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Miami — Colombia and Mexico-based Tis Studios has boarded the Gaumont USA-produced “Futuro Desierto,” Lucía Puenzo and Nicolás Puenzo’s six-episode near-future psychological thriller and family drama which explores big questions sparked by Artificial Intelligence.

Also, it looks to do what Lucía Puenzo does best: Enroll a propulsive genre momentum to ask highly relevant personal questions, here focused via a familia drama, about modern-day society.

Tis Studios is handling international distribution on the series.

Produced by Gaumont USA for Paramount Television International Studios (Ptis), “Futuro Desierto,” one of the biggest series to come out of Latin America, is headlined by José María Yazpik, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Andres Parra and Karla Souza in an all-star Latin American key cast.

“Futuro Desierto” also marks a banner title in a slate of new and often high-profile titles which Tis Studios will introduce to buyers at Content Americas as the Paramount-owned historic studio – formerly known...

“Dive” and “La Jauría” helmer Lucía Puenzo is set to direct gangster epic “The Gunwoman (Pepita’s Legend),” toplining and executive produced by Argentine star Luisana Lopilato, and inspired by the real-life story of Margarita Di Tullio, queen of its Mar del Plata underworld who became the most famous woman in Argentina’s criminal history.

Currently in pre-production, the movie is backed by one of the grandest alliances ever assembled to produce an Argentine feature film, thriller “The Gunwoman” (Pepita’s Legend)” being produced by a consortium led by Argentina’s Zeppelin Studio, headed by Lucas Jinkis. The alliance also takes in Historias Cinematográficas, Erik Barmack’s Wild Sheep Content, Yair Dori, Bar Rimoni, Javier Furgang, 7395 Media and Non Stop Studios.

From initial comments made by Puenzo, referring to “this gigantic story” and given the robust breadth of financing, “The Gunwoman” looks like one of the biggest movies without...

The San Sebastian Film Festival is shining the light on female filmmakers from across Latin America with the lineup for its Horizontes Latinos sidebar section. Eight of the 12 features in this year’s program, which San Sebastian unveiled on Thursday, are from female directors, including A Ravaging Wind from Argentine filmmaker Paula Hernández, which will open the section. All 12 films come from directors of Latino origin and were entirely or partially produced in Latin America but have not yet been released in Spain.

A Ravaging Wind is Hernández’s adaptation of Selva Almada’s novel of the same name and follows the story of a preacher and his daughter whose car breaks down during their latest mission to spread the gospel. Hernández’s 2019 feature The Sleepwalkers also screened in San Sebastian’s Horizontes Latinos sidebar.

Also returning to Horizontes Latinos are Tatiana Huezo (2021’s Prayers for the Stolen), who will...

Marc Recha, director of “Pau and His Brother,” which played in Cannes competition, is initiating post-production on “Wild Road,” a thriller produced by Barcelona-based director label Parallamps.

Heaed by Montse Germán, a star in Cesc Gay’s “Fiction” and Sergi López” (“Pan’s Labyrinth”), “Wild Road” follows 50-year Ona, who is about to fulfill her dream of piloting a light aircraft. Then a chance encounter with some Serb ex-combatants will change her life and that of her loved ones, forcing her to face up to her own past.

A Locarno Fipresci prize winner for “The Cherry Tree,” in “Wild Road” Recha aims for a “cinema d’auteur for a wider audience. It’s a disturbing thriller but full of humanity,” producer Ana Stanič told Variety announcing “strong interest for the film in Spain, Central and Eastern Europe and further abroad.”

A sales agent deal is close to being closed.

The move...

Gaumont, the powerhouse behind “Narcos,” “Lupin” and “Barbarians,” has boarded “Le Prince,” a period mystery thriller series written by Charles den Tex and Paul de Vrijer (“Hunter Street”).

Currently in development, “Le Prince” will be produced by Gaumont, as well as Stories By, a label launched by France TV Distribution, and Dutch producers Paradise Media.

The six-part series will be driven by a strong female character and will be inspired by the true story of the disappearance of Louis le Prince, the inventor of the first ever motion picture camera.

“Le Prince” unfolds in France, in the late 19th century, a few years before the invention of cinema. Le Prince was a French artist who is believed to have been the first person to shoot a moving picture sequence, years before the Lumière brothers and Thomas Edison. Le Prince mysteriously vanished in 1890 shortly before a planned public demonstration of his camera in the U.

Gaumont’s previous drama hits include Lupin, Narcos, Barbarian and Stillwater.

Paramount+, the global streaming service of Paramount Global, have struck a drama slate partnership with Gaumont, France’s historic film and TV company which has made its mark on the global high-end series scene with shows like Lupin, Narcos, Barbarian and Stillwater.

Under the deal, Gaumont will produce several originals in association with Paramount’s international studio, Vis, as part of Paramount+’s plan to greenlight 50 new international scripted originals in 2022.

“This long-term partnership with the storied and esteemed production company Gaumont is another example of our commitment to...

Paramount Plus, which is the global streaming service of recently rebranded Paramount — formerly ViacomCBS — has forged a three-year partnership with Gaumont, the storied French studio behind Netflix’s “Lupin” and “Narcos,” to jointly produce a slate of high-end original shows for its growing subscribers around the world.

Under the partnership Gaumont will produce these series in association with Paramount’s international studio, Vis.

The shows will be part of Paramount Plus’s stated plans to green light 50 new non-u.S. scripted originals in 2022, as it expands its reach from Latin America, Australia, Canada and the Nordics –– where the service has already launched –– to the U.K., South Korea, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy where it will launch this year.

Vis will gain access to Gaumont’s vast network of top talent and creatives in key Paramount Plus markets, including Latin America and Europe, the two companies said in a joint statement.

Norwegian broadcaster Nrk has boarded Hummelfilm’s coming-of-age crime drama series “Nowheresville,” one of 10 projects participating in this year’s Berlin Co-Pro Series where producer Marte Hansen and series creator-director Rebecca W. Kjellmann are virtually pitching the series to potential partners, financers and broadcasters.

Development on the project is already well underway, with four finished scripts and outlines for the show’s other four episodes already banked.

“We are currently continuing the writing process, while working on the financing and production set-up for the series,” the partners explained to Variety before pitching in Berlin. “We hope that our participation at Berlinale Co-Pro Series will help us move forward in this regard and are excited to see the outcome of our participation.”

“Nowheresville’” unspools in, well, the middle of nowhere, a windswept village in Finnmark. There, teenager Christina discovers that cats are going missing, with no evidence as to where or why.

€5,000,000 has been earmarked for winning projects of the 2020 call for submissions, which offers selective funding for co-produced or minority Italian films. La Tresse, the upcoming film by French director Laetitia Colombani (He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not), Los impactados by Argentine director Lucia Puenzo (The German Doctor), Baltazar by the Polish master Jerzy Skolimowski (11 Minutes) and Il volo by Italy’s Pietro Marcello (Martin Eden), which will be produced by France (CG Cinéma), are just some of the winning projects of the second session of the 2020 call for submissions, which offers selective aid to co-produced or minority Italian films. The call was issued by the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Directorate General for Film and Audiovisual Works (formerly Mibact) and is geared towards projects which are made in co-production with foreign states and in which Italian co-producers hold a minority stake....

Natalia Oreiro (“The German Doctor”) and Juan Minujín are set to star in “Bypass: Almost Dead” (“Bypass: Casi Muerta”).

Adapting the original Basque film “Bypass,” the first feature of Aitor Mazo and Patxo Tellería which scored 15 nominations at the 2013 Spanish Academy Goya Awards, “Bypass: Almost Dead” is produced by Argentina’s Cinema 7 Films and Non Stop and will be directed by Fernán Mirás. The director’s debut feature, “El Peso de la Ley” (“The Heavy Hand of the Law”), snagged six nominations at Argentina’s 2017 Premios Sur.

