Latest news with #M-Appeal
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jodie Foster Says She Was Offered Lead Roles in French Films Before ‘Vie Privée' but Was ‘Too Scared': The Dialogue ‘Was a Huge Challenge for Me'
Jodie Foster revealed that she's been offered leading roles in French films before making 'Vie Privée,' but was 'too scared' to take them on. The Oscar winner is fluent in the language, having attended a French school growing up in Los Angeles. 'I had secondary parts [in French films] before, but I was actually afraid,' Foster said during 'Vie Privée's' Cannes press conference. 'A number of directors offered me projects but I was too scared to act in French. I thought someone who was more familiar with French should do so. But I don't really remember how things worked out this time around.' More from Variety 'Private Life' Review: Fluent in French, Jodie Foster Steers an Upscale, Paris-Set Psychological Thriller Guillermo Galoe Unpacks His Insider's Vision of a Family Riven by Its Shanty Town's Demolition in Critics' Week's 'Sleepless City' New York Erotic Tale 'Drunken Noodles' Sells to Taiwan, France and Germany for M-Appeal (EXCLUSIVE) Earlier in the press conference, Foster — who spoke in French nearly the entire time — said leading a French film was something she had 'wanted to do for a long time,' but learning all the dialogue was a 'huge challenge.' 'The great thing is that when I act in French, I'm a totally different person,' she added. 'I have a much higher voice, I'm much less confident and I get very frustrated because I can't express myself as well. And so it actually creates a new kind of character for me.' The Rebecca Zlotowski-directed film premiered at the festival on Tuesday night to an impressive eight-minute standing ovation. 'Vie Privée' stars Foster as a psychotherapist who becomes convinced that her patient's suicide was actually a murder. The film marks Foster's first film shot in France since 2004's 'A Very Long Engagement.' Her co-stars include Daniel Auteuil, who plays her ex-husband, and Virginie Edina, who portrays a mysterious patient whose death triggers her unorthodox investigation. Speaking about what sort of role she'd want to take on next, Foster expressed an interest in exploring comedy more. 'The older I get, the more I want to be more lighthearted,' she said. 'I'd like to be in films which talk about other people.' Foster continued: 'I only wanted to be in films which talked about me when I was younger. But this time around, things have truly changed. It's so much fun to listen to new voices and to support other people's performances. It's wonderful to be the old lady who says, 'Don't worry, there's nothing serious about it!'' 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
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jodie Foster Embraces ‘Vie Privée' Director as French Murder Mystery Gets 8-Minute Cannes Standing Ovation
Jodie Foster, flashing a broad smile, embraced director Rebecca Zlotowski at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night as 'Vie Privée' scored an impressive eight-minute standing ovation. The crowd cheered wildly for Foster even as the actress kept gesturing towards Zlotowski, as if reminding the audience that this was the filmmaker's moment to bask in the applause. 'Vie Privée' is an off-beat mystery about a psychotherapist who becomes convinced that her patient's suicide was actually a murder — think of it as 'Only Murders in the Building' with a dose of ennui. The crowd for the film was certainly star-studded, a sign of the esteem in which Foster is held. Gael García Bernal and Alejandro González Iñárritu posed for pictures before the screening, while Scarlett Johansson strode the red carpet with her husband, Colin Jost. Johansson was accompanied by June Squibb, the 95-year-old star of her feature directorial debut, 'Eleanor the Great.' Adrien Brody, who just won an Oscar for 'The Brutalist,' was also in attendance. James Franco, whose career was derailed by sexual harassment allegations, was seen entering the Palais, with an announcer hailing him as the star of 'Spring Breakers.' More from Variety 'Private Life' Review: Fluent in French, Jodie Foster Steers an Upscale, Paris-Set Psychological Thriller Guillermo Galoe Unpacks His Insider's Vision of a Family Riven by Its Shanty Town's Demolition in Critics' Week's 'Sleepless City' New York Erotic Tale 'Drunken Noodles' Sells to Taiwan, France and Germany for M-Appeal (EXCLUSIVE) 'Vie Privée' features Foster in a French-speaking role and marks her first film shot in France since 2004's 'A Very Long Engagement.' 'I've been wanting to go back and do a French movie, because I haven't done one in a long time,' Foster told Variety shortly before the premiere. 