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“Reflection in a Dead Diamond” is a new France-produced surreal spy thriller, written and directed by Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, starring Fabio Testi, Yannick Renier, Koen De Bouw, Maria de Medeiros, and Thi Mai, with theatrical distribution Tba:

“…’John’ is 70 years old and lives in solitary luxury in a grand hotel on the Côte d’Azur. He becomes intrigued by the woman in the room next door who reminds him of his wild years on the Riviera in the 1960s, back when he was a debonair international spy in a world brimming with peril and promise.

“But when the woman mysteriously disappears, John is beset by flashbacks – or perhaps fantasies – of his glamorous and grotesque past, and the alluring women and dastardly villains who lived and died there.

“John’s reality becomes fragmented as he seeks to unravel the puzzle of his past. Memory, madness and moviemaking become increasingly difficult to separate.

"I just need to concentrate on school and tennis." Film Movement has unveiled an official US trailer for an acclaimed indie film titled Julie Keeps Quiet, a Belgian thriller about a star tennis player. This premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Critics Week sidebar, then played at the Karlovy Vary, Melbourne, Vancouver, and Toronto Film Festivals last year. As the star player at an elite tennis academy, Julie's life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach is suddenly suspended following the suicide of one of his female protégées, all the players at the academy are encouraged to speak up about their experiences with him. Julie, however, decides to keep quiet. Executive produced by tennis champion Naomi Osaka, the film is a "tense, taut, artfully hushed debut feature" by Belgian writer-director Leonardo van Dijl. Led by newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck whose key performance "embodies the different ways trauma is internalized,...

Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani waste no time establishing the freely associative rhythms of their latest film, Reflection in a Dead Diamond. Its opening pair of images, of a fizzing drink dissolving into ocean waves as they wash over a bikini-clad young woman, herald an orgiastic symphony of sensory overload. Right out of the gate, the filmmakers’ filtering of a James Bond-esque espionage tale through a grindhouse sensibility exists in such a state of emphatic stimulation that each shot feels punctuated with an exclamation point.

Cattet and Forzani, who stitch Reflection in a Dead Diamond together from a seemingly endless array of money shots and stylistic flourishes, never take their foot off the accelerator. It feels like an impossible velocity to maintain, so a big question hanging over the film is when a moment will come when viewers will be able to catch their breaths. The answer comes when the...

One of Christopher Nolan’s most intriguing comments on “Tenet”’s ill-fated 2020 press tour unveiled the mode of inspiration for his time-swerving spy thriller. He wanted to collate the tropes of the sub-genre from his memory and recollections of film viewings past, hoping the mental results would result in a spy movie urtext — an espionage flick composed of the most profound elements of all other espionage flicks. Concluding the thought, he cited Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” as an example of the same kind of approach, but with classic Hollywood westerns.

If “Tenet” was some kind of definitive arabesque on the spy movie, it would make a fine double bill at a classy cinematheque with “Reflection in a Dead Diamond,” which has just premiered in competition at the Berlinale. Co-directed by the artsy genre specialists Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, the film shuffles a myriad of spy thriller trademarks,...

Flaunting more leather and latex than a specialty shop off Times Square in the 1970s, Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Reflet dans un diamant mort) is another gory, glammy, eyes-glazing-over feature from French directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani.

Indeed, both the ’70s and ’60s are eras from which the avant-garde duo have always mined their material, basking in the excesses of Italian giallo horror flicks, Z-grade Spaghetti westerns and other cult items in their arthouse rehashes, which include Let the Corpses Tan and The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears. The pair’s latest plays like a forgotten Franco-Italian James Bond ripoff that’s dropped too many tabs of acid, then been slapped with a hard-r rating for its abundance of stabbings, slashings and other kinds of twisted desecrations of the human flesh.

A bold choice for competition at the Berlinale, and clearly more fit for midnight or genre fest programs,...

Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, the filmmaking duo behind The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears, and Let the Corpses Tan, are back with a unique spin on the Eurospy subgenre with Reflection in a Dead Diamond.

Below we can exclusively unveil Reflection in a Dead Diamond’s European poster by Gilles Vranckx ahead of the film’s premiere this weekend at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Update: Shudder has acquired the film for premiere later this year.

