Ed Meza Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Ed Meza @edmezavarSony Pictures Entertainment Germany has picked up “Hide and Seek,” Ukraine’s first crime noir series, in a deal struck with ZDF Enterprises.The show is expected to air on the Sony Channel, available on German pay TV via cable and satellite, this fall in both German and original Russian language.Filmed in over 80 locations in the Ukraine, “Hide and Seek” is a tension-filled story about children who mysteriously disappear from a small industrial town and the two determined

Ed Meza @edmezavarStienette Bosklopper of the Netherlands’ Circe Films and Meike Martens of Germany’s Blinker Filmproduktion have boarded “Do Fish Sleep With Their Eyes Open?,” the latest film from director Nele Wohlatz, whose 2016 documentary hybrid “The Future Perfect” won best feature in Locarno.The co-production partnerships add European support and financing muscle to an Argentine project produced by Buenos Aires’ Ruda Cine, which has already attracted a Brazilian partner, CinemaScópio.In

Ed Meza @edmezavarSwedish helmer Johannes Nyholm, best known for 2019 Sundance pic “Koko-di Koko-da,” is re-teaming with producer Maria Møller Christoffersen of Copenhagen-based Beofilm on the surrealistic comedy “Firehawks,” which is set to start production this summer in Sweden.It’s one of a number of films Møller Christoffersen has in the works at Beofilm, where she’s also co-producing “The Wall,” Philippe Van Leeuw’s drama about a U.S.

Ed Meza @edmezavarIn his feature film debut, “The Settlement,” writer-director Mohamed Rashad tackles the timely issue of labor abuses in Egypt, a subject that is close to his heart.Inspired by a true story, the film, set in Alexandria, follows two brothers, the 23-year-old troublemaker Hossam and 12-year-old Maro, who are hired at a blade factory as “compensation” for the accidental death of their father.

Ed Meza @edmezavarFilm and TV productions in Germany have come back with gusto following the three-month COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year, albeit under stringent health protection requirements.Despite a second lockdown in November due to the rise in coronavirus cases, shooting continues around the country, both in studios and on location.

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe miraculous prospects of international funding initiatives and the opportunities and pitfalls offered by streaming platforms were among the topics discussed by leading Argentine producers during an online Ventana Sur panel on Thursday.Diego Dubcovsky of Varsovia Films, Santiago Gallelli of Rei Cine and Paula Zyngierman of Maravillacine also looked back at the dynamic New Argentine Cinema wave that characterized the 1990s, and addressed the role of state funding for the

Ed Meza @edmezavarAmazon Prime Video is rapidly becoming a major force in Latin America with its mix of local content, ambitious productions and compelling stories.Taking part in a Ventana Sur online conference, Pablo Iacoviello, Amazon Prime Video’s director of content for Latin America, and Javiera Balmaceda, Amazon Studios’ head of originals for Argentina, Chile and Colombia, discussed the streaming giant’s slate of productions, which have exploded in the past two years.Amazon launched its

Ed Meza @edmezavarParis-based Axxon Films has picked up international rights to Imanol Rayo’s thriller “Death Knell” and Mireia Gabilondo’s comedy “The Hive,” two very different titles set in and produced by Spain’s Basque region.The production, distribution and sales-company is presenting the Spanish pics, both distributed in Spain by Bilbao’s Barton Films, as part of its Ventana Sur lineup.Based on Miren Gorrotxategi’s novel “33 campanadas,” and produced by Abra Producciones in association

Ed Meza @edmezavarFirouzeh Khosrovani’s “Radiograph of a Family,” the story of an Iranian family divided by secularism and religion, Western culture and Islamic revolution, found an ideal co-producer in Zurich-based company Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion.The film, which premieres in the feature-length competition of the documentary festival IDFA, focuses on the filmmaker’s parents, a secular progressive father and devout Muslim mother.

Ed Meza @edmezavarIn “La Botera” (“Boat Rower Girl”), which plays at the Malaga Spanish Screenings, Argentine filmmaker Sabrina Blanco tells the story of Tati, a teenage girl growing up in Isla Maciel, a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires situated along the banks of a polluted river, where she lives with a neglectful and troubled single father.Angered when her father, a local boatsman who ferries passengers across the river, decides to sell his boat, Tati sets out to learn how

Ed Meza @edmezavarBoston-based international sales company 34T has picked up Enrique García’s Spanish thriller “Black Stain.”Set in an isolated Andalusian village in the early 1970s, the story revolves around a family mourning the death of the elderly matriarch and the deep tensions that are reignited with the return of her estranged son Eugenio, who left years earlier.

Ed Meza @edmezavarGerman and European animation features remain plentiful on the slates of German sales agents at this year’s AFM, with adaptations, original works and new installments of popular franchises set to attract buyers.Arri Media Intl. is presenting a 10-minute preview of “The Ogglies,” an adaptation of the hit German children’s book series about a group of creatures with unusual eating habits looking for a new home.

Ed Meza @edmezavarExploring wide-ranging global themes, from poverty, migration, political strife and fascism to art and romance, German sales companies are presenting an eclectic offering of local and international cinematic works at this year’s AFM.Social dramas and political thrillers reflect both the current zeitgeist and historical parallels of similarly troubled times.