A screwball romantic comedy, the original “Bypass” turns on the feckless Aitor, who visits a dying woman friend María who, he learns, has always carried a candle for him. To grant her an almost last wish, he falsely confesses he has always loved her, which sparks her miraculous recovery, leaving Aitor to juggle a new love life and a relationship with a girl-friend...

WarnerMedia’s rapidly growing new streaming service HBO Max has picked up hit international thriller “La Jauria” for the U.S. from Chile-based Fabula, owned and operated by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín, and Fremantle. The series will be available to stream starting Dec. 16.

“La Jauria” is showrun by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), one of Latin America’s most prominent film and TV writer-directors, and stars Daniela Vega, the lead in the Academy Award-winning “A Fantastic Woman.”

Set at a private Catholic school in Santiago de Chile, “La Jauría” follows the case of a Catholic school student who stages a protest and becomes the unwitting center of a police investigation that exposes a disturbing online game in which men record and share videos of themselves abusing women.

In addition to Vega, the series features a standout cast of Latin American heavyweights, many Fabula regulars, including Antonia Zegers (“Fugitivos...

Argentina’s preeminent writer-director Lucia Puenzo, who has proven her showrunner chops with “La Jauria” for Amazon Prime and eco-thriller series “Cromo,” has partnered with Gaumont, the producers of Netflix mega-hit “Narcos,” in a multi-project development deal.

Among the projects in the pact is “Futuro Desierto,” a near-future, dystopian thriller that turns on a robotics engineer who moves with his family to an isolated town in Patagonia where he is ordered to test the first humanoid robots in secret. Puenzo, whose notable film credits include the Cannes-selected “Xxy” and “The German Doctor,” will co-showrun and direct multiple episodes with her brother, Nicolas Puenzo, co-director of “Cromo” and “La Jauría.”

Another project, tentatively titled “This is Not a Love Song,” follows the extraordinary life of Tina Modotti, the eccentric Italian feminist photographer, model, actress and revolutionary political activist who was among the leading lights of cosmopolitan Mexico City in the early 1920s,...

Showrun by Lucía Puenzo and produced by Fremantle and Fabula, “Señorita México” (“Miss Mexico”) has added two writers, María Renée Prudencio and Tatiana Merenuk, as it advances towards production, which is scheduled for the first half of 2021.

The new series will be produced for Starzplay and Pantaya in Latin America and Spain, in a deal brokered by Fremantle’s international distribution arm, Fremantle and Fabula confirmed Tuesday, as they also unveiled more details of one of Latin America’s banner productions for 2021, which will be the first at Fabula’s new Mexican production beach-head.

Star of Fernando Eimbke’s “Club Sandwich,” actress-writer Mexico-based Prudencio scooped a Mexican Academy Ariel for co-adapting ensemble comedy “Last Call,” which also won its female cast a collective prize at the Guadalajara Festival. Her second major movie screenplay, for Natalia Beristain’s “The Eternal Feminine,” exhibited a distinctive female sensibility in its portrait of Mexican writer Rosario Castellanos.

Danish writer Karen Blixen, whose memoir “Out of Africa” and short story “Babette’s Feast” were both turned into Academy Award-winning films, is now the subject of another big-screen makeover with an adaptation of her short story “The Immortal Story” set to be penned by Argentina’s Daniel Rosenfeld and Lucía Puenzo.

Argentine-French actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart (“Bpm (Beats per Minute)”) and Leonardo Sbaraglia have signed letters of intent to head up the cast, along with an international actor and actress, which have yet to be confirmed, Rosenfeld told Variety.

Director-producer of Idfa player “Piazzola, the Years of the Shark,” which won best documentary at Argentina’s 2018 Academy Awards, Rosenfeld has purchased rights to the story, which was adapted by Orson Welles in 1968.

Rosenfeld is currently writing the screenplay adaptation with Puenzo, one of Latin America’s most courted film directors and showrunner on Amazon’s “La Jauría,” produced by Fabula and Fremantle.

Fremantle and Fabula have dropped the first trailer of eight-part series “La Jauría” (“The Pack”), showrun by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), one of Latin America’s most prominent film and TV writer-directors, and starring Daniela Vega, the lead in the Academy Award winning “A Fantastic Woman.”

Set up at Chile’s Fabula, run by writer-director Pablo Larraín (“Jacky”) and brother Juan de Díos Larraín, “Gloria Bell”), “La Jauría”

Amazon’s first-ever locally-produced Amazon Original in Chile will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in Latin America, Caribbean and Spain.

It also marks the first international series from Fabula.

Brought onto the market at February’s Fremantle Screenings in London and now the Series Mania-MipTV virtual marketplace, “La Jauría” is also first fruit of a Fabula-Fremantle multi-year first-look production-distribution alliance. Fremantle is its global distributor.

Co-written by Puenzo, and set at a posh private Catholic school in Santiago de Chile,...

For 25 years, from 1992’s “La Frontera” through 2017’s ”A Fantastic Woman,” a subsequent Oscar winner, the Berlinale has prized a rich trove of Chilean movies.

Now, in sync with industry change, Berlin will celebrate the country’s TV with a Chilean Series on the Rise showcase, part of its Country Focus.

“When I started at CinemaChile, one mandate was to achieve the same sense of a phenomenon for Chilean series that had happened in film,” says Constanza Arena, executive director.

Berlin lifts the curtain on early success. “TV is the future of content,” says Matías Cardone, producer of “Dignity,” as the showcase comes in as a Country Focus’ centerpiece.

The five series presented have won big prizes, struck high-profile deals and helped bow original series investment and marked a major strategic departure at some of the world’s most energetic drama series players.

Haunting vignettes of desaparecidos under Pinochet and...

Miami — It’s official. Two of the Argentine industry’s biggest name actors, Natalia Oreiro (“Gilda”) and Ernesto Alterio (“Clandestine Childhood”), are attached to star in “Santa Evita,” produced by Salma Hayek and co-directed by Rodrigo García (“Nine Lives”), who will also produce.

Confirmed by Buena Vista Original Productions on the eve of this year’s Natpe conference in Miami, which kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 21, the seven-part drama series looks like the one of the biggest in the pipeline from Latin American – in terms of talent attached, expectation, and its central on-screen figure: Legendary Argentine First Lady Eva Perón.

Eight years in the works, but now the first series to go into production at Disney’s new Buena Vista Original Productions label in Latin America, headed by Leonardo Aranguibel and Mariana Pérez – and a passion project of Pérez’s when she drove original production at Fox Networks Group Latin America...

The Cannes Festival and Film Market’s boldest international initiative outside France, as well as Latin America’s biggest movie mart-meet, Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur runs Dec. 2-6. Co-organized by Argentina’s Incaa film-tv agency, it provides a telling window into Latin American market trends. Here are five takes for 2019:

1. Latin American Headwinds

For most of the past decade, Ventana Sur channeled the energies of the region’s expanding film industries. That era is now over. “Latin America is the world’s worst performing region in terms of economic output,” the Financial Times proclaimed in October. That downturn, and its sluggish growth, plays out throughout the region. Two of Latin America’s three biggest national film industries — Argentina and Brazil — have just hit rather hard walls: The plunging Argentine peso lost 37% of its value against the dollar in just 12 months; and in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has envisaged a...

Lucia Puenzo to direct from screenplay by Ann Cherkis (Better Call Saul).

Jessica Chastain will star in the comedic drama Losing Clementine that Argentinian filmmaker Lucia Puenzo will direct and Sierra/Affinity will introduce to international buyers at Afm this week.

Better Call Saul screenwriter Ann Cherkis adapted the story from the novel of the same name by Ashley Ream about a celebrated artist who ditches her medications and has one month to tie up loose ends, only to uncover tragic secrets about her family.

Italia Film-based Sentient’s Renee Tab acquired the book last year, developed the script,...

