Exclusive: Arp Sélection has acquired French distribution rights for Jiří Mádl’s historical thriller Waves, which was recently announced as the Czech Republic’s entry to the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.
Set during Prague Spring of 1968, the drama follows a radio station employee who finds himself caught between the secret services and his revolutionary brother as the station broadcasts a confidential recording, forcing him to confront history head-on.
Arp Sélection co-head Michèle Halberstadt said the film appealed to her on a number of levels.
“Having been a radio producer for many years, I was personally very touched by the film and how radio always plays an important part in historical upheavals,” she said.
“We at Arp, are very keen to release those kinds of films that bring history to today’s audiences with intelligence and spirit.”
The deal was secured by Paris-based Urban Sales.
Set during Prague Spring of 1968, the drama follows a radio station employee who finds himself caught between the secret services and his revolutionary brother as the station broadcasts a confidential recording, forcing him to confront history head-on.
Arp Sélection co-head Michèle Halberstadt said the film appealed to her on a number of levels.
“Having been a radio producer for many years, I was personally very touched by the film and how radio always plays an important part in historical upheavals,” she said.
“We at Arp, are very keen to release those kinds of films that bring history to today’s audiences with intelligence and spirit.”
The deal was secured by Paris-based Urban Sales.
- 9/20/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes and Sundance-winning filmmaker Tarik Saleh starts shooting tomorrow (May 15) on political thriller Eagles Of The Republic with Playtime on board for international sales. Memento Distribution will release in France and Sf Studios has bought Nordic rights.
Eagles Of The Republic is third and final film in Saleh’s Cairo trilogy after Sundance Grand Jury prize winner The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) and Cannes screenplay winner Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven (2022).
Written and directed by Saleh, its cast includes Swedish actor Fares Fares, French star Lyna Khoudri, American-Palestinian actress Cherien Dabis, French-Moroccan actress Zineb Triki and Finnish-Syrian actor Sherwan Haji.
Eagles Of The Republic is third and final film in Saleh’s Cairo trilogy after Sundance Grand Jury prize winner The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) and Cannes screenplay winner Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven (2022).
Written and directed by Saleh, its cast includes Swedish actor Fares Fares, French star Lyna Khoudri, American-Palestinian actress Cherien Dabis, French-Moroccan actress Zineb Triki and Finnish-Syrian actor Sherwan Haji.
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o is stepping into an executive producer role to support Sudan’s second-ever Academy Award international feature film submission, “Goodbye Julia.”
The timely film, directed by Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan and won the Un Certain Regard section’s Prix de Liberté (Freedom Prize) at Cannes.
“‘Goodbye Julia’ is a powerful representation of the conflict happening in Sudan right now, which affects millions of lives across Eastern Africa,” Nyong’o said in a statement. “Mohamed Kordofani and the filmmakers present the issues in a beautiful, deeply personal way. I’m honored to lend my voice to help bring this film’s message to the world.”
Nyong’o, who played played Nakia in Marvel’s “Black Panther” franchise, will next be seen starring in Paramount’s “A Quiet Place” horror franchise spinoff “A Quiet Place: Day One,” written and directed by Michael Sarnoski.
The timely film, directed by Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan and won the Un Certain Regard section’s Prix de Liberté (Freedom Prize) at Cannes.
“‘Goodbye Julia’ is a powerful representation of the conflict happening in Sudan right now, which affects millions of lives across Eastern Africa,” Nyong’o said in a statement. “Mohamed Kordofani and the filmmakers present the issues in a beautiful, deeply personal way. I’m honored to lend my voice to help bring this film’s message to the world.”
Nyong’o, who played played Nakia in Marvel’s “Black Panther” franchise, will next be seen starring in Paramount’s “A Quiet Place” horror franchise spinoff “A Quiet Place: Day One,” written and directed by Michael Sarnoski.
- 11/9/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Writers’ Development
The U.K.’s National Film and Television School (Nfts) has partnered with “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures on the Nfts Diverse Writers Development Program that kicks off in March 2024. It will select six emerging U.K. screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds to contribute their voices to the entertainment landscape and inject fresh perspectives into scripted drama.
The chosen writers will embark on a paid 10-week program, during which four full series ideas will be developed and pitched, with the aim of creating commercially viable television drama concepts. The participants will work through a curriculum designed by the Nfts. The initiative will connect writers with production executives from Left Bank Pictures and potentially other British production companies.
Applications are open now and close Oct. 31.
Promotion
Alexandre Moreau has been promoted to head of sales at Paris-based company Memento International. The executive will oversee Memento International’s slate of films and strategy,...
The U.K.’s National Film and Television School (Nfts) has partnered with “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures on the Nfts Diverse Writers Development Program that kicks off in March 2024. It will select six emerging U.K. screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds to contribute their voices to the entertainment landscape and inject fresh perspectives into scripted drama.
The chosen writers will embark on a paid 10-week program, during which four full series ideas will be developed and pitched, with the aim of creating commercially viable television drama concepts. The participants will work through a curriculum designed by the Nfts. The initiative will connect writers with production executives from Left Bank Pictures and potentially other British production companies.
Applications are open now and close Oct. 31.
Promotion
Alexandre Moreau has been promoted to head of sales at Paris-based company Memento International. The executive will oversee Memento International’s slate of films and strategy,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Sudan has submitted Mohamed Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
The film made history in Cannes this year as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival after it was selected for Un Certain Regard.
Its premiere took place just weeks after fighting broke out in Khartoum due to a clash between rival generals, which has led to the deaths of 5,000 people and uprooted seven million people.
Since Cannes, the film has also played at Karlovy Vary in its Horizons section and will make its Mena premiere at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival in October ahead of a theatrical release in the country on October 25. It has also been selected for the BFI London Film Festival.
The selection was made by the Sudanese National Committee which is operating in exile.
Alaa Karkouti at Mad Solutions, which is handling world sales,...
The film made history in Cannes this year as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival after it was selected for Un Certain Regard.
Its premiere took place just weeks after fighting broke out in Khartoum due to a clash between rival generals, which has led to the deaths of 5,000 people and uprooted seven million people.
Since Cannes, the film has also played at Karlovy Vary in its Horizons section and will make its Mena premiere at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival in October ahead of a theatrical release in the country on October 25. It has also been selected for the BFI London Film Festival.
The selection was made by the Sudanese National Committee which is operating in exile.
Alaa Karkouti at Mad Solutions, which is handling world sales,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s feature debut “Goodbye Julia,” a timely morality tale that takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan and won the Un Certain Regard section’s Prix de Liberté (Freedom Prize) at Cannes, has scored a raft of sales following its launch.
The first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes official selection, “Goodbye Julia” is the story of two women — one from the North, the other from the South — who are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities in the currently war-ravaged country.
After being picked up by Arp Sélection for France just ahead of its Cannes world premiere in May, the well-received drama has now been sold by pan-Arab distributor Mad Solutions – which moved into international distribution with this title – to the following territories: Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (September Film...
The first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes official selection, “Goodbye Julia” is the story of two women — one from the North, the other from the South — who are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities in the currently war-ravaged country.
After being picked up by Arp Sélection for France just ahead of its Cannes world premiere in May, the well-received drama has now been sold by pan-Arab distributor Mad Solutions – which moved into international distribution with this title – to the following territories: Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (September Film...
- 6/16/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Egyptian-u.S. company Ambient Light has acquired North American sales rights for Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s Cannes Un Certain Regard title Goodbye Julia, and is teaming with CAA to find North American distribution.
Egyptian producer and director Ali El Arabi’s Cairo and L.A.-based company Ambient Light is one of a number of co-producers on the film alongside lead producer Amjad Abu Alala, who works under the banner of Station Films.
