Willem Dafoe, Mia Bays, Marie Kreutzer & Jerzy Skolimowski Named Among 462 New European Film Academy Members

Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has unveiled the major competition selections for its 25th edition (June 9-18), which will be the first to be held in a fully physical format with international guests since before the pandemic. 

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The 37 national film institutes that are members of European Film Promotion have elected a new EFP board of directors at the general assembly on May 23 during the Cannes Film Festival. The board consists of seven members, with their term of office lasting for two years. Five of the current members remain on the board, including Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films, as new vice president, Daniela Elstner, executive director UniFrance, Eda Koppel, head of marketing at Estonian Film Institute, Stine Oppegaard, manager, international relations, feature films, Norwegian Film Institute, and Markéta Santrochová, head of Czech Film Center, who has been re-elected as EFP president.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent “Creatura,” the feature debut of Elena Martín, exploring female sexual desire and repression, has won this year’s 20th Europa Cinemas Cannes Label for best European Film at the 2022 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. Announced Thursday by Europa Cinemas, ahead of the closing ceremony this afternoon, the prize is one of two at Directors’ Fortnight, and awarded by one of the sidebar’s partners, given the section is non-competitive.   A second partner plaudit, the SACD Prize, handed out by France’s Writers’ Guild, will be announced simultaneously to the Europa Cinemas Label. 

Spanish director Elena Martín Gimeno’s Creatura has won the Europa Cinemas prize as Best European Film at Directors’ Fortnight.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy will be the “Country of Focus” at the European Film Market In Berlin in 2024, reflecting the current flourish of the Italian film and TV industry and its growing international relevance and ambition. The spotlight on Italy during the EFM will highlight the work of Italian filmmakers and offer an opportunity to network with local producers, distributors, investors and experts. The official agreement was signed at Cannes in the Italian Pavillion by Berlinale managing director Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Roberto Stabile, head of special projects of Italy’s general directorate for cinema. Also on hand were EFM director Dennis Ruh, Nicola Borrelli, head of the film department of Italy’s culture ministry, and Venice fest chief Alberto Barbera.

Christopher Vourlias The anticipation surrounding Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” was building long before it was tapped to compete at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Details about the Auschwitz-set film, which is loosely based on the novel by Martin Amis, have been kept under wraps, although no less a Cannes personage than festival director Thierry Fremaux described it as “quite a challenging film.” Glazer’s first movie since 2013 sci-fi fantasy “Under the Skin” is sure to be among the more talked-about films bowing on the Croisette. Filmed entirely in Poland and lensed by two-time Oscar nominee Łukasz Żal (“Ida,” “Cold War”), “Zone of Interest” is also a triumph for the Polish film industry. “The character, the genes of the film, they were here in Poland,” says Academy Award-winning producer Ewa Puszczyńska (“Ida,” “Cold War”), whose shingle Extreme Emotions shares producing credits with British producer James Wilson’s JW Films. “There is a lot of Polish soul…in this film.”

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Warsaw-based sales outlet New Europe Film Sales has signed an international sales deal for the upcoming Belgian debut “Julie Keeps Quiet” by Leonardo Van Dijl, whose short film “Stephanie,” also repped by New Europe, played in Cannes competition in 2020. Both films are set in the world of competitive youth sports: the short explored the world of gymnastics, while the feature film takes on tennis. The feature is to be shot in the second half of this year with delivery planned for mid-2024. In “Julie Keeps Quiet,” when the practices of a prominent tennis coach are investigated, attention quickly shifts to Julie, a young and promising player who is always around him. As pressure mounts for her to share her experiences, Julie chooses to keep quiet and focus on her game, leaving the investigation and the coach’s future in doubt.

Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Adele have been included on the Sunday Times Rich List – named as some of the UK’s richest people under the age of 35.Released earlier today (May 19), the list counts down the 35 richest people under the age of 35 in the UK. Among sporting legends, including Rory McIlroy and Anthony Joshua, actors and entrepreneurs, three British musicians are also featured.These are pop icons Ed Sheeran, Adele and Harry Styles, who are all listed as having an estimated wealth of more than £150million.All having experienced enormous success across the globe, Sheeran – aged 32 – has the highest ranking out of the three musical acts.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Yes, the Cannes Film Festival has only just started. But Hollywood is already quietly planning for the Venice Film Festival lineup, as the unofficial launch of awards season in late August is starting to shape up with several high-profile titles, Variety has learned. Among the films in contention to bow on the Lido: Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis comedy “Challengers,” starring Zendaya and Josh O’Connor, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ surrealist science-fiction romance “Poor Things,” with Emma Stone and Marc Ruffalo, among entries believed to be locked-in for a Venice launch. Zendaya was last in Venice in 2021 with “Dune,” but Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, which has an early November launch date, is not expected to follow suit to the fest.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Returning as an in-person event after cancelation last year, the Shanghai International Film Festival has set out an agenda with a clear focus on China. The festival (June 9-16) will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s economic outreach and development program. With a series of press conferences and film culture roundtables, the SIFF’s Belt and Road Film Week will “bring together old friends of the alliance from previous years and new friends made this year [..] and announce an action plan for the future.”

