Brazilian World Sales Company O2 Play Nabs Marcelo Gomes’ ‘Portrait of a Certain Orient’ Ahead of Rotterdam Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Having recently left Millennium Media after a 14-year run, Jeffrey Greenstein is launching production and sales company, A Higher Standard.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent U.S. specialty distributor Shadow Distribution has taken North American rights to Italian director Giorgio Diritti’s ethnic cleansing drama “Lubo,” toplining Franz Rogowski, from Italy’s True Colours.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pulsar Content has closed major deals on “Niki,” a biopic of French-American artist Niki de Saint-Phalle. “Niki” marks the feature debut of popular French actor Céline Sallette and stars Charlotte Le Bon (“The Walk” “Saint-Laurent”) as de Saint-Phalle. Pulsar closed deals with Neue Visionen (Germany), Movies Inspired (Italy), Paradiso (Benelux), Praessens (Switzerland), Vercine (Spain), Magic Films (CIS), Best Films (Baltics), Shaw (Singapour), Sky Digi (Taiwan) and Immovision (Brazil).

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Trey Gargano has been named executive vice president of ad sales, taking the reins of the outlet’s efforts to drive millions of dollars in advertising revenue at a time when Madison Avenue has seemed more ambivalent about news content. Additionally, Ryan Roelle has been promoted to senior vice president of national sales, and will focus on endemic and national advertising in addition to leading linear and digital sales across the country.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s Fandango Sales has taken global distribution rights outside Italy to Carlo Sironi’s coming-of-age drama “My Summer With Irène,” which will premiere in the Berlin Film Festival‘s Generation section. Sironi, whose first feature “Sole” made a splash on the international fest circuit, is back with this relationship drama starring rising French indie star Noée Abita (“Slalom”) and Maria Camilla Barandenburg (“Slam Italia”) playing two 17-year-olds named Clara and Irène who both have health issues.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Vincent Maraval’s Goodfellas has seized the worldwide sales rights to Galapagos adventure doc “Lions of the Sea,” which wrapped principal photography in mid-January. “Sea” is the latest from Ecuadorian explorer-filmmaker Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador, best known by his nom de cinéma, Jamaicanoproblem, and whose film “Son of Man” was Ecuador’s official selection for the 2019 Academy Awards.

Naman Ramachandran Singapore’s Momo Film Co has unveiled a six-film slate that includes projects from recent prize-winners at Cannes and Locarno. Momo is one of five outfits selected at the 2024 Berlinale Co-Production Market‘s company matching program. Fresh off two wins at Locarno 2023 for Nelson Yeo’s debut feature “Dreaming & Dying,” Momo is continuing its relationship with the Singaporean filmmaker for his sophomore feature “The Drought,” a dark comedy-horror film set in the time of a drought.

Annika Pham DR Sales has picked up “Piggy” (“Murk” in Norwegian), a quirky crime comedy from advertising, film and TV production banner The Oslo Company, credited for Netflix’s “Home for Christmas 1 & 2.” The six-part series set to premiere on the commercial channel TV2 Norway March 17, will be sneak-peeked Feb. 9 at the Scandinavian Drama Series Showcase in Berlin, co-hosted by the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision and the European Film Market. Headlining “Piggy”’s Norwegian ensemble cast are Ine Jansen (“Mammon”), Trond Espen Seim (“Power Play”, “Varg Veum”), Jonis Josef (“Kasko”), John Carew (“Home Ground”), Iben Akerlie (“Norsemen”), and Lars Berge (“Wisting”).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The CGI animated sequel to “Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness,” the hit adventure film based on the Dark Horse comics which sold around the world, has lured buyers ahead of the European Film Market. Titled “Chickenhare and the Very Very (Very) Old Groundhog,” the movie is budgeted at $23 million (a large budget by European production standards) and brings back the creative team behind the first film.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Nele Wohlatz‘s “Sleep With Your Eyes Open,” which has its world premiere in the Encounters section of the Berlin Film Festival, has debuted its trailer (below). Rediance has taken world sales rights. Wohlatz’s fiction debut “El futuro perfecto” won Locarno’s Golden Leopard for the best first feature in 2016, and was invited to more than 70 international film festivals.

It looks like David Leitch‘s next film after “The Fall Guy” won’t be a new “Jurassic World” after all. Deadline reports that Universal is looking for new director for their franchise reboot after talks between the studio and Leitch fell through.

While Chad Stahelski has been content to stay in the “John Wick” universe ever since he launched the franchise in 2014, his co-director David Leitch has done anything but stay planted. Having already directed five movies since—running the gambit of franchises among them like “Deadpool 2,” “Hobbes And Shaw” and this summer’s “The Fall Guy”—for his next magic trick, stunt director turned filmmaker David Leitch will be turning his attention to the new “Jurassic World” trilogy that Universal is very bullish on.

Swedish-Eritrean filmmaker Binyam Berhane has filed a $2 million lawsuit against the producers of Daniel Espinosa’s Italy-set immigration drama Madame Luna ahead of its world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival this weekend.

Naman Ramachandran Award-winning artist Justin Anderson’s debut feature “Swimming Home” has its world premiere in competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam. Variety has secured access to the first clip from the film. The film, an adaptation of Deborah Levy’s 2012 Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel, centers on poet Joe (Christopher Abbott) and war photographer Isabel (Mackenzie Davis), whose marriage is dying when Kitti (Ariane Labed), a naked stranger found floating in the pool at their sunny holiday villa in Greece, is invited to stay.

EXCLUSIVE: The Ford Foundation is coming through for documentary filmmakers in a big way.  

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor The 53rd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, taking place between Jan. 25 – Feb.

Callum McLennan Brazilian TV behemoth Globo presented its world premiere preview of Brazilian series “Justice: Misconduct” at Content Americas, while also spotlighting its 2024 slate, presenting via sleek fast-paced sizzle reels its array of ever popular telenovelas such as “Crossed Paths,” “Land of Desire,” and “Perfect Love” alongside teasing the continuation of its successful “Justice” series. “Justice: Misconduct,” the series created by Manuela Dias, is a narrative of moral complexity and human connection framed by the dilemmas surrounding the notion of justice.

Marta Balaga Cecilia Mato and Lucas Vivo García Lagos, founder of Navajo Films Argentina and Intro Pictures Brazil, have joined forces to launch Navajo Films Uruguay. “We interpret the idea of ‘bringing a fresh perspective to the industry’ as infusing new ideas, creativity and a unique approach into our work. Despite being two young individuals, we bring a wealth of experience to the table.

Just because “Jurassic World Dominion” earned the lowest box office total of the new ‘World’ trilogy (still at $1 billion, though), you didn’t think we’d be done with the ‘Jurassic’ franchise, did you? Silly reader, of course not! Two years after ‘Dominion’ served as a sort of kind of ending for both ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jurassic World’ franchises, it appears Universal is full steam ahead on a new ‘Jurassic’ adventure. Continue reading New ‘Jurassic World’ Film In The Works From David Koepp, But Chris Pratt & Co.

Just because “Jurassic World Dominion” earned the lowest box office total of the new ‘World’ trilogy (still at $1 billion, though), you didn’t think we’d be done with the ‘Jurassic’ franchise, did you? Silly reader, of course not! Two years after ‘Dominion’ served as a sort-of, kind-of ending of both ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jurassic World’ franchises, it appears Universal is full steam ahead on a new ‘Jurassic’ adventure.