Exclusive: Grindstone Entertainment Group, a Lionsgate company, has picked up world distribution rights to the romantic comedy Christmas in Paradise from Msr Media International. Lionsgate will release the film in North America on November 15.
Written and directed by Philippe Martinez (A Week in Paradise), Christmas in Paradise stars Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery), Nathalie Cox (Clash of The Titans), and Billy Ray Cyrus (Mulholland Drive) who also performs an island-themed rendition of his song Achy Breaky Heart in the film.
The plot follows three quirky sisters who chase their estranged dad (Grammer) down at his beachside pad in the Caribbean and enjoy a little fun in the sun. But why did he disappear to the islands? Only Joanna (Hurley) knows for sure, and she’s sworn to secrecy! Love, laughter, and songs by Cyrus make this a Christmas to remember, the synopsis reads.m...
Written and directed by Philippe Martinez (A Week in Paradise), Christmas in Paradise stars Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery), Nathalie Cox (Clash of The Titans), and Billy Ray Cyrus (Mulholland Drive) who also performs an island-themed rendition of his song Achy Breaky Heart in the film.
The plot follows three quirky sisters who chase their estranged dad (Grammer) down at his beachside pad in the Caribbean and enjoy a little fun in the sun. But why did he disappear to the islands? Only Joanna (Hurley) knows for sure, and she’s sworn to secrecy! Love, laughter, and songs by Cyrus make this a Christmas to remember, the synopsis reads.m...
- 11/11/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Executives will be based in Los Angeles.
Heading into TIFF with a slate of rom-coms and thrillers Msr Media International has hired Ariel Veneziano and Robby Amar to spearhead sales.
Both executives are named co-vice presidents of international distribution and sales and report to Msr Media International CEO Karinne Behr.
They will be on the ground in Toronto where Msr will be talking to buyers about rom-coms Christmas In The Caribbean starring Elizabeth Hurley, Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox and Downtown Julie Brown; A Week In Paradise with Malin Akerman, Connie Nielsen, Philip Winchester and Jack Donnelly; and One Year Off featuring Ray Fearon,...
Heading into TIFF with a slate of rom-coms and thrillers Msr Media International has hired Ariel Veneziano and Robby Amar to spearhead sales.
Both executives are named co-vice presidents of international distribution and sales and report to Msr Media International CEO Karinne Behr.
They will be on the ground in Toronto where Msr will be talking to buyers about rom-coms Christmas In The Caribbean starring Elizabeth Hurley, Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox and Downtown Julie Brown; A Week In Paradise with Malin Akerman, Connie Nielsen, Philip Winchester and Jack Donnelly; and One Year Off featuring Ray Fearon,...
- 9/7/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Screen Media has acquired North American TV rights to Salvage Marines, a sci-fi action series starring Starship Troopers alum Casper Van Dien that will stream on Crackle Plus next month.
The dystopian futuristic series follows Samuel (Van Dien), who works as a factory laborer on planet Baen 6. When Samuel learns that his wife is pregnant, he does the only thing he can to ensure his child will avoid the same societal debt he has – enlist in the planet’s military ranks as a salvage marine. Armand Assante also stars in the series alongside Peter Shinkoda.
Launching in July, the series is directed by Shaun Paul Piccinino, co-written by Sean-Michael Argo and Rafael Jordan and produced by Philippe Martinez for Msr Media, Jake Seal and Jamie R Thompson for Orwo Studios, and Terry Bird from Black Hangar Studios. Msr Media’s Karinne Behr and Lee Beasley are executive producers along...
The dystopian futuristic series follows Samuel (Van Dien), who works as a factory laborer on planet Baen 6. When Samuel learns that his wife is pregnant, he does the only thing he can to ensure his child will avoid the same societal debt he has – enlist in the planet’s military ranks as a salvage marine. Armand Assante also stars in the series alongside Peter Shinkoda.
Launching in July, the series is directed by Shaun Paul Piccinino, co-written by Sean-Michael Argo and Rafael Jordan and produced by Philippe Martinez for Msr Media, Jake Seal and Jamie R Thompson for Orwo Studios, and Terry Bird from Black Hangar Studios. Msr Media’s Karinne Behr and Lee Beasley are executive producers along...
- 6/6/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Screen Media has acquired the North American rights out of the Cannes market to “Christmas in the Caribbean,” a romantic comedy that stars Elizabeth Hurley, TheWrap has learned exclusively.
The film comes from Msr Media International and is written and directed by Philippe Martinez. Screen Media is planning a day-and-date theatrical and on-demand release for the film beginning in November of this year.
“Christmas in the Caribbean” follows a woman named Rachel, who is left at the altar by her fiancé and decides to take her best friends on her honeymoon to the Caribbean, where she gets her groove on and finds love on the beach. Nathalie Cox co-wrote the film and also co-stars, as does Caroline Quentin.
“Christmas in the Caribbean” is also a reunion between Martinez and Hurley, who worked together on Hurley’s most recent film “Father Christmas Is Back” from last year.
Also Read:
‘Fire Island’ Film Review: Emma Meets Mr.
The film comes from Msr Media International and is written and directed by Philippe Martinez. Screen Media is planning a day-and-date theatrical and on-demand release for the film beginning in November of this year.
“Christmas in the Caribbean” follows a woman named Rachel, who is left at the altar by her fiancé and decides to take her best friends on her honeymoon to the Caribbean, where she gets her groove on and finds love on the beach. Nathalie Cox co-wrote the film and also co-stars, as does Caroline Quentin.
“Christmas in the Caribbean” is also a reunion between Martinez and Hurley, who worked together on Hurley’s most recent film “Father Christmas Is Back” from last year.
Also Read:
‘Fire Island’ Film Review: Emma Meets Mr.
- 5/24/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Rampage, Billions and Watchmen star Malin Åkerman is starring with Jack Donnelly (Atlantis), Wayne Gordon (Angel Has Fallen), Nicole Bartlett (Jim), Celine Arden (The Hustle) and Sam Cassidy (Guilt) in action-thriller film Us Or Them.
Directed by Tom Paton (Black Ops), the film is written by Nicole Bartlett from a story by Paton. The project recently wrapped production in the islands of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. Msr International is handling world sales in Cannes.
In Us Or Them, while enjoying a luxury holiday won on a mobile game app, childhood best friends Jude (Jack Donnelly) and Andy (Wayne Gordon) agree to play another game despite the foreboding caveat that once the game begins, they must play to the end. Enticed by the 20M grand prize by a mysterious woman called The Officiator (Malin Akerman), the duo signs up for a deadly round of ‘Us Or Them...
Directed by Tom Paton (Black Ops), the film is written by Nicole Bartlett from a story by Paton. The project recently wrapped production in the islands of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. Msr International is handling world sales in Cannes.
