Deadline Hollywood - Contenders Film: International - 12/09/23

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DECEMBER 9, 2023 | SPECIAL ISSUE




P R E S E N TAT I O N S

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

The Peasants

DK Welchman (Writer/Director) Hugh Welchman (Writer/Director/Producer)

Shayda

Noora Niasari (Writer/Director/Producer) Coco Francini (EP)

NETFLIX

The Teachers’ Lounge

Ilker Çatak (Co-Writer/Director)

Society of the Snow

J.A. Bayona (Writer/Director/Producer) Roberto Canessa (Survivor) Belén Atienza (Producer)

815 PICTURES AND LOTTE

Concrete Utopia

Um Tae-hwa (Writer/Director) Lee Byung-hun (Actor)

ENTERTAINMENT FILM CLINIC, VOX STUDIOS,

Voy! Voy! Voy!

Omar Hilal (Writer/Director/Producer)

AND IMAGE NATION ABU DHABI

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P R E S E N TAT I O N S

LEMMING FILM

Sweet Dreams

Ena Sendijarević (Writer/Director) Renée Soutendijk (Actor)

ARGO FILM

Blaga’s Lessons

Stephan Komandarev (Director) Eli Skorcheva (Actor)

UTOPIA

Omen

Baloji (Writer/Director) Eliane Umuhire (Actor)

KAVYA FILM COMPANY

2018 - Everyone Is A Hero

Jude Anthany Joseph (Writer/Director) Venu Kunnappilly (Producer)

KAWANKAWAN MEDIA

Autobiography

Makbul Mubarak (Director)

CLOSE UP FILMS

Thunder

Carmen Jaquier (Director)

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DEADLINE’S FOURTH CONTENDERS FILM: INTERNATIONAL BRINGS THE BEST OF THIS YEAR’S GLOBAL CINEMA BY DAMON W I SE

The last Oscar ceremony was a

down, and international film, once

His Skin) and Bosnia and Herzegovina

triumph for international cinema.

synonymous with arthouse, is making

(Quo Vadis, Aida?). Surprisingly, given

Going into the ceremony, Edward

commercial headway.

the precarious state of world politics

Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front

Recent stats also show that the

today and almost every day, the

was a winner already, having earned a

Academy is becoming a little more

Academy tends not to be swayed by

spectacular seven nominations. If that

experimental in their taste. Historically,

headlines, which means that political

wasn’t enough, it came away with four

the Oscars has tended to favor Europe:

choices are by no means a safe bet.

statuettes: one for Best International

since 1947, Italy has mustered 14 wins,

With nearly 100 submissions

Picture, and three for cinematography,

with France close behind on 12. In third

competing for just five slots, it is a

music and production design. Clearly

place comes Japan with five, so there’s

highly crowded field, and some foreign-

this can’t happen every year, but, like

everything to play for here. In recent

language titles, like the U.K.’s Cannes

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite before it,

times, the shortlist has made room for

favorite The Zone of Interest or the

Berger’s First World War epic proved

films from Bhutan (Lunana: A Yak in the

French Palm d’Or winner Anatomy of

that boundaries are being broken

Classroom), Tunisia (The Man Who Sold

a Fall (which was passed over in favor


of The Taste of Things), may take their

(the big winner at this year’s Karlovy

South Korea has another strong entry

chances alongside everyone else in

Vary International Film Festival). Egypt

this year with Um Tae-hwa’s Concrete

the acting and technical categories.

gives us Omar Hilal’s Voy! Voy! Voy!,

Utopia, while Spain has J.A. Bayona’s

Deadline’s International Contenders,

Germany offers Ilker Çatak’s The

Society of the Snow, and Switzerland

then, is not an exhaustive list, but it

Teachers’ Lounge, a word-of-mouth hit

rounds things off with Carmen

does illustrate the healthy state of

at this year’s Berlinale, and from India

Jaquier’s Thunder.

cinema in all four corners of the globe,

there’s Jude Anthany Joseph’s 2018 -

from personal stories, to thrillers,

Everyone Is a Hero.

comedies, psychological dramas and

Meanwhile, from Indonesia we have

What’s clear is that this year is far from a one-horse race, with fewer familiar names in the mix than there

Makbul Mubarak’s Autobiography,

have been for quite a while. So rather

The Netherlands provides us with

than try to out-think the Academy,

Niasari’s Shayda, from Belgium there’s

Ena Sendijarević’s Sweet Dreams, and

tune in to check out some new and

Baloji’s Omen, from Bulgaria comes

Poland has DK and Hugh Welchman’s

surprising voices. You’ll see things

Stephan Komandarev’s Blaga’s Lessons

The Peasants. Making up for lost time,

differently if you do. ★

flat-out spectacles. From Australia we have Noora




MEET THE

MODERATORS The Deadline staffers who’ ll be guiding you through this year’s Contenders

YO UR EM C E E

London, New York and Hollywood. Prior to that

correspondent for Variety and also covered film

JOE UTICHI

he was based in New York for three years for

news and box office at Screen International.

