Films Boutique has picked up international rights to Albert Serra’s documentary “Afternoons of Solitude” (Tardes de Soledad) ahead of its world premiere in the competition section of the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film marks the third collaboration between Serra and Berlin-based Films Boutique after “Liberté,” winner of the Special Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un […]

Everyone’s favorite reindeer is set to return for the third time in the hit CGI animated film “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights,” with a clip (below) debuting exclusively with Variety. He’ll learn some important life lessons in the film. “I guess we like to make things difficult for Niko,” jokes director Kari Juusonen. Jørgen […]

Finnish director Samppa Batal finds sadness in romance and romance in sadness in the Helsinki-set “Apple Thieves.” “I see it as a romantic dramedy,” he says. “I believe we should embrace sadness [in relationships] because it will come. The problems start when we refuse to admit it. I don’t remember when, but I have learned […]

Bulgarian drama “Tarika” has its world premiere at the London Film Festival. Variety spoke to its director, Milko Lazarov, whose previous film, “Ága,” premiered in the main competition of the Berlin Film Festival, and debuts its trailer (below). The film centers on Ali and his daughter Tarika, who live peacefully, but isolated, from their community […]

Dutch filmmaker Mees Peijnenburg is to direct “A Family,” which stars “Game of Thrones” actor Carice van Houten, Pieter Embrechts, Finn Vogels and Celeste Holsheimer. The film, described as a deeply personal and intimate portrait of a family, is set to shoot until late October. “A Family” will be distributed in the Benelux by Cinéart. […]

Pamela Anderson will be honored by the Zurich Film Festival, which runs Oct. 3-13. She will receive the festival’s Golden Eye Award to recognize her career achievements on Oct. 4 before presenting “The Last Showgirl” with director Gia Coppola. In the film, Anderson plays Shelley, a 50-year-old showgirl. When her show in Las Vegas is […]

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Love,” which premiered in Venice competition, and received the film critics’ prize Bisato d’Oro, has sold to additional European territories. The film will screen in Busan’s World Cinema strand next month. The film has secured distribution for Greece (One from the Heart), Baltics (Best Film Baltics), Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF MegaCom), Poland […]

Fremantle has acquired the global distribution rights for “Mozart: Rise of a Genius,” a three-part docudrama from 72 Films. The show offers an in-depth exploration of the life and legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The series will premiere on Sept. 16 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Variety is debuting an exclusive clip, below. “The […]

Documentary specialist Dogwoof has taken on worldwide sales for “The Last Spy,” a biography of CIA spymaster Peter Sichel, who turns 102 years old today. The film was written and directed by Katharina Otto-Bernstein, who picked up Emmy nominations as one of the producers of “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” and “The Price of Everything.” […]

Belgian artist and filmmaker Johan Grimonprez, whose “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” won an award at this year’s Sundance, will be the guest of honor at the 37th edition of IDFA. The documentary festival, which will take place from Nov. 14 to 24, has also unveiled curated program Dead Angle and Spotlight on Cuba, which […]

Sales agency The Playmaker Munich has closed the first distribution deals on thriller “Sew Torn,” ahead of its appearance at Sitges Film Festival in the Noves Vision Section. The film, which previously screened at SXSW and Locarno, has sold to distributors in France (Koba Films), U.K. (Vertigo Releasing), Spain (Madfer Films), Japan (King Records) and […]

The Zurich Film Festival will open on Oct. 3 with political thriller “The Order,” starring Jude Law, who will receive the festival’s Golden Eye career achievement award. Director Justin Kurzel will also attend the screening. Law has worked with numerous renowned directors, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, Sally Potter, Wong Kar-Wai, Terry Gilliam, […]

Roeg Sutherland, CAA’s co-head of the media finance department and co-head of the International Film Group, will be honored with the Game Changer Award for his “outstanding achievements and contributions within the film industry” at the Zurich Summit, which takes place in October during the 20th Zurich Film Festival. FilmNation Entertainment CEO Glen Basner will […]

Nafta Films, led by Esko Rips, and Film and Music Entertainment, headed by Sam Taylor, have teamed to adapt Stanislaw Lem’s novella “The Inquest of Pilot Pirx.” Previous films based on Lem’s work include Steven Soderbergh’s “Solaris,” starring George Clooney, and György Pálfi’s “His Master’s Voice.” British sci-fi novelist Adrian Tchaikovsky has adapted Lem’s story […]

Joseph Kahn’s sci-fi/horror satire “Ick” has its world premiere in Toronto Intl. Film Festival’s Midnight Madness slot on Saturday. He previously directed “Bodied,” which premiered at the festival in 2017, and won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness. Kahn talks to Variety about his love for creature features, taking comedy-horrors seriously, and his respect […]

Utopia has acquired U.S. rights to acclaimed director Alex Ross Perry’s (“Her Smell,” “Listen Up Philip”) “Pavements,” the day after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film debuted to strong reviews, with Variety saying “’Pavements’ dazzles as a spinning plates act,” and Screen describing it as “a joyous, slyly subversive celebration.” A […]

Poland’s American Film Festival is continuing to bet on U.S. independent films, ignoring the Hollywood blockbusters and bigger budget auteur films from the mini-majors. “The fest selects a very precise type of project – they are real independent films, not in that Indie Star Award, less-than-$40 million sense,” says director and producer Rob Rice. “The […]

The challenge is on: the industry sidebar of Poland’s American Film Festival, U.S. in Progress, is ready to top its “exceptionally successful” 2023 edition in November. “U.S. in Progress alumni are taking festivals by storm,” says AFF’s artistic director Ula Śniegowska. Presented as works-in-progress, India Donaldson’s “Good One” – awarded at the event last year […]

Zurich Film Festival has revealed a second wave of Gala titles, which includes films starring Tilda Swinton, Sebastian Stan, Nicole Kidman, Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson. Among the 10 added titles are four world premieres, two international premieres and one European premiere. Zurich will screen, among others, Ali Abbas’ “The Apprentice,” starring Stan, Pedro […]