'For me, it's always about trying to find the right piece of material. I didn't want to do some overblown American and French co-production. As an actor, I need a story. And a lot of French movies, which I love, are behavior films where you just sort of follow people around for three days or something. That's not what I do. I'm interested in narrative. I'm all about developing a character who propels the story. This ticked all the boxes.' Foster has been a frequent presence in Cannes throughout her decades-long career, recently hitting the Croisette in 2021 to receive an Honorary Palme d'or. Several of her films have also premiered at the festival, including 'Taxi Driver,' which won the Palme d'or in 1976, as well as 2016's 'Money Monster,' a thriller with George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and 2011's Mel Gibson drama 'The Beaver,' both of which she directed. Foster speaks French fluently, having attended the Lycée Français de Los Angeles while growing up. 'Vie Privée' combines a number of genres — it's part thriller, part character study and part relationship comedy. Zlotowski, whose credits include 'Grand Central' and 'Planetarium,' also wrote the film's screenplay. Foster's co-stars include Daniel Auteuil, who plays her ex-husband, and Virginie Edina, who portrays a mysterious patient whose death triggers her unorthodox investigation. Sony Pictures Classics will distribute 'Vie Privée' in North America. After stepping back from acting for many years, Foster has recently been busy in front of the camera. She was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2023's 'Nyad' and won an Emmy for her role as troubled investigator in 2024's 'True Detective: Night Country.' 'I'm picky,' Foster said. 'I'm not really interested in acting just for the sake of acting. It has to really speak to me.' 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
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fatma Hassona, the Palestinian Protagonist of Cannes-Bound ‘Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk,' Killed in Israeli Missile Strike
Fatma Hassona, the Palestinian protagonist of Sepideh Farsi's 'Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk' – selected for Cannes' ACID – was tragically killed with her family by an Israeli missile that targeted her building, the ACID team has shared with Variety. 'Her smile was as magical as her tenacity: bearing witness, photographing Gaza, distributing food despite the bombs, mourning and hunger. We heard her story, rejoiced at each of her appearances to see her alive, we feared for her,' said the team in a statement. More from Variety Lucio Castro's Cannes ACID Title 'Drunken Noodles' Boarded by M-Appeal (EXCLUSIVE) Indie Sales Boards Cannes Directors' Fortnight Title 'Peak Everything' by Canadian Director Anne Emond, Hailing From 'Universal Language' Producers (EXCLUSIVE) 'Militantropos' Acquired by Square Eyes Ahead of Premiere in Cannes' Directors' Fortnight (EXCLUSIVE) 'We had watched and programmed a film in which this young woman's life force seemed like a miracle. This is no longer the same film that we are going to support and present in all theaters, starting with Cannes. All of us, filmmakers and spectators alike, must be worthy of her light.' Sepideh Farsi, the Iranian director of the film, also wrote about the tragic event: 'Maybe I'm ushering in my death now Before the person standing in front of me loads His elite sniper's rifle And it ends And I end. Silence. Those are the words of Fatma Hassona, or Fatem to her friends, excerpted from a long poem called 'The Man Who Wore His Eyes.'' A poem that smells of sulfur, that smells of death already, but that is also full of life, as was Fatem, until this morning, before an Israeli bomb took her life, as well as the lives of her entire family, reducing their home to rubble,' she said. Hassona, who was based in Gaza, had turned 25. 'I got to know her through a Palestinian friend in Cairo, while I was desperately searching for a way to reach Gaza, seeking the answer to a question both simple and complex. How does one survive in Gaza, under siege for all these years? What is the daily life of Palestinian people under war? What is it that Israel wishes to erase in this handful of square kilometers, with bombs and missiles?' Previously, Farsi made the animated feature 'The Siren' about the war between Iraq and Iran. 'I, who could still feel the distant echo of the explosion's shockwaves ringing in my ears (…) wanted to know how the Gazans resisted all this, what they were going through… I could not find the answer in the news and media. I wanted to hear their words unmediated. I wanted to be in Gaza,' she said. While she couldn't travel there, she filmed their conversations. 