City Tehran Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Lise Pedersen Toronto-based outfit Syndicado has acquired world rights for Daniel Kötter’s “Landshaft,” which is competing in the Burning Lights sidebar of Swiss international documentary film festival Visions du Réel. In Germany, the film will be distributed by Arsenal Filmverleih. Shot in the form of a road movie as the director travels across Eastern Armenia in an old Lada, the film offers a striking contrast between the region’s peaceful-looking mountains and the voice of his passengers, its inhabitants, who live in the shadow of the threat of war. They speak about the six-week conflict waged in 2020 by neighbouring Azerbaijan over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Although this disputed region is located further to the south, the conflict has now moved further up the border, and runs through the Sotk gold mine, whose concession has been granted to a Russian company by the Armenians.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Leo Maidenberg’s Paris-based company Place du Marché Productions is developing a slate of French and international films and TV series with acclaimed talents, including Daphna Levin, the creator of the Israeli series “Euphoria,” as well as Sarah Kaminsky (“Raid Dingue”) and Leïla Sy (“Banlieusards”). Maidenberg, who launched Place du Marché in 2018 after a career in diplomacy and made his producing debut with Caroline Fourest’s politically charged action film “Sisters in Arms,” has teamed with Kim Younes at Elvie Productions on a pair of high concept Israeli series. The first title produced by the two banners is “The Truth,” a police thriller series co-written and directed by Levin, whose credits also include the original Israeli series “In Therapy.” Set in Tel Aviv, “The Truth” opens on the day of the final verdict for the most controversial murder case in Israel, 10 years after the incident which took place in a high school gym. That same day, a new murder happens in identical circumstances. Juvenile inspector Rachel Zohar, a student at the high school at the time of the first murder, must revisit her trauma to solve the case. Aurit Zamir (“Babysitter”) co-wrote the series with Levin.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The trailer (below) has debuted for “An Owl, a Garden and the Writer,” which is having its world premiere as part of the Burning Lights Competition of Visions du Réel, the documentary film festival, which runs April 21-30 in Nyon, Switzerland. Sara Dolatabadi’s film previously won the Works in Progress Post-Production Development Award at Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 2021, and was presented at the IDFA Forum that same year. The film is produced by Dolatabadi and Farhad Mohammadi for Dolatabadi’s production outfit Petit Duc Doc, in association with Fondation Jan Michalski. The film is executive produced by Iranian filmmaker Amir Naderi (“Vegas,” “Manhattan by Numbers,” “The Runner”), who received the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award at the Venice Film Festival in 2016, an award dedicated to a personality who has made an original contribution to innovation in contemporary cinema.

Apple TV+ has struck a multi-year content deal with Canal+ in France and will become available to all Canal+ subs in the nation plus other European territories.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Roland Emmerich’s large-scale gladiator series “Those About to Die,” starring Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian, has started shooting at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. Several new cast members have been announced, including “Game of Thrones” alumn Iwan Rheon. Rheon, who in “Thrones” played the villainous Ramsay Bolton – and can currently be seen in Emmerich-produced film “The Magic Flute” – will replace Lorenzo Richelmy who has exited the Peacock show due to scheduling conflicts. Also joining the “Those About to Die” cast are Liraz Charhi (“Tehran”) who will play Berenice, Queen of the conquered Judeans; and Rupert Penry-Jones (“The Batman”) as retired general Marsus who aspires to succeed Vespasian on the imperial throne (they are pictured above).

Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon is one of nine joining the cast of Peacock’s epic gladiator drama Those About to Die, as principal photography on the Roland Emmerich show kicked off at Rome’s historic Cinecittà Studios.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent March 20 marks the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. It’s Iran’s first Spring festivities since the death of Jina “Mahsa” Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in police custody for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. On Nowruz, which means “New Day,” Iranian activist Naza Alakija is paying tribute to Iran’s “Woman. Life. Freedom.” movement with the release of a powerful short film titled “Rise” about a young woman who, like Amini, pushes back agains Iran’s morality police and is kidnapped from the streets of Tehran. Alakija, who is the founder and CEO of London-based Evoca Foundation, produced the short – which features British-Iranian actress Yasaman Mohsani (“Secret Invasion”) as the victim – with partners who have chosen to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from Iran’s security forces, as has the film’s female director.

Glenn Close will no longer attend the 95th annual Academy Awards. On Sunday, the 75-year-old's rep confirmed that she contracted COVID-19, and will miss the ceremony.«She was very much looking forward to taking part in the show,» Close's publicist told CBS News in a statement.

Queen Consort Camilla has revealed she was gripped by BBC crime drama Happy Valley as she celebrated International Women’s Day with its star and a host of inspiring individuals on Wednesday. Actress Sarah Lancashire was invited to the Buckingham Palace event alongside the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing winner and EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, Love Island star Megan Barton-Hanson and former Tehran prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Darius Homayoun is one of the hot new stars of Netflix’s hit series Sex/Life and he’s helping heat up season two!

Sharareh Drury administrator “Woman. Life. Freedom.” “Zan. Zindagi. Azadi.” These words have been chanted around the world for months in support of Iranian women who are demanding freedom of expression and an end to the country’s oppressive rules for women. This inspiring female-led movement was sparked by the death of Jina “Mahsa” Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in custody of morality police for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. Iran is now experiencing its biggest wave of demonstrations in decades, with acts of protest by female demonstrators including publicly removing their hijab or cutting their hair. The cry for change has even won awards. Shervin Hajipour’s “Baraye” – Iran’s unofficial protest anthem – made history by becoming the first award-winner for a new Grammy Award category, “Best Song for Social Change.”

