Tag Archives: Jacques Audiard

Selena Gomez’s “Emilia Pérez” to Represent France in the Best International Feature Category at 97th Academy Awards

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Selena Gomez’s latest film could earn an international Oscars nod…

France has selected Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical Emilia Pérez, starring the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, to represent it in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.

Selena Gomez, Emilia PerezIn addition Gomez, the drama also stars Karla Sofía Gascón, who portrays cartel leader Emilia who enlists the help of unappreciated lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldana) to help her fake her death so she can live authentically as her true self.

It premiered at Cannes, where it earned its four actresses – Gascón, Saldaña, Gomez and Adriana Paz – a collective Best Actress award, and also clinched the jury prize.

The film was selected from a short list of four films which also included swashbuckler The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte; French-produced Indian drama All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia and Misericordia by Alain Guiraudie.

This year’s revamped selection committee featured sales agent Carole Baraton, producer Nadim Cheikhroua, Venice Golden Lion winning Happening director and writer Audrey Diwan, distributor, producer and writer Michèle Halberstadt, sales agent Grégoire Melin, actress Clémence Poésy, producer David Thion, producer and distributor Rosalie Varda, producer Wachsberger and director, writer and producer Florian Zeller.

They made the selection after auditioning the sales agents, producers and U.S. distributors of the shortlisted titles on Wednesday morning.

Netflix reportedly swooped on U.S. rights for Emilia Pérez in the wake of its buzzy Cannes world premiere, pledged generous support for the awards campaign.

Pathé released the film theatrically in France on August 21, drawing some 735,000 spectators for a gross of roughly $5.9M. It will receive a limited release on the U.S. ahead of a November 13 launch on Netflix.

France last won the international film Oscar with Régis Wargnier’s Indochine in 1993. Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables was the last French film to make it through to the final nomination stage in 2020.

Netflix Releases First Trailer for Musical Crime Comedy “Emilia Peréz,” Starring Zoe Saldaña

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Zoe Saldaña is mixing music, crime and comedy…

Netflix has released the first teaser for one of its most anticipated films of the year — the Spanish-language musical crime comedy Emilia Peréz, starring the 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress,

Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia GasconHailing from Jacques Audiard, the film won multiple awards in its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Hitting select theaters in the U.S. and Canada on November 1 before debuting on the streamer on November 13, Emilia Peréz implements song, dance and bold visuals to chronicle the journeys of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness.

Among them is Rita (Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, who agrees to help the fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) fake her death so that she can finally live authentically as her true self.

Also starring Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Edgar Ramírez, the film garnered an 11-minute standing ovation in its premiere in Competition at Cannes, winning the Jury Prize and the award for Best Actress, which was shared by the female members of the ensemble, as well as the Cannes Soundtrack Award.

Out of Cannes, Netflix snapped up North American and UK rights to the film, which was one of the buzziest participating in this year’s market.

In her review for Deadline at the time, Stephanie Bunbury said of the film, “On paper, it looks mad as a loose wheel. A largely Spanish-language musical about a Mexican druglord having a sex change, featuring a onetime Disney teen star Selena Gomez as a gangster’s wife…but here it is on the screen, a musical marvel.”

Written by Audiard, Thomas Bidegain and Léa Mysius, Emilia Peréz marked the former revered French filmmaker’s seventh film to play Cannes.

Selena Gomez & “Emilia Perez” Co-Stars Earn Best Actress Honors at Cannes Film Festival

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Selena Gomez and her Emilia Perez cast mates are celebrating a special prize.

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon have been awarded the Best Actress award as an ensemble at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for their performances in the musical crime comedy film written and directed by Jacques Audiard.

Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia GasconSaldaña stars as Rita, a Mexico City lawyer hired by the cartel kingpin Manitas to help him flee Mexico for gender confirmation surgery. This turns out to be the beginning of a relationship that will continue between Rita and Emilia Perez (Gascón). Emilia returns years later, posing as Manitas’ sister, to stay close to her children who are living with her ex-wife (Gomez).

