Rising French actor Raphael Quenard has signed to star as legendary French rock star Johnny Hallyday in a buzzy, as-yet-untitled biopic from Hugo Selignac’s Mediawan-owned Chi-Fou-Mi Productions.
November and The Stronghold filmmaker Cedric Jimenez will direct the feature that is set to start shooting in 2026 for a planned release on December 8, 2027 to coincide with what will be the 10 year anniversary of the singer and actor’s death in 2017.
Jimenez is penning the script with his November co-writer Olivier Demangel. The project is being billed as the “official” Hallyday biopic by the rocker’s widow Laetitia Hallyday who has previously...
November and The Stronghold filmmaker Cedric Jimenez will direct the feature that is set to start shooting in 2026 for a planned release on December 8, 2027 to coincide with what will be the 10 year anniversary of the singer and actor’s death in 2017.
Jimenez is penning the script with his November co-writer Olivier Demangel. The project is being billed as the “official” Hallyday biopic by the rocker’s widow Laetitia Hallyday who has previously...
- 6/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mediawan Rights has boarded “Kabul,” a highly anticipated thriller series produced by France’s 24 25 Films and Cinétévé.
Shervin Alenabi (“Tehran”) and “Euphoria’s” Eric Dane (in a small role) have joined the international cast of the show, which already comprises Jonathan Zaccaï (“Le bureau des legendes”), Thibault Evrard (“The Night of the 12th”), Vassilis Kukalawi (“Kandahar”), Jeanne Goursaud (“Pax Massilia”), Gianmarco Saurino (“L’estate piu Calda”) and Valentina Cervi (“Medici: Masters of Florence”).
The series, set against the backdrop of U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and Taliban’s sweep to power, just started filming on April 1. Mediawan Rights will introduce the gripping series project to international buyers at upcoming markets, and is handling worldwide distribution with the participation of Entourage.
“Kabul” explores the chaotic evacuation of various characters, from diplomats to soldiers to civilians, who desperately seek refuge and solidarity in a country in crisis, with the arrival of the Taliban in Kabul.
Shervin Alenabi (“Tehran”) and “Euphoria’s” Eric Dane (in a small role) have joined the international cast of the show, which already comprises Jonathan Zaccaï (“Le bureau des legendes”), Thibault Evrard (“The Night of the 12th”), Vassilis Kukalawi (“Kandahar”), Jeanne Goursaud (“Pax Massilia”), Gianmarco Saurino (“L’estate piu Calda”) and Valentina Cervi (“Medici: Masters of Florence”).
The series, set against the backdrop of U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and Taliban’s sweep to power, just started filming on April 1. Mediawan Rights will introduce the gripping series project to international buyers at upcoming markets, and is handling worldwide distribution with the participation of Entourage.
“Kabul” explores the chaotic evacuation of various characters, from diplomats to soldiers to civilians, who desperately seek refuge and solidarity in a country in crisis, with the arrival of the Taliban in Kabul.
- 4/4/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based company 2425 Films, recently acquired by Mediawan, is working with a pool of rising filmmakers on timely movies, including Charly Delwart’s “1,5 degré,” Ilan Duran Cohen’s “Le coup d’apres” and Thomas Kruithof’s “Les Braises.”
2425 Films, founded by Thibault Gast and Matthias Weber, has been thriving with smart, high-concept commercial movies, such as Yann Gozlan’s “La boite noire” and “An Ideal Man,” as well as the thriller “Burn Out.” The company also presented Gozlan’s latest film, “Visions,” a thriller starring Diane Kruger (co-produced by Eagle Team Entetainment) at this year’s Angouleme Film Festival.
Duran Cohen’s “Le coup d’apres” is a film set in the world of French politics, with a duo of French stars, Marina Fois and Laurent Laffite, who previously co-starred in “Papa ou Maman,” a French hit comedy franchise. Laffite, who also stars in Netflix’s limited series “Tapie,” plays...
2425 Films, founded by Thibault Gast and Matthias Weber, has been thriving with smart, high-concept commercial movies, such as Yann Gozlan’s “La boite noire” and “An Ideal Man,” as well as the thriller “Burn Out.” The company also presented Gozlan’s latest film, “Visions,” a thriller starring Diane Kruger (co-produced by Eagle Team Entetainment) at this year’s Angouleme Film Festival.
Duran Cohen’s “Le coup d’apres” is a film set in the world of French politics, with a duo of French stars, Marina Fois and Laurent Laffite, who previously co-starred in “Papa ou Maman,” a French hit comedy franchise. Laffite, who also stars in Netflix’s limited series “Tapie,” plays...
- 11/1/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral’s Srab Films has a slate of social justice titles.
Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral’s Paris-based Srab Films, which is heading to Toronto next month with Ladj Ly’s Les Indésirables, has unveiled a slew of projects including the next features from Ly and Alice Diop, whose Saint Omer the company produced last year.
