Indian technology startup Vireza is developing a new mobile application that aims to revolutionize the theatrical movie-watching experience by allowing audiences to interact with films in real-time, founder Arjun Nittoor revealed at Film Bazaar. The technology, developed entirely in-house at the company’s Bengaluru R&D facility, enables moviegoers to participate in key story decisions throughout the […]

Celebrated Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who serves as festival director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, has outlined his vision for the 2024 edition, emphasizing a shift away from comparing Indian cinema to Western standards. “For a long time, at every festival, we’ve kind of looked down upon ourselves as though Indian […]

It is close to a decade since “Baahubali – The Beginning” shifted the paradigm for how a South Indian film should have been made and might normally have performed – the Telugu and Tamil-language fantasy actioner achieved nationwide distribution, broke records for international performance, supercharged the stardom of its leads and, naturally, sparked a sequel […]

Three documentary projects took top honors at this year’s Cairo Film Connection, with Ager Oueslati’s “You Don’t Die Two Times” winning the post-production prize as development laurels went to Khaled Al Swidan’s “Amal” and Eliane Raheb’s “The North Wind.” Marking his first year at the head of the Cairo Film Festival’s development and postproduction showcase, […]

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has unveiled the winners of its TV Beats Co-Financing Market, intended to foster creative collaborations in series co-production and empower independent producers. Finnish drama “The Women I Think About at Night” took the event’s top honor, the Series Co-Production Development Award and its €50,000 ($52,780) purse, part of the Pilot […]

Ventana Sur’s Blood Window long ago established itself as one of the most important platforms for genre cinema in Latin America. This year, the sidebar returns with a seven-title lineup for its Blood Window Screenings program. The diverse lineup includes classic slashers, sci-fi flicks, supernatural tales and psychological thrillers that emphasize the range of stories […]

Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights to “Relay” following the twisty thriller’s debut at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The film was directed by David MacKenzie, who oversaw the Oscar-nominated “Hell or High Water,” and stars Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Lily James (“Pam & Tommy”) and Sam Worthington (“Avatar”). Bleecker Street is planning […]

A star-studded edition of the Seville European Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend, with Ludovich and Zoran Boukherma’s French coming-of-age drama “And Their Children After Them” taking home the Giraldillo de Oro, the Festival’s top honor. Its lead, Paul Kircher, also scored a best actor win. This year’s Official Selection jury included legendary British […]

Paris-based sales company Loco Films has picked up world rights to Sebastian Parra R’s Colombian low-fi sci-fi thriller “Seed of the Desert” (“Semilla del Desierto”), premiering in competition at this year’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Variety has been given exclusive access to the film’s trailer, seen below. The feature debuts on Monday, Nov. 18, […]

Boris Guts’ “Deaf Lovers,” an Istanbul-set romantic drama, has been acquired by Antipode Sales International for global sales. Already a noteworthy title in this year’s Tallinn Black Nights competition lineup, the film garnered extra attention last week when the State Film Agency of Ukraine called on the fest to pull the film from its lineup. […]

Emilios Avraam’s debut feature, “Smaragda – I Got Thick Skin and I Can’t Jump,” a coming-of-middle-age story set in Cyprus, is world premiering in competition tonight at this year’s Tallinn Dark Nights Film Festival. The film’s titular protagonist suffers from environmental sensitivities, failed relationships and a stagnant career as a TV entertainer. Not content with her […]

The QCinema Project Market, the industry platform of the Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, wrapped its second edition with grants and co-production support distributed across multiple projects from the region. Three Filipino projects secured the market’s top Philippine Co-Production Grant of $34,000 each: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Anak Alon” (Daughters of the Sea), Eve Baswel’s “Bato […]

Huelva’s main Competition titles, all premieres in Spain, pick up on big festival standouts that still merit further attention. Some brief details: “Bionico’s Bachata” (Yoel Morales, Dominican Republic) The film which won Morales, production house Mentes Fritas and producer and co-writer Cristián Monica a South by Southwest 2024 Audience Award. A mockumentary, shot in a […]

In its 23rd year, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event has expanded in its scope and reach without moving away from its core: training, promoting Baltic film and TV filmmakers and connecting them with the rest of the world. According to industry honcho Marge Liiske, this year’s event will focus on the role of cinema in larger […]

In 2011, French thesps Omar Sy and Anne Le Ny co-starred in the comedy hit “Untouchable.” Now, the two are reunited in the domestic thriller “Out of Control,” with “Lupin” star Sy in one of the leading roles next to Elodie Bouchez (“All Your Faces,” “The Dreamlife of Angels”), José Garcia (“Totems,” “The Ax”) and […]

For the first time in more than a decade, the Cairo Film Festival will open for business. Now kicking off its 45th edition, the Egyptian event has remained a key cultural and artistic showcase for the region and for the wider Middle East and North Africa world – but Cairo has gone without a market […]

The 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has unveiled its main competition lineup, with 15 features vying for the Golden Peacock award carrying an INR4 million ($47,000) prize purse, notably featuring nine films directed by women. Among the world premieres are Manijeh Hekmat and Faeze Azizkhani’s Iranian drama “Fear & Trembling,” exploring an older […]

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has removed Russian director Boris Guts’ “Deaf Lovers” from its Standing with Ukraine program after “serious backlash,” according to festival director Tiina Lokk. In a release, Lokk said the Estonia-Serbia co-production, which will still world premiere in Tallinn’s official competition, has received negative reactions from both Ukrainians and Russians, even […]

After going dark last year due to the war in Gaza, the Cairo Film Festival now returns with a super-sized program and a more humanist remit. Running Nov. 13 – 22, this bulked out edition aims for wider international visibility and greater attendance, all while keeping the projectors running longer than ever before. “We have […]