El Arabi is best known internationally for his feature documentary Captains of Za’atari, about two Syrian boys growing up in a refugee camp in Jordan with dreams of becoming soccer stars, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021.
The film was handled internationally by Dogwoof, which sold the film to Utopia for the U.S.
El Arabi explains that the lessons he learned through the U.S. distribution of Captains of Za’atari...
Egyptian producer and director Ali El Arabi’s Cairo and L.A.-based company Ambient Light is one of a number of co-producers on the film alongside lead producer Amjad Abu Alala, who works under the banner of Station Films.
El Arabi is best known internationally for his feature documentary Captains of Za’atari, about two Syrian boys growing up in a refugee camp in Jordan with dreams of becoming soccer stars, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021.
The film was handled internationally by Dogwoof, which sold the film to Utopia for the U.S.
El Arabi explains that the lessons he learned through the U.S. distribution of Captains of Za’atari...
- 5/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris-based distributor Arp Sélection has snapped up the timely Sudanese drama “Goodbye Julia” for French distribution ahead of its Cannes Un Certain Regard premiere next week.
The film, which is Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s feature debut, marks the first feature from Sudan to bow from the Croisette and takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan. In “Goodbye Julia,” two women — one from the North, the other from the South — are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities.
in an interview with Variety, Kordofani expressed the hope that his film “Can be the start of a movement for reconciliation between all the Sudanese people” in the war-ravaged country.
The two central roles are played respectively by Eiman Yousif and Sudanese supermodel Siran Riak (pictured above), making her big-screen acting debut. The cast also includes Nazar Goma and Ger Duany,...
The film, which is Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s feature debut, marks the first feature from Sudan to bow from the Croisette and takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan. In “Goodbye Julia,” two women — one from the North, the other from the South — are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities.
in an interview with Variety, Kordofani expressed the hope that his film “Can be the start of a movement for reconciliation between all the Sudanese people” in the war-ravaged country.
The two central roles are played respectively by Eiman Yousif and Sudanese supermodel Siran Riak (pictured above), making her big-screen acting debut. The cast also includes Nazar Goma and Ger Duany,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature will premiere in Un Certain Regard.
Pan-Arab outfit Mad Solutions is moving into international sales and has acquired worldwide rights to Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature Goodbye Julia, the first Sudanese film ever to be selected by the Cannes Film Festival.
The film will receive its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, which announced its lineup today.
Set in Khartoum ahead of Sudan’s division into two separate countries in 2011, the drama explores the differences between their two populations through two women hailing from the north and south of the country.
Pan-Arab outfit Mad Solutions is moving into international sales and has acquired worldwide rights to Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature Goodbye Julia, the first Sudanese film ever to be selected by the Cannes Film Festival.
The film will receive its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, which announced its lineup today.
Set in Khartoum ahead of Sudan’s division into two separate countries in 2011, the drama explores the differences between their two populations through two women hailing from the north and south of the country.
- 4/13/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The Swedish-Egyptian film-maker behind The Nile Hilton Incident discusses the rewarding reaction to his spy thriller Cairo Conspiracy – and how being a graffiti artist set him free
When you’re confronted with a truly groundbreaking piece of art, a certain disorientation is sometimes what you experience first. “A lot of journalists ask me: ‘What is real? What is real in this film?’” says the Swedish director Tarik Saleh, suddenly seized by a chuckling fit. “And I think this obsession is because the way the media portrays Muslims is so fictional that when people see a fictional film that portrays al-Azhar [University], they feel like they’ve seen a documentary. And I try to tell them: ‘No, it’s fiction!’”
He is talking about his new film Cairo Conspiracy, so seductive because it appears to give us privileged entry into what has been for most westerners a hitherto invisible world: al-Azhar University in the Egyptian capital,...
When you’re confronted with a truly groundbreaking piece of art, a certain disorientation is sometimes what you experience first. “A lot of journalists ask me: ‘What is real? What is real in this film?’” says the Swedish director Tarik Saleh, suddenly seized by a chuckling fit. “And I think this obsession is because the way the media portrays Muslims is so fictional that when people see a fictional film that portrays al-Azhar [University], they feel like they’ve seen a documentary. And I try to tell them: ‘No, it’s fiction!’”
He is talking about his new film Cairo Conspiracy, so seductive because it appears to give us privileged entry into what has been for most westerners a hitherto invisible world: al-Azhar University in the Egyptian capital,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Picturehouse Entertainment has debuted the trailer for the political thriller ‘Cairo Conspiracy.’
Adam (Tawfeek Barhom), the son of a fisherman, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicentre of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university’s highest-ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies and Adam soon becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elites.
A blistering political thriller brimming with tension, the film follows wide-eyed Adam as he becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse with wily state security officer Colonel Ibrahim (Fares Fares). Forced to infiltrate certain cliques in the religious seat of learning, Adam finds himself in increasingly dangerous situations, the threat of exposure ever imminent.
The film stars Fares Fares (The Nile Hilton Incident) and Tawfeek Barhom (The Way of the Wind)
Previously...
Adam (Tawfeek Barhom), the son of a fisherman, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicentre of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university’s highest-ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies and Adam soon becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elites.
A blistering political thriller brimming with tension, the film follows wide-eyed Adam as he becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse with wily state security officer Colonel Ibrahim (Fares Fares). Forced to infiltrate certain cliques in the religious seat of learning, Adam finds himself in increasingly dangerous situations, the threat of exposure ever imminent.
The film stars Fares Fares (The Nile Hilton Incident) and Tawfeek Barhom (The Way of the Wind)
Previously...
- 3/8/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
While the final five in the international category at the Oscars ended up being mostly Eurocentric, the shortlist was one of the most diverse. Especially notable are the number of edgy stories set in different Muslim societies.
They come not only from the Arab world such as Morocco’s submission “The Blue Caftan,” helmed by Maryam Touzani (“Adam”), but also Denmark with “The Holy Spider” from helmer Ali Abbasi (“Border”) and Sweden with “The Cairo Conspiracy” (ne “The Boy From Heaven”) directed by Tarik Saleh. There’s also Saim Sadiq’s debut feature, “Joyland,” from Pakistan, but it is a Pakistan-India-u.S. production.
For the past several decades, filmmaking in the Nordic countries has been enriched by first- and second-generation or emigré talents with a hyphenated identity. For example, Stockholm-born director-writer Saleh’s father is Egyptian and his mother is Swedish. He draws on that heritage, in particular that of his paternal grandfather,...
They come not only from the Arab world such as Morocco’s submission “The Blue Caftan,” helmed by Maryam Touzani (“Adam”), but also Denmark with “The Holy Spider” from helmer Ali Abbasi (“Border”) and Sweden with “The Cairo Conspiracy” (ne “The Boy From Heaven”) directed by Tarik Saleh. There’s also Saim Sadiq’s debut feature, “Joyland,” from Pakistan, but it is a Pakistan-India-u.S. production.
For the past several decades, filmmaking in the Nordic countries has been enriched by first- and second-generation or emigré talents with a hyphenated identity. For example, Stockholm-born director-writer Saleh’s father is Egyptian and his mother is Swedish. He draws on that heritage, in particular that of his paternal grandfather,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Tarik Saleh’s “Cairo Conspiracy,” which is representing Sweden in the Oscar race, has become France’s biggest (non-English) foreign-language hit since Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The thought-provoking movie – Saleh’s follow up to “The Nile Hilton Incident” — competed at Cannes and won the screenplay award.
A thriller in Arabic revolving around religion, “Cairo Conspiracy” wasn’t an easy sell on paper but it’s already grossed approximately €3.2 million from more than 460,000 tickets in France since its Oct. 26 bow. It was released by Memento Distribution on 207 screens, and was expanded to more 500 screens on its third week, worthy of a major French title.