In the film, “John D, a septuagenarian living in a luxury hotel on the Côte d’Azur, is intrigued by his next-door neighbour who reminds him of the wildest years on the Riviera during the 1960s. At that time, he was a spy in a rapidly developing world full of promise. One day, this neighbour mysteriously disappears… bringing John face to face with his demons: are his former adversaries back to wreak havoc on his idyllic world?...

AMC Networks’ Shudder has bought “Reflection in a Dead Diamond,” Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s supernatural crime film, ahead of its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

The Shudder acquisition deal covers North America, the U.K. and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, with plans to release the film exclusively on the streamer in 2025.

“Reflection in a Dead Diamond” takes place following the disappearance of a mysterious woman, as a debonair 70-year-old ex-spy living in a luxury hotel on the Côte d’Azur gets “confronted by the demons and darlings of a lurid past in which moviemaking, memories and madness collide,” reads the synopsis.

The film stars Golden Globe-winning Italian actor Fabio Testi, Yannick Renier, Koen De Bouw, Maria De Medeiros, Céline Camara and introduces newcomer Thi Mai Nguyen.

“Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani are simply two of the greatest genre filmmakers in the world. Each film, an event,...

Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani — the husband-and-wife filmmaking duo behind Amer, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears, and Let the Corpses Tan — are back with Reflection in a Dead Diamond.

Watch the teaser trailer for the tribute to 1960s European spy cinema below.

When the mysterious woman in the room next door disappears, a debonair 70-year-old ex-spy living in a luxury hotel on the Côte d’Azur is confronted by the demons and darlings of a lurid past in which moviemaking, memories and madness collide.

Fabio Testi (What Have You Done to Solange?), Yannick Renier, Koen De Bouw (Loft), Maria de Medeiros (Pulp Fiction), and Thi Mai Nguyen star.

The mystery action thriller will have its world premiere in competition at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival later this month.

Italian sales company True Colours acquired the worldwide rights to the film last year. Keep an eye out for US release details.

Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s Reflection In A Dead Diamond has closed sales to a number of key territories ahead of its premiere this month in Berlinale competition and has also exclusively revealed a first look to Screen.

Italian sales agent True Colours has signed deals with Plaion Pictures for German speaking territories and Hishow Entertainment for Mainland China. Further deals with UFO Distribution for France and Cinéart for Belgium and the Netherlands were brokered by the film’s producer Pierre Foulon of Kozak Films.

The film, starring veteran Italian actor Fabio Testi, is an homage to the 1960s...

The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for the 2025 edition, running February 13-23. It’s the first official lineup overseen by new artistic director and former BFI London Film Festival leader Tricia Tuttle, who succeeds Carlo Chatrian and brings her background as an American journalist and curator to the annual German showcase. She’s also working with co-directors of programming, Jacqueline Lyanga and Michael Stütz, to help reposition the Berlinale’s profile among the great global film festivals and lure bigger-name filmmakers in the process.

This year’s lineup, announced Tuesday, January 21, features new films from Richard Linklater, Michel Franco, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Hong Sangsoo (“What Does That Nature Say to You”), Radu Jude (“Kontinental ’25”), and Lucile Hadžihalilović (“The Ice Tower”). Already confirmed in the mix are “Mickey 17” from Bong Joon Ho and Ira Sachs’ Sundance premiere “Peter Hujar’s Day,” plus Tom Tykwer’s “The Light” opening the festival.

Following last week’s lineup announcement, the Berlinale 2025 has now fleshed out its slate with the Competition, Special, and Perspectives sections. Highlights include the world premieres of Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott; Radu Jude’s Kontinental ’25; Hong Sangsoo’s What Does that Nature Say to You; Michel Franco’s Dreams starring Jessica Chastain; Lucile Hadžihalilović’s The Ice Tower starring Marion Cotillard; and Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s Hot Milk with Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, and Vicky Krieps.

The festival will also include international premieres from Julia Loktev, Mary Bronstein, Kahlil Joseph, and more. In terms of omissions for films that potentially could have been a strong fit: there’s no Steven Soderberg’s Black Bag, Wes Anderson’s German production The Phoenician Scheme, nor Berlinale regular Christian Petzold, who wrapped Miroirs No. 3 only a few months ago.

Check out the lineup...

The Berlin Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled the full list of titles set for its official competition alongside perspective and specials sidebars.

