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Acclaimed Mexican editor-turned-director Natalia López Gallardo, whose directorial debut feature “Robe of Gems” won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2022, is currently developing her second feature, “Only Love Exists.” The contemporary drama about intertwining digital and real lives will pitch in the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival.

“Only Love Exists” is the story of Teresa, a medical assistant who cares for patients in her work and engages with the fears and desires of others on the internet. Over time, the virtual world starts to encroach into her real life as Teresa indulges more and more in her own desires somewhere on the border of the two dimensions.

After a brush with death, Teresa becomes more acutely aware of the physical world around her, where beauty and oppression coexist, the synopsis says. Through the act of caring for a friend, Teresa begins a journey of salvation.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)

In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)

Where to Stream: VOD

The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...

Director Joaquín del Paso’s sophomore feature The Hole in the Fence, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, provides a unique take on a Lord of the Flies-like set-up. The harrowing Mexican-Polish thriller, scored by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein (Stranger Things), follows a group of boys at a religious summer camp as they receive intense training, but their journey turns more disturbing when they discover a hole in the fence. Picked up by Altered Innocence, the film is set for a theatrical release on May 26 and we’re pleased to debut the exclusive U.S. trailer.

Here’s the full synopsis: “At a secluded exclusive summer camp in the Mexican countryside, under the watchful eyes of their adult guardians, boys from a prestigious private school receive physical, moral and religious training to turn them into tomorrow’s elite. The discovery of a hole in the fence sets in...

Actress Swara Bhasker has joined the jury for International Competition presided by Naomi Kawase for the 44th Cairo International Film Festival, which is currently underway at Egypt’s famous Opera House.

Talking about her induction into the jury, Swara said, “I’m both grateful and honoured to be a jury member at such an illustrious festival that has for so many decades been a platform for showcasing global cinema. It is an opportunity to watch some of the best cinema from the region and the world this year and that’s such a treat! I’m absolutely stoked.”

The film festival, which is organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, is the oldest and most esteemed film festival of the Middle East and has showcased many iconic international films that went onto win big at the Oscars and Golden Globes. This year the festival opened with Steven Spielberg’s ‘The...

Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama The Fabelmans has been announced as the opening film of 44th Cairo International Film Festival, running from November 13 to 22.

This year’s edition of the historic Egyptian festival will unfold under the direction of a new management team following the departure of former head Mohamed Hefzy in March.

Veteran actor Hussein Fahmy returns as president at the festival, a role he held in the past, while respected Egyptian film programmer Amir Ramses has taken up the baton of artistic director.

This year’s main International Competition features Ahmad Abdalla’s 19B (Egypt), Firas Khoury’s Alam (Palestine), Nicolas’s Giraud’s The Astronaut (France), Pierre Földes’s Blind Willow Sleeping Woman (France), Damian Kocur’s Bread And Salt (Poland), Maksym Nakonechnyi’s Butterfly Vision (Ukraine), Ali Cherri’s The Dam, Ivan Löwenberg’s I Don’t Want To Be Dust (Mexico), Ridha Behi...

Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” will open the 44th edition of the Cairo Film Festival, the Arab world’s venerable cinematic showcase, which takes place Nov. 13 – 22.

The Oscar-winning director’s semi-autobiographical film, which follows the formative years of a young man who discovers movies as a means to help him see the truth about others and himself, earned a standing ovation following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

This year’s event in the Egyptian capital, which takes place as most film festivals and industry events have returned to business as usual after two years of pandemic cancellations and disruptions, nevertheless unfolds against a backdrop of global uncertainty.

Festival president Hussein Fahmy conjured the specter of war in Ukraine as he described a “year of ambitions and challenges” in a statement, posing the questions: “Where do we go from here? How can the festival take new steps, in particular,...

The Egyptian festival runs November 13-22.

The Cairo International Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 44th edition.

Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans will open the festival following its world premiere at Toronto where it picked up the people’s choice award.

Scroll down for full line-up

Ciff’s international competition section contains 14 titles, including five world premieres.

Egyptian director Ahmad Abdalla’s 19B is one of the world premieres competing for the Golden Pyramid for best film. It follows an old guard whose peaceful job of watching over an abandoned villa is threatened when a young park attendant turns up.

Exclusive: Valeria Lamm (The Hole In The Fence) has signed with Sovereign Talent Group under their theatrical division.

Lamm’s breakout role was in the critically acclaimed film The Hole in the Fence (El hoyo en la cerca) in the role of Jordi De La Torre. The 2021 feature, written and directed by Joaquin del Paso, premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival and took home the Best Cinematography award, and was nominated for Best Film. Lamm also made history as the youngest trans-actor to participate in the festival.

The Hole in the Fence recently garnered multiple Ariel Awards nominations including Best Screenplay at the 2022 Ariel Awards which recognizes the best of Mexican cinema by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences. The Amacc is regarded as the most prestigious award in the Mexican film industry and is considered Mexico’s equivalent to the Academy Awards.

“We are very...

by Nathaniel R

The Hole In The Fence

Mexico has chosen their Oscar submission finalist list. We'd do a whole huge post on it but we suspect by the time we did they'd have named their winner and despite divisive reviews thus far we suspect they won't be able to resist sending Iñarritu again. As it stands now they're looking at three films we've already reviewed here at Tfe: Alejandro G Iñarritu's Bardo (False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths), Lorenz Vigas' very dark father/son drama The Box, and Joaquin del Paso's allegorical summer camp drama The Hole in the Fence. The other two they're looking at are the sexual drama Nudo Mixteco by Angeles Cruz and the thriller Presencias by Luis Mandoki. Among those filmmakers Inarritu and Mandoki (Innocent Voices) have represented Mexico before while Vigas's debut film, the gay drama From Afar, was sent to represent Venezuela in its year.

Bianca Lucas’ “Love Dog” has debuted its trailer ahead of its world premiere at Locarno Film Festival in Concorso Cineasti del Presente. Lights On has bought international sales rights.

The film centers on John who – after finishing a job on a Texas oil rig – returns to his home town in Mississippi, where he will confront not only his own repressed trauma, but that of a society grieving dying American myths.

In a statement, Lucas said: “‘Love Dog’ is about the personal and collective process of grief, repression of trauma, and their repercussions in our everyday lives. About the breakdown of a mythicized American identity, and the universal ways in which truth, love and reckoning might break generational cycles of violence and emotional pain. It is about mourning, and learning how to live and love – not just function – in the midst of our ghosts.”

The producers are Lucas and Joaquín del Paso...

“A Perfect Day for Caribou,” which stars “Lean on Pete’s” Charlie Plummer, has debuted its trailer, ahead of its world premiere in Locarno Film Festival’s Concorso Cineasti del Presente.

In Jeff Rutherford’s feature debut, Plummer and Jeb Berrier play an estranged son and father, respectively, who spend the day ambling around a cemetery, wandering the wilderness, searching for family, and “stumbling through disharmony and heartache.”

The film is presented in 4:3 aspect ratio, shot in black and white by DoP Alfonso Herrera Salcedo, who has won several awards for his work, including the 2018 Kodak Cinematography Vision Award, the Golden Tadpole in the Student Competition at Camerimage in 2019 for “Lefty/Righty,” and the Bisato d’Oro for best cinematography at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 for Joaquín del Paso’s “The Hole in the Fence.”

“A Perfect Day for Caribou” tells the story of just one day in the life of Herman,...

Exclusive: The Farewell and Honey Boy producer Kindred Spirit is expanding with the appointment of Sam Intili who joins the company as Head of Creative after departing Animal Kingdom.

