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Roger Durling can’t conceal his excitement for the 40th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The Sbiff director sees the need for a celebration of art as Los Angeles, 90 minutes or so to the south of Santa Barbara, begins to recover from devastating wildfires that destroyed large areas of the county.

“It gives you a sense of togetherness, a sense of community, and that’s what we need right now. I have always found that in the most difficult times in my life, film festivals and films have always been a beacon,” Durling says.

Sbiff and Direct Relief are partnering in a response to the wildfires as well, accepting donations for relief and putting up a $100,000 matching grant. “We’re going to be printing limited edition 40th anniversary T-shirts, and then all the funds from the merchandise will go towards the Direct Relief fund,” he says.

This...

The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced its entire program which includes 32 World Premieres and 74 U.S. Premieres from 60 countries. The fest will open on February 4, 2025 with the US premiere of Jane Austin Wrecked My Life and will close on February 15 with the US premiere of A Missing Part. Considering the ongoing tragedy of the Los Angeles wildfires this year’s festival is dedicated to L.A. to raise funds in partnership with Direct Relief.

“As the tragic events in our sister city of Los Angeles were unfolding, we debated about moving forward with Sbiff,” said Roger Durling, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. “Film has always been a conduit for comfort and renewal, and film festivals play a vital role in fostering a sense of connection. Festivals build community, and create an outlet for the process of feelings. In light of this, it became...

Blandine Lenoir’s completed family drama Juliette In Spring, starring Izia Higelin, has sold to key buyers including Palace Films for Australia and New Zealand, Polyfilm in Austria, Pandora in Germany, Surstey in Spain, and Cineworx in Switzerland for Indie Sales.

The film, based on Camille Jourdy’s graphic novel, is about a woman who returns to her hometown to spend time with her family as buried memories, unspoken truths and long-buried secrets bubble up to the surface in what Indie Sales calls “a sweet, tender and sometimes extravagant family portrait.”

Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Noémie Lvovsky and Sophie Guillemin co-star in...

Indie Sales has hopped aboard Across The Sea, French-Moroccan director Saïd Hamich Benlarbi’s second feature that will premiere as a special screening at Cannes’ Critics’ Week.

Moroccan TV star Ayoub Gretaa stars in the Marseille-set 1990s melodrama as Nour, an undocumented immigrant from Morocco with big dreams whose life turns upside down when he meets a charismatic police officer and his wife and a love triangle unfolds.

Anna Mouglalis and Grégoire Colin co-star in the decade-spanning film that follows Nour as he grows older, explores love and seeks a better life amidst the backdrop of the Rai music-focused party...

Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry is a work without a unifying thesis. Born Jeanne Bécu in 1743, Louis Xv’s favorite mistress (played as an adult by Maïwenn herself) was a courtesan who was elevated to a countess, and to the scandalized horror of the French court. At first, the film seems primed to deliver a send-up of courtly ritual and hypocritical noble decorum, à la Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. But like the real Countess du Barry, it’s eventually caught up in the very pomp and splendor that it initially lampoons.

It’s in that initial, comical examination of court etiquette that Maïwenn’s film is at its strongest. When Jeanne, a courtesan favored by aristocrats who take her along to court, arrives at Versailles and is offered like livestock to Louis Xv (Johnny Depp), we see through her eyes how the palace has turned every single action into...

Jeanne du Barry features Johnny Depp as Louis Xv in a scandalous period drama set in 18th century France. The film has received mixed reviews, with critics praising Depp's performance and the lavish costumes and visuals. Despite initial critical reception, Jeanne du Barry has been a success at the box office in France, hinting at Depp's comeback.

A new trailer for Johnny Depp’s comeback film, Jeanne du Barry, is now live. Directed by Maïwenn, Jeanne du Barry is a period piece that takes place in France in the 18th century and depicts the affair between the titular character and King Louis Xv. Depp plays Louis Xv and Maïwenn plays the titular role, and the rest of the cast consists of stars like Pascal Greggory, Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, India Hair, and Pauline Pollmann as Marie Antoinette. The period movie is expected to be released in the U.S. on...

Fathom Events and Vertical Entertainment have released the official trailer for Jeanne du Barry, the period drama written, directed, and produced by Maïwenn and starring herself and Johnny Depp.

Jeanne du Barry follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder. She uses her charms to escape her impoverished life.

Her lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis Xv and orchestrates a meeting through the influential Duke of Richelieu (Pierre Richard).

