Global Flicks: Minh Bui Expands Theater Access In Vietnam Film Market
Our Land, Our Freedom
Africa: First Hand Film sold Our Land, Our Freedom, a Kenyan/U.S./Portuguese co-production, to the BBC. Co-directed by L.A.-based Meena Nanji and her Kenyan counterpart Zippy Kimundu, the anti-colonial feature tells the story of Wanjugu Kimathi – a Kenyan woman searching for the remains of her father who was the leader of the Mau Mau Rebellion. Her father, Dedan Kimathi, was executed by British authorities in 1957.
Our Land, Our Freedom is an important film that explores issues around legacy, colonialism, and land rights that are of particular interest to our audiences across Africa,” said BBC Africa Eye editor Tom Watson. “We look forward to presenting this film on our platforms and bringing it to the attention of a wider audience.
Limonero Films has picked up world rights to distribute environmental documentary Wild Coast Warriors, which launched at Mipdoc early April. The film aims to raise awareness of the dilemma of small coastal communities on South Africa’s Wild Coast, who are standing up to the oil and gas industry. It follows a David v. Goliath court case against hell, which halted oil and gas exploration, winning protection for the community, the ocean, and the local culture. Wild Coast Warriors was directed by Nick Chevallier and Leigh Wood. The cinematographer was Warren Smart, who was topside cinematographer on Oscar winner My Octopus Teacher. The film is supported by Greenpeace Africa, Natural Justice, and Oxfam Novib (Netherlands).
Minh Bui - Chance Yeh
Asia: All-female Korean-pop acts Aespa will release its first concert film, aespa: World Tour in Cinemas from April 24 to April 27. The film was announced by Trafalgar Releasing, one of the firms behind Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie.
Vietnamese entrepreneur Minh Bui, founder of the notorious Beta Cinemas chain, has lowered movie ticket prices as Vietnam’s cinema market continues to boom. As a result, viewing films at a local theater has become accessible in Vietnamese low-income communities. Vietnam’s previously state-run cinema industry had tickets priced at around $4-5 (about VND100,000) with these chains mostly aiming at middle-class customers. After attending Harvard Business School, Minh says he could look at the Vietnamese cinema market as an outsider and identify an opportunity for positive change. He scraped together some money and started his first theater in a strategically planned cheap location in North Vietnam. Since then, the chain has grown to 18 locations, and revenues have grown to over $13M in 2023.
“I saw that the vast majority of Vietnamese people don’t have enough income to pay that much for a movie ticket, let alone also buy popcorn and drinks, so I wanted to create a product that could disrupt the market and build a mass market business,” said Minh.
Director Neo Sora, son of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, is set to film and direct Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus in honor of his father’s final performance. According to Sora, Opus is less a documentary than a concert film, capturing 20 tracks as they are played on the piano in crisp black and white. Sora strategically uses lighting that transitions from night to day and back tonight. The famous composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto tragically passed from cancer in March 2023. Sora will use this film to be Sakamoto’s “last artistic gift to the world.”
Kung Fu superstar Sammo Hung will deliver a masterclass on May 4 as part of the 12th Singapore Chinese Film Festival. He will also attend a mini-retrospective of his films. Hung is considered the “big brother” of the China Drama Academy’s performance troupe known as the Seven Little Fortune, whose members include Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, and Corey Yuen. Hung’s career has spanned 60 years, with experience as an actor, action choreographer, director, and producer.
Lionsgate has landed domestic U.S. rights to Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari (Dancing Village: The Curse Begins), the prequel to Indonesia‘s highest-grossing film, KKN Curse of the Dancing Village. The film premiered in Los Angeles on April 4. Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is the first filmed-for-IMAX movie ever produced in Southeast Asia. The film was produced by Indonesian studio MD Pictures and directed by Kimo Stamboel.
“This collaboration represents a leap forward for the Indonesian movie industry on the global stage. We believe that entertainment transcends language and cultural barriers, and we are confident that through this partnership we will be able to showcase the richness of Indonesian culture to the American audience and beyond,” said Manoj Punjabi, CEO and founder of MD Pictures.
