Maria Hatzakou and Alexandra Matheou’s “Stringa,” a female-led folk-horror set in remote rural Greece, won the top prize at Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Crossroads Co-Production Forum, which wrapped with an award ceremony Wednesday.
The Greek project took home the Two Thirty-Five Co-Production Award, giving full post-production image and sound support to a film that’s in development. This will be a debut feature for Matheou and Hatzakou, who also produces the film under her label Merricat. She was the one to receive the prize from the jury, which called the project “very solid and persuasive” in the ways in which it “addresses freedom of choice in a patriarchal society.”
The directors, who also co-wrote the script, describe it as “a film about the female experience,” a subversive horror that “touches on post-generational trauma and the sly ways by which the patriarchy still manages to impose itself on our lives and choices.
The Greek project took home the Two Thirty-Five Co-Production Award, giving full post-production image and sound support to a film that’s in development. This will be a debut feature for Matheou and Hatzakou, who also produces the film under her label Merricat. She was the one to receive the prize from the jury, which called the project “very solid and persuasive” in the ways in which it “addresses freedom of choice in a patriarchal society.”
The directors, who also co-wrote the script, describe it as “a film about the female experience,” a subversive horror that “touches on post-generational trauma and the sly ways by which the patriarchy still manages to impose itself on our lives and choices.
- 11/9/2023
- by Savina Petkova
- Variety Film + TV
Agora, the industry section of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, has selected 10 films from seven countries for its works in progress strand.
The strand selects projects in post-production stage, which have a link to the Mediterranean region and Southeastern Europe, and presents them to sales agents, distributors, producers, streaming platforms and festival programmers with the objective to raise finishing funds, secure sales agents, festival premieres and book meetings with potential partners.
“This year’s powerful projects challenge contemporary issues and gaze upon the human condition through gripping imagery, sometimes painfully beautiful storytelling and creative cinematic language. Their common compass navigates us through the subjects of social injustice, exploration of human relationships and common desires and choices people make to treat one another and the environment they inhabit,” the festival said in a statement.
Agora gives out several awards for the works in progress films. These include the Authorwave post-production award...
The strand selects projects in post-production stage, which have a link to the Mediterranean region and Southeastern Europe, and presents them to sales agents, distributors, producers, streaming platforms and festival programmers with the objective to raise finishing funds, secure sales agents, festival premieres and book meetings with potential partners.
“This year’s powerful projects challenge contemporary issues and gaze upon the human condition through gripping imagery, sometimes painfully beautiful storytelling and creative cinematic language. Their common compass navigates us through the subjects of social injustice, exploration of human relationships and common desires and choices people make to treat one another and the environment they inhabit,” the festival said in a statement.
Agora gives out several awards for the works in progress films. These include the Authorwave post-production award...
- 9/28/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Pitch Point includes new projects from Nir Bergman, Yona Rozenkier, Hadar Morag.
Jerusalem Film Festival has confirmed the Industry Days programme for its 40th-anniversary edition, including the 10 projects for its Pitch Point Competition for Israeli co-production features.
The Industry Days will run from July 13-15, and will also include the final pitching event of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab on July 14.
Scroll down for the full list of Pitch Point projects.
Pitch Point pitches will run on July 13, to a jury presided over by Arte Cinema France’s Olivier Pere, and including Beta Cinema’s Thorsten Ritter,...
Jerusalem Film Festival has confirmed the Industry Days programme for its 40th-anniversary edition, including the 10 projects for its Pitch Point Competition for Israeli co-production features.
The Industry Days will run from July 13-15, and will also include the final pitching event of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab on July 14.
Scroll down for the full list of Pitch Point projects.
Pitch Point pitches will run on July 13, to a jury presided over by Arte Cinema France’s Olivier Pere, and including Beta Cinema’s Thorsten Ritter,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 is bringing together its international production and distribution subsidiaries under a new imprint, Seven.One Studios.
The formation of the new unit comes at the end of a period of change, following the sale of subsidiary Red Arrow Studios’ U.S. production arm and the creation of two German production companies.
