Ed Meza Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Ed Meza @edmezavar Director Karan Tejpal’s feature film debut “Stolen” is a nail-biting thriller about two privileged, big-city boys who unwittingly embark on a harrowing adventure as they help an impoverished young woman find her kidnapped baby in rural India. The film, which is produced by Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Studio, is also a commentary on the alarming number of child abductions in India in recent years, and the explosion of often misguided vigilantism that accompanied the widespread adoption of instant messaging apps, particularly in rural areas.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Studiocanal and Universal Pictures are re-releasing Richard Curtis’ holiday classic “Love Actually” worldwide this year in a new 4K restoration. The Working Title film, whose all-star cast includes Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy and Liam Neeson, will also be released on home video and digitally in the U.S. and France.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Tom Tykwer’s first feature film since 2016, “Das Licht” (“The Light”), is set to start rolling this month at Studio Babelsberg near Berlin. The X Filme Creative Pool production, about a troubled family who take in a Syrian immigrant as their new housekeeper, is one of a number of projects heading to the renowned studio as business picks up following a lull this year stemming from the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Berlin-based DCM Film Distribution has acquired Kristoffer Borgli’s surrealist comedy “Dream Scenario,” starring Nicolas Cage. In the A24 satire, which premiered in Toronto before opening this year’s Zurich Film Festival, Cage plays a college professor whose life is turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. “We love ‘Dream Scenario,’” says Carl Rickmers, DCM’s newly appointed director of film acquisitions and sales.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Quiver Distribution has picked up Uwe Boll’s crime drama “First Shift” for the U.S., Canada and selected international territories. The pic, which stars Kristen Renton (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Gino Anthony Pesi (“Shades of Blue”) as two mismatched New York City cops forced to work as partners, has also sold in Eastern Europe, Benelux, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Turkey and the Baltics.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Swedish niche film specialist Klubb Super 8 and its global streaming platform sister company Cultpix have launched a restoration initiative to “preserve the diverse cinematic heritage that has shaped Swedish cinema across all genres.” Swedish cinema and restoration efforts in the country are in focus at the Lumière Festival’s International Classic Film Market (MIFC) this year. Collaborating with leading international institutions, Klubb Super 8 has undertaken extensive restoration work on a range of films under its rights.

Ed Meza @edmezavar J.A. Bayona’s Netflix drama “Society of the Snow” recounts the tragic story of the 1972 Uruguayan airplane crash high in the snow-covered Andes, of which 29 of the original 45 passengers initially survived, stranded on a glacier 4,000 meters above sea level aptly named the Valley of Tears. Survivors of the doomed flight, which carried a rugby team and their friends and family members from Montevideo to Santiago, managed to stay alive for two and a half months by consuming the flesh of the deceased.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 monster movie “The Host” is among Paris-based distributor The Jokers Films’ recently releases, made available for the first time ever as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition. The Jokers’ other new French release, the 4K restoration of Bruce Weber’s 1988 Chet Baker doc “Let’s Get Lost,” also screened at the Lumière Festival in Lyon with Weber in attendance. Describing the film’s sound and 4K restoration as “sublime,” The Jokers head Manuel Chiche says, “‘Let’s Get Lost’ is now a timeless classic not only about life but also about art and creation.” “Let’s Get Lost” is due to hit French theaters in summer 2024.

Ed Meza @edmezavar “Three,” a socially relevant, teen musical drama that celebrates diversity is the latest production from Paramount’s Israeli shingle Ananey Studios. Making its debut at Mipcom and sold internationally by Beta Film, the show follows three 16-year-olds in Tel Aviv from very different cultural backgrounds: Yasmin, an Arab Muslim girl; Ella, a Jewish girl and daughter of a notorious criminal; and Dalina, the daughter of asylum seekers from Eritrea.

Ed Meza @edmezavar JFK ASSASSINATION DOC GOES TO U.K. Espresso Media Intl. has closed a deal with the U.K.’s Channel 4 for the new documentary “JFK: 24 Hours that Changed the World.” Produced by Coleman Television, the film marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy this November.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Paramount Global Content Distribution has licensed the highly anticipated CBS Studios series “Elsbeth” to TF1 in France. Starring Emmy Award winner Carrie Preston, “Elsbeth” is based on the popular character of Elsbeth Tascioni, the astute but unconventional attorney featured in “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight.” “The series has been highly sought after in the French territory and this agreement will provide TF1 viewers exclusive access to the series in the market,” Paramount Global Content Distribution said.

