News

Brussels-based sales company Best Friend Forever has secured new deals in key territories for Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language which premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and is Canada’s submission for the 2025 Academy Awards.

New distribution deals include Wonderfilm for Australia and New Zealand, Pimienta Films for Mexico, Weirdwave for Greece and Mars Film for Turkey.

Universal Language has previously sold to France (Météore Films), Scandinavia (Njutafilms), Germany & Austria (Rapid Eye Movies), Switzerland (Outside The Box), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Cei (Universal Distribution), Japan (The Klockworx), China (DDDream), Taiwan (Hooray Films), Brazil (Belas Artes Grupo), Indonesia (Falcon Pictures) and...

Oscilloscope Laboratories has bought Matthew Rankin‘s “Universal Language,” Canada’s Oscar entry, and set a Feb. 12 release date in select theaters.

Represented in international markets by Best Friend Forever, “Universal Language” won the inaugural Audience Award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

The film, which marks Rankin’s follow-up to his award-winning surreal movie “The Twentieth Century,” is a comedy unfolding in a reimagined Canada where Persian and French are the two official languages. It follows the lives of multiple characters, including gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol who find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. “Universal Language” was written by Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi.

In his Cannes review,...

Picture Tree Intl. has come on board as the international sales agent for Sebastian McKinnon’s fantasy epic “The Stolen Child.”

In the film, war ravages the Human Kingdom. A daring poet must lead three mystical heroes deep into the Faerie State to find a lost prince, return him to the throne and restore the peace.

Currently shooting in British Columbia, production will move to Iceland and France in early 2025 for an anticipated release in 2026 with Immina Films distributing in Canada.

“The Stolen Child” is based on McKinnon’s short film trilogy “Kin Fables.”

McKinnon is set to compose the original soundtrack for the film alongside his collaborators under the alias Clann.

McKinnon is an artist for trading card game “Magic: The Gathering” and this marks the first time an artist for the game has directed a feature film.

McKinnon said: “It is an immense privilege to make this film...

French-Canadian filmmaker Anne Émond has begun production into her first foray into English-language cinema (we imagine that this will be a bilingual film) with Adam fka Peak Everything – which has Patrick Hivon (Monia Chokri’s Babysitter) and Piper Perabo toplining. Also onboard in terms of supporting players we find Gilles Renaud, Elizabeth Mageren, Éric K. Boulianne, Connor Jessup and Gord Rand. Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Immina Films are producing. Production will take place in Montreal and in Ontario. Émond exploded onto the scene with Nuit #1 in 2011 and has stuck to mostly drama formats.

This is about Adam (45) owns a kennel.…...

Canada’s Oscar entry “Universal Language,” a critically acclaimed movie directed by Matthew Rankin, has been acquired by distributors in most major territories ahead of its North American premieres at Toronto and New York Film Festival.

Represented worldwide by Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever, the movie world premiered at this Cannes Directors’ Fortnight where it won the inaugural People’s Choice Award. Following Toronto and New York, the movie will go on to play at Fantastic Fest and Festival du Nouveau Cinema as the festival opener. “Universal Language” also won the Bright Horizons Best Film Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

“Universal Language” has been bought for France (Météore Films), Scandinavia (Njutafilms), Germany & Austria (Rapid Eye Movies), Switzerland (Outside The Box), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Cei (Universal Distribution), Japan (The Klockworx), China (DDDream), Taiwan (Hooray Films), Brazil (Belas Artes Grupo), Indonesia (Falcon Pictures) and India (Big Tree Entertainment). Benelux,...

Bei der Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes war „Universal Language“ mit dem erstmals vergebenen Publikumspreis ausgezeichnet worden. Jetzt geht Matthew Rankins Komödie für Kanada ins Rennen um eine Oscarnominierung in der Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“.

„Universal Language“ von Matthew Rankin geht für Kanada ins Oscarrennen (Credit: Quinzaine des Cinéastes)

Matthew Rankins Komödie „Universal Language”, die bei der Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes mit dem erstmals vergebenen Publikumspreis ausgezeichnet worden war, wurde jetzt von einem aus Gewerkschafts-, Verbands- und Branchenvertretern sowie Filmemachern bestehenden Komitee als kanadische Einreichung für eine Oscarnominierung in der Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“ eingereicht.

