Elsa Keslassy Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Solo,” a stylish queer romance drama directed by Canadian helmer Sophie Dupuis (“Underground,” “Family First”) has been boarded by SND, the film arm of France’s second biggest commercial network M6. “Solo” is headlined by two up-and-coming talent, Theodore Pellerin (“Killer Game,” “Kaiser Karl”) and Felix Maritaud (“BPM (Beats per Minute)”). SND will launch sales on the project at Cannes Film Market. The edgy film follows Simon, a rising star of Montreal drag queen scene who is simultaneously facing the disappointment of two impossible loves — one of a passionate but destructive crush with Oliver, and the other of a cold and distant relationship with his mother Claire, who has returned home after a 15-year absence.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Keshet International has scored a pair of high profile deals on its true crime documentary series, “My Name is Reeva: I Was Murdered by Oscar Pistorius.” Directed by Warren Batchelor (“204: Getting Away With Murder”), the three-part docu series tells the intimate story of Reeva Steenkamp who was allegedly murdered by her then-boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day in 2013.  “My Name is Reeva” has been sold by Keshet International to Channel 4 in the U.K. and SBS in Australia. Channel 4 has licensed the linear and SVOD rights for its streaming service All 4, while SBS has picked up broadcast and streaming rights and will premiere it on April 17. Discussions are ongoing with other potential broadcast partners.  

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mariëtte Rissenbeek, who heads over the Berlin International Film Festival along with Carlo Chatrian, has decided to step down after next year’s edition. Rissenbeek’s contract expires in March 2024, and she has opted to not renew it, according to the German culture ministry, which is the main financier of the festival. German Culture Minister Claudia Roth said she regretted Rissenbeek’s decision, but praised her for prompting a “generational change” within the leadership of the cultural institution. Rissenbeek, an industry veteran who previously worked as managing director of promotion agency German Films, has reached retirement age in Germany (at 67). The executive will step down after the 74th edition of the festival which she’s due to prepare with Chatrian.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France engaged in a record 144 international co-productions in 2022, while the number of majority French movies produced dropped by 10% to 208 titles, according to a study unveiled by the National Film Board (CNC). For the first time since 2003, half of the movies produced in France were international co-productions (with 33 countries) last year, compared with 42.1 % in 2021 and 39.6 % between 2017 and 2019. Investment in films dropped by 12.8% to €1.18 billion ($1.30 billion) compared with 2021, while foreign investment broke a 10-year record. In France, TV channels as well as streamers (since the start of 2022) are required to invest a percentage of annual revenue on French and European productions. As such, they invested a total of €280.78 million in 159 films in 2022, a 8.3 % drop compared with the average invested between 2017 and 2019.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Wild Bunch International, the sales company behind “Titane” and “Happening” (pictured), has renamed itself as Goodfellas. In a brief press release, the company said “there are no other changes to the structure created in 2019.” Wild Bunch International was launched in 2019 as a standalone sales company by French film industry veterans Vincent Maraval and Brahim Chioua. The pair had previously co-founded Wild Bunch, which is now owned by German entrepreneur Lars Windhorst and ran by former NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer and former beIN Media Group executive Sophie Jordan. Wild Bunch International was created shortly after Wild Bunch completed its restructuring plan. Under their three-year deal, Wild Bunch had a minority stake in the new banner and allowed it to use the Wild Bunch brand. The three-year pact ended in November and the two companies no longer have corporate ties. But Goodfellas said it will continue working with Wild Bunch on select project through a new deal.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The Cannes Screenplay List, an initiative backed by the talent platform Wscripted in partnership with MUBI, will be back for a third edition at the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film. An international jury comprising filmmakers Mounia Meddour (“Papicha”, “Houria”), Funa Maduka (“Waiting for Hassana”), and Camille Griffin (“The Silent Night”) will sift through submitted feature scripts from women and non-binary writers. The final List of top scripts will be presented to producers during during the Cannes Marché du Film, in collaboration with MUBI.