The encounter goes far beyond his expectations, for it was love at first sight for the King and Jeanne. Through this ravishing courtesan, the king rediscovers his appetite for life and feels he can no longer live without her. Making Jeanne his last official mistress, scandal erupts as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world.

The French-language film was written by Maïwenn,...

Fluff your powdered wig and fill your snuffbox because a trailer for French filmmaker Maïwenn’s Jeanne Du Barry is here to give you a front-row seat to one of history’s most notorious scandals. The lavish footage depicts Johnny Depp as Louis Xv and Maïwenn Besco as Jeanne Vaubernier, a woman willing to give a gloved middle finger to tradition to rise through society’s ranks. Decadent, scandalous, and filled with more drama than a season of Bridgerton, today’s Jeanne Du Barry trailer highlights Depp’s first significant feature since his public court battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Here’s the official synopsis for Jeanne Du Barry:

“Jeanne du Barry follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder, using her charms to escape her impoverished life. Her lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis Xv...

Johnny Depp is back on the big screen with “Jeanne du Barry.”

Helmed by co-writer/director/producer/star Maïwenn, the 18th-century-set drama follows the ill-fated romance between King Louis Xv (Depp) and Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder. Jeanne’s lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), presents her to King Louis Xv (Depp) through the influential Duke of Richelieu (Pierre Richard). The meeting turns into an affair, and Jeanne becomes the King’s last official mistress. Scandal erupts as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world.

Benjamin Lavernhe and Pascal Greggory also star, with Pauline Pollmann portraying Marie-Antoinette in the feature that opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

“Jeanne du Barry” was also written by Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi. The film is produced by Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat.

The feature was acquired by Vertical...

Jeanne Du Barry starring Johnny Depp (Photo Credit – IMDb)

The last film Johnny Depp starred in was W Eugene Smith’s Minamata. In 2022, the actor was busy with the court trial in a defamation case filed against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The trial lasted six weeks, and Johnny won a defamation suit. Depp has been absent from movies since then. Well, his film Jeanne Du Barry is all set to release in theatres soon.

Jeanne Du Barry is cited as Johnny Depp’s comeback film after his trial ended. He has had no release for three years now. On the other hand, Amber Heard was last seen in Aquaman 2 (2023). Depp’s film was premiered during the opening of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The Depp starrer has not got a US release date. Read more details about the same below.

Jeanne Du Barry Cast

The film stars Johnny Depp as Louis Xv,...

The Johnny Depp film “Jeanne du Barry” from director and star (and producer and co-writer) Maïwenn will open in U.S. theaters on May 2 as part of a special engagement via Fathom Events and distributor Vertical.

The film will open exclusively in more than 500 U.S. theaters on May 2, 2024, with the possibility that the film could run longer than its “limited” engagement if it’s a success. The first big theatrical release of May 2024 is 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which will command many more screens beginning May 10.

“Jeanne du Barry” was the opening night film at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and was a modest box office hit, grossing $13 million outside of the states. Vertical picked it up last June but has yet to release it here.

With more than 500 screens in tow, the movie will be the widest opening for Depp in the U.

France’s Indie Sales has picked up Come Back, the directorial debut from Flemish brothers Jan and Raf Roosens starring Veerle Baetens and her real-life daughter Billie Vlegels.

The film is in post and Indie Sales is launching it at the European Film Market later this month. Kinepolis Film Distribution is handling the Belgian release.

Vlegels plays the teenage daughter of a once-successful techno DJ couple, living with her father after her parents’ divorce. When her mother (Baetens) sets off to make an international comeback, her daughter is thrust into the nocturnal club scene world and finds herself torn between...

Johnny Depp’s UK production outfit In.2 Film is to distribute Maïwenn’s Cannes opening film Jeanne du Barry in the UK and Ireland from April 19.

Jeanne du Barry, in which Depp is a producer and stars, follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a woman born into poverty who uses her intellect and charms to climb the social ladder, rising to the opulent court of King Louis Xv of France (Depp).

It is a first foray into UK-Ireland distribution for In.2 Film, which launched in 2021 at San Sebastian film festival. The company was born out of Depp’s Los Angeles outfit Infinitum Nihil,...

Indie Sales has boarded Nathalie Najem’s “No Way Back,” a timely feature debut tackling domestic violence with a cast led by Bastien Bouillon (“The Night of the 12th”) and Zita Hanrot (“Angry Annie”).

