Venice film festival

EXCLUSIVE: Joseph Amenta , whose debut feature Soft just had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, has signed with M88 for representation. Soft revolves around three adolescent queer friends (played by Matteus Lunot, Zion Matheson and Harlow Joy) who become enraptured in the Toronto nightlife scene over a formative summer break, before a missing persons pulls them back into the reality they had chosen to leave behind. Amenta wrote and directed the film, which bowed in TIFF’s Discovery section. The Toronto-born writer-director-producer got Telefilm Talent to Watch funding for the LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama, with their screenplay scoring the Toronto Screenwriting Conference Breakthrough Artist Award. Amenta previously made the short films Haus and Flood , the latter of which premiered at TIFF in 2019; they attended the TIFF Talent Lab the same year. … [Read more...] about ‘Soft’ Director Joseph Amenta Inks With M88 After Pic’s Toronto Film Festival Debut

Iranian director Jafar Panahi remains behind bars in Tehran but his cinema continues to travel. In a fresh sales announcement, Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired all U.S rights and Films We Like has taken all Canadian rights to Panahi’s Venice Special Jury Prize winner ‘No Bears’. Celluloid Dreams handles international sales. U.S. distributors Sideshow and Janus Films are now planning an awards season campaign in the best director category for Panahi and will release the film in time for an Oscar push. The director is currently serving a reactivated, six-year suspended prison sentence, originally handed out in 2010, after he was detained in July by Iranian authorities as part of a crackdown on freedom of expression and dissent. Since then, tensions over the Iranian government’s authoritarian rule have ratcheted up in recent days amid protests over the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, while in custody for not wearing her burqa properly. Tapping … [Read more...] about Sideshow, Janus Films Take U.S. Rights For Jafar Panahi’s Venice Winner ‘No Bears’ & Announce Best Director Oscar Push

EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment is going big on Loudmouth . The company has acquired North American rights to the documentary about the Rev. Al Sharpton , and plans a December 9 theatrical release for the film just as Oscar shortlist voting rolls around. The film directed by Josh Alexander held its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, examining an activist, commentator and occasional political candidate who has been a major part of American life for almost 40 years. “Sharpton has been a polarizing figure, inspiring both love and hate on local and national stages,” a release for the film stated. “Chronicling his work for social change from the streets of 1980s Brooklyn to 2020s Minneapolis, Loudmouth presents never-before-seen footage of the social justice titan on the frontlines, in the media as well as in the corridors of power, to paint an intimate and revealing portrait of a tireless warrior who has never ducked a fight in his mission to … [Read more...] about Greenwich Entertainment Acquires NA Rights To ‘Loudmouth,’ Documentary on Rev. Al Sharpton; Sets December Theatrical Release