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Amazon Studios’ head of international originals, James Farrell, who started overseeing Europe six months ago, said at Series Mania Festival that the service isn’t pulling out of local content but is keeping an eye on costs. Farrell, who previously worked at Amazon Studios in Japan where he backed the creation of the original format behind “LOL” in 2016, said Amazon “won’t cut down on the number of shows or films” they’re doing, but “want to continue to be really good corporate stewards.” “The world is having a tough time. There’s wars, you know, political situations are tough. That means, you know, you got to be thoughtful about what you spend,” said Farrell.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The International Emmy-winning French series “Call My Agent!” is getting a Spanish-language remake, with Eva Longoria on board to produce and direct. Announced during Series Mania Festival in Lille, the adaptation will be co-produced by Mediawan, Elefantec Global and Longoria’s banner UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. It will mark the first adaptation targeting Latin America and the U.S., following successful remakes in Italy, Canada and the U.K., among others. In addition to producing through UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, Longoria will direct the first two episodes. The news comes right on the heels of Longoria’s feature directorial debut “Flamin’ Hot,” which premiered at SXSW and won the Audience Award.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Jonah Hauer-King (“The Little Mermaid”) and Anna Próchniak (“Baptiste”) are starring in the limited event series adapted from Heather Morris’s “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” for Sky and Peacock. Now in production, the Peacock Original series is being produced by Synchronicity Films and will be entirely directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer, whose past credits include “Princess.” Claire Mundell and Jacquelin Perske are executive producers. A global bestseller, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” has sold more than 12 million copies around the world. “In Auschwitz, a factory of death and dehumanisation, Lale and Gita’s love story is an act of defiance,” said Shalom-Ezer. “It is the choice to remain human. I’m inspired and honoured to bring this story to life, alongside the talented team of people assembled,” Shalom-Ezer continued.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Vivendi has entered into exclusive negotiations to sell 100% of its publishing house Editis to a subsidiary of Czech Media Invest (CMI) founded by Daniel Kretinsky. Following its latest board meeting on March 8, Vivendi said it has received several bids for the sale of Editis and has chosen the offer brought by International Media Invest, a subsidiary of Kretinsky’s CMI. The deal would have to be approved by the European Commission. Vivendi said the “plan is to distribute the Editis shares to the Vivendi shareholders, and their listing on the Euronext Growth market, is put on hold.” Editis’ evenues dropped by 8% to €789 million in 2022, according to Vivendi. The Paris-based banner is home to Robert Laffont, Plon and Julliard, among others.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent After securing major distribution deals at the EFM, Luc Besson’s next film “Dogman” starring Caleb Landry Jones, is now eyeing a launch in the festival circuit this fall, Variety has learned. The movie’s French release, initially planned for April 19, has been pushed to the fall to allow distributors to prepare a coordinated global release after a launch at an A-category festival. It would mark the first Besson-directed movie to open at a festival in decades. His wild space opera movie “The Fifth Element” was the opening night movie of the 50th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. Besson’s first film since his 2019 actioner “Anna,” “Dogman” is rumored to mark a return to form for the French director. Based on the trailer which we saw before the Berlinale, the film will be closer to some of his early work, notably “Subway,” “Nikita” and “The Professional” which were character-driven movies with a darker edge.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent LevelK has boarded “Adventures in the Land of Asha,” a Canadian family film which marks the feature debut of Sophie Farkas Bolla. The film is produced by Hany Ouichou (“I’ll End Up in Jail”) and Kim O’Bomsawin (“Je m’appelle humain”). It will have its world premiere at Montreal International Children’s Film Festival and its International Premiere at Buff Film Festival. LevelK is handling worldwide sales on the movie. On a cold winter’s day in 1940, Jules and his family move to live with his uncle, mayor of a settler’s village in northern Quebec. He is banned from school because of his rare skin disease. From that moment on, his greatest wish is to be cured. When his dog Spark runs away into the wild forest, Jules has no choice but to look for him. On his way, he meets Asha, a mysterious young indigenous girl. Together, they venture to the other side of the forest, where nature reveals itself full of life and secrets.