Now in post, “No Way Back” will be introduced to buyers by the banner Indie Sales at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase next week.

“No Way Back” tells the story of Laura, who is rebuilding her life after years under the toxic influence of Joachim and is raising their daughter on her own. When Joachim’s new girlfriend, Shirine, shows up at her door in dire straits, Laura realizes that they must help each other to get rid of Joachim’s harmful influence. The film appears to be in a similar vein as Xavier Legrand’s Venice prizewinner “Custody,” with an emphasis on sisterhood.

Bouillon won last year’s Cesar Award for best male newcomer for his...

Graphic novel adaptation stars stars Cesar-winning actress Izia Higelin

Indie Sales has boarded Blandine Lenoir’s fourth feature Juliette In Spring and will launch sales at Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris which takes place from January 16-23.

The film, based on Camille Jourdy’s graphic novel, follows a thirty-something woman who returns to her hometown to spend time with her family as buried memories, unspoken truths and long-buried secrets bubble up to the surface in what Indie Sales calls “a sweet, tender and sometimes extravagant family portrait.”

The film stars Cesar-winning actress Izia Higelin in the titular role alongside a...

§tElise Girard directs her third film about a woman mourning her husband in Kyoto while on her book tour.

Indie Sales has unveiled the new trailer for Elise Girard’s romantic drama Sidonie In Japan starring Isabelle Huppert and has signed deals in Germany, Switzerland and Italy ahead of the film’s premiere at Giornate degli Autori in Venice.

Out of the Box will release the film in Switzerland and Majestic Filmverleih is handling German distribution, joining the film’s French distributor Art House Films and Italy’s Academy Two.

Sidonie in Japan stars Huppert as a French writer mourning...

Jeanne du Barry, the opening night from this year’s Cannes Film Festival that stars embattled actor Johnny Depp, will get a North American release.

Vertical has landed the domestic rights to the period drama, which was directed by and co-stars Maïwenn. Depp play King Louis Xv and the film follows his relationship with Jeanne Vaubernier, a working-class woman who rises to the level of the king’s mistress.

North American release plans, including theatrical, are not yet confirmed.

The $22 million budgeted feature, which was shot on location in France, including Versailles, has proven successful at the French box office with 401,481 admissions (or $2.56 million U.S.) in its first week of play, the best showing in a decade for a Cannes opening-night film in the country, according to French distributor Le Pacte.

Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud and Pascal Greggory also star in the movie. Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi...

Period drama has earned more than $4m in France through Le Pacte.

Vertical has acquired North American rights to recent Cannes opener Jeanne Du Barry starring director Maïwenn and Johnny Depp.

‘Jeanne Du Barry’: Cannes Review (opening film)

“With Johnny’s huge appeal, we feel moviegoers that may not typically seek out foreign films just might turn out for this one,” said Vertical partner Peter Jarowey, who along with SVP of acquisitions Tony Piantedosi negotiated the deal with CAA Media Finance and Goodfellas on behalf of the filmmakers.

Jeanne Du Barry stars Maïwenn as Jeanne Vaubernier, a working class...

“Jeanne du Barry,” the much-discussed Cannes opening night film featuring Johnny Depp as Louis Xv, has been acquired for North American distribution. Vertical grabbed rights to the Maïwenn-directed drama, which stars the writer/director as Jeanne Vaubernier. Vaubernier was a working-class woman in 18th Century France who rose in the social ranks and became King Louis Xv’s lover.

The co-writers are Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi and the film’s producers are Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat. The production companies are Why Not Productions, France 2 Cinéma, France 3 Cinéma, La Petite Reine, Impala Productions, Les Films de Batna, In.2 Film, and Les Films du Fleuve. Below-the-line talent on the film includes cinematographer Laurent Dailland, editor Laure Gardette, production designer Angelo Zamparutti, costume designer Jürgen Doering, and composer Stephen Warbeck.

Johnny Depp in ‘Jeanne du Barry’

“’Jeanne du Barry’ was by far the most talked about film at this year’s Cannes Film Festival,...

“Jeanne Du Barry,” the latest film from French director Maïwenn that stars Johnny Depp, has found a North American distributor in Vertical following its Cannes debut, an individual with knowledge told IndieWire.

“Jeanne Du Barry” was the opening night film at the Cannes Film Festival last month, where it received a 7-minute standing ovation from the crowd in the Palais. But it was a controversial choice because of Depp’s continued career rehab following the highly publicized defamation trial between him and ex-wife Amber Heard, but also because of a report against Maïwenn that accused her of assaulting a journalist, an accusation she later admitted to.

