Syndicado Boards Documentary ‘Landshaft,’ Road Movie Set in Eastern Armenia (EXCLUSIVE)

The world premiere of ‘Wham!’ about the pop supergroup formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley is among the highlights of the 30th edition of the Sheffield DocFest, set for June 14-19 in north-central England.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film), two-times Cesar Award nominee Jean Reno (Leon), Ty Simpkins (Jurassic World) and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) are attached to star in action movie Birdseye, which The Exchange will be launching for international sales ahead of the Cannes market.

U.S. director Harmony Korine will be heading to Switzerland this summer to receive an honorary award at the 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, running from August 2 to 12.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Netflix is set to give its hit reality series “Love Is Blind” a German-language adaptation. The format makeover, currently in production, will bring together singletons in Germany, Austria and Swiss who have signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating. Netflix is rolling off the success of “Too Hot To Handle: Germany.” As part of the format, 30 singles begin this 10-episode show by talking to potential partners without being distracted by the other person’s appearance. They then propose to their chosen partner and only then see their fiancé for the first time. Back in the real world, couples will try to complement their emotional bond with a physical one as they plan their wedding day together.

EXCLUSIVE: Sierra/Affinity is handling foreign sales on Neon’s horror pic, Cuckoo, at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International A long-anticipated adaptation of the 2003 bestselling novel “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi is hitting the Marché du Film at Cannes this month. Directed by award-winning director Eran Riklis (“Lemon Tree”) and written by Marjorie David, the film stars an ensemble cast led by Golshifteh Farahani (“Pirates of the Caribbean”), Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider”) and Mina Kavani (“Red Rose”). Set in post-revolution Iran as extremism took hold, Nafisi’s book tells the autobiographical story of a fearless teacher who secretly gathered seven of her female students to read forbidden Western classics.

Late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld will be honored at the 2023 Met Gala on Monday despite, what many commentators called, his "controversial" past statements and views.  The theme, which was announced in September, will feature an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute titled "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" and display approximately 150 of his designs as well as his original sketches.The dress code of the red carpet event, announced in January, will also be "In honor of Karl."  The Met Gala is a star-studded event where celebrities and other notable figures display unique fashion choices where they raise money for the Met’s Costume Institute However, many media outlets and celebrities called out this year's decision to honor the late fashion designer, claiming that Lagerfeld’s past statements should disqualify him from being honored at the event. He criticized the #MeToo movement in 2018.

Louis Arthur Charles - or Prince Louis of Wales - was born on the 23rd April 2018. He is the youngest child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but was also the heaviest baby, weighing in at 8lb 7oz - three more lbs than his older brother, George. But while we’ve gotten to know the cheeky Prince over the last five years, there was a brief time where we didn’t even know his name.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday said he was "very, very proud" of son-in-law Chris Pratt’s performance in the new "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" movie.  "I saw #GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3 last night and WOW. @prattprattpratt, you crushed it," the 75-year-old tweeted.

Naman Ramachandran Cineflix Rights has acquired international rights to Finestripe Productions‘ feature documentary “The Mysterious Mr. Lagerfeld,” which premiered on BBC Two on April 26, and has sold to Prime Video for Australia, Canada and New Zealand. “The Mysterious Mr Lagerfeld” tells the story of Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary Chanel designer who transformed high fashion into blockbuster, dramatic entertainment over 40 years. The film, directed by Michael Waldman, delves into the life of the charismatic showman who lived a lavish personal life as he earned and spent millions, often courting controversy with his provocative statements. Lagerfeld had an extraordinary entourage, including his beloved cat, Choupette, who is expected to be one of the main heirs of his fortune. The documentary provides insight into the man behind the sunglasses and his legacy.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin sales agency M-Appeal has come on board to handle world sales for “Let Me Go” (“Laissez-Moi”), the debut feature by Swiss director Maxime Rappaz, which will world premiere as the opening film of the Cannes ACID sidebar. Set in a Swiss mountain village, “Let Me Go” follows Claudine, a dedicated mother whose life revolves around her son. Every Tuesday, according to her careful schedule, she goes to a nearby mountain hotel to meet men who are passing through. When she meets Michael and he decides to extend his stay for her, Claudine is confused and finds herself dreaming of another life.  French actress Jeanne Balibar stars in the lead role of Claudine, an elegant woman in her early 50s, who, although living a traditional life, pursues her desires in an unconventional way. She unexpectedly finds a romantic connection with Michael (Thomas Sarbacher).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to Cédric Klapisch’s (“The Spanish Apartment”) hit dance film “Rise” (“En corps”) from Studiocanal. One of 2022’s highest grossing French films, “Rise” sold nearly 1.3 million tickets in local theaters and was sold around the world. The movie tells the story of a young ballet dancer whose life is upended when she suffers a career-threatening injury and catches her  boyfriend cheating on her. As she begins her physical and emotional rehabilitation, she finds solace in friends, a new love, and a new contemporary dance troupe. Marion Barbeau, a dancer-turned-actor, delivers a breakthrough performance in the lead role, and stars opposite French stars, including François Civil (“Three Musketeers”), Pio Marmaï (“How I Became a Super Hero”), Denis Podalydès (“Anaïs in Love”), as well as Hofesh Shechter (“Send Me an Angel”).