In Us Or Them, while enjoying a luxury holiday won on a mobile game app, childhood best friends Jude (Jack Donnelly) and Andy (Wayne Gordon) agree to play another game despite the foreboding caveat that once the game begins, they must play to the end. Enticed by the 20M grand prize by a mysterious woman called The Officiator (Malin Akerman), the duo signs up for a deadly round of ‘Us Or Them...
- 5/21/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Redbox Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to thriller film Assailant.
Assailant follows British couple, Zoe and Jason, whose marriage is on the rocks as they sail to the Caribbean in hopes of saving their marriage. After a seemingly harmless bar fight between the husband and a mysterious drifter, the situation devolves into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. The couple must fight together to save themselves from the Assailant.
Starring Poppy Delevingne (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) as Zoe, Chad Michael Collins (Extinct) as Jason, Casper Van Dien (All American) as Michael, and Jeff Fahey (Lost) as Henry, Assailant is written and directed by Tom Paton (400 Bullets).
The film will premiere in 2022 and is expected to have a limited theatrical run and be available day-and-date on demand.
Pic is produced by Msr Media’s Philippe Martinez and Highfield Grange Studios’ Alan Latham, with Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from Msr Media,...
Assailant follows British couple, Zoe and Jason, whose marriage is on the rocks as they sail to the Caribbean in hopes of saving their marriage. After a seemingly harmless bar fight between the husband and a mysterious drifter, the situation devolves into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. The couple must fight together to save themselves from the Assailant.
Starring Poppy Delevingne (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) as Zoe, Chad Michael Collins (Extinct) as Jason, Casper Van Dien (All American) as Michael, and Jeff Fahey (Lost) as Henry, Assailant is written and directed by Tom Paton (400 Bullets).
The film will premiere in 2022 and is expected to have a limited theatrical run and be available day-and-date on demand.
Pic is produced by Msr Media’s Philippe Martinez and Highfield Grange Studios’ Alan Latham, with Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from Msr Media,...
- 11/19/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Screen Media has acquired North American rights to A Week in Paradise, a Caribbean-set romantic comedy starring Malin Akerman (The Final Girls), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), Philip Winchester (Flyboys) and Jack Donnelly (Atlantis), with plans for a day-and-date release early next year.
The film directed by Philippe Martinez centers on Maggie (Akerman), a London-based international film star whose world collapses when her film director husband is outed by the paparazzi as having a baby with his new leading lady. Seeking solace and healing, she escapes to the Caribbean to stay at her expat cousin’s charming boutique hotel resort in Nevis. After a week in paradise, she finds herself and falls in love—only for the outside world to come crashing back in.
Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop) scripted the film, which Martinez produced with Alan Latham.
“Directing this...
The film directed by Philippe Martinez centers on Maggie (Akerman), a London-based international film star whose world collapses when her film director husband is outed by the paparazzi as having a baby with his new leading lady. Seeking solace and healing, she escapes to the Caribbean to stay at her expat cousin’s charming boutique hotel resort in Nevis. After a week in paradise, she finds herself and falls in love—only for the outside world to come crashing back in.
Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop) scripted the film, which Martinez produced with Alan Latham.
“Directing this...
- 11/5/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Elizabeth Hurley (“The Royals”) will star in romantic comedy “Christmas in the Carribbean.” Principal photography will commence this week in the islands of St Kitts and Nevis.
The film is produced by Msr Media’s Philippe Martinez, who will also direct, and Highfield Grange Studios’ Alan Latham.
Written by Martinez and Nathalie Cox, the film will follow Rachel (Hurley), a hopeless romantic who is jilted at the altar. Not to let her Christmas in the Caribbean honeymoon go to waste, Rachel and her two bridesmaids jet off to the islands, where love blossoms and she has to make a life choice.
The cast also includes Caroline Quentin (“Bridgerton”), Nathalie Cox (“My Dad’s Christmas Date”), Edoardo Costa (“Non-Stop”), Hadar Cats (“Next Generation Role Model”), Downtown Julie Brown (“A Year in Music”) and Rafael Martinez (“NCIS: Los Angeles”).
Karinne Behr and Lee Beasley from Msr Media and Alastair Burlingham of Sherborne Media serve as executive producers,...
The film is produced by Msr Media’s Philippe Martinez, who will also direct, and Highfield Grange Studios’ Alan Latham.
Written by Martinez and Nathalie Cox, the film will follow Rachel (Hurley), a hopeless romantic who is jilted at the altar. Not to let her Christmas in the Caribbean honeymoon go to waste, Rachel and her two bridesmaids jet off to the islands, where love blossoms and she has to make a life choice.
The cast also includes Caroline Quentin (“Bridgerton”), Nathalie Cox (“My Dad’s Christmas Date”), Edoardo Costa (“Non-Stop”), Hadar Cats (“Next Generation Role Model”), Downtown Julie Brown (“A Year in Music”) and Rafael Martinez (“NCIS: Los Angeles”).
Karinne Behr and Lee Beasley from Msr Media and Alastair Burlingham of Sherborne Media serve as executive producers,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Malin Ackerman, Philip Winchester star in the romantic drama.
Principal photography has wrapped on Philippe Martinez’s A Week In Paradise, a romantic drama set on the Caribbean island of Nevis.
The film is produced by Martinez and Alan Latham for the UK’s Msr Media, from a script by Kate Wood based on a story by Martinez.
Malin Ackerman and Philip Winchester star in the story of a film star who seeks solace in a beautiful Caribbean hotel after her husband cheats on her. There, she meets a new love interest, only for the outside world to come crashing back in.
Principal photography has wrapped on Philippe Martinez’s A Week In Paradise, a romantic drama set on the Caribbean island of Nevis.
The film is produced by Martinez and Alan Latham for the UK’s Msr Media, from a script by Kate Wood based on a story by Martinez.
Malin Ackerman and Philip Winchester star in the story of a film star who seeks solace in a beautiful Caribbean hotel after her husband cheats on her. There, she meets a new love interest, only for the outside world to come crashing back in.
- 7/11/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Rooftop Films Returns for 25th Anniversary Summer Series in NYC
Rooftop Films, the non-profit organization and film community celebrated as New York’s home for independent films, announced the return of their annual Rooftop Films Summer Series.
Among the films set to screen are Janicza Bravo’s “Zola,” presented by A24 on the lawn in Fort Greene Park, and “Once Upon a Time in Queens,” ESPN’s new series detailing the uniquely wild championship run of the 1986 Mets.
Joshua Rofé’s “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed,” and Sally Aitken’s “Playing with Sharks,” are the documentaries will also screen when the series begins June 17 at Green-Wood Cemetery.
The screenings will follow all CDC and state guidelines which allow for more New Yorkers to gather safely for cultural events. The Rooftop Films Summer Series is presented by SundanceTV.
The Summer Series will run from June 17th through mid-September and...