„Universal Language“, der am 10. September auf dem Toronto International Film Festival seine Nordamerikapremiere feiern wird, spielt in Teheran und Winnipeg und verknüpft mehrere Geschichten miteinander: die der Grundschüler Negin und Nazgol, die eine Tief im Eis des Gehwegs eingefrorene Geldsumme finden und versuchen, sie freizulegen, die von Massoud, der eine Gruppe verwirrter Touristen auf...

Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language will fly the flag for Canada as the country’s international feature film submission for the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025.

‘Universal Language’: Cannes Review

A pan-Canadian selection committee organised by non-voting chair Telefilm Canada met on Tuesday to select its top choice from 26 submissions.

Produced by Metafilms, the absurdist Winnipeg-set caper premiered in Cannes and will receive its North American premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, before screening in New York Film Festival and Fantastic Fest.

Universal Language transposes Iran to Winnipeg and weaves together several episodes: children discover money frozen in ice...

On the heels of its world premiere at Cannes, Matthew Rankin’s comedy Universal Language has been named as Canada’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

The film, written by Rankin, Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi, will look to become the ninth in Canada’s history to be recognized in the category. Most recently representing the country was Kim Nguyen’s Rebelle in 2013.

As the appointed non-voting chair of the committee, Telefilm Canada organizes the annual pan-Canadian Selection Committee for Canada’s Oscar submission. The vote was determined by a group of industry organizations and guilds, as well as filmmakers and industry professionals appointed to represent organizations.

Related: Best International Feature Film Oscar Winners: Photo Gallery

Produced by Metafilms, Universal Language is set in winter, somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, watching as Negin and Nazgol find a large sum of money frozen deep...

Universal Language from director Matthew Rankin, which earned an audience prize presented to the best film in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes film festival, has been chosen by Canada to compete in the best international feature category at the Academy Awards.

The absurdist comedy in the Farsi and French languages is an offbeat homage to Iranian cinema that takes place n the Canadian cities of Montreal and Winnipeg. In Universal Language, Rankin reimagines a Canada where Farsi is now a dominant tongue.

Structured like a Venn diagram, Universal Language according to a synopsis becomes “a diary film, an absurdist city symphony and a welling-up of confinement-era emotion exploring the mysterious interzone where one person ends and the rest of the world begins. An elusive, half remembered dream of home, solitude, our responsibilities to others and the wild turkeys that haunt us.”

Director Rankin added in a statement on...

Ontario Creates’ International Financing Forum (Iff) will feature 40 projects from Canadian and international teams bringing new work from Malcolm McDowell, Clement Virgo, and Rafael Kapelinski, director of 2017 Berlin Crystal Bear winner Butterfly Kisses.

The forum, now in its 19th year, runs September 8-9 in Toronto in association with Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It brings together jury-selected producers looking to find co-producers and secure financing for upcoming projects.

Canadian projects include The Benefactor starring McDowell from A Clockwork Orange and Mozart In The Jungle in the story of a widower who believes his house is haunted.

Ontario’s Byron A. Martin of Byron A.

There is nothing lost in translation when it comes to “The Twentieth Century” filmmaker Matthew Rankin’s surreal triptych comedy “Universal Language.”

The feature, which debuted at Cannes 2024 and was deemed an IndieWire Critic’s Pick before winning the Audience Award in Directors’ Fortnight, is written and directed by Rankin, who also stars as a version of himself. Rankin described the film in press notes as an “autobiographical hallucination” that led him to travel from his native Winnipeg to Tehran to find the cinematic auteurs he grew up watching. “Universal Language” is co-written by Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi.

The official synopsis reads: “In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Grade-schoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads...

Canadian director Matthew Rankin’s Persian and French-language drama Universal Language has won the inaugural Audience Award of Directors’ Fortnight.