'And so, Fatem became my eyes in Gaza and I, a window open on the world. I filmed, catching the moments offered by our video calls, what Fatem was offering, fiery and full of life. I filmed her laughs, her tears, her hopes and her depression. I followed my instinct. Without knowing beforehand where those images would lead us. Such is the beauty of cinema. The beauty of life.' In the film, Fatem opened up about being a Palestinian in Gaza. 'I'm proud of it. They'll never be able to beat us, whatever they do. Because we have nothing to lose,' she stated. Farsi added: 'Every day, I thought about Palestinians outside Gaza, far from their families, and I wondered how they could go on living with such anguish. And for that as well, I had no answer. I told myself I had no right to fear for her, if she herself was not afraid. I clung to her strength, to her unwavering faith.' 'I was very skeptical when the ceasefire was announced in December, but I told myself I had no right not to believe in it if the Palestinians and Fatem did. I did manage to call her two days ago and, miraculously, she answered. I wanted to tell her that her film had been selected by ACID. That it was going to be shown in Cannes.' Farsi recalled their conversation: – 'So… will you come present the film with me? – Yes, but only if I can return to Gaza afterwards. They want to make us leave, to take our lands and our homes. But we will stay. – Aren't you scared something will happen to you? – No… You know, nothing lasts forever on this earth. Not even this war. It will be over one day.' At first, she refused to believe the news, thinking it was a mistake. 'Like the one a few months ago, when a family with the same surname had perished in an Israeli attack. Incredulous, I called her, then sent her a message, then another one. I know that Fatem will no longer answer, that I will never see her brothers again, nor her sister Alaa, a painter who was six months pregnant, nor her father, a taxi driver who was stuck at home since the beginning of the Israeli offensive. All those bright existences were crushed by a finger that pressed on a button and dropped a bomb to erase one more home.' Farsi stated: 'There are no more doubts to be had. What is occurring in Gaza today is not, and has not been in a long Ame, an answer to the crimes committed by Hamas on October 7. It is a genocide. I blame those that are committing it as well as their accomplices, and I ask for justice for Fatem and for all innocent Palestinians that have died.' She ended, again, with a poem: 'Are you a fish? I did not answer when the sea asked me I didn't know where these crows came from And pounced on my flesh Would it have seemed logical? -If I said: Yes- Let these crows pounce at the end On a fish! She crossed And I did not cross My death crossed me And a sharp sniper bullet I became an angel For a city. Huge Bigger than my dreams Bigger than this city.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Berlin Golden Bear Winner ‘Dreams' Scores Further Sales in Australia, Mexico, South Korea and More (EXCLUSIVE)
Berlin sales outfit M-Appeal has sealed further deals for Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud's Berlinale Golden Bear winner 'Dreams,' as well as additional sales for 'Sex' and 'Love,' the other films in the director's trilogy. 'Dreams' follows Johanne, a young woman who documents her first love — an infatuation with her teacher — through intimate writing. When her mother and grandmother discover her work, their initial shock turns to recognition of its literary merit. As they weigh publishing it, Johanne is forced to reconcile fantasy with reality, while all three women explore their differing perspectives on love, sexuality and self-discovery. More from Variety 'Queerpanorama' Sells to North America and Other Key Territories Following Berlinale Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) Berlinale Award Winner 'Little Trouble Girls' Sells in North America, U.K. and Ireland and More (EXCLUSIVE) Berlinale Prizewinning 'We Believe You,' a Belgian Family Custody Drama, Lures Buyers for the Party Film Sales (EXCLUSIVE) Vendetta Films has acquired the trilogy for Australia and New Zealand. 