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Exclusive: Portuguese-based talent agency Hit Management has hired Sara Puro-Steele in the newly created role of Managing Director.

Puro-Steele joins Hit Management after 17 years at the London-based Independent Talent Group. Puro-Steele is a dual Spanish-British national and fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. She has represented actors such as Ariane Labed (September Says), Olga Kurylenko (Thunderbolts*), Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83), and Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso).

Hit Management was co-founded by João Louro in 2011. The Lisbon-based company represents actors across film and television. Some of their clients include Afonso Pimentel, Inês Pires Tavares, Ricardo Pereira, Leonor Silveira, Simão Cayatte, and Laura Dutra. Hit Management also operates alongside its sister PR and advertising agency, mais que uma.

Discussing the move, Puro-Steele said she has “always had a passion for European talent.”

“The exceptional work of my clients in their home countries is precisely what makes them so attractive for international projects casting...

In one of its major recent scripted pick-ups, Zdf Studios has acquired international distribution rights to “Lume,” an eco thriller set against the building crisis of endemic wildfires on the northern Portugal-Spain border which is devastating its countryside.

The production-distribution powerhouse of one of Europe’s biggest public broadcaster powerhouses, Zdf Studios is bringing “Lume” to market at this week’s Mipcom trade fair.

The Zdf pick-up is just the latest sign of interest from international companies and institutions in “Lume.” Warner Bros. Discovery’s platform Max will stream the series in Spain and Portugal, airing simulcasting with Rtp and Televisión de Galicia (Tvg), the public broadcasters of Portugal and Galicia, Spain’s North-West region.

“Lume” was also one of nine E.U. series which won co-financing this June in the second round of the Council of Europe’s pilot program for Series Co-Production Support. The grants target high-quality productions.

Portuguese-Spanish echo-drama “Lume,” an Rtp (Portugal), TV Galicia (Spain) and Max pickup, has filled out its Iberian cast.

From the western side of the peninsula, Portuguese Academy Sophia Award-winner Lúcia Moniz, Albano Jerónimo (“The Domain”) and Ricardo Pereira (“Amor Amor”) have all joined the show’s ranks.

Ricardo Pereira, Lúcia Moniz, Albano Jerónimo

The Portuguese trio will be joined by Spanish actors Cristina Castaño (“La que se avecina”) Xúlio Abonjo (“Sin Plomo”) and Alfonso Agra (“Serramoura”).

Cristina Castaño, Xúlio Abonjo, Alfonso Agra

“Lume” was inspired by the increasingly frequent wildfires that have ravaged the Spanish and Portuguese countryside in recent years. In the show, a forest fire endangers a small village on the border between Galicia and Portugal. There, Lucía starts a journalistic investigation of the case that quickly becomes personal. She quickly learns that while a fire can destroy, it can also expose hidden truths.

The show is being...

It’s a star-studded Marbella of the 1980s, and the glam Andalusian backdrop frames an opulent narrative that fuses suspense, betrayal and slow-simmering vengeance in the Atresmedia original series “Eva & Nicole,” teased by its producers – Spain’s Atresmedia TV (“Veneno”) alongside Good Mood (“Cristo y Rey”) – at the MipDrama showcase on April 7, a precursor to the broader MipTV international series market in Cannes, running April 8-10.

Handling global distribution, Atresmedia TV International Sales will attend MipTV.

One of only 10 international series selected by the MipDrama jury, the eight-episode affair is directed by David Molina, Antonio Hernández and Álvaro Vicario and structured around a fast-paced script written by Daniel Écija, Patricia Trueba, Andrés Martín Soto, Iñaki San Román, Paula López Cuervo and César Mendizábal.

The series opens with gusto at Nicole’s, the social club named after its owner who is framed from the back as she fiercely pulls open...

London, April 2 (Ians) Manchester City kept their calm after falling behind, to roar back and beat Liverpool 4-1 in a result that very much keeps them in the race for the Premier League title.

Although Mohamed Salah poached a goal for Liverpool in the 17th minute, Julian Alvarez, who was in the side for injured Erling Haaland, levelled 10 minutes later and then helped Riyad Mahrez set up Kevin de Bruyne to put City ahead in the first minute of the second half.

Ilkay Gundogan then put the result beyond doubt when he made it 3-1 in the 53rd minute after Alvarez’s shot had been blocked and the impressive Jack Grealish got the goal he deserved in the 74th minute after exchanging passes with De Bruyne.

“When we conceded the goal, we were playing really well. Of course, they are always a threat in the transitions, but we played really well in all departments.

The Open Reel sells film to Tla Releasing for key territories.

With the 2018 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival now underway in the Estonian capital, Official Selection title Sunburn has scored key territory deals.

Torino-based sales agent The Open Reel has sold the film to Philadeliphia-based Tla Releasing for North America, UK and Ireland, France and French-speaking Territories.

Sunburn has its world premiere in Tallinn on Thursday, November 29.

Directed and written by Vicente Alves do Ó, the Portugese psychological drama follows four friends in their 40s who meet for a weekend by the pool. When a sudden call disrupts the quietness of the hot countryside,...

To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.

Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list here, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.

See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for June 2016

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, June 17. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.

Wide

Central Intelligence

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Aaron Paul, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Ryan Hansen, Bobby Brown, Megan Park, Timothy John Smith

Synopsis: “After he reunites with an old pal through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.

Reviewed in today's Berlinale Diary: Heiner Carow's The Journey to Sundevit; Ted Fendt's Short Stay with Meaghan Lydon, Marta Sicinksa and Mike Maccherone; André Téchiné's Being 17, co-written with Céline Sciamma and starring Sandrine Kiberlain, Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila and Alexis Loret; Ivo M. Ferreira's Letters from War with Miguel Nunes, Margarida Vila-Nova, Ricardo Pereira, João Pedro Vaz and João Pedro Mamede; Philip Scheffner's Havarie; Anne Zohra Berrached's 24 Weeks with Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf, Emilia Pieske and Maria Dragus; and Rachid Bouchareb's Road to Istanbul with Astrid Whettnall, Pauline Burlet, Patricia Ide and Abel Jafri. » - David Hudson...

Reviewed in today's Berlinale Diary: Heiner Carow's The Journey to Sundevit; Ted Fendt's Short Stay with Meaghan Lydon, Marta Sicinksa and Mike Maccherone; André Téchiné's Being 17, co-written with Céline Sciamma and starring Sandrine Kiberlain, Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila and Alexis Loret; Ivo M. Ferreira's Letters from War with Miguel Nunes, Margarida Vila-Nova, Ricardo Pereira, João Pedro Vaz and João Pedro Mamede; Philip Scheffner's Havarie; Anne Zohra Berrached's 24 Weeks with Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf, Emilia Pieske and Maria Dragus; and Rachid Bouchareb's Road to Istanbul with Astrid Whettnall, Pauline Burlet, Patricia Ide and Abel Jafri. » - David Hudson...

Cosmos

Director: Andrzej Zulawski // Writer: Andrzej Zulawski

2015 marks the ending of a fifteen year hiatus from filmmaking for Polish auteur Andrzej Zulawski, whose last film was 2000’s La Fidelite, which starred the director’s then wife French actress Sophie Marceau. Known for capturing some of the most memorably gonzo performances ever committed to film, Zulawski’s most celebrated title is 1981’s Possession, which starred Isabelle Adjani (who nabbed Best Actress at Cannes for her unforgettable performance) and Sam Neill. Infamous for its inclusion on the dreaded “Video Nasties” list of the 1980s, the title slowly nurtured a cult audience and is still, by far, the most easily accessible title of Zulawski’s impressive filmography. Plagued by Polish censors, the critical success following his first two features, 1971′s The Third Part of the Night and 1972’s The Devil saw Zulawaski migrate to France for the magnificent The Most Important Thing is...

Asia Argento and Nuno Lopes in Obsessive Rhythms She was one of the original Nouvelle Vague stars. Now Fanny Ardant, who after more than 60 films, 25 theatre runs and a dozen-plus television series, has emerged as a grande dame of French cinema, although do not mention the phrase in her presence.

She continues to reinvent herself – not least behind the camera as a director. That’s the reason she’s at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for presentations of Obsessive Rhythms (Cadences Obstinées) a drama about a former cellist stuck in a dead-end relationship with an obsessive architect and featuring an impressive cast of Asia Argento, Nuno Lopes, Ricardo Pereira, Gerard Depardieu, and Franco Nero.

"The point of view of someone else has always interested me" Photo: Richard Mowe The reviews may not have been wildly enthusiastic but Ardant is nonplussed because she never reads the critics. More successful was...

Raul Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento are behind Lines of Wellington, an epic set in and around the Battle of Bussaco. Which means – this time in Venice we have a movie which will take us back in 1810, and compete for the festival’s Golden Lion statue.

Not bad, right? Definitely not, and if you check out the rest of this report you’ll actually see that this looks quite interesting, and that some seriously good cast is on board for the whole thing as well!