“Cairo Conspiracy” currently ranks as France’s biggest (non-English) foreign-language movie since “Parasite” which had garnered over two million admissions. The performance of Saleh’s film has surpassed Park Chan-Wook’s “Decision to Leave” which also played at Cannes and came out in June; as well...
A thriller in Arabic revolving around religion, “Cairo Conspiracy” wasn’t an easy sell on paper but it’s already grossed approximately €3.2 million from more than 460,000 tickets in France since its Oct. 26 bow. It was released by Memento Distribution on 207 screens, and was expanded to more 500 screens on its third week, worthy of a major French title.
“Cairo Conspiracy” currently ranks as France’s biggest (non-English) foreign-language movie since “Parasite” which had garnered over two million admissions. The performance of Saleh’s film has surpassed Park Chan-Wook’s “Decision to Leave” which also played at Cannes and came out in June; as well...
- 12/6/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Gregoire Melin’s Kinology, the banner behind “Annette,” has boarded “Queens,” Yasmine Benkiran’s feature debut, which will make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The uplifting Moroccan movie will unspool on closing night of Critics Week. Kinology represents the film in international markets.
The sprawling, colorful adventure film opens in Casablanca, where a trio of rebellious female outlaws – a mother, her daughter and a young girl – drive through the Atlas desert to reach the Atlantic coast with local police forces on their trail.
Benkiran said her film “celebrates freedom and the power of imagination,” as well as conveying the need for women to free themselves from patriarchal traditions in contemporary Moroccan society.
The up-and-coming French-Moroccan director said she aspired to make a film with depth that blended genre with local mythology to tell this story.
Benkiran said she grew up in Morocco, where she would only get...
The uplifting Moroccan movie will unspool on closing night of Critics Week. Kinology represents the film in international markets.
The sprawling, colorful adventure film opens in Casablanca, where a trio of rebellious female outlaws – a mother, her daughter and a young girl – drive through the Atlas desert to reach the Atlantic coast with local police forces on their trail.
Benkiran said her film “celebrates freedom and the power of imagination,” as well as conveying the need for women to free themselves from patriarchal traditions in contemporary Moroccan society.
The up-and-coming French-Moroccan director said she aspired to make a film with depth that blended genre with local mythology to tell this story.
Benkiran said she grew up in Morocco, where she would only get...
- 9/1/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Memento International is rolling off a banner Cannes, having widely sold Tarik Saleh’s “Boy From Heaven,” which competed and won best screenplay, and Kristoffer Borgli’s Un Certain Regard film “Sick of Myself.”
One of the most political films of this year’s Cannes Film Festival competition, “Boy From Heaven” sold to Latin America (Impacto), Germany and Austria (X Verleih), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Poland (M2 Films), Israel (New Cinema), Ex-Yugoslavia (Blitz), Czech Republic, Slovakia (FilmEurope), Baltics (A-One), Romania (Bad Unicorn), Bulgaria (Beta), Portugal (Leopardo Filmes) and Turkey (Bir Films).
The movie was also acquired by U.K. distributor Picturehouse at Cannes and is being circled by several U.S. buyers.
Saleh’s follow-up to “The Nile Hilton Incident,” “Boy From Heaven” was produced by the Stockholm-based outfit Atmo and Production’s Alexandre Mallet-Guy.
A religious and political thriller, “Boy From Heaven” is set in Cairo at a Koranic school following...
One of the most political films of this year’s Cannes Film Festival competition, “Boy From Heaven” sold to Latin America (Impacto), Germany and Austria (X Verleih), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Poland (M2 Films), Israel (New Cinema), Ex-Yugoslavia (Blitz), Czech Republic, Slovakia (FilmEurope), Baltics (A-One), Romania (Bad Unicorn), Bulgaria (Beta), Portugal (Leopardo Filmes) and Turkey (Bir Films).
The movie was also acquired by U.K. distributor Picturehouse at Cannes and is being circled by several U.S. buyers.
Saleh’s follow-up to “The Nile Hilton Incident,” “Boy From Heaven” was produced by the Stockholm-based outfit Atmo and Production’s Alexandre Mallet-Guy.
A religious and political thriller, “Boy From Heaven” is set in Cairo at a Koranic school following...
- 6/1/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
IndieWire reached out to the directors of photography whose feature films are premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival to find out which cameras and lenses they used and, more importantly, why these were the right tools to create the look and visual language of these highly anticipated films.
Page 1: Competition (Palme d’Or Contenders)
Page 2: Out of Competition, Premieres, and Special Screenings
Page 3: Un Certain Regard, Critics’ Week, and Acid
Page 4: Directors’ Fortnight and Marché du Film
(Films are in alphabetical order by title.)
Competition (Palme d’Or Contenders)
“Boy from Heaven”
Dir: Tarik Saleh, DoP: Pierre Aim
Format: 4K Arriraw
Camera: Arri Lf
Lens: Scorpio 40mm
Aim: “Boy from Heaven” is the third film I made with Tarik after “The Nile Hilton Incident” and “The Contractor.” To shoot Tarik’s latest film, we only used one lens: the 40mm scope Scorpio. The general idea of...
Page 1: Competition (Palme d’Or Contenders)
Page 2: Out of Competition, Premieres, and Special Screenings
Page 3: Un Certain Regard, Critics’ Week, and Acid
Page 4: Directors’ Fortnight and Marché du Film
(Films are in alphabetical order by title.)
Competition (Palme d’Or Contenders)
“Boy from Heaven”
Dir: Tarik Saleh, DoP: Pierre Aim
Format: 4K Arriraw
Camera: Arri Lf
Lens: Scorpio 40mm
Aim: “Boy from Heaven” is the third film I made with Tarik after “The Nile Hilton Incident” and “The Contractor.” To shoot Tarik’s latest film, we only used one lens: the 40mm scope Scorpio. The general idea of...
- 5/27/2022
- by Chris O'Falt and Erik Adams
- Indiewire
Mubi’s U.S. lineup for next month has been unveiled, including some essential recent releases, notably James Vaughan’s Friends and Strangers, Radu Muntean’s Întregalde, Alice Diop’s We (Nous), the Isabel Sandoval-led short The Actress, Ougie Pak’s Clytaemnestra, and the new restoration of Hong Sangsoo’s Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors.
As part of Pride month and fitting as his latest film arrives, Andrew Ahn’s Spa Night is among the selections, alongside And Then We Danced, Being 17, and Lilting. Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, a pair of films by Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Kim Bora’s House of Hummingbird are also in the lineup.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
June 1 – Wet Sand, directed by Elene Naveriani | Viewfinder | Pride
June 2 – And Then We Danced, directed by Levan Akin | Pride Unprejudiced: LGBTQ+ Cinema
June 3 – Friends and Strangers, directed by James Vaughan | Mubi Spotlight
June 4 – Final Set,...
As part of Pride month and fitting as his latest film arrives, Andrew Ahn’s Spa Night is among the selections, alongside And Then We Danced, Being 17, and Lilting. Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, a pair of films by Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Kim Bora’s House of Hummingbird are also in the lineup.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
June 1 – Wet Sand, directed by Elene Naveriani | Viewfinder | Pride
June 2 – And Then We Danced, directed by Levan Akin | Pride Unprejudiced: LGBTQ+ Cinema
June 3 – Friends and Strangers, directed by James Vaughan | Mubi Spotlight
June 4 – Final Set,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Half a dozen Sweden pics and co-prods are set to storm the Croisette, flagships of the solid public support system in place, and fully or partly shot in a foreign language. Headlining the slate are the completion entries “Triangle of Sadness” by former winner Ruben Östlund (“The Square”), shot in the English language, and the Arabic-speaking thriller “Boy From Heaven” by Tarik Saleh (“The Nile Hilton Incident”), set in Cairo. Meanwhile, the Iranian/Danish Ali Abbasi (“Border”) is debuting in the main competition with the Farsi-language “Holy Spider,” majority-Danish produced with Sweden among co-production partners.