Ed Meza @edmezavar The Lumière Festival’s International Classic Film Market (MIFC) in Lyon, France, is highlighting heritage documentaries, examining Cuban and Swedish cinema and showcasing the work of the Wim Wenders Foundation as part of a newly revamped program. In overhauling the MIFC, organizers are seeking to position the event closer to industry needs, offer improved services and offer a clearer picture of the ever evolving heritage content market.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Federation Kids & Family is unveiling a new animated series at MipJunior as part of a strong lineup of toon series and live-action series. “The New Adventures of the Triplets,” by Nicole Lambert, is an animated show aimed at 3-to-6-year-old kids that chronicles the comic escapades of three loveable children — each of whom has his or her own way of looking at the world.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Facing tight budgets and continued uncertainty in the entertainment sector, buyers at this year’s MipJunior are expected to largely stick to tried and true IP, but many still see opportunities for exciting original content. In addition to presenting the hottest new kids’ shows from around the globe, MipJunior, which runs Oct.

Ed Meza @edmezavar The U.K.’s Espresso Media Intl. has picked up Shannon Cohn’s “Below the Belt,” a documentary executive produced by Hillary Clinton and Rosario Dawson that explores problems in the U.S. healthcare system that disproportionately affect women.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Ali Kalthami’s satirical drama “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) examines the class divide in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, telling the story of a hapless delivery man and the desperate avenues he takes to make money. Comedic actor Mohammed Aldokhei plays Fahad, who finds himself in a precarious situation after he is fired from his day job at a call center. Trying to make ends meet, and help his ailing father get necessary medical treatment, Fahad embarks on an illicit scheme to sell stolen liquor while delivering food to wealthy customers.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Fred Kogel, CEO of leading German film and TV group Leonine Studios, which distributes the “Expendables” and “John Wick” movies in Germany, made the case for a new generation of action stars during the Zurich Summit over the weekend, where he was presented with Zurich Film Festival’s Game Changer Award. He noted that many of today’s action stars are the same ones he watched on the big screen back in the 1980s, among them Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise.

Ed Meza @edmezavar The changing global strategies of streamers and their impact on the independent film sector were front and center for international industry reps at the Zurich Summit on Saturday. Sasha Bühler, Netflix’s director of film for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Patrick Wachsberger, Black Bear president John Friedberg, John Lesher, Neon CEO Tom Quinn, Focus Features’ Kiska Higgs and CAA’s Roeg Sutherland were among the participants taking deep dives into major issues facing the global entertainment market. Commenting on changing investment strategies at Netflix, Bühler stated, “We’re available in over 190 countries and we have 238 million subscribers, very diverse, around the world, and we actively produce in 50 countries, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, and there are territories that are more saturated than others.” There are definite growth markets for Netflix and the company has not slowed down its investments at all, she added.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Zurich Avenue, headed by producers and former Zurich Film Festival execs Karl Spoerri and Viviana Vezzani, has quickly amassed an impressive slate of projects since launching last year, including Annette Bening starrer “Nyad.” Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s film, which chronicles the attempt by 64-year-old swimmer Diana Nyad to swim from Cuba to Florida, unspools at the Zurich Film Festival. Zurich Avenue co-developed the Netflix film, which was produced by Black Bear Pictures and Mad Chance.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Among the treasure trove of damning government documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 that exposed the NSA’s vast surveillance activities was one that detailed a secret U.K. program known as Phantom Parrot. It allows authorities to stop people entering the country in order to download their personal data from their phones and other electronic devices, even without their knowledge.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Kilian Riedhof’s “Stella. A Life.,” which has its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival, tells the tragic, fact-based story of Stella Goldschlag, a young Jewish woman in Berlin who, in order to survive, cooperates with the Gestapo to betray other Jews.

Ed Meza @edmezavar The Zurich Film Festival boasts a strong lineup of international films, among them Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” and high-profile guests that include Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Ethan Hawke, Todd Haynes and Wim Wenders. The ZFF this year screens a record number of world and European premieres — 52 from a total of 148. Another 52 films are debut works.