Jessica Chastain will star in the comedy-drama “Losing Clementine” from award-winning Argentine filmmaker Lucia Puenzo.

“Better Call Saul” scribe Ann Cherkis is penning the script.

“Losing Clementine” is adapted from Ashley Ream’s acclaimed novel of the same name. Sentient’s Renee Tab acquired the book last year, during which time she developed the script, packaged the project and raised the financing. Tab will produce with her partner Christopher Tuffin alongside Freckle Films’ Chastain and Kelly Carmichael. Miller Way’s Michael and Jeeny Miller will executive produce alongside Sentient’s Jake Martin and Maryam Lieberman, and Cherkis.

The story follows world-renowned artist Clementine Pritchard (Chastain) who, after flushing away her meds, gives herself 31 days to tie up loose ends before killing herself. While checking off her bucket list, she uncovers secrets about her family and the tragedy that befell her mother and sister.

Sierra/Affinity will launch international sales of...

Another hot American Film Market package being unveiled today: Jessica Chastain will play a troubled artist in comedy-drama Losing Clementine. Argentine filmmaker Lucía Puenzo has been enlisted to helm the feature, which Sierra/Affinity will be shopping at the Santa Monica market this week.

As we revealed last year, Sentient Entertainment’s Renee Tab picked up feature rights to Ashley Ream’s debut novel of the same name and brought Better Call Saul writer and producer Ann Cherkis onboard to adapt the screenplay.

Pic follows world-renowned and sharp-tongued artist Clementine Pritchard (Chastain) who has decided she’s done. After flushing away her meds, she gives herself 31 days to tie up loose ends. While checking off her bucket list she uncovers secrets about her family and the tragedy that befell her mother and sister.

Sentient president Tab, who recently exec produced the Jennifer Garner thriller Peppermint, developed, packaged, raised finance and...

Cannes — Produced by Chile’s Fabula, headed by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín, and Fremantle, and showrun by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), “La Jauria” (The Pack) cuts excruciatingly to the chase.

In its very first scene, a teen girl student sits down, back to the wall, before her male drama teacher who is video-taping the class . “Pretend I’m your boyfriend,” he enthuses off camera. “Pronounce an ‘A,’” he goes on. She doesn’t know how to react but does. until, coached by her teacher, she seems to be groaning in orgasm. When the girl leaves the class, she goes straight to the washroom, sits down and bursts into tears.

The teacher’s gross abuse sparks a student takeover of the elite school in Santiago de Chile. When its leader, 17-year-old Blanca Ibarra, goes missing, a gender-based crime specialist police unit formed by Elisa Murillo and Olivia Fernandez...

Cannes — Pablo and Juan de Díos Larraín’s Fabula, producers of Oscar-winning “A Fantastic Woman” and Toronto hit “Gloria Bell,” starring Julianne Moore, have driven into animation, teaming with Lunes to produce “Homeless.”

A Fabula-Lunes co-production, and Fabula’s first animated feature, “Homeless,” which will world premiere at France’s Annecy Festival next month, marks the latest expansive move at Fabula which, in the last 20 months, has set up a U.S. office, run by former Paramount exec Geoff Stier, moved into production on its first high-end international drama series, “La Jauria,” directed by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”) and starring “A Fantastic Woman’s” Daniela Vega; clinched a first-look production distribution deal with television powerhouse Fremantle; and appointed Rocío Jadue as its first head of Latin American film just before the Cannes Film Festival.

For Lunes, which is making a splash internationally with short “Waldo’s Dream,”Homeless,” a...

2019 Cannes and the second half of the year catch Chile in the throes of huge change and a fairly exemplary evolution. Already, new paradigms seem fairly clear.

Chilean cinema is “director-driven, about different conversations” with audiences, says Fabula producer Juan de Dios Larraín.

Marking perhaps the two biggest Chilean titles set to bow over the second half of the year, Pablo Larraín’s “Ema,” with Gael Garcia Bernal, is a dance-spangled melodrama, about new contemporary family dynamics. “Araña,” sold at Cannes by Film Factory Ent. and from Andrés Wood, begins to trace the roots of a new nationalism from Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship to the present.

That auteurist focus will remain, and, as the battle for success in an Ott world becomes a battle for talent, see Chile reach out to premium auteurs outside the country. One case in point: Argentine cineast Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), recruited by Fabula...

Former Story House Entertainment CEO Camila Jiménez-Villa and Silvana Aguirre, creator and showrunner of “El Chapo,” have joined forces to launch a production company dubbed the Immigrant.

Based in Los Angeles and Miami, Immigrant will develop and produce premium content in the U.S., Latin America and Spain. The shingle will focus on multicultural stories and talent in the United States, while sourcing stories with international appeal from Latin America and Spain.

New company has up to seven English-language and Spanish-language scripted projects in development, including a co-production with Italian production house Wildside to be helmed by Argentine award-winning writer-director Lucia Puenzo (“The German Doctor”). Aguirre’s new series, of which details are still under wraps, will enter production in late 2019 in Mexico.

Immigrant will primarily focus on developing scripted and unscripted content for television, but will also produce a few select film projects in the U.S.

Company joins...

There may not be any more eggnog to drink or mistletoe to stand under, but don’t despair — Hulu is coming in clutch with over 200 new titles arriving to the streaming service next month.

Ease into the new year by rewatching classics like “Beetlejuice,” “Heathers” and “Rain Man,” or snuggle up with a bowl of popcorn for family movies like “Shrek,” “Surf’s Up,” and “The Twilight Saga.” If reality TV is more your style, then you’re in luck, as a slew of favorites are set to make their Hulu debut this month including Season 7 of “Dance Moms,” Season 2 of “90 Day Fiancé,” and Season 10 of “American Pickers.” Starting out this year’s slate of Hulu originals, Season 2 of “Future Man” drops Jan. 11.

Find the complete list of this month’s new arrivals below and stream now on Hulu.com. Right now, the streaming service is knocking its monthly price...

Hulu’s slate of new titles arriving on the platform in January is here.

The second season of Hulu original “Future Man” will arrive on the service Jan. 11, while the Natalie Portman-Tessa Thompson science fiction film “Annihilation” will be available to stream on Jan. 4. The film is Alex Garland’s follow-up to “Ex Machina” and starred Portman, Thompson and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a group of scientists investigating a strange environmental phenomenon known as “the shimmer.”

Here’s the full list of what’s coming and going in January.

Also Read: Here's What You Can Stream With Your Amazon Prime Membership in January

Available Jan. 1

Atlanta: Complete Season 2 (FX)

The Detectorists: Complete Season 3 (Drg)

Dot.: Complete Season 2B (Universal Kids)

Saints & Sinners: Complete Seasons 1-3 (Bounce TV)

X Company: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Sony)

54 (1998)

10 Years (2011)

2 Days in the Valley (1996)

9 to 5 (1980)

A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002)

A Simple Plan (1998)

A...

Buenos Aires — Oscar-winning Chilean producer Juan de Dios Larraín (“A Fantastic Woman”), Sebastián Freund, co-creator of Chile’s biggest ever B.O. hit, “Stefan vs. Kramer,” and Gabriela Sandoval, co-director of Sanfic, Chile’s biggest film event, Sanfic festival, are joining forces to haul Chile’s much vaunted cinema into the 21st century.

They will be joined by Sergio Gándara, Chile’s top TV producer, Macarena Cardone, from Invercine&Wood, and Gastón Chedufa, from Las Minas.

A hint of their roadmap looks likely to be heard Wednesday evening at Ventana Sur, when Freund and Sandoval deliver a short speech before a CinemaChile cocktail, traditionally a mid-market social milestone at Latin America’s biggest movie-tv market. If it ain’t broke….? Since a new generation of filmmakers, making up the so-called Newest Chilean Cinema – Sebastián Lelio, Alicia Scherson, Matías Bize – burst onto the scene at the 2005 Valdivia Festival, Chilean filmmakers have won...