Elsewhere, the parallel section Acid is showcasing the Swedish doc “How to Save a Dead Friend” by Russia’s Marusya Syroechkovskaya, and three Swedish co-prods are bowing at Un Certain Regard: “Godland” by Iceland’s Hlynur Pálmason, “Sick of Myself” by Norway’s Kristoffer Borgli and “Butterfly Vision” by Ukrainian Maksym Nakonechnyi.
“Swedish filmmakers are...
Elsewhere, the parallel section Acid is showcasing the Swedish doc “How to Save a Dead Friend” by Russia’s Marusya Syroechkovskaya, and three Swedish co-prods are bowing at Un Certain Regard: “Godland” by Iceland’s Hlynur Pálmason, “Sick of Myself” by Norway’s Kristoffer Borgli and “Butterfly Vision” by Ukrainian Maksym Nakonechnyi.
“Swedish filmmakers are...
- 5/22/2022
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
In 2017, Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh’s breakthrough film “The Nile Hilton Incident” was the subject of much controversy and was ultimately banned in Egypt due to its in-depth portrayal of police corruption in modern-day Egypt. Five years later, Saleh is back with “Boy From Heaven” (“Walad Min Al Janna“), a transfixing feature tackling the harsh realities that occur in the country, this time exploring the complicated and corrupt relationship between religion and politics.
Read More: Cannes Film Festival 2022 Preview: 25 Must-See Films To Watch
The film centers on Adam (Tawfeek Barhom), the wide-eyed son of a small-town widowed fisherman, who receives the news that he has been awarded a state sponsorship to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the leading institutions of Sunni Islam.
Continue reading ‘Boy From Heaven’ Review: Tarik Saleh Crafts A Gripping Exploration Of Religion & Politics In Egypt [Cannes] at The Playlist.
Read More: Cannes Film Festival 2022 Preview: 25 Must-See Films To Watch
The film centers on Adam (Tawfeek Barhom), the wide-eyed son of a small-town widowed fisherman, who receives the news that he has been awarded a state sponsorship to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the leading institutions of Sunni Islam.
Continue reading ‘Boy From Heaven’ Review: Tarik Saleh Crafts A Gripping Exploration Of Religion & Politics In Egypt [Cannes] at The Playlist.
- 5/21/2022
- by Jihane Bousfiha
- The Playlist
Now at the five feature film mark, Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh reunites with his The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) star a scruffy Fares Fares for his first film on the Croisette and to compete in the comp. Boy From Heaven features Tawfeek Barhom in a narrative filled with more catch 22’s you can shake a stick at.
Set in an historical site in Cairo, we find a thriller where one’s moral compass and faith is constantly being shaken, stirred and put to the test and when the power to make change becomes a trump card then only true change can occur.…...
Set in an historical site in Cairo, we find a thriller where one’s moral compass and faith is constantly being shaken, stirred and put to the test and when the power to make change becomes a trump card then only true change can occur.…...
- 5/21/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Elections, as everyone knows, are too important to be left up to chance, and so the world is constantly inventing ways to ensure their outcome in advance. In Egypt, when it comes to the choice of a new grand imam — a lifetime appointment, whose fatwas impact national law — the process doesn’t even pretend to be democratic: The successful candidate is selected from a small Supreme Council of Scholars, with considerations the outside world will never know. But we can wonder, which is where Swedish-Egyptian filmmaker Tarik Saleh comes in, imagining the equivalent of a John Grisham thriller set inside Cairo’s world-famous Al-Azhar University.
Banned from Egypt since 2017’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” the director may well have nothing to lose by implicating the Egyptian government in a conspiracy to fill the country’s highest religious position with the candidate of the president’s choosing — the equivalent of suggesting...
Banned from Egypt since 2017’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” the director may well have nothing to lose by implicating the Egyptian government in a conspiracy to fill the country’s highest religious position with the candidate of the president’s choosing — the equivalent of suggesting...
- 5/20/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Egypt’s religious and secular institutions both breed mistrust in Tarik Saleh’s superbly realised paranoid nightmare
Tarik Saleh is the Swedish-Egyptian director who made The Nile Hilton Incident in 2017, a shrewd, dyspeptic movie about the official corruption in Egypt that triggered the Tahrir Square uprising. Now in an era when the Arab spring has arguably become a bittersweet memory, he has brought to the Cannes competition this watchable conspiracy espionage-drama satirising the corruption of church and state. There’s an intriguing mix of scorn and paranoia here, together with a yearning for individual figures of decency halfway down the food chain – it reminded me of John le Carré.
Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) is a fisherman’s son in the northern town of Manzala who is overjoyed to receive news from his local imam that he is getting a lavish state sponsorship to study Islamic thought at Cairo’s internationally prestigious Al-Azhar University.
Tarik Saleh is the Swedish-Egyptian director who made The Nile Hilton Incident in 2017, a shrewd, dyspeptic movie about the official corruption in Egypt that triggered the Tahrir Square uprising. Now in an era when the Arab spring has arguably become a bittersweet memory, he has brought to the Cannes competition this watchable conspiracy espionage-drama satirising the corruption of church and state. There’s an intriguing mix of scorn and paranoia here, together with a yearning for individual figures of decency halfway down the food chain – it reminded me of John le Carré.
Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) is a fisherman’s son in the northern town of Manzala who is overjoyed to receive news from his local imam that he is getting a lavish state sponsorship to study Islamic thought at Cairo’s internationally prestigious Al-Azhar University.
- 5/20/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s early days at the Cannes Film Festival, so awards prognostication might seem a little premature, but still, it’s hard to imagine that the phenomenal performance given by Swedish-Lebanese actor Fares Fares in Tarik Saleh’s searing political thriller Boy from Heaven will go entirely unnoticed by this year’s jury. Topping the work he did in Saleh’s 2017 Sundance hit The Nile Hilton Incident, Fares commands the screen from the moment he arrives, playing a character whose disheveled appearance conceals a ruthless efficiency, a laser-focused mind and an entirely pragmatic concept of morality.
It’s funny that Boy from Heaven should premiere after James Gray’s Armageddon Time, another film about a young man’s rude awakening and another film that ruminates on the way fate is shaped — or dictated — by race and class. But Saleh’s film throws religion into that already-volatile mix, and while it...
It’s funny that Boy from Heaven should premiere after James Gray’s Armageddon Time, another film about a young man’s rude awakening and another film that ruminates on the way fate is shaped — or dictated — by race and class. But Saleh’s film throws religion into that already-volatile mix, and while it...
- 5/20/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Swedish/Egyptian director Tarik Saleh is in competition in Cannes with “Boy From Heaven” his second film to delve into the underbelly of modern Egypt — and the Arab world at large — following his 2017 political thriller “The Nile Hilton Incident,” which depicted political power abuse and police corruption. “Nile Hilton” won the grand jury prize at Sundance and was banned in Egypt.
In Saleh’s new potentially explosive pic, the young protagonist Adam, who is the son of a small-town Egyptian fisherman, is offered the privilege of studying at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, which is the epicenter of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university’s highest-ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies. This prompts Adam to become a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite.
Saleh spoke to Variety about how he navigated the thorny subject matter...
In Saleh’s new potentially explosive pic, the young protagonist Adam, who is the son of a small-town Egyptian fisherman, is offered the privilege of studying at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, which is the epicenter of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university’s highest-ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies. This prompts Adam to become a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite.