The film stars Depp as the French King Louis Xv in a supporting role and primarily follows Maïwenn as Jeanne Vaubernier, an 18th Century French working class woman who became King Louis Xv’s lover. Here’s the full synopsis:

“Jeanne du Barry” follows...

Louis Xv’s infatuation with a sexy, smart courtesan played by Maïwenn – who also writes and directs – is an entertaining spectacle but preening Depp’s king overshadows her story

The rosebud lips of Johnny Depp in this film are pursed in a strange expression of irony, stupefied entitlement and droll, martyred awareness of the absurdity of which his royal person is the centre: a human candle starting to melt. He plays Louis Xv in the decadent court of pre-revolutionary Versailles, purring his lines in French and playing him as the ageing, slow-moving dandy – though Rip Torn was sexier in the same role in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.

Depp might actually have been better cast as the lead: Madame Jeanne du Barry, the low-born and entrancingly sensual mistress and royal favourite with whom the king was scandalously infatuated at court, permitting her all manner of familiarities and intimacies. Jeanne is...

The films of Maïwenn, like Maïwenn herself, tend to be divisive.

When they’re good, such as in the writer-director-actress’ breakthrough second feature, Polisse, they’re filled with hotblooded ensemble performances that channel the kinetic energy of John Cassavetes. When they’re not, such as in her last effort, DNA, they feel like overblown arthouse selfies where Maïwenn is the only star.

Either way, they hardly leave you indifferent, which is why the director’s biggest project yet, a $22.4 million biopic of the legendary 18th century French courtesan Jeanne du Barry, can seem so surprising. Sumptuously made and with enough jaw-dropping costumes — several of them courtesy of Chanel, one of the film’s sponsors — to warrant a separate runway show, Maïwenn’s lavish feature is also, well, kind of bland.

It has a great setting, with many scenes shot in and around the real Palace of Versailles, and a great setup,...

Editor’s Note: This review originally published during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Vertical Entertainment will release “Jeanne du Barry” on Friday, May 3.

Zeroing in on a glamorous notable from this or that royal court, and using them a kind of mannequin over which to drape lofty themes and embellishments, “Jeanne du Barry” is a perfectly serviceable entry in a genre born of the stage and perfected by Old Hollywood: the star showcase. That the icon in the spotlight is writer-director-lead actor Maïwenn, and not her American co-star Johnny Depp, should come as a relief to some, a crushing disappointment to others, and surprise to absolutely no one. Just look at the film’s title.

Or, look to the auteur behind this year’s Cannes Film Festival opener. For those whose familiarity with the diva ends at the blue makeup she wore in Luc Besson’s “The Fifth Element,” the French...

“Yvonne Moreau is both original and very popular,” said Indie Sales.

Paris-based Indie Sales is heading to Cannes with The Jolly Forgers in tow, kicking off sales at the market for Yolande Moreau’s latest ensemble drama.

Moreau directs and stars in the feel-good feature as a woman who returns to her hometown to a house she inherited and takes in a merry band of new tenants, three men who brighten up her daily life and help her rekindle the flame of her long-lost true love. Sergi Lopez and Gregory Gadebois co-star in the film produced by Julie Salvador of...

Paris-based company Indie Sales has acquired Teddy Lussi-Modeste’s topical third feature, “The Good Teacher,” co-written by “Happening” filmmaker Audrey Diwan.

François Civil, the French star of “The Three Musketeers” and “The Wolf’s Call,” stars as a young teacher wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct by a teenage girl from his class. As he faces mounting pressures from the girl’s older brother and her classmates, the situation spirals out of control: Allegations spread, the entire school is thrown into turmoil, and the teacher has to fight to clear his name.

“The Good Teacher” marks the second collaboration between Indie Sales and Lussi-Modeste following “The Price of Success” which screened at Toronto and San Sebastián New Directors’ competition. “The Price of Success was picked up by Netflix for a multi-territory deal including the US.

Indie Sales will be introducing “The Good Teacher” to buyers at the Cannes Film Market with an exclusive promo-reel.

Johnny Depp returns to cinema for the first time in three years with the 2023 Cannes opening night film, “Jeanne du Barry.”

Directed by French actress/filmmaker Maïwenn, “Jeanne du Barry” centers on French king Louis Xv (Depp) and his lover Jeanne du Barry (Maïwenn) at the Versailles Palace. Louis Xv later was accused of corruption after his 59-year reign, the longest in French history other than Louis Xiv.