Intili will be responsible for “cultivating materials and talent relationships”, with an eye towards strengthening Kindred Spirit’s foothold in the international space. In addition, Caroline Clark has been promoted to Development and Production Executive.

Both roles will report into Kindred Spirit founder Anita Gou as the company gears up on Agnieszka Smoczynska’s English-language debut Silent Twins starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance. The movie is now in post with Focus Features.

At Animal Kingdom, Intili sourced financing and distribution for emerging filmmakers. Exec producer credits include Andrew Cummings’ The Origin and Joaquin del Paso’s The Hole in the Fence. Intili is producing Jane Schoenbrun’s feature I Saw The TV Glow with Fruit Tree, A24, and Sarah Winshall,...

Mexican director Joaquin del Paso’s coming-of-age drama “The Hole in the Fence,” set in an all-male religious camp in rural Mexico, scored the Cairo Film Festival’s top prize, the Golden Pyramid, on Sunday capping a vibrant 43rd edition of the preeminent Arab event, which was held in person despite the impending threat of the coronavirus Omicron variant.

Though there were some last minute cancellations, most international attendees made the trek to Cairo undeterred, including jury president Emir Kusturica, U.S. producer Lawrence Bender and Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux – dubbed the “King of the Croisette” by the master of ceremonies. The latter two were honored with lifetime achievement awards during the glitzy closing ceremony in Cairo’s opera house.

“Hole in the Fence,” which world premiered in Venice, is Del Paso’s second work after “Panamerican Machinery,” which had made a splash after launching from Berlin in 2016. “Hole” explores...

Taking place September 1 through 11, the Venice Film Festival has now unveiled its lineup, after a few teases of what it contains (the opening night selection of Madres Paralelas by Pedro Almodovar and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune). Among the selections are Jane Campion’s The Power of a Dog, Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, Ana Lily Amirpour’s Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, and Edgar Wright’s The Last Night in Soho will premiere there, along with new shorts by Radu Jude and Tsai Ming-liang.

Check out the line below for the festival that will feature 50% capacity at screenings.

Venezia 78 – Competition

Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar

Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour

Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé

The Power Of The Dog,...

The 2021 Cannes Film Festival brought the international film circuit back to life in roaring fashion earlier this month (French filmmaker Julia Ducournau became the second woman director to win the Palme d’Or thanks to Neon release “Titane”), and next up are the trio of major fall film festivals in September: the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival. Venice is first out of the gate by launching its 78th edition Wednesday, September 1. The lineup for Venice 2021 has now been revealed.

As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar will kick off the 2021 Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of his new drama “Parallel Mothers.” The film will debut in competition and vie for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. “Parallel Mothers” is written and directed by Almodóvar, and stars both regular and new collaborators, including Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Julieta Serrano,...

Slate also includes new films from Michel Hazanavicius and Pierre Salvadori.

Wild Bunch International (Wbi) has unveiled one of its biggest Cannes slates to date as it gears up for its first trip to the Croisette in two years.

As well as 10 Cannes selections (as of June 15), it also features upcoming projects from Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne and fellow Cannes laureate Arnaud Desplechin, and the portmanteau work Shining Sex, combining the talents of Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Sion Sono, directorial duo Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani, Bertrand Mandico and Kleber Mendonça Filho.

Now in pre-production, the Dardenne’sTori...

Filmmakers to attend Tfi Network during Tribeca Film Festival.

Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) announced on Thursday (21) the selection of 14 scripted and documentary projects for the 16th annual Tribeca All Access (Taa) programme designed to champion under-represented voices.

Taa provides financial support in the form of grants and a range of mentorship for storytellers who “create groundbreaking projects that bring marginalized voices with vital stories to tell, to a mainstream audience.”

The next step for the selected filmmakers will be the Tfi Network, the filmmaker / industry market that takes place during the Tribeca Film Festival and provides an opportunity to meet experts including distributors,...

Los Cabos, Mexico — Adding to its burgeoning best picture trