Elsa Keslassy Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Kingdom of the Blind,” “Little Trouble Girls” and “Wind, Talk To Me” were among the projects which won prizes at the milestone 15th edition of Les Arcs Film Festival‘s Industry Village. The event, held in a popular French Alps resort, was attended by more than 700 professionals, including top sales agents, distributors and festival programmers, on top of high profile talent, such as two-time Palme d’Or winning Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) who was the festival’s guest of honor.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Lupita Nyong’o, the Oscar-winning Kenyan-Mexican actor and filmmaker, will preside over the international jury of the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. She will be the second consecutive female jury president at the Berlinale, following fellow actor Kristen Stewart.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent After expanding into the U.K., the U.S. and the Netherlands, Paris-based leading unscripted production banner Satisfaction is set to gain ground in Spanish-speaking markets.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Maryam Touzani‘s “The Blue Caftan,” a drama revolving around the love between a closeted man and his wife, has sold more than 500,000 tickets around the world. The Arabic-language movie, which world premiered at Cannes in 2022 and won the Fipresci prize, has become the Moroccan film that sold the most admissions overseas in recent history, according to French promotion org Unifrance. Produced by veteran Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch (“Casablanca Beats,” “Much Loved”), “The Blue Caftan” stars Lubna Azabal (“Incendies”) and Saleh Bakri (“Costa Brava, Lebanon”).

Joaquin Phoenix reportedly “walked out” of the premiere of his new film Napoleon earlier this week.The historical drama stars Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role as Napoleon Bonaparte, the military mastermind and Emperor of France. It spans 32 years from the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 to Napoleon’s death on St Helena in 1821, and explores significant battles as well as the romantic turmoil with his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais.Phoenix was spotted walking out of the film’s premiere in Paris on Tuesday (November 14) before it started.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has issued an apology after three activists burst on stage during the opening ceremony on Nov. 8 with a banner that read “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free.” The slogan, which calls for the destruction of Israel, has been used by Hamas, the terrorist group behind the Oct.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pia Lundberg, a Swedish film industry veteran, is set to succeed Jonas Holmberg as the new artistic director of Göteborg Film Festival, Scandinavia’s leading film-TV event. Lundberg most recently served as counsellor for cultural affairs at the Embassy of Sweden in London for the last five years.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent REinvent International Sales has boarded Howard J. Ford’s “River of Blood,” a psychological thriller that’s about to start shooting in Thailand. The company will unveil the project to buyers at the American Film Market.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Funny Birds,” an heartwarming comedy-drama starring Andrea Riseborough, Catherine Deneuve and Morgan Saylor, has sold in key territories in the run up to the AFM. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the movie is directed by Marco La Via and Hanna Ladoul.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The Israeli film and TV industry has penned an open letter urging the international community to overcome “polarization” and rally “in the name of humanity” as more than 200 civilians, including infants, children, women and men from different nationalities, are still being held as hostages by Hamas in the Gaza strip. “Time is of the essence; international pressure is crucial and your support is critical,” said the letter.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Aiming to grow its global direct-to-consumer distribution, Paramount+ has set the international rollout plans for its premium and ad tier subscriptions following a launch across more than 45 markets last year. The premium plan will launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico on Nov.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Margreth Olin’s “Songs of Earth,” Norway’s Oscar entry for the international feature film race, has been bought by Strand Releasing for North American distribution. The documentary feature, which is executive produced by Wim Wenders and Liv Ullman, played at Toronto where it sold to key territories, and had its U.S.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Annecy Animation Film Festival, which hosted the world premiered of Disney’s “Once Upon a Studio” and welcomed more than 16,000 people during its latest edition, is expanding its scope with a sprawling €26 million ($27.5 million) international institute dedicated to the world of animation. Called the Cité Internationale du Cinema d’Animation, the venue is expected to launch during the second half of 2025 and will boast a 330-seat screening room, an artists’ residency, special areas for training courses and cultural action, a space for temporary exhibitions, a permanent exhibition to showcase the animation film collections from Annecy’s Musée-Château, a bookstore and a gift shop.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pierre-Antoine Capton, the co-founder and CEO of Mediawan, was named Knight of the Legion of Honor by French President Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony held at the Elysée Palace in Paris. Capton was honored alongside other French figures who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s cultural landscape, including the filmmaker Costa Gavras, actor and novelist Marlène Jobert, contemporary artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, historian Pierre Nora, choreographer Claude Bessy, journalist Jean-Claude Narcy and conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Viaplay Content Distribution has partnered up with German broadcaster ARD Degeto to co-produce “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter,” an epic adventure series. ARD Degeto will join the series’ existing co-production partners, Filmlance International, Film i Väst and Ahil Films.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Cineflix Rights has closed multiple international deals across its slate, including returning seasons of “Last King of The Cross” and “Reginald the Vampire,” as well as the movie “Sugar.” “Last King of The Cross” charts the rise of John Ibrahim from poverty-stricken immigrant to the most infamous nightclub mogul in Sydney’s Kings Cross. Season 2 of the show, which has been acquired by Sky (U.K.), Warner Bros.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Jessica Chastain is set to preside over the jury of the Marrakech Film Festival which will take place Nov. 24-Dec. 2.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ireland’s Deadpan Pictures (“Northern Lights”) and France’s Thalie Images (“Killer Coaster”) are teaming up on “The Continental Method,” an ambitious spy comedy thriller set against the backdrop of the Paris riots of May 1968. The European half-hour series is inspired by the true story of Conor O’Flaherty, a fresh-faced Irish salesman who became an unlikely spy in Paris. The twelve-part show is penned by John Morton (“Dead Still”) and Victor Lockwood (“Mental”) who are leading a writing team.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Amid a widespread executive exodus, Warner Bros. Discovery’s international boss Gerhard Zeiler sent out a memo to the staff today laying out the company’s new global leadership structure. Following France boss Pierre Branco’s exit earlier this week, WBD has tapped Clément Schwebig to oversee France, Benelux, Afrique, Allemagne, Autriche and Suisse.