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Luc Besson’s ”Dogman,” starring Caleb Landry Jones, wowed buyers at the Berlin’s European Film Market, where it was screened for select buyers. “We hosted only one private screening of the completed film and buyers were stunned, they all came out saying that it was Luc Besson’s best film to date, his most mature movie and some even called it a masterpiece,” said Gregoire Melin, founder of Kinology, which is handling sales on the film. On the heels of the screening, Kinology closed deals with some of the biggest distributors in key international territories, including Italy (Lucky Red), Germany and Austria (Capelight Pictures), Spain and Latin America (Sun Distribution Group), Scandinavia (Svensk Filmindustri), Benelux (Belga Films), Switzerland (Elite Film), Middle East (Front Row), Poland (Monolith), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais), Czech Republic and Slovakia (AQS) and former Yugoslavia (Blitz).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent REinvent International sales has closed deals on genre titles from its Chills label, including “Dark Windows,” “Leave” and “Shadow Island,” ahead of the EFM. “Dark Windows,” Alex Herron’s English-language horror thriller, has been sold to the MENA region (ENL / Empire Network Ltd) and Latin America (Gussi). The movie tells the story of teenagers involved in a car crash who decide to stay at a summerhouse in the U.S. countryside to work through their grief and start being stalked by a masked man. “Dark Windows” stars Annie Hamilton (The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Inventing Anna), Anna Bullard, Rory Alexander, Joel Saemundsson and Morten Holst.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent After two editions which were altered due to the pandemic, the Berlin Film Festival is preparing for a full-blown in-person 2023 edition which they’ve titled “Let’s Get Together.”  The 73rd Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 16 to 26, with the industry activities hosted as part of the European Film Market on Feb. 16–22, the Berlinale Co-Production Market on Feb. 18–22 and Berlinale Talents (Feb. 18–23), among other events. The Berlinale will also express its solidarity with Ukraine through dedicated events, such as face-to-face encounters and community film experiences. “Film festivals are places that strengthen freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and peaceful dialogue,” said directors of the Berlinale, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mediawan Rights has expanded its unscripted division with the appointment of former Shine France top executive Jeremy Klif, and is opening up to formats from third-party producers. Klif has been tapped deputy director of international sales for the unscripted unit which was launched by Mediawan Rights’ managing director Valérie Vleeschhouwer, in April. Klif began his career in the U.S. at Mark Burnett Productions, and later worked as head of sales and acquisitions for Shine France (“The Voice,” “MasterChef”) upon his return to Paris. He went on to launch Borderline Media, a production and distribution banner specialized in formats, in 2017. At Mediawan Rights, Klif will work alongside Estelle Bodén, the co-founder of Sweden’s Elk Entertainment, who serves as head of distribution for the division. Like Klif, Bodén has a track record as an entrepreneur and also worked for indies and big groups such as Strix Television.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Newen, the Paris-based international production and distribution group owned by France’s leading commercial network TF1, has acquired a majority stake in the Scandinavian outfit Anagram. Anagram, which was founded in 2002 by comedians Anders Jansson and Johan Wester, has offices in Sweden and Norway that mainly produce TV drama, comedy and live entertainment through subsidiary Anagram Live. Some of the banner’s best-known content include “Thin Blue Line” and “My Life as a Comedian,” which premiered at Toronto. The acquisition was unveiled by Newen Studios CEO Romain Bessi, Anagram executives Mats Alders and Miira Paasilinna. During the lengthy presentation, Newen highlighted the latest work from its major labels around the world, including Ringside Studios (U.K.), Pupkin (Netherlands), Capa Drama (France), De Mensen (Belgium) and Kubik Films (Spain).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Daniel Goldhaber’s heist thriller “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” has been boarded by Paris-based world sales banner Charades following its critically acclaimed world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. The breakout film played in the competitive Platform section at Toronto and was acquired by Neon for North America in a deal negotiated by CAA Media Finance. Based on Andreas Malm’s controversial manifesto tackling the climate crisis, the film stars Ariela Barer (“Runaways”, “Atypical”), who also produced and co-wrote with Jordan Sjol. It was edited by Daniel Garber (“CAM,” “Some Kind of Heaven”). “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” follows a group of young environmental activists who set out to sabotage an oil pipeline in a timely thriller that’s described as “part high-stakes heist, part radical exploration of direct action as climate activism.”