IndieWire can confirm “Jeanne du Barry” will premiere on the opening night of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, kicking off May 16. Le Pacte will distribute the film in France on the same day as Cannes’ opening night. The film is also expected to play in competition. It’s written by Maïwenn with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi.

Per the festival synopsis, Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb...

Johnny Depp’s comeback movie Jeanne Du Barry is to open the Cannes Film Festival.

Directed by Maïwenn, who also stars, the film’s world premiere will take place on Tuesday, May 16 and the film will be released in cinemas the same day in France, the festival said Wednesday.

Maïwenn herself plays the eponymous main character alongside Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvil Poupaud, Pierre Richard, Pascal Greggory and India Hair. The film will recount the life, rise and fall of French King Louis Xv‘s court favorite, Jeanne Vaubernier.

The French-language film’s official synopsis describes Vaubernier as “a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis Xv who, unaware of her status as courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love.

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff), today announced through the Red Sea film Foundation, they are backing the upcoming French period drama ‘Jeanne du Barry’ directed, co-written and featuring French actress and filmmaker Maïwenn. The film stars Johnny Depp as 18th century French King Louis Xv, with Maïwenn in playing the role of the titular courtesan, Madame du Barry.

‘Jeanne du Barry’ also stars Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, Noémie Lvovsky, Melvil Poupaud, India Hair and Pascal Greggory.

Since 2019, the Red Sea film Foundation has supported the development, production, and post-production of 170 films from the Arab world and Africa. ‘Jeanne du Barry’ is the Red Sea Iff’s first international co-production with France and demonstrates the Festival’s ongoing mission to support distinctive filmmaking and champion visionary female talent both on and behind the camera from around the world.

Shot in France and currently in post-production, ‘Jeanne du Barry...

Marks the Red Sea Film Foundation’s first international co-production with France.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) is backing Maïwenn’s upcoming period drama Jeanne Du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, marking its first international co-production with France.

The investment through the Red Sea Film Foundation will see Rsiff serve as an executive producer on the feature, which was shot in France and is in post-production. The financial terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

The fund was established in 2021 with a pot of 14m and has supported the development, production and post-production of 170 films from the Arab world and Africa.

Marks the Red Sea Film Foundation’s first international co-production with France.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) is backing Maïwenn’s upcoming period drama Jeanne Du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, marking its first international co-production with France.

The investment through the Red Sea Film Foundation will see Rsiff serve as an executive producer on the feature, which was shot in France and is in post-production. The financial terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

The fund was established in 2021 with a pot of 14m and has supported the development, production and post-production of 170 films from the Arab world and Africa.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has announced they are backing upcoming French period drama “Jeanne du Barry,” toplining Johnny Depp as 18th century French King Louis Xv.

The pic, now in post, is directed by French actress and filmmaker Maïwenn, who also plays the role of the titular courtesan, Madame du Barry. Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, Noémie Lvovsky, Melvil Poupaud, India Hair and Pascal Greggory also star.

“Jeanne du Barry,” which is being co-funded through the Red Sea film foundation, marks the Red Sea fest’s first international co-production with France and “demonstrates the Festival’s ongoing mission to support distinctive filmmaking and champion visionary female talent both on and behind the camera from around the world,” the fest said in a statement. Since 2019, the Red Sea film Foundation has supported the development, production, and post-production of 170 films from the Arab world and Africa. This investment marks...

The Red Sea International Film Festival has announced its foundation is getting behind French director Maïwenn’s period drama Jeanne du Barry, in which she co-stars as the titular 18th Century courtesan Madame du Barry opposite Johnny Depp as King Louis Xv.

A first image of Maïwenn in character alongside Depp as Louis Xv has also been unveiled internationally having been splashed in the French press earlier in January. Images of Depp in character were first teased in the summer.

Since its creation in 2019, the Red Sea film Foundation has supported the development, production, and post-production of 170 films from the Arab world and Africa. Jeanne du Barry marks its first international co-production with France.

Shot in France and currently in post-production, Jeanne du Barry is Maïwenn’s sixth feature which she also co-wrote with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi.

The ambitious drama is freely inspired by the life of Jeanne du Barry,...