Mixed martial arts league Combate Americas is launching its own TV studio, TheWrap has learned exclusively, making it the first Mma organization to start a production company. Veteran foreign film producer Stan Jakubowicz will run La Jaula Studios, which will create content for both linear television and digital platforms.

“Our mission with La Jaula Studios is to tell the bold, untold and unfiltered stories of the real-life heroism behind Combate’s fighters and their communities,” the Hispanic fight league and media company’s president, Jacqueline Hernandez, told TheWrap. “Stan’s proven creative expertise and uncontainable passion for this sport make him a perfect fit to lead La Jaula.”

La Jaula Studios, which will be based in New York, plans to target its content toward Hispanic millennials and Generation Z. Shows and other short-form content will be produced in Spanish, English and Portuguese, which production taking place in Latin America, Brazil,...

In a deal announced Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival, Vicente Canales’ Barcelona-based Film Factory has unveiled the sale of Jaime Rosales’ Directors’ Fortnight entry “Petra” to Condor Distribution in France and September Films for Benelux countries.

“Petra” is a pan-European co-production between Rosales’ Fresdeval Films and Wanda Vision – both based out of Madrid –Oberon Cinematográfica from Barcelona, Les Productions Balthazar in Paris and Copenhagen’s Snowglobe.

The film follows Petra, a woman who has always had the identity of her father hidden from her. When her mother passes away, Petra sets out on her own, and starts a residency under a famous artist named Jaume, a powerful and ruthless man she suspects may be her father. She also meets Jaume’s son Lucas, and his wife Marisa. The stories of the four then wind together and violent secrets unearth which push everyone to their limits, before a twist...

Exclusive: Biopic stars Natalia Oreiro at late pop icon Gilda.

Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks is in talks with international buyers on the biopic I Am Gilda (The Latin Music Saint) starring Natalia Oreiro as the late Argentinian pop icon Gilda.

Buena Vista International has boarded Latin American rights and will release the film in the fourth quarter.

Lorena Muñoz directed I Am Gilda (Spanish title Gilda No Me Arrepiento De Este Amor), which charts the story of how Miriam Alejandra Bianchi became the iconic pop star Gilda and her tragic end in a car crash.

Angela Torres, Lautaro Delgado, Susana Pampin and Daniel Melingo also star.

Oreiro has starred in The German Doctor, among others.

Argentine miniseries from the director of Wakolda screening at Toronto.

Pyramide International has picked up sales on Argentine Lucia Puenzo’s eco-thriller miniseries Cromo ahead of its world premiere in Toronto International Film Festival’s new TV strand Primetime tomorrow (Sept 11).

“We signed it last week after seeing the episodes which will be shown at Toronto. We thought it looked fabulous,” Pyramide chief Eric Lagesse told ScreenDaily.

Episodes one, two and eight will premiere in Tiff’s new Primetime section aimed at cutting-edge projects blurring the boundaries between film and TV.

It is the first time the Paris-based auteur film specialist Pyramide has handled sales on a TV series.

“The wall between cinema and TV is no longer as impermeable as it was in the past,” said Lagesse. “There is still a strong cinematic quality to the look and feel of the series.

“You can tell that it’s made by people with a cinema background who are...

The rise in critical acclaim for television shows over the years has been well-documented, with a corresponding rise in interest among viewers to discuss and analyse television the way films are at festivals. While festivals dedicated to television shows, such as Atx and PaleyFest, are on the rise, film festivals still outweigh them.

For its 2015 incarnation, however, the Toronto International Film Festival will be doing something unique, beginning a programme dedicated to television. Titled the Primetime Programme, the section of the festival will conduct screenings and Q&A sessions just like the films that play at Tiff, focusing on specific episodes of shows instead. The lineup for the inagural Primetime programme has now been announced, and can be seen below.

Casual Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2, created by Zander Lehmann and directed by Jason Reitman, making its World Premiere

Festival favourite Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) directs this wonderfully endearing...

Toronto brass on Thursday paid homage to arguably the most dynamic and provocative content format in entertainment, announcing the festival’s inaugural slate of six TV projects from the likes of Baltasar Kormákur, Jason Reitman and Lucía Puenzo.

The selections highlight what Tiff director and CEO Piers Handling called a “cross-pollination” of the film and TV worlds from international storytellers, broadcasters and streaming services.

The six selections appear below. All are world premieres except The Returned, which is an international premiere.

Casual (Us), created by Zander Lehmann and directed by Jason Reitman.

Episodes 1 and 2 of the comedy from Hulu and Lionsgate that follows a dating site entrepreneur and his therapist sister who move in together after the latter’s recent divorce.

Starring Tommy Dewey, Michaela Watkins and Tara Lynne Barr.

Cromo (Argentina), created by Lucía Puenzo and Nicolás Puenzo.

Episodes 1, 2 and 8 of the eco-thriller from directors Lucía Puenzo (Xxy, Wakolda), Pablo Fendrik (Blood Appears, El Ardor) and Nicolás Puenzo...

Toronto brass on Thursday paid homage to arguably the most dynamic and provocative content format in entertainment, announcing the festival’s inaugural slate of six TV projects from the likes of Baltasar Kormákur, Jason Reitman and Lucía Puenzo.

The selections highlight what Tiff director and CEO Piers Handling called a “cross-pollination” of the film and TV worlds from international storytellers, broadcasters and streaming services.

The six selections appear below. All are world premieres except The Returned, which is an international premiere.

Casual (Us), created by Zander Lehmann and directed by Jason Reitman.

Episodes 1 and 2 of the comedy from Hulu and Lionsgate that follows a dating site entrepreneur and his therapist sister who move in together after the latter’s recent divorce.

Starring Tommy Dewey, Michaela Watkins and Tara Lynne Barr.

Cromo (Argentina), created by Lucía Puenzo and Nicolás Puenzo.

Episodes 1, 2 and 8 of the eco-thriller from directors Lucía Puenzo (Xxy, Wakolda), Pablo Fendrik (Blood Appears, El Ardor) and Nicolás Puenzo...

★★★☆☆ Lucia Puenzo's chilling drama, Wakolda (2013), based on her novel, German Doctor, follows the unlikely friendship of 12-year old Lilith (Florencia Bado) and Josef Mengele (Alex Brendemühl), Auschwitz's 'Angel of Death' on the run for his war crimes. A doctor, Mengele had conducted genetic research on human subjects in Auschwitz. After the Second World War, Argentina became a haven for Nazis who lived there, unchallenged, for decades. President Juan Peron was keen to exploit the expertise of Nazi doctors and scientists and turned a blind eye to the influx of war criminals. Wakolda opens in 1960 on a remote desert road in Patagonia.

Yes, that’s a six and a zero. It’s not a typo. While excessive might be the first adjective that comes to mind when looking at a year-end list with 60 films, it was the only way that I was able to highlight all the great works that I was able to watch this year. Even with such an extensive best-of countdown I was forced to leave at least another dozen great films. In 2014 I watched around 300 theatrically released films, and about 130 more between unreleased films from the festival circuit, the Oscar Foreign Language Submissions, and new films I watched as a screener for a couple festivals. Taking all these into consideration, a Top 60 list did not seem like an outrageous feat.

There were many other films that I did in fact watch but didn’t make the list, such as “Wild,” “Interstellar,” “The Imitation Game,” “Unbroken,” “The Theory of Everything,” “Big Hero 6,” “Big Eyes,” "A Most Violent Year" and “Into the Woods.” Although none of these ended up among my favorites, many of them served as vehicles for the cast to deliver outstanding performances or showcased great cinematography and VFX. I mention this to clarify that their omission was a conscious decision.