Ly is in the writing stages of the third of what will be a trilogy of titles set against the same backdrop of his native Montfermeil neighbourhood following Les Misérables (also produced by Srab) and Les Indésirables.
“After Les Misérables,...
Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral’s Paris-based Srab Films, which is heading to Toronto next month with Ladj Ly’s Les Indésirables, has unveiled a slew of projects including the next features from Ly and Alice Diop, whose Saint Omer the company produced last year.
Ly is in the writing stages of the third of what will be a trilogy of titles set against the same backdrop of his native Montfermeil neighbourhood following Les Misérables (also produced by Srab) and Les Indésirables.
“After Les Misérables,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
A flamboyant man who was once a sales clerk, singer, actor, sports impresario, business mogul and government minister, Bernard Tapie led a rollercoaster life wilder than most fictional characters depicted in pop culture, even those created by Martin Scorsese.
No wonder that it took a decade for Tristan Seguela (“A Good Doctor”) and Olivier Demangel (“November”) to create and pen “Tapie,” a Netflix original series charting the swaggering man’s epic rise, from his blue-collar origins to his glorious days as a wealthy businessman and president of one of France’s biggest soccer clubs, Olympique de Marseille. The limited series tells intimate parts of his life, including his relationship with loved ones and business partners, as well as some of his setbacks and legal problems. Tapie died in 2021.
The first two episodes of “Tapie” world premiered at Canneseries TV festival and were warmly received with a standing ovation. Based on...
No wonder that it took a decade for Tristan Seguela (“A Good Doctor”) and Olivier Demangel (“November”) to create and pen “Tapie,” a Netflix original series charting the swaggering man’s epic rise, from his blue-collar origins to his glorious days as a wealthy businessman and president of one of France’s biggest soccer clubs, Olympique de Marseille. The limited series tells intimate parts of his life, including his relationship with loved ones and business partners, as well as some of his setbacks and legal problems. Tapie died in 2021.
The first two episodes of “Tapie” world premiered at Canneseries TV festival and were warmly received with a standing ovation. Based on...
- 4/19/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Known for starring role in “Lupin,” French actor Omar Sy is also a politically-minded producer. Before becoming a global star with “Lupin,” Sy started developing “Father and Soldier” with Mathieu Vadepied, a cinematographer-turned-director he met on the shoot of “Intouchables.” The passion project, written by Vadepied and Olivier Demangel (“Atlantics”), sheds light on the Senegalese Tirailleurs, riflemen who belonged to the French army’s colonial infantry during WWI and WWII. Over a decade later, “Father and Soldier,” directed by Vadepied and handled by Gaumont, world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, in the Un Certain Regard section.
In a rare dramatic role, the actor who often takes on comedic roles plays Bakary Diallo, a man whose peaceful life in rural Senegal is shattered after his 17-year-old son Thierno (Alassane Diong) is forcefully recruited by the French army. Bakary sets off to bring his son back home and enlists himself in the army.
In a rare dramatic role, the actor who often takes on comedic roles plays Bakary Diallo, a man whose peaceful life in rural Senegal is shattered after his 17-year-old son Thierno (Alassane Diong) is forcefully recruited by the French army. Bakary sets off to bring his son back home and enlists himself in the army.
- 12/20/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
French director Cédric Jimenez’s thriller November has drawn one million spectators in France in its first two weeks on release, bucking the trend of the country’s recent lackluster box office, co-producer and distributor Studiocanal has announced.
The fast-paced drama feature, which is inspired by the five-day manhunt for the perpetrators of the November 15 terror attacks in Paris, world premiered Out of Competition in Cannes in May.
Seven years on from the attacks, they remain a raw and sensitive memory in the French psyche. The film, however, focuses on the investigation and state of heightened tension in the aftermath, rather than the actual events of November 15.
Studiocanal said the film had exceeded one million admissions in France within 15 days, sitting at number one at the French box office since the theatrical release on October 5. This marks a new record for a Studiocanal film in France.
Jimenez has prior box office form at home,...
The fast-paced drama feature, which is inspired by the five-day manhunt for the perpetrators of the November 15 terror attacks in Paris, world premiered Out of Competition in Cannes in May.
Seven years on from the attacks, they remain a raw and sensitive memory in the French psyche. The film, however, focuses on the investigation and state of heightened tension in the aftermath, rather than the actual events of November 15.
Studiocanal said the film had exceeded one million admissions in France within 15 days, sitting at number one at the French box office since the theatrical release on October 5. This marks a new record for a Studiocanal film in France.
Jimenez has prior box office form at home,...
- 10/19/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Novembre Trailer — Cédric Jimenez‘s Novembre (2022) movie trailer has been released by Studio Canal. The Novembre trailer stars Anais Demoustier, Sandrine Kiberlain, Jeremie Renier, Lyna Khoudri, Cedric Kahn, Sofian Khammes, Sami Outalbali, Stephane Bak, Annabelle Lengronne, and Raphael Quenard. Crew Olivier Demangel wrote the screenplay for Novembre. “Produced by Mathias Rubin and Hugo Sélignac.” Plot Synopsis Novembre‘s [...]