Saleh spoke to Variety about how he navigated the thorny subject matter...
- 5/20/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival is best-known for its lavish parties and stunning red carpets, but the celebration of cinema has also often been colored by political concerns. This year, promises to be an unusually turbulent one.
After all, filmmakers, studio executives and movie lovers are assembling in the South of France as the specter of war in Ukraine and rising autocracies around the world threaten to overshadow the good times. Indeed, the loudest applause on Cannes’ opening night were reserved for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a special appearance via video link in which he invoked Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” a satire of Nazism, to remind the audience of the powerful role movies can play.
“Hundreds of people die every day,” Zelensky said. “Will cinema stay silent, or will it talk about it? If there is a dictator, if there is a war for freedom, again, it all depends on our unity.
After all, filmmakers, studio executives and movie lovers are assembling in the South of France as the specter of war in Ukraine and rising autocracies around the world threaten to overshadow the good times. Indeed, the loudest applause on Cannes’ opening night were reserved for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a special appearance via video link in which he invoked Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” a satire of Nazism, to remind the audience of the powerful role movies can play.
“Hundreds of people die every day,” Zelensky said. “Will cinema stay silent, or will it talk about it? If there is a dictator, if there is a war for freedom, again, it all depends on our unity.
- 5/18/2022
- by Brent Lang and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Pine doesn’t have a to-do list, but that doesn’t mean his career choices aren’t intentional. Mostly, the actor and producer told IndieWire, he looks for projects with a single defining characteristic: They have to be great. Over the course of the past two decades, that’s led Pine to a variety of gigs, and the multi-hyphenate has managed to fit films like his current releases (adult-themed dramas “The Contractor” and “All the Old Knives”) alongside more mainstream stuff, like the upcoming “Dungeons & Dragons” feature and the “Wonder Woman” and “Star Trek” franchises.
As Pine readies to make the jump to directing, he’s hanging his career on something a bit more zen than you might expect from such a star. As he’ll explain, really, he’s just “following the giggle.”
“It’s only intentional insofar as the projects are great,” Pine said of his...
As Pine readies to make the jump to directing, he’s hanging his career on something a bit more zen than you might expect from such a star. As he’ll explain, really, he’s just “following the giggle.”
“It’s only intentional insofar as the projects are great,” Pine said of his...
- 4/7/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The “Bourne” movies revivified the espionage genre with their nimble, scrappy, down-and-dirty action. But they weren’t as widely imitated as one might have expected, which leaves “The Contractor” feeling like a relatively fresh chip off a not-so-old block. Chris Pine stars as a forcibly decommissioned U.S. Army careerist whom financial straits push him into a sketchy private militaristic security job. Needless to say, that goes south in a hurry.
Swede Tarik Saleh’s first American feature is more impersonally commercial than prior projects (including 2017 Sundance jury prize winner “The Nile Hilton Incident”), and more efficient than memorable as a medium-scaled adventure exercise. Still, being a solid cut above average is good enough, given so much formulaic mediocrity among thrillers cluttering the streaming market. Already released in several territories during March, the film is scheduled for launch to U.S. theaters, digital and on demand platforms April 1.
Things start out...
Swede Tarik Saleh’s first American feature is more impersonally commercial than prior projects (including 2017 Sundance jury prize winner “The Nile Hilton Incident”), and more efficient than memorable as a medium-scaled adventure exercise. Still, being a solid cut above average is good enough, given so much formulaic mediocrity among thrillers cluttering the streaming market. Already released in several territories during March, the film is scheduled for launch to U.S. theaters, digital and on demand platforms April 1.
Things start out...
- 3/28/2022
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
"It's easy to kill, but it's much harder to survive." Paramount has unveiled the official trailer for an action thriller called The Contractor, formerly known as Violence of Action. From director Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) comes this thriller about an ex-Special Forces Sergeant who becomes a mercenary working for a private organization. But when his first mission goes awry while overseas, he must evade those trying to kill him while making his way back home. Sounds like the exact same plot as so many of these mercenary or hitman films - something goes wrong, they become the target, must take out others to return alive. Chris Pine stars along with Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Jd Pardo, Florian Munteanu, and Kiefer Sutherland. This was shot in 2019 and they've been delaying it since 2020, but not sure it'll be worth the wait. It seems as bland & repetitive as every other direct-to-dvd action film recently.
- 2/16/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Memento International has closed major sales on Ursula Meier’s Berlin contender “The Line,” and “Boy from Heaven” by Tarik Saleh, the Swedish-Egyptian helmer of “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
A religious and political thriller, “Boy From Heaven” is set in Cairo at a Koranic school following the collapse of a grand imam which marks the start of a ruthless battle for influence.
The movie is headlined by Tawfeek Barhom and Fares Fares, who previously starred in “The Nile Hilton Incident.” Saleh’s Stockholm-based outfit Atmo is producing the movie with Memento.
Memento International has sold the film to Benelux (Cineart), Spain (La Aventura), Italy (Movies Inspired), Greece (Cinobo), Hungary (Vertigo) and Middle East (Falcon). Other territories in negotiation. Memento Distribution will release in France.
The company has also sold “The Line,” Ursula Meier’s drama which is in main competition at the Berlin Film Festival, to a raft of territories,...
A religious and political thriller, “Boy From Heaven” is set in Cairo at a Koranic school following the collapse of a grand imam which marks the start of a ruthless battle for influence.
The movie is headlined by Tawfeek Barhom and Fares Fares, who previously starred in “The Nile Hilton Incident.” Saleh’s Stockholm-based outfit Atmo is producing the movie with Memento.
Memento International has sold the film to Benelux (Cineart), Spain (La Aventura), Italy (Movies Inspired), Greece (Cinobo), Hungary (Vertigo) and Middle East (Falcon). Other territories in negotiation. Memento Distribution will release in France.
The company has also sold “The Line,” Ursula Meier’s drama which is in main competition at the Berlin Film Festival, to a raft of territories,...
- 2/14/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Although the pandemic has pole-axed many independent distributors, some like Alexandre Mallet-Guy at Paris-based Memento Distribution have managed to weather the storm.
The company has had prestige auteur films playing in the festival circuit this year; at Cannes with multiple films in competition, including Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, District 13th,” Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero” and Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World;” in Deauville with Christophe Honoré’s “Guermantes;” and at San Sebastian with Laurent Cantet’s “Arthur Rambo,” Zhang Ji’s “Fire on the Plain” and Emmanuel Carriere’s “Between Two Worlds” with Juliette Binoche which world premiered on opening night at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight.
Along with his distribution activities, Mallet-Guy is also involved in production through Memento Production. The banner produces or co-produces select director-driven projects. “A Hero,” for instance, was produced by Mallet-Guy and Farhadi’s companies.
The movie...
The company has had prestige auteur films playing in the festival circuit this year; at Cannes with multiple films in competition, including Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, District 13th,” Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero” and Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World;” in Deauville with Christophe Honoré’s “Guermantes;” and at San Sebastian with Laurent Cantet’s “Arthur Rambo,” Zhang Ji’s “Fire on the Plain” and Emmanuel Carriere’s “Between Two Worlds” with Juliette Binoche which world premiered on opening night at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight.
Along with his distribution activities, Mallet-Guy is also involved in production through Memento Production. The banner produces or co-produces select director-driven projects. “A Hero,” for instance, was produced by Mallet-Guy and Farhadi’s companies.
The movie...
- 9/21/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking to Swedish Film Institute CEO Anna Serner, who is stepping down after 10 years in the role. Serner has been hugely influential in tackling inequality for women in the film industry and is known for her trailblazing gender parity initiative “50/50 by 2020.” Here, Serner reflects on her tenure and why small steps forward can equate to big change.
