Hot Seller Locarno Title ‘Medusa Deluxe’ Closes More Deals for New Europe Film Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Moses Sumney has unveiled details of a new concert film before announcing his break from music.Sumney was this week revealed to be part of The Weeknd’s upcoming HBO series The Idol and has now today (August 25) unveiled a new concert film called A Performance In V Acts that covers his gig at the Ford Theater in Los Angeles on October 31. After that, he also announced his upcoming break from music.He said in a statement that the new concert film “marks the official end of the græ album cycle.”He continued: “It’s a capsule of our headline show since we will not be touring the album after all,” he wrote. “This film also ushers in a new period of creativity for me – one in which I take a continued break from making albums and touring music to focus on other disciplines.”The film will be released on August 31 and you can see a clip of him from the film performing ‘Doomed’ and his cover of Björk’s ‘Come to Me’ here:Earlier this week, HBO released the second teaser for The Idol, the upcoming drama series created by “the sick and twisted minds of” The Weeknd and Euphoria helmer Sam Levinson.It was confirmed some time ago that the main cast will feature Troye Sivan, Debby Ryan and Hari Nef, while the recurring cast will include Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio and Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects.In the latest teaser, we learn that other actors and artists set to appear.

Annika Pham New Europe Film Sales has added U.K. distributor Signature Entertainment to the slew of global buyers won over by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s “Beautiful Beings,” which has racked up awards from Poland, Bulgaria, Italy and Taiwan, since its first bow at the last Berlinale Panorama. Earlier deals were closed with the U.S. (Altered Innocence), Hungary (Vertigo), Benelux (Arti Film), Germany/Austria (Salzgeber), Spain (Filmin), and CEE (HBO).Billed by Variety reviewer Jessica Kiang as an “Icelandic coming-of age, radiant with violence and tenderness,” Guðmundsson’s drama revolves around a young boy raised by a clairvoyant mother who decides to adopt a bullied misfit into his gang of outsiders. 

Angelina Jolie is one proud mom.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorThe international trailer has been debuted for Jafar Panahi’s “No Bears,” which has its world premiere on Sept. 9 in competition at Venice Film Festival, before moving to Toronto Film Festival and New York Film Festival. Celluloid Dreams, which is handling world sales, has revealed territory deals with several distributors.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“She Said,” a drama about the sexual harassment investigation that took down Harvey Weinstein and sparked the #MeToo movement, will have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival.The Universal Pictures movie is screening as part of the festival’s spotlight section. Other movies that will be highlighted include Chinonye Chukwu’s historical drama “Till,” Elvis Mitchell’s documentary “Is That Black Enough for You?!?,” James Ivory and Giles Gardner’s non-fiction film “A Cooler Climate,” and Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s New York Dolls documentary “Personality Crisis: One Night Only.”Additional spotlight entries include “Bones and All,” directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet; Marco Bellocchio’s “Exterior Night,” a six-part series about the kidnapping and eventual murder of the Italy’s influential statesman and former prime minister Aldo Moro; director Lars von Trier’s “The Kingdom Exodus,” a third season of his television series The Kingdom; Chris Smith’s “Sr.”, a look at the life and career of Robert Downey Jr.’s late father, Robert Downey, Sr.; “The Super 8 Years,” a story about writer-director Annie Ernaux’s family’s memory; and Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking,” a screen adaptation of Miriam Toews’ novel about women from a remote religious community dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault.

Portuguese filmmaker Carlos Conceição’s Angolan War of Independence drama Tommy Guns has won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film at the 75th Locarno Film Festival, running August 3 to 13.

EXCLUSIVE: UK-French film company Alief has secured international sales rights to Australian filmmaker Alena Lodkina’s second feature Petrol, following its buzzy world premiere in Locarno’s Filmmakers Of The Present competition.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentKino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Pietro Marcello’s sprawling post-WWI film “Scarlet,” which opened Cannes’ Directors Fortnight.Represented in international markets by Orange Studio, “Scarlet” will have its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival, before a theatrical release in 2023.A loose adaptation of Alexander Grin’s novel, “Scarlet” marks Kino’s second collaboration with Marcello. It follows “Martin Eden,” which competed at Venice, won best actor for Luca Marinelli and went on to play at Toronto.Marcello, who rose to prominence as a documentarian with his film “The Mouth of the Wolf,” penned the script for “Scarlet” with his regular screenwriting partner Maurizio Braucci (“Martin Eden”) and Maud Ameline, with the participation of novelist Geneviève Brisac.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe first feature by Berlin-based visual artist and filmmaker Ann Oren, which is titled “Piaffe,” is launching on Aug. 11 from the Locarno Film Festival’s Piazza Grande.Described by the director as “a love letter to the less recognized magicians of cinema and a playful celebration of otherness,” this German film is produced by Kristof Gerega, Sophie Ahrens and Fabian Altenried of Berlin-based Schuldenberg Films.Beijing-based Rediance, as previously announced, has taken international sales.“When her sibling Zara suffers a nervous breakdown, the introvert Eva is forced to take on Zara’s job as a foley artist.

Latest DealsA score or more of new deals announced since Sunday in exclusivity to Variety:*Germany’s Pluto Film has been in negotiations with several theatrical distributors on Locarno Piazza Grande title “Semret,” ahead of its world premiere on Aug. 10.

The 60th New York Film Festival unveiled its main slate from established and upcoming directors with Cannes’ Palme d’Or-winner Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund, Claire Denis’s Stars at Noon (tied for Cannes Grand Prize), Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave (Cannes Best Director), and Charlotte Wells’ debut feature Aftersun (Cannes’ French Touch Jury Prize).

The Inspection, Elegance Bratton’s narrative feature debut, will close out the 60th New York Film Festival with its U.S. premiere Oct. 14.

The New York Film Festival has set “The Inspection” from director Elegance Bratton as its closing night film for the 60th edition of the festival. The movie from A24 will premiere on October 14 at Alice Tully Hall.

Marta Balaga Tom Hardiman becomes a director to track with “Medusa Deluxe,” a deliciously dark murder mystery set in the competitive hairdressing competition which is about to bow at Locarno.MUBI holds the rights to U.K./Ireland, France,Latin America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, India and Southeast Asia. The film was developed and financed by the BFI and BBC Film.“I really care about hairdressing, it’s something I am really passionate about,” admits Hardiman, who “picked up their language” over time.“When they talk about Russian weaves [in the film], that came from a hairdresser in Peckham.

France, Match Me! focuses on emerging producers. Featuring new projects from tracked auteurs – Lithuania’s Ignas Jonynas, India’s Payal Kapadia and Mexico’s Francisco Vargas – and winners at Cannes, San Sebastian and other major meets, many producers look only a title or two from full emergence. If the fulsome slates of some producers are anything to go by – DR’s Leticia Brea, Estonia’s Tallifornia and Kask Films, for instance – production is a going concern in countries outside traditional production centers. (Distribution, whether to platforms or in theaters, may be another matter).

Poitras,” said Dennis Lim, the artistic director of New York Film Festival. “We are delighted to welcome Poitras back to the festival with All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, an absorbing account of Goldin’s work and activism that shows us how much they both matter.”Poitras previously debuted her documentary “Citizenfour” at the 2014 New York Film Festival.

Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” will be the opening night film for the 60th New York Film Festival, which kicks off Sept. 30. “White Noise” stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig and will have its North American premiere at NYFF following its world premiere at Venice and before debuting on Netflix.