Pas de vague

Just this past month, Teddy Lussi-Modeste was in the middle of production on his third feature film and it is worth noting that he had quite the screenwriting partner collaborating on the drama. Details are non-existent for Pas de vague (which translates to No Wave and was formerly called Cueillez votre jeunesse respectively) but we’re aware that Happening‘s Audrey Diwan helped write the project and that François Civil is toplining while Kazak Productions produced the project. Lussi-Modeste’s Jimmy Rivière (2011) and The Price of Success (2017) are both film examples of pursuing one’s path.

Gist: We only know this to be a drama.…...

Exclusive: Wild Bunch International (Wbi) has released a fresh image of Johnny Depp as Louis Xv in French director Maïwenn’s ambitious costume drama Jeanne du Barry, in which she also co-stars as the titular courtesan, and unveiled a raft of first theatrical deals.

The historical love story has been acquired for France (Le Pacte), Benelux (Paradiso Filmed Entertainment), Switzerland (Frenetic Films), Italy and Spain (Notorious Pictures), Greece (Spentzos Film), Portugal (Pris Audiovisuais), ex-Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Ads Service), Czech Republic (Film New Europe), Romania (Independenta), Poland (Gutek) and Cis (World Vision).

Post-production is currently underway on the film after an 11-week shoot at locations including the Palace of Versailles and other chateaux in the Paris region as well as in the studio.

Why Not Productions (Rust And Bone and A Prophet) lead produces with IN2 and France Télévisions also on board as producers.

The production marks Depp’s first feature film role in three years,...

French filmmaker Maïwenn is teasing the first look at Johnny Depp as the controversial King Louis Xv in “Jeanne du Barry,” a historical romance drama about a royal’s concubine.

It’s Depp’s first film role since his highly publicized defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. The jury found that Heard had defamed Depp in her 2018 Washington Post opinion piece, which alluded to being a victim of domestic violence. However, the jury also found that Depp defamed Heard, through his attorney, while fighting back against her charges.

“Jeanne du Barry” started shooting at the end of July (after the trial wrapped in June) in Paris and the Île-de-France region, using landmarks like the Palace of Versailles as backdrops. Maïwenn, who also wrote the screenplay with Teddy Lussi-Modeste, is playing the title role.

The story follows Jeanne, a young working-class woman who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the social hierarchy.

Exclusive: France’s Why Not Productions has unveiled a playful first teaser image of Johnny Depp in the role of King Louis Xv in French director Maïwenn’s historical love story Jeanne du Barry, in which she also co-stars as the titular courtesan. Check it out below.

Rust And Bone and A Prophet production company Why Not has also confirmed that shoot began on July 26 for 11 weeks, with locations including Versailles and other chateaux in the Paris region as well as the studio.

The production marks Depp’s first feature film role in three years, and follows hot on the heels of his victory in his turbulent defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.

The ambitious drama is freely inspired by the life of Jeanne du Barry, Louis Xv’s last royal mistress at the Court of Versaille, after Madame de Pompadour.

Born into poverty, she is a young working-class woman...

Always nuggets of great info when the Cnc reveals what projects they are throwing their weight behind. Via Cineuropa we learn that Sofia Djama will embark on her sophomore project titles A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers and Teddy Lussi-Modeste will move onto his third feature film titled, Pas de vague. Jean-Christophe Meurisse and Olivier Meys complete the quartet of filmmakers who are setting up their next projects with Cnc coin.

Book writer turned filmmaker Sofia Djama saw her debut film Les bienheureux premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival (Lyna Khoudri won the Best Actress Award in the Orizzonti section).…...

The 74th Cannes Film Festival has unveiled its jury which includes five women; a majority in the nine-person group including President Spike Lee.

The jury includes French-Senegalese actor-director Mati Diop whose 2019 movie Atlantics took home the Grand Prix from the festival; Crazy Heart Oscar nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, French Inglorious Basterds actress Mélanie Laurent, Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner and French singer Mylène Farmer.

Rounding out the jury are French actor and recent Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated The Mauritanian actor Tahar Rahim, Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho and South Korean actor Song Kang-Ho who starred in the 2019 Cannes Palme d’Or winner and ultimate Oscar Best Picture winner, Parasite. Song has been a frequent star in Bong Joon Ho’s canon including The Host and Memories of Murder.

Diop’s Atlantics was shortlisted as one of the ten best international films at the Oscars. She has also directed several short-films...