A total of 19 films have been selected for the international competition. It’s a buzzy selection with multiple titles that have been anticipated and boast high-profile names. Highlights include Richard Linklater’s latest feature Blue Moon, starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott. Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco launches his latest title Dreams in competition. The film stars Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernández and Rupert Friend. Franco last worked with Chastain on the Venice competition title Memory.

Elsewhere, Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude lands in competition with Kontinental ’25. Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s Hot Milk starring Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps also secures a spot alongside Hong Sangsoo’s latest What Does that Nature Say to You, and Mumblecore veteran Mary Bronstein returns as a director with If I Had Legs I’d Kick You...

A Belgian farmer fights to save his family and fellow villagers from a ruthless German soldier at the dawn of World War I. The Last Front depicts the horrifying slaughter of innocent civilians with frank realism and a poetic contrast to their gentle, bucolic lives. Director/co-writer Julien Hayet-Kerknawi channels Terrence Malick as we hear both a torn protagonist and his cruel adversary's inner thoughts. War forces peaceful men to violence while also feeding the worst instincts of a merciless invader. The Last Front doesn't quite succeed in every facet of its artistic intent, but is a powerfully emotional experience.

Set in Flanders, Belgium in August 1914, Commander Maximilian Von Rauch (Philippe Brenninkmeyer) leads a battalion of German soldiers towards rural villages. His son, Lt. Laurentz (Joe Anderson) sees no distinction between enemy soldiers and civilians. He executes women and children after one of his men is shot by a sniper.

Exclusive: Filmmaker Julien Hayet-Kerknawi on Monday announced the launch of Enigma Releasing, a Belgium-based distribution company dedicated to bringing high-quality European indie films to U.S. theaters, and vice versa.

The company’s first release will be The Last Front, a WWI action thriller co-written and directed by Hayet-Kerknawi, which is slated to hit theaters nationwide on August 9. Going forward, Enigma intends to acquire and shepherd other new theatrical films, aiming for 4-5 film releases a year.

Starring Games of Thrones‘ Iain Glen, The Last Front is set in a Belgian village during the tumultuous start of World War I, watching as the Lambert family find themselves thrust into the heart of the conflict. At the center is Leonard Lambert (Glen), a devoted husband and father who grapples with protecting his family amidst the chaos of war as German forces advance to their village. Amidst the war, a tender love...

Italian sales company True Colours has acquired worldwide rights to Reflection In A Dead Diamond from cult genre film directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani.

The fourth feature from the Brussels-based duo is an homage to 1960s Euro-spy stories, set in the glamorous, decadent backdrop of the Côte d’Azur. Filming wrapped in December and the film is now in post-production.

Reflection In A Dead Diamond centres on a retired spy who fears his former enemies are back for a final fight when his intriguing next-door neighbour mysteriously disappears.

Known for their unique visual style, Cattet and Forzani’s films blend action,...

Jour2Fete has acquired French distribution rights to Cannes Critics’ Week title Julie Keeps Quiet.

The debut feature of Belgian director Leonardo Van Dijl, Julie Keeps Quiet is set in an elite tennis academy. When an investigation into her tennis coach ignites and he is suspended, all of the club’s players are encouraged to speak up but star player Julie chooses to keep quiet - leaving the investigation and the coach’s future in doubt. Van Dijl’s short film Stephanie played in Cannes, San Sebastian and TIFF in 2020 and was set in the world of gymnastics.

International sales for...

Exclusive: Cameras are rolling on Stargazer, a new feature from artist-filmmaker Christian Neuman, which producers have described as a “modern psychic thriller” starring Rosalind Halstead and Poppy Delevingne.

The pic is Neuman’s second feature, following the 2019 horror feature Skin Walker, starring Udo Kier and Amber Anderson. The first week of principal photography has wrapped up in London, with the production now in Belgium and set to conclude in Luxembourg by mid-December.

The film’s synopsis reads: “Stargazer follows Fey Vilar, portrayed by Rosalind Halstead, a celebrated actress grappling with the abduction of her son, Paul. Using performance as a coping mechanism, Fey’s life takes an unexpected turn when she is offered a role in a play in which she must embody the character of Estelle Maar, Paul’s captor, in order to uncover the truth about her son’s disappearance. The film is said to explore themes of grief,...

Feature was released by Gusto in the Netherlands.

Dutch outfit Incredible Films has taken world sales rights to Chris W Mitchell’s Covid horror film The Revelation, which was released by Gusto in the Netherlands.