Rooftop Films, the non-profit organization and film community celebrated as New York’s home for independent films, announced the return of their annual Rooftop Films Summer Series.
Among the films set to screen are Janicza Bravo’s “Zola,” presented by A24 on the lawn in Fort Greene Park, and “Once Upon a Time in Queens,” ESPN’s new series detailing the uniquely wild championship run of the 1986 Mets.
Joshua Rofé’s “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed,” and Sally Aitken’s “Playing with Sharks,” are the documentaries will also screen when the series begins June 17 at Green-Wood Cemetery.
The screenings will follow all CDC and state guidelines which allow for more New Yorkers to gather safely for cultural events. The Rooftop Films Summer Series is presented by SundanceTV.
The Summer Series will run from June 17th through mid-September and...
- 6/7/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Malin Åkerman (Watchmen), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), Philip Winchester (Strike Back) and Jack Donnelly (Atlantis) have been cast in romantic comedy feature film A Week in Paradise that will start shooting this week on Caribbean island Nevis.
The film is the first film to start production under the three-year extension of the multi-film production deal with the Nevis Island Administration (Nia) which we announced last week.
Written by Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop) the film is based on a story by Msr’s Philippe Martinez who will also direct (Father Christmas is Back).
The film tells the tale of Maggie (Åkerman), a film star whose world collapses when her film director husband (Donnelly) is outed by the paparazzi when it’s discovered his new leading lady is pregnant with his baby. Seeking solace and healing Maggie escapes to her ex-pat cousin’s (Nielsen) beautiful hotel in Nevis.
The film is the first film to start production under the three-year extension of the multi-film production deal with the Nevis Island Administration (Nia) which we announced last week.
Written by Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop) the film is based on a story by Msr’s Philippe Martinez who will also direct (Father Christmas is Back).
The film tells the tale of Maggie (Åkerman), a film star whose world collapses when her film director husband (Donnelly) is outed by the paparazzi when it’s discovered his new leading lady is pregnant with his baby. Seeking solace and healing Maggie escapes to her ex-pat cousin’s (Nielsen) beautiful hotel in Nevis.
- 6/7/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UK producer-seller Msr Media has renewed its production deal with Caribbean island Nevis, and set the next film to shoot on the island.
First out of the gate as part of the new three-year multi-picture deal will be rom-com Two Weeks In Paradise, written by Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop) and based on a story by Msr boss Philip Martinez (Father Christmas is Back) who will also direct. Shoot is due to begin in June on Nevis. Casting is still under wraps.
The film will tell the story of Maggie, a film star whose world collapses when her film director husband is outed by the paparazzi when its discovered he has had a baby with his new leading lady. Seeking solace and healing Maggie escapes to her ex-pat cousin’s beautiful hotel in Nevis. After two weeks in paradise she finds herself and a new love...
First out of the gate as part of the new three-year multi-picture deal will be rom-com Two Weeks In Paradise, written by Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop) and based on a story by Msr boss Philip Martinez (Father Christmas is Back) who will also direct. Shoot is due to begin in June on Nevis. Casting is still under wraps.
The film will tell the story of Maggie, a film star whose world collapses when her film director husband is outed by the paparazzi when its discovered he has had a baby with his new leading lady. Seeking solace and healing Maggie escapes to her ex-pat cousin’s beautiful hotel in Nevis. After two weeks in paradise she finds herself and a new love...
- 5/24/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
British actor and model Poppy Delevingne, Chad Michael Collins, Casper Van Dien and Jeff Fahey are set to star in thriller-suspense film “Assailant,” from Msr Media and written and directed by Tom Paton (“400 Bullets”).
The pic turns on a couple going through marriage counseling who decide to head to the Caribbean on a “make or break” sailing holiday. But when the husband gets into a local bar fight the night before a difficult trek over a coastal trail, the duo finds themselves relentlessly chased by the aggressor and forced to work together in order to survive.
Msr Media’s Philippe Martinez and Highfield Grange Studios’ Alan Latham will produce, with Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from Msr Media, Alastair Burlingham of Sherborne Media and Charlie Dombek serving as executive producers. Production financing is provided by Sherborne Media. Msr Media International is handling worldwide rights for the film.
Principal photography...
The pic turns on a couple going through marriage counseling who decide to head to the Caribbean on a “make or break” sailing holiday. But when the husband gets into a local bar fight the night before a difficult trek over a coastal trail, the duo finds themselves relentlessly chased by the aggressor and forced to work together in order to survive.
Msr Media’s Philippe Martinez and Highfield Grange Studios’ Alan Latham will produce, with Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from Msr Media, Alastair Burlingham of Sherborne Media and Charlie Dombek serving as executive producers. Production financing is provided by Sherborne Media. Msr Media International is handling worldwide rights for the film.
Principal photography...
- 5/7/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
After scouring a handful of locations, U.K.-based Msr Media producer Philippe Martinez has landed on the Caribbean island of Nevis to shoot six films back-to-back. With the pandemic still wreaking havoc in many countries, Nevis Island ticked all the boxes where stringent protocols have rendered few cases and no deaths. “One has to think outside the box when you’re a producer; we decided to shoot in the Caribbean when we saw that the pandemic was not abating,” said Martinez, who despite Covid restrictions, shot two films in the U.K.: “Father Christmas Is Back,” which he directed and produced, starring Liz Hurley, Kelsey Grammer and John Cleese, and “Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop,” with Nathalie Cox and Grammer.
“We closed the country down on March 25 and opened our borders on Oct. 31, but with some restrictions still in place,” noted Jadine Yarde, CEO, Nevis Tourism Authority.
“We closed the country down on March 25 and opened our borders on Oct. 31, but with some restrictions still in place,” noted Jadine Yarde, CEO, Nevis Tourism Authority.
- 3/4/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
US acquisitions manager will handle feature film development at the UK-based production company.
Msr Media has appointed Nick Royak as vice president of development as the UK-based production company continues to build its slate of features.
Royak joins from US distributor Gravitas Ventures, which he first joined in May 2014. He most recently held the position of senior acquisitions manager, picking up more than 200 titles, and was previously international sales and business development manager, operating as one of the company’s key sales executives at international markets.
At Msr Media, Royak will oversee the development of feature films submitted to the...
Msr Media has appointed Nick Royak as vice president of development as the UK-based production company continues to build its slate of features.
Royak joins from US distributor Gravitas Ventures, which he first joined in May 2014. He most recently held the position of senior acquisitions manager, picking up more than 200 titles, and was previously international sales and business development manager, operating as one of the company’s key sales executives at international markets.
At Msr Media, Royak will oversee the development of feature films submitted to the...