Gomez, who was not present at the ceremony shared the moment that she learned about the win on social media.

In an Instagram story, Selena shared a video of herself getting a call from Zoe, who informed her of their big accomplishment. In the clip, the star appears to be outside enjoying a picnic and is clearly ecstatic about the news.

“We did it, we did it,” Zoe shouts as Selena responds, “I’m so excited!”

The film, which also won the Jury Prize and Best Soundtrack, earned one of the longest standing ovations during the fesical when it was presented last weekend.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Palme d’Or
Anora, dir: Sean Baker

Grand Prize
All We Imagine as Light, dir: Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize
Emilia Perez, dir: Jacques Audiard

Best Director
Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour

Special Prize
Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Actor
Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress
Emilia Perez ensemble: Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez

Best Screenplay
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Camera d’Or
Armand, dir: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Special Mention
Mongrel, dir: Chiang Wei Liang

Short Film Palme d’Or
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir: Nebojsa Slijepcevic

Special Mention
Bad For a Moment, dir: Daniel Soares

Adria Arjona to Star Opposite Edgar Ramirez in Jayro Bustamante’s Dystopian Thriller “El Sombreron”

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Adria Arjona has landed her next role…

The 32-year-old Guatemalan-Puerto Rican actress will co-star opposite Edgar Ramirez in in Jayro Bustamante’s dystopian thriller El Sombreron as The Match Factory launches worldwide sales on the project in Cannes, with CAA Media Finance representing North America.

Adria ArjonaBustamante, a Guatemalan director, previously made waves with Mayan drama Ixcanul, which premiered in competition in Berlin, winning the Alfred Bauer Prize (since renamed the Silver Bear Jury prize), and war criminal horror La Llorona, which won Best Director and Best Film in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2019.

Arjona will play an ambitious woman trapped in a marriage as the trophy wife of a violent cartel boss. Desperate for liberation, she seizes the opportunity presented by a mysterious stranger (Ramirez), who promises to smuggle her north. However, once on route, she discovers the harrowing truth about her companion and finds herself thrust into a surreal odyssey.

Bustamante’s La Casa de Produccion, Alejandro De Leon and Brian Clark and Sergio Lira and Lynette Coll for Luz Films will serve as producers.

“In El Sombreron, Jayro fuses magical realism, folklore, and horror to vividly evoke the hell that borders create,” said producers. “We could not have asked for two better guides through the inferno than the immensely talented Adria Arjona and Edgar Ramirez.”

Arjona will next be seen starring in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man opposite Glen Powell, which releases in theaters on May 24 and on Netflix June 7. She’ll also be seen in Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut film Blink Twice, which hits cinemas on August 23.

Ramirez, who clinched Golden Globes nominations for American Crime Story and Carlos, is in Cannes this year for Jacques Audiard’s Competition title Emilia Perez opposite Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez. Upcoming projects include Eli Roth’s Borderlands, co-starring Cate Blanchett, and Arenas directed by Camille Perton.

Karla Sofia Gascón to Star in Jacques Audiard’s Comedy “Emilia Perez”

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Karla Sofia Gascón has landed an aunt-tastic role…

The 50-year-old Spanish transgender actress will star in director Jacques Audiard comedy Emilia Perez, with talks underway with Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana.

Karla Sofia GascónThe project, which is creating buzz in the Cannes market, is a musical comedy about an El Chapo-type fugitive who can’t get away from the law, so has a sex change.

Ten years later she misses her children immensely and returns as their aunt.

Library Pictures International is financing the film, and The Veterans will be selling international rights to the film along with CAA Media Finance, which is also selling North American territories.

Gascón is an up and coming Spanish trans actress who has emerged as one to watch and should stand out in this musical comedy along the lines of Mrs. Doubtfire.