The film is about an anxious, unemployed and increasingly paranoid computer repair man who moves in with his mother at the start of the first lockdown. He is determined to protect her from the virus but ends up being even more of a threat to her than the disease itself.

Victor Low stars with Dutch actress Monic Hendrickx. Producers Jan Doense and Monique van Kessel...

Ostend Film Festival will be forced to change its original dates

The Belgian film sector has been sent reeling by the surprise news on Wednesday (December 22) that all cinemas in the country will be obliged to close from December 26 to January 28.

The cinema closures are part of a new raft of public measures being introduced in response to a rise in Covid cases spurred by the Omicron variant.

Some within the local industry are striking a defiant and angry note, however, given Belgian cinemas already have stringent measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid, including reduced capacity, social distancing,...

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” and “Coda” stood out among films which picked up awards at the closing ceremony of the 49th Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund.

For the festival’s grand reopening to the international market, after a restricted 2020 edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic, attendance surpassed pre-pandemic levels with an all-time-high number of industry accreditations for the event which ran Aug. 21-27.

The strong selection of films at this year’s on-site festival and in the virtual confab New Nordic Films was undoubtedly one reason for this strong attendance, as major films shone at the closing ceremony where six awards were doled out.

“The Man Who Sold His Skin,” the Oscar-nominated film from Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, won the ecumenical film prize and the Andreas Award, a collaboration between The Norwegian Film Festival, Film&Kino and the newspaper Vårt Land. The film is a satire of...

The Man Who Sold His Skin Trailer — Kaouther Ben Hania‘s The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) U.S. and U.K. movie trailers have been released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Studio Soho Distribution. The Man Who Sold His Skin trailer stars Yahya Mahayni, Dea Liane, Koen De Bouw, Monica Bellucci, Saad Lostan, [...]

Continue reading: The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) Movie Trailer: An Artist Turns a Man’s Back into a Living Piece of Artwork...

During the last years the world has become perhaps even more aware of the phenomenon of mass immigration, especially due to the still ongoing conflict in Syria. While the news of many people, desperate to find peace and the opportunity for a new life somewhere certainly touches us, it was perhaps the constant stream of images which have left a mark on our collective mind. The idea of people ripped from their homes, with nothing left other than the clothes on their bodies and a few other remains, has become a reminder of one of the most pressing conditions of our times, one which will probably only worsen due to the Covid-pandemic. The often cynical notion of the worth of human beings seems to define political debates, a discussion which hides the fates of people in favor of economic and social benefit. In many ways, Kaouther Ben Haria’s feature...

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” represents a small handful of long-overdue firsts — it’s the first Tunisian film nominated for Best International Feature at the Oscars, thereby making director Kaouther Ben Hania the first Muslim woman who’s ever been invited to compete in this category — but for all of the project’s barrier-breaking success there’s also something naggingly familiar about the choice to honor it alongside heavyweights such as “Another Round” and “Collective.”

It’s not every year that voters are confronted with a glossy romantic melodrama that leverages the Syrian refugee crisis into the smirking kind of art world satire that Ruben Östlund made with “The Square,” and yet Ben Hania’s genre-defying film would seem even more unprecedented if not for the context provided by a smattering of recent Oscar winners and also-rans: “The Lives of Others,” Denis Vileneuve’s “Incendies,” and before that, cultural phenomena like “Life Is Beautiful.

Writer-director Emma Seligman brings her feature Shiva Baby to theaters and Tvod starting today — and it is quite a comedic ride.

Released by Utopia, Shiva Baby follows a young woman who is trying to keep the different versions of herself in order when she runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva with her parents.

Let’s elaborate on all of that.

Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is a college student on the verge of graduation. She has a sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) that pays her on a regular basis. One day, after rushing from her sugar daddy to her neurotic parents’ family shiva, she is given the third degree by various estranged relatives about her appearance and lack of post-grad plans. Meanwhile, her ex-girlfriend, Maya (Molly Gordon) is getting all the praise because she got into law school.

Things take even more of a turn when her...

Kaouther Ben Hania: “It’s basically that the Faust legend is our daily bread.”

Kaouther Ben Hania’s gripping The Man Who Sold His Skin (Oscar-nominated for Best International Feature Film), shot by Christopher Aoun (Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum) with a score from Amin Bouhafa (Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu and Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s Gagarine with Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine), stars Yahya Mahayni, Dea Liane, Koen De Bouw, and Monica Bellucci.

