Variety | 2017Cannes Marché du Film

TOP STORIES: Studiocanal To Introduce 'Russian Spy,' 'Sink or Swim,' 'The Little Witch' at Cannes …

Cannes Marché du Film

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PREVIEW 05.11.17

TOP STORIES
Studiocanal To Introduce 'Russian Spy,' 'Sink or Swim,' 'The Little Witch' at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) By John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassy PARIS -- Signaling at least part of its Cannes line-up, Vivendi-owned Studiocanal, Europe's biggest film group, will introduce "The Tracking of a Russian Spy," from Nima Nourizadeh ("Project X"), at this year's Cannes Film Market. Frui Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Solution, VMI Worldwide to Launch VOD Genre Group at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) By Dave McNary International sales-production companies the Solution Entertainment Group and VMI Worldwide have joined forces to establish a VOD genre group. The untitled partnership was announced Thursday by Myles Nestel and Lisa Wilson of the Solut Read Full Story at Variety.com →

'Downton Abbey' Star Hugh Bonneville to Play Roald Dahl in Biopic (EXCLUSIVE) By Robert Mitchell Hugh Bonneville of "Downton Abbey" fame is set to star as beloved children's author Roald Dahl in an untitled biopic about Dahl and his wife, Patricia Neal, from Goldcrest Films. Goldcrest, which is financing and co-producing the film Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: IM Global Adds China, Korea Titles to Anthem Slate By Patrick Frater Anthem, the specialist arm of sales and finance company IM Global, has added six Asian titles to its Cannes sales lineup. Four are sourced from China's Enlight Pictures. New Enlight movies include animated adventure "The Guardian" (aka Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: Valeria Golino and Alba Rohrwacher Set For Bispuri's 'Daughter of Mine'; Match Factory Selling (EXCLUSIVE) By Nick Vivarelli ROME - Italian A-list actresses Valeria Golino ("Respiro") and Alba Rohrwacher ("I Am Love") are set to co-star in "Daughter of Mine" to be directed by Italy's Laura Bispuri, whose transgender-themed "Sworn Virgin" made an internationa Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Locarno Film Fest to Honor Swiss Producer Michel Merkt (EXCLUSIVE) By Nick Vivarelli ROME - The Locarno Film Festival will fete Swiss producer Michel Merkt with its Raimondo Rezzonico Prize, which is awarded to a producer who epitomizes the indie ethos. In the past 10 years, the Monte Carlo-based Merkt, 44, has sh Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Backup Media to Fully Finance Tim Sutton's 'Donnybrook' (EXCLUSIVE) By Elsa Keslassy Paris-based Backup Media has come on board to fully finance Tim Sutton's "Donnybrook," the adaptation of Frank Bill's 2013 noir novel, which David Lancaster's Rumble Films is producing. On top of financing the film, Backup Media is cur Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: France's Cite Films, Memento Films Board 'The Desert Bride' (EXCLUSIVE) By John Hopewell PARIS -- Building the film's status as one of Latin America's buzzed-up Cannes titles, Raphael Berdugo's Cite Films has made the unusual move - for Cite at least - of taking world sales rights to Cannes Un Certain Regard entry "The Des Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Synergetic Takes U.S. Rights on Film Republic's 'People That Are Not Me' (EXCLUSIVE) By Robert Mitchell Synergetic Distribution has acquired U.S. rights to Hadas ben Aroya's "People That Are Not Me" from London-based global sales agent Film Republic. The deal is one of a raft of U.S. sales Film Republic has closed across four internation Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Biopic About Muhammad Ali's Brother in the Works By Dave McNary Goalpost Film has partnered with Evan J. Bochetto to produce a feature film based on the life of Rahman Ali, Muhammad Ali's only sibling. The film will trace the brothers' relationship from humble beginnings in Louisville, Ky., as Rudo Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: Sola Media Boards 'Lila's Book' for Worldwide Sales (EXCLUSIVE) By Robert Mitchell Germany's Sola Media has taken worldwide sales rights to animated children's film "Lila's Book," which it will introduce to buyers at the Cannes Film Market. The film is the first feature production from Colombian animation house Fosfe Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: Cristina Zumarraga, Pablo Bossi Launch Tandem Films (EXCLUSIVE) By John Hopewell PARIS -- Argentina's Pablo Bossi ("Nine Queens"), a leading producer of the new Argentine Cinema, and Spain's Cristina Zumarraga, who has overseen production of some of its biggest ("Alatriste") and most challenging ("Even the Rain") p Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: Fellipe Barbosa to Helm First English-language Pic, 'American Honey's Lars Knudsen Producing (EXCLUSIVE) By Anna Marie de la Fuente Brazilian helmer-scribe Fellipe Barbosa, whose sophomore feature "Gabriel and the Mountain" vies for the big prize at Cannes' Critics' Week, is set to helm his first English-language pic "City of Alex," with Lars Knudsen of the Long Ru Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Reel Suspects Nabs Worldwide Sales Rights to Drama-Thriller 'Leviano' (EXCLUSIVE) By Emiliano De Pablos Matteo Lovadina's Paris-based Reel Suspects has acquired worldwide sales rights to Portuguese drama-thriller "Leviano," the feature debut of Portuguese-Canadian director Justin Amorim. The film market premieres at the Cannes Film Marke Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: Chinese-Backed U.K. Producer BB88 Unveils 'GiantLand' By Patrick Frater Young British outfit BB88 is one of the early beneficiaries of the ongoing diversification of the Chinese film industry. That's because, while the big money has been flowing, somewhat unevenly, between China and Hollywood, some smart m Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes: First Poster of Marcela Said's Critics' Week Entry, 'Los Perros' (EXCLUSIVE) By John Hopewell MADRID -- Variety has had first access to a highly symbolic poster of a high-profile Latin American film from one of its fast-rising woman directors, Cannes Critics' Week entry "Los Perros," from Chile's Marcela Said (pictured) whose d Read Full Story at Variety.com →

REVIEWS
Film Review: 'Patti Cake$' By Peter Debruge You've never met a rapper like Patricia Dombrowski. Her best friend calls her Killa-P, while the haters call her Dumbo, but to us, she will always be "Patti Cake$," an overweight white hip-hop artist who announces her force-of-nature p Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Film Review: 'Django' By Peter Debruge In Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown," Sean Penn boasts, "I'm considered the best guitar player maybe that ever lived, certainly in this country. There's this gypsy in France, and he's the most beautiful thing I ever heard." The only gu Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Film Review: 'The Boy Downstairs' By Owen Gleiberman Adam Driver aside, the first member of the cast of "Girls" to bust out on the big screen has been Allison Williams, so good as the treacherous "post-racial" viper girlfriend in "Get Out." But Zosia Mamet, in "The Boy Downstairs," Read Full Story at Variety.com →

Cannes Keeps Netflix Movies in Competition but Says Future Films Must Have Theatrical Release

By Elsa Keslassy

PARIS - A week before its opening ceremony, the Cannes Film Festival said Wednesday that it would keep Netflix movies "Okja" and "The Meyerowitz Stories" in competition despite opposition from French exhibitors but that, in future, all