Long before #MeToo was a trending hashtag or Time’s Up existed as an organization, Swedish Film Institute head Anna Serner was busy serving her own local film industry a tall order of reform in the gender parity space.
The Stockholm-born exec, who became CEO of the state-backed film promotional and funding body in 2011, was appalled when she came into...
Long before #MeToo was a trending hashtag or Time’s Up existed as an organization, Swedish Film Institute head Anna Serner was busy serving her own local film industry a tall order of reform in the gender parity space.
The Stockholm-born exec, who became CEO of the state-backed film promotional and funding body in 2011, was appalled when she came into...
- 9/15/2021
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Rosetr includes American football drama National Champions, action thriller Violence Of Action.
STXfilms has dated a quartet of releases in the US including Queenpins and the untitled Guy Ritchie action thriller starring.
Queenpins will open on September 10 and stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste in a comedy about housewives who set up a multimillion-dollar counterfeit coupon scam. Bell and her The Good Place and Veronica Mars co-star Howell-Baptiste star alongside Paul Walter Hauser, Vince Vaughn, Joel McHale, and singer/songwriter Bebe Rexh in her debut role.
Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly wrote and directed the film produced by AGC Studios,...
STXfilms has dated a quartet of releases in the US including Queenpins and the untitled Guy Ritchie action thriller starring.
Queenpins will open on September 10 and stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste in a comedy about housewives who set up a multimillion-dollar counterfeit coupon scam. Bell and her The Good Place and Veronica Mars co-star Howell-Baptiste star alongside Paul Walter Hauser, Vince Vaughn, Joel McHale, and singer/songwriter Bebe Rexh in her debut role.
Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly wrote and directed the film produced by AGC Studios,...
- 6/29/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
STXfilms has set release dates for four films on its slate, including Chris Pine’s thriller “Violence of Action” and the crime comedy “Queenpins” starring Kristen Bell.
STX also set dates for “National Champions,” a sports film directed by Ric Roman Waugh, and an untitled Guy Ritchie movie.
“Queenpins” will be released on Sept. 10, “National Champions” opens Nov. 24, Pine’s “Violence of Action” releases on Dec. 10, and Ritchie’s next movie opens Jan. 21, 2022.
“Queenpins” reunites “Bad Moms” star Bell with STX, and she stars with Kirby Howell-Baptiste in a film inspired by the true story of the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history. Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly directed the film that also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Joel McHale, singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha in her first feature role and Vince Vaughn. The film recently sold to Paramount+ and Showtime, which will debut the film on streaming after its theatrical run.
STX also set dates for “National Champions,” a sports film directed by Ric Roman Waugh, and an untitled Guy Ritchie movie.
“Queenpins” will be released on Sept. 10, “National Champions” opens Nov. 24, Pine’s “Violence of Action” releases on Dec. 10, and Ritchie’s next movie opens Jan. 21, 2022.
“Queenpins” reunites “Bad Moms” star Bell with STX, and she stars with Kirby Howell-Baptiste in a film inspired by the true story of the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history. Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly directed the film that also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Joel McHale, singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha in her first feature role and Vince Vaughn. The film recently sold to Paramount+ and Showtime, which will debut the film on streaming after its theatrical run.
- 6/29/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Swedish executive has spent 10 years in the role.
Anna Serner is to resign as CEO of the Swedish Film Institute (Sfi) in October, after 10 years in the role.
Serner’s enduring legacy will be the launch of the Sfi’s pioneering “50/50 by 2020” initiative, which she unveiled at Cannes 2016. When she joined in 2011, women directed 26% of the films funded by the Sfi. By 2014, 50% of the films it backed were funded by women and grew to 64% female-led projects in 2016.
During her tenure, Serner became a global expert and leading speaker on gender equality in the film industry, noting that the Sfi had...
Anna Serner is to resign as CEO of the Swedish Film Institute (Sfi) in October, after 10 years in the role.
Serner’s enduring legacy will be the launch of the Sfi’s pioneering “50/50 by 2020” initiative, which she unveiled at Cannes 2016. When she joined in 2011, women directed 26% of the films funded by the Sfi. By 2014, 50% of the films it backed were funded by women and grew to 64% female-led projects in 2016.
During her tenure, Serner became a global expert and leading speaker on gender equality in the film industry, noting that the Sfi had...
- 4/27/2021
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
STXinternational to distribute directly in UK and Ireland.
STXfilms has picked up US rights to Violence Of Action, Tarik Saleh’s thriller starring Chris Pine that marks the director’s feature follow-up to The Nile Hilton Incident.
STXinternational previously acquired international rights to the Thunder Road Films and 30West production.
Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Fares Fares, Nina Hoss and Amira Casar round out the key cast on the story about a man involuntarily discharged from the Green Berets who joins a paramilitary group in order to support his family.
When he travels to Berlin on a black ops...
STXfilms has picked up US rights to Violence Of Action, Tarik Saleh’s thriller starring Chris Pine that marks the director’s feature follow-up to The Nile Hilton Incident.
STXinternational previously acquired international rights to the Thunder Road Films and 30West production.
Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Fares Fares, Nina Hoss and Amira Casar round out the key cast on the story about a man involuntarily discharged from the Green Berets who joins a paramilitary group in order to support his family.
When he travels to Berlin on a black ops...
- 2/18/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
STXfilms has acquired the U.S. rights to “Violence of Action,” a thriller starring Chris Pine and directed by “The Nile Hilton Incident” filmmaker Tarik Saleh.
“Violence of Action” stars Pine alongside Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Fares Fares, Nina Hoss and Amira Casara.
The film tells the story of a man involuntarily discharged from the Marines who joins a paramilitary organization, only to find himself alone and hunted while on his very first mission in Poland. He must now fight long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him. Jp Davis wrote the screenplay.
Thunder Road Film’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are producing “Violence of Action,” with 30West fully financing the film. 30West’s Dan Friedkin, Micah Green and Dan Steinman are executive producing along with Chris Pine, Jonathan Fuhrman, Tom Lassally and Josh Bratman. Esther Hornstein of Thunder Road Films is executive producing.
“Violence of Action” stars Pine alongside Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Fares Fares, Nina Hoss and Amira Casara.
The film tells the story of a man involuntarily discharged from the Marines who joins a paramilitary organization, only to find himself alone and hunted while on his very first mission in Poland. He must now fight long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him. Jp Davis wrote the screenplay.
Thunder Road Film’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are producing “Violence of Action,” with 30West fully financing the film. 30West’s Dan Friedkin, Micah Green and Dan Steinman are executive producing along with Chris Pine, Jonathan Fuhrman, Tom Lassally and Josh Bratman. Esther Hornstein of Thunder Road Films is executive producing.
- 2/18/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The national film agency will invest 63.616 million Swedish crowns in 18 new audiovisual productions. The Swedish Film Institute, the country’s film agency, recently announced the recipients of its latest round of funding. On this occasion, the body will back the making of 18 new audiovisual productions through an overall investment of 63,616,500 Swedish crowns. The big winner of this slate of funding is Tarik Saleh’s political thriller Boy from Heaven. This is the director’s second project exploring the modern Arab world after The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) and is being produced by Kristina Åberg for Atmo Sweden, in co-production with Memento Film, Bufo, Final Cut for Real, Arte France and Film i Väst, with co-financing provided by Canal+ France and Business Finland. The other features backed by the organisation are Gorki Glaser Müller’s documentary Children of the Enemy (1.9 million...
Exclusive: The big Cannes virtual market deal-making is underway. I understand German major Leonine has closed a multi-million dollar deal with Stx International for black ops thriller Violence Of Action, starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Gillian Jacobs.
Currently in post-production, the film follows James Reed (Pine), who joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family after being involuntarily discharged from the Marines. Reed travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, he finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him.