Ed Meza @edmezavarForced to revamp in the wake of Germany’s second coronavirus lockdown in November, the International Filmfest Mannheim-Heidelberg is taking place online this year as IFFMH Expanded with two-thirds of its original lineup accessible to virtual festgoers.The 69th edition of the festival, which marks the debut of a new team headed by director Sascha Keilholz, includes new and revised sections, among them On the Rise, the international competition that showcases first to third

Ed Meza @edmezavarAs part of its major reboot this year, the International Filmfest Mannheim-Heidelberg (IFFMH) is launching the new Cutting Edge Talent Camp to support young filmmakers from Germany and help give them a boost onto the international stage.The Talent Camp, which is taking place entirely online this year, offers workshops and roundtables in which participants will discuss the international market potential of their projects with film industry experts.“The International

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe 69th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (IFFMH) promises to be an ambitious celebration of cinema despite its move online due to the ongoing pandemic, with new sections showcasing visionary and innovative works from around the globe as well as classic titles from yesteryear.Sascha Keilholz, the fest’s new artistic and commercial director, and his team, including new head of program Frédéric Jaeger, had well thought out plans for this year’s edition that would

Ed Meza @edmezavarSandra den Hamer, president of the Association of European Film Archives and Cinematheques (ACE) and director of the Netherlands’ Eye Filmmuseum, has called on a European framework to facilitate the sharing of European film heritage with the public.In a lively online discussion between several representatives of European film institutes at the Lumière Film Festival’s International Classic Films Market (MIFC) in Lyon, France, on Thursday, den Hamer pointed out that many small

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe Lumière Festival’s Classic Film Market (MIFC) in Lyon, France, is spotlighting efforts in Portugal to digitize and preserve the nation’s film heritage as part of this year’s country focus.Portugal is a good representation of what is happening in Europe, according to MIFC program coordinator Gérald Duchaussoy.The Cinemateca Portuguesa has agreements with rights holders and distributors, organizes events, promotes Portuguese cinema at festivals, digitizes and restores films

Ed Meza @edmezavarLeading producer-distributor Studiocanal, which boasts one of the biggest film libraries in the world with more than 5,500 movies, is gearing up for a slew of major theatrical and DVD releases sure to titillate fans of classic cinema, among them Jean-Luc Godard’s beloved 1960 film “Breathless.”The company has enjoyed recent successes with re-releases of such classics as David Lynch’s 1980 Victorian drama “The Elephant Man,” Volker Schlöndorff’s 1979 Oscar-winning “The Tin

Ed Meza @edmezavarGaumont Germany is bowing its first major production this month with the premiere of the historical action series “Barbarians” on Netflix.The six-part miniseries promises to take viewers to the blood-drenched Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, in which Germanic warriors halted the northward advance of the Roman Empire in A.D.

Ed Meza @edmezavarPortuguese film distributor Midas Filmes has picked up a slew of new acquisitions, including Nanni Moretti’s upcoming “Three Floors,” Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memoria” and Daniele Luchetti’s “The Ties,” which opened this year’s Venice Film Festival.The Lisbon-based company, which is taking part in this year’s International Classic Film Market (MIFC) focus on Portugal in Lyon, France, has also recently picked up Belgian helmer Lucas Belvaux’s “Home Front,” starring Gérard

Ed Meza @edmezavarGermany’s Maze Pictures has boarded Moscow-based Metrafilm’s KGB comedy series “Pawns,” from writers Michael and Lily Idov, who penned the award-winning 2018 Cannes competition screener “Leto.”The company, which has offices in Munich, Berlin and Lucerne, Switzerland, is also developing a miniseries based on “Ghosts of Berlin,” a book of supernatural stories by filmmaker Rudolf Herzog (son of Werner Herzog), and the tentatively titled mystery series “Parallels.”On the film

Ed Meza @edmezavarWith depictions of pandemic catastrophes, war, failing empires, the divide between rich and poor, shooting rampages and massive power outages, Germany’s newest TV shows appear to reflect the current apocalyptic zeitgeist.German broadcasters and streaming services alike are going heavy on suspense, crime, psychological thrillers, action and adventure, often colored by themes of societal disruption and armed conflict.Showrunner Christian Alvart (“Dogs of Berlin”) was in

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe pandemic, although disastrous for most parts of the economy, had one minor upside: a boost in online viewing. The number of subscribers of Portugal’s VOD platform Filmin, for example, has tripled compared with last year, due in part to the lockdown.

Ed Meza @edmezavarReal Film, the Berlin-based co-producer of the hit Emmy-winning Netflix series “Unorthodox,” looks set to continue its recent success with a slew of hard-hitting fact-based series.The Studio Hamburg subsidiary is focusing on German-language productions aimed at the international market, including a take on one of the biggest automotive industry scandals in history and an exploration of Germany’s role in international money laundering.

Ed Meza @edmezavarIn his new crime series, “Rats,” Slovakian writer Miro Šifra not only tells a gripping tale set in the Czech Republic’s complex drug industry but also a poignant human story.The fact-based drama examines the dynamic world of the Czech-Vietnamese meth syndicates, funded by cryptocurrency and monitored by police drug enforcement task forces.

Ed Meza @edmezavarGabriele M.

Ed Meza @edmezavarThe life of Germany’s first gentleman will be the focus of a new comedy series currently in development at Berlin-based Readymade Films, maker of local hit “MaPa.”Joachim Sauer, a quantum chemist and professor of physical and theoretical chemistry, is also the husband of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ed Meza @edmezavarIf all goes as planned, the Lumière Film Festival will kick off this month in Lyon, France, to again celebrate classic cinema and fete such guests as Viggo Mortensen and Oliver Stone.This year’s edition, which runs Oct. 10-18, is taking place under strict health and safety measures, including limiting public gatherings to a maximum of 1,000 people.

Ed Meza @edmezavarPoland’s EnergaCamerimage Intl.