Film

Former Movistar Plus Content Chief Domingo Corral On His HBO Deal & Why Quality TV Can Be Commercial

• Corral has signed a production deal with HBO Max.
• His first project concerns El Nani’s disappearance in 1980s Spain.
• He argues quality television can also reach mainstream audiences.

Former Movistar Plus content chief Domingo Corral has a production deal with HBO Max to develop scripted television and film. He says the partnership gives him a chance to make premium-quality work for broad audiences, reflecting an approach he pursued at Movistar. Corral led original production at Movistar…

From ‘Sh*t Happens’ to an Erotic Photographer Being Confronted by His Daughter: Offbeat Films at Tallinn

• Tallinn Black Nights opens its 30th edition on 6 November.
• The programme features thrillers, queer drama and an unusual documentary.
• *The Two Hornets* has a running time of 3 hours and 8 minutes.

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will begin its 30th anniversary edition on 6 November, with a programme spanning world premieres and films from across the world. The article highlights several unusually pitched titles, illustrating the festival’s interest in work that challenges mainstream expectations. Among them, *Sinless* is a…

Annecy Winner ‘The Violinist’ Found Its Italian Co-Producers at Tokyo Market, Director Ervin Han Tells Anime Co-Production Panel

• A 2023 Tokyo meeting led Italian producers to join “The Violinist”.
• The animated feature went on to win Annecy’s top prize.
• Panel speakers highlighted early planning, platforms and people.

A meeting at Tokyo’s TIFFCOM market in 2023 connected Italian producers with Singaporean filmmaker Ervin Han’s animated feature “The Violinist”. The film later won the top prize at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, illustrating how early international partnerships can help bring a project to completion. At…

Jamie Dornan Boards ‘Nostalgie,’ Starring Aidan Gillen as Washed-up Pop Star, as Executive Producer (Exclusive)

• Jamie Dornan is executive producing the short film *Nostalgie*.
• Aidan Gillen plays a washed-up pop star in Belfast.
• The IFTA-winning film is eligible for Oscar consideration.

Jamie Dornan has joined Kathryn Ferguson’s short film *Nostalgie* as an executive producer, supporting a Northern Irish production as it enters awards season. The film has qualified for Oscar consideration and could compete for the best live action short film award; Dornan said he wanted to champion filmmaking…

Taiwanese Feature ‘Uncle’ Wins Top Prize at Tokyo Gap-Financing Market Awards

• “Uncle” won Tokyo’s top gap-financing prize and the Asian Gen-Z Award.
• Yen’s debut draws on 18 years living with his uncle.
• “Wild Zero Overdrive” and “Nature Boy” also received awards.

Taiwanese filmmaker Yen Hao-hsuan’s debut feature, “Uncle”, won the Tokyo Project Award at the seventh Tokyo Gap-Financing Market. The film also received the Asian Gen-Z Award, drawing recognition for a story about family, disability and the social prejudices surrounding it. Set in rural Taiwan from 1997 to 2000,…

Albanian parliament erupts as Rivian’s R2 takes the lead

Smoke flares halted a parliamentary vote in Albania, while US Senate candidate Mary Peltola dismissed a report as a “distraction”. Rivian says its R2 outsold its other models in the third quarter.

Gay Filipino Couple’s Homecoming Documentary ‘We Had a Plan’ Boarded by Cat&Docs Ahead of IDFA Premiere, Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

• Cat&Docs has acquired international sales for *We Had a Plan*.
• The documentary follows a gay Filipino couple returning from the Netherlands.
• It premieres at IDFA and is in contention for Best Dutch Film.

The documentary *We Had a Plan*, about a gay Filipino couple returning home after years working undocumented in the Netherlands, has been acquired for international sales by Paris-based Cat&Docs. It will have its world premiere in IDFA’s Luminous strand and is in the running for the festival’s Best…

Displacement Film Fund shorts reach Tokyo festival audience with Cate Blanchett’s support

• Five Displacement Film Fund shorts screened in Tokyo.
• Cate Blanchett joined filmmakers for a post-screening discussion.
• The fund’s second cohort has also been announced.

The Displacement Film Fund’s first five short films screened at the Tokyo Film Festival, with Cate Blanchett and fund directors Shahrbanoo Sadat and Mohammad Rasoulof taking part in a post-screening discussion. The project aims to bring stories by filmmakers who have experienced displacement to wider audiences, while showing…