Connections to the auction scene with Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, Kim Novak sitting in the museum in Vertigo, Jean-Pierre Léaud’s white lie in François Truffaut's The 400 Blows, Faust, peacocks, and the “long journey in preparation” for writer/director Kaouther Ben Hania, all came up in the first part of our in-depth conversation on Tunisia’s Oscar submission The Man Who Sold His Skin.

Kaouther Ben Hania on...

Jayro Bustamante on La Llorona, co-written with Lisandro Sanchez: “I wanted to give women that honor to be in the center of looking for justice in the film.”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday, March 15, the nominations for the 93rd Oscars. Best International Feature Film nominees are from Denmark, Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round; From Hong Kong, Derek Tsang’s Better Days; From Romania, Alexander Nanau’s Collective; from Tunisia, Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin, and from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jasmila Žbanic’s Quo Vadis, Aida?.

Jayro Bustamante: “I can understand victims. And I can feel empathy with them.”

The Oscar-shortlisted film from Chile, Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent snared a Best Documentary nomination. From Norway, Maria Sødahl’s Hope...

The Man Who Sold His Skin (L’homme qui vendu sa peau) Samuel Goldwyn Films Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Kaouther Ben Hania Writer: Kaouther Ben Hania Cast: Yahya Mahayni, Dea Liane, Koen De Bouw, Monica Bellucci, Saad Lostan, Darina Al Joundi, Jan Dahdouh, Christian Vadim Screened at: […]

The post The Man Who Sold His Skin Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

The doings of the international art world often seem arcane and over the top, but never moreso than as depicted in The Man Who Sold His Skin. This is a madly dramatic and engrossing melodrama about a political refugee whose unique predicament bundles with it issues pertaining to personal and political identity, the Middle East quagmire, romantic rejection and the outer limits of art world presumption and extravagance. Tunisia’s shortlisted submission in the International Feature Oscar race is a very tasty couscous of fine ingredients and flat-out entertaining enough to warrant significant international exposure.

Tunisian director-screenwriter Kaouther Ben Hania’s follow-up to her 2017 Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Beauty And The Dogs is notable for its gutsy narrative moves, rich visuals and sheer drive, which marks her, along with her notably resourceful and elegant Lebanese cinematographer Christopher Aoun, as talents who should emerge even more decisively before long.

The...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best International Feature

Updated: Mar. 4, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Denmark has dominated the season with “Another Round,” even presenting itself as a film that can show up in other categories like best actor (Mads Mikkelsen). While “Honeyland” made history last year when it...

“Storytelling is a vehicle for empathy,” proclaims Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania about her Venice Film Festival award-winning film “The Man Who Sold His Skin.” “It’s the dream of any filmmaker to have this empathy for a character.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Ben Hania above.

In “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” Sam (Yahya Mahayni), a Syrian refugee desperate to get to Europe to rescue his fiancée, agrees to being tattooed, selling off his body as a living work of art to be exhibited in a museum. He soon realizes that he has sold away more than just his skin. The film co-stars acclaimed Italian actress Monica Bellucci and Belgian actor Koen De Bouw and won Syrian-born leading man Mahayni the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival last fall.

See 2021 Oscars shortlists in 9 categories: International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Original Song, Score

“This is not a classic refugee story.

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights for Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin, Tunisia’s short-listed entry for Best International Film for the 93rd Academy Awards.

Written and directed by Hania, the film stars Yahya Mahyni, Dea Liane, Koen De Bouw and Monica Bellucci. The Man Who Sold His Skin tells the story of Sam Ali, a young sensitive and impulsive Syrian, who left his country for Lebanon to escape the war. To be able to travel to Europe and live with the love of his life, he accepts to have his back tattooed by one of by the World’s most sulfurous contemporary artist. Turning his own body into a prestigious piece of art, Sam will however come to realize that his decision might actually mean anything but freedom.

“The Man Who Sold His Skin is a powerful film that draws...

Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up the U.S. rights for “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” Tunisia’s short-listed entry for the international feature film Oscar. The film is represented in international markets by Paris-based Bac Films.