Guy Lodge Film Critic The official awards ceremony of this year’s Berlin Film Festival is under way, with Kristen Stewart’s jury set to announce their winners from the Competition selections. This post will be updated as they’re announced.Previously announced: AUDIENCE AWARDS Panorama Audience Award: “Sira,” Apolline TraoréSecond Prize: “The Burdened,” Amr GamalThird Prize: “Midwives,” Léa Fehner Panorama Documentary Audience Award: “Kokomo City,” D. SmithSecond Prize: “The Eternal Memory,” Maite AlberdiThird Prize: “The Cemetery of Cinema,” Thierno Souleymane Diallo

The Berlin Film Festival has made one of its highest priorities this year to stand with “the courageous protesters in Iran as they defend themselves against a violent, undemocratic regime.”

Naman Ramachandran The BBC Studios Natural History Unit has commissioned three series for BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer. “Mammals” (6 x 60’), coproduced by France Televisions, ZDF and BBC America, offers insights into the most widespread animal group in the world. “Big Little Journeys” (3 x 60’), coproduced by PBS, follows the real-life adventures of six tiny animals as they voyage into the unknown. “Wild Scandinavia” (3 x 60’), coproduced by PBS and Sveriges Television, and narrated by actor Rebecca Ferguson (“Dune”), celebrates the wildlife, landscapes and culture of the furthest northern reaches of Europe. BBC Studios is handling international distribution and will present the series to international customers at BBC Studios Showcase taking place on Feb. 27 and 28.

Naman Ramachandran For Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh, world premiering her Iran documentary “And, Towards Happy Alleys” at the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama strand is the culmination of a journey that began in 2015. Singh completed a masters degree in film studies at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India and went on to pursue a PhD on The Exiled Filmmaker in Post Revolution Iranian Cinema, with the objective of understanding the source of “impossible hope” in Iranian films. The filmmaker was also introduced to the poetry of Iran’s Forogh Farrokhzad during the course and “connected deeply” to her verses. A desire to read Farrokhzad’s verses in the original Persian led Singh to learn Farsi.

Kristen Stewart joined Iranian filmmakers in a demonstration showing solidarity for Iran’s Women Life Freedom protests on the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The wave of protests sparked across Iran by the death of Mahsa Amini by Iranian morality police in September came amid a banner year for Iranian cinema.  But as 2023 kicks off, more than 500 people who have protested her death and called for justice have been killed while prominent members of the Iranian film industry were either arrested, put on trial or banned from making movies. The result being that the country’s cinematic community has largely ground to a halt.  Which raises the question: unless something changes, how many films actually shot in Iran will be surfacing on the international festival circuit going forward?  

EXCLUSIVE: Looking for Jane, the book by Heather Marshall, is getting the small-screen treatment.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Films Boutique has closed a flurry of deals on “Subtraction,” Mani Haghighi’s Iranian noir thriller which world premiered at Toronto in the competition Platform section. The Berlin-based company has closed deals in France (Diaphana in association with Kinovista), Russia and CIS (A One), Canada (Films We Like), Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), Middle East (Fron Row), Poland (Mayfly), Taiwan (Proview Ent.), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Switzerland (Trigon) and Benelux (September Films). The movie is headlined by Taraneh Alidoosti, the Iranian star of “The Salesman” and “Leila’s Brothers” and Navid Mohammadzadeh (“Leila’s Brothers”). Both Haghighi and Alidoosti have recently been targeted by Iranian authorities. Alidoosti was temporarily arrested, while Haghighi had his passport confiscated as he was about to board a flight to attend the BFI London Film Festival. 

Armando Iannucci’s space comedy Avenue 5 has been officially canceled by HBO.

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been released from Evin prison in Tehran.

Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, French filmmaker Alice Diop and Romanian director Cristian Mungiu have demanded that Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival remove their films from the line-up of its current edition, running from February 1 to 11.

The closure of Israeli public broadcaster Kan by Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government has been delayed indefinitely, according to a spokesman for the Communications Minister.

Jafar Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeedi issued a fresh appeal for her imprisoned husband to be released as his period of captivity entered 200 days, in an Instagram post on Thursday.

EXCLUSIVE: Apple TV+ has picked up Drops of God, a series set in the world of fine wine based on a Japanese manga property, from Legendary Entertainment.

EXCLUSIVE: Ido Samuel (Fill The Void) and Lihi Kornowski (Crimes Of The Future) are the latest to join Hulu Originals limited series We Were The Lucky Ones in recurring roles.

Robert Niro and his Tribeca Festival Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal have joined the chorus of calls for Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti to be released from prison, along with “other members of Iran’s art and entertainment community who have risked their lives to speak out against the government.”

“I always had a very specific sense of urgency with this idea,” said Holy Spider director Ali Abbasi of wanting to make a film noir based on the true story of the “Spider Killer” Saeed Hanaei, who saw himself as on a mission from God as he killed 16 women between 2000 and 2001.

Reza Dormishian, Iranian filmmaker and producer of Dariush Mehrjui’s A Minor, which is set to have it world premiere in competition at the on-going International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, has not been granted a permit to leave Iran, so is unable to attend the event.

Iranian director Emad Aleebrahim-Dehkordi’s feature directorial debut A Tale Of Shemroon won the top Étoile d’Or—the Festival Grand Prize – at the Marrakech International Film Festival on Saturday.