“I’m Nevenka,” a Movistar Plus+ original film and the awaited next feature from Spain’s Iciar Bollaín, has closed its earliest pre-sales, struck by Film Factory Entertainment, including a bellwether deal in France.
The deals come as “I’m Nevenka” has wrapped production, shooting in the Basque city of Bilbao before transferring to rural Zamora, western Spain.
Daniel Chabannes’ Epicentre Films, a classic 30-year-old distributor and producer of non-English language art pics, especially from Europe and Latin America, whose recent acquisitions take in San Sebastian Gold Shell winner “The Rye Horn” and Amos Gitai’s “It’s Not Over,” has acquired French rights.
A distributor of both big Cannes winners – “Triangle of Sadness,” “Rosetta,” “The Child” – and slightly more out-there propositions, such as Pablo Berger’s silent movie “Blancanieves,” Xenix Film Distribution has clinched rights to Switzerland.
Iciar Bollaín: A Broader Audience Auteur
The early pre-sales are hardly surprising. Since her big breakout,...
The deals come as “I’m Nevenka” has wrapped production, shooting in the Basque city of Bilbao before transferring to rural Zamora, western Spain.
Daniel Chabannes’ Epicentre Films, a classic 30-year-old distributor and producer of non-English language art pics, especially from Europe and Latin America, whose recent acquisitions take in San Sebastian Gold Shell winner “The Rye Horn” and Amos Gitai’s “It’s Not Over,” has acquired French rights.
A distributor of both big Cannes winners – “Triangle of Sadness,” “Rosetta,” “The Child” – and slightly more out-there propositions, such as Pablo Berger’s silent movie “Blancanieves,” Xenix Film Distribution has clinched rights to Switzerland.
Iciar Bollaín: A Broader Audience Auteur
The early pre-sales are hardly surprising. Since her big breakout,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Pablo Sandoval and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Shortlisted for the Academy Awards in the international feature film category, Fernando León de Aranoa’s “The Good Boss” capped a record 20 Spanish Academy Goya nominations by scoring best picture and actor for Javier Bardem at Saturday’s Goya prize ceremony.
The prizes marked both Leon and Bardem’s seventh Goya wins. Produced by El Reposado and The Mediapro Studio, and a workplace dramedy skewering the abuse of power practised by a seemingly benign factory owner, “The Good Boss” also won best director and original screenplay for León, as well as best score and editing.
Blanca Portillo beat out “Parallel Mothers’” Oscar-nominated Penélope Cruz, thanks to Portillo’s powerful performance as Maixabel Lasa, the real life widow of former Basque Country governor Juan Mari Jauregui who agreed in 2011 to meet one of his Eta killers. Her forgiveness, and Portillo’s portrait, has touched a large nerve in Spain.
One highlight...
The prizes marked both Leon and Bardem’s seventh Goya wins. Produced by El Reposado and The Mediapro Studio, and a workplace dramedy skewering the abuse of power practised by a seemingly benign factory owner, “The Good Boss” also won best director and original screenplay for León, as well as best score and editing.
Blanca Portillo beat out “Parallel Mothers’” Oscar-nominated Penélope Cruz, thanks to Portillo’s powerful performance as Maixabel Lasa, the real life widow of former Basque Country governor Juan Mari Jauregui who agreed in 2011 to meet one of his Eta killers. Her forgiveness, and Portillo’s portrait, has touched a large nerve in Spain.
One highlight...
- 2/13/2022
- by John Hopewell and Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Director Icíar Bollaín’s “Maixabel” – which world premiered last month in San Sebastian’s main competition and screens at this week’s Spanish Screenings-Malaga de Cine – is a turbulent and emotional look into the repercussions of terrorist violence, both for the victims and the victimizers. The film follows the aftermath of the murder of politician Juan María Jáuregui from the perspective of his widow, Maixabel (Blanca Portillo), as well as the Eta terrorists who committed the killing.
The Basque film is produced by San Sebastian-based Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films, with Film Factory Entertainment handling international sales. The screenplay, based on the real life story of Basque Country political activist Maixabel Lasa, was co-authored by Bollaín and Isa Campo, co-scribe of “Between Two Waters,” a San Sebastian Golden Shell winner
Variety spoke with Bollaín during the Spanish Screenings.
“Maixabel” is filled with nuanced, complex characters. How did you go...
The Basque film is produced by San Sebastian-based Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films, with Film Factory Entertainment handling international sales. The screenplay, based on the real life story of Basque Country political activist Maixabel Lasa, was co-authored by Bollaín and Isa Campo, co-scribe of “Between Two Waters,” a San Sebastian Golden Shell winner
Variety spoke with Bollaín during the Spanish Screenings.