Continue reading: November (2022) Movie Trailer: Jean Dujardin leads an Anti-Terrorism Investigation following an Attack in Paris...
Continue reading: November (2022) Movie Trailer: Jean Dujardin leads an Anti-Terrorism Investigation following an Attack in Paris...
- 8/29/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Jean Dujardin, best known for his roles in light-hearted films such as the Oscar-winning “The Artist,” plays the fierce boss of a highly-secretive police brigade that tracked down the assailants of the 2015 Paris attacks in Cedric Jimenez’s “November.”
Written by Olivier Demangel (“Atlantics”), the fast-paced and tense thriller world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is being represented in international markets by Studiocanal. Jimenez, who was at Cannes last year with another action-packed police thriller, “The Stronghold,” sat alongside Dujardin with Variety during the festival to discuss the genesis of “November,” how the ensemble cast — including Dujardin, Sandrine Kiberlain, Anais Demoustier and a flurry of fresh faces — worked together, and what it meant for them to tackle this recent tragedy.
“November” is one of the few recent movies alluding to, or set against the backdrop of the Paris terror attacks of 2015, for instance Alice Winocour’s “Paris Memories...
Written by Olivier Demangel (“Atlantics”), the fast-paced and tense thriller world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is being represented in international markets by Studiocanal. Jimenez, who was at Cannes last year with another action-packed police thriller, “The Stronghold,” sat alongside Dujardin with Variety during the festival to discuss the genesis of “November,” how the ensemble cast — including Dujardin, Sandrine Kiberlain, Anais Demoustier and a flurry of fresh faces — worked together, and what it meant for them to tackle this recent tragedy.
“November” is one of the few recent movies alluding to, or set against the backdrop of the Paris terror attacks of 2015, for instance Alice Winocour’s “Paris Memories...
- 5/27/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Jean Dujardin and Cédric Jimenez, the star and director of French Paris terror attack film Novembre, have said they did not want to portray the police who caught the attackers as “heroes” but were aiming for an uber-realistic representation of a “deeply secret” department.
Speaking at a Cannes press conference the day after Novembre’s premiere, Jimenez said his mission was to show how the anti-terrorist unit experienced five “awful days” during which officers were tasked with a “huge responsibility.”
“The idea was not to turn them into heroes,” he added, flanked by cast and crew. “Even though the situation was resolved, there are only losers: the many people who died, the witnesses who are upset forever, the police officers who resigned because it was such a terrible hardship. In this kind of event, there are no winners.”
Dujardin, who also led Jimenez’s 2014 pic The Connection, concurred with his...
Speaking at a Cannes press conference the day after Novembre’s premiere, Jimenez said his mission was to show how the anti-terrorist unit experienced five “awful days” during which officers were tasked with a “huge responsibility.”
“The idea was not to turn them into heroes,” he added, flanked by cast and crew. “Even though the situation was resolved, there are only losers: the many people who died, the witnesses who are upset forever, the police officers who resigned because it was such a terrible hardship. In this kind of event, there are no winners.”
Dujardin, who also led Jimenez’s 2014 pic The Connection, concurred with his...
- 5/23/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
It took the French police just five days to track down the men responsible for the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks on Paris. In the meantime, the country was put on high alert: President François Hollande declared war on Daesh (Isis), and police were given carte blanche to bring the terrorists to justice. For those five days in November — the same period dramatized in French director Cedric Jimenez’s ticking-clock thriller “November” — the terrorists seemed to have achieved their purpose.
On Nov. 13, the terrorists attacked the Stade de France, where Hollande was attending a match; they opened fire on innocent Parisians eating at street cafés in the 10th arrondissement; and they turned a concert at the Bataclan theater into a death trap, killing 90 in that venue alone. France was traumatized. I know because I was there, ordered to stay indoors, afraid that this might be just the beginning. Like nearly everyone I spoke to,...
On Nov. 13, the terrorists attacked the Stade de France, where Hollande was attending a match; they opened fire on innocent Parisians eating at street cafés in the 10th arrondissement; and they turned a concert at the Bataclan theater into a death trap, killing 90 in that venue alone. France was traumatized. I know because I was there, ordered to stay indoors, afraid that this might be just the beginning. Like nearly everyone I spoke to,...
- 5/22/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Gaumont has locked major territory deals on “Father & Soldier,” Mathieu Vadepied’s WWI action-drama about headlined by “Lupin” star Omar Sy. The movie world premiered on opening night of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.
"Father & Soldier” has sold to Latin America (Synapse Distribution/Leda Films), Germany and Austria (Weltkino), Switzerland (Ascot Elite), Spain (A Contracorriente), Italy (Minerva), Benelux (Athena), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group), Indonesia (Falcon) and French-speaking Africa (Pathe BC Africa).