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Les Films du Losange has closed a raft of major deals on Kasja Naess’s animated feature “Titina” which is produced by the teams behind the Oscar-nominated film “The Triplets of Belleville” and Oscar-winning short “The Danish Poet.” “Titina” will world premiere at Animation Is Film Festival, which takes place Oct. 21-23, and is produced by GKids, in collaboration with Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety. Budgeted at $8.5 million, the Norwegian animated movie was produced by Mikrofilm (“The Danish Poet”) and Vivi Film (“The Triplets of Belleville”). The film tells the real-life story of a fox terrier that accompanied her master on an expedition to the North Pole in an air balloon in the 1920’s. It will be released in Norway by Norsk Film Distribusjon, and in France by Les Films du Losange.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Christophe Honoré’s “Winter Boy,” which is having its international world premiere in competition at the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sept. 19, has been sold to major territories by Pyramide. “Winter Boy” had its North American premiere at Toronto. Described as Honoré’s most autobiographical film to date, “Winter Boy” stars rising French actor Paul Kircher as a teenager struggling to cope with the death of his father. The movie also stars Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lacoste. Pyramide International, whose sales team is headed by Agathe Mauruc, has closed deals for the film with Palace (Australia, New Zealand), Axia (Canada), Brazil (Pandora), Vercine (Spain), Salzgeber (Germany, Austria), Adok (Switzerland), Athena (Benelux) and Taiwan (Hooray Films). Several other deals are in negotiations.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paolo Sorrentino, the Oscar-winning director of “The Great Beauty” and “The Hand of God,” is set to preside over the jury of the Marrakech International Film Festival. The popular fest will make a comeback this year after a pair of editions were canceled due to the pandemic. The upcoming fest will take place Nov. 11-19. Sorrentino’s jury will award the Étoile d’Or to one of 14 feature-length films set to compete at the festival, which aims at showcasing rising filmmakers from around the world. The helmer follows the footsteps of prestigious directors and talents such as Martin Scorsese and Tilda Swinton, who presided over previous years.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Best Friend Forever has unveiled the trailer for “To The North,” Romanian Mihai Mincan’s feature debut which is world premiering in the Horizons section at Venice. Inspired by true events, the edgy thriller follows Joel, a religious Filipino sailor who finds a Romanian stowaway, Dumitru, hidden between some containers during his shift on a transatlantic ship. Joel decides to hide him and subsequently starts feeling tormented by his crew, friends and even God.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent PBS International has unveiled the trailer for “Casa Susanna,” Sébastien Lifshitz’s follow up to “Little Girl,” which is having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Giornate degli Autori section. Produced by Agat Films, ARTE France and American Experience Films, in association with BBC Storyville, the documentary film will have its North American premiere at Toronto on Sept. 9. “Susanna” delivers a look at the underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men who found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place for them to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self-expression.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNew stills from Luca Guadagnino’s (“Call My By Your Name”) lushly lensed “Bones and All” have been unveiled. The hotly anticipated movie, which stars Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell and Michael Stuhlbarg, is slated to world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival. Penned by David Kajganich (“Suspiria,” “A Bigger Splash”), the film is an adaptation of the novel “Bones & All” by Camille DeAngelis.“Bones and All” is a story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterVariety has promoted Elsa Keslassy to senior international film editor.In her new role, Keslassy will continue to be based out of Paris, where she will cover the entertainment industry spanning film, TV and streamers across France, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Israel.She previously served as Variety‘s international correspondent. Since joining Variety in 2007, Keslassy has distinguished herself with coverage of major festivals and film markets, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, the AFM, Mipcom, Canneseries and Series Mania.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“The Black Pharaoh, the Savage and the Princess,” BAFTA-winning French director Michel Ocelot (“Kirikou and the Sorceress”)’s anticipated new animated feature, has been sold by Paris-based Playtime to major territories. The colorful film is playing at this week’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival where Ocelot is the recipient of the Honorary Cristal Award paying tribute to his laureled career.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights for “Tori and Lokita,” the latest film by two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, which world premiered in competition at Cannes. The movie was one of the best reviewed films of the competition and earned the Dardenne brothers the festival’s special 75th Anniversary Prize.A story of human perseverance, the film is set in contemporary Belgium and follows a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa and pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.“Tori and Lokita” stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“The Three Musketeers,” Pathé Films’s $75-million two-part adventure epic saga based on Alexandre Dumas’s masterpiece, has been bought in major international territories rolling off a busy Cannes market. Pathé unveiled a sprawling 15-minute promoreel for both “The Three Musketeers” – D’Artagnan” and “The Three Musketeers – Milady” at Cannes Marché du Film. Both movies are directed by Martin Bourboulon and boast a star-studded cast, including Vincent Cassel, Eva Green, Vicky Krieps, Romain Duris, Pio Marmaï, François Civil, Lyna Khoudri and Louis Garrel.