This is the first official prize launched by Directors’ Fortnight which does not have a jury. The €7,500 cash award, is also the first audience award to be launched in Cannes, across the Official Selection and the parallel sections.

It is being sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation, which preserves the legacy of the director who retained strong ties with Directors’ Fortnight throughout her career, after screening breakthrough film Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce – 1080 Brussel in the section in 1975.

Described as taking place “somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg”, Universal Language intertwines multiple characters.

Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it, while Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg and Matthew quits...

Exclusive: Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever (Bff) has acquired international sales rights for Canadian director Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language.

The intriguing Persian and French-language drama is among 21 feature films announced as being selected for the 2024 edition of Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight on Tuesday.

In a first key distribution deal for the movie, Oscilloscope Laboratories have taken U.S. rights. Quebecois distributor Maison4Tiers will release in Canada.

Universal Language is Rankin’s second feature after The Twentieth Century, on which Bff also handled international sales. The surrealist dark comedy won the Berlinale Fipresci Award in 2020 and Best Canadian debut award in TIFF Midnight Madness 2019.

Rankin has also made multiple short films including The Tesla World Light, which premiered in Cannes Critic’s Week 2017.

Going under the Persian title of Avaz boughalamoune (Lovesong for a Turkey), Rankin’s new film Universal Language is described as taking place “somewhere between...

Katrin Pors of Denmark’s Snowglobe and Jussi Rantamaki of Finland’s Aamu Film Company are among the 12 producers selected for Ace Leadership Special, the business workshop hosted by the Ace Producers network.

The 2024 edition will take place in Bergen in the Netherlands in June and Mallorca in Spain in September, with online elements over the summer.

Scroll down for the full Ace Leadership 2024 selection

Danish producer Pors produced Hlynur Palmason’s Cannes 2022 title Godland, which became Iceland’s entry for the best international feature award at the 2024 Oscars. Her other credits include Jonas Carpignano’s A Chiara, Dagur Kari...

Rojek, writer-director Zaynê Akyol’s documentary that attempts to trace the beginning, rise and fall of the Islamic State through the personal stories of its members and their wives incarcerated in prison camps, was selected Thursday by Canada to represent the country in the 2024 Oscar Best International Feature Film race.

A total of 28 films were submitted for consideration, with Rojek emerging today in a vote determined by a pan-Canadian committee of industry organizations and guilds, as well as filmmakers and industry professionals appointed to represent organizations. Telefilm Canada organizes the committee.

Rojek, which features a mix of Arabic, English, French, and Kurdish languages, opened in Canadian theatres on January 20 after making the rounds at festivals including winning a special jury prize at Hot Docs. It is produced by Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre, Sylvain Corbeil, and Akyol of Métafilms. Icarus Films distributes the film in the U.S.

“In what may have been...

Doc charts origins, rise and fall of Isis through personal stories.

Canada has named Zaynê Akyol’s Rojek as its submission in the Oscar international feature film category.

Produced by Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre, Sylvain Corbeil, and Akyol of Métafilms, the documentary premiered at Visions du Réel Film Festival in Switzerland in 2022 and attempts to trace the origins, rise and fall of Isis through the stories of incarcerated members around the world.

The documentary is told in a mix of Arabic, English, French, and Kurdish and opened in Canadian theatres in January.

Hailing “what may have been Canada’s most competitive year ever” Julie Roy,...

Canadian filmmaker Zayne Akyol’s Rojek, a film about Isis terrorists and their dream of a Caliphate, has been selected as Canada’s submission for the 2023 Oscars’ best international feature film category.

The feature documentary portrays imprisoned members of the Islamic State and their wives in makeshift camps where they share an ambition to establish Islamic rule. As it explains the fundamentalist beliefs of jihadists, Akyol’s film traces the beginning, rise and fall of the Islamic State, often referred to as Isis, through personal stories.

Rojek is the latest film from Akyol, the director Gulîstan, Land of Roses, a documentary about Kurdish soldiers fighting while under siege from Isis. Her Islamic State documentary set to represent Canada at the Oscars uses the Arabic, English, French and Kurdish languages and launched in Canadian theaters in January 2023 after a world premiere at the 2022 Visions du Réel Film Festival in Switzerland.