Exploring Africa’s forgotten war heroes, the film opens during in 1917, in the French colony of Senegal. Sy stars as Bakary, a father who enlists in the army to stick by Thierno, his 17-year-old son, who was recruited against his will. Together, father and son must fight in the trenches in France.
Vadepied made his directorial debut with 2015’s “Learn by Heart,” which world premiered at Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Vadepied also worked as the artistic...
"Father & Soldier” has sold to Latin America (Synapse Distribution/Leda Films), Germany and Austria (Weltkino), Switzerland (Ascot Elite), Spain (A Contracorriente), Italy (Minerva), Benelux (Athena), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group), Indonesia (Falcon) and French-speaking Africa (Pathe BC Africa).
Exploring Africa’s forgotten war heroes, the film opens during in 1917, in the French colony of Senegal. Sy stars as Bakary, a father who enlists in the army to stick by Thierno, his 17-year-old son, who was recruited against his will. Together, father and son must fight in the trenches in France.
Vadepied made his directorial debut with 2015’s “Learn by Heart,” which world premiered at Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Vadepied also worked as the artistic...
- 5/21/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mathieu Vadepied’s film also stars Alassane Diong and Jonas Bloquet.
Cannes Film Festival has added Mathieu Vadepied’s war drama Father & soldier (sic) starring Omar Sy to the 2022 Official Selection as the opening title of the Un Certain Regard section.
The film, which also stars Alassane Diong and Jonas Bloquet, will open the section on May 18.
The Franco-Senegalese co-production, shot in France and Senegal, tells the story of Bakary Diallo, a father, who enlists in the French army in 1917 to join Thierno, his 17-year-old son, who was drafted by force.
Sent to the front, father and son will have to face the war together.
Cannes Film Festival has added Mathieu Vadepied’s war drama Father & soldier (sic) starring Omar Sy to the 2022 Official Selection as the opening title of the Un Certain Regard section.
The film, which also stars Alassane Diong and Jonas Bloquet, will open the section on May 18.
The Franco-Senegalese co-production, shot in France and Senegal, tells the story of Bakary Diallo, a father, who enlists in the French army in 1917 to join Thierno, his 17-year-old son, who was drafted by force.
Sent to the front, father and son will have to face the war together.
- 4/26/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Hot French helmer Cedric Jimenez, whose latest hit movie “The Stronghold” is nominated for seven Cesar awards, is developing “Verde,” an epic adventure drama revolving around the kidnapping of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign manager Clara Rojas, who were held captive in the jungle for seven years.
Inspired by a true story like all of Jimenez’s films, “Verde” opens in 2002, when Betancourt — a high-profile French-Colombian senator who was running for president and had vowed to end political corruption — was brutally kidnapped with her campaign manager, Rojas, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The pair were held hostage by the rebel group in the hostile jungle for nearly a decade, along with many other victims of Colombia’s civil war.
Jimenez is writing the script for “Verde” with Olivier Demangel, the co-screenwriter of Mati Diop’s Cannes’ grand prize winner “Atlantics” and Jimenez’s upcoming movie “November,...
Inspired by a true story like all of Jimenez’s films, “Verde” opens in 2002, when Betancourt — a high-profile French-Colombian senator who was running for president and had vowed to end political corruption — was brutally kidnapped with her campaign manager, Rojas, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The pair were held hostage by the rebel group in the hostile jungle for nearly a decade, along with many other victims of Colombia’s civil war.
Jimenez is writing the script for “Verde” with Olivier Demangel, the co-screenwriter of Mati Diop’s Cannes’ grand prize winner “Atlantics” and Jimenez’s upcoming movie “November,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based production banner Cinetévé is powering up several international-driven premium series across different genres, including the contemporary Afghanistan-set “Kabul,” procedural “Birdwatcher,” mystery thriller “L’ile prisonnière,” feminist dramedy “Split” and a French adaptation of “On the Spectrum.”
“Kabul,” co-developed by Cinétévé’s Thomas Saignes, Fabienne Servan Schreiber, Matthias Weber and Thibault Gast at 2425 Films, is a six-part thriller set between the Taliban’s sweep to power on Aug. 14 and the closure of borders two weeks later. The series is being penned by Olivier Demangel, whose credits include Cedric Jimenez’s upcoming movie “November,” Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Thomas Finkielkraut’s “Les guerriers.”
Saignes, who joined Cinetévé in late 2017 as a driving force behind the company’s push into international series, stated that “Kabul” will revolve around the refugee crisis that was prompted by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, describing how locals and expats embarked on a race against...
“Kabul,” co-developed by Cinétévé’s Thomas Saignes, Fabienne Servan Schreiber, Matthias Weber and Thibault Gast at 2425 Films, is a six-part thriller set between the Taliban’s sweep to power on Aug. 14 and the closure of borders two weeks later. The series is being penned by Olivier Demangel, whose credits include Cedric Jimenez’s upcoming movie “November,” Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Thomas Finkielkraut’s “Les guerriers.”
