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Italy’s Mia market — dedicated to international TV series, animation, feature films and documentaries — is set for its 10th edition with 60 projects from 90 countries ready to be unveiled to potential partners.

The Oct. 14-18 pre-Mipcom event will also feature a rich roster of panels and keynote speakers, which will help take the global industry’s pulse at a time when business models are changing and co-productions have become more crucial than ever.

This year’s Mia panels will be announced later this week, but market director Gaia Tridente revealed to Variety that she has lined up some high-caliber keynote speakers such as Sony Pictures Television Studios president Katherine Pope, “Ripley” producer Clayton Townsend and Canadian-American producer Odessa Rae, who was instrumental in the making of Oscar-winning doc “Navalny” about the late Russian dissident.

Tridente said she’s been surprised at how many projects Mia received this year – 600 submissions to its co-productions call,...

“Journey to the End of the Night,” a literary masterpiece penned by controversial French author Louis-Ferdinand Céline, is being adapted for the big screen by Joann Sfar and Thomas Bidegain.

Well-established producers Aton Soumache (“The Little Prince”) and Alain Attal (“Beating Hearts”) are developing the project through their respective banners, Magical Society (jointly led with Sfar) and Tresor Films.

The adaptation endeavor was initiated by Sfar, a Jewish comicbook artist, illustrator, thinker and filmmaker whose body of work has promoted tolerance and combatted all forms of racism through words and images.

Published in 1932, “Journey to the End of the Night” was the first novel written by Céline, whose real name was Louis Ferdinand Auguste Destouches. Céline, who fled to Germany in 1944 and died in 1961 after living for many years in self-imposed exile in Denmark, remains a polarizing figure due to his antisemitic views and pamphlets that promoted the Nazi ideology during the Second World War.

Sneak Peek French actress Laetitia Casta: ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life") posing for the Calzedonia summer 2023 campaign:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" for the clothing company in 1993, then gaining further recognition as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" from 1998 to 2000...

...and as spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 covers of magazines including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Rolling Stone", "Elle" and "Glamour".

Casta also modeled for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka and Vivienne Westwood.

Casta became an established actress, appearing in the films "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face" and "Blue Bicycle".

Click the images to enlarge…...

With over 20 million people learning French on language-learning platform Duolingo and millions more learning in classrooms and other platforms around the United States, there has never been a better time to get connected to Gallic culture. And sure, a vacation to France sounds wonderful, but maybe it’s not in the budget at the moment. But even if your passport is gathering dust in the drawer, Prime Video Channels has opened up its borders to a whole new Francophone world.

This week, the Amazon streamer partnered with the on-demand platform the France Channel to bring the largest offering of French titles, news, and culture to American audiences. If you’re ready to ramp up your French immersion from the comfort of your own home, Prime Video offers a seven-day free trial ahead of the France Channel’s normal subscription cost of $7.99 per month, or $79.99 per year.

7-Day Free Trial $7.99 / month...

Sneak Peek French actress Laetitia Casta: ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life") posing for the Calzedonia spring-summer 2023 campaign:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" for the clothing company in 1993, then gaining further recognition as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" from 1998 to 2000...

...and as spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 covers of magazines including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Rolling Stone", "Elle" and "Glamour".

Casta also modeled for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka and Vivienne Westwood.

Casta became an established actress, appearing in the films "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face" and "Blue Bicycle".

Click the images to enlarge…...

At the start of Jane B. par Agnès V., a 1988 documentary made about singer and actress Jane Birkin by, well, the French director Agnès Varda, Birkin sits in period dress and looks directly at the camera with her characteristic deadpan expression. She talks about the nausea she feels when she looks at herself in the mirror and sees the signs of aging on her body. She has just turned 40 but talks as though she is much older, the consequence of experience.At the 2021 Cannes premiere of her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg’s new documentary, titled Jane par Charlotte in deliberate homage to Varda’s film, Birkin is 74. She arrives dressed in the relaxed-fit blue jeans and oversized white shirt she made iconic in her twenties. She seems to be inviting comparison, to highlight how much she has aged while retaining her je ne sais quoi. Something so deliberate must come from a position of self-confidence,...

Didier Lupfer, the former CEO of Studiocanal, has launched the Paris-based production banner The Media Company with a lineup comprising high-concept films and series, including “The Quest of Fire” and “Front Row.”

