News

Gullane+, the fast-growing distribution arm of top Brazilian production company Gullane Entretenimento, has acquired both Brazilian and international distribution rights to Lírio Ferreira and Karen Harley’s “Para Vigo Me Voy.”

The documentary, playing at Cannes Classics, is a portrait of the legendary Brazilian filmmaker Carlos Diegues told through the weaving of film excerpts and rare footage into a journey through 60 years of Brazilian cinema.

Speaking with Variety out of Cannes, Gullane co-founder and producer Fabiano Gullane calls the documentary a “tribute to one of the most important directors and producers we ever had in Brazil,” adding that Diegues was pioneering in how he “paved the way” for Brazilian cinema in the international market. It is a particularly poignant homage considering that the country recently landed its first-ever Oscar for Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” and is in a prominent position at this year’s Cannes Film Festival as the...

Exclusive: Brazilian filmmaker Cao Hamburger, whose credits include Berlinale 2007 title The Year My Parents Went On Vacation, has lined up the feature School Without Walls with Brazilian production powerhouse Gullane, Portugal’s Ukbar Filmes and France’s Playtime Group.

Leading Brazilian actor Julio Andrade, one of Brazil’s most celebrated actors, stars in the film about the inspirational headteacher at a public school in Heliopolis, one of the largest favelas in Brazil.

School Without Walls is being backed by Globo Filmes and Telecine and will start shooting this summer.

Separately, Gullane’s new distribution arm Gullane + has acquired international rights to Para Vigo Me Voy,...

Quentin Tarantino will be the guest of honour at Cannes Classics, the repertory cinema strand of Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection.

Tarantino will present two western films by George Sherman – 1949’s Red Canyon, and 1950’s Comanche Territory – and will take part in a discussion with critic and filmmaker Elvis Mitchell.

Scroll down for the full selection of Cannes Classics titles

The Classics lineup includes the Cannes pre-opening film, a 4K restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 The Gold Rush, restored by the L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory at the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna. Mk2 Films is arranging a worldwide re-release of the...

Quentin Tarantino will be guest of honor of Cannes Classics this year with a special tribute devoted to late low-budget westerns director George Sherman.

The Cannes regular, who won the Palme d’Or winner for Pulp Fiction and President of the Jury in 2004, will share his passion for Sherman’s work with screenings of two of his westerns made for Universal Pictures – Red Canyon and Comanche Territory – in one of his most creative periods.

Tarantino will participate in a conversation about Sherman moderated by critic and documentary filmmaker Elvis Mitchell.

Other highlights of the program devoted to classic cinema include a pre-opening screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, to mark the centenary of its making, as well as a 25th anniversary screening of Amores perros by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, in the presence of director, and the 50th anniversary screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Shia Labeouf...

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam — known globally as IDFA — has revealed its 2024 opening night and competition films coming this November. The 37th edition kicks off with Piotr Winiewicz’s “About a Hero” featuring Vicky Krieps and the filmography of Werner Herzog.

Per the festival, “The film presents a bold exploration into largely uncharted territories of artificial intelligence — reflecting on questions of authenticity and our understanding of what is real. With Werner Herzog’s permission, Winiewicz sets out to challenge Herzog’s assertion that ‘a computer won’t be able to create a film as good as mine for at least another 4,500 years.’ In a tantalizing experiment, Winiewicz trained an AI system on Herzog’s oeuvre and asked it to generate a screenplay. The result is a disturbing search for the soul — of human beings and of creative work.”

That assertion came from Herzog’s 2016 documentary “Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World,...

Cinema do Brasil’s seventh International Distribution Support Prize has opened for applications at the Efm.

Eligible companies must have signed distribution agreements with Brazilian producers associated with the promotional body and submit international distribution plans.

Applicants must invest at least $25,000 – the amount of the award – in their distribution plans.

Cinema do Brasil is promoting six films in Berlin, five of which screen in official selection.

Festival entries include Drama Filmes’ Panorama opener Blue Blood by Lírio Ferreira and two other selections from that section: Bossa Nova Films’ Absence by Chico Teixeira and Gullane’s The Second Mother (pictured) from Anna Muylaert.

The roster includes Simio Filmes’ Forum selection Brazilian Dream by Marcelo Pedroso and Avante Filmes / FiGa’s Seashore by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon.

The Pilgrim: Paulo Coelho’s Best History screens in the market.

“We are very happy to see the Brazilian cinema in one more relevant participation in a festival as important as the...

Global Screen and Picture Tree International are lining up a number of market premieres to be unveiled at the European Film Market (Efm) in Berlin later this week.

Munich-based Global Screen’s market premieres include the first 3D screening of Toby Genkel’s animation film Ooops! Noah Is Gone as well as a presentation of the Danish Christmas film The Christmas Family, directed by Carsten Rudolf.

The company is also using this year’s Efm to begin presales on the apocalyptic sci-fi film Sum 1 to be directed by Christian Pasquariellio, with Games Of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon in the starring role opposite German actor André Hennicke.

The English-language film is being produced by Christian Alvart’s production outfit Syrreal Entertainment and is the first title to go into production from a first look and co-development deal signed with Global Screen. Shooting is set to roll on February 9.

In addition, presales are planned on another four animation productions:...

The story of a circus bullet man who visits his home town in Sangue Azul (Blue Blood) emerged as the big winner as the 16th Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival came to a close on October 8.

The drama, shot by Lírio Ferreira – best known for Árido Movie – took three prizes for best feature, best director and best supporting actor for Romulo Braga.

The Redentors, the awards inspired by the statue of Christ The Redeemer, were handed out for the Premiere Brasil category at a ceremony held at the festival’s downtown Armazem 6 dockland pavillion.

Among the fiction features, Chico Teixeira’s Ausencia (Absence) and Gregorio Graziosi’s Obra took two prizes each. A drama about a boy in transition to adulthood, Ausencia earned best actor for Matheus Fagundes and special jury prize.

Obra, which follows the path of a man in search of his dark origins, won prizes for best cinematography for Andre Brandao and for...