Saignes, who joined Cinetévé in late 2017 as a driving force behind the company’s push into international series, stated that “Kabul” will revolve around the refugee crisis that was prompted by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, describing how locals and expats embarked on a race against...
- 11/29/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
"Lupin” star Omar Sy is re-teaming with Gaumont on his big screen comeback with “Father & Soldier,” a politically minded WWI action-drama about family bonds and Africa’s forgotten war heroes.
Shooting now in France, the film is being helmed by Mathieu Vadepied, who made his directorial debut with “Learn by Heart,” which world premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week. Vadepied also worked as the artistic director and cinematographer on “Untouchable,” Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s 2010 comedy smash hit which marked Sy’s acting breakthrough and earned him a Cesar nod.
The story opens during the First World War, in 1917, in the French colony of Senegal. Sy stars as Bakary, a father who enlists in the army to stick by Thierno, his 17-year-old son, who was recruited against his will. Together, father and son must fight the First World War in the trenches in France. Thierno is ready to sacrifice his life to fight for France,...
Shooting now in France, the film is being helmed by Mathieu Vadepied, who made his directorial debut with “Learn by Heart,” which world premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week. Vadepied also worked as the artistic director and cinematographer on “Untouchable,” Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s 2010 comedy smash hit which marked Sy’s acting breakthrough and earned him a Cesar nod.
The story opens during the First World War, in 1917, in the French colony of Senegal. Sy stars as Bakary, a father who enlists in the army to stick by Thierno, his 17-year-old son, who was recruited against his will. Together, father and son must fight the First World War in the trenches in France. Thierno is ready to sacrifice his life to fight for France,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Cedric Jimenez, the French director of “The Connection,” the Rosamund Pike-starrer “HHhH” and “Bac Nord,” will next be directing “November,” an action-packed thriller set against the backdrop of the Paris terror attacks of 2015 with a prestigious cast led by Oscar-winning Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”), Anais Demoustier (“Alice and The Mayor”) and Sandrine Kiberlain (“In Safe Hands”).
Written by Olivier Demangel, the screenwriter of Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” “November” unfolds during the five days following the attacks which shook Paris, and revolves around the sprawling investigation carried on by a highly-secretive police brigade called Sdat (anti-terrorist sub-directorate) to track down the terrorists – including the two masterminds — behind the attacks.
Budgeted at $20 million, “November” is produced by Hugo Selignac at Chi-Fou-Mi Films, who had teamed with Jimenez on “Bac Nord,” and Mathias Rubin at Recifilms. Studiocanal is co-producing and is handling French distribution, as well as international sales on the film,...
Written by Olivier Demangel, the screenwriter of Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” “November” unfolds during the five days following the attacks which shook Paris, and revolves around the sprawling investigation carried on by a highly-secretive police brigade called Sdat (anti-terrorist sub-directorate) to track down the terrorists – including the two masterminds — behind the attacks.
Budgeted at $20 million, “November” is produced by Hugo Selignac at Chi-Fou-Mi Films, who had teamed with Jimenez on “Bac Nord,” and Mathias Rubin at Recifilms. Studiocanal is co-producing and is handling French distribution, as well as international sales on the film,...
- 4/30/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
2019 has been an excellent year for films from Africa and the Middle East, with a higher presence in A-list festivals, and kudos for films such as Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” which won the Grand Prix at Cannes.
The “new wave” of Arab and African cinema includes a small group of films that explore links with genre cinema – including fantasy, sci-fi and horror – which is related to a broader trend in literature and the contemporary arts in the Arab world that is exploring dystopias and fantasy settings.
Lamia Chraibi, a leading producer of daring films from the Middle East and North Africa region, is developing a pan-Arab genre series, “Meskoun,” with Moroccan filmmaker Hicham Lasri (“Jahilya”) as showrunner, in coproduction with Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic (Egypt), Georges Schoucair’s Abbout Productions (Lebanon) and Habib Attia’s Cinetelefilms (Tunisia).
Chraibi recently produced Talal Selhami’s “Achoura,” Morocco’s first fantasy film,...
The “new wave” of Arab and African cinema includes a small group of films that explore links with genre cinema – including fantasy, sci-fi and horror – which is related to a broader trend in literature and the contemporary arts in the Arab world that is exploring dystopias and fantasy settings.
Lamia Chraibi, a leading producer of daring films from the Middle East and North Africa region, is developing a pan-Arab genre series, “Meskoun,” with Moroccan filmmaker Hicham Lasri (“Jahilya”) as showrunner, in coproduction with Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic (Egypt), Georges Schoucair’s Abbout Productions (Lebanon) and Habib Attia’s Cinetelefilms (Tunisia).
Chraibi recently produced Talal Selhami’s “Achoura,” Morocco’s first fantasy film,...