In addition to its deal with Indonesia, Lionsgate struck a carriage deal to expand streaming offers in the Philippines. Subscribers to mobile services such as Smart Communications will have access to Lionsgate streamers. The service is available direct-to-consumer via an app. Major blockbusters such as Hunger Games, Twilight franchises, John Wick, and more will be provided on Lionsgate Play. This is the second telecoms tie-up for Lionsgate Play in the Philippines, coming after one strike with PTLD in 2022.
Takashi Yamazaki, the Japanese filmmaker behind Godzilla Minus One, has signed with CAA for representation. Yamazaki served as writer, director, and VFX supervisor for the Oscar-winning smash hit. Godzilla Minus One earned the first-ever nomination and win for a Japanese production in the VFX category at the 2024 Academy Awards. The film also became the third-highest-grossing foreign language feature in U.S. box office history.
India’s Jio Studios is on a roll with several box office hits in a row. Almost a year ago, Jio Studios launched a slate of 100 new films and streaming shows, including content in Marathi-language, Bollywood films, Bengali-language films, and more. Jio Studios is the only studio to have seven hits in a row. The studio belongs to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), a conglomerate prioritizing partnerships in the industry. Recently, the ongoing $8.5 billion merger of RIL group company Viacom18 with Disney has opened India up to associate companies such as Netflix, Prime Video, and more.
Animal actor Bobby Deol to play the villain in the next Yash Raj Films Spy Universe movie. The film will star Sharvari Wagh and Alia Bhatt, the first actress to lead a YRF Spy Universe movie. The film is yet to be named, and filming is due to begin this year. Plot details are kept under wraps until further notice.
Kaur
Europe: London-based documentary specialist Journeyman Pictures has acquired world sales rights for Can’t Feel Nothing, directed by U.S. filmmaker David Borenstein. The film, narrated by Borenstein, follows the story of a confessed phone addict who produces tech films internationally. The plot takes the audience on a journey around the world to meet some of those who are “pulling the strings” that leave the rest of us “numb,” according to Variety.
“It’s [phone addiction] a constant struggle and we’re all in it. What’s important is to keep up this discussion. What I’m trying to do with my film is to create a space for people to reflect on this,” said Borenstein.
Kaur, a short film about a British South Asian Woman who wears a turban against her father’s wishes, is set to air on Netflix on May 3. The film debuted last year on British streamers ITVX and BritBox. Kaur bills itself as the “first film in history” to follow the story of a British Sikh woman (Shergill) who decides to wear a turban for the first time against her father’s wishes.
Diane Guerrero and Juan Pablo Raba - Gotham / Carlos Alvarez
Latin America: Diane Guerrero and Juan Pablo Raba are set to lead in the new horror film The Whistler. The film, which has started shooting in Cali, Colombia, tells the story of two parents grieving the loss of their daughter. They unexpectedly inherit a remote farm in the Venezuelan plains and consequently become drawn into “a nether world.” Diego Velasco is directing from a script by Carolina Paiz, of Orange is the New Black.
“I’m beyond excited to be at the helm of The Whistler, a project that delves deep into themes of loss, spirituality, and the unknown,” said Velasco. “With the remarkable talents of Diane Guerrero and Juan Pablo Raba leading our cast, we’re set to embark on a journey that transcends the ordinary, delving into the profound mysteries of existence amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the South America where I grew up.”
Spanish pubcaster RTVE named a new interim president amid a week of simmering tensions. Concepción Cascajosa has been installed following the removal of Elena Sánchez. Also dismissed last week was content chief Jose Pablo López. Sánchez and López clashed over the acquisition of a high-cost Movistar entertainment show, thus causing Sánchez to call for López’s removal. The board backed López’s removal but one member, Roberto Lakidain, then called for Sánchez’s dismissal as well. RTVE’s board is made up of politicians from the country’s main political parties.
Anonymous Content Brazil, a CAA-backed partnership between São Paulo-based RT Features and Anonymous Content, has kicked off production on its first scripted project, a TV adaptation of Raphael Montes’ bestseller Perfect Days for Globo Brazil’s giant streaming platform, Globoplay. The eight-episode adaptation is directed by international Emmy-winner Joana Jabace. Perfect Days will be the first of many scripted productions for the company.