The Golden Globes have announced the full list of voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards, which will take place Jan. 7. It totals 300 journalists. The breakdown, per the organization, is: 47% female, and 60% racially and ethnically diverse, with 26.3% Latinx, 13.3% Asian, 11% Black, and 9% Middle Eastern..

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The National Film Board and the City of Paris have set strict guidelines for film and TV shoots before, during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will unfold July 26 to Sept. 8. While the sporting celebration will span roughly six weeks, the restrictions impacting filming will stretch over nearly a year, starting this winter until Oct.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning film, is one of the five movies shortlisted by France’s Oscars committee to represent the country in the international feature film race. The movie, which was acquired by Neon at Cannes, was pre-selected alongside “The Taste of Things” (previously titled “The Pot-au-Feu,” a culinary romance starring Juliette Binoche which won best director at Cannes for French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng); “The Scent of Green Papaya”; Clement Cogitore’s “Goutte d’or”; Thomas Cailley’s supernatural coming-of-age drama “The Animal Kingdom”; and Denis Imbert’s “Sur les chemins noirs.” The year’s selection committee includes sales agents Sabine Chemaly and Tanja Meissner, producers Charles Gillibert and Patrick Wachsberger, directors Olivier Assayas and Mounia Meddour, and Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mipcom, the Cannes-set international TV showcase, will pay tribute to Arthur Essebag, the well-known French TV host and founder of Satisfaction Group. Essebag will receive the international format awards at a gala ceremony on Oct. 15.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Shane Atkinson’s “LaRoy,” a crime thriller laced with dark comedy, swept three major prizes at the 49th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival. The movie, which marks Atkinson’s feature debut and showcases Coen brothers influences, won the Grand Prize, the Audience Award and the Critics Award. It stars John Magaro as Ray, who decides to kill himself after discovering his wife has been cheating on him.

William Earl Variety has promoted Elsa Keslassy to Executive Editor of International, according to an announcement from Variety‘s co-editors-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton. In her new role, Keslassy will lead the magazine’s global team of award-winning correspondents, while helping guide its reporting at the leading international film and television festivals and markets.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The global box office jumped by 27% in the first quarter of 2023, according to a new report by the International Union of Cinemas released during the CineEurope exhibition conference in Barcelona. UNIC, which covers 43,000 screens across 39 territories, is predicting a 23-percent growth at the global B.O. over the course of 2023. Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) saw the largest spike in B.O., with a 32-percent year-on increase during the first quarter of the year. Several European and international titles managed to break box office records between 2022 and the first half of 2023; for instance, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” became the highest grossing film of all time in the EMEA region with almost $800 million at the B.O., while Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning “Triangle of Sadness” grossed over $25 million from 40 international markets.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “The Inseparables,” Jérémie Degruson’s ambitious animated feature competing this week at Annecy festival, has been sold to a raft of territories by Octopolis and nWave. Based on an original idea by Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, the Oscar-nominated writers of “Toy Story,” “The Inseparables” follows the misadventures of Don, a runaway puppet with a boundless imagination and, DJ Doggy Dog, an abandoned stuffed animal toy in need of a friend. Don and DJ Doggy Dog cross paths in Central Park and pair up against all odds for an epic adventure of friendship in New York City. The film was penned by Bob Barlen and Cal Brunker. Budgeted at $25 million, “The Inseparables” was produced by nWave Studios in Belgium, Octopolis in France and A Contracorriente Films in Spain.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Anders Jensen, the CEO of leading Nordic streaming service, has stepped down from his position and is being replaced by Jorgen Madsen Lindemann with immediate effect. Madsen Lindemann is the former CEO of MTG, which is the previous parent company of Viaplay Group and also listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Jensen’s exit comes as the company announced the downgrade of its short-term outlook for 2023 and has withdrawn its long term operational and financial guidance. During his tenure, Jensen spearheaded the streamer’s global roll-out, including in the U.S., and ramped up the output of scripted and unscripted originals.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “The Pot Au Feu” from French-Vietnamese director Trần Anh Hùng may be one of the most radical films competing for a Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes. The sensorial movie, set in late-19th century France, opens with a mouthwatering cooking sequence that runs nearly 40 minutes and portrays a slow-cooking romance with a minimalist plot. Yet, Hùng, best known for his Cannes’ Golden Camera-winning “The Scent of Green Papaya” and Venice Golden Lion-winning “Cyclo,” tells Variety he’s always been confident “The Pot Au Feu” would strike a chord beyond the foodie niche, and it has. The movie earned some of the competition’s strongest reviews on the heels of its world premiere and a U.S. deal is currently being negotiated by Gaumont. Variety‘s Guy Lodge praised the film for holding its audience “entirely on the pleasures of beauty, vicarious indulgence and, eventually, the human care inherent in haute cuisine.”

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Elle Fanning (“The Great”), Christopher Abbott (“Poor Things”) and Nadia Tereszkiewicz (“The Crime is Mine”) are set to headline “The Maid of Orleans,” Sarah Elizabeth Mintz’s daring follow up to “Good Girl Jane.” Loosely inspired by Mintz’s real-life experiences, “The Maid of Orleans” will explore sexual power dynamics on and off set. Jessica Chastain’s Freckle Films (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” “George and Tammy”) is set to produce alongside Fanning’s Lewellen Pictures (“The Great,” “The Girl from Plainville”). Memento International will introduce the hot project to buyers at the Cannes Film Market. Filming is scheduled to begin early 2024 in France.