- 2/10/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
French In Motion Sets Up In LA
Exclusive: French In Motion, the non-profit that brings together French and American professionals from the film and TV industry is launching a chapter in Los Angeles, with Martine Melloul set to run the new office. Headquartered in New York with an existing chapter in Washington DC, the org supports international co-productions and collaborations between France and the United States through its partnership with the Gotham Film & Media Institute and has been doing so since 2016. The org is also creating an honorary board, composed of talent from the independent film and television industry whose work and influence span both sides of the Atlantic. U.S.-based French filmmakers Mathieu Demy and Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire have both joined the board alongside French In Motion’s Founder Nathalie Perus.
Msr Hire
Production outfit Msr Media has appointed Nick Royak to the newly-created role of Vice President of Development.
Exclusive: French In Motion, the non-profit that brings together French and American professionals from the film and TV industry is launching a chapter in Los Angeles, with Martine Melloul set to run the new office. Headquartered in New York with an existing chapter in Washington DC, the org supports international co-productions and collaborations between France and the United States through its partnership with the Gotham Film & Media Institute and has been doing so since 2016. The org is also creating an honorary board, composed of talent from the independent film and television industry whose work and influence span both sides of the Atlantic. U.S.-based French filmmakers Mathieu Demy and Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire have both joined the board alongside French In Motion’s Founder Nathalie Perus.
Msr Hire
Production outfit Msr Media has appointed Nick Royak to the newly-created role of Vice President of Development.
- 2/10/2021
- by Tom Grater and Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UK production and sales firm Msr Media is planning to shoot comedy feature One Year Off on the relatively Covid-free Caribbean island of Nevis, the producers and island’s leadership are announcing today.
Stringent Covid-19 guidelines, as well as its location, have helped Nevis avoid many of the ravages of the virus. To date, Nevis and neighboring island Saint Kitts have only recorded 37 Covid cases and no deaths.
One Year Off will be directed by Brad Watson (Miss Willoughby And The Haunted Bookshop) and is being produced by Msr principal Philippe Martinez (Father Christmas Is Back) and Stewart Thomson (BBC’s The Break) from a script by Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby And The Haunted Bookshop). Casting is underway.
The film will follow a woman who rekindles an old flame on the island only to discover that ‘paradises’ have their own challenges.
A cast and crew of about 50 people have...
Stringent Covid-19 guidelines, as well as its location, have helped Nevis avoid many of the ravages of the virus. To date, Nevis and neighboring island Saint Kitts have only recorded 37 Covid cases and no deaths.
One Year Off will be directed by Brad Watson (Miss Willoughby And The Haunted Bookshop) and is being produced by Msr principal Philippe Martinez (Father Christmas Is Back) and Stewart Thomson (BBC’s The Break) from a script by Kate Wood (Miss Willoughby And The Haunted Bookshop). Casting is underway.
The film will follow a woman who rekindles an old flame on the island only to discover that ‘paradises’ have their own challenges.
A cast and crew of about 50 people have...
- 1/28/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) is forging ahead on Nov. 9 with the 41st edition of the American Film Market with a full slate of 300 exhibitors and 200 speakers for conferences, panels, conversations, workshops and podcasts.
John Cena, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, John Sloss, Jeffrey Greenstein and Megan Colligan are among the high-
profile participants. But the glamour is gone along with the glitzy parties and the impromptu meetings at restaurants and bars, and get-togethers by the pool and in the hallways of the Loews Santa Monica, Le Merigot and the Casa Del Mar hotels.
Karinne Behr, CEO of Msr Intl., puts it bluntly: “I’m going to miss the pier party.”
That sentiment is echoed by David Garrett, CEO of Mister Smith Entertainment: “I’m very much going to miss the conviviality. I’m not missing the travel and the exhaustion that come with it, but it...
John Cena, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, John Sloss, Jeffrey Greenstein and Megan Colligan are among the high-
profile participants. But the glamour is gone along with the glitzy parties and the impromptu meetings at restaurants and bars, and get-togethers by the pool and in the hallways of the Loews Santa Monica, Le Merigot and the Casa Del Mar hotels.
Karinne Behr, CEO of Msr Intl., puts it bluntly: “I’m going to miss the pier party.”
That sentiment is echoed by David Garrett, CEO of Mister Smith Entertainment: “I’m very much going to miss the conviviality. I’m not missing the travel and the exhaustion that come with it, but it...
- 11/5/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Independent Film and Television Alliance is forging ahead on Nov. 9 with the 41st edition of the American Film Market with a full slate of 300 exhibitors and 200 speakers for conferences, panels, conversations, workshops and podcasts.
John Cena, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, John Sloss, Jeffrey Greenstein and Megan Colligan are among the high-profile participants. But the glamour is gone along with the glitzy parties and the impromptu meetings at restaurants and bars, and get-togethers by the pool and in the hallways of the Loews Santa Monica, Le Merigot and the Casa Del Mar hotels.
Karinne Behr, CEO of Msr Intl., puts it bluntly: “I’m going to miss the pier party.”
That sentiment is echoed by David Garrett, CEO of Mister Smith Entertainment: “I’m very much going to miss the conviviality. I’m not missing the travel and the exhaustion that come with it but it is incredibly important to stay in touch.
John Cena, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, John Sloss, Jeffrey Greenstein and Megan Colligan are among the high-profile participants. But the glamour is gone along with the glitzy parties and the impromptu meetings at restaurants and bars, and get-togethers by the pool and in the hallways of the Loews Santa Monica, Le Merigot and the Casa Del Mar hotels.
Karinne Behr, CEO of Msr Intl., puts it bluntly: “I’m going to miss the pier party.”
That sentiment is echoed by David Garrett, CEO of Mister Smith Entertainment: “I’m very much going to miss the conviviality. I’m not missing the travel and the exhaustion that come with it but it is incredibly important to stay in touch.
- 11/5/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Monday, Sept. 14
‘Marry Me’ Arriving Valentine’s Day Weekend
Universal Pictures will release the romance film “Marry Me,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson, on Feb. 12, the start of the Valentine’s Day weekend.
Lopez is starring as a musical superstar and Wilson is portraying a divorced math teacher. Lopez’s character is about to marry a new music star in a worldwide ceremony when she discovers that he cheated on her. She has a meltdown, then locks eyes with Wilson’s character and decides to marry him.
“Marry Me” is directed by Kat Coiro from a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher and Harper Dill based on the graphic novel by Bobby Crosby. The film is produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Lopez, Benny Medina and John Rogers. The film’s executive producers are Alex Brown, Willie Mercer, Pamela Thur and J.B. Roberts.
Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese Join Christmas Comedy
Elizabeth Hurley,...
‘Marry Me’ Arriving Valentine’s Day Weekend
Universal Pictures will release the romance film “Marry Me,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson, on Feb. 12, the start of the Valentine’s Day weekend.