'We fell in love with 'Dreams' and we think this unique and mystery-filled spin on the age-old tale of a student falling for their teacher is perfect for modern audiences. We're so excited to bring Dag Johan Haugerud's trilogy to screens across Australia and New Zealand,' Jill Macnab, general manager of Vendetta Films, told Variety. In Mexico, the trilogy will be released by Cinemas Nueva Era, and Edko Films has picked up the trilogy for Hong Kong ahead of the Hong Kong International Film Festival in April, where 'Dreams' will screen as the closing film. Ukraine's SVOEkino has also acquired the trilogy. South Korea's JINJIN Pictures, which previously acquired 'Sex,' the trilogy's first installment, has now picked up 'Love' and 'Dreams' to complete the set. In Singapore, the trilogy has been acquired by Anticipate Pictures, whose recent releases include 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' and 'Anatomy of a Fall.' The three films will be released in the second half of 2025. 'Whimsical yet incisive, this trilogy introduces fresh concepts of love, sex and dreams in ways that will surprise and stimulate our Singapore audience,' Vincent Quek, founder of Anticipate Pictures, said. Further new sales for 'Dreams' include Cineplex, covering Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru, and Falcon Pictures, which has acquired 'Dreams' and 'Love' for Indonesia. All distributors will release the films theatrically. 'We are delighted to have secured such strong theatrical partnerships for the film,' said Maren Kroymann, managing director of M-Appeal. 'It's incredibly rewarding to see our team's efforts and the long-term strategy we've developed over the past year for the trilogy come to fruition.' The 'Sex Love Dreams' trilogy was produced by Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Motlys. The films were supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordic Film and TV Fund, and the promotion activities for the trilogy were supported by MEDIA funding from the European Union. Previously announced deals for 'Dreams' include North America (Strand Releasing), France (Pyramide), Germany and Austria (Alamode), U.K. (Modern Films), Portugal (Films4You), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Japan (Bitters End) and Bulgaria (Beta Films). Best of Variety The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Berlin: Fipresci International Film Critic Award Winners
Fipresci, the international film critics association, has announced its winners for the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, with Norwegian filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud's Drømmer (Dreams (Sex Love)) taking the top honor in the Competition section. The film, the concluding chapter of Haugerud's Sex, Love, Dreams trilogy on emotional and physical intimacy, follows 17-year-old Johanne (Ella Øverbye), who becomes infatuated with her new teacher, Johanna (Selome Emnetu). As Johanne navigates her romantic awakening, the lines between memory and fiction blur, culminating in a self-reflective literary account of first love. Infused with Haugerud's signature droll humor and sensitive observations, the film marks a shift in the trilogy's focus to queer first love. M-Appeal is handling world sales. More from The Hollywood Reporter Berlin: Dramas from Ireland, Belgium, Brazil, and the Philippines win Generation 14plus 'What Does That Nature Say to You' Review: Hong Sang-soo Is in Top Form With a Convivial Meet-the-Parents Occasion That Goes South Before Dessert Frédéric Hambalek on His Paranormal Parent Trap 'What Marielle Knows' In the newly introduced Perspectives competition, Slovenian director Urška Djukić was honored for her debut feature Kaj ti je deklica (Little Trouble Girls), a coming-of-age drama that follows the reserved Lucia (Jara Sofija Ostan) as she explores sexuality, friendship and the intersection of sin and desire. The film is being sold worldwide by Heretic. The Panorama prize went to Bajo las banderas, el sol (Under the Flags, the Sun), the feature documentary debut of Paraguayan filmmaker Juanjo Pereira. The film excavates lost audiovisual archives from Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year dictatorship, revealing how media was used to shape national identity and enforce authoritarian rule. Assembled from recovered propaganda films, newsreels and declassified documents, Pereira's work reconstructs a history long omitted from Paraguay's educational system. Cinephil is handling worldwide sales. Tatiana Fuentes Sadowski's La memoria de las mariposas (The Memory of Butterflies) won the Fipresci prize in the Forum section. Using grainy analog footage, the Peruvian documentary tells the forgotten story of two indigenous Peruvian boys forcibly taken to Europe, intertwining their history with that of Peru's during its brutal 35-year dictatorship. Miti Film produced the documentary together with Perpetua Cine and Oblaum Filmes. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time Dinosaurs, Zombies and More 'Wicked': The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025 From 'A Complete Unknown' to 'Selena' to 'Ray': 33 Notable Music Biopics
