached: Lynn Collins ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine")

"Give Me Your Hand" (Feature Film, Romantic Comedy): Mariela Besuievsky, Tornasol Films (Spain), Director: Maria de Medeiros ("April Captains", "Je t’aime, moi non plus"), screenplay by Alicia Luna and Maria de Medicos

"Las Elegidas," (Feature Film, Drama): Marta Núñez Puerto, Canana (Mx), Director: David Pablos, ("The Life After")

"Dreamland,"(Feature Film, Fantasy): Amber Ripley, Foundation Features (Cad), Director: Bruce McDonald ("The Tracey Fragments," "Pontypool"), Attached: Stephen McHattie ("Watchmen," "300")

"Buzz Me," (Feature Film, Comedy): Raj Panikkar, Fifth Ground Entertainment (Cad), Director: Ken Girotti ("Vikings," "Orphan Black")

"A Prayer Before Dawn," (Feature Film, Action): Sol Papadopoulos, Roy Boulter, Hurricane Films (UK), Attached: Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy)

"The Sandman" (Feature Film, Horror): Daniela Tully, Shivertown Road (USA/Germany), Director: Dario Argento ("Philomena," "Opera"), Attached: Iggy Pop ("Trainspotting")

"The Portal," (TV Fiction, Fantasy): Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith, First Love Films (Canada). Director: Jonathan Williams ("The Portal"), Attached: Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Bomb Girls, Supernatural), Erin Karpluk (Being Erica)

"Are We A Bus" (TV Fiction, Comedy Drama): Mark Montefiore, New Metric Media (Canada), Show-runner: Daegan Fryklind (Bitten)

"Orovida" (TV Fiction, Romance): Mariela Besuievsky, Tornasol Films (Spain) - based on the novel by Yael Guiladi (portraying a passionate story of forbidden love at a time when an interracial liaison could result in death)

"Guardian Council" (TV Fiction, Procedural Drama): Carlos Andrade, Visom Digital (Brazil). Director: Rudi Lagemann ("Angels of The Sun")

A stellar line-up of some of the world’s most influential production companies will descend upon Halifax this fall including:

Sepia Films ("A Shine of Rainbows") - Canada

Blue Ice Pictures ("Nebraska") - Canada

Sienna Films ("Titanic") - Canada

Amaze Film + TV ("Call Me Fitz") - Canada

10x2y inc. ("The Samaritan") - Canada

Alazraki Entertainment ("Nosotros Los Nobles") - Mexico

Axman Productions ("Corn Island") - Czech Republic

Easy There Tiger ("Julie & Juila") - USA

Pampa Films ("The Games Maker") - Argentina

Utopia Group ("The Dead Man and Being Happy") - Argentina

Sikhya Entertainment ("The Lunchbox") - India

Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters and distributors are selected to attend Strategic Partners. Offering over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, and screenings and receptions – Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results.

For program updates and information on all things co-production, you can now follow the newly developed Strategic Partners presence on social media:

Twitter: [At]SPcopromarket Facebook: www.facebook.com/atlanticfilmfestivalstrategicpartners Youtube: www.youtube.com/atlanticfilmdotcom

About Strategic Partners: An International Film, Television and Digital Co-Production Market The Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners is one of the world’s preeminent co-production/co-financing markets focusing on feature film, TV and web based fiction. Strategic Partners offers an intimate, organized forum for projects looking for financing as well as those still at an early stage, looking for the right partner.

Over the past 17 years, Strategic Partners has established itself not only as a one of a kind co-production market, but also as a cutting edge, intimate environment that delivers solutions to existing and foreseeable industry challenges. The intelligence and program offered at Strategic Partners is developed over many months of research into current global issues. However, this information is only a complement to Strategic Partners’ primary function – to build, establish and nurture relationships between producers and their partners. Strategic Partners is a part of the Atlantic Film Festival family of programs. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, the Aff Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners. Learn more Here...

