Tag Archives: Grand Jury Prize

Lionsgate Acquires Rights to Diego Luna’s Drama “Wander Darkly”

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Diego Luna will be wandering into North America…

Lionsgate has acquired the North American rights to Tara Miele’s Wander Darkly, starring the 40-year-old Mexican actor/producer and Sienna Miller.

Diego Luna

Luna’s drama, which had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, will have a multi-platform release this fall from Lionsgate.

The story revolves around Luna’s and Miller’s characters, who after a traumatic accident leaves a couple in a surreal state of being that takes them on a disorienting journey through the duality of their shared moments. By reliving fond recollections from the beginning of their romance while also navigating the overwhelming truths of their present, they must rediscover the love that truly binds them together.

 “I am thrilled that Wander Darkly has found its home with Lionsgate,” said Miele. “It was a dream to bring this story to life with such an incredible team and the ever-brilliant Sienna Miller and Diego Luna. Seeing audiences’ powerful reactions at Sundance was moving and humbling and we can’t wait to share the film with audiences later this year.”

 “The film is a visually stunning thrill ride through the complexities of love and loss between Sienna and Diego, who deliver wonderful and very moving performances,” said Lauren Bixby, VP Acquisitions at Lionsgate. “Tara weaves mystery and intrigue into a modern-day parable and we could not be more excited to work with her and the rest of the filmmaking team on the release campaign.”

Rodrigo Bellott’s “Tu Me Manques” to Close This Year’s NewFest

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Rodrigo Bellott is closing the show…

The 41-year-old Bolivian filmmaker’s award-winning Tu Me Manques will close this year’s NewFest, the New York LGBTQ film festival.

Rodrigo Bellott

This year’s festival runs October 23-29 at SVA Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, and The LGBT Community Center in New York.

Tu Me Manques is an adaptation of Bellott’s own 2015 play which explores a trio of men and their struggle to reconcile their identity and heritage. Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City to confront Gabriel’s boyfriend Sebastian. While the two battle over Jorge’s inability to accept his son, Sebastian channels his grief into a bold new play in honor of his lost love, in which Gabriel’s inner turmoil is transformed into an eye-popping gay fantasia. The film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay at Outfest this year and is Bolivia’s selection for Best International Feature Filmat the 2019 Academy Awards.

Mike Doyle’s rom-com Sell By will be the opening-night film for the 31st edition of the festival. In addition, Martha Stephens’ To the Stars will serve as the centerpiece.

 “As we were reminded during this year’s World Pride and 50th anniversary of Stonewall, New York City is and always has been the epicenter of queer life and queer liberation,” said NewFest executive director David Hatkoff. “We are thrilled to bookend New York’s 31st annual LGBTQ Film Festival, our biggest and boldest yet, with two magnificent films set in our vibrant, diverse, international city.”

The complete festival lineup will be announced on September 19.

Larrain’s “The Club” Selected as Chile’s Bid for the Oscar’s Foreign Film Category

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Pablo Larrain is Chile’s choice for Oscar glory once again…

Pablo Larrain

The 39-year-old Chilean filmmaker and former Oscar nominee’s latest film, The Club, has been selected as the nation’s bid for the Academy Awards‘ Best Foreign Language Film category, the Chilean Minister of Culture Ernesto Ottone has announced.

At the official send-off for the delegation that will attend the San Sebastian Film Festival, Ottone also announced Maite Alberdi’s documentary Tea Time will be the candidate for the Spanish Goya Awards.

A gripping portrait of four former priests who live secluded in a cabin as a punishment for their past sins, Larrain’s film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.

 

One of Chile’s most renowned directors today, Larrain’s previous film No, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, grabbed a Foreign Language nomination in 2013. Before that, his film Tony Manero was Chile’s entry in 2008, but it failed to get a nomination.

Garcia Bernal also stars in Larrain’s upcoming Neruda, about the political persecution of Chile’s renowned poet and left-wing senator Pablo Neruda, played by Luis Gnecco.

His next project, the Jackie Kennedy biopic Jackie, starring Natalie Portman, will be produced by Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, and Chile’s Fabula, lead by Larrain’s brother Juan De Dios.

“What is relevant now is that we have two Chilean films that have already been awarded abroad, and they are aiming to secure a nomination for these academies,” said Ottone. “These awards are an important platform to make local productions visible, as they are creating a unique mark. So, we congratulate their creative teams for proposing new ways to see today’s Chilean society, both from an intimate perspective in Tea Time, and from the social questioning The Club suggests,” he added.

Derbez Signs Exclusive First-Look Deal with Pantelion Films

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Eugenio Derbez is ready to make more crossover films… And, he now has the support to produce them.

The 53-year-old Mexican writer, director and star of the hit Spanish-language comedy Instructions Not Included, has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Lionsgate/Grupo Televisa’s Pantelion Films.

Eugenio Derbez

The pact keeps Derbez in business with the label that released his record-setting Spanish-language film last year.

The deal was made via Derbez’s newly launched 3PasStudios, a partnership with former Pantelion president of production Benjamin Odell. 3Pas will focus on Spanish- and English-language films targeted at Latino and crossover audiences in the U.S.

Instructions Not Included became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. when it opened last year. Pantelion also is behind biopic Cantinflas which has pulled in $3.6M since it opened last weekend in 382 theaters.

Derbez’s film credits include Under The Same Moon, also among the highest-grossing Spanish language films released in the U.S.

He and Odell first worked together on Sangre de Mi Sangre in 2006, starring Derbez, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and for which Odell was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Odell also produced Pantelion’s 2012 release Girl In Progress, starring Eva Mendes, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette and Derbez, and he is producing Pantelion’s upcoming drama Spare Parts, starring Marisa Tomei, Jamie Lee Curtis and George Lopez, scheduled for release on January 16, 2015.