The...

Simple comme Sylvain

A film that was put into development shortly after she premiered 2019’s La femme de mon frère at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, Monia Chokri received some backing Sodec and Telefilm coin for her third film while she was in the midst of preparing her sophomore feature in 2022’s Babysitter (Sundance – Midnight section seelction). Production on Chokri’s Simple comme Sylvain took place last October just north of Montreal. Produced by Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant, this is more or less a tale about the seven year itch which involves Magalie Lépine Blondeau and Pierre-Yves Cardinal.…...

Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Canadian director Charlotte Le Bon’s “Falcon Lake” which world premiered at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight.

The coming-of-age tale, handled by Memento International, marks the feature debut of Le Bon, an actor-turned-filmmaker who notably starred in Sean Ellis’s “Anthropoid,” Lasse Hallström’s “The Hundred Foot Journey” and Terry George’s “The Promise.”

“Falcon Lake” follows two teenagers, Bastien and Chloé, who spend their summer vacation with their families at a lake cabin in Quebec which is haunted by a ghost legend. Despite the age gap between them, they form a singular bond. Ready to overcome his worst fears to earn a place in Chloé’s heart, the young boy experiences a turbulent pivotal moment during this holiday.

Following Cannes, the French-language film played at Toronto and Deauville, where it won the d’Ornano-Valenti prize. It will have its U.S.

Coming off the still-fresh release of her sophomore film in Babysitter (it was a Sundance world preem albeit virtual edition), production has already begun on Monia Chokri‘s third feature, Simple Comme Sylvain. Thanks to the socials we learn that Magalie Lépine Blondeau (the actress who toplined Chokri’s brilliant 2013 short Quelqu’un d’extraordinaire) once again reteam with the director. A project that was mentioned as early as 2019 and benefitted from some Sodec and Telefilm coin is being produced by Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant. Production is taking place just outside of Montreal. Xavier Dolan’s regular Dp André Turpin is the cinematographer here.…...

International sales company Andana Films has acquired Islamic State documentary “Rojek,” which has its North American premiere in Hot Docs’ Canadian Spectrum section on Saturday.

The film, which had its world premiere in the International Competition section at Visions du Réel, will have a theatrical release in Canada through Maison 4:3.

In the film, director Zaynê Akyol talks to imprisoned members of the Islamic State, alternating their words with aerial views of the countryside. It is “an unexpected look at a far-reaching current political issue, and a film whose subject matter and rhythm create an impressive cinematic object,” Andana stated.

Mariam Zaidi at Hot Docs said: “The Syrian Democratic Forces, mostly Kurdish, as well as the international coalition, have succeeded in dislodging the Islamic State from their last stronghold and ending their project of establishing a caliphate in Syria. Today, thousands of Islamic State members, along with their wives and children,...

French-Canadian returns to Competition after last year’s Encounters prize.

France’s Shellac has boarded worldwide sales on French-Canadian director Denis Côté’s Berlin-bound That Kind Of Summer in the run-up to next month’s festival and market.

Larissa Corriveau, who starred in Côté’s 2019 Golden Bear nominee Ghost Town Anthology, Laure Giappiconi and Aude Mathieu play the leads in Montreal-based Metafilms’ French-language Competition entry about three women invited to a rest home to explore their sexual issues.

As they co-exist under the detached supervision of a German therapist and a considerate social worker, the group attempts to maintain a...

Un été comme ça

Easily Canada’s most prolific filmmaker, without exaggeration, Denis Côté has been on a film per year pace for the past dozen years now and what’s even more remarkable is that he rarely visits the same mental or physical space twice. Shot around the month of July, Un été comme ça sends Ghost Town Anthology thesp Larissa Corriveau, Laure Giappiconi, Aude Mathieu, Samir Guesmi and Anne Ratte Polle to a different kind of day camp – one that Lars von Trier quasi investigated with the Nymphomaniac pair? Clocking over the two hour mark, this was shot in the North of Montreal and produced by Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre and Sylvain Corbeil (who had produced Côté’s Boris Without Béatrice).…...