EXECUTIVE AWARDS EDITOR

The Sun. He covered crime & entertainment

Joe oversees Deadline’s awards coverage, includ-

for the London Evening Standard; before that

NANCY TARTAGLIONE

ing its dedicated print magazine for the Oscar and

he worked for local newspapers, and got his

INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE

Emmy seasons, AwardsLine. He also edits Dead-

start at a London news agency covering general

EDITOR/SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

line’s special ‘Disruptors’ edition for the Cannes

news, criminal courts and entertainment. He

Nancy joined Deadline as International Editor

Film Festival and serves as the emcee for its Con-

has won a U.K. Press Award for show business

in 2011. She covers the global film, television

tenders events. He has been aboard since 2012.

reporter of the year and received a special Brit-

and media business, with a particular focus on

Prior to joining, his work regularly appeared in his

ish Independent Film Award for services to indie

international box office and China; as well as

native UK—for outlets including The Sunday Times

film. He supports Arsenal FC. On occasion he is

various festivals and awards shows. Based in

and The Guardian—and around the world. He has

known to sing. Please don’t allow him to do this.

Europe for more than 25 years, Nancy is the

also worked extensively in film and television, pro-

former Editor-in-Chief of Hollywood Wiretap,

ducing EPK and production notes and working as

MELANIE GOODFELLOW

and for 10 years was French Correspondent/

a unit publicist. He is a member of BAFTA and has

SENIOR INTERNATIONAL FILM

Contributing Editor at ScreenDaily.com and

sat on multiple juries for the BAFTA Film Awards.

CORRESPONDENT

Screen International. She also has worked for

Melanie joined Deadline in 2022 as Senior

The New York Times as a freelance editor for

YO UR MODE R ATO R S

International Film Correspondent. She came

its DealBook blog. Earlier in her career, Nancy

NELLIE ANDREEVA

from UK trade Screen International, where

was the European Media Correspondent for

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TV

she spent a decade covering film and TV

Inside.com and co-hosted Canal Plus’ film

Nellie's insightful analysis and thorough

news out of France, Europe and the Middle

program "Bazar." Nancy also spent four years

coverage of TV deals, pilot season, markets

East. She has also worked for Variety and

as reporter and editor for Variety in Paris and

and executives makes her one of the most

Moving Pictures as well as the UK broadsheet

Los Angeles. Prior to that, she worked in the

respected journalists covering the television

The Independent, entertainment magazine

Paris office of 60 Minutes, and spent two years

business today. Before joining Deadline in 2010,

Heat and Japan’s The Daily Yomiuri, working

in the Features department of the International

Nellie worked for 10 years at The Hollywood

out of London, Rome, Brussels, Tokyo and

Herald Tribune. She lives in the south of France.

Reporter where she covered TV for the trade's

Jerusalem. Melanie originally trained in

online and print editions. Before that, she worked

journalism at Reuters and spent four years

DAMON WISE

as a journalist covering television and radio

there in the mid-1990s as a reporter.

FILM EDITOR, AWARDSLINE

for Investor’s Business Daily. Nellie’s interest

Damon has contributed to Deadline since 2017.

in the television industry extends back to her

DIANA LODDERHOSE

As a journalist, his film features, interviews and

homeland of Bulgaria, where she first became

INTERNATIONAL FEATURES EDITOR

reviews have been published in publications

a journalist and then a producer, writer and

Diana has been working in global film journalism

such as Empire, Total Film, The Guardian, The

director for Bulgarian National Television.

since 2005. Before returning to Deadline in

Times and The Financial Times, and as well as

2021 to focus on features for international film

covering set visits and junkets, he is a longtime

BAZ BAMIGBOYE

and television, she was previously Interna-

regular attendee at key international film fes-

COLUMNIST/INTERNATIONAL

tional Reporter for the site. She is based in

tivals, such as Cannes, Venice and Sundance.

EDITOR AT LARGE

London and has frequently covered all the

In 1998 he published his first book, Come By

Baz joined Deadline in 2022 after three decades

major film festivals and markets including

Sunday (Sidgwick & Jackson), a biography of

as entertainment columnist for the U.K. Daily Mail,

Cannes, Berlin, AFM, Toronto and Sundance.

British film star Diana Dors, and he is currently

where he covered film, theater and television in

Prior to joining Deadline, Diana was the UK

an advisor to the London Film Festival.


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CONCRETE UTOPIA

BLAGA’S LESSONS

THUNDER


815 PICTURES & LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT Concrete Utopia (South Korea) Residents in a concrete apartment complex are forced to reconcile themselves with a terrifying discovery following a massive earthquake that decimates Seoul. Realizing that their building is the only one standing, the residents must figure out how to deal with being overrun by outside survivors that pose a threat on their psyche and limited resources. The film is directed by Tae-hwa Eom and stars Lee Byung-hun, Park Boyoung and Park Seo-joon.