Evidently, there were several acclaimed films I did not manage to watch, which could have made a difference. These include films like "Love is Strange," “Maps to the Stars,” “Stray Dogs,” “Top Five,” and “Rosewater.”

The films on this list include films that had a regular release in 2014, films that some consider to be 2013 films but which got a full release in 2014, and films that had a one-week qualifying run in 2014 but which will officially open in 2015. Other amazing films that I saw at festivals, but which did not have a theatrical release of any form this year will be included in next year’s list. Examples of these include “The Tribe,” “Timbuktu,” “The Voices” “Gueros,” “Viktoria,” and “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter.”

Like with all lists, this is a very personal selection of films that connected with me on different levels. Some choices might be strange, others expected, but all of them speak to what I find interesting or great about cinema. I hope that with this list you can find titles you haven’t hear of or others you might have forgotten about. It has been such a terrific year for films. Here is hoping for 2015 to be even more inspiring.

Feel free to share with us what your favorite films of 2014 were in the comments section.

Honorary Mention for Favorite TV Series: "Over the Garden Wall"

In Patrick McHale’s enchanting Cartoon Network miniseries, “Over the Garden Wall,” brothers Wirt (Elijah Wood) and adorable Greg (Collin Dean) travel through the Unknown, a magical forest filled with peculiar characters. Blending a classic fable look with witty humor and catchy songs for a fantastically refreshing 2D cartoon, the show is rapidly - and deservingly - becoming a fan favorite. Once you see little Greg performing the sweet tune Potatoes and Molasses, it will all make sense.

Top 60 Films Of 2014

60. "Happy Christmas"

Anna Kendrick is an irresponsible, yet charming, young woman in Joe Swanberg’s holiday-infused family dramedy. “Happy Christmas” is small in scope but big in subtle amusement. Baby Jude Swanberg steals every scene.

59."Mood Indigo"

Whimsical, ingenious, and uniquely confected, Michel Gondry’s adaption of Boris Vian’s novel stars Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris. His latest romantic fantasy is heartwarming visual candy.

Review "Mood Indigo"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Tautou

58. "Lilting"

A cross-cultural connection in the aftermath of tragedy is at the center of Hong Khaou’s touching debut. Through great performances and ethereal cinematography the filmmaker reassures us love is the only language that matters.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Hong Khaou

57. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

With an intelligent and fun screenplay, this new entry in the Marvel universe showed us that - despite all the badassery he is capable of - all that Steve Rogers wants is his best friend back.

Review "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

56. "Oculus"

Mike Flanagan doesn’t resort to excessive gore or a monumental story to instill fear. Instead, he uses the effective mechanics of his story to turn a room with an old mirror, a camera, and a pair of youngsters into a terrifying space.

55. "Rich Hill"

Looking at a segment of the American population from a uniquely compassionate and insightful perspective, “Rich Hill” cherishes the humanity of its subject rather than patronizing them.

54. "The Notebook"

The brutality of war is observed through the eyes of a pair of twin brothers who decide to detach themselves from any emotional connection in order to survive. Unflinching and powerful, “The Notebook” is part dark fairytale and part historical drama.

Review "The Notebook"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with János Szász

53. "Blue Ruin"

This gritty and unpredictable thriller follows a man whose thirst for revenge becomes his death sentence. Macon Blair’s character goes from passively hiding in the shadows to becoming a ruthless rookie assassin. Tension is the name of the game here.

52. "The Book of Life"

The ancient Mexican celebration of Day of the Death comes to life in this vibrant and surprisingly authentic animated feature from Jorge Gutierrez and producer Guillermo del Toro. It’s a colorful and intricately designed vision of beloved tradition.

51. "The German Doctor" (Wakolda)

Lucia Puenzo’s captivating mystery focuses on infamous Nazi physician Josef Mengele, as he tries to test his disturbing practices on family while hiding in the Argentine countryside. Elegantly executed and definitely unsettling

Review "The German Doctor"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Lucia Puenzo

Sydney Levine's Case Study on "The German Doctor"

50. "Still Alice"

Lost, confused, but still fighting to preserve her individuality while facing the imminent effects of Alzheimer’s disease, Alice refuses to give up. Julianne Moor is absolutely stunning and heartbreaking.

49. "American Sniper"

Eastwood’s best film in a long time packs thrilling combat sequences as it looks at post-9/11 American patriotism via a simple man turned murder weapon. Bradley Cooper delivers the best performance of his career.

48. "The Lego Movie "

Pop culture has never been as hilarious and witty as in this uniquely animated story about individuality, the nature of heroism, and the power of a child’s imagination. With cameos galore and jokes aplenty, everything is indeed awesome.

47. "Manuscripts Don't Burn "

Mohammad Rasoulof’s fearless cinematic statement denouncing the Iranian regime is an incredible testament to the power of film as a cultural weapon against injustice. Not only is the film politically relevant, but also an all-around gripping thriller.

Review "Manuscripts Don't Burn"

46. "Guardians of the Galaxy "

This summer Marvel outdid itself with the truly enjoyable first installment of its newest franchise. Charismatic Chris Pratt as Star Lord, a more than memorable soundtrack, and an eclectic group of sidekicks made this the smartest summer hit.

45. "In Bloom"

Set in Tbilisi, Georgia, this unique coming-of-age tale is a riveting hidden gem that sports mesmerizing performances from its young cast. The filmmakers find evocative, everyday beauty in the hardships of life in a war-torn country.

Review "In Bloom"

44. "Goodbye to Language"

Godard’s use of 3D in this highly experimental work produces a physical reaction on the viewer that proves how alive the auteur’s vision still is. He is as cryptic, curious, innovative, unapologetic, and brilliant as he was over 50 years ago.

43. "Mistaken for Strangers"

Tom Berninger’s personal documentary is not a film about The National, but about a man trying to find his own path while reconnecting with his older brother – who happens to be a rock star. Fun, heartfelt, and honest.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Tom and Matt Berninger

42. "Manakamana"

Simple on the surface but hauntingly poetic, this documentary focuses on a series of people as they travel up to a sacred shrine in Nepal. Their faces speak in silences, laughter, and visible sadness, which form a language far more stirring than ephemeral words.

41. "Whiplash"

J.K. Simmons is a nightmarish instructor in Damien Chazelle’s fascinating debut about a young drummer by obsessive passion. The final sequence is an astonishing showstopper that sports marvelous, flawless editing

40. "The Overnighters"

What starts as the story about a Good Samaritan helping those in need despite criticisms, turns into an examination of a conflicted man. Faith, lies, regret and the judgmental eyes of an entire community will become his agonizing cross to bear.

39. "Rocks in My Pockets"

Latvian artist Signe Baumane uses 2D animation to work through her insecurities, her relationships with her estrange family, and depression. Craft and substance merge to construct an absorbing personal statement that is unexpectedly relatable.

Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Rocks in My Pockets"

38. "The Missing Picture"

To reconstruct his family’s past, and by extension that of his homeland under the Khmer Rouge, director Rithy Panh uses clay figurines and evocative narration in the absence of images from the time. One of the most original documentaries ever made.

Review "The Missing Picture"

37. "Snowpiercer"

Art house sensibilities imbedded into a powerful post-apocalyptic tale from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho gave us a superbly sophisticated actioner. Chris Evans delivers a different, but equally great heroic performance. However, Tilda Swinton takes the prize here.

36. "Life Itself"

Roger Ebert’s love for life and movies was endless. Despite major health issues near the end, his spirits and voice were never weakened. Steve James intimate documentary captures both the man and the critic in a lovely manner.

35. "Gone Girl"

Fincher’s latest focuses on a media circus fueled by a couple’s despicable lies and the public’s voyeuristic desire to find a villain and a victim. While Ben Affleck is good here, the film thrives on Rosamund Pike’s wickedly clever role.