Lopez is starring as a musical superstar and Wilson is portraying a divorced math teacher. Lopez’s character is about to marry a new music star in a worldwide ceremony when she discovers that he cheated on her. She has a meltdown, then locks eyes with Wilson’s character and decides to marry him.
“Marry Me” is directed by Kat Coiro from a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher and Harper Dill based on the graphic novel by Bobby Crosby. The film is produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Lopez, Benny Medina and John Rogers. The film’s executive producers are Alex Brown, Willie Mercer, Pamela Thur and J.B. Roberts.
Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese Join Christmas Comedy
Elizabeth Hurley,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese and Kelsey Grammer have been cast in Father Christmas Is Back, a family comedy film now shooting in York in the UK. The pic from Msr Media is directed by Philippe Martinez (Viktor) and Mick Davis (Modigliani) from a script from David Conolly and Hannah Davis Law (Mothers and Daughters) and Dylanne Corcoran.
The film is based on an original idea by Martinez, who also produces with Alan Latham from Highfield Grange Studios. Goldfinch’s Kirsty Bell executive produces alongside Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from Msr Media. Msr Media International is repping worldwide rights.
The plot centers on Caroline Christmas (Nathalie Cox), a control freak who desires nothing more than a perfect Christmas with her sisters at her lavish country manor to atone for the fact that their father abandoned the family on December 25th many years ago. When on Christmas Eve their long-lost father...
The film is based on an original idea by Martinez, who also produces with Alan Latham from Highfield Grange Studios. Goldfinch’s Kirsty Bell executive produces alongside Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from Msr Media. Msr Media International is repping worldwide rights.
The plot centers on Caroline Christmas (Nathalie Cox), a control freak who desires nothing more than a perfect Christmas with her sisters at her lavish country manor to atone for the fact that their father abandoned the family on December 25th many years ago. When on Christmas Eve their long-lost father...
- 9/14/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Msr Media International handles worldwide sales.
UK production is underway on Msr Media’s comedy Father Christmas Is Back with John Cleese, Liz Hurley, and Kelsey Grammer.
Covid-19-safe principal photography has begun in York on the story about a control freak, Caroline Christmas, who organises a seasonal celebration with her sisters at her country manor when their long-lost father turns up on Christmas Eve with his girlfriend and a secret is revealed.
Msr Media founder Philippe Martinez and Mick Davis are co-directing from a screenplay by David Conolly and Hannah Davis Law and Dylanne Corcoran, based on an original idea by Martinez.
UK production is underway on Msr Media’s comedy Father Christmas Is Back with John Cleese, Liz Hurley, and Kelsey Grammer.
Covid-19-safe principal photography has begun in York on the story about a control freak, Caroline Christmas, who organises a seasonal celebration with her sisters at her country manor when their long-lost father turns up on Christmas Eve with his girlfriend and a secret is revealed.
Msr Media founder Philippe Martinez and Mick Davis are co-directing from a screenplay by David Conolly and Hannah Davis Law and Dylanne Corcoran, based on an original idea by Martinez.
- 9/14/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer and Nathalie Cox (“Clash of the Titans”) have completed principal photography at York, U.K. on mystery/suspense feature “Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop,” directed by Brad Watson (“The 7th Dimension”).
“This has been a terrific experience,” said Grammer. “Although Covid presented a new set of challenges, we were able to work very effectively through new standards of film production. I would urge my family of actors at SAG-AFTRA to take a page out of the British playbook; we can responsibly get back to work. I have nothing but high praise for everyone associated with this production, from the director Brad Watson to the costume, make-up and hair folks to the young people who are just getting started in this marvellous profession.”
The film is produced by Philippe Martinez for Msr Media, alongside Alan Latham from Highfield Grange Studios. The film’s financial partner is...
“This has been a terrific experience,” said Grammer. “Although Covid presented a new set of challenges, we were able to work very effectively through new standards of film production. I would urge my family of actors at SAG-AFTRA to take a page out of the British playbook; we can responsibly get back to work. I have nothing but high praise for everyone associated with this production, from the director Brad Watson to the costume, make-up and hair folks to the young people who are just getting started in this marvellous profession.”
The film is produced by Philippe Martinez for Msr Media, alongside Alan Latham from Highfield Grange Studios. The film’s financial partner is...
- 8/18/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
As UK independent production Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop wrapped shoot this week, the film’s co-star Kelsey Grammer offered some thoughts to stateside actors.
“Although Covid presented a new set of challenges, we were able to work very effectively through new standards of film production,” the Frasier alum said today. “I would urge my family of actors at SAG-AFTRA to take a page out of the British playbook; we can responsibly get back to work.”
Grammer stars with Brit actress Nathalie Cox (Kingdom of Heaven) in the family-adventure, which follows the escapades of history professor, detective and adventurer Elizabeth Willoughby, who investigates a series of hauntings at an antique bookshop. Grammer plays a retired U.S. Marine who raised the orphaned Willoughby and runs the family business.
The film began shooting four weeks ago in the north of England with strict Covid-19 guidelines. Also starring are Caroline Quentin...
“Although Covid presented a new set of challenges, we were able to work very effectively through new standards of film production,” the Frasier alum said today. “I would urge my family of actors at SAG-AFTRA to take a page out of the British playbook; we can responsibly get back to work.”
Grammer stars with Brit actress Nathalie Cox (Kingdom of Heaven) in the family-adventure, which follows the escapades of history professor, detective and adventurer Elizabeth Willoughby, who investigates a series of hauntings at an antique bookshop. Grammer plays a retired U.S. Marine who raised the orphaned Willoughby and runs the family business.
The film began shooting four weeks ago in the north of England with strict Covid-19 guidelines. Also starring are Caroline Quentin...
- 8/18/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Filming took place with Covid-19 safety measures in place.
Filming has wrapped on family adventure Miss Willoughby And The Haunted Bookshop, starring Nathalie Cox and Kelsey Grammer, which shot in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The film began shooting four weeks ago in York and observed health guidelines to ensure the safety of cast and crew during the ongoing virus crisis. A Covid-19 supervisor was on set to ensure government-sanctioned guidelines were met.
It marks one of the first independent features to shoot in the UK following a total shutdown of production in mid-March as a result of the pandemic.
Filming has wrapped on family adventure Miss Willoughby And The Haunted Bookshop, starring Nathalie Cox and Kelsey Grammer, which shot in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The film began shooting four weeks ago in York and observed health guidelines to ensure the safety of cast and crew during the ongoing virus crisis. A Covid-19 supervisor was on set to ensure government-sanctioned guidelines were met.
It marks one of the first independent features to shoot in the UK following a total shutdown of production in mid-March as a result of the pandemic.
- 8/18/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: CEO Karinne Behr will oversee worldwide sales on the dark comedy from Los Angeles-based Provocator.
Scott Marshall Smith directed Camera Store, which stars John Larroquette and John Rhys-Davies and shot in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Provocator financed the project and producing partners Nick Cafritz and Robert Reed Peterson served as producers.
