News

In today’s Global Bulletin, Poland makes its Oscars pick, Vis gets a new VP, Transilvania closes its ceremonies, the Barbican plans to reopen its doors, BlackBox Multimedia supports suicide prevention Npo Calm, and Studio 100 readies “SeaBelievers” for Mipcom.

Oscars

Poland has submitted Malgorzata Szumowska’s “Never Gonna Snow Again” as the country’s 2021 Oscar submission, making it the first country out the gate in this year’s Academy Awards race.

Set to premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, the comedy stars “Stranger Things” alum Alec Utgoff and “Ida” actress Agata Kulesza in the story of a Ukrainian masseuse in Poland who rises to cult-like status among wealthy clientele amassed while working in a gated community.

Szumowska, Polish cinematic royalty with several Berlin, European Film and Locarno awards — to list just a few — to her name, co-wrote the script with long-time collaborator Michal Englert. The two also produce along with Lava Films,...

Attendance figures remained steady year-on-year despite virus crisis.

Australian comedy-drama Babyteeth was awarded the top prize at the 19th Transylvania International Film Festival, which went ahead as physical event with Covid-19 safety measures in place.

Scroll down for full list of winners

The film, which marks the debut feature of Australian theatre and TV director Shannon Murphy, won the Transilvania Trophy and €10,000. First seen in competition at Venice last year, the bittersweet comedy also picked up the audience award at the festival in the Romanian city of Cluj, which ran from July 31 to August 9.

TIFF marks the first major film...

‘Happy Times’ will be released by Artsploitation Films in Q1 2020.

M-Appeal has closed North American deals on two of the most prominent titles on its virtual Marché slate.

The Berlin-based sales outfit confirmed that Artsploitation Films has acquired Michael Mayer’s Happy Times, a horror comedy set over the course of a Shabbat dinner in a luxurious Hollywood mansion. Mixing satire and genre elements, the film stars Israeli actor Michael Aloni (Shtisel) and Stéfi Celma.

Happy Times is produced by Mayer, Paola Porrini Bisson and Tomer Almagor. Executive producers are Gabrielle Almagor, Richard Bisson and Erri De Luca. Artsploitation plans...

Berlin-based boutique sales outfit M-Appeal has acquired erotic drama “Fidelity” (Vernost), a Russian female version of Steve McQueen’s “Shame.” Nigina Sayfullaeva’s film – a box-office hit at home for Sony Pictures – will have its international premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival in January.

“Fidelity” centers on Lena, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and her husband Sergey, who is an actor in a provincial theater. Their relationship is tender and close, but devoid of sex. Lena suspects that he is having an affair, but she suffers in silence without letting her jealousy show. She starts cheating on him with random men, and slowly but surely, her infidelity spins out of control.

The film has attracted much comment in the media and social media in Russia, where the issue of female sexuality is less openly discussed than in the West. Russian film critic Anton Dolin said the film “is a revolution because...