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” stars Yahya Mahayni as Sam, a Syrian man who decides to have a large Schengen visa, the document he desperately needs to enter Europe, tattooed on his back by a famous artist, thus becoming a human artwork to be exhibited in a Brussels museum. Turning his own body into a prestigious piece of art, Sam will come to realize that his decision might actually mean anything but freedom.

The film world premiered at Venice, where it won the best actor award for Mahayni, and went on to have its Middle East premiere at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, where it scooped the best Arab film award.

Now shortlisted in the international feature category, Tunisia’s ambitious entry “The Man Who Sold His Skin” from female writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania (“Beauty and the Dogs”) offers a provocative contemporary take on a Faustian bargain. An audacious but not always palatable mix of drama, tragedy, romance, satire and dark humor, the plot centers on Sam (newcomer Yahya Mahayni), a displaced Syrian with a chip on his shoulder who allows a cryptic art-world guru to use his back as a canvas. Paradoxically, it becomes easier for him to travel to Europe as an artwork than as a refugee. But what he thought of as freedom turns out to be anything but.

Lest anyone think the central idea is farfetched, helmer Ben Hania was inspired by the Belgian artist Wim Delvoye (seen here in a cameo role), who tattooed and signed the back of a man called Tim. The piece was...

Drama about refugee who becomes a human work of art premieres in Venice’s Horizons section.

The recent exploits of the Banksy-funded refugee rescue boat the Louise Michel in the Mediterranean helped put the global refugee crisis back on the news agenda in recent days.

The world of contemporary art and refugees also come together in Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin, which premiered in the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section this weekend.

Syrian actor Yahya Mahayni stars as a young Syrian man living in exile in Beirut. His life changes forever when...

Kaouther Ben Hania’s drama premieres in Horizons on September 5.

Paris-based Bac Films International has revealed early sales on Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s drama The Man Who Sold His Skin ahead of its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons section this week.

The feature has pre-sold to the Netherlands and Belgium (Cinéart), Turkey (Bir Films), Taiwan (Creative Century) and Russia (Ten Letters). Bac Films will distribute the English, Arabic and French-language film in France.

Syrian actor Yahya Mahayni stars as a young man who flees his native Syria for Beirut after being hounded by the police. In a...

Nineteen French feature films, including minority coproductions, will screen at the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival, which runs Sept. 2-12. There are also four short films produced by France, and six French VR productions.

Nicole Garcia will represent France in the Official Competition with “Lovers,” her ninth feature film. She will be joined in the section by Amos Gitaï, whose film “Laila in Haifa” is a majority-French coproduction.

In addition to those movies, six films majority produced or coproduced by France will be showcased at the festival. They include Quentin Dupieux’s “Mandibules,” presented out of competition, and “Princesse Europe” by Camille Lotteau, to be shown in a special screening. The competitive Orizzonti section features four majority-French films.

“Honey Cigar” plays in Giornate degli Autori, a sidebar event.

Majority-French Feature Films in Venice

“Lovers”

Section: In Competition

Director: Nicole Garcia

Cast: Stacy Martin, Pierre Niney, Benoît Magimel

Sales:...

"We've got to pilot this ourselves?" Epic Pictures has released an official Us trailer for a submarine thriller called Torpedo U 235, which is an amalgamation of two other titles for this: Torpedo (the original Belgian title) and U235 (the sub's name). The film is about a small team of Belgian resistance fighters that kidnap a German submarine during WWII and accept a mission to bring uranium, needed for the Manhattan Project, from the Belgian Kongo to New York. Based on a true story, of course. This looks like it has some awesome action in addition to the wicked cool story of some Belgians wrangling a stolen German sub for a top secret mission. This stars Koen De Bouw, Thure Riefenstein, Ella-June Henrard, Joren Seldeslachts, Sven De Ridder, Stefan Perceval, and Bert Haelvoet. The dialogue is cheesy, but the rest seems solid. Here's the official trailer (+ posters) for Sven Huybrechts' Torpedo...

The Tunisian helmer’s new drama will star Yahya Mahayni, Monica Bellucci, Koen de Bouw, Dea Liane and Wim Delvoye in the lead roles. Kaouther Ben Hania’s new project is now in post-production, as confirmed by Nadim Cheikhrouha, producer at Tanit Films. The Tunisian director is best known for her previous features Challat of Tunis (2013), selected as the opening movie of the 2014 programme of screenings organised by the Acid (Association for Independent Film Distribution) in Cannes, and Beauty and the Dogs, chosen for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The latter was also the Tunisian entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-language Film. The story of this new film, penned in its entirety by the director herself, tells of the vicissitudes of Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee. In order to be able to travel to Europe and...

