IFC Films President Arianna Bocco Exits

After partnering with eOne on the BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated drama Stan & Ollie, director Jon S. Baird is reteaming with the studio on Everything’s Going to Be Great, a new film on which it’s partnered with Astute Films. Set to star in the pic, heading into production around the Toronto area tomorrow, are Bryan Cranston (Your Honor), Allison Janney (To Leslie), Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Haunting of Bly Manor) and Jack Champion (Avatar: The Way of Water).

the premiere of “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” an early glimpse at “Trolls Band Together” and the first look at new, yet-unannounced projects.On Tuesday, June 13, at 4 p.m., at the L’Impérial Palace, DreamWorks Animation will present a Studio Focus session on two upcoming film projects. “The Croods” director Kirk DeMicco will lead a discussion on the visual design and making of his new film “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.” The press release also mentions that the presentation will also “offer attendees an exclusive first look at an unannounced film from the studio” and if it’s the film we think it is … get ready.Two days later, DeMicco will be back for the world premiere of “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” at La Grande Salle de Bonlieu.

Pixar’s Elemental will have its world premiere screening at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on May 27.

XYZ Films has hired Manon Barat, a former executive at the Spanish sales company Film Factory, to head a slate of titles that will fall under the company’s newly-launched global film initiative, New Visions.

You wouldn’t be wrong, as a film fan, to have your festival sights set on the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. That’s perhaps the premier festival each and every year.

Last week, after much speculation, we finally were given the initial lineup for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Of course, the main lineup typically features the biggest names in film and this year is no different, with a new ‘Indiana Jones’ film as well as new films from directors like Martin Scorsese and Wes Anderson.

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday, the Academy Award winner took a trip down memory lane with the host while promoting his new film, “Renfield.”While Cage, whose real name is Nicolas Coppola, has some impressive blockbusters under his belt — including “National Treasure,” “Moonstruck,” and “The Rock” — the 59-year-old’s top five is comprised of his lesser-known work.“I’m going to start with ‘Pig’ that is my favorite movie I have ever made,” Cage told Colbert. “I love ‘Mandy,’ the movie that Panos [Cosmatos] directed. I love ‘Bringing Out The Dead’ that Martin Scorsese directed.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Cannes Film Festival’s longtime director Thierry Fremaux sat down with Variety following the announcement of this year’s lineup, which includes a bevy of star-studded period movies, including Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Firebrand” and Jonathan Glazer’s “Zone of Interest.” Along with a raft of politically-minded films, there’s also a record six movies directed by female helmers in competition, including newcomers like Senegalese direcotr Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s feature debut “Banel et Adama.” Fremaux said his only regret this year is to miss out on “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie,” but he’s keeping high hopes to convince Scorsese to vie for a second Palme d’Or 47 years after winning his first with “Taxi Driver.” He also revealed that as many as two or three movies are expected to be added to the competition next week, after Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week announce their respective lineups.

EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has locked down North American rights to the British feel-good comedy Bank of Dave, starring Joel Fry (Our Flag Means Death), Rory Kinnear (Men), Jo Hartley (After Life) and Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton). The film featuring music and performances by English rock band Def Leppard is slated for release in theaters and on digital platforms later this year.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” will screen out-of-competition on May 20, while James Mangold’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the final installment in the franchise begun in 1982 by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, will also screen in an out-of-competition slot.French director and actress Maïwenn will have the opening-night film with “Jeanne du Barry,” which stars Johnny Depp in his first film since his court battle with Amber Heard. And Pedro Almodovar’s short film “Strange Way of Life,” which stars Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, was also confirmed in advance of Thursday’s announcement.Other films screening out of competition include “The Idol,” directed by Sam Levinson and starring The Weeknd, and “Occupied City,” a film about Amsterdam from British director Steve McQueen.The Un Certain Regard section, which is typically devoted to films from less established directors, includes Australian director Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy,” starring Cate Blanchett.Additional films are typically added to the Cannes lineup in the weeks leading up to the festival.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Gustav Möller, who won the Audience Award at Sundance with his previous film “The Guilty,” has just completed the shooting of “Vogter,” a psychological thriller which has been boarded by Nordisk Film and Les Films du Losange. “Vogter” boasts a stellar Nordic cast including Sidse Babett Knudsen, the BAFTA-winning actor of “Borgen,” Dar Salim (“Game of Thrones”) and up-and-comer Sebastian Bull. The film follows Eva, an idealistic prison officer who is faced with the dilemma of her life when a young man from her past gets transferred to the prison where she works. Without revealing her secret, Eva asks to be moved to the young man’s ward – the toughest and most violent in the prison. Here begins an unsettling psychological thriller, where Eva’s sense of justice puts both her morality and future at stake.

Jasper Basch, director of sales and distribution for IFC Films, is leaving at week’s end to become Variance Films’ new head of distribution, marking the third high-profile departure for the indie studio in two weeks. Basch began his career at Variance, eventually becoming manager of distribution.

EXCLUSIVE: Distribution executive Jasper Basch is returning to Variance Films, this time as their new Head of Distribution. He will be departing IFC Films as their Director of Sales and Distribution toward the end of this week, marking the third senior staff departure for the company in two weeks.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor World sales agency Impronta Films has boarded “La Ricerca” (“The Quest”) ahead of its world premiere on April 24 at Visions du Reel, a documentary film festival in Switzerland. The film was written, directed, edited and produced by Giuseppe Petruzzellis. Nicolás Jaar composed the original score. The film focuses on the Italian artist Luigi Lineri, who has been working continuously on “The Quest” over the last 60 years. It’s a one-of-a-kind installation made of thousands of stones. Pebbles resembling primitive flint tools and symbolic sculptures illustrate the turning points in humanity’s evolution. Petruzzellis said in a statement: “Luigi’s masterpiece is a formidable tool to investigate universal themes. He has materialized a vast field of anthropological, philosophical and even political topics. Many of these contents are extremely actual and urgent, as, for example, our conflicting relationship with the ecosystem.

RRR star N.T. Rama Rao Jr  (aka NTR Jr) is set to star alongside Hrithik Roshan in War 2, the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster War, which forms part of Indian studio Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe. 

Design Agency Territory Studio Hires Former Netflix Executive

Disney and Lucasfilm are really hoping to send the “Indiana Jones” franchise off into the sunset with a bit of a bang.

Lady Gaga continues to shoot scenes for the much anticipated “Joker: Folie à Deux”.

Variety, which first reported the news. “We have full and total confidence in Scott’s ability to run the business as interim head and know that our film team will not miss a beat as it proceeds forward with a robust slate of releases and acquisitions.”“I have big news to share,” Bocco said on her Facebook page.