Ed Meza @edmezavar AMC Networks Intl. Latin America has acquired RTVE hit, Spanish-Portuguese thriller “Sequía,” which will be broadcast throughout the region on its Europa Europa channel. The story centers on the mystery behind two mummified corpses – apparent murder victims — that are discovered when a long submerged village emerges from the drying Campomediano reservoir along the Spanish-Portuguese border during a prolonged drought (“sequía” in Spanish). While a Spanish inspector and investigative reporter suspect the bodies may be linked to environmental protests that took place to prevent the creation of the reservoir, a Portuguese detective is secretly investigating the possibility that one of the deceased could be the heir to the Souza Cardoso fortune who disappeared years ago.

Ed Meza @edmezavar The 12th edition of Chile’s Sanfic Industria is set to kick off Aug. 20 alongside the Santiago Film Festival with new lab sections and a series focus on Chilean TV productions.   Among Sanfic Industria’s 11 sections will be the new Series Lab, which will select up to six Latin American scripted series projects. Creators and producers will receive advice from Sanfic Industria participants on the development of their works and strengthening international prospects. Industry reps will also take part in pitching sessions and one-on-one meetings for selected projects that will also be eligible for prizes and incentives. Also new is Sanfic ODS Lab, which aims to promote sustainable development goals among Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese projects. Producers, directors and scriptwriters are invited to present audiovisual projects with themes related to sustainable development and that are in an advanced state of development. Selected projects  will also receive incentives to strengthen their development and international prospects.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Alief has acquired world sales rights to Alex Kahuam’s single-take thriller “Failure!” starring Ted Raimi. Shot in a single, 87-minute take, the Mexican-U.S. co-production follows James (Raimi), a man who has just one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder to protect his family. The film gained a boost after bowing at the inaugural Fantastic Pavilion Galas, the Cannes Film Market’s new genre showcase. “I’m very excited to work with Alief because they understand what true cinema is,” said Kahuam. “The Fantastic Pavilion was the bridge and Alief was the catalyst to move the film where we thought it should go.”

Ed Meza @edmezavar Paris-based sales boutique Alpha Violet has acquired Spanish filmmaker Victor Iriarte’s directorial debut, “Foremost by Night” (“Sobre Todo de Noche”). Described as a noir story with a political background, “Foremost by Night” revolves around two women who meet for the first time, one who was forced to give up her newborn child for adoption when she was young, the other who, unable to bare children of her own, adopted a child she raised as her own. The film, which stars Ana Torrent (“There Be Dragons,” “The Other Boleyn Girl”), Lola Dueñas (“Me Too,” “Volver”) and Manuel Egozkue, was among this year’s winners at the Malaga Film Festival’s Work in Progress awards, where it secured the Latido Films distribution prize and the Aracne Digital Cinema award for post production services.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Norwegian distributor Fjong Film has picked up Hilmar Oddson’s award-winning Icelandic dark comedy “Driving Mum.” While French-U.K. sales and production company Alief has already sold the film widely in Europe, the Norwegian deal marks its first sale in Scandinavia. The Tallinn Black Nights Grand Prix winner, a theatrical hit in Iceland and Estonia, follows aimless protagonist Jon (Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson), who, grappling with immeasurable grief, finally comes of ripe age while fulfilling his mother’s (Kristbjörg Kjeld) final wish. Fjong Film CEO Nina Tryggvadottir, who was born in Iceland, connected with the unconventional road movie, acquiring all rights for the title.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Baby Atómica, a new Costa Rican-U.S. film production company, has launched at the Cannes Film Market’s new genre-focused Fantastic Pavilion with a number of film projects already in development. The Los Angeles-based shingle, founded by Costa Rican producers Miguel and Dennis Gómez, who previously ran Atómica Films in San José, and Jesy Odio, likewise a producer with Costa Rican roots, unveiled three initial early-stage genre projects: Baby Atómica took its first steps with the production of the just released music video for Miley Cyrus’ “Jaded,” produced by Odio.

Ed Meza @edmezavar German cinema is in Cannes with new works by Wim Wenders and films that explore Nazi propaganda, gender identity, economic crisis, romance, betrayal and fast cars. In addition to domestic films, a dozen German co-productions are screening in this year’s Cannes Film Festival lineup, including major works from the likes of Wes Anderson, Aki Kaurismäki and Jessica Hausner. Wenders is in Cannes with “Perfect Days,” which is vying for the Palme d’Or, and the documentary “Anselm” in Special Screenings. “Perfect Days” tells the story of a Tokyo janitor (Kôji Yakusho) who seems very content with his simple life, structured routines and passion for music, books and photography. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. The Japanese-German co-production is sold by the Match Factory.