Also starring are Eddie Marsan, Nina Hoss, Amira Casar, Fares Fares and J.D. Pardo.
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) is directing from a script by J.P. Davis. John Wick...
Currently in post-production, the film follows James Reed (Pine), who joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family after being involuntarily discharged from the Marines. Reed travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, he finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him.
Also starring are Eddie Marsan, Nina Hoss, Amira Casar, Fares Fares and J.D. Pardo.
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) is directing from a script by J.P. Davis. John Wick...
- 6/22/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris — AMC’s “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” Amazon Prime’s “Upload,” and Apple TV’s “Trying” will make their international premieres at the 3rd edition of Canneseries, which will run from March 27 to April 1.
The Riviera-set fest will host tributes to David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”), “Sharp Object” and “Euphoria” breakout Sydney Sweeney, and “Transparent” star Judith Light, before closing with the world premiere of “The Bureau,” Season 5.
Producer Gale Anne Hurd will lead this year’s jury alongside actors Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”) and Katja Herbers (“Westworld”), director Tawfik Abu Wael (“Our Boys”) and rocker Steward Copeland.
Pay-tv service Canal Plus will bring two high-profile French language offerings, launching the final season premiere of their spy thriller “The Bureau” and the series premiere of their hip-hop drama “Validé,” which was co-created by popular local star Franck Gastambide.
Of then ten series in the festival’s highly selective competition,...
The Riviera-set fest will host tributes to David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”), “Sharp Object” and “Euphoria” breakout Sydney Sweeney, and “Transparent” star Judith Light, before closing with the world premiere of “The Bureau,” Season 5.
Producer Gale Anne Hurd will lead this year’s jury alongside actors Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”) and Katja Herbers (“Westworld”), director Tawfik Abu Wael (“Our Boys”) and rocker Steward Copeland.
Pay-tv service Canal Plus will bring two high-profile French language offerings, launching the final season premiere of their spy thriller “The Bureau” and the series premiere of their hip-hop drama “Validé,” which was co-created by popular local star Franck Gastambide.
Of then ten series in the festival’s highly selective competition,...
- 2/26/2020
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Bobbi Salvör Menuez is in talks to join an international cast for “Lipstick on the Glass,” the English-language debut of acclaimed Polish director Kuba Czekaj (“Baby Bump”), Variety has learned exclusively.
Pic will star Agnieszka Podsiadlik (“Mug”), who previously collaborated with Czekaj on Berlin player “The Erlprince.” The international cast includes American actor Mari Malek (“The Nile Hilton Incident”), English-French thesp Laura Benson (“Touch Me Not”), and German actors Stipe Erceg (“The Baader Meinhof Complex”), Lena Lauzemis, and Mina Tander.
“Lipstick on the Glass” is a dystopian vision of reality in which a woman is induced to abandon her gangster husband to join a feminist sect. Producer Paweł Kosuń described it as a story about every person’s right to self-determination, regardless of their gender identity or imposed social and cultural norms.
“It poses a fundamental question: who am I?” he said. “This is a question which an ever-growing number...
Pic will star Agnieszka Podsiadlik (“Mug”), who previously collaborated with Czekaj on Berlin player “The Erlprince.” The international cast includes American actor Mari Malek (“The Nile Hilton Incident”), English-French thesp Laura Benson (“Touch Me Not”), and German actors Stipe Erceg (“The Baader Meinhof Complex”), Lena Lauzemis, and Mina Tander.
“Lipstick on the Glass” is a dystopian vision of reality in which a woman is induced to abandon her gangster husband to join a feminist sect. Producer Paweł Kosuń described it as a story about every person’s right to self-determination, regardless of their gender identity or imposed social and cultural norms.
“It poses a fundamental question: who am I?” he said. “This is a question which an ever-growing number...
- 2/22/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Pine’s upcoming new action thriller Violence of Action has started production, and it’s been announced that Ben Foster and Gillian Jacobs will be joining him on his journey. Pine and Foster previously worked together on the fantastic film Hell or High Water, and it’s great to see they are working together again!
The film is being directed by Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) from a script written by J.P. Davis, and this is the synopsis that was shared:
After being involuntarily discharged from the Marines, James Harper (Pine) joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Harper travels to Berlin with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, Harper finds himself alone and hunted across Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough...
The film is being directed by Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) from a script written by J.P. Davis, and this is the synopsis that was shared:
After being involuntarily discharged from the Marines, James Harper (Pine) joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Harper travels to Berlin with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, Harper finds himself alone and hunted across Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough...
- 10/11/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Ben Foster (Hell Or High Water) and Gillian Jacobs (Community) have joined Chris Pine (Star Trek) in action-thriller Violence Of Action, which has now begun principal photography in the U.S., Germany and Romania.
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) is directing from a script by J.P. Davis. John Wick outfit Thunder Road Films produces with finance from 30West. Pine and Foster previously starred in Oscar-nominated box office breakout Hell Or High Water.
Pine was announced earlier this year in the lead role of James Harper who, after being involuntarily discharged from the Green Berets, joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Harper travels to Berlin with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, he finds himself alone and hunted across Europe, where he must fight to stay...
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) is directing from a script by J.P. Davis. John Wick outfit Thunder Road Films produces with finance from 30West. Pine and Foster previously starred in Oscar-nominated box office breakout Hell Or High Water.
Pine was announced earlier this year in the lead role of James Harper who, after being involuntarily discharged from the Green Berets, joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Harper travels to Berlin with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, he finds himself alone and hunted across Europe, where he must fight to stay...
- 10/10/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
In this week’s International TV Newswire, Scandinavia’s Nent announces its latest Viaplay original, “Partisan,” DirecTV Go hits three new Latin American territories; “Blockbusters” will open the Edinburgh Intl. TV Festival; and Endemol Shine Poland announces theatrical for “How to Marry a Millionaire.”
Nent Announces Viaplay Original ‘Partisan’
Swedish broadcaster Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) has ordered “Partisan,” an original five-part drama series to be produced for its Svod platform, Viaplay.
Fares Fares, star of “The Nile Hilton Incident” and HBO’s “Chernobyl,” will headline and act as creative producer on the series, and says he’s been looking for a project in Swedish for some time.Filming has already begun, headed by director Amir Chandin and produced by Johanna Wennerberg for Warner Bros. Sweden. It’s set to premiere on the platform in 2020.
Set in the secluded rural village of Jordnära, the five-part crime thriller will deconstruct the seemingly...
Nent Announces Viaplay Original ‘Partisan’
Swedish broadcaster Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) has ordered “Partisan,” an original five-part drama series to be produced for its Svod platform, Viaplay.
Fares Fares, star of “The Nile Hilton Incident” and HBO’s “Chernobyl,” will headline and act as creative producer on the series, and says he’s been looking for a project in Swedish for some time.Filming has already begun, headed by director Amir Chandin and produced by Johanna Wennerberg for Warner Bros. Sweden. It’s set to premiere on the platform in 2020.
Set in the secluded rural village of Jordnära, the five-part crime thriller will deconstruct the seemingly...
- 8/9/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Pine has signed on to star in the upcoming independent black ops action-thriller “Violence of Action” from Thunder Road Films and 30West.
Tarik Saleh (“The Nile Hilton Incident”) will direct from a script written by J.P. Davis. Principal photography on the film is set to begin in the fall.
STXinternational is handling international distribution and will directly distribute in the UK and Ireland. The company will present the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival, which opens May 14. CAA Media Finance and 30West are co-repping Us rights.
Pine will portray a man who has been involuntarily discharged from the Marines and joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. He travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat, then finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must...