Strategic Partners, a presentation of the Atlantic Film Festival, will host a visionary line-up of speakers including keynote addresses presented by Tornasol Films Producer Mariela Besuievsky and Vimeo Director of Audience Development and Content Operations, Peter Gerard, as part of the event taking place September 11 - 14 in Halifax.

"With our spotlight shining brightly on Spain, Latin America, and the USA at Strategic Partners in 2014, having Mariela as our esteemed Opening Keynote couldn't be more relevant,” says Director of Strategic Partners, Laura MacKenzie. “Her impressive background as a producer, as well as her co-production experience around the globe (not to mention her incredible presence in the room) will ensure an inspirational conversation."

Originally from Uruguay, Besuievsky has produced over 90 films and has been a partner at Tornasol Films in Spain since 1999. She is renowned for her work on illustrious films such as "The Secret in Their Eyes" (winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010), "The Oxford Murders" (starring Elijah Wood and John Hurt) and Oscar nominated "Son of the Bride" (Best Film at the Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards 2002) among many others. Besuievsky has a rich history of bringing raw, character-driven stories to the screen.

"I'm very excited to attend Strategic Partners this fall! It is an optimal place for networking and providing an opportunity to find global partners,” says Besuievsky. “It is also a perfect environment to exchange impressions with other industry professionals, and to find new ideas and different points of view for your projects."

Vimeo Director of Audience Development and Content Operations Peter Gerard will also deliver a highly anticipated keynote address. Gerard set the stage for his impressive career by founding Accidental Media in Edinburgh and leading this groundbreaking company for more than ten years.

In 2010, Gerard founded Distrify to establish “direct-to-fan” digital film sales and in 2014, Peter moved to New York to join Vimeo, where he now manages marketing partnerships within Vimeo’s Audience Development team. His focus is on growing the Vimeo on Demand solution for independent film sales.

“I am excited by the opportunity to meet talented producers at Strategic Partners and talk about the possibilities of online marketing and sales for films and series," says Gerard. "The Vimeo On Demand catalogue is growing fast and we are empowering creators to connect with their global audiences through direct distribution."

"There's no doubt the digital first conversation will be overarching at Strategic Partners this year, and therefore I'm very excited to present industry leader, Peter Gerard, to deliver a keynote address on the topic of Producers as Entrepreneurs," says Mackenzie. "Vimeo's foray into original content with the series High Maintenance further solidifies the commitment and platform of self-distribution to supporting producers and content creation - this is exactly who we want represented at Strategic Partners!"

Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters and distributors are selected to attend Strategic Partners. Offering over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, and screenings and receptions – Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results.

To learn more visit Here

Twitter: [At]SPcopromarket

Facebook: www.facebook.com/atlanticfilmfestivalstrategicpartners

Youtube: www.youtube.com/atlanticfilmdotcom

About Strategic Partners: An International Film, Television and Digital Co-Production Market

The Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners is one of the world’s preeminent co-production/co-financing markets focusing on feature film, TV and web based fiction. Strategic Partners offers an intimate, organized forum for projects looking for financing as well as those still at an early stage, looking for the right partner.

Over the past 17 years, Strategic Partners has established itself not only as a one of a kind co-production market, but also as a cutting edge, intimate environment that delivers solutions to existing and foreseeable industry challenges. The intelligence and program offered at Strategic Partners is developed over many months of research into current global issues. However, this information is only a complement to Strategic Partners’ primary function – to build, establish and nurture relationships between producers and their partners.

Strategic Partners is a part of the Atlantic Film Festival family of programs. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, the Aff Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.

The Canadian co-production/co-financing market has announced the speakers for the 201 event, set for September 11-14 in Halifax.

Tornasol Films producer Mariela Besuievsky and Vimeo director of audience development and content operations and Distrify founder Peter Gerard will deliver keynotes.

“With our spotlight shining brightly on Spain, Latin America, and the USA at Strategic Partners in 2014, having Mariela [Besuievsky, pictured] as our esteemed opening keynote couldn’t be more relevant,” said Laura MacKenzie, director of Strategic Partners.