Camera Store centres on denizens of a shopping mall camera store who must confront uncomfortable personal truths on the eve of transition from film to digital.
Rounding out the cast are Paul Ben-Victor, David James Elliott, Laura Silverman and Cheryl Ladd.
Smith directed from his own screenplay. Provocator has set a Us release for Friday.
Boutique style sales and production company Saradan Media is headquartered in London with representatives in Los Angeles, Spain and Hong Kong.
Scott Marshall Smith directed Camera Store, which stars John Larroquette and John Rhys-Davies and shot in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Provocator financed the project and producing partners Nick Cafritz and Robert Reed Peterson served as producers.
Camera Store centres on denizens of a shopping mall camera store who must confront uncomfortable personal truths on the eve of transition from film to digital.
Rounding out the cast are Paul Ben-Victor, David James Elliott, Laura Silverman and Cheryl Ladd.
Smith directed from his own screenplay. Provocator has set a Us release for Friday.
Boutique style sales and production company Saradan Media is headquartered in London with representatives in Los Angeles, Spain and Hong Kong.
- 12/8/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Fledgling UK sales outfit inks multiple deals on Russian thriller.
Fledgling UK sales outfit Saradan Media has closed multiple deals on Gerard Depardieu and Elizabeth Hurley crime-thriller Viktor.
Deals have closed with Mgn/Paradise Film Group for Cis, Vertice 360 for Spain, Gruppo Minerva for Italy, Swen for Latin America, Five Stars for Israel and Eagle film for Middle East.
Deals were closed by Saradan’s Us sales rep Karinne Behr.
Writer-director Philippe Martinez’s feature, in which Depardieu plays a father whose sins are redeemed as he avenges his son’s death, was shot last year in Moscow and Chechnya with the finished film screening in Cannes for the first time last week. Producer is Arnaud Frilley.
London-based Saradan is overseen by former banker Lee Beasley, who previously worked in the Entertainment division of The Royal Bank of Scotland in London and Standard Chartered Bank in Honk Kong.
La-based Behr was previously president of Bauer Martinez Studios and president...
Fledgling UK sales outfit Saradan Media has closed multiple deals on Gerard Depardieu and Elizabeth Hurley crime-thriller Viktor.
Deals have closed with Mgn/Paradise Film Group for Cis, Vertice 360 for Spain, Gruppo Minerva for Italy, Swen for Latin America, Five Stars for Israel and Eagle film for Middle East.
Deals were closed by Saradan’s Us sales rep Karinne Behr.
Writer-director Philippe Martinez’s feature, in which Depardieu plays a father whose sins are redeemed as he avenges his son’s death, was shot last year in Moscow and Chechnya with the finished film screening in Cannes for the first time last week. Producer is Arnaud Frilley.
London-based Saradan is overseen by former banker Lee Beasley, who previously worked in the Entertainment division of The Royal Bank of Scotland in London and Standard Chartered Bank in Honk Kong.
La-based Behr was previously president of Bauer Martinez Studios and president...
- 5/22/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Embattled Pangea Media Group CEO David Bergstein has again taken the offensive against the creditors who brought an involuntary bankruptcy action against him in federal court in Los Angeles.
In a series of legal filings, Bergstein and allies are not only contesting the facts presented by creditors behind the action, but they are demanding that Aramid Capital Partners, which has been a leader among the creditors, put up a $25 million bond so that Bergstein's companies can collect damages should he prevail in court.
Bergstein charged in his personal declaration that Aramid is an offshore company with no real assets in the U.S., so if it loses and has to pay costs, it would be impossible to collect.
Bergstein also said in his filing that David Molner, who is chairman of Aramid, brought the action because he was angry when Bergstein would not modify his loans -- which were at...
In a series of legal filings, Bergstein and allies are not only contesting the facts presented by creditors behind the action, but they are demanding that Aramid Capital Partners, which has been a leader among the creditors, put up a $25 million bond so that Bergstein's companies can collect damages should he prevail in court.
Bergstein charged in his personal declaration that Aramid is an offshore company with no real assets in the U.S., so if it loses and has to pay costs, it would be impossible to collect.
Bergstein also said in his filing that David Molner, who is chairman of Aramid, brought the action because he was angry when Bergstein would not modify his loans -- which were at...
- 6/30/2010
- by By Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ray Stevenson, Jaime King and Stephen Moyer, along with Robert Duvall and James Caan, are starring in the postapocalyptic thriller "Tribes of October" from Philippe Martinez, who is directing and producing.
"October" is set in a future in which New York has become surrounded by an endless desert plagued by heat storms, and the city's technology is such that nothing made after 1960 works any more. In this environment, a detective (Stevenson) goes after a Mafia don (Caan) who is going after the remnants of the NYPD, led by Duvall. The detective is simultaneously searching for the love of his life (King). Moyer plays a cynical and street-smart detective.
Nick Vallelonga and Paul Sloan wrote the screenplay.
The production, budgeted at $25 million, is eying a summer start in Michigan, where Martinez directed his thriller "The Chaos Experiment." "October" will be shot using greenscreen to create a unique look and distinct universe,...
"October" is set in a future in which New York has become surrounded by an endless desert plagued by heat storms, and the city's technology is such that nothing made after 1960 works any more. In this environment, a detective (Stevenson) goes after a Mafia don (Caan) who is going after the remnants of the NYPD, led by Duvall. The detective is simultaneously searching for the love of his life (King). Moyer plays a cynical and street-smart detective.
Nick Vallelonga and Paul Sloan wrote the screenplay.
The production, budgeted at $25 million, is eying a summer start in Michigan, where Martinez directed his thriller "The Chaos Experiment." "October" will be shot using greenscreen to create a unique look and distinct universe,...
- 5/3/2009
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Among the spate of new international sales agencies, FilmNation Entertainment has been formed by ex-Weinstein Company executive Glen Basner. The company is the exclusive international sales agent for Media Rights Capital (MRC) and Samuels Media Group and has a non-exclusive sales pact with Endgame Entertainment. On its maiden voyage at AFM it is selling three projects from the Night Chronicles label, a partnership between MRC and M. Night Shyamalan. Prior to serving as president of international for TWC, Basner was EVP of international sales and distribution for Focus Features.
Another new sales agent is Exclusive Film Distribution headed by Guy East. HS Media's newly formed sales and distribution company whose debut line-up for the American Film Market includes presales for Peter Weirs' 'The Way Back' from Spitfire and three Hammer titles, Exclusive Film Distribution is based in London and handles worldwide sales and distribution for both Spitfire Pictures and Hammer Films 'The Quiet Ones', 'The Resident' and 'The Wake Wood' directed by David Keating and starring Aiden Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall and currently shooting in Ireland.
