Topic: global | RocksNews

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The Lumière Festival’s Classic Film Market Gains International Reach, Honors Greece and Spotlights Taiwan as Heritage Films Grow in Market Value

LYON, France — Classic film markets are ever more international and so is the International Classic Film Market (MIFC), part of Lyon’s Lumière Festival and one of the world’s very rare business meets and marts for the heritage film business. Equally, classic films are commanding ever larger audiences, especially among younger cinema goers. Both trends […]

9 Oct 2026, 14:01 UTC

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Cinematographer Bérénice Eveno to Direct Paris Thriller ‘Sleepless Nights,’ Starring Sawsan Abes, as SND Boards Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

“The Handmaid’s Tale” cinematographer Bérénice Eveno is directing “Sleepless Nights,” a female-led spy thriller set in Paris’ nightlife scene. Commissioned by NBCUniversal for France, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia, the six-part series is now in post-production and expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. SND is launching for international sales […]

9 Oct 2026, 14:01 UTC

Margherita Ferrari on Working With Paolo Sorrentino on Directorial Debut ‘Föa — Once Upon a Future’: ‘He Helped Me Pursue and Protect My Vision’

Debuting Italian director Margherita Ferrari is at the Busan International Film Festival with “Föa – Once Upon a Future,” an innovative coming-of-age drama that also marks Paolo Sorrentino’s debut as a producer. Set in Genoa during the tragic days in July 2001 when the G8 summit led to deathly clashes between protesters and police, “Once […]

9 Oct 2026, 12:00 UTC

Gromit Speaks: Martin Freeman to Voice Beloved but Mute Dog in Audiobook Edition of Autobiography

He’s been one half of one of the most cherished on-screen duos in history, yet has famously never spoken a word. That is, up until now. Gromit, the whip-smart and eye-rolling four-legged friend to cheese-loving inventor Wallace across numerous stop-motion classics from Aardman Animation and “Wallace & Gromit” creator Nick Park, is getting his first autobiography […]

9 Oct 2026, 12:00 UTC

Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn,’ ‘Toy Story 5’ and Roger Deakins Lead View Conference Lineup as AI Debate Takes Center Stage

Brad Bird, Roger Deakins and the teams behind “Toy Story 5,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Project Hail Mary” head to Turin next week for the 27th View Conference, where AI and the economics of animation and VFX are set to dominate the agenda. Four of the films being unpacked at the Oct. 12-16 event […]

9 Oct 2026, 12:00 UTC

Bavaria Media Intl. Unveils Mipcom Slate Including German TV Hits ‘Mordach,’ ‘Home-Made Christmas’ and ‘Throughout the Years’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Bavaria Media Intl., the distribution arm of Bavaria Film Group, has unveiled a slate of scripted shows ahead of TV market Mipcom, including German TV hits “Mordach,” “Home-Made Christmas,” “Fanny’s Extraordinary World” and “Throughout the Years.” The crime lineup features “Cold Case Diaries,” “Dark Motives,” “Mordach” and “The Wolf Hunt,” while the family-focused content includes […]

9 Oct 2026, 09:59 UTC

A Rare David Bowie Self-Portrait — Featuring His Handprints — Is Going on Auction at Sotheby’s

A rare David Bowie self-portrait is going on auction at Sotheby’s, featuring the musician and artist’s own handprints. The 1996 work is part of eight self-portraits Bowie created during a prolific period of painting, all of which were snapped up immediately. Done on paper, the painting emphasizes Bowie’s signature anisocoria and includes two of his […]

9 Oct 2026, 09:59 UTC

UTA and Gold House Set Partnership to Build Asia-Hollywood Bridge (EXCLUSIVE)

UTA and Gold House are joining forces at the Busan International Film Festival and in Seoul this month, marking the Asian Pacific advocacy organization’s first official foray into Korea as the two look to connect Asian creatives and investors with Hollywood. The partnership kicks off with the UTA x Gold House x Variety Industry Night […]

9 Oct 2026, 09:59 UTC

AI-Produced Series ‘Space Nation’ and ‘Kira’ to Premiere Pilot Episodes at Mipcom (EXCLUSIVE)

Two science-fiction series produced with generative AI, “Space Nation” and “Kira,” will have the world premieres of their pilot episodes at TV market Mipcom, which takes place next week in Cannes. Both shows are produced by Ex Machina Studios and are being sold worldwide by K5 Intl. The companies told Variety that, to their knowledge, […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

South Asian Filmmakers to Vie for $150,000 at Tasveer Film Market as Netflix, Aamir Khan Pictures Attend

South Asian filmmakers from around the world will compete for $150,000 in grants at the third Tasveer Film Market, held in tandem with the 21st edition of the Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle from Oct. 13-18. The market has picked 12 fiction and documentary features, all in late-stage development, for its Tasveer Market Selects strand. […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