“Maixabel” is filled with nuanced, complex characters. How did you go...
- 10/21/2021
- by JD Linville
- Variety Film + TV
Looking at a map of Spain, the Basque region seems to be tucked neatly into one corner, cozy as can be. On the ground, of course, it’s a different matter: the Pais Vasco has its own language, culture, food and politics, plus its own history of violence. Eta, the region’s equivalent to the Ira, assassinated more than 820 people over almost 50 years before declaring a ceasefire in 2011; the last shreds of the organization disbanded in 2018. It was the end of an era, but a huge legacy of bitterness remained. The assassinated were still mourned; on the Eta side, hundreds of convicted terrorists remain in jail.
Director Iciar Bollain — whose last film, incongruously, was the agreeably bouncy comedy Rosa’s Wedding — has taken a single, powerful story from the messy remains of that struggle in Maixabel, the first film to screen in competition at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
The story closely follows fact.
Director Iciar Bollain — whose last film, incongruously, was the agreeably bouncy comedy Rosa’s Wedding — has taken a single, powerful story from the messy remains of that struggle in Maixabel, the first film to screen in competition at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
The story closely follows fact.
- 9/20/2021
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
Vicente Canales’ Film Factory Entertainment has sold Icíar Bollaín’s San Sebastian Festival-bound Basque reconciliation drama “Maixabel” to Germany, striking a deal with Berlin-based distributor Piffl Medien.
The film is set to make its theatrical release in Spain on Sept. 24 via Buena Vista Intl.
World premiering in San Sebastian’s main competition this weekend, Bollaín’s film – which she co-wrote with screenwriter Isa Campo (“The Next Skin”) – stars “Volver’s” Blanca Portillo as the widow of murdered socialist leader Juan María Jáuregui who makes steps towards forgiving the Eta terrorist who killed her husband a decade earlier.
The feature is based around the experience of Maixabel Lasa, a key figure in the journey that the Basque Country is making towards peace and reconciliation following the violence of its recent past.
Co-starring Luis Tosar (“Retribution,” “Way Down”), the film was made by top Basque production company Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films...
The film is set to make its theatrical release in Spain on Sept. 24 via Buena Vista Intl.
World premiering in San Sebastian’s main competition this weekend, Bollaín’s film – which she co-wrote with screenwriter Isa Campo (“The Next Skin”) – stars “Volver’s” Blanca Portillo as the widow of murdered socialist leader Juan María Jáuregui who makes steps towards forgiving the Eta terrorist who killed her husband a decade earlier.
The feature is based around the experience of Maixabel Lasa, a key figure in the journey that the Basque Country is making towards peace and reconciliation following the violence of its recent past.
Co-starring Luis Tosar (“Retribution,” “Way Down”), the film was made by top Basque production company Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films...
- 9/17/2021
- by Ann-Marie Corvin
- Variety Film + TV
Fernando León de Aranoa’s “The Good Boss,” starring Javier Bardem, Alejandro Amenábar’s first drama series “La Fortuna,” and Carlos Saura’s “Rosa Rosae. A Civil War Elegy” head a robust Spanish presence at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival.
Also in the mix are new films from Jonás Trueba, Iciar Bollaín and Paco Plaza, all playing in main competition, plus Daniel Monzón’s Warner Bros.-distributed “Las leyes de la frontera,” selected as San Sebastián’s closing night film, and “The Daughter,” from Manuel Martín Cuenca. “Rosa Rosae” will screen at the San Sebastian’s opening night ceremony on Sept. 17.
World premiering at Venice, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas movie shoot comedy “Official Competition” will open San Sebastian’s best of fests section Perlak.
Spanish cinema’s socio-political traditions remain strong: “The Good Boss” is a study of company management machinations. In a highly polarized Spain, Bollaín’s “Maixabel,...
Also in the mix are new films from Jonás Trueba, Iciar Bollaín and Paco Plaza, all playing in main competition, plus Daniel Monzón’s Warner Bros.-distributed “Las leyes de la frontera,” selected as San Sebastián’s closing night film, and “The Daughter,” from Manuel Martín Cuenca. “Rosa Rosae” will screen at the San Sebastian’s opening night ceremony on Sept. 17.
World premiering at Venice, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas movie shoot comedy “Official Competition” will open San Sebastian’s best of fests section Perlak.
Spanish cinema’s socio-political traditions remain strong: “The Good Boss” is a study of company management machinations. In a highly polarized Spain, Bollaín’s “Maixabel,...
- 7/30/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
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