- 12/8/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The 26th annual Austin Film Festival (Aff) has set The Obituary of Tunde Johnson as their opening night film. The fest takes place on October 24-31.
The film, written by up-and-comer Stanely Kalu and directed by Ali LeRoi, will make its U.S. premiere after debuting to critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival. The story follows the titular character (played by 13 Reasons Why actor Steven Silver), a gay, black teenager trapped in a time loop that forces him to relive his own brutal murder at the hands of a police officer on duty. The Obituary of Tunde Johnson marks LeRoi’s feature directorial debut and Kalu’s first produced feature screenplay.
In addition, Mati Diop’s directorial debut Atlantics will make its U.S. premiere at the fest. The romance set in Senegal was awarded the Sutherland Award at the BFI London Film Festival as well as...
The film, written by up-and-comer Stanely Kalu and directed by Ali LeRoi, will make its U.S. premiere after debuting to critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival. The story follows the titular character (played by 13 Reasons Why actor Steven Silver), a gay, black teenager trapped in a time loop that forces him to relive his own brutal murder at the hands of a police officer on duty. The Obituary of Tunde Johnson marks LeRoi’s feature directorial debut and Kalu’s first produced feature screenplay.
In addition, Mati Diop’s directorial debut Atlantics will make its U.S. premiere at the fest. The romance set in Senegal was awarded the Sutherland Award at the BFI London Film Festival as well as...
- 10/17/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The Toronto International Film Festival has picked one final star to honor at its newly revamped Tiff Tribute Gala, slated for September 9, in the thick of the annual fall festival. Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of Tiff, have announced “Atlantics” director Mati Diop as the inaugural recipient of the recently announced Mary Pickford Award.
The award, named in honour of Toronto native Mary Pickford, recognizes “an emerging female talent who is making groundbreaking strides in the industry.” Pickford was the pioneering actor, producer, and co-founder of United Artists, and the award is being launched in conjunction with United Artists’ centennial this year.
“We’re thrilled to honour the incredible Mati Diop as our inaugural Mary Pickford Award recipient, as United Artists marks its centennial year,” said Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head of Tiff in an official statement. “She is a vibrant and important new voice within the industry and one to watch closely.
The award, named in honour of Toronto native Mary Pickford, recognizes “an emerging female talent who is making groundbreaking strides in the industry.” Pickford was the pioneering actor, producer, and co-founder of United Artists, and the award is being launched in conjunction with United Artists’ centennial this year.
“We’re thrilled to honour the incredible Mati Diop as our inaugural Mary Pickford Award recipient, as United Artists marks its centennial year,” said Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head of Tiff in an official statement. “She is a vibrant and important new voice within the industry and one to watch closely.
- 8/20/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Somewhere along the stretch of Senegalese coastline where Mati Diop’s feature-length directorial debut Atlantics takes place, a futuristic tower stands tall and spectral above the ocean–a sinister crossbreed between a stalagmite and a lighthouse, its lights thrusting red and warm blobs into the night. It’s a fictional place in a story of magical, mysterious elements–a love story that crisscrosses between social commentaries and ghastly apparitions, addressing the global migrant crisis through a language of disquieting and stunning reveries.
A few hundred meters below the skyscraper’s summit, hordes of the Senegalese laborers who’ve helped to build it fight for three months of overdue salary. One of them is Suleiman (Ibrahima Traoré), a twenty-something struggling to make ends meet under the blistering sun. But Atlantics is not about him, and just when Mati Diop’s Cannes Grand Prix winner seems to embark on a tale of...
A few hundred meters below the skyscraper’s summit, hordes of the Senegalese laborers who’ve helped to build it fight for three months of overdue salary. One of them is Suleiman (Ibrahima Traoré), a twenty-something struggling to make ends meet under the blistering sun. But Atlantics is not about him, and just when Mati Diop’s Cannes Grand Prix winner seems to embark on a tale of...
- 6/11/2019
- by Leonardo Goi
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: In the wake of winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for her feature directorial debut Atlantics, French-Senegalese filmmaker and actress Mati Diop will be jointly represented worldwide by ICM Partners and Film Talents.
Up until this point, Diop was solely repped by Paris-based Film Talents.
Diop’s Atlantics was the first feature film from a Black female director ever to be an Official Selection In Competition at Cannes. Netflix acquired Atlantics during the Festival.
Atlantics takes place in a popular suburb of Dakar, where workers on the construction site of a futuristic tower, decide to leave the country by the ocean for a better future after not being paid for months. The movie tells a story of migration from the unique perspective of the women who stays behind. Diop co-wrote Atlantics with Olivier Demangel.
As an actress, Diop has appeared in several films of Claire Denis...
Up until this point, Diop was solely repped by Paris-based Film Talents.
Diop’s Atlantics was the first feature film from a Black female director ever to be an Official Selection In Competition at Cannes. Netflix acquired Atlantics during the Festival.