France’s Bac Films has boarded a pair of politically engaged Middle Eastern films from women directors: Sepideh Farsi’s animated feature “The Siren” and Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Man Who Sold His Skin.”

“The Siren” is produced by Les Films d’Ici, the banner behind “Waltz With Bashir” and “Funan,” and co-produced by Luxembourg’s Bac Cinéma, Germany’s Katuh Studio and Belgium’s Lunanime.

“Siren,” set in 1980, unfolds in Abadan, the capital of the Iranian oil industry where locals are resisting an Iraqi siege. The film follows the journey of 14-year-old Omid who has braved the siege and stayed in the city with his grandfather, waiting for his elder brother to return from the front line. Omid tries to save his family using an abandoned boat he finds in Abadan’s port.

Bac Films is handling international sales, on top of co-producing, and is showing a teaser...

PBS Distribution and Walter Presents are set to bring Belgian crime drama “Professor T” to audiences across the U.S. “Professor T” will be the second international title distributed under the Walter’s Choice banner, the partnership between PBS Distribution, the home video arm of PBS, and streaming service Walter Presents, which brings non-English language drama to PBS’ regional network of broadcast stations.

The first season of “Professor T” is set to air on PBS broadcast stations across the U.S. from May 2. The 13-part series will also be available via members-only streaming service PBS Passport. The announcement follows the introduction of the new Walter’s Choice brand in February, which launched with Swedish crime thriller “Modus.”

Bill Young, vice president of television programming for Kera, the PBS station serving northern Texas, said viewers were already “really responding” to “Modus.” “They will now have the opportunity to follow it up with ‘Professor T,...

Network: Amazon. Episodes: Nine (hour). Seasons: One. TV show dates: July 28, 2017 — September 11, 2017. Series status: Cancelled. Performers include: Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Collins, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dominique McElligott, Enzo Cilenti, Mark O’Brien, Jessica De Gouw, Koen De Bouw, Jennifer Beals, Saul Rubinek, and Eion Bailey. TV show description: A drama, The Last Tycoon TV show centers on "Hollywood's Golden Boy" Monroe Stahr (Bomer). The young impressario struggles with studio boss Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer), over the path the studio should take. When the Nazi regime informs the studio that they will have to abide by Hitler's standards, if they want to release their films in Germany, Stahr refuses to go along. Brady allows them to nix Stahr's new film project -- a love...

Vulture Watch What future awaits Monroe Stahr? Is The Last Tycoon TV show cancelled or renewed for a second season on Amazon? The television vulture is watching all the latest TV cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Last Tycoon season two Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you? What's This TV Show About? Streaming on the Amazon Prime Video paid subscription platform, The Last Tycoon stars Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Collins, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dominique McElligott, Enzo Cilenti, Mark O’Brien, Jessica De Gouw, Koen De Bouw, Jennifer Beals, Saul Rubinek, and Eion Bailey. Inspired by the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, the period drama centers on “Hollywood’s Golden Boy” Monroe Stahr (Bomer). The young producer struggles with studio boss Pat Brady (Grammer), over the...

On the heels of reversing its decision to renew Z: The Beginning of Everything for a second season, Amazon has cancelled The Last Tycoon TV show, after only one season. The drama series -- inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel of the same name -- comes from writer and director Billy Ray. Streaming on the Amazon Prime Video paid subscription platform, The Last Tycoon stars Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Collins, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dominique McElligott, Enzo Cilenti, Mark O’Brien, Jessica De Gouw, Koen De Bouw, Jennifer Beals, Saul Rubinek, and Eion Bailey. The period drama centers on “Hollywood’s Golden Boy” Monroe Stahr (Bomer). The young producer struggles with studio boss Pat Brady (Grammer), over the path they should take. The two clash, when the Nazi regime informs them that they will have to abide by Hitler’s standards, if they want to release their...