34. "Two Days, One Night"

Only the Dardenne brothers can transform seemingly banal situations into compelling narratives that question the morality of their characters. In their latest masterful effort Marion Cotillard’s talent shines as she balances desperation, pride, and hope.

33. "Foxcatcher"

Driven by a trifecta of great performances, Bennett Miller’s drama shows a disturbed man in search of recognition and validation by any means necessary. Channing Tatum deserves more praise for his nuanced work here.

32. "Omar"

At once timeless and decisively current, Hany Abu-Asad’s Shakespearean crime drama deals with Israeli-Palestinian relations from a humanistic point of view. The political issues that serve as context become more urgent when seen through the characters’ struggles.

Review "Omar"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Hany Abu-Assad

31. "Mr. Turner"

The awe-inspiring cinematography and Timothy Spall’s grumpy, yet endearing portrayal of one of Britain’s most revered painters make of “Mr. Turner” another successful addition to Mike Leigh’s near-perfect track record.

30. "Nymphomaniac"

Blasphemous, explicit, and cerebral as most of Lars von Trier’s works, this two-part recollection of the anecdotes takes us into the tortured mind of a sex addict. There is no sugarcoating or redemption to be found here, only a skillful provocateur who loves to revel in the playful bleakness of it all.

Review "Nymphomaniac Vol. 1"

Review "Nymphomaniac Vol. 2"

29. "Gloria"

A middle-aged woman takes control of her life in this excellent Chilean dramedy. The title character, played by the lovely Paulina Garcia, wants to find love once again and to live without restrains. As she dances the night away we are certain that, despite the hardships, she will.

Review "Gloria"

Sydney Levine's interview with Sebastian Lelio and Paulina Garcia

28. "The Babadook"

A vicious boogieman terrorizes a mother and her son in this Australian horror masterpiece. Like with the best films in the genre, is what you don’t see that’s the most disturbing. Dir. Jennifer Kent uses creepy guttural sounds, shadows, and a malevolent children’s book to psychologically inflict fear.

27. "Ernest & Celestine"

Delightfully crafted to look like a collection of gorgeous moving watercolors, this French animated feature based on Gabrielle Vincent’s books is a visual treat and reminds us of the innocent fables from yesteryear.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Benjamin Renner

26. "Hide Your Smiling Faces"

Two brothers growing up in a small town are confronted with the notion of death and the complexities of the adult world in this remarkably done debut by Daniel Patrick Carbone. An absolute must-see that deserves a wider audience.

Review "Hide Your Smiling Faces"

25. "Stranger by the Lake"

In Alain Guiraudie’s beachside mystery, a murderous romance hides underneath warm weather and desire. This provocative, darkly comedic and splendidly acted slow-burner shows that danger is sometimes the most lethal aphrodisiac.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Alain Guiraudie

24. "Heli"

Amat Escalante’s brave and brutally honest depiction of Mexico’s violent present is unquestionably a difficult cinematic experience. However, the filmmaker is capable of finding resilient hope in the midst of overwhelming despair.

Review "Heli"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Amat Escalante

23. "CitizenFour"

Few embellishments are needed when you have such a shocking and important story told not from an outsider’s perspective, but from its source. Fiction falls short in comparison to the truths and secrets encompassed in Laura Poitras account of the Edward Snowden case.

22. "Force Majeure"

Gender roles are questioned with humorous but poignant observations on marriage and societal expectations in this Swedish hit from Ruben Östlund. Laugh-out-loud moments galore and an unforgettable “man cry” sequence are the result of a catastrophic controlled avalanche.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Ruben Östlund and Johannes Kuhnke

21. "The Guest"

Adam Wingard’s perversely comedic stunner about a devilishly deceiving visitor was by far one of the most outrageously fun films I saw this year. It’s a masterwork of madness. I can’t wait to see what Wingard, writer Simon Barrett, and star Dan Stevens do next.

20. "Obvious Child"

Jenny Slate’s Donna Stern is navigating adulthood through laughter. Her standup performances are unfiltered, moving, and often hilariously distasteful, but always sincere. Slate and director Gillian Robespierre are a match made in comedy heaven.

Review "Obvious Child"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Gillian Robespierre and Jenny Slate

19. "Inherent Vice"

There are numerous wacky characters and subplots in Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaption of Thomas Pynchon novel, but the real magic happens when Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin are together on screen. “Motto panukeiku!” is all I have to say.

18. "Starred Up"

Jack O’Connell’s award-deserving performance packs raw energy, ferocious anger, and tragic vulnerability. Violence and respect are the only useful currencies in this potent prison drama that’s as thrilling as it’s emotionally devastating.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with David Mackenzie

17. "Listen Up Philip"

Brimming with originality and uncompromising humor, Alex Ross Perry’s look at the writing craft is pure brilliance. Jason Schwartzman stars as an obnoxious, self-centered young author. He is as utterly amusing and revels in his character’s hilarious arrogance.

16. "Boyhood"

Thanks to Richard Linklater’s perseverance we were able to experience an incredible and incomparable cinematic journey. Filled with small, but affecting moments of sorrow and joy, a child’s life - and that of those around him - literally unfolds on screen somewhere between reality and fiction.

15. "Selma"

Avoiding all the dreaded biopic clichés, director Ava DuVernay created a powerful historical drama that couldn’t be more opportune. Among a star-studded cast, David Oyelowo delivers a knockout performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

14. "Under the Skin"

Life on earth as seen by a seductive alien is simultaneously frightening and revelatory in Jonathan Glazer’s dazzling sci-fi character study. Scarlett Johansson is superb as a creature intrigued by the virtues and shortcomings of human nature.

Review "Under the Skin"

13. "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Everything we love about Wes Anderson and much more is included in this stylized beauty of a film. Ralph Fiennes is an irreverent, classy, womanizer that gets into trouble with an array of quirky villains played by a topnotch cast. From its score to the production design, this is Anderson at his best.

12. "The Boxtrolls"

Laika’s craftsmanship reached a new level of delightful greatness with this darkly comedic period piece. Their brand of stop-motion animation is impeccable. Each character is meticulously created with a wonderful physicality that no other medium can provide.

Review "The Boxtrolls"

11. "Leviathan"

Andrey Zvyagintsev’s masterpiece dissects the complexity of Russian society through a family drama that is as intimate as it is monumental in the themes it explores. Religion, government, and betrayal are all monsters haunting a righteous man at the mercy or their powers.

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Andrey Zvyagintsev

10. "Only Lovers Left Alive"

Between desolated Detroit and a moody Marrakesh, Jim Jarmusch's darkly comedic film delivers an incredibly original tale about familiar bloodsuckers. Permeated in groovy rock and roll music, vintage wardrobe, blissful production design, and an otherworldly atmosphere, “Only Lovers Left Alive” reclaims vampires as graceful, complex, and cultured beings, rather than the vehicle for teenage fantasies

Review "Only Lovers Left Alive"

9. "Nightcrawler"

Brutally unapologetic about the bloodthirsty practices of today’s media, Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut is a fantastic vehicle for Jake Gyllenhaal to deliver a performance unlike anything he’s done before. Outrageously insightful, Gilroy’s writing is a perverse delight that is at once analytical and utterly entertaining.

8. "Birdman"

While definitely hilarious, Inarritu’s latest work offers sharp observations on the nature of art and artists. This is a giant leap into new territory for the acclaimed Mexican filmmaker. His undeniable talent directing actors is what elevates his work from just a brilliant idea to a work that thrives on touching human vulnerability. Added to this, Emanuel Lubeski’s work in the cinematography department is a visual treat.

7. "Wild Tales"

This insanely inventive collection of deranged stories questions violence and revenge from a comedic angle. Besides being a complete riot that packs in uproarious humor, Damian Szifron’s film demonstrates his ability to create a cohesive film out of diverse vignettes united by the dark side of human nature. From start to finish, “Wild Tales” is truly a savagely fun trip.

Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Wild Tales"

6. "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"

Studio Ghibli’s co-founder Isao Takahata demonstrates once more that his work is as spectacular as anything else the studio has created. His brand of handcrafted animation is of a uniquely exquisite kind that flows on the screen like streams of vibrant beauty. ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is perhaps his most striking work

5. "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night"

This black and white, Persian-language vampire film is a revelation. Style and story elegantly arranged to be poetic and ethereal throughout. Undoubtedly the most dazzling feature debut of the year. Ana Lily Amirpour has a unique vision forged out of her fascination with genre films, music, and other peculiar interests, all of which blend into a delightful cocktail of beauty, danger, and pure originality.

4. "Winter Sleep"

Nuri Bilge Ceylan defines what being an auteur means every times he is behind the camera. Palme d’Or or not, “Winter Sleep” is the only film over 3 hours that has kept me fully engaged for every second of it. Every line of dialogue is as thought provoking as the next without being pretentious. He finds the fibers of human behavior and stretches them to their limit in every single scene. Absolutely mesmerizing

Review "Winter Sleep"

Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Winter Sleep" from Cannes

3. "Mommy"

The tenderly violent love between a mother and a son make for an intoxicating tour de force. Xavier Dolan plays with aspect ratios, music, evocative cinematography and raw, maddening emotions to produce one of the most heartbreaking and intense experiences I’ve ever had watching a film. I was in a complete state of exhilaration until the very last, perfect, frame.

2. "Ida"

There is not a single miscalculation in Pawel Pawlikowski’s immaculate post-Holocaust drama. Each frame is a stunning work of sheer perfection. Flawless cinematography, riveting performances by both leading actresses, and a story that is subtle on the surface but carries intense undertones about spirituality and the consequences of guilt, make of “Ida” a masterwork to be cherished for years to come

Review "Ida"

Sydney Levine's interview with Pawel Pawlikowski

1. "Song of the Sea"

I'm certain some people will think me crazy for choosing this film as my favorite of the year, but witnessing Tomm Moore’s gorgeous and ethereal craftsmanship was an unforgettable experience. What he was able to achieve here, both in technique and emotional poignancy, is absolutely outstanding. "Song of the Sea" is one of the most blissfully beautiful animated films ever made. It is a gem beaming with awe-inspiring, heartwarming magic. It will be a long time before animation reaches this level of mesmerizing artistry again.

Review "Song of the Sea"

Carlos Aguilar's interview with Tomm Moore...

Samuel Goldwyn Films sent this update which offers a good shot of hope for the changing distribution landscape as it pertains to foreign language films in the United States whose theatrical market share has dwindled to 1%.

Lucia Puenzo’s Argentine film "The German Doctor" has had an incredibly strong iTunes success. It was released on iTunes following its April theatrical release. As of the last update this August 2014, it was number 18 on the overall iTunes movie chart – the only foreign language film in the top 50. It was ahead of top indies like “Snowpiercer” (So. Korea) and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (U.S.), as well as major Hollywood films like “Frozen”. It’s also (obviously!) the number one foreign language film.

This level of digital success for a foreign language film is truly exceptional, and is something worthy of editorial mention. It’s part of larger paradigm shift that we are seeing more and more. As the theatrical business grows ever more challenging for foreign language films, platforms like iTunes are bringing these films to underserved theatrical audiences nationwide, and are increasing the financial viability of foreign film distribution.

According to Box Office Mojo, it has grossed Us $3,018,392 in the 13 countries it has been released in so far. It has been sold by Pyramide in more than 30 territories. The U.S. release by the Samuel Goldwyn was April 25, 2014 and it grossed Us $418,392 in 8 weeks in 39 theaters.

It premiered in Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival in May 2013. In April 2014 it won Camilo Vives Platinum Award for Best Iberoamerican Coproduction at the Panama International Film Festival. It won the Audience Award at St. Petersburg Film Festival and at the 2nd Unasur Cine International Film Festival it won awards for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actress and Best New Actress. It went on to play at San Sebastian Film Festival’s Horizontes Latinos section and was Argentina’s submission for the foreign language Oscar.

It continued to play the festival circuit worldwide and its Isa and coproducer, Pyramide International, continued to sell to U.S.-Samuel Goldwyn, Albania, ExYugoslavia: Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, , Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia - Obala Art Center, Argentina – Distribution Company, Australia/ N.Z. - Madman Ent., Bolivia and Chile - Los filmes De La Arcadia, Brazil - Imovision, Colombia - Cine Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama - Palmera International, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico - Wiesner Distribution,, Greece-Videorama, Hungary - Vertigo, Ireland - Peccadillo, Israel - Nachshon, Peru - Pucp, Poland - Hagi, So. Korea - Company L, Switzerland - Xenix, Taiwan - Swallow Wings Films, Turkey - Medyavizion, U.K. –Peccadillo.

It was reviewed in SydneysBuzz by Carlos Aguilar.

For the first time ever, Toronto International Film Festival along with Telefilm Canada had a pre-Toronto reception for the trade. Held at Soho House on a flawless L.A. day, with views of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the trade had the happy hours to greet and catch up with each other and to preview trailers of the films Canada will be showing at the festival. And best of all, Tiff gave everyone a 2 lb. 4 oz. catalog (even more than one to gift to other colleagues) to take home instead of having to pack them into our suitcases to take back from Toronto.

Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.

Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.

Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.

In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).

Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.

Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.

Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.

New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.

Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.

Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.

Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.

Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.

Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.

Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”

Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.

There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.

Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.

Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.

See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:

Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream.

streaming now, before it’s on dvd

The Fault in Our Stars: yes, it’s a teenaged girl’s romantic fantasy… and some of it might be in a secret code for young women; imagine that [my review] [iTunes Us] Godzilla: elegantly updates the King of All Monsters for the 21st century in ways that have moved with the global zeitgeist, but Hollywood’s tedious myopia means the movie as a whole isn’t quite so beautiful [my review] [iTunes Us]

new to stream

The German Doctor (aka Wakolda): the subtle veil of horror draped over things we take for granted as good and wonderful aspects of humanity is deeply unsettling [my review] [iTunes Us] The Love Punch: the jokes are as creaky as the aching bunions and bad backs onscreen, but Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan are incandescent together [my review] [iTunes Us]

streaming now, while...

In many territories, Lucía Puenzo’s third feature film – to follow the critically acclaimed Xxy and The Fish Child – actually goes by the name of ‘The German Doctor’. Here, in the UK, it’s called Wakolda, which represents a more fitting, symbolic title to truly capture the essence of this moving, disquieting drama. Wakolda is the name of our 12 year old protagonist’s doll, and is therefore emblematic of her innocence, which is far more poignant. After all, this picture is not about the doctor, as such, but his relationship with the young Lilith, finding a strand of intimacy amidst an otherwise comprehensive, implicative narrative.

Lilith is played by the newcomer Florencia Bado, who is remarkably small for her age, and is often the victim of much teasing at school as a result. However there appears to be a cure for her lack of growth, as a local German doctor...

★★★☆☆Notions of childhood innocence and guilt through complicity are played against one another in Argentine director Lucía Puenzo's deliberate but unexceptional pot-boiler Wakolda (2013). Premièring in the Un Certain Regard programme at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Puenzo's latest went on to be nominated as Argentina's official entry at this year's Academy Awards amidst much acclaim. Entitled The German Doctor in some territories, Wakolda follows a young family relocating to Patagonia in the sixties only to find themselves with an mysterious guest - the aforementioned physician. Not one to shy away from difficult issues, Puenzo seeks to explore the banality - and impunity - of a devastating evil.