The restructure will see eight production companies — from Germany, the UK, Denmark and Israel — bundled together alongside sales arm Red Arrow Studios International.
From Germany comes Cheerio Entertainment, Flat White Productions, Pyjama Productions and Redseven Entertainment, with Cpl Productions and Vienna Blood maker Endor Productions representing the UK, July August Productions hailing from Israel and Snowman Productions Denmark.
Seven.One Entertainment Group Chief Content Officer Henrik Pabst will lead Seven.One Studios as CEO while keeping his existing title, with Alexander Pesch CFO and Martin Metzger COO.
“The demand for content is only increasing,” saiod Pabst. “This makes...
The formation of the new unit comes at the end of a period of change, following the sale of subsidiary Red Arrow Studios’ U.S. production arm and the creation of two German production companies.
The restructure will see eight production companies — from Germany, the UK, Denmark and Israel — bundled together alongside sales arm Red Arrow Studios International.
From Germany comes Cheerio Entertainment, Flat White Productions, Pyjama Productions and Redseven Entertainment, with Cpl Productions and Vienna Blood maker Endor Productions representing the UK, July August Productions hailing from Israel and Snowman Productions Denmark.
Seven.One Entertainment Group Chief Content Officer Henrik Pabst will lead Seven.One Studios as CEO while keeping his existing title, with Alexander Pesch CFO and Martin Metzger COO.
“The demand for content is only increasing,” saiod Pabst. “This makes...
- 11/9/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
German media powerhouse ProSiebenSat.1 is bundling its eight production companies in Germany, the U.K., Denmark and Israel, along with its global distribution arm Red Arrow Studios International, under a newly established banner called Seven.One Studios.
The new entity will produce across all key genres for its own platforms as well as external players. In the future, ProSieben says there will be a “clear focus” within the German-speaking territories on content with young talent for the youth-skewing demographic.
The companies that will feed into Seven.One Studios include Cheerio Entertainment (Germany), Flat White Productions (Germany), Pyjama Productions (Germany), Redseven Entertainment (Germany), Cpl Productions (U.K.), Endor Productions (U.K.), July August Productions (Israel), Snowman Productions (Denmark) and Germany and U.K.-based distribution arm Red Arrow Studios International.
The realignment of ProSieben’s production and international distribution arm follows the establishment of two new production companies in Germany over...
The new entity will produce across all key genres for its own platforms as well as external players. In the future, ProSieben says there will be a “clear focus” within the German-speaking territories on content with young talent for the youth-skewing demographic.
The companies that will feed into Seven.One Studios include Cheerio Entertainment (Germany), Flat White Productions (Germany), Pyjama Productions (Germany), Redseven Entertainment (Germany), Cpl Productions (U.K.), Endor Productions (U.K.), July August Productions (Israel), Snowman Productions (Denmark) and Germany and U.K.-based distribution arm Red Arrow Studios International.
The realignment of ProSieben’s production and international distribution arm follows the establishment of two new production companies in Germany over...
- 11/9/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Israeli series “The Lesson,” a taut half-hour series parable on the vicious spiral of social media confrontation, took top honors on Wednesday night at a spirited 2022 Canneseries festival whose main competition was buoyed by titles from some of the boldest players in the business.
With “The Lesson” co-lead, the extraordinary Maya Landsmann, walking off with best performance for her nuanced turn as a super-sized troubled teen who goads her liberal teacher into a personal attack on her physical appearance – a put-down which goes viral – the series can rate as the big winner at this year’s event.
Produced by Yochanan Kredo at Jasmine TV for Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 – and scoring huge numbers when aired on the network – the show, written by Deakla Keydar and directed by Eitan Zur (“Asylum City”), also exemplifies the virtues of much best Israeli TV drama: Taut, pointed writing, great acting, direction which serves the drama,...
With “The Lesson” co-lead, the extraordinary Maya Landsmann, walking off with best performance for her nuanced turn as a super-sized troubled teen who goads her liberal teacher into a personal attack on her physical appearance – a put-down which goes viral – the series can rate as the big winner at this year’s event.
