Latest news with #Hadi
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sony Pictures Classics Takes North America & Multiple Territories For Cannes Caméra D'Or Winner ‘The President's Cake'
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and India for Cannes Caméra d'Or winner The President's Cake by Iraqi director Hasan Hadi. The film, which debuted in Directors' Fortnight, also proved a crowdpleaser in the Cannes parallel section, winning its People's Choice audience award. More from Deadline Janus Films Acquires Bi Gan's Cannes Prize-winner 'Resurrection' For North America Sergei Loznitsa's 'Two Prosecutors' Scores Fresh Deals For Coproduction Office - Cannes Netflix Buys Richard Linklater's 'Breathless' Homage & Love Letter To Cinema 'Nouvelle Vague' In Record Domestic Deal For A French-Language Movie Deadline critic Pete Hammond also fell for the film describing it as a 'a true gem and a real discovery'. Check out his review here. New York-based Hadi has tapped into his own childhood in southern Iraq in the 1990s, growing up under the regime of President Saddam Hussein and the socio-economic crisis provoked by international sanctions, for the film. The drama follows nine-year-old Lamia who gets the short straw of having to provide a birthday cake for her classmates to celebrate the president's birthday. Gathering the ingredients for the mandatory cake at a time of shortages is a monumental task but failure to deliver could lead to prison or death for her family. The movie is produced by Leah Chen Baker with executive producers including award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump) and director Marielle Heller (Nightbitch, Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood). The film is made in association with Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Pictures and Spark Features. 'Winning the Caméra d'Or in a year with so many formidable directorial debuts and winning the Audience Award in the Directors' Fortnight, Hasan Hadi's The President's Cake is the surprise hit of this year's festival. In the tradition of major Cannes discoveries, these ovations and critical acclaim mark the beginning of a fresh voice destined to thrill audiences everywhere,' said Sony Pictures Classics. 'Since childhood, Sony Pictures Classics has been the go-to name for quality cinema and original storytelling. It's a dream come true—and a true honor—to now be part of that legacy. Their incredible history of championing international films and commitment to theatrical releases makes them the perfect home for The President's Cake,' added Hadi. The film was negotiated between UTA Independent Film Group, WME Independent and Sony Pictures Classics. Films Boutique represents international sales. Hadi is repped by UTA and Jonathan Gardner. The Sundance Film Institute and Doha Film Institute are among the many supporters of the film. Best of Deadline 'Hacks' Season 4 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far 'The Last Of Us': Differences Between HBO Series & Video Game Across Seasons 1 And 2
Broadcast Pro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Iraqi film ‘The President's Cake' wins Cannes Directors' Fortnight audience award
The film is being sold internationally by Films Boutique, with UTA handling North American rights. Iraqi director Hasan Hadi has won the People's Choice audience award at the second edition of the Cannes Directors' Fortnight for his debut feature The President's Cake. The award, the only audience-voted prize among the Cannes Official Selection and its parallel sections, marks a major international recognition for Hadi and a powerful moment for Iraqi cinema. Based in New York, Hadi drew from his own childhood experiences growing up in southern Iraq during the 1990s, under the regime of Saddam Hussein and the harsh conditions imposed by international sanctions. His film tells the story of Lamia, a nine-year-old girl tasked with bringing a birthday cake to school to celebrate the president's birthday—a seemingly simple mission that becomes a daunting struggle for survival in a time of extreme scarcity. The consequences of failure could be devastating for her and her family. Produced by Leah Chen Baker under the New York-based banner TPC Film LLC, The President's Cake is being sold internationally by Films Boutique, while UTA is handling distribution in North America. The Directors' Fortnight, a parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival known for its focus on bold and independent filmmaking, does not use a traditional jury system. Instead, the People's Choice award, which includes a €7,500 ($8,400) cash prize, is determined entirely by audience votes. The award was established last year in partnership with the Chantal Akerman Foundation to honor the legacy of the late Belgian filmmaker, whose groundbreaking works such as Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles were closely tied to the spirit of the Fortnight.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes: Hasan Hadi's ‘The President's Cake' Wins Directors' Fortnight Audience Award
Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi has won the Directors' Fortnight People's Choice Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his poignant, darkly comic debut feature The President's Cake. The €7,500 ($8,400) cash prize is the only audience-voted award across the official selection and parallel sections in Cannes and marks a major breakthrough for the New York-based Hadi. The film is being sold internationally by Films Boutique, with UTA handling North American rights. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Heads or Tails?' Review: John C. Reilly Plays Buffalo Bill in a Wacky Italy-Set Western With Ambition to Burn 'Yes' Review: Director Nadav Lapid's Decadent Romp Through the Madness and Misery of Post-October 7th Israel Cannes: Mubi Buys Wagner Moura-Starring 'The Secret Agent' for U.K., India, Most of Latin America Based on Hadi's own childhood in 1990s Iraq, the film follows nine-year-old Lamia, who is tasked with baking a cake to honor Saddam Hussein's birthday — a seemingly simple assignment with life-or-death stakes. Amid crippling sanctions, food shortages and a climate of fear, Lamia's attempt to gather ingredients becomes a journey of quiet rebellion and resourcefulness. Produced by Leah Chen Baker under the banner of TPC Film LLC, the film has resonated with critics and audiences alike. In her The Hollywood Reporter review, Sheri Linden praised it as 'a tragicomic gem,' writing: 'Hadi's film is an exceptional screen debut, as perceptive as it is kinetic and, with one eye on the bombers overhead, brimming with life.' The Directors' Fortnight People's Choice Award was launched in 2023 in partnership with the Chantal Akerman Foundation, honoring the late Belgian auteur whose work frequently premiered in the section — including her feminist masterwork Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. The award was created to spotlight bold, audience-connected filmmaking in the spirit of Akerman's legacy. The debut 2024 honor went to Canadian feature Universal Language from director Matthew Rankin. Elsewhere in the Directors' Fortnight, Belgian filmmaker Valéry Carnoy's Wild Foxes (La Danse des Renards) dominated the sidebar's collateral awards, taking home both the Europa Cinemas Label for Best European Film and the SACD Coup de Cœur Prize for best French-language feature. The film follows a gifted young boxer at a prestigious sports boarding school who is forced to reevaluate his life after a devastating injury. THR reviewer Jordan Mintzer called the film 'a gripping and distinctive sports flick.' Co-produced by Hélicotronc (Belgium) and Les Films du Poisson (France), Wild Foxes is being sold internationally by The Party Film Sales. The Europa Cinemas win means the film will receive extended distribution support across Europe, with additional promotion and incentives for exhibitors. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes Directors' Fortnight: 'The President's Cake,' Iraq's First Film at the Festival, Wins People's Choice Audience Award
Hailed by Variety as a 'warm and heart-tugging tale,' Hasan Hadi's 'The President's Cake,' Iraq's first film selected for Cannes, has won the Directors' Fortnight People's Choice prize, the first audience award at Cannes and a Directors' Fortnight plaudit which take into consideration any film from any part of the world. The prestigious award builds on auspicious early major territory sales for the film, sold by Films Boutique, which bid fair for a broad international roll out. More from Variety Cannes Directors' Fortnight: Valéry Carnoy's 'Wild Foxes' Wins Best European Film Prize 'Woman and Child' Review: In Iran, a Single Mom Pushes Back on the Patriarchy in Nonsensical, Self-Destructive Ways Neon Takes North America on Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' News of the Director's Fortnight People's Choice prize comes as Belgian Valéry Carnoy has won a second partner prize in the Directors' Fortnight, scooping the SACD Coup de Cœur des Auteurs prize (literally, 'One from the Heart Auteurs Award') for 'Wild Foxes,' adding to its Europa Cinemas Cannes Label for best European film at Directors' Fortnight, announced just an hour ago. The double whammy establishes the Belgian director as a director to track. A U.S.-Iraq-Qatar production from A Maiden Voyage Pictures, Missing Piece, Spark Features and Working Barn Productions, 'The President's Cake' counts among its 19 executive producers on Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth ('Forrest Gump') as well as Chris Columbus. What's singular abut the film however, critics' agree is the knowing detail and emotion brought to the film by Hadi, who grew up in a southern Iraq of the 1990s wracked by food shortages , due to U.S.-drive sanctions. Set in the Mesopotamia marshes, it turns on Lamia, 9 (Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, 'in an impossibly soulful performance,' says Variety), who gets picked at school to bake Saddam Hussein's birthday cake and sets off on an odyssey with best friend and neighbor Saeed (Sajad Mohamad Qasem), getting aside the nearest city to secure materials for the cake. 'Hadi's film has the makings of a commercial arthouse winner, filled with observant period details in its lived-in production design — the organized chaos of the roads, the dust in the air, all the Saddam-related signage and so on,' Variety said in its review. 'We had lots of offers of people saying: 'Hey, we will fully fund this film, but we need to shoot this film outside Iraq.' And I was like: 'Absolutely not.' And one of the reasons I wanted to shoot in Iraq is to show Iraq. I don't know if you agree or not, but I think this is the first time that people will be seeing Iraq in this way, from this prism,' Hadi told Variety earlier in the festival. Packing a powerful performance from France's Samuel Kirchner, who scored a promising actor Cesar nomination for Cathérine Breillat's 'Last Summer' (2023) plays Camille, the best young boxer an an elite sports academy, who sustains minor injury from a fall. But the accident drains his confidence, turning an alpha-male top dog into an outcast, as he questions the violence he once glorified in. Sharply observed and tautly wound, say critics, 'Wild Foxes' marks the feature debut of Belgian Carnoy whose graduation film 'Ma planète' already won New Talent best short at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. 'It is a sports film but without the usual predictable clichés. 'Wild Foxes' tackles the burning issue of young male friendship and fragility. The whole ensemble cast is exceptionally strong, and really gives the film power and believability,' a Europa Cinemas jury said. Sold by The Party Film Sales, 'Wild Foxes' is produced by Belgium's Helicotronc ('The Break,' 'Ghost Trail') with France's Les Films du Poisson. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes Directors' Fortnight Winners: Iraqi Film ‘The President's Cake' Clinches People's Choice Audience Award