Philippe Martinez, formerly of Bauer Martinez has created production and international sales agency Cinepro Pictures with offices in Florida and Georgia. It is backed by private equity investors, aims to make two films a year and launched at AFM with $20m budgeted supernatural thriller 'Tribes Of October', to be directed and coproduced by Martinez himself. Cinepro head of sales Ben Rizzo also is offering at AFM the $7m comedy 'Ex-Wife For Sale' to be directed as well by Martinez. Also slated is $7m Val Kilmer thriller 'The Steam Experiment' directed by Martinez, now in post-production. Genius Products holds North American rights. Karinne Behr is consulting on sales during AFM through her company Finance In Motion.
Katapult's David Jourdan has left to head up T&C Pictures International, a new sales outfit owned by T&C Pictures run by Arata Matsushima and 'High School Musical' franchise producers Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush.
George Lascu’s Rex Media is offering a Matrix-style trilogy by cult Russian sci-fi writer Vasily Golovachev, led by the first film, $10m budgeted 'The Interceptor' which is currently in post-production. Lascu is also beginning pre-sales on the next two installments.
New Korean sales outfit M-Line, founded by Michelle Son, former head of international business at Showeast has kicked off with the presale of romantic drama 'Kitchen' to Showgate for Japan. M-Line also handles Showeast titles, whose horror film 'To Sir With Love' was just licensed to I-ON Media for Germany.
Another new sales agent is Exclusive Film Distribution headed by Guy East. HS Media's newly formed sales and distribution company whose debut line-up for the American Film Market includes presales for Peter Weirs' 'The Way Back' from Spitfire and three Hammer titles, Exclusive Film Distribution is based in London and handles worldwide sales and distribution for both Spitfire Pictures and Hammer Films 'The Quiet Ones', 'The Resident' and 'The Wake Wood' directed by David Keating and starring Aiden Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall and currently shooting in Ireland.
Philippe Martinez, formerly of Bauer Martinez has created production and international sales agency Cinepro Pictures with offices in Florida and Georgia. It is backed by private equity investors, aims to make two films a year and launched at AFM with $20m budgeted supernatural thriller 'Tribes Of October', to be directed and coproduced by Martinez himself. Cinepro head of sales Ben Rizzo also is offering at AFM the $7m comedy 'Ex-Wife For Sale' to be directed as well by Martinez. Also slated is $7m Val Kilmer thriller 'The Steam Experiment' directed by Martinez, now in post-production. Genius Products holds North American rights. Karinne Behr is consulting on sales during AFM through her company Finance In Motion.
Katapult's David Jourdan has left to head up T&C Pictures International, a new sales outfit owned by T&C Pictures run by Arata Matsushima and 'High School Musical' franchise producers Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush.
George Lascu’s Rex Media is offering a Matrix-style trilogy by cult Russian sci-fi writer Vasily Golovachev, led by the first film, $10m budgeted 'The Interceptor' which is currently in post-production. Lascu is also beginning pre-sales on the next two installments.
New Korean sales outfit M-Line, founded by Michelle Son, former head of international business at Showeast has kicked off with the presale of romantic drama 'Kitchen' to Showgate for Japan. M-Line also handles Showeast titles, whose horror film 'To Sir With Love' was just licensed to I-ON Media for Germany.
- 11/10/2008
- Sydney's Buzz
New York -- Things are heating up for Val Kilmer, Armand Assante, Eric Roberts, Megan Brown and Patrick Muldoon in the indie suspense thriller "The Steam Experiment."
The feature, revolving around six people trapped and terrorized in an urban Turkish bathhouse, marks a return to directing for its Cinepro Pictures producer Philippe Martinez.
Kilmer plays a former university professor who overheats his hostages to prove that humans will devolve into chaos under the pressures of global warming. He tells a detective (Assante) that their location will be revealed if his hypothesis is printed as the local paper's front-page headline.
The six potential victims are a former pro football player (Roberts), a former actress (Brown), a nurse (Muldoon), a waitress (Eve Mauro), a restaurateur (Quinn Duffy) and a writer (Cordelia Reynolds). As temperatures rise, the desperate detainees fight for survival.
Rob Malkani ("Day Zero") wrote the original screenplay. Karinne Behr, Luc Campeau,...
The feature, revolving around six people trapped and terrorized in an urban Turkish bathhouse, marks a return to directing for its Cinepro Pictures producer Philippe Martinez.
Kilmer plays a former university professor who overheats his hostages to prove that humans will devolve into chaos under the pressures of global warming. He tells a detective (Assante) that their location will be revealed if his hypothesis is printed as the local paper's front-page headline.
The six potential victims are a former pro football player (Roberts), a former actress (Brown), a nurse (Muldoon), a waitress (Eve Mauro), a restaurateur (Quinn Duffy) and a writer (Cordelia Reynolds). As temperatures rise, the desperate detainees fight for survival.
Rob Malkani ("Day Zero") wrote the original screenplay. Karinne Behr, Luc Campeau,...
- 9/10/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival
TORONTO -- Modigliani falls into the clutches of the romantic notion that an artistic life must be one of hedonistic excess and self-destructive behavior, of debauchery and irresponsibility nurtured by contempt for all social norms and mores. That any discipline, focus or commitment even goes into the art itself is incidental. Which can make for a lively movie full of parties, overwrought emotions and mad passion. But the hangover it produces makes you realize you have no idea with whom you spent more than two frenetic hours.
The film stars Andy Garcia as Amedeo Modigliani, the Jewish-Italian artist who helped turn early 20th century art into one of the most dynamic and expressive periods in art history. Only the film, written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Mick Davis, views its subject as a tempermental drunk, dancing on table tops at La Rotonde cafe and indulging in a childish rivalry with Pablo Picasso (burly Omid Djalili). Both views may be accurate, but the overwhelming emphasis on the latter distorts the significance of the former.
The film was reportedly made for $14 million in Romania -- a surprisingly ideal match for 1919 Paris -- so the producers should have no trouble getting into profit. In the domestic market, however, the art-house-meets-Animal House component may ultimately hurt its boxoffice.
Garcia's Modigliani -- Just call me Modi -- certainly has an all-star supporting "cast" for his supporting players. Davis situates his story in Paris in 1919, the penultimate year of Modi's life, where along with the sullen and haughty Picasso, he cavorts at his favorite cafe with Diego Rivera, Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau, Maurice Utrillo, Frida Kahlo and Max Jacob.
His childhood TB, aggravated by a regimen of booze, opium and cigarettes, is swiftly killing him. His mistress Jeanne (hauntingly beautiful Elsa Zylberstein), a nice Catholic girl whose well-to-do father is outraged by her liaison with a Jew, has already borne him one child and another soon will be on the way.
Like all artists in movies, Modi refuses to sell his canvases to those who do not really appreciate his art, cheats on his mistress, ignores his doctor's health warnings and provokes just about everyone he meets.