Philippe (Benoît Magimel) and Andres (Nuno Lopes) with Calypso (Clotilde Courau) in Rebecca Zlotowski’s An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile)

At the UniFrance and Film at Lincoln Center’s 25th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, just days before the announcement came that Rebecca Zlotowski’s An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile), co-written with Teddy Lussi-Modeste, and starring Mina Farid, Zahia Dehar, Benoît Magimel and Nuno Lopes would be the last screening of the festival, I met with the director at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Governor Andrew M Cuomo announced at that time (March 13) that he was limiting gathering in public spaces due to the coronavirus pandemic in New York, which eventually led to the closing of all cinemas by March 16.

Rebecca Zlotowski on Benoît Magimel: “There’s something about him being very melancholic, very sad.”

In the second half of my conversation with Rebecca Zlotowski, André Gide, Marguerite Duras,...

Rebecca Zlotowski on intertextuality in An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile): “It’s a reproduction of the prologue of the summer tale by Éric Rohmer, the beginning of La Collectionneuse is Haydée Politoff, the main actress on the beach, shot exactly the same.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

There is nothing easy about being an easy girl in Rebecca Zlotowski’s An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile), co-written with Teddy Lussi-Modeste, shot by Georges Lechaptois, which is a highlight of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema.

Naïma (Mina Farid), Sofia (Zahia Dehar), Philippe (Benoît Magimel), and Andres (Nuno Lopes) in An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile)

Naïma (Mina Farid) has just turned 16. She lives in Cannes with her mother who works as a maid in one of the fancy hotels. When her older bombshell cousin Sofia (Zahia Dehar) visits for the summer, a new chapter begins in her life. Naima is in awe...

Cannes — One of France’s most highly-regarded young women filmmakers, Rebecca Zlotowski, has won the Directors’ Fortnight prize for best French-language movie for “An Easy Girl,” a sensual coming of age tale set on France’s Cote d’Azur.

From reviews published to date, “An Easy Girl” marks a return to form for Zlotowski after the disappointment of her third feature, 2016’s “Planetarium” starring Natalie Portman and Lily Rose Depp.

Written with frequent collaborator Teddy Lussi-Modeste, director of “The Price of Success, “An Easy Girl” turns on Naima, who’s 16 and has just finished high-school, who is taken under her wing by her cousin, Sofia. 22, highly sexualized, and played by actress, model and lingerie designer Zahia Dehar. Sofia takes her off for the summer, onto the boat of a wealthy collector, Andres.

It’s in the cliché busting portrait of Sofia in particular that the film comes into is own,...

Rebecca Zlotowski's sexy summer on the Riviera drama An Easy Girl took the Director's Fortnight Sacd prize Thursday night at the Cannes Film Festival.

The award is given to a French-language film from the country's writers guild. The story of an escort and her young cousin navigating their futures against the backdrop of Cannes, the film was co-written by Zlotowski's longtime collaborator Teddy Lussi-Modeste.

Sacd commission head Dominque Sampiero called the film “disturbing and fascinating.” He called the lead character, played by former escort Zahia Dehar, a woman of “strange innocence, allowing her ...

Rebecca Zlotowski's sexy summer on the Riviera drama An Easy Girl took the Director's Fortnight Sacd prize Thursday night at the Cannes Film Festival.

The award is given to a French-language film from the country's writers guild. The story of an escort and her young cousin navigating their futures against the backdrop of Cannes, the film was co-written by Zlotowski's longtime collaborator Teddy Lussi-Modeste.

Sacd commission head Dominque Sampiero called the film “disturbing and fascinating.” He called the lead character, played by former escort Zahia Dehar, a woman of “strange innocence, allowing her ...

Company to unveil new films by Rebecca Zlotowski, Guillaume Nicloux and Roschdy Zem during Paris Rendez-vous in January.

Wild Bunch will kick-off sales on a quartet of new French films during the Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris in January including a coming-of-age tale by Rebecca Zlotowski, starring glamour girl and lingerie designer Zahia Dehar, and Guillaume Nicloux’s new collaboration with cult writer Michel Houellebecq and Gérard Depardieu.

Zlotowski’s An Easy Girl co-stars debutant actress Mina Farid as the naïve 16-year-old Naïma, whose eyes are opened to the world of love, sex and human relationships over a summer...

Eye Haïdara and Jean-Pierre Bacri ans Max and Adèle discuss tactics in C’est La Vie! Photo: Courtesy of Cinefile French rising star Eye Haïdara will present the British premiere of French comedy C’est La Vie! (Le Sens De La Fête) at Edinburgh International Film Festival and participate in a post-screening question and answer session.