“Her impressive background as a producer, as well as her coproduction experience around the globe (not to mention her incredible presence in the room) will ensure an inspirational conversation.”

“I’m very excited to attend Strategic Partners this fall,” said Besuievsky. “It is an optimal place for networking and providing an opportunity to find global partners.

“It is also a perfect environment to exchange impressions with other industry professionals, and to find new ideas and different points of view for your projects...

Second poster for Ana Piterbarg's crime drama Everybody Has a Plan starring Viggo Mortensen. Taglined with "The Past Will Hunt You Down," this intriguing film which marks the feature-length directorial debut of Piterbarg (TV's Champions of Life), follows Mortensen's character who assumes the identity of his deceased twin in Argentina. Also known as Todos tenemos un plan, Everybody Has a Plan includes Soledad Villamil, Daniel Fanego, Javier Godino, Sofia Gala and Oscar Alegre. The film was nominated for three awards by 2012 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina. Mariela Busuievski, Vanessa Ragone and Mortensen produce.

Fox International has started production in Spain on Panda Eyes. Directed by Isabel Coixet (My Life Without Me, The Secret Life Of Words), the film stars Game Of Thrones‘ Sophie Turner, who is making her feature film debut. She’s surrounded by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rhys Ifans, Claire Forlani, Gregg Sulkin, Leonor Watling, Ivana Baquero, and Geraldine Chaplin. The film is a psychological thriller with Turner playing a woman haunted by a secret past. It is based on the Cathy MacPhail novel Another Me, and Coixet wrote the script. 20th Century Fox will distribute the Fox International film, a UK/Spain co-production that has Rebekah Gilbertson and Nicole Carmen-Davis producing for UK-based Rainy Day Films and Mariela Besuievsky producing for Spain-based Tornasol Films. Film Agency for Wales, Fox International Productions, the British Film Co. and Dsk Ventures are financing the film.

Lars von Trier's "Melancholia" (I know, he's the most hated director right now, but the film was great!) was the big winner at the 2011 European Film Awards. The film took home the Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design awards.

Tilda Swinton won Best Actress for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" while Colin Firth added another Best Actor award under his belt for "The King's Speech." The Oscar Best Picture winner also won the Best Editing and People's Choice awards.

Here's the full list of the winners of the 2011 European Film Award:

European Film 2011

Melancholia Dir. Lars von Trier

European Director 2011

Susanne Bier for In a Better World

European Actress 2011

Tilda Swinton in We Need To Talk About Kevin

European Actor 2011

Colin Firth in The King's Speech

European Screenwriter 2011

Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne for The Kid with a Bike

Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award 2011

Manuel Alberto Claro...

One of the most overlooked films of the year is finally getting some recognition. We loved it at Sundance and then again, as we gave it another look with its limited theatrical release, but it seems to have mostly exited theaters. Paddy Considine‘s Tyrannosaur, along with Lars von Trier‘s Melancholia, have each received their well-deserved due, with the latter taking the top prize at the European Film Awards and the former grabbing top honors at the British Independent Film Award Winners.

At the indie awards, Richard Ayoade took home the best screenplay award for the wonderful Submarine, likely one of the only awards this under-appreciated gem will get. It is also nice to see Senna get best documentary after the Academy Awards snubbed it on their shortlist. As for the Euro awards, The King’s Speech received the most recognition along with Melancholia. There wasn’t anything too...

The King’s Speech, Melancholia, and the other winners of the 2011 European Film Awards have been announced. The 24th Annual European Film Awards were presented “by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in over ten categories of which the most important is the Film of the year. They are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors, and actors.”

The full listing of the 2011 European Film Awards winners is below.

European Film 2011

Melancholia, Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany

Written and Directed by: Lars von Trier; Produced by: Meta Louise Foldager & Louise Vesth

European Director 2011

Susanne Bier for Hævnen (In a Better World)

European Actress 2011

Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin

European Actor 2011

Colin Firth in The King’s Speech

European Screenwriter 2011

Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne for Le Gamin au Velo (The Kid with a Bike)

Carlo Di Palma European...