Films Boutique Acquires International Rights to Albert Serra’s Documentary “Afternoons of Solitude” About Andrés Roca Rey

Albert Serra’s latest project is going international…

Films Boutique has picked up international rights to the 48-year-old Spanish independent filmmaker’s documentary Afternoons of Solitude (Tardes de Soledad).

Afternoons of Solitude, Andrés Roca ReyThe film marks the third collaboration between Serra and the Berlin-based company after Liberté, winner of the Special Jury Prize in CannesUn Certain Regard in 2019, and Pacifiction, which premiered in Cannes competition in 2022 and went on to earn nine nominations and two wins at France’s Cesar Awards.

Further awards for Pacifiction included best director and cinematography at France’s Lumiere Awards, as well as 11 nominations at the Gaudi awards with wins for cinematography, production design and non-Catalan language film.

The film also received a best film nod from the Guardian and was also elected best film of the year by the Cahiers du Cinéma.

“Afternoons of Solitude” is a portrait of bullfighting star Andrés Roca Rey, which allows the audience to reflect on the intimate experience of the bullfighter who assumes the risk of facing the bull as a personal duty out of respect for tradition and as an aesthetic challenge.

“This challenge creates a form of ephemeral beauty through the material and violent confrontation between human rationality and the brutality of the wild animal,” according to a statement.

The film is produced by Serra’s Andergraun Films with Lacima Producciones (Spain), Idéale Audiences (France) and Rosa Filmes (Portugal).

A Contracorriente Films handles distribution in Spain.

The producers are Serra, Montse Triola, Luís Ferrón, Pedro Palacios, Ricard Sales, Pierre-Olivier Bardet and Joaquim Sapinho. The executive producer is Triola.

Cinematography is by Artur Tort, editing by Serra and Tort, and sound by Jordi Ribas.

Albert Serra Named Best Director at France’s Lumière Awards for “Pacification”

It’s an illuminating time for Albert Serra.

The 28th edition of France’s Lumière Awards have taken place in Paris, with the 47-year-old Spanish independent filmmaker claiming a top honor.

Albert SerraSerra, who is currently working on a bullfighting documentary, was named Best Director for the French Polynesia-set drama Pacification.

The feature also clinched two other prizes: Best Actor for Benoît Magimal and Best Cinematography for Artur Tort.

Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts won Best International Co-production.

The awards are voted on by members of the international press corp hailing from 36 countries based in France.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Film: The Night Of The 12th, by Dominik Moll
Best Director: Albert Serra for Pacifiction
Best Screenplay: Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand for The Night Of The 12th
Best Documentary:We by Alice Diop
Animation Film: Little Nicholas, by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre
Best Actress: Virginie Efira for Other People’s Children
Best Actor: Benoît Magimel for Pacification
Female Revelation: Nadia Tereszkiewicz for Forever Young
Male Revelation: Dimitri Doré for Bruno Reidal
Best First Film: Le Sixième Enfant by Léopold Legrand
Best International Coproduction: The Beasts by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Sp-Fr)
Best Cinematography: Artur Tort for Pacifiction
Best Music: Benjamin Biolay for Flickering Ghosts Of Loves Gone By

Lin-Manuel Miranda Wins Advanced Imaging Society’s Lumiere Award for “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

Lin-Manuel Miranda is AIS-ing it…

The Advanced Imaging Society has revealed the winners of its 12th annual Lumiere Awards, with the 42-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hypenate among the honorees.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Miranda won Best Original Song for his record-breaking, chart-topping single “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which he penned as part of the soundtrack for Disney Animation’s Encanto. The animated film won the award for best animation

The Lumiere Awards are given to honor distinguished creative and technical achievement in film and television.

The ceremony took place during a gala luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Guillermo del Toro, whose Nightmare Alley from Searchlight Pictures won for Best Audio – Theatrical, also was there to receive the Gene Kelly Visionary Award.

Here’s a complete list of winners:

Best Feature Film – Live Action
Dune (Warner Bros.)

Best Motion Picture – Musical
West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Best Documentary
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney+)

Best Feature Film – Animated
Encanto (Disney)

Best Original Song
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto (Disney Animation)

Best Musical Scene or Sequence
West Side Story, “The Dance at the Gym” (20th Century Studios)

Best Scene or Sequence in a Feature Film
No Time To Die (MGM/UA Releasing)

Best Use of High Dynamic Range – Live Action
Dune (Warner Bros.)

Best Audio – Theatrical
Nightmare Alley (Searchlight)

Best Episodic – Live Action
Squid Game (Netflix)

Best Episodic – Animated
Arcane (Netflix)

Best Use of High Dynamic Range – Episodic
Foundation (Apple TV+)

Best Audio – Episodic
WandaVision (Disney+)

Best Use of AR
Expo Dubai Xplorer

Best Use of VR
Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor

Best 2D to 3D Conversion
Shang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings (Disney)

Governor’s Cinema Award
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony / Marvel)

Sir Charles Wheatstone Award
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine

Voices For The Earth Award
Adam McKay, Don’t Look Up

Gene Kelly Visionary Award
Guillermo del Toro

Harold Lloyd Award
Denis Villeneuve

Bejo: Best Actress at France’s Version of the Golden Globes

Bérénice Bejo’s awards mantle continues to fill up this awards season…

The 35-year-old Argentine actress, nominated for a Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Golden Globes being held Sunday, picked up a Lumiere Award at France’s version of the Golden Globes this weekend for her performance in The Artist.

Berenice Bejo The Artist

Bejo was named best actress for her role in the black and white silent film, which won best film of the year.

The Artist has been picking up steam en route to this year’s Oscars. It’s claimed several best picture awards throughout awards season, including the Critics Choice award for Best Picture on Thursday night in Hollywood.

The Lumiere Awards—France’s equivalent to the Golden Globes—are voted upon by foreign press correspondents in the territory. The Lumiere Awards kick off the prize season in Gaul and are usually a sign of what is to be expected at next month’s prestigious Cesar Awards ceremony.