Tarik Saleh (“The Nile Hilton Incident”) will direct from a script written by J.P. Davis. Principal photography on the film is set to begin in the fall.
STXinternational is handling international distribution and will directly distribute in the UK and Ireland. The company will present the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival, which opens May 14. CAA Media Finance and 30West are co-repping Us rights.
Pine will portray a man who has been involuntarily discharged from the Marines and joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. He travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat, then finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must...
- 5/11/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Wonder Woman” star Chris Pine is set to star in the action-thriller “Violence of Action” from Thunder Road Films and 30West, which will be presented to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival.
Tarik Saleh (“The Nile Hilton Incident”) will direct from a script written by J.P. Davis. Principal photography will begin this fall.
After being involuntarily discharged from the Marines, James Reed (Pine) joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Reed travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, Reed finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him.
Also Read: Chris Pine Goes Full Monty in Netflix's 'Outlaw King' and It's...
Tarik Saleh (“The Nile Hilton Incident”) will direct from a script written by J.P. Davis. Principal photography will begin this fall.
After being involuntarily discharged from the Marines, James Reed (Pine) joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Reed travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, Reed finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him.
Also Read: Chris Pine Goes Full Monty in Netflix's 'Outlaw King' and It's...
- 5/11/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Chris Pine is taking the lead in the non-stop action-thriller Violence of Action from Thunder Road Films and 30West.
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) will direct from a script by J.P. Davis.
After being involuntarily discharged from the Marines, James Reed (Pine) joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Reed travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, Reed finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him. Production begins this fall.
Pine recently collaborated with director Patty Jenkins again following their $800M-plus success on Wonder Woman in the TNT noir series I Am the Night as a dogged crime beat reporter who assists...
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) will direct from a script by J.P. Davis.
After being involuntarily discharged from the Marines, James Reed (Pine) joins a paramilitary organization in order to support his family in the only way he knows how. Reed travels to Poland with his elite team on a black ops mission to investigate a mysterious threat. Barely into his first assignment, Reed finds himself alone and hunted in Eastern Europe, where he must fight to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him. Production begins this fall.
Pine recently collaborated with director Patty Jenkins again following their $800M-plus success on Wonder Woman in the TNT noir series I Am the Night as a dogged crime beat reporter who assists...
- 5/11/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
TrustNordisk has closed several deals on “Swoon,” the fantasy-romance pic written and directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, the pair behind hit drama series “The Bridge” and “Midnight Sun” as well as “Underworld Awakening” and “Shelter” with Julianne Moore.
“Swoon” unfolds in an imaginary universe and follows the love story between Ninni and John, the young heirs of two rival families who own neighboring amusement parks.
TrustNordisk, which is hosting market screenings for the movie at the Efm, has sold it to Korea (Activers Entertainment), China (Turbo Films), Greece (Weird Wave), Russia Cis (Capella Film), Croatia and Ex-Yugoslavia (Kino Mediteran), Estonia (Estin Film) and Lithuania (Scanorama/Kino Aljausas).
The movie stars Pernilla August, Albin Grenholm, Frida Gustavsson and Robert Gustafson.
“Swoon” was produced by Kristina Aberg at Atmo Rights, whose credits include Tarik Saleh’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” Erik Gandini’s “Videocracy” and Lisa Aschan’s “She Monkeys.
“Swoon” unfolds in an imaginary universe and follows the love story between Ninni and John, the young heirs of two rival families who own neighboring amusement parks.
TrustNordisk, which is hosting market screenings for the movie at the Efm, has sold it to Korea (Activers Entertainment), China (Turbo Films), Greece (Weird Wave), Russia Cis (Capella Film), Croatia and Ex-Yugoslavia (Kino Mediteran), Estonia (Estin Film) and Lithuania (Scanorama/Kino Aljausas).
The movie stars Pernilla August, Albin Grenholm, Frida Gustavsson and Robert Gustafson.
“Swoon” was produced by Kristina Aberg at Atmo Rights, whose credits include Tarik Saleh’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” Erik Gandini’s “Videocracy” and Lisa Aschan’s “She Monkeys.
- 2/12/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Versatile Egyptian auteur Ahmad Abdalla is well known on the fest circuit for “Microphone,” about Egypt’s hip-hop scene, “Rags & Tatters,” which exposed the country’s deep post-revolution poverty, and female identity melodrama “Decor.”
In “Ext. Night,” which is his 6th feature, he returns to Egypt’s darkness with a wry comedy in which a young film director, a hooker, and a cab driver wander around Cairo’s backstreets during the course of a single night that poignantly puts on screen the city’s segregated class system and its misogyny, besides its bustling vitality. During the Cairo Film Festival where, after bowing in Toronto, the pic had its Middle East premiere, Abdalla spoke to Variety about how he built “Ext. Nigh” around the character of an empowered woman named Toutou who happens to be a prostitute.
If I’m not mistaken, after “Decor” you were supposed to make a Zombie comedy.
In “Ext. Night,” which is his 6th feature, he returns to Egypt’s darkness with a wry comedy in which a young film director, a hooker, and a cab driver wander around Cairo’s backstreets during the course of a single night that poignantly puts on screen the city’s segregated class system and its misogyny, besides its bustling vitality. During the Cairo Film Festival where, after bowing in Toronto, the pic had its Middle East premiere, Abdalla spoke to Variety about how he built “Ext. Nigh” around the character of an empowered woman named Toutou who happens to be a prostitute.
If I’m not mistaken, after “Decor” you were supposed to make a Zombie comedy.
- 12/5/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Nile Hilton Incident director Tarik Saleh has become attached to helm The Red Circle, a remake of Jean-Pierre Melville’s classic 1970 cat-and-mouse thriller. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, an Oscar nominee for Dirty Pretty Things, has written the script. Arthur Sarkissian Prods and Graham King’s GK Films are partnered to produce with Studiocanal which fully-financed development.
The project has been in the works for a while, but now has real momentum. I understand Knight recently met with Saleh in London to discuss, and Saleh is now doing his own work within the current draft before going out to cast. Miss Sloane scribe Johnathan Perera has also done work on the script.
The updated story follows two escaped criminals from the West and an ex Hong Kong cop who plan an elaborate heist while trying to avoid a local crime boss and a relentless police investigator.
Saleh is a fast-rising talent.
The project has been in the works for a while, but now has real momentum. I understand Knight recently met with Saleh in London to discuss, and Saleh is now doing his own work within the current draft before going out to cast. Miss Sloane scribe Johnathan Perera has also done work on the script.
The updated story follows two escaped criminals from the West and an ex Hong Kong cop who plan an elaborate heist while trying to avoid a local crime boss and a relentless police investigator.
Saleh is a fast-rising talent.
- 8/2/2018
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) to direct thriller.
Liam Neeson will star in Charlie Johnson In The Flames, a thriller that Michael London will produce via his Groundswell Productions and Sierra/Affinity will introduce in Cannes next week.
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) will direct from Justin Haythe’s adaptation of the Michael Ignatieff novel, and Jawal Nga and Edward Saxon are producing with London.
Charlie Johnson In The Flames centres on a BBC war correspondent in the Congo who becomes embroiled in murder, corruption, and violence after he sets out to investigate the death of an innocent woman.
Liam Neeson will star in Charlie Johnson In The Flames, a thriller that Michael London will produce via his Groundswell Productions and Sierra/Affinity will introduce in Cannes next week.
Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) will direct from Justin Haythe’s adaptation of the Michael Ignatieff novel, and Jawal Nga and Edward Saxon are producing with London.
Charlie Johnson In The Flames centres on a BBC war correspondent in the Congo who becomes embroiled in murder, corruption, and violence after he sets out to investigate the death of an innocent woman.
- 5/3/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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