Sony Motion Pictures Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman introduced a sequence from Ridley Scott’s Apple TV+ movie, Napoleon at CinemaCon tonight.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has powered to $871 million at the global box office as the animated family film barrels closer and closer to the coveted $1 billion mark. By next week, it’ll be the first 2023 release to join the billion-dollar club. Over the weekend, the movie captured the top spot at the domestic and international box office with $58.23 million and $70 million, respectively. So far, “Mario” has generated $434.33 million in North America and $437.5 million overseas. With those ticket sales, the all-audience “Super Mario Bros. Movie” stands as the biggest film of the year at the global, domestic and international box office.

Lise Pedersen “Knit’s Island,” the sophomore feature by French trio Ekiem Barbier, Guilhem Causse and Quentin L’helgoualc’h, competing in the Burning Lights sidebar at Swiss international doc fest Visions du Reél, has been picked up by Vienna-based film sales company Square Eyes. It is entirely shot in the online post-apocalyptic world of DayZ, a multiplayer survival video game set in the fictional post-Soviet Republic of Chernarus, where a mysterious plague has turned most of the population into violent zombies. Under the guise of avatars, the three-member film crew entered this world and made contact with its players. Their goal was to show how the gaming world can be a place where players become part of a strong community, they tell Variety.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The trailer (below) for “Draw for Change!” – which was named best documentary series at Canneseries this week – has debuted. The feature film version of the first of its six episodes, “Behind the Lines,” will world premiere at Visions du Réel Film Festival on April 28. The series, from creators Guillaume Vandenberghe and Vincent Coen, profiles six female cartoonists working in six geographic areas of the world, in six individual films and broadcast episodes. Female directors with close connections to each of the societies represented were chosen to tell the stories. Autlook Film Sales is handling international sales.

Lise Pedersen Sales company Deckert Distribution has boarded “Pure Unknown,” by Italy’s Mattia Colombo (“Il Posto”) and Valentina Cicogna, and Venezuelan filmmaker Iván Simonovis Pertíñez’s debut feature “My Father’s Prison,” both selected in the main International Competition at Swiss international documentary film festival Visions du Réel. “Pure Unknown” follows the story of Italian forensic pathologist Cristina Cattaneo in her battle to put a name to each nameless body that lands in her autopsy room. She calls them the Pure Unknown. Many belong to the fringes of society: they are homeless, sex workers or runaway teenagers. More recently, they have been mostly migrants drowned at sea trying to reach Europe’s shores.

looks, our image of her is pretty fashionable, glamorous, and done up. Until now.

Naman Ramachandran New York based Cargo Film & Releasing has acquired global rights, excluding France and Germany, to Germany-based Florian Film’s “The Books He Didn’t Burn,” which is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons. Directed by Jascha Hannover, the film explores how Hitler’s personal library provides a look into his mind and how it significantly informed his worldview. While Hitler is better known for burning books than collecting them, the books he voraciously read provided the horrific rationale that led to the violence and harm he orchestrated toward Jewish people in 1930s and 1940s Europe. Contributors include Timothy W. Ryback, a historian and director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in The Hague, Delphine Horvilleur, France’s third female rabbi and many others.

An Antiques Roadshow guest was left gobsmacked after her family heirloom was valued by the BBC experts.