But, first of all, let me just remind you that director Ruiz died in August 2011, and that his widow Valeria Sarmiento decided to take over directing duties as a homage to him. One thing is for sure – we’re dealing with a powerful and original story, which comes from “Mysteries of Lisbon’s” writer, Carlos Saboga. Here’s a synopsis part:

On September 27, 1810, the French troops under Marshal Massena,...

Chicago – In many ways, 2011 was the year of startlingly successful throwbacks. Who could’ve guessed that Woody Allen, Tom Cruise and The Muppets would revive their crowd-pleasing appeal? How many moviegoing soothsayers predicted that Michel Hazanavicius’ melodrama, “The Artist,” would become an Oscar front-runner that proves the silent art form is far from dead?

And who could’ve possibly dreamed that veteran Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz would end his extraordinary 48-year-long career with a staggering epic that revitalized the storytelling techniques of a nineteenth century Portuguese novelist? “Mysteries of Lisbon” is a direct rebuke to the conventional narratives that follow uncluttered three-act structures. At four-and-a-half hours, this film preserves the scope and density of its source material, while utilizing modern technology to make every frame thrillingly cinematic.

Blu-ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Author Camilo Castelo Branco’s illegitimate birth and upbringing as an orphan are clearly reflected in the young character placed at the center of his 1852 novel.

Another Earth (12A)

(Mike Cahill, 2011, Us) Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach. 92 mins

It's been quite a year for cosmic arthouse, and like The Tree Of Life and Melancholia, this low-key indie contrasts inner and outer space to stirring effect. Unlike a Kubrick-style space odyssey, it's very much down to earth – Earth One, that is. "Earth Two", a duplicate of our own, is more like a giant metaphor in the sky. Its discovery tragically fuses the lives of two people, and could yet resolve it, which makes for a tender character drama with a shot of sci-fi ingenuity.

Puss In Boots (U)

(Chris Miller, 2011, Us) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis. 90 mins

Between the Shrek brand recognition, the bright 3D, the broad-spectrum comedy and the prospect of cute cats dancing, it's hard to imagine a more mercilessly commercial proposition than this animated spin-off. It's a predictably polished affair, with Banderas's...

It may be more than four hours long, but Raúl Ruiz's final film is an entrancingly strange, beautifully eccentric fable set in 19th-century Portugal

This is the last completed work from the remarkable and prolific Chilean film-maker Raúl Ruiz, who died in August this year at the age of 70. Originally intended as a TV mini-series, it has now been boldly put together as a dream-epic feature in two parts, lasting four-and-a-half hours. Mysteries of Lisbon is intensely and captivatingly strange, a sinuous melodrama about secrecy, destiny and memory in which everyone involved appears to be in a state of hypnosis and on the edge of departing for some Magrittean alternative universe. "Mysteries" is exactly right.

Ruiz's screenwriter Carlos Saboga has adapted an 1854 novel, Mistérios de Lisboa, by the Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco, set around the turn of the 19th century. Branco's story is an involved tale of coincidences,...

Finally making its way into American theatres on the cusp of its director’s passing, Mistérios de Lisboa [Mysteries of Lisbon] gives us an epic look into the bourgeois dramatics of Portugal’s capital city. The press notes for the film contain a pretty accurate and concise three-word description by Raúl Ruiz—“birth, betrayal, redemption”. That triplet sums up Camilo Castelo Branco’s 1854 novel and the adapted screenplay from Carlos Saboga to perfection, each word a huge piece to the tale surrounding an anonymous orphan named João. But as his mystery is uncovered, the sprawling soap opera turns into a sumptuous visual splendor of the past and fate’s often surprisingly coincidental blueprint. Through the orations of dying men and men raised from the ashes of dead aliases, Lisbon is brought to life through its 19th century aristocratic nobility. With a young boy in search of an identity at its center, his part...

The award-wnning period drama "Mysteries of Lisbon", directed by Raúl Ruiz, stars Adriano Luz, Maria João Bastos, Ricardo Pereira, Clotilde Hesme and Afonso Pimentel, adapting the nineteenth-century Portuguese novel by author Camilo Castelo Branco:

"...'Joao' is the child of an ill-fated romance between two members of the aristocracy who are forbidden to marry. His quest is to find out who is parents are, as a multitude of characters conjoin, separate and then rejoin again over three decades in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy..."

"Mysteries of Lisbon" opens August 5th, 2011.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Mysteries of Lisbon"...

The Los Angeles Film Festival has announced the world premiere of Richard Linklater's Bernie as the opening night film for the 2011 festival.

The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.

The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.

"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...