His greatest animosity is reserved for Picasso, whom he taunts and threatens often enough for Picasso to reach for his gun. (For a bunch of artists, this crowd packs some serious heat.)
This rivalry comes to a head when Modi, for once desperate for money when Jeanne's father sends their baby to a convent, enters the yearly Paris art competition. Picasso enters too, though he hardly needs the money.
The movie then treats its audience to a risible montage of some of the greatest artists ever, all frantically painting away on canvases in their signature styles like children entered a finger-painting contest.
Both Modi and Jeanne are genuinely tragic figures. But the movie so trivializes them as adolescents, lacking control of their own emotions, that their tragedy never takes hold. Davis shows little interest in exploring Modigliani's past life or why he became an artist or the passions that dominate his work, such as the influence of African sculpture and masks on its design.
Garcia has his moments as a wild man but the script never really allows him to plumb the artist's emotional depths. Zyberstein overcomes the cliches about an obsessed, doom mistress to evoke empathy for this delicate moth driven ever closer to the flame.
Israeli cinematographer Emmanuel Kadosh takes advantage of these characters and settings to unveil scene after scene of rare cinematic beauty. He creates sharp contrasts between the whites and blacks, creating tableaus almost like early tintypes. He bathes dreamlike sequences in color tints that capture the sensuality of those long ago days. This not quite real world gives a helpful intimacy and immediacy to the hazy dramatic action. Ironically, in Modigliani, Kadosh is the only real artist in sight.
MODIGLIANI
UKFS in association with Cineson Productions and Lucky 7 Productions
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Mick Davis
Producers: Philippe Martinez, Stephanie Martinez Campeau, Andre Djaoui, Alan Latham
Executive producers: Andy Garcia, Antony Blakey, Stephen Marsden, Paul Feetum, Douglas W. Miller, Karinne Behr, Marcos Zurinaga, Gary Ungar, Donald A. Barton
Director of photography: Emmanuel Kadosh
Production designer: Giantito Burchiellaro
Costumes: Pam Downe
Music: Guy Farley
Editor: Emma E. Hickox
Cast:
Amedeo Mogigliani: Andy Garcia
Jeanne Hebuterne: Elsa Zylberstein
Pablo Picasso: Omid Djalili, Utrillo: Hippolyte Girardot
Max Jacob: Udo Kier
Picasso's wife: Eva Herzigova
Gertrude Stein: Miriam Margolyes
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 128 minutes...
TORONTO -- Modigliani falls into the clutches of the romantic notion that an artistic life must be one of hedonistic excess and self-destructive behavior, of debauchery and irresponsibility nurtured by contempt for all social norms and mores. That any discipline, focus or commitment even goes into the art itself is incidental. Which can make for a lively movie full of parties, overwrought emotions and mad passion. But the hangover it produces makes you realize you have no idea with whom you spent more than two frenetic hours.
The film stars Andy Garcia as Amedeo Modigliani, the Jewish-Italian artist who helped turn early 20th century art into one of the most dynamic and expressive periods in art history. Only the film, written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Mick Davis, views its subject as a tempermental drunk, dancing on table tops at La Rotonde cafe and indulging in a childish rivalry with Pablo Picasso (burly Omid Djalili). Both views may be accurate, but the overwhelming emphasis on the latter distorts the significance of the former.
The film was reportedly made for $14 million in Romania -- a surprisingly ideal match for 1919 Paris -- so the producers should have no trouble getting into profit. In the domestic market, however, the art-house-meets-Animal House component may ultimately hurt its boxoffice.
Garcia's Modigliani -- Just call me Modi -- certainly has an all-star supporting "cast" for his supporting players. Davis situates his story in Paris in 1919, the penultimate year of Modi's life, where along with the sullen and haughty Picasso, he cavorts at his favorite cafe with Diego Rivera, Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau, Maurice Utrillo, Frida Kahlo and Max Jacob.
His childhood TB, aggravated by a regimen of booze, opium and cigarettes, is swiftly killing him. His mistress Jeanne (hauntingly beautiful Elsa Zylberstein), a nice Catholic girl whose well-to-do father is outraged by her liaison with a Jew, has already borne him one child and another soon will be on the way.
Like all artists in movies, Modi refuses to sell his canvases to those who do not really appreciate his art, cheats on his mistress, ignores his doctor's health warnings and provokes just about everyone he meets.
His greatest animosity is reserved for Picasso, whom he taunts and threatens often enough for Picasso to reach for his gun. (For a bunch of artists, this crowd packs some serious heat.)
This rivalry comes to a head when Modi, for once desperate for money when Jeanne's father sends their baby to a convent, enters the yearly Paris art competition. Picasso enters too, though he hardly needs the money.
The movie then treats its audience to a risible montage of some of the greatest artists ever, all frantically painting away on canvases in their signature styles like children entered a finger-painting contest.
Both Modi and Jeanne are genuinely tragic figures. But the movie so trivializes them as adolescents, lacking control of their own emotions, that their tragedy never takes hold. Davis shows little interest in exploring Modigliani's past life or why he became an artist or the passions that dominate his work, such as the influence of African sculpture and masks on its design.
Garcia has his moments as a wild man but the script never really allows him to plumb the artist's emotional depths. Zyberstein overcomes the cliches about an obsessed, doom mistress to evoke empathy for this delicate moth driven ever closer to the flame.
Israeli cinematographer Emmanuel Kadosh takes advantage of these characters and settings to unveil scene after scene of rare cinematic beauty. He creates sharp contrasts between the whites and blacks, creating tableaus almost like early tintypes. He bathes dreamlike sequences in color tints that capture the sensuality of those long ago days. This not quite real world gives a helpful intimacy and immediacy to the hazy dramatic action. Ironically, in Modigliani, Kadosh is the only real artist in sight.
MODIGLIANI
UKFS in association with Cineson Productions and Lucky 7 Productions
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Mick Davis
Producers: Philippe Martinez, Stephanie Martinez Campeau, Andre Djaoui, Alan Latham
Executive producers: Andy Garcia, Antony Blakey, Stephen Marsden, Paul Feetum, Douglas W. Miller, Karinne Behr, Marcos Zurinaga, Gary Ungar, Donald A. Barton
Director of photography: Emmanuel Kadosh
Production designer: Giantito Burchiellaro
Costumes: Pam Downe
Music: Guy Farley
Editor: Emma E. Hickox
Cast:
Amedeo Mogigliani: Andy Garcia
Jeanne Hebuterne: Elsa Zylberstein
Pablo Picasso: Omid Djalili, Utrillo: Hippolyte Girardot
Max Jacob: Udo Kier
Picasso's wife: Eva Herzigova
Gertrude Stein: Miriam Margolyes
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 128 minutes...
- 9/17/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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