Atlantics takes place in a popular suburb of Dakar, where workers on the construction site of a futuristic tower, decide to leave the country by the ocean for a better future after not being paid for months. The movie tells a story of migration from the unique perspective of the women who stays behind. Diop co-wrote Atlantics with Olivier Demangel.
As an actress, Diop has appeared in several films of Claire Denis...
- 6/6/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix acquired the worldwide rights to two films that played at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” which played in competition, and Jérémy Clapin’s animated film “I Lost My Body,” which won the top prize from the Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar of the festival, the streamer announced Saturday.
For “Atlantics,” Netflix acquired worldwide rights excluding China, Benelux, Switzerland, Russia and France, but it has subscription video on demand (SVoD) rights for 36 months following its theatrical release in France, Benelux and Switzerland. For “I Lost My Body, Netflix acquired worldwide excluding China, Benelux, Turkey and France, but also has SVoD rights for 36 months following its theatrical in France, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
Diop’s “Atlantics” played in competition and, on Saturday, was awarded the Grand Prix prize from the jury led by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Diop made her feature directorial debut on the film...
For “Atlantics,” Netflix acquired worldwide rights excluding China, Benelux, Switzerland, Russia and France, but it has subscription video on demand (SVoD) rights for 36 months following its theatrical release in France, Benelux and Switzerland. For “I Lost My Body, Netflix acquired worldwide excluding China, Benelux, Turkey and France, but also has SVoD rights for 36 months following its theatrical in France, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
Diop’s “Atlantics” played in competition and, on Saturday, was awarded the Grand Prix prize from the jury led by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Diop made her feature directorial debut on the film...
- 5/25/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Netflix has scooped up the global rights to Cannes Grand Prix Winner Atlantics from female director Mati Diop and the Cannes Critics’ Week Award Winner I Lost My Body from Xilam Animation. That pic reps director Jérémy Clapin’s Animated Feature Debut.
For Atlantics, the deal doesn’t include China, Benelux, Switzerland, Russia, France, while I Lost My Body excludes China, Benelux, Turkey, France. Atlantics was sold by Fionnuala Jamison at mk2 films. I Lost My Body was sold by Carole Baraton at Charades
Atlantics reps Diop’s feature directorial debut and takes place in Dakar along the Atlantic Coast. Seventeen-year-old Ada is in love with Souleiman, a young construction worker. But she has been promised to another man. One night, Souleiman and his co-workers leave the country by sea, in hopes of a better future. Several days later, a fire ruins Ada’s wedding and a mysterious fever starts to spread.
For Atlantics, the deal doesn’t include China, Benelux, Switzerland, Russia, France, while I Lost My Body excludes China, Benelux, Turkey, France. Atlantics was sold by Fionnuala Jamison at mk2 films. I Lost My Body was sold by Carole Baraton at Charades
Atlantics reps Diop’s feature directorial debut and takes place in Dakar along the Atlantic Coast. Seventeen-year-old Ada is in love with Souleiman, a young construction worker. But she has been promised to another man. One night, Souleiman and his co-workers leave the country by sea, in hopes of a better future. Several days later, a fire ruins Ada’s wedding and a mysterious fever starts to spread.
- 5/25/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Technically speaking, Atlantique is the other feature debut in the main comp. With filmmaking in her family blood, Mati Diop the face is recognizable via Claire Denis’ 35 Shots of Rum and Antonio Campos’ Simon Killer but her name is now synonymous with filmmaking. She got into the directing game back with the 2009 short Atlantiques and medium-length docu Mille soleils (2013). Sharing screen-writing duties here with Olivier Demangel, this Belgium, France, Senegal co-production and multilingual subtitled drama filmed on the beaches of Dakar, looks at a better future with mysterious elements to cuff this as a more haunting tale of love.…...
- 5/16/2019
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
The capricious ocean is a recurrent, mesmerizing image in Mati Diop’s feature debut “Atlantics,” but given its perfidious connotations for the people of Senegal, who’ve lost so many souls to its depths, the director ensures the rolling waves remain hypnotic rather than beautiful. It’s the right decision for this romantic and melancholy film, more apt than some of the flawed narrative choices that frustrate though don’t compromise the atmosphere of loss and female solidarity in the story of a young woman whose love has died at sea. Part social commentary, part ghost tale, “Atlantics” will get a major boost from its Cannes competition slot and could see strong international sales.
While better known as an actress, Diop’s been steadily making a mark for herself as a director with shorts and the poetic medium-length “A Thousand Suns,” most of which deal with the complex relationship Senegalese...
While better known as an actress, Diop’s been steadily making a mark for herself as a director with shorts and the poetic medium-length “A Thousand Suns,” most of which deal with the complex relationship Senegalese...