VOY! VOY! VOY!

2018 - EVERYONE IS A HERO

ARGO FILM Blaga’s Lessons (Bulgaria) Director Stephan Komandarev wraps up his trilogy of films surrounding Bulgarian societal issues, with this film centered on the vulnerability of senior citizens. After a scammer takes her life savings, recently widowed Blaga (Eli Skorcheva) receives a tantalizing job opportunity. The former teacher’s strict and honest nature begins to crumble as she finds herself becoming a scammer as well. CLOSE UP FILMS Thunder (Switzerland) In the summer of 1900, 17-year-old Elisabeth (Lilith

Grasmug) is preparing to take her vows as a nun, when she learns her sister has died of mysterious circumstances in Carmen Jaquier’s Thunder. As she returns to her family farm after five years, Elisabeth reconnects with three childhood friends and discovers that faith and desire aren’t mutually exclusive. FILM CLINC, VOX STUDIOS & IMAGE NATION ABU DHABI Voy! Voy! Voy! (Egypt) Based on a true story, Omar Hilal’s Voy! Voy! Voy! Follows Hassan (Muhammad Farrag), a man living an impoverished life in his home country of Egypt. When he stumbles into the world of blind soccer, he fakes blindness to join a team before the World Cup tournament in Europe. KAVYA FILM COMPANY 2018 - Everyone Is A Hero (India) Based on a true story, the Malayalam language film is a survival thriller centered around the Kerala floods that devastated the south Indian state in 2018. Upon the film’s release in May 2023, its box office totals of $25 million earned the film the distinction of being the highest grossing Malayalam language film of all time. 2018 is cowritten and directed by




AUTOBIOGRAPHY

SWEET DREAMS

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW


Jude Anthany Joseph and stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan and Aparna Balamurali.

THE PEASANTS

KAWANKAWAN MEDIA Autobiography (Indonesia) Written and directed by Makbul Mubarak, Autobiography tells the story of a young man living in a rural Indonesian town as a housekeeper in a mansion belonging to a retired general. When the general decides to start a mayoral campaign, an act of vandalism starts a violent chain of events. Arswendy Bening Swara and Kevin Ardilova star. LEMMING FILM Sweet Dreams (The Netherlands) Ena Sendijarević's Sweet Dreams satirically broaches the rise and fall of European colonialism. The story is set on an Indonesian island in 1900, where a Dutch sugar plantation owner Jan (Hans Dagelet) and his wife Agathe (Renée Soutendijk) face marital and familial strife while trying to maintain superiority over the family business.

SHAYDA

NETFLIX Society of the Snow (Spain) Adapted from Pablo Vierci’s book of the same name, director J.A.

Bayona’s Society of the Snow follows the true story of the 1972 flight that crashed on a glacier in the Andes, leaving 29 survivors in one of the world’s toughest environments. As time goes by with no sign of rescue, the survivors are forced to resort to extreme measures to stay alive. SONY PICTURES CLASSICS The Peasants (Poland) The Peasants tells the story of Jagna, a young woman determined to forge her own path within the confines of a late 19th century Polish village—a hotbed of gossip and ongoing feuds, held together by the rich and poor, who have pride in their land and adhere to colorful traditions and a deeprooted patriarchy. When she finds herself caught between the conflicting desires of the village’s richest farmer, his eldest son and other leading men of the community, her resistance puts her on a tragic collision course with the people around her. Shayda (Australia) Shayda, written and directed by Noora Niasari, follows the story of a young Iranian mother (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) and her 6-year-old daughter (Selina Zahednia) who find refuge at an Australian


FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION | BEST DOCUMENTARY

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women’s shelter during the beginning of the Iranian New Year, after facing domestic violence. Osamah Sami, Leah Purcell, Jillian Nguyen, Mojean Aria and Rina Mousavi also star.

THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE

OMEN

The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany) Directed and co-written by İlker Çatak, The Teachers’ Lounge follows Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch), an idealistic teacher who tries to solve a series of thefts at school. When one of her students is suspected of theft, Nowak’s good intentions of proving his innocence lead to some unforeseen consequences that threaten to break her spirit. UTOPIA Omen (Belgium) This drama film, written and directed by BelgianCongolese director Baloji, follows a young man named Koffi (Marc Zinga), who after years of residing in Belgium, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of the Congo hoping to reconnect with his family. However, having been born with a mysterious birthmark that flares up superstitious beliefs in his hometown, Koffi then has to navigate accusations of witchcraft and sorcery. Eliane Umuhire, Marcel Otete Kabeya and Lucie Debay also star.




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