Global Flicks: Netflix Releasing South African Thriller ‘Silverton Siege;’ 2019 Hong Kong Protests Documentary Shatters Box Office Records; MultiVissionaire Acquires Deal For Animated Hit 'Tarsilinha'
Silverton Siege - netflix
Africa: Netflix is set to release the South African thriller Silverton Siege. The film is based on true events that took place in 1980 when a trio of freedom fighters escaped police pursuit by hiding away in a bank and taking it hostage. In exchange for the hostages, the trio demanded Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. The feature comes from director Mandla Dube, known for his Oscar-winning film Tsotsi (2005). Silverton Siege is set to stream on April 27th, South Africa’s Freedom Day.
Known Associates Entertainment is launching Cradle Film Studios. The new state-of-the-art studio will be located outside of Johannesburg and near the Cradle of Humankind, an archeological site. It will facilitate a data center, high-end backlots and studios, housing developments, and a theme park based on the fossils from the Cradle of Humankind.
Asia: The documentary on the 2019 Hong Kong protests has broken box office records in Taiwan. The Revolution Of Our Times, by Kiwi Chow, premiered at Cannes last year and has amassed over 600,000 USD in Taiwan. The film follows how millions took to the streets in outrage over the extradition bill that stated criminal suspects in Hong Kong could be extradited to countries without extradition treaties such as Mainland China, Taiwan, or Macau. Many feared that allowing the bill to exist would lead to cruel detainment and unfair trials.
Anil Kapoor partners up with his son for Netflix Film Thar. This will be the first major on-screen collaboration of the father and son since they played dramatized roles of themselves in Netflix’s AK vs. AK. Netflix is teaming up with the Anil Kapoor Film Company (AKFC) on this venture. The film will be Raj Singh Chaudhary’s directorial debut.
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files release has been prevented by court order. Shalini Khanna claims her husband, Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, was misrepresented in the film. Ravi Khanna was one of four IAF officers shot and killed in Srinagar on January 25, 1990. The film covers the hotbed of the dispute over Kashmir’s independence and national alliances with a primary focus on Kashmiri Pandits. It was set to release on March 11th.
Middle East: The Syrian film The Translator is now available for streaming in North America. The story follows a Syrian exile forced to return to his homeland in search of his brother after escaping the territory many years ago. It is directed and written by duo Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf. It is now available on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video.
The U.S. trailer for Huda’s Salon has been released. The story follows a mother attempting to care for her child while being extorted by a mysterious hairdresser. The film comes from director Hany Abu-Assad, coming off his success with his Jury prize-winning film Omar in 2013 at Cannes and his film Paradise Now in 2006 which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Ahed’s Knee is set to premiere in NYC on March 18th. The story follows an Israeli filmmaker struggling with the loss of his mother and the loss of freedom in his country. The Film is by Nadav Lapid who previously made Synonyms, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2019 and took home the Golden Bear award.
Tiempos Futuros - Outsider Pictures
Latin America: Outsider Pictures has picked up the international sales rights for Neo-Noir thriller Tiempos Futuros. The plot is centered on the relationship between a father and son attempting to build a machine that can control the weather. It will be Peruvian filmmaker V. Checa’s directorial debut. It is produced by Spanish cinema heavy hitters such as the writer-director of Europa Report Sebastián Cordero, the co-producers of Netflix’s The Platform David Matamoros and Ángeles Hernández, and Guillermo del Toro’s producer Bertha Navarro. Outsider Pictures will shop the project for buyers at the Málaga Film Festival this March.
MultiVissionaire Pictures has signed a deal for Tarsilinha. Produced by Pinguim Content, the animated film is about an eight-year-old girl adventuring through a 2D/3D world. It was created by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral who drew inspiration from Brazilian folklore. The film premiered at numerous film festivals last year and took home the best-animated feature film award from Latin America at the 2021 Chilemonos International Animation Festival. MultiVissionaire will be handling international sales as well as producing dubbed versions of the film. The film releases in theaters in Brazil on March 17th.
Leila Bekhti - Victor Boyko
Europe: Leïla Bekhti is set to star in La Nouvelle Femme. Set in the 1900s, a famous Parisian woman runs away from her irritating daughter. Leïla has been nominated for the Best Actress Cèsar award this year for her performance in The Restless. She will star alongside Jasmine Trinca who won the David di Donatello Best Actress award for her role in the 2020 film Lucky. This will be writer-director Léa Todorov’s debut film. Filming will begin in mid-April.