- 5/16/2019
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
Mati Diop’s feature debut forces young Senegalese lovers to choose between love, duty and servitude, then adds a surreal twist
‘Some memories are omens,” says the heroine of this intriguingly ruminative and poetic movie from Mati Diop, making her feature film debut in the Cannes competition after an acting career that notably included work in Claire Denis’s 35 Shots of Rum in 2008. Atlantique is in fact developed from a documentary short Diop made 10 years ago; she directs and co-writes with Olivier Demangel.
Atlantique is a Voodoo-realist drama, or docu-supernatural mystery, whose dimension of strangeness is unself-consciously baked into the movie’s ostensible normality. But this doesn’t undermine the pertinent things it has to say about the contemporary developing world. It’s a winter’s tale of a film.
‘Some memories are omens,” says the heroine of this intriguingly ruminative and poetic movie from Mati Diop, making her feature film debut in the Cannes competition after an acting career that notably included work in Claire Denis’s 35 Shots of Rum in 2008. Atlantique is in fact developed from a documentary short Diop made 10 years ago; she directs and co-writes with Olivier Demangel.
Atlantique is a Voodoo-realist drama, or docu-supernatural mystery, whose dimension of strangeness is unself-consciously baked into the movie’s ostensible normality. But this doesn’t undermine the pertinent things it has to say about the contemporary developing world. It’s a winter’s tale of a film.
- 5/16/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Mati Diop, niece of the late, great Senegalese cinema pioneer Djibril Diop Mambéty — director of African cinema classics “Touki Bouki” and “Hyènes” — makes her feature film directorial debut with “Atlantiques,” which will world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. She is the first black woman with a film in the 72-year-old festival’s Competition section, and stands to be one of the biggest breakouts at Cannes this year.
Previously titled “Fire Next Time” (although not based on James Baldwin’s famous essay collection of the same name), the film is in rare company. Currently, Diop and Malian filmmaker Ladj Ly are the only filmmakers of African descent represented in competition at Cannes this year.
Diop is the daughter of Senegalese jazz musician Wasis Diop, but cinephiles will likely be more familiar with her filmmaker uncle. She first received attention from international critics and cinema enthusiasts for her work as an...
Previously titled “Fire Next Time” (although not based on James Baldwin’s famous essay collection of the same name), the film is in rare company. Currently, Diop and Malian filmmaker Ladj Ly are the only filmmakers of African descent represented in competition at Cannes this year.
Diop is the daughter of Senegalese jazz musician Wasis Diop, but cinephiles will likely be more familiar with her filmmaker uncle. She first received attention from international critics and cinema enthusiasts for her work as an...
- 4/18/2019
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Paris-based independant company Cineteve is on board to produce a flurry of ambitious series, including the political comedy “Parlement,” the border-crime thriller “Nine,” the French revolution western “Cagliostro” and the spy thriller “Gaston.”
All four projects are being spearheaded by Cineteve’s founder Fabienne Servan-Schreiber, and Thomas Saignes who joined the company less than a year ago to develop and produce high-profile international drama.
“Parlement” is a half-hour comedy series about the European Parliament written by Noé Debré, whose credits include Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan.”
The series centers around an aimless 20-something man who works at the European Parliament in the midst of a post-Brexit chaos and sets off to take his fate in his own hands. Cineteve is partnering up with Studio Hamburg’s CineCentrum and All3’s 7Stories to produce the series which is now in advanced development. A French commissioning partner will soon be announced.
All four projects are being spearheaded by Cineteve’s founder Fabienne Servan-Schreiber, and Thomas Saignes who joined the company less than a year ago to develop and produce high-profile international drama.
“Parlement” is a half-hour comedy series about the European Parliament written by Noé Debré, whose credits include Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan.”
The series centers around an aimless 20-something man who works at the European Parliament in the midst of a post-Brexit chaos and sets off to take his fate in his own hands. Cineteve is partnering up with Studio Hamburg’s CineCentrum and All3’s 7Stories to produce the series which is now in advanced development. A French commissioning partner will soon be announced.
- 10/16/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The 15th City of Lights, City of Angels, a festival with both a handy acronym, Col•Coa, and a winning subtitle, "A Week of French Film Premieres in Hollywood," has opened with Philippe Le Guay's Service Entrance and closes on Sunday with Dany Boon's Nothing to Declare. In all, 34 features and 26 shorts will be screened, and we're teaming up with the festival to present five of those shorts for free. All five have been made by students of La fémis in Paris (whose alumni, by the way, include Laurent Cantet, Costa-Gavras, Claire Denis, Louis Malle, Arnaud Desplechin, Claude Miller, François Ozon and Alain Resnais). You can view our offering here.
In Brice Pancot's À cor et à cir (image above), a woman who's just turned her car over is discovered by a man and his son; see the teaser here. In Marion Desseigne-Ravel's Uniform (Les Murs...
In Brice Pancot's À cor et à cir (image above), a woman who's just turned her car over is discovered by a man and his son; see the teaser here. In Marion Desseigne-Ravel's Uniform (Les Murs...
- 4/18/2011
- MUBI
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