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While unveiling its slate of new French originals and acquisitions on Monday, Prime Video announced that it would skip a French theatrical release for “Challengers,” Luca Guadagnino’s anticipated tennis drama. The film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and “West Side Story” star Mike Faist, will still be released in theaters in all other territories.

During a posh press event hosted at the Pavillon Royal on the outskirts of Paris, Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, Prime Video’s country managing director for France, said the strategic move by the Amazon streamer resulted from France’s notoriously strict windowing rules, which demands streamers to wait 15 to 17 months after a theatrical roll out before making a new film available on their services. The rule has led other studios to opt to skip French cinemas for new releases before, such as Disney’s decision to debut “Strange World” on streaming.

“We’re a strong partner for French cinema and well-established talent.

Streaming services are boosting French TV production. Pascal Breton, whose Paris-based company Federation Entertainment co-produced “Marseille” and most recently “Marianne,” said the biggest benefit of streaming services, and Netflix in particular, is the way in which it has created a world audience for French shows. “Netflix amplifies the appeal of French shows abroad, and we expect that ‘Marianne’ will get a bigger audience outside of France than locally,” says Breton.

“That’s the model of Netflix — they’re counting as much on the Spanish, French and British series than on the American and Korean series to attract and retain subscribers,” adds Breton, whose company now has several projects in the pipeline with streaming services.

At Mipcom, the international biz will get a look at these buzzy French TV titles:

“They Were Ten”

Director: Pascal Laugier

Six-part psychological thriller adapted from the Agatha Christie novel involves 10 people at a luxury hotel...

A bus full of French children is hijacked by armed-to-the-teeth locals in 1976 Djibouti — then the last French colony — so, bien sur, a distaff American schoolteacher tries to heroically save the day in the action-drama hybrid 15 Minutes of War (L'Intervention: La Naissance du Gign). This is the third film from Franco-Canadian director Fred Grivois, who directed the Reda Kateb and Ludivine Sagnier starrer Through the Air, and this sand-dusted genre film is his most fluid concoction to date — its frustratingly myopic approach to politics and an unnecessarily prolonged shootout in the finale notwithstanding (if only it ...

A bus full of French children is hijacked by armed-to-the-teeth locals in 1976 Djibouti — then the last French colony — so, bien sur, a distaff American schoolteacher tries to heroically save the day in the action-drama hybrid 15 Minutes of War (L'Intervention: La Naissance du Gign). This is the third film from Franco-Canadian director Fred Grivois, who directed the Reda Kateb and Ludivine Sagnier starrer Through the Air, and this sand-dusted genre film is his most fluid concoction to date — its frustratingly myopic approach to politics and an unnecessarily prolonged shootout in the finale notwithstanding (if only it ...

"Prove why your special unit is so special." Signature Entertainment has debuted the official UK trailer for an intense rescue drama titled 15 Minutes of War, based on the shocking true story of a hostage situation in 1976 in Somali. From director Fred Grivois, the film stars Olga Kurylenko as an American teacher accompanying twenty-one French children. Their school bus is taken hostage at the Somali border, so the Gign is sent and after 30 hours of tension their plan is executed. The elite team is tasked with carrying out a simultaneous five-men sniper attack to get the children and their teacher out safely. The film also stars Alban Lenoir, Sébastien Lalanne, David Murgia, Michaël Abiteboul, Guillaume Labbé, Ben Cura, Vincent Perez, Josiane Balasko, and Kevin Layne. This looks like most other hostage thrillers, with some intense moments and brutal scenes where they're doing only what is necessary to save everyone. Here's the...

Simon Baker in ‘High Ground.’

Simon Baker, Callan Mulvey, Jack Thompson, Aaron Pedersen and newcomer Jacob Jnr Nayinggul are starring in High Ground, a 1930-set action-thriller directed by Stephen Johnson.

Inspired by true events and scripted by Chris Anastassiades, the frontier Western is shooting in Kakadu Park and Arnhem Land, produced by Maggie Miles, Yothu Yindi co-founder Witiyana Marika, Johnson, David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin.

Baker plays Travis, a bounty hunter and former soldier who enlists the help of Gutjuk (Nayinggul) a young Aboriginal orphan, to track down the most dangerous outlaw in the Territory – his uncle. During the manhunt a secret is revealed which ultimately pits them against each other.

Thompson is Moran, the head of the police outpost, with Mulvey as Ambrose, a police officer who fought with Travis in World War One, and Petersen as a lethal black tracker from Queensland.

The cast also includes Caren Pistorious as Claire,...

Amber Heard will play a lead role in Run Away With Me, a romantic thriller from Sentinel Pictures, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The Justice League star will play Kimberly, a star-crossed lover who encounters the dark criminal underbelly of the European fashion industry, set in Paris. There is no word on other casting, including for Heard's love interest.

French-Canadian director Fred Grivois will helm Run Away With Me. He made his feature film debut with the 2015 thriller Through the Air (La Resistance de l’air).

Xyz Films is handling worldwide sales, beginning at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Heard...

I am a huge fan of short films but the problem is, there are 100 times more shorts made than features, therefor trying to figure out which are worth your time can be quite the chore. That is how the YoungCuts Film Festival can help. The event which kicks off tomorrow, showcases the very best student short films from around the world. So if you are in Montreal and are trying to find something productive to do with your rainy weekend, I highly recommend heading down to check it out. Here is all the info.

The Young Cuts Film Festival takes place at Guzzo Spheretech, 3500 Boul. Côte-Vertu. Here’s how to get there:

If you are going by Metro, get off at StationCôte-Vertu and take the 121 bus going West.

Tickets can be purchased at Guzzo Spheretech the day of the screenings or you can buy tickets or passes from our site...

Recently Michael Ryan joined the Sound On Sight team, helping us out with our Fantasia Film Festival coverage, and well he has been pretty much a blessing. What people don’t know is that Michael is also the is the Festival Director for the YoungCuts Film Festival. The fest is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the announcement of 2011’s Top 100 short films by the world’s best young filmmakers 25 and under. Oasis HD will present the films at Montreal’s Guzzo Spheretech theatres from Friday, September 30th to Sunday, October 2nd.

Here is the press release:

The Festival starts with a free screening 1Pm on Friday, presented as part of les Journées de la Culture. Featuring films by young Quebec filmmakers, the opening screening is designed to show high school students the kinds of films that they can aspire to produce at the Cegep level.

Virgin Radio 96 presents the festival...