The name Josef Mengele, Hitler’s so-called ‘Angel of Death’, will probably be familiar to you. He was the subject of Franklin Schaffner’s Oscar-winning thriller (and World Cup rent-a-headline) The Boys From Brazil and his clammy presence returns to the big screen with Argentine drama Wakolda. The film has a first-look trailer and a new poster to share its take on one of science’s most warped villains. Released in the Us under the name The German Doctor, Wakolda is set in Patagonia in 1960. Mengele (Alex Brendemühl), ensconced in Argentina after his escape from Nazi Germany 15 years earlier, has wormed his way into the trust of a young family who run a hotel in the icy boondocks. However, as the saying probably goes: ‘Once a Nazi scumbag, always a Nazi scumbag’, and soon he’s back pursuing his interest in eugenics on the youngest member of the clan, Lilith (Florencia Bado). Unusually,...

Luxury home cinema service Prima has struck a deal with Samuel Goldwyn Films, bolstering the company's slate of offerings. Photos 35 of 2014's Most Anticipated Movies The first Goldwyn titles being made available are Andrew Rossi's 2014 Sundance Film Festival documentary Ivory Tower, about the crisis in the country's higher-education system, and The German Doctor, Argentina's submission for the Oscar for best foreign language film. Participant Media partnered with Goldwyn Films on Ivory Tower, which debuted in select theaters earlier this month. It was made available to Prima subscribers late last week. Photos 19 Sequels That Outgrossed the Original Movies

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The subtle veil of horror draped over things we take for granted as good and wonderful aspects of humanity is deeply unsettling… I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

South America, 1960. You can probably guess at the background of the eponymous German doctor (Àlex Brendemühl) who befriends a Patagonian family and slowly inveigles his way into their very heart. Impressionable 12-year-old Lilith (Florencia Bado) falls for his seeming charm the moment they meet, though her mom, Eva (Natalia Oreiro), isn’t far behind. Soon he is living in the lakeside hotel the family operates, investing in dad Enzo’s (Diego Peretti) custom dollmaking business, and making medical suggestions for how undersized Lilith — who looks like an eight-year-old and is teased at school as a “dwarf” — might jumpstart her growth and kickstart her delayed adolescence.

Following the fall of the Third Reich and the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camps, many of the leaders directly involved fled to South America. One of the most famous of those officers was Josef Mengele, a physician in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Due to his barbaric and deadly human experiments performed on prisoners as well as role in the section process for the gas chamber executions, Mengele was known as "The Angel of Death."

Argentian filmmaker Lucia Puenzo's novel Wakolda focuses on this infamous man and the true story of an Argentinian family who unknowingly boarded Mengele at their home, now adapted by Puenzo as the movie The German Doctor. Whereas the novel is told through Mengele’s point of view during his exile in South America, the film instead relies more on 12-year-old Lilith (Florencia Bado). Born premature and having suffered from several illnesses at an early age,...

The top stories of the week from Toh! Awards:Tony Nominations Snub Hollywood, Cut Swath in Open YearWeinstein Release Calendar Reveals Awards Itinerary, But Don't Place Any Bets Just YetBox Office:Arthouse Audit: "Locke" Breaks Out, CBS Films Takes VOD Route for Diaz-starrer "Gambit," Written by CoensTop Ten: "Other Woman" Unseats "Captain America" in Top Spot Ahead of Upcoming Male-Centric TentpolesFeatures:Career Watch: Cameron Diaz Is Back as "The Other Woman," But What's Her Next Best Move?Tired of Tentpoles? Here Are Ten Great Indies to Catch This SummerFestivals:Alice Waters Throws Chez Panisse Feast for Sauper's Sfiff Film "We Come as Friends"San Francisco International Film Festival Opens with "Two Faces of January"Interviews:Dane DeHaan Talks "Amazing Spider-Man 2," Meteoric Career"Decoding Annie Parker" Is True Best Cancer QuestHow Does "Amazing Spider-Man 2" Composer Hans Zimmer Do It? Hack or Genius? (Video)How "The German Doctor" Director Lucia Puenzo Found a Film in the.

Over the past week we have published 5 interview with the directors of some of the most interesting films currently playing in theaters. From acclaimed French auteur Francois Ozon on Young & Beautiful, Marc Silver and his immigration documentary Who is Dayani Cristal?, and Polish visionary Pawel Pawlikowski and his latest work Ida. At the same time we also featured interviews with talented documentarian Richard Ray Perez and his perspective on an icon in Cesar's Last Fast, and Argentinian director Lucia Puenzo's historical fiction The German Doctor. Take look at all these fascinating conversations directly from the source of the art form, the directors.

Francois Ozon on Young & Beautiful

"Beauty can be something difficult to cope with” It is not usual, but he said some of these girls want to go with these dirty old men because their beauty is too much too heavy to carry. They don't want to be humiliated, but they want to feel normal." -Francois Ozon

Full Interview

Lucia Puenzo on The German Doctor

"This is a character that lived 30 years running away from the Mossad, which was always hot on his heels in Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. They never captured him, and he probably died without ever being found, this lends itself for these kinds of conspiracy theories and myths. We can only hope that he died in a prison like many other Nazis that were extradited, and not at the beach in Brazil. He is a character that lends itself to these intriguing stories because they never found him." -Lucia Puenzo

Full Interview

Richard Ray Perez on Cesar's Last Fast

"Cesar is this is uniquely committed man. He is committed in a way I think few people on this Earth are. Now, he has flaws, and probably some serious flaws, but it could take that type of person to make those changes. Yeah, he was probably a control freak, yes he probably didn’t tolerate descent, but if you think about what he did, and the commitment, that’s some heavy stuff. I wouldn’t be able to do it, most people wouldn’t be able to do it. He is a deeply committed man who is complicated, but most interesting human beings are complicated. He made immensely positive impact on society. The fact that he was a flawed man shouldn’t undermine all the positive that he accomplished."-Richard Ray Perez

Interview Part 1

Interview Part 2

Marc Silver on Who is Dayani Cristal?

"I remember being in the car with my friends talking about the situation, and what I found really interesting was to ask myself “If I lived in Honduras, were my chances of earning a living were really small, would I have made that journey for my family?” And you know what, I probably would have. If people start asking that question to themselves it might a more useful way of understanding the immigration debate, more than defending your right-wing or left-wing opinion." -Marc Silver

Full Interview

Paweł Pawlikowski on Ida

"Ida has multiple origins, the most interesting ones probably not quite conscious. Let's say that I come from a family full of mysteries and contradictions and have lived in one sort of exile or another for most of my life. Questions of identity, family, blood, faith, belonging, and history have always been present." -Paweł Pawlikowski

Full Interview...

Lucia Puenzo is both a director and a novelist, but she is foremost a storyteller. The Argentine filmmaker adapted her latest entry, the dark historical drama "The German Doctor," from her fifth novel. It follows a wayward family in 1960 Patagonia that takes in the devil in a blue sedan, an enigmatic figure who turns out to be Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi doctor who treated humans like entomological test subjects before fleeing to South America, where he died in exile. Mengele (Alex Brendemuhl) takes an especially creepy interest in the small young daughter Lilith (Florencia Bado), and it's through her eyes we come to see the banal face of evil. In 2013, "The German Doctor," now in select stateside theaters, screened in Cannes' Un Certain Regard before opening to a considerably wide audience in Argentina, Puenzo's native country, which submitted the film for Best Foreign Language consideration at the 2014 Oscars.We...

Steven Knight's "Locke" locked in a promising debut this weekend, taking in $89,210 from 4 theaters for a strong $22,303 average. The A24 released film follows Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy in an essential one man show), who receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence. The film will platform into the top 50 markets and beyond in the coming weeks. A quartet of other films debuted to varying degrees of success (or lack thereof). Idp/Samuel Goldwyn's release of Lucía Puenzo's "The German Doctor" was best in show among them, taking in $35,013 from 5 theaters for a decent $7,003 average. The film -- which was an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival and Argentina’s entry into the Academy Awards -- will expand into major cities throughout May. RADiUS-twc released another Cannes alum,...