Ricardo Trogi’s 1991 was the top prize winner at 2019 Gala Quebec Cinema Awards. Winning Best Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Sandrine Bisson), the film edged out Une colonie picked up a pair of awards in Best Supporting Actor (Robin Aubert) and Best Newcomer (Émilie Bierre) and Yan Giroux who won Best First Feature, Best Actor and Best Screenplay for À tous ceux qui ne me lisent pas. Here are the noms and winners:

Best Film

1991 – Go Films – Nicole Robert – Winner

À tous ceux qui ne me lisent pas – micro_scope – Luc Déry, Élaine Hébert, Kim McCraw

La Bolduc – Caramel Films – Valérie d’Auteuil, André Rouleau

Genèse – L’Unité centrale – Galilé Marion-Gauvin

La grande noirceur – Metafilms – Sylvain Corbeil

Répertoire des villes disparues – Couzin Films – Ziad Touma

Une colonie – Colonelle films – Fanny Drew, Sarah Mannering

Best Director

Denis Côté – Répertoire des villes disparues

Geneviève Dulude-De Celles – Une colonie

Maxime Giroux...

La femme de mon frère

French-Canadian actress Monia Chokri makes her directorial debut with My Brother’s Wife (La femme de mon frère). Produced by Nancy Grant and Sylvain Corbeil of Metafilms, the title was lensed by Bertrand Bonello’s favored Dp Josée Deshaies. The film stars a nice brochette of Quebecois thesps in Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Patrick Hivon, Évelyne Brochu, Micheline Bernard, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, Mani Soleymanlou and another Dolan staple, Anne Dorval.…...

What’s your favorite Toronto memory?

Definitely winning the best Canadian film award for Felix & Meira in 2014. I have to say it was unexpected, since that year we had also produced [Xavier Dolan’s] Mommy and were expecting that would win the prize.

Advice for a Toronto first-timer?

Plan your meetings well, but be prepared to change them as film professionals’ schedules sometimes shift. And try to have fun!

The one place you have to visit while in Toronto?

A small bar outside downtown called Communist’s Daughter (1149 Dundas St. West). You have to like vintage, kind of dive bars,...

Exclusive: Here’s the first trailer for Maxime Giroux’s Tiff-bound absurdist allegory The Great Darkened Days, starring Martin Dubreuil, Romain Duris, Reda Kateb and Sarah Gadon.

Seville International is selling the drama, which follows a draft-dodger from Quebec who during a world war takes refuge in the American West, surviving by competing in Charlie Chaplin impersonation contests. On his long journey home, he encounters various characters under the sway of a fascist leader.

Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant produced the pic. Grant is also at Tiff with Xavier Dolan’s The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan. Giroux’s well-traveled previous film Felix & Meira won Toronto’s Best Canadian Feature Film Award in 2014 and scored five Canadian Screen Award nominations.

Emerging Producer Award renamed Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award.

The Canadian Media Producers Association (Cmpa) on Tuesday (August 21) announced the nominees for the 2018 Indiescreen Awards, which will kick off the Tiff Industry Conference on September 6.

The Cmpa, which represents the country’s independent producers, also announced that its Emerging Producer Award will be renamed the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award in honour of the producer of Bon Cop Bad Cop and The Trotsky who died last spring.

“This year’s Indiescreen Awards nominees have each made important contributions to the rich fabric of our national cinematic tapestry,” said Cmpa president and CEO Reynolds Mastin.

The current crop of acclaimed Quebec filmmakers shooting feature films south of the border speaks to an unprecedented infatuation on Hollywood’s part with French-Canadian directors.

Among the heavy hitters: Jean-Marc Vallée (“Wild,” “The Dallas Buyers Club,” HBO’s upcoming “Big Little Lies”), Philippe Falardeau (“The Bleeder,” “The Good Lie”), Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival,” “Sicario,” the forthcoming “Blade Runner” sequel), not to mention Xavier Dolan, who’s currently shooting his star-studded English-language debut, “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.”