Iraqi director Hasan Hadi's first feature The President's Cake has won the second edition of the Cannes Directors' Fortnight People's Choice audience award. New York-based Hadi has tapped into his own childhood in southern Iraq in the 1990s, growing up under the regime of President Saddam Hussein and the socio-economic crisis provoked by international sanctions, for the film. More from Deadline 'The President's Cake' Review: First-Time Iraqi Director Hasan Hadi Delivers One Of The Fest's Genuine Gems – Cannes Film Festival 'Woman And Child' Review: Iran's Saeed Roustaee Delivers A Fiery Feminist Portrait Of A Woman Who Refuses To Be Pushed Aside - Cannes Film Festival Richard Linklater's 'Breathless' Homage 'Nouvelle Vague' Being Pursued By Multiple Buyers For Domestic The drama follows nine-year-old Lamia who gets the short straw of having to provide a birthday cake for her classmates to celebrate the president's birthday. Gathering the ingredients for the mandatory cake at a time of shortages is a monumental task but failure to deliver could lead to prison or death for her family. Leah Chen Baker produced under the banner of New-York-based TPC Film LLC. Films Boutique handles international sales, with UTA handling North America. Deadline critic Pete Hammond has also fallen for the film describing it as a 'a true gem and a real discovery'. Check out his review here. Parallel Cannes section Directors' Fortnight, which has never had a jury, launched the €7,500 ($8,400) cash prize, in partnership with The Chantel Akerman Foundation last year. It is the only audience award across Official Selection and the parallel sections in Cannes. It celebrates the legacy of late Belgian director Chantal Akerman, a long-time friend of the Fortnight, who premiered several works, including Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, in the section. It takes its cue from her radical filmmaking. Collateral Prizes In collateral prizes, Belgian director Valéry Carnoy's Wild Foxes (La Danse des Renards) swept the board. It won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film in Cannes Directors' Fortnight, which means it will receive the support of the Europa Cinemas Network, with additional promotion and incentives for exhibitors to extend the film's run on screen. The jury this year consisted of Marie Boudon (Cinéma le Méliès, Montreuil, France); Ditte Daugbjerg Christensen (Øst for Paradis, Aarhus, Denmark); Caro Raedts (Cinema ZED, Leuven, Belgium) and Piotr Szczyszyk (Kino Palacowe, Poznań, Poland). The film follows a young male boxer in a sports oriented boarding school, who suffers a serious accident, and suffers mentally as well as physically. 'His confidence is shattered, his position as leader crumbles, and he has to totally reassess his whole approach to life. It is a sports film but without the usual predictable clichés,' the jury said in a statement. 'Wild Foxes tackles the burning issue of young male friendship and fragility. The whole ensemble cast is exceptionally strong, and really gives the film power and believability,' the jury said in a statement Sold internationally by The Party Film Sales, the film is a Hélicotronc (Belgium) production, co-produced with Les Films du Poisson (France). The producers are Julie Esparbes and Inès Daïen Dasi. The screenplay is by Carnoy, with photography by Arnaud Guez, sound by Charlie Cabocel, François Aubinet, Thibaud Rie and Mathieu Cox, production design by Yasmina Chavanne, editing by Suzana Pedro, and music by Pierre Desprats. Samuel Kircher stars as the protagonist alongside a cast also featuring Fayçal Anaflous, Jef Jacobs, Anna Heckel, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Hassane Alili, and Salahdine El Garchi. Carnoy trained at the INSAS film and drama school in Brussels. His graduation film, My Planet, won Best Film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). In 2021, his second short film Titan, also won more than thirty awards and was selected in a hundred international festivals. Wild Foxes also won the French writers guild SACD's Coup de Coeur prize reserved for the best French-language film in the selection. This year's jury consisted of SACD head Anne Villacèque as well as directors Catherine Corsini and Delphine Gleize. 'We were bowled over by the strong, audacious, and joyful offerings at this year's Directors' Fortnight, they said in a statement. 'The film we fell in love articulates the struggles and questions of adolescence with incredible brilliance. It's a body at work, a heart that blossoms, a victory over fear, a film led by an incredible, fragile actor, who has the power of James Dean. The film is carried by a singular perspective, a talent for writing, for directing, and a masterful sense of framing. It's this shock of emotions, of violence, of the exhaustion of young bodies, that overwhelmed us and literally pushed us to the ropes.' Best of Deadline Every 'The Voice' Winner Since Season 1, Including 9 Team Blake Champions Everything We Know About 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' So Far 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