John Hannah Solves Crimes – and Escapes Mobility Scooters – in ‘Benidorm Is Murder’: ‘Sunshine When the World Is So Cloudy’

In “Benidorm Is Murder,” shady deeds are being committed under the scorching sun. The show, produced by Blackbox Multimedia and Clapperboard Studios, stars John Hannah (“The Mummy,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”) and Carolina Bécquer as Dennis and Rosa: an unlikely crime-fighting duo who annoy the local police by taking over investigations in the Spanish […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

Annecy Sci-Fi Animation ‘Pilgrims,’ From ‘Japan Sinks: 2020’ Director Heo Pyoungkang, Lands at EST N8 (EXCLUSIVE)

“Pilgrims,” a Korean sci-fi animated feature that played Annecy and took a prize at Bucheon, has been picked up for worldwide sales by EST N8. It is the first animated title for the film financing, sales and distribution company. EST N8 will launch international sales on the film at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

Indian Crime Drama ‘Chaar Yaar’ Sets Global Premiere on Prime Video (EXCLUSIVE)

“Chaar Yaar,” an eight-episode Hindi-language crime drama about four Mumbai friends who stumble into the city’s underworld, is headed for a worldwide launch on Prime Video. Purav Jha, Naman Jain, Saqib Ayub and Prayrak Mehta play the leads. The supporting ensemble includes Sai Tamhankar, Sikandar Kher, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajesh Tailang, Chunky Panday and Bhagavathi Perumal. […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

Italy’s RAI Inks Major Deal for High-Profile, Female-Led Titles With Beta Film Ahead of Mipcom (EXCLUSIVE)

Italian public broadcaster RAI has acquired a slate of international, female-led drama series from Beta Film ahead of Mipcom. The package comprises “Barton Vet,” in which a veterinarian and her family-run team save animals in the countryside; the French thriller “A Guilty Affair,” about a high school principal desperately searching for her missing daughter; and […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

SkyShowtime’s ‘The Homicide Unit,’ From Warner Bros., and Iceland’s ‘Fjord’ Boarded by Reinvent Yellow Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

SkyShowtime’s “The Homicide Unit” produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) Sweden, and Iceland’s “Fjord” have been added to Reinvent Yellow Sales’ Mipcom slate.The two crime shows feature top female investigators played by internationally acclaimed Nordic theps, Swedish star Pernilla August (“Blackwater,” ”Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”) and Iceland’s Anita Briem […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

How ‘Dying to Survive’ Director Wen Muye Turned a Cook’s War Into $342 Million China Smash ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’: ‘I Never Think About Social Issues in Advance’

Xu Fu went to the Middle East for the money. The Shenyang cook, played by Shen Teng in “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East,” takes the head-chef job at the Dragon Restaurant because the pay could help clear his family’s debts. When war breaks out, he is shaken from his sleep and runs […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

John Rhys-Davies, Diego Boneta Fantasy ‘Starbright’ Boarded by Cappu Films Ahead of Busan Market (EXCLUSIVE)

International sales on “Starbright,” Francesco Lucente’s English-language fantasy adventure starring John Rhys-Davies, Diego Boneta and Alexandra Dowling, have gone to Cappu Films, which sealed the deal on the eve of the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market. Dowling plays Aisling, a young woman who makes a wish on a shooting star and […]

9 Oct 2026, 07:58 UTC

Cole Sprouse Starrer ‘Vintage Violence’ to Close Singapore Film Festival as Closing Night Returns

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will wrap its 37th edition on Nov. 1 with “Vintage Violence,” Eugene Kotlyarenko’s livestream-era crime caper starring Cole Sprouse and Mizuhara Kiko. The screening brings back a stand-alone festival closing, which SGIFF last staged in 2014. The film bowed in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto Film Festival […]

9 Oct 2026, 05:58 UTC

Indian Premier League Stands Alone at the Top as Asia Pacific Sports Rights Growth Slows, Media Partners Asia Finds

The Indian Premier League remains the only Asia Pacific sports property priced at the top of the global market, according to new research from Media Partners Asia, which expects growth in the region’s sports rights fees to slow to 1%–2% a year through 2030, down from about 10% a year since 2021. The cricket league […]

9 Oct 2026, 03:57 UTC

Fan Bingbing Says Young Chinese Audiences ‘Aren’t Being Fed Very Well’ as AI Microdramas Boom

Fan Bingbing watches AI-generated microdramas now and then. She’s just not convinced they’re doing China’s young audiences any good. The Chinese star made the remarks at a Busan International Film Festival press conference, where she presented Wayne Wang’s “Diary of a Mad Old Man,” screening in the A Window on Asian Cinema strand, and Ivan […]

9 Oct 2026, 03:57 UTC