But there’s another remarkably prolific, genre-bending Montreal filmmaker – an award-winning festival regular who has clocked in nine features, one medium-length production and shorts to spare over the last decade – who’s never shown much enthusiasm about dipping his toes in the American studio system. No matter how many prizes or festival selections his films rack up (Berlin, Cannes, Locarno and Sundance among them) or how many retrospectives film societies program about his work,...

Xavier Dolan’s film will fly the flag for his country, Telefilm Canada announced at a press conference on Friday.

The film (French-Canadian title Juste La Fin Du Monde) is a Canada majority co-production with France and marks Dolan’s third Academy Award submission after I Killed My Mother in 2009 and Mommy in 2014.

The story was financed through Telefilm’s Canada Feature Film Fund and is based on the play by dramatist Jean-Luc Lagarce about a young writer’s homecoming to announce his impending death.

Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux and Vincent Cassel star.

Nancy Grant and Dolan produced with Sylvain Corbeil and Nathanaël Karmitz.

“This will be a wonderful journey into Us territory for It’s Only The End Of The World and its director,” said Carolle Brabant, executive director of Telefilm Canada.

“This selection by Canada will kick off an exciting promotional campaign in the United States. We are confident...

The Montreal-based sales division of eOne has concluded a raft of deals on Xavier Dolan’s imminent Cannes Competition world premiere.

Anick Poirier and her team retain Us rights to the all-star family drama after closing deals in: Germany (Weltkino), Australia (Transmission), Latin America (California Filmes), Benelux (ABC Cinemien), Scandinavia/Iceland (Scanbox), Spain (Avalon), Switzerland (Praesens), Portugal (Alambique), and Greece/Cyprus (Seven Films).

Seville International has licensed rights in: Turkey (Kurmaca), Poland (Hagi), Russia/Cis (A-One Films), former Yugoslavia (Discovery Films), Czech/Slovak Republics (Aerofilms), Romania (Independenta), Baltic States (Spektr), Israel (Lev Films), South Korea (At9 Films), Hong Kong (Edko), China (Lemon Tree), Taiwan (Filmware International), and ancillary sales to Skeye Inflight Entertainment.

Previously announced sales include: the UK (Curzon Artificial Eye), Italy‎ (Lucky Red) and Japan (Pictures Dept). In Cannes, Seville International will focus on securing sales in the U.S., the last remaining major territory. Seville International is handling international sales of the film around...

Juste la fin du monde

Director: Xavier Dolan

Writer: Xavier Dolan

During the substantial critical praise following Mommy (which tied with Jean-Luc Godard for the Jury Prize at Cannes, 2014) his fifth film in a six year period, the twenty-five year French Canadian director Xavier Dolan announced plans for an English language, Los Angeles set film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. But following a flurry of casting news, Dolan announced he was delaying the title to shoot the French film, Juste la fin du monde (It’s Only the End of the World), an adaptation of Jean-Luc Lagarce’s play. Featuring an extravagantly notable cast, including Gaspard Ulliel, Lea Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel and Nathalie Baye (who returns to work with Dolan after 2012’s Laurence Anyways), the film concerns a terminally ill writer who returns home after a long absence to announce his death.

Cast: Vincent Cassel,...

Boris Sans Beatrice

Director: Denis Côté

Writer: Denis Côté

French Canadian auteur Denis Côté fluctuates steadily between feature films and documentary, tending to win critical acclaim in either category. After winning Best Director at Locarno in 2008 for All That She Wants and again in 2011 for Curling he went to Sundance with the 2012 documentary Bestiaire and then scooped up the Alfred Bauer Award in Berlin for Vic+Flo Saw a Bear (2013). His latest, Boris Sans Beatrice concerns businessman Boris Malinovsky, who falls into a spiritual and moral funk when visited by a mysterious stranger (the enigmatic Denis Lavant).

Cast: James Hyndman, Denis Lavant, Simone-Elise Girard

Production Co./Producers: Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil & Nancy Grant (Mommy)

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic). Films Boutique (international).