Vulture Watch What future awaits Monroe Stahr? Is The Last Tycoon TV show cancelled or renewed for a second season on Amazon? The television vulture is watching all the latest TV cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Last Tycoon season two Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you? What's This TV Show About? Streaming on the Amazon Prime Video paid subscription platform, The Last Tycoon stars Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Collins, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dominique McElligott, Enzo Cilenti, Mark O’Brien, Jessica De Gouw, Koen De Bouw, Jennifer Beals, Saul Rubinek, and Eion Bailey. Inspired by the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, the period drama centers on “Hollywood’s Golden Boy” Monroe Stahr (Bomer). The young producer struggles with studio boss Pat Brady (Grammer), over the...

Network: Amazon. Episodes: Ongoing (hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: July 28, 2017 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Collins, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dominique McElligott, Enzo Cilenti, Mark O’Brien, Jessica De Gouw, Koen De Bouw, Jennifer Beals, Saul Rubinek, and Eion Bailey. TV show description: A drama, The Last Tycoon TV show centers on "Hollywood's Golden Boy" Monroe Stahr (Bomer). The young impressario struggles with studio boss Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer), over the path the studio should take. When the Nazi regime informs the studio that they will have to abide by Hitler's standards, if they want to release their films in Germany, Stahr refuses to go along. Brady allows them to nix Stahr's new film project -- a...

New Europe Film Sales is representing the Bel-Swe-Nor-nl co-production.

Cloudboy has won the Works In Progress award - which comes with an $11,000 (€10,000) prize - at Flanders Image’s inaugural NeXT event. The story is about a Belgian boy who connects to his Swedish mother’s Sami roots during a summer trip to Lapland.

An international industry jury said, “We really want to see the special world that director Meikeminne Clinckspoor has created. We thought producer Katleen Goossens was very well prepared with her presentation, and both she and Meikeminne also told us about the heart of the story not just the plot. The story is both original and universal and we think it will appeal to wide audiences.”

Flanders Image had invited invited 13 projects in post-production – all backed by the Flanders Audiovisual fund — to pitch to the international industry in attendance.

The 13 projects in detail:

Blue Silence, wr/dir Bülent Öztürk, prod [link=nm...

Exclusive: The Works has inked a Spanish deal on Erik Van Looy thriller.

The Works International has secured a Spanish distribution deal on English and Flemish-language action-thriller The Prime Minister with Flins Y Piniculas.

Director Erik Van Looy’s (Loft) film, currently in post-production, stars Koen de Bouw (Loft), Dirk Roofthooft (Loft,), Saskia Reeves (Wolf Hall) and Adam Godley (The Bfg).

In The Prime Minister the car of the Belgian Prime Minister is hijacked, his driver killed and the Prime Minister kidnapped by terrorists.

Soon, he learns that his wife and children are also being held hostage and that they...

Belgian thriller The Prime Minister, about a terrorist plot to kidnap the Us president, is currently filming in and around Brussels.

Belgian terrorist-themed thriller The Prime Minister, which started shoot this week, is to continue production in spite of the bomb attacks in Brussels on Tuesday.

The film, directed by Erik Van Looy (The Loft), is about a plot to assassinate the Us President, played by Saskia Reeves. Koen De Bouw plays the kidnapped Belgian prime minister, whom terrorists try to force into committing the murder.

Producer Hilde De Laere confirmed to Screen that filming is still underway. The early scenes have been shot outside Brussels but the production is due to move to the city next week.

“Until now, we haven’t received any indication that things are no longer possible,” De Laere commented of the situation in Brussels. “For the moment, the spirit is that life has to go on.”

The film will...

Toronto-based sales agent heads to the Efm with slate led by four StudioVault titles.

The Toronto-based sales agent heads into Berlin with a robust slate led by the StudioVault roster of Side By Side, The Red Robin, The Moment and Heartland.

Jane Weinstock’s thriller The Moment [pictured] from producer Allan Jones stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Meat Loaf and screens today (Feb 6), as does Fred Holmes comedy Heartland starring Frank Ahearn and Prem Chopra and produced by Sunny Virmani.

Michael Z Wechsler’s psychological thriller The Red Robin starring Judd Hirsch and produced by Shawn Singh screens in the market tomorrow (Feb 7).

Buyers can watch family adventure Side By Side from first-timer Arthur Landon and starring Bel Powley and Alfie Field on Feb 9. Sarah Giles produced.

Director of acquisitions Michael Da Silva and managing director John Dunstan negotiated the deals with the producers of each film.

Cinemavault’s World division has acquired the culinary comedy Brasserie Romantique...