Cesar newcomer nominee Eye Haïdara Haïdara was nominated for Most Promising Female Newcomer in the César Awards earlier this year for her role as Adèle, the feisty wedding planner assistant to maestro Jean-Pierre Bacri in the film, which charts the chaotic run-up to a country wedding. She also received the Lumière Prize - the French equivalent of the Golden Globes - for Best Female Newcomer for the role.

The 35-year-old had her first screen role in Audrey Estrougo’s Regarde-moi, charting a romantic triangle, followed by Jean-Luc Godard’s Film Socialisme and Teddy Lussi-Modeste’s Jimmy Rivière.

The Price of Life: Lussi-Modeste’s Modest Profile on the Sacrifice of Fame and Fortune

Director Teddy Lussi-Modeste scored positive notices for his 2011 debut Jimmy Riviere, which simultaneously made a high-profile star out of Guillaume Gouix (nabbing a Cesar nod for Most Promising Newcomer) who stars as man torn between loyalty to his community of traveling Pentecostal Christians and a passion for Thai boxing.

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ThelmaA selection of films from the 2017 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival has been unveiled, with new films by Sebastián Lelio, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Darren Aronofsky, Greta Gerwig, Guillermo Del Toro, Joachim Trier, Wim Wenders, and many more.Special PRESENTATIONSOpening Night: Ladybird (Greta Gerwig)Closing Night: Sheikh Jackson (Amr Salama)Battle of the Sexes (Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton)Bpm (Beats Per Minute) (Robin Campillo)The Brawler (Anurag Kashyap)The Breadwinner (Nora Twomey)Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)Catch the Wind (Gaël Morel)The Children Act (Richard Eyre)The Current War (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)Disobedience (Sebastián Lelio)Downsizing (Alexander Payne)A Fantastic Woman (Sebastián Lelio)First They Killed My Father (Angelina Jolie)The Guardians (Xavier Beauvois)Hostiles (Scott Cooper)The Hungry (Bornila Chatterjee)I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie)Mother! (Darren Aronofsky)Novitiate (Maggie Betts)Omerta (Hansal Mehta)Plonger (Mélanie Laurent)The Price of Success (Teddy Lussi-Modeste)Professor Marston & the Wonder Women...

Of the 14 Galas and 33 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 25 World Premieres, eight International Premieres, six North American Premieres, and eight Canadian Premieres, including works from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Egypt, and Cambodia.

This year, Tiff offers a refreshed, more tightly curated Festival, with a renewed commitment to bold, director-driven programming, continued support of female filmmakers, and enough star power to fuel 400,000 festival-goers.

Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven starring Haile Berry

Today’s announcement cements that the future is female (and so is Tiff’s programming), with Gala films from emerging and established filmmakers that include Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, whose 2015 Festival feature Mustang earned an Oscar nod for Best Foreign Film; Mary Shelley by Haifaa Al Mansour, the first female Saudi director; Dee Rees’ Mudbound, an adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s novel about racial tensions...

Update: Tiff unveils Galas, Special Presentations selections.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang follow-up Kings (above), David Gordon Green’s Boston Marathon drama Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, and Darren Aronofsky’s mother! with Jenifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are among the initial wave of Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) picks announced on Tuesday.

Kings ia a world premiere, alongside many others (see below) including Hany Abu-Assad’s plane crash survivor drama The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, Wim Wender’s romantic thriller Submergence with Alicia Wikander and James McAvoy, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s immigration drama A Season In France, and two from The Weinstein Company: The Current War starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland, and Nicholas Hoult, and Neil Burger’s Intouchables remake starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and [link=nm...

Update: Tiff unveils Galas, Special Presentations selections.

Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour (above) starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang follow-up Kings, and Darren Aronofsky’s mother! with Jenifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are among the initial wave of Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) picks announced on Tuesday.

Toronto promgrammers updated the premiere status of each film announced in Galas and Special Presentations on Tuesday morning. Darkest Hour is a Canadian premiere, suggesting Telluride and possibly Venice berths, while mother! is a North American premiere, which indicates a world premiere slot in Venice.

Kings ia a world premiere, alongside many others (see below) including Hany Abu-Assad’s plane crash survivor drama The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, David Gordon Green’s Boston Marathon drama Stronger with Jake Gyllenhaal, and Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, Wim Wender’s romantic thriller Submergence with Alicia Wikander and James McAvoy, [link...