Ana de Armas is not stopping any time soon. The actress, who took a brief break from acting to visit her native Cuba, is back in the spotlight, landing a coveted role in the film “Origin of Species.”Ana de Armas’ emotional arrival in Cuba: Watch the teary-eyed reunionAna de Armas surprises a fan in a restaurant in CubaAna de Armas’s fun birthday celebration in Cuba: WatchA post shared by Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl)Deadline reports that De Armas joins a stacked and award winning cast that includes Jude Law, Daniel Brühl and Alicia Vikander. “Origin of Species” will be directed by Ron Howard and is described as a survival thriller with a “darkly comic” edge, telling a story from two different perspectives.

EXCLUSIVE: New Europe Film Sales has unveiled fresh deals for Danish director Ulaa Salim’s sci-fi drama Eternal.

Warner Bros’ Beetlejuice 2 has continued to round out its cast with the addition of Willem Dafoe (Inside), sources have confirmed to Deadline.

Paul Plunkett Besides incentives and locations, people make up a crucial component of New Mexico’s production ambitions. The New Mexico Media Academy (NMMA) is getting ready to supply skilled crew for the increasing number of jobs provided by the film and television industry. Headquartered in the Downtown Albuquerque Rail Yards, the NMMA is a collaborative initiative between industry partners, multiple educational institutions and the state to equip New Mexico residents with the education and skills necessary to work in production. “Our students will be trained by the best in the industry on state-of-the-art technology to further cultivate the modern film and digital media workforce we are building,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement announcing the academy’s Albuquerque location.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Picture Tree Intl. has picked up global sales rights to “Gina” (working title), by Ulrike Kofler, which follows her Netflix debut “What We Wanted.” “Gina” tells the story of a 9-year-old girl longing for a home and family while having to take care of her younger siblings and mother, who is too overwhelmed to take care of herself, let alone her children. The film, produced by Film AG, is the second feature by Kofler, who is a long-time editor for Austrian director Marie Kreutzer. Kofler’s editing work includes “Corsage,” which won best film at the London Film Festival and three nominations for the European Film Awards in 2022, “The Ground Beneath My Feet” (Berlinale Competition, 2019), and Josef Hader’s “Wild Mouse” (Berlinale Competition, 2019).

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Mick Mulvaney, the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget acting White House Chief of Staff during the Trump administration, has been named a contributor to NewsNation, the upstart cable-news service operated by Nexstar Media. Mulvaney, who has left a contributor role at CBS News, is expected to take up his new duties immediately, appearing on the new politics-roundtable program “The Hill” at 5 p.m. Tuesday. “Mick’s enormous experience in the political sector will make him an incredible resource to viewers,” said Michael Corn, president of news at NewsNation, in a statement. “We are excited to welcome him to our growing powerhouse team of political analysts, especially as we enter another important election season.”

The Italian premieres of Cannes Film Festival opener Jeanne du Barry starring Johnny Depp and Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny will be among the international highlights of the 69th Taormina Film Festival which gave a taster of its line-up at press conference in Rome on Tuesday.

Pinewood Group, which runs Pinewood and Shepperton Studios — home to blockbusters including “No Time to Die” and “No Time to Die” has acquired full ownership of Pinewood Toronto Studios. Based in downtown, Toronto, the facility houses 16 purpose-built sound stages, including the mega stage, one of the largest of its kind in North America, and recently added 170,000 square feet of production space. Netflix shares part of this studio space, 84, 580 square feet to be exact, with their long-term lease on four sound stages and adjacent offices. “We have worked with our partners for many years to create the City’s pre-eminent studio, and we’re now delighted to have bought it,” said Paul Golding, chair of Pinewood Group.

New York lawmakers finally signed off on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s state budget including significant sweeteners for film and TV production in a package that now runs through 2034 — the day after the WGA went on strike, ushering a period of grave uncertainty for the entertainment industry.

Halsey in the third instalment of the A24 Mia Goth-led X franchise, MaXXXine has been shared.The singer was recently announced among an all-star cast last month. The film will also star the likes of Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale and Giancarlo Esposito.The image, which you can view below, shows Halsey walking alongside Goth on the streets of Hollywood.The horror franchise was created by writer, director and producer Ti West.