Release Date: Cote will be competing in competition at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival.

Telefilm Canada announced on Friday afternoon that Maxime Giroux’s film will fly the flag as the country’s foreign-language Academy Award submission.

Félix et Meira premiered at Toronto 2014 and tells of the improbable love affair between a Francophone Quebecer and a young Hasidic Jewish mother. Martin Dubreuil and Hadas Yaron star along with Luzer Twersky and Anne-Élizabeth Bossé.

Telefilm Canada was among the film’s funders and Nancy Grant and Sylvain Corbeil of Metafilms served as producers.

“Félix et Meira, a love story about two people from vastly different worlds, has moved Canadian and international audiences,” said Carolle Brabant, executive director of Telefilm Canada, which chairs the pan-Canadian Oscar selection committee.

“Screened at more than 50 festivals around the world, this story with universal themes has also picked up many awards. It’s now in the running for an Oscar nomination, and on behalf of Telefilm Canada, I wish the film’s talented crew the best of...

Heading into the market eOne’s boutique sales arm has announced key territories on Xavier Dolan’s upcoming drama to star Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Nathalie Baye and Gaspard Ulliel.

Deals on Juste La Fin Du Monde (It’s Only The End Of The World) have closed in the UK with Curzon Artificial Eye, Italy‎ with Lucky Red and Japan with Pictures Dept.

Seville International handles all international sales excluding France, where Diaphana/MK2 will distribute. eOne and Les Films Séville will release in English-speaking and French-speaking Canada.

Production is scheduled to start at the end of the month. The drama follows a prodigal writer who returns to the family homestead to announce his imminent death.

Sons Of Manual’s Dolan — a Cannes jury member this year — and Nancy Grant produce alongside MK2’s Nathanaël Karmitz as well as Sylvain Corbeil.

The film is based on the play of the same name by Jean-Luc Lagarce.

Seville...

Seville International to begin sales on It’s Only the End of the World at Cannes; MK2 to handle in France.

Xavier Dolan is to begin filming It’s Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde) next month with a starry cast that includes Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Nathalie Baye, and Gaspard Ulliel.

It was anticipated that Dolan’s next feature would be The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, starring Jessica Chastain, but Seville International has announced that the Canadian writer-director will begin shooting It’s Only the End of the World at the end of May, after his jury duties at the Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24).

With sales of the film set to kick off in Cannes, Seville International will handle international sales of the film in all media around the world, excluding France where the film is being handled by MK2 and distributed by Diaphana/MK2.[p...

Joining the ranks of filmmakers with insatiable appetites such as Michael Winterbottom, Francois Ozon and Woody Allen, Xavier Dolan doesn’t take too much down time between projects. Taking a note from fellow Quebecois filmmakers (Denis Villeneuve and Jean Marc Vallee) exploring the international stage, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will not be Dolan’s next project (still pegged for a fall shoot), but instead, the recently named film jury member will extend his stay in France post Cannes Film Festival for what will be his first international film production. Seville International announced that all-stars Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Gaspard Ulliel and Laurence Anyways‘ Nathalie Baye will star in Dolan’s sixth feature film, Juste la fin du Monde (It’s Only the End of the World) with production beginning next month. The Canada-France coproduction sees Mommy producer Nancy Grant produce via Sons of Manual...

Lea Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, Nathalie Baye and Gaspard Ulliel are all set to star in MK2 and Telefilm Canada's "It's Only the End of the World," the sixth film from young Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan.

Based on a play of the same name by Jean-Luc Lagarce, the story follows a writer who goes back to his hometown when he plans to announce his upcoming death to his family. As resentment soon rewrites the course of the afternoon, all attempts of empathy are sabotaged by people's incapacity to listen and love.

Filming is slated to begin in late May and Dolan will shoot the project before he gets to work on his previously announced first Hollywood film "The Death and Life of John F. Donovan" starring Kit Harington and Susan Sarandon.

Dolan, coming off great praise for last year's Cannes entry "Mommy," has also directed the likes of "Tom at the Farm,...

Company also handling Ognjen Svilicic’s These Are The Rules, which world premieres in Venice’s Orizzonti.