Produced by Yochanan Kredo at Jasmine TV for Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 – and scoring huge numbers when aired on the network – the show, written by Deakla Keydar and directed by Eitan Zur (“Asylum City”), also exemplifies the virtues of much best Israeli TV drama: Taut, pointed writing, great acting, direction which serves the drama,...
- 4/6/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Progressive and passionate civics teacher Amir (Doron Ben-David) seeks to dispel the broad stereotypes his class paints of their Arab neighbors after brazen and troubled teen Leanne (Maya Landsmann) incites her peers in class to her rallying call of “Kill the Arabs” while presenting an unsettling scenario for a class project: Bar Arabs from a local swimming pool.
Extolling the virtues of empathy is no small feat, however. Amir soon finds himself caught up in a viral conflict with Leanne that calls his character into question and speaks to the often-hasty and out-of-context judgment the populace is eager to make when hard-pressed to do the right thing.
“The Lesson,” an all-encompassing six-episode socio-political drama produced by Yochanan Kredo at Jasmine TV for Israeli broadcaster Kan 11, takes a gripping plunge – confirmed by huge figures on Kan 11 – into various forms of prejudice and the way they spread and seed within a community.
Extolling the virtues of empathy is no small feat, however. Amir soon finds himself caught up in a viral conflict with Leanne that calls his character into question and speaks to the often-hasty and out-of-context judgment the populace is eager to make when hard-pressed to do the right thing.
“The Lesson,” an all-encompassing six-episode socio-political drama produced by Yochanan Kredo at Jasmine TV for Israeli broadcaster Kan 11, takes a gripping plunge – confirmed by huge figures on Kan 11 – into various forms of prejudice and the way they spread and seed within a community.
- 4/6/2022
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Federation Entertainment has boarded the anticipated Israeli series “The Lesson,” which is headlined by Doron Ben-David (“Fauda”) and Maya Landsmann (“Zero Hour”). “The Lesson” will compete at Canneseries on April 2.
Directed by Eitan Zur (“Asylum City”) and penned by Deakla Keydar (“Zero Hour”), the six-part drama revolves around Amir, a 43-year-old teacher, and Lian, a 17-year-old student, who engage in an emotional conflict in a fight for justice that bursts far out of the classroom.
The series explores the ripple effect of their violent clash from the classroom to the entire school, then throughout the community, to the media and into the complex political reality Israel is facing today. Leib Lev Levin, Alma Zak and Dvir Benedek round out the cast.
“The Lesson” was produced by Yochanan Kredo at Jasmine TV for the Israeli broadcaster Kan 11. The two leading actors, as well as the author and director, will be...
Directed by Eitan Zur (“Asylum City”) and penned by Deakla Keydar (“Zero Hour”), the six-part drama revolves around Amir, a 43-year-old teacher, and Lian, a 17-year-old student, who engage in an emotional conflict in a fight for justice that bursts far out of the classroom.
The series explores the ripple effect of their violent clash from the classroom to the entire school, then throughout the community, to the media and into the complex political reality Israel is facing today. Leib Lev Levin, Alma Zak and Dvir Benedek round out the cast.
“The Lesson” was produced by Yochanan Kredo at Jasmine TV for the Israeli broadcaster Kan 11. The two leading actors, as well as the author and director, will be...
- 4/1/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
- Fish Tank, Everyone Else, Dogtooth, Police Adjective, A Prophet and White Ribbon are just a half a dozen titles among the 48 films that have a shot at being nominated among several categories for 22nd The European Film Awards. Among those that mysteriously didn't make the list are a pair of films that played at Cannes in Romania's Tales From the Golden Age and France's The Father of My Children. The way it works is, 2000 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the different award categories which will be announced on the 7th of November with the winners announced on the 12th of December. Here is the complete list below. 33 Scenes From Life Poland / Germany, 96 min Written & directed by Ma½goÊka Szumowska Produced by Raimond Goebel & Karl Baumgartner Broken Embraces Spain, 129 min Written & directed by: Pedro Almodóvar Produced by: Agustín Almodóvar Everyone Else Germany, 119 min
- 9/7/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Cannes Film Festival Critics Week
The rule imposed on the family spending a week in mourning in Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz's "The Seven Days" requires a demonstration of pious grief lest people talk. But there is so much talk in the Israeli siblings' sophomore outing as writers and directors that it's hard to see how breaking the rules could make things worse.
