New Gen Latin American Projects ‘Three Bullets,’ ‘Pantasma’ Top Locarno’s Open Doors Awards, As New Latino Mindset Builds

It has been an anxious summer in Burbank, Bristol and the rest of the Disney-ESPN empire thanks to ongoing cutbacks, movie box office disappointments and strategic uncertainties. Disney stock recently sank to a nine-year low.

TREASURE, has signed with a new agency.Today (August 24), Bang Ye-dam announced on his personal Instagram that he has signed with GF Entertainment, which is home to boyband KINGDOM.“I have joined a new agency, GF Entertainment,” the singer said, as translated by Soompi. “I’m thankful to all the TREASURE MAKERS who have cheered me on starting from my promotions with TREASURE.”“I’m also very thankful to YG Entertainment, who made it possible for me to grow over a long period of time and become the person I am today,” he added.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent FIPCA, Ibero America’s huge producers’ federation, is looking to power up the region’s knowledge economy and co-production as two longterm answers to huge volatility in its member states film-TV sectors. That drive cuts several ways, FIPCA president Ignacio Rey told Variety in the run-up to Sanfic Industria, one of South America’s biggest industry events. High-end Netflix, Amazon and other streamer originals, imply new ways of producing: “We’re lacking sufficient labor force capacity for a certain scale of productions,” Rey argued.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Victor Erice, one of the greatest of Spanish filmmakers, will receive a prestigious Donostia Award, given for career achievement, granted by the San Sebastian Film Festival. The award will coincide with screening of Erice’s latest film, “Close Your Eyes” (Cerrar los Ojos), which world premiered at the Cannes Festival this May.

The World Cup has long showcased talent and passion on the field. Still, in recent years, it has also become a platform for some of the most fashionable female soccer players to display their unique approach to fashion and individuality.In addition to their impressive athletic abilities, these athletes are gaining recognition for their influential fashion and lifestyle choices during and outside their games, reshaping the definition of a contemporary sports role model.Spain’s Salma Paralluelo proves the sports industry’s future is already unfoldingTrinity Rodman enjoys date night after World Cup journeyEngland’s advancement to World Cup final was predicted by mystic meerkatsAs the World Cup gains attention worldwide, fans and enthusiasts are captivated by the thrilling matches and the unique fashion statements made by these extraordinary athletes.

Thania Garcia British alt-rock band Bôa has lived more than a few lifetimes. The group, comprised of vocalist Jasmine Rodgers and musicians Alex Caird and Lee Sullivan, got its start as a casual jam session between local musicians in Rodgers’ home studio in the early ’90s. Rodgers wasn’t even technically in the band at the time, but the upstairs studio they rehearsed in was attached to the home she shared with her brother Steve and her father Paul Rodgers, singer for the classic rock bands Free and Bad Company.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Alfredo Castro, an absolute lead or co-star in seven Pablo Larraín films and one of the highest-regarded of actors in Latin America, is set to head the choral cast of “Three Dark Nights” (“Tres noches negras”), the third feature from Spanish-Chilean Theo Court. “Three Dark Nights” follows up Court’s “White on White,” also starring Castro, an actor described by Variety as “reliably superb,” which won a best director and Fipresci Prize at 2019’s Venice Horizons.

Top Chef is cooking up its 21st season!

Universal and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer debuted in more than 500 locations in Korea on Tuesday, capitalizing on the Liberation Day national holiday. The epic bowed to $4.3M, capturing 44% market share for the day in a highly competitive environment.

Federico Veiroj, Theo Court, Alicia Scherson and Daniel Hendler head a muscular project lineup at September’s San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, the Spanish festival’s industry centerpiece which underscores this year a welling sea-change in the region’s filmmaking. “The Moneychanger,” the latest film from Uruguay’s Veiroj, was selected for Toronto’s 2019 Platform; “White on White,” from Chile’s Court, won a best director Silver Lion at 2019’s Venice Horizons; Chile’s Alicia Scherson’s debut “Play” snagged new narrative director at Tribeca in 2005: multi-hyphenate Hendler, from Uruguay, scooped best director at Miami for “The Candidate” in 2017.

Marta Balaga You can approach old classics just like new films, argued participants during Locarno’s Heritage Monday panel. “I talked to an exhibitor in Paris and they don’t consider repertory cinema to be different from contemporary cinema. They are collapsing both models into one and it’s very interesting,” said K.J.

Dominican project Tres balas (Three Bullets) has dominated the awards handed out by Open Doors, Locarno Pro’s talent development program for artists from underrepresented communities.

Emiliano De Pablos Argentine director Paula Hernández’s “The Ravaging Wind,” toplined by Latin American star Alfredo Castro (“Karnawal,” “El Club”), will be the opening night film of Horizontes Latinos sidebar at the 71st edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival, which runs Sept. 22-30.

Belarusian-set pic Mother Vera has picked up Locarno’s Creativity Media First Look Award, the biggest prize handed out by the festival’s industry section. 

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent LOCARNO — Costa Rica’s Juli Films has boarded Nicaraguan Gloria Carrión’s “Pantasma,” building production partner backing for one of the most ambitious titles at a talent packed Locarno’s Open Doors Projects Hub. A stop motion doc-feature, the film will narrate how the Sandinista-Contra War of 1982-1989 in Nicaragua forced Félix, a 17-year-old revolutionary, to become an adult in the battlefield, “Pantasma” is now set up at Costa Rica’s Caja de Luz, Carrión’s label, and Juli Films, whose credits also take in documentaries “Songs from Bosawas” (2014) and “Patrol” (Mountainfilm Festival, 2023).

Holly Jones A star, or several, are born, perhaps. Playing early as part of Locarno’s Open Doors Screenings, framing new features and shorts from Latin America and the Caribbean, “Rimana Wasi: Home of Stories” received a rapturous reception, establishing directors Ximena Málaga Sabogal, Piotr Turlej as talents to track.

Taylor Swift has announced a further run of North American ‘Eras’ dates for 2024.Swift is currently playing the final dates of the mammoth world tour’s first leg, but has now confirmed she will be playing more US dates, as well as shows in Canada with multiple dates in Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Toronto.“Turns out it’s NOT the end of an era!” Swift tweeted to announce the new dates, for which she will be supported by Gracie Abrams.

The first three stars set to take part in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing have been revealed. The contestants were announced on Friday's episode of The One Show (August 4).

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent LOCARNO — Tiempo Libre, the Lima-based production house behind Peruvian Oscar candidate “Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes),” has boarded “Valves” (“Valvas”), the second feature film from Andrea Hoyos, whose feature debut “Autoerotic,” established her as one of the forthright rising stars of Peru’s still expanding film industry. Verony Centeno, a Peruvian actress with significant experience in film and dance, is attached as the film’s lead. Hoyos is at Locarno as part of its Directors’ Club at Open Doors, its major Latin American project and talent platform.

Luc Besson’s DogMan has become one of the first films to receive a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement that will allow talent to do press during the upcoming festival season. Actors will be allowed to promote the pic at its upcoming premiere at the Venice Film Festival.