Paris-based Urban Distribution International (Udi) is heading to the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14) with a packed slate this year.

The company has four films in the festival and will unveil new footage on upcoming pictures including the Peter Mullan-starrer Hec McAdam and animation Long Way North, about a young girl who sets out to conquer the North Pole, in the market.

Ahead of Toronto, Udi is also representing Croatian director Ognjen Svilicic’s gritty drama These Are The Rules, about a couple coming to terms with the death of their only son in a street attack, which premieres in Venice’s Orizzonti section today (Aug 29).

“It’s a powerful film around a difficult subject capturing the life of a couple, how they cope, and life in contemporary Croatian as they battle with bureaucracy and administrative injustice,” said...

Exclusive: Tale of homeless man trying to reconnect with his estranged family is shooting now.

Udi has picked up international sales on Hector, starring Peter Mullan as a long-term homeless man who attempts to reconnect with his past life.

The working-titled picture is the first feature for photographer Jake Gavin.

The heart-warming tale follows a homeless man who decides to seek out his old life after years of wandering aimlessly.

It follows Mullan’s character over the course of a wintery fortnight as he heads south from Scotland to a temporary Christmas shelter in London and finally an emotional reunion with his long-lost family.

Shooting started earlier this week on location in Glasgow and will continue in London via Liverpool. The picture is scheduled for an autumn delivery.

Hector (which was originally titled Victor) is produced by Stephen Malit, producer of Julien Temple’s documentary London – The Modern Babylon, with Scottish co-producer Simon Mallinson.

David Raedecker...

Que ta joie demeure

Director: Denis Côté

Writer(s): Denis Côté

Producers: Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Guillaume Tremblay, Emilie Siguoin, Hamidou Savadogo, Ted Pluviose, Olivier Aubin, Cassandre Emanuel

One of the more unique film personalities on the international film fest circuit, for his 8th feature, Quebecois filmmaker continues to revel in challenging the form. Coming off what we personally consider to be his career best with 2013′s Vic + Flo ont vu un ours (hits NYC for a one week run this week) with Que ta joie demeure, Denis Côté continues to challenge the narrative – blending fiction with docu form and here visits those who get their hands dirty in a sort of blue collar, ethnographic study of different hoods and job titles.

Gist: This is an open-ended exploration of the energies and rituals of various workplaces. From one worker to another...

Félix et Meira

Director: Maxime Giroux

Writer: Maxime Giroux, Alex Laferrière

Producer: Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Martin Dubreuil, Hadas Yaron

His skillset was in full display in last year’s moody, tonally twisted short La tête en bas. Among Quebec’s most talented auteurs (and perhaps best kept secret), Maxime Giroux (Demain and Jo pour Jonathan) moves back into feature film terrain with Felix and Meira – the tale of how opposites attract and is born takes place in Montreal’s historic Mile-End district but pushes globally into such backdrops as Venice and NYC.

Gist: Montreal, 2013. Félix is a penniless, eccentric francophone. Meira is a married Hasidic Jewish and mother of one child. They fall madly in love; an impossible love.

Release Date: Filmed over the holidays, this could make a splash in Cannes, Locarno or Venice with additional play at Tiff.

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Vic & Flo ont vu un ours

Director/Writer: Denis Côté

Producer(s): Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil, Stéphanie Morissette (Camion)

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Marc-André Grondin, Romane Bohringer, Marie Brassard, Pierrette Robitaille

Ever since his docu-like essay in 2005′s Les états nordiques, Denis Côté has treated us to a body of minimalist work that defies classification with his last item Bestiaire (Sundance, Tiff) best exemplifying his preference for unique observational points and for fringe characters (this case it’s animals, but his other films are populated with the exotic of the human kind). While his 7th film is looking to be his most accessible yet (in the realms of Curling), which comparatively means its still counter-flow to the norm, this will surely have dna from his previous films (offbeat characters enclosed in natural spaces).

Gist: This is the portrait of two recently released prisoners (Pierrette Robitaille and Romane Bohringer...