Intensely observed, smartly choreographed and very well acted by a large ensemble cast, the film, which opened the Critics' Week sidebar at the Festival de Cannes, will attract attention at festivals and art houses but its lack of humor may test audiences' patience.
About 20 members of the family, including six brothers and two sisters, are confined to the home of a widowed sister-in-law and nearly all of them fall out with one another in the claustrophobic and stultifying atmosphere. It becomes so relentless that you wish somebody would just slap someone, and then somebody does. It's one of the few moments of comic relief in the picture.
Ronit Elkabetz and Simon Abkarian play spouses Vivianne and Eliyau -- first seen in the Elkabetz's debut film, "To Take a Wife" -- although now they are fighting and on the verge of divorce. Vivianne is being pursued by the very eligible Ben (Gil Frank) and is inclined to respond.
They dance around their attraction while the rest of the family, cloistered unpleasantly day and night according to the rules of mourning, engage in a series of encounters having to do with money, envy and resentment.
The roundelay is well written and managed by the directors, but the situation -- which takes place in an Israel threatened by the first Gulf War -- while profoundly serious, cries out for some satirical touches.
The depiction of familial devotion that puts up with religiously inspired regulations requiring that no one may bathe and everyone must sleep on the floor in one room for a week is fiercely conservative. Those of a more secular bent may be reminded of Sartre's observation that hell is other people.
Cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Gil Frank, Keren Mor, Hanna Azoulay Hasfari. Director-screenwriters: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz. Producers: Jean-Philippe Reza, Eilon Ratzkovsky, Yochanan Kredo, Yossi Uzard, Guy Jacoel, Eric Cohen, Elie Meirovitz.No MPAA rating, running time 115 mins.
The rule imposed on the family spending a week in mourning in Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz's "The Seven Days" requires a demonstration of pious grief lest people talk. But there is so much talk in the Israeli siblings' sophomore outing as writers and directors that it's hard to see how breaking the rules could make things worse.
Intensely observed, smartly choreographed and very well acted by a large ensemble cast, the film, which opened the Critics' Week sidebar at the Festival de Cannes, will attract attention at festivals and art houses but its lack of humor may test audiences' patience.
About 20 members of the family, including six brothers and two sisters, are confined to the home of a widowed sister-in-law and nearly all of them fall out with one another in the claustrophobic and stultifying atmosphere. It becomes so relentless that you wish somebody would just slap someone, and then somebody does. It's one of the few moments of comic relief in the picture.
Ronit Elkabetz and Simon Abkarian play spouses Vivianne and Eliyau -- first seen in the Elkabetz's debut film, "To Take a Wife" -- although now they are fighting and on the verge of divorce. Vivianne is being pursued by the very eligible Ben (Gil Frank) and is inclined to respond.
They dance around their attraction while the rest of the family, cloistered unpleasantly day and night according to the rules of mourning, engage in a series of encounters having to do with money, envy and resentment.
The roundelay is well written and managed by the directors, but the situation -- which takes place in an Israel threatened by the first Gulf War -- while profoundly serious, cries out for some satirical touches.
The depiction of familial devotion that puts up with religiously inspired regulations requiring that no one may bathe and everyone must sleep on the floor in one room for a week is fiercely conservative. Those of a more secular bent may be reminded of Sartre's observation that hell is other people.
Cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Gil Frank, Keren Mor, Hanna Azoulay Hasfari. Director-screenwriters: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz. Producers: Jean-Philippe Reza, Eilon Ratzkovsky, Yochanan Kredo, Yossi Uzard, Guy Jacoel, Eric Cohen, Elie Meirovitz.No MPAA rating, running time 115 mins.
- 5/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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