The outfit is also developing about 10 feature films, including Russian helmer Michael Idov’s “Aspiration,” which is co-produced with Artem Vassiliev at Métrafilms, and thriller “Override,” directed by Dmitry Glukhovsky (“Tekst”).

Lupfer said he was in advanced negotiations with a high-profile U.K. marketing agency to measure the projects’ potential for young adults and collaborate on developing content for specific niches. “The development phase of each project will be as long as it needs to ensure that we can deliver the right content and concepts,” said Lupfer.

“Override” turns on an Uber driver who has a nervous breakdown and spirals out of control on his last day.

“Aspiration” will mark the third feature film of Idov, who co-wrote...

French actor Laetitia Casta will be feted by Locarno Film Festival with its 2021 Excellence Award Davide Campari, which pays tribute to film personalities who have left their personal stamp on contemporary cinema.

The prominent Swiss fest dedicated to global indie cinema, headed by new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, has chosen to honor Casta in recognition of a career in which, after making the transition from the sphere of high fashion to the theater and film milieu, she’s risen to become “one of the most versatile acting talents of the new millennium,” the fest said in a statement.

Casta, who began her acting career in 1999 playing the beautiful young villager Falbalà in “Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar,” directed by Claude Zidi, has subsequently appeared in “Savage Souls” by Raùl Ruiz in 2001, in “Love Street” by Patrice Leconte in 2002, and in Tsai Ming-liang’s “Face” in 2009, to name just a...

Sneak Peek French actress Laetitia Casta ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life") in "Tatler" (Russia) magazine, wearing Saint Laurent, Chanel, Valentino and a whole lot more, photographed by Mathieu Cesar:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" for the clothing company in 1993, then gaining further recognition as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" from 1998 to 2000...

...and as spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 covers of magazines including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Rolling Stone", "Elle" and "Glamour".

Casta also modeled for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren...

...Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka and Vivienne Westwood.

Casta became an established actress, appearing in the films "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face" and "Blue Bicycle".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Laetitia Casta ...

"Friends for eternity." Studiocanal in France has released the first official teaser trailer for a cute animated movie titled Little Vampire, the latest creation from acclaimed filmmaker Joann Sfar. This fun French animation, with the title Petit Vampire in French, is about a "little vampire" who lives in a haunted house with a merry group of monsters. He's been 10 years old for 300 years now, it's been a long time since anything amuses him. His dream? Go to school to make friends. But his parents don't hear it that way, the outside world is far too dangerous. Accompanied by Phantom, his faithful bulldog, Little Vampire escapes the mansion in secret, determined to meet more children. Featuring the voices of Camille Cottin, Alex Lutz, Jean-Paul Rouve, Louise Lacoste, Claire de La Rüe du Can, and Quentin Faure. The teaser is only available in French so far, but it's still worth a watch...

French actress Laetitia Casta ("Arbitrage") poses for the Summer 2020 issue of "Madame Figaro" (France) magazine:

Casta was a "Guess? Girl" in 1993, a 'Victoria's Secret Angel' 1998-2000 and spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 magazine covers including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Elle" and "Glamour", while modeling for fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent...

...Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli and Vivienne Westwood. Fragrance commercials include Nina Ricci.

Casta is also an established film actress, appearing in numerous films including "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face", "Blue Bicycle", "Arbitrage", the upcoming "Beyond The Horizon (2019) and TV series "Une île".

Click the images to enlarge...

One delight every year at Annecy is its showcase of new films by established talent, on-the-rise directors and names near off the radar. France has all three in 2020:

“Bigfoot Family” (Ben Stassen, Jérémie Degruson, nWave Pictures, Octopolis)

Probably the biggest box office bet of any title in main competition at Annecy this year. Sold by Charades, directed by pioneering 3D cineaste Ben Stassen, an Annecy regular, and Jérémie Degruson, and fruit of their one-stop-shop studio in Belgium, a tiny tot skewing comedy marking a follow-up to 2018’s “Son of Bigfoot,” which grossed a significant $50 million worldwide.

“The Blossom Crown” (Raphaël Penasa, U.S., France)

One of the most talked-up of Digital Experience pitches at Mifa this year mixing genre and gender as the viewer is invited to share the memories of central character Nigel, in which he discovers that his sibling is a transgender girl, and explore his ancient family home.

Anna Marsh, currently the managing director of Studiocanal U.K. and executive vice president of international sales, will take over as CEO of Studiocanal on Dec. 16. Marsh succeeds Didier Lupfer, who is leaving to pursue his own production projects, the company announced Tuesday.

“Anna is the ideal person to manage Studiocanal after being Evp Distribution and then managing director of our U.K. subsidiary,” said Maxime Saada, president of Studiocanal and CEO of Canal Plus Group. “Her in-depth knowledge of the company and our markets as well as her international profile will be essential to accelerate the development of Studiocanal in its ambition of becoming a leader in the production and distribution of European films and series.”

Marsh will continue to run Studiocanal U.K. during the company’s search for someone to succeed her as managing director. Educated in New Zealand and Paris, the well-respected executive joined Studiocanal in...

France's Cnc is throwing its weight behind the new opus by the director of Coming Home, as well as films being helmed by Brigitte Sy, Isild Le Besco and Sonia Kronlund. Four projects have been accepted during the fourth 2019 session of the Cnc’s second advance on receipts committee. Standing out among them is Selon la police by Frédéric Videau, which will be the director’s third feature, following Variété Française (unveiled in the Venice International Film Critics’ Week in 2003) and Coming Home (first revealed in competition at the Berlinale in 2012). Featuring among the cast are Patrick d'Assumçao, Lætitia Casta (nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2011 for Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, popular in such titles as A Faithful Man and Beyond...

Joann Sfar, the French comic book artist and filmmaker, recently wrapped "Fashion Week", a graphic novel inspired by the headline-making robbery at Kim Kardashian West's Paris hotel room in 2016.

Sfar is also developing a French film loosely based on the incident, reports variety.com.

Also Read:?Kim Kardashian shares emotional letters from late father

Sfar is co-writing the script with Marion Festraets ("Chefs") and will be directing the film, which he said will be a comedy exploring the themes of feminism, masculinity and patriarchy in today's society.

Titled "Fashion Week", the film will address "violence against women, the relationship between the very rich people and the less rich, the world of fashion and the encounter between figures of new and old worlds," Sfar told Variety.

The plot of the movie will revolve around a group of older thieves who plan to rob a famous influencer during her trip to...

Joann Sfar, the French comic book artist and filmmaker, recently wrapped “Fashion Week,” a graphic novel inspired by the headline-making robbery of Kim Kardashian West in her Paris hotel room in 2016. Sfar is also developing a French film loosely based on the incident.

Sfar is co-writing the script with Marion Festraëts (“Chefs”) and will be directing the film, which he said will be a comedy exploring the themes of feminism, masculinity and patriarchy in today’s society. Titled “Fashion Week,” the film will address “violence against women, the relationship between the very rich people and the less rich, the world of fashion and the encounter between figures of new and old worlds,” Sfar told Variety.

The plot of the movie will revolve around a group of older thieves who plan to rob a famous influencer during her trip to Paris and find themselves embroiled in the whirlwind of Fashion Week in the French capital.

Delphine Lehericey’s “Beyond the Horizon” may be playing the New Directors section at San Sebastian, but the young director is really anything but, having spent the last decade working in live theater and making a number of TV documentaries before, in 2013, making her fiction feature debut with another New Directors player, “Puppylove.”

Based on the book of the same name by Roland Buti, and set during the European continental heatwave of 1976, the film focuses on a provincial farming family in rural Romandy, Switzerland.

Bolstered by performances from standout actresses Laetitia Casta, a French Academy César nominated actress for her work in 2010’s “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life,” Clémence Poésy, most recognizable from her turn as Fleur Delacour in the “Harry Potter” films, “Beyond the Horizon” also features newcomer Luc Bruchez in the film’s lead role.

A co-production between Switzerland’s Box Productions and Belgium’s Entre Chien et Loup,...

Charades, the French sales company behind Mamoru Hosoda’s Oscar-nominated “Mirai,” has acquired “Grab,” an animated feature directed by Jeremy Clapin and produced by Xilam, one of France’s leading animation companies.

“Grab” is co-written by Clapin (“Skhizein”) and Guillaume Laurant, the high-profile screenwriter of “Amélie” and “A Very Long Engagement.”

Xilam Production was created by Marc du Pontavice and is listed on the Paris stock market. Its credits include “Space Goofs,” “Oggy and the Cockroaches” and Joann Sfar’s “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life.” Du Pontavice also produces live-action films through his banner One World Films, including “Close Enemies,” with Matthias Schoenaerts and Reda Kateb, which competed at the Venice Film Festival.

“Grab” will be delivered in the fall. Set in Paris, it follows Naoufel, a young man who is in love with Gabrielle. In another part of town, a severed hand escapes from a dissection lab, determined to find its body again.

Sneak Peek new images of French actress Laetitia Casta ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life") in the April 2018 issue of "Tatler" (Russia) magazine, wearing Saint Laurent, Chanel, Valentino and a whole lot more, photographed by Mathieu Cesar:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" for the clothing company in 1993, then gaining further recognition as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" from 1998 to 2000...

...and as spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 covers of magazines including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Rolling Stone", "Elle" and "Glamour".

Casta also modeled for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren...

...Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka and Vivienne Westwood.

Casta became an established actress, appearing in the films "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)"...

..."Face" and "Blue Bicycle".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Laetitia Casta ...

Sneak Peek images of French actress Laetitia Casta ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life") in "Elle" (France) magazine:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" for the clothing company in 1993, then gaining further recognition as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" from 1998 to 2000...

...and as spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 covers of magazines including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Rolling Stone", "Elle" and "Glamour".

Casta also modeled for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka and Vivienne Westwood.

Casta became an established actress, appearing in the films "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face" and "Blue Bicycle".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Laetitia Casta ...

Another day, another celebrity wedding to report! It’s confirmed that French model-turned-actress Laetitia Casta tied the knot to French actor Louis Garrel in a very intimate, super-secret ceremony in Lumio, Corsica.

Le nozze segrete di #LaetitiaCasta e #LouisGarrel; il nuovo amore di @FinallyMario; le confessioni di @_AnnaTatangelo_ … #SolosuChi pic.twitter.com/VcI5g7hrKZ

— Chi Magazine (@chimagazine) June 14, 2017

They said ‘I do’ on Saturday at a ceremony at the mayor’s office and afterward partied at a beach-themed reception on the island of Spano. They matched the bohemian theme of the wedding with their simple, relaxed style choices. Casta...

Exclusive: French photographer, art director and Prince aficionado Mathieu Bitton co-directs.

Wild Bunch has boarded sales on upcoming documentary Prince: Pop Life, capturing the music, life and legacy of the late pop legend who passed away in April 2016.

French-American photographer, art director and film-maker Mathieu Bitton, is co-directing alongside writer, journalist and TV producer Frédéric Bénudis.

The documentary features exclusive archive footage, fresh interviews and animated segments created by film-maker Joann Sfar, whose past credits include The Rabbi’s Cat and Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life.

“It will be in the same vein as Amy,” said Wild Bunch co-chief Vincent Maraval, referring to Asif Kapadia’s Oscar-winning portrait of Amy Winehouse.

“It will be music driven with a lot of exclusive footage,” said Maraval. “Joann’s animated sections will be there to express Prince’s creativity and the parts of his life when he disappeared from the public eye.”

The portrait will be presented as a road trip...

Studiocanal and Joann Sfar’s Autochenille Production are prepping an animated feature adaptation of Sfar’s own comic series, Petit Vampire. Sfar, whose credits include The Prophet, The Rabbi’s Cat and Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, will direct. Petit Vampire was first published in 1999. The film version will be an original story taking some elements from the first volume of the comic. The story is centered on the bored Little Vampire. He’s been 10 years old for 300 years and…...

German distributor has picked up four titles ahead of Cannes.

Munich-based distributor Tiberius Film has acquired four titles ahead of Cannes, including the Audrey Tautou-starring Open At Night.

Edouard Baer directs this racy comedy about a crazy trip through Paris at night. Michel Galabru, who passed away in January this year, also star in his final film role.

Tiberius has also picked up The Lady In The Car With Glasses And A Gun, a remake of the 1970 original of the same name.

Directed by Joann Sfar (Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life), the film stars British actress and 2013 Screen Star of Tomorrow Freya Mavor (Skins) as a secretary who secretly borrows her bosses car without knowing the trouble that awaits her.

The company has also taken the National Geographic documentary Medicine Of The Wolf, Julia Huffman’s exploration of the historical relationship between man and animal.

The final title is horror thriller Carnage Park from director Mickey Keating ([link...

One World Films exec joins Studiocanal, which announces expanded production role for UK CEO Danny Perkins.

Studiocanal has expanded its international film production activities with the appointment of producer Matthew Gledhill [pictured] as senior vice president, international production, and by assigning a broader production remit to UK CEO Danny Perkins.

The Paris-based film and high-end TV division of the Vivendi-owned Canal+ Group said Gledhill’s arrival on March 31 was part of the ongoing development of its international film production activities.

Gledhill, who joins from One World Films, will act as an executive producer on international feature films produced in-house by Studiocanal.

He will also oversee titles produced by Ben Stassen’s Belgian-based 3D/4D animation studio nWave Pictures, which is a subsidiary of Studiocanal. Past features by the company include Robinson Crusoe and The House Of Magic.

Gledhill produced Viggo Mortensen drama Far From Men and worked with Studiocanal chairman and CEO Didier Lupfer before, serving as a supervising...

Read More: Watch: 'The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun' Trailer Previews Stunning Neo-Noir Thriller After adapting his own comics in his previous two feature films ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life," "The Rabbi's Cat"), filmmaker Joann Sfar turns to Sébastien Japrisot's noir-thriller "The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun" for his latest outing. The novel was previously adapted into a 1970 film directed by Anatole Litvak, though Sfar has a style far more sexy and thrilling up his sleeve. "The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun" centers on Dany Doremus (Mavor) as she drives her boss' car to a town where everyone seems to know her, although she claims she's never been in the town before. Matters become worse when she discovers a body in her trunk, which the clip above teases in full. The film hits theaters and On Demand today,...

Set to Wendy Rene's 1960 song "After Laughter (Comes Tears)," the new trailer features Freya Mavor, playing a gorgeous secretary, driving around in a stolen car, but things go from stylish and sexy to brutally dark and thrilling in this French-Belgian production.   "The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun" centers on Dany Doremus (Mavor) as she drives her boss's car to a town where everyone seems to know her, although she claims she's never been in the town before. Matters become worse when she discovers a body in her trunk. The trailer is a stunning peek at the noir thriller, which looks to be both stylish and gritty.  Director Joann Sfar returns to the screen with his third film and third adaptation; his two previous films "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life" and "The Rabbi's Cat" were based on his own comics. Sfar takes a dabble at another adaptation...

The biggest exec shake-up in a generation at French pay TV giant Canal Plus is continuing with the axing of head of cinema Nathalie Coste-Cerdan. She has been replaced by Didier Lupfer, the former head of production and development at its Ubisoft Motion Pictures arm, set up in 2011 to adapt the likes of Assassin's Creed for the big screen. Lupfer’s credits also include Joann Sfar’s well-received biopic Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life. Coste-Cerdan is the latest exec to be shown…...

The biggest exec shake-up in a generation at French pay TV giant Canal Plus is continuing with the axing of head of cinema Nathalie Coste-Cerdan. She has been replaced by Didier Lupfer, the former head of production and development at its Ubisoft Motion Pictures arm, set up in 2011 to adapt the likes of Assassin's Creed for the big screen. Lupfer’s credits also include Joann Sfar’s well-received biopic Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life. Coste-Cerdan is the latest exec to be shown…...

Head of cinema Nathalie Coste-Cerdan latest executive to be axed.

The French cinema world is reeling after a whirlwind round of executive firings and hirings at Canal Plus ordered by its new chairman Vincent Bolloré, the billionaire majority shareholder of its parent company Vivendi.

The pay-tv station’s head of cinema Nathalie Coste-Cerdan became the latest executive to be shown the door by Bolloré last Friday, following in the footsteps of Canal Plus Group chairman Bertrand Meheut, CEO Rodolphe Belmer and a dozen or so other heads of department.

“We were shocked to learn of the departure of Nathalie Coste-Cerdan,” said Juliette Prissard-Eltejaye, MD of France’s Independent Producers’ Syndicate, Le Spi.

The organisation, which represents 400 independent producers, was due to issue an official statement alongside a number of France’s other producer bodies this week.

“She was highly respected, a true cinephile and believer in ‘auteur cinema’,” added Prissard-Eltejaye.

“A lot of...

When we asked our staff to vote on the best comic book movie adaptations, we were afraid the results would consist only of superhero films. While there are many superhero movies listed below, it is great to see a bulk of non-Hollywood films appearing on the list as well. We set out to compile a list of 50 movies but as it were, we ended up with 5 ties, and so the list consists 55 films instead. Let us know if you think we missed something. Enjoy!

****

55. The Adventures of Tintin

Spielberg’s first venture into animation is one of his best. Taking notes from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Spielberg crafted another spirited, thrilling, and always entertaining adventure. The Adventures of Tintin is one of the most pleasurable, family-friendly experiences, that boils down to one grand treasure hunt. There’s much to admire on-screen, but it is the spectacular...

Sneak Peek new images of French actress Laetitia Casta ("Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life") in the latest issue of "Elle" (France) magazine:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" for the clothing company in 1993, then gaining further recognition as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" from 1998 to 2000...

...and as spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 covers of magazines including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Rolling Stone", "Elle" and "Glamour".

Casta also modeled for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka and Vivienne Westwood.

Casta became an established actress, appearing in the films "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face" and "Blue Bicycle".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Laetitia Casta ...

Joann Sfar has taken his acclaim as a comics artist and used that momentum to bring his particular visual flair to the world of filmmaking, making his directorial debut with 2010 biopic "Gainsbourg." While narratively uneven, the film undoubtedly boasts strong imagery which renders his foray into genre movies via the upcoming "The Lady In The Car With Glasses And A Gun" all the more intriguing. Read More: Review: 'Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life' Is An Ambitious Biopic That's Disappointingly Incomplete  Starring Freya Mavor, Elio Germano, Benjamin Biolay and "Nymphomaniac" star Stacy Martin, and based on the book by Sébastien Japrisot, the story kicks off when an enigmatic woman takes her employer's car for a joyride. Along the way, she encounters a variety of people who claim to have seen her before, and things become even more twisted when a dead body is discovered in the trunk. My curiosity is certainly piqued.

Check out the new trailer for Charles Nemes' Hotel Normandy, starring Héléna Noguerra and Eric Elmosnino. Opens September 27, 2013 via Rialto Premieres and is scripted by Jean-Paul Bathany and Stéphane Ben Lahcene. "When two people who no longer believe in love find each other, nothing can get in the way of their blossoming romance – except for a playful farce of miscues, meddling and mistaken identity. During one fated weekend at the eponymous seaside resort, lovers, friends and rivals all find their personal destinies. Starring Héléna Noguerra as Alice, a banker whose husband’s recent death has kept her out of the dating pool, and Eric Elmosnino (winner of the César Award for Best Actor for his role in Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life) as Jacques, an art dealer with...

DVD Release Date: Sept. 17, 2013

Price: DVD $24.98

Studio: Anchor Bay/The Weinstein Company

A battle royale is brewing in War of the Buttons.

Based on Louis Pergaud’s best-selling 1912 novel, La Guerre des boutons, the French family adventure film War of the Buttons stars actor/filmmaker Guillaume Canet (Love Me If You Dare), Laetitia Casta (Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life), Kad Merad (Welcome to the Sticks) and newcomers Jean Texler and Ilona Bachelier.

Set in France during World War II, War of the Buttons tells the tale of two rival groups of kids from neighboring villages. Pre-teen rebel Lebrac (Texier) leads a spirited group of kids in a pint-sized “war” where the victory comes from capturing the enemies’ buttons, belts, and laces – forcing them to return home ragged to face their mothers’ reprimand. When Violette (Bachelier), a young Jewish girl, comes to town to hide from the Nazis, Lebrac befriends her and...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: March 5, 2013

Price: DVD $19.98, Blu-ray $29.98

Studio: Well Go USA

Luke Goss (r.) looks for answers before getting down to business in Interview With a Hitman.

Luke Goss (Death Race 2) stars in first-time writer/director Perry Bhandal’s 2012 action-thriller film Interview With a Hitman.

Trust no one…feel nothing…never lose – that’s Viktor’s (Goss) personal code. It’s the mantra that took him from the slums of Romania to the pinnacle of his profession – as a murderer for hire. But this perfect killer is running into problems lately: After a ruthless betrayal by his bosses, he escapes to London, joins a new “family,” and finds himself caught in a vicious underworld power struggle. But while Viktor is better, faster and more ruthless than ever, an encounter with a dark beauty (Caroline Tillette, Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life) offers him a chance at new life. But can...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Dec. 21, 2012

Price: DVD $19.98, Blu-ray $24.99

Studio: Lionsgate

Richard Gere and Laetitia Casta take it easy before things get difficult in Arbitrage.

Richard Gere (Brooklyn’s Finest) leads a cast that includes Susan Sarandon (The Greatest), Tim Roth (TV’s Lie to Me), Brit Marling (Another Earth) and Laetitia Casta (Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life) in Arbitrage, a 2012 thriller about love, loyalty and high finance.

Robert Miller (Gere) is a New York hedge-fund magnate who appears to have it all: money, power, a loving wife (Sarandon), and a devoted daughter (Marling) working by his side. But behind the gilded wall of his mansion, Miller is running on borrowed time, trying to unload his crippled trading company before his frauds are revealed. A deadly error throws Miller’s seemingly perfect life into a tailspin, raising the suspicions of a detective (Roth) and threatening the future of his financial empire. As...

Following the new trailer , ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at the poster for War of the Buttons , which The Weinstein Company will release in theaters on July 18. Set in occupied WWII France, the film tells the tale of pre-teen rebel Lebrac (newcomer Jean Texier) and the "war" he leads between two rival kid gangs from neighboring villages. Once Lebrac falls for Violette (Ilona Bachelier), a young Jewish girl who is new in town and in danger of being exposed by the Nazis, the children are faced with putting their own conflicts aside to protect her and confront the very real war happening around them. Directed by Academy Award nominee Christophe Barratier ( Les Chorus ), War of the Buttons features model/actress Laetitia Casta ( Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life...

Some stories manage to live on to be told again another day, even if they live somewhat on the fringes. War of the Buttons is the fourth film based on the novel by Louis Pergaud, and this time we add some interesting pedigree, and 100% more Nazis over the last time we took a trip with the warring youths.

Directed by Christophe Barratier (of the brilliant Les Chorus), and starring Laetitia Casta and Guillaume Canet, the story that surrounds the “war” among children, and their penchant for trophy acquisition, has a much more serious focus if the trailer can be believed.

The film hits select theaters on July 18th, and this looks to be one that you want to try and catch if it makes its way to you.

Set in occupied WWII France, War of the Buttons tells the tale of pre-teen rebel Lebrac (newcomer Jean Texier) and the “war...

Moviefone's Pick of the Week "The Muppets" What's It About? Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fonzie and the entire gang (even Gonzo) are reunited by their number one superfan, Walter, in an effort to save the beloved "Muppet Show" Theater. See It Because: It's really enjoyable. It's really easy to be cautious about a new Muppet movie that doesn't involve Jim Henson, but Jason Segel and the creative team approached the project with a lot of reverence for the classic Muppet bits. It pays loving tribute while also setting them up for new adventures Also Available on Redbox DVD & Blu-ray | Amazon Instant Video New on DVD & Blu-ray "Carnage" Roman Polanski adapts the hit cross-continental play about two sets of parents that get together to discuss their children's schoolyard fight; with a cast featuring Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz, it's a superbly-acted production, but "Carnage's" broad, theatrical...

Hey kids, it’s This Week In DVD time again! There’s a whopping six releases worth buying this week, and four of them are foreign language flicks. Make of that what you will. Look below for my recommendations on Gainsbourg, The Sitter, Hop, The Muppets, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and… Clown Hunt? As always, if you see something you like, click on the image to buy it. Battle Royale It’s the near future, and Japan has grown so tired of their violently out of control youth that they’ve organized an annual event featuring a randomly chosen class forced to fight to the death on a distant island. This release has been a long time coming. The movie is over ten years old, but while it’s utterly fantastic this is the first Us release for reasons of misguided political correctness. It’s wonderfully violent and bloody film that also happens to have...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: March 20, 2012

Price: DVD $34.95, Blu-ray $43.95

Studio: Music Box

Eric Elmosnino is Serge Gainsbourg and Laetitia Casta is Brigitte Bardot in Gainsbourg.

The life and career of French singer-songwriter-provocateur Serge Gainsbourg, who’s often regarded as the personification of 1960s cool, is the subject of the 2010 biographical film Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life.

As a singer-songwriter whose landmark musical output includes such sexually infused and scandalous 1960s songs as “Je t’aime … moi non plus” and “Les Sucettes,” he is often regarded as one of the world’s most influential popular musicians. His impassioned music was matched only by his legendarily excessive lifestyle and love affairs with Europe’s most beautiful women, including chanteuses Juliette Greco and Jane Birkin and international sex symbol Brigitte Bardot.

Directed by famed French comic book artist-turned-director Joann Sfar, the film begins with the Gainsbourg’s childhood in Nazi-occupied France and moves through his...

It's that time, I just finished watching the last film from 2011 I had time to watch before offering up my final 2012 Oscar predictions and I'm glad I did as it is now among my nominees whereas before it wasn't. Tomorrow the 2012 Oscar nominations will be announced and many questions will be answered while new ones will sprout up. Most categories have their clear front-runners, but down near the bottom of each list the potential nominees became a bit hazy not to mention the technical categories where damn near anything can happen. For Best Picture I batted around several possibilities after I got beyond the six films I feel are absolute locks and the idea of just how many films will the Academy end up nominating? This year there can be anywhere from five to ten nominees for Best Picture and we won't know how many there are until tomorrow's announcement.

Photo Credit: Patrick Redmond

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films remain in competition in the Makeup category for the 84th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

“Albert Nobbs” “Anonymous” “The Artist” “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ “Hugo” “The Iron Lady”

On Saturday, January 21, all members of the Academy’s Makeup Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The...

So I spent all of last night exuberantly "Oh No You Maggie Smith'nt!"* with friends over the 2 hour season premiere of Downton Abbey. Then I spent the better part of today at a table full of Oscar voters picking their brains (in a polite conversational way, mind you) at a luncheon for The Artist. More on both of those events soon but between last night and today, so many OscarQuakes or at least golden tremors.

*joke stolen from Patton Oswalt

Let's discuss four of them immediately! 

1. Hunger Games beauty Jennifer Lawrence will announce the Oscar nominations.

Usually people dress somewhat sedately for that super Am event but we're hoping Jennifer pulls out another one of those va va voom numbers she kept finding for last year's awards circus. The nomination event happens so early in the morning and if Jennifer wears skin tight white or form fitting red again,...

Many of the technical categories at the Academy Awards have several rounds of voting before the final nominees are determined. One of these so-called "bake-offs" is the Makeup race. View Gallery The seven films in contention for three slots are: "Albert Nobbs" "The Artist" "Anonymous" "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life" "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" "Hugo" "The Iron Lady" The most noticeable snub was to BAFTA winner Sian Grigg ("The Aviator") and her team for the makeup in "J. Edgar." While the aging of Leonardo DiCaprio as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was worthy of consideration, the prosthetics on Armie Hammer hampered his performance as Clyde Tolson.  -Break- Aging makeup in "The Iron Lady" and "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life" will take on the showier work in the imagined world of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Ha...

Seven films are competing in the makeup category for three nominations to be announced on January 24. (Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar" is not among them.) On Saturday, January 21, members of the Academy's Makeup Branch will view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films and pick the final three. The films are listed below in alphabetical order:     "Albert Nobbs"     "Anonymous"     "The Artist"     "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life"     "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"    ...

The Academy has announced the seven films still vying for a Best Makeup Oscar.  While the gender-bending make-up of "Albert Nobbs" and the trippy expressionistic scenes of "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life" both made the cut, the  aging makeup of "J. Edgar" and the superheroes of "Green Lantern" were left out of the fray.   Our resident Oscar expert Peter Knegt has predicted "The Iron Lady," "Hugo," and "Anonymous" as this year's three nomineees.   The Makeup branch will vote on the shortlisted films on January 21, and the three nominees will be revealed at the nominee announcement January 24.  The Oscar ceremony will occur February 26.   The following seven films have made it to the shortlist.   "Albert Nobbs" "Anonymous" "The Artist" "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life" "Harry...

“Albert Nobbs” “Anonymous” “The Artist” “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ “Hugo” “The Iron Lady” Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture …...

This afternoon the Academy revealed the seven films that will be competing for Best Makeup at this year's Oscars and I'm happy to say that not one of them is Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar, though I must also say I would have liked to see The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 in there as Kristen Stewart's makeup at the end of that film was particularly effective and rather gruesome. In fact, it was the film's lone standout, but oh well. I actually had all but two of the films listed on my original batch of predictions. There were, however, several I had on my long list that didn't make the cut along with J. Edgar such as Green Lantern, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, My Week with Marilyn, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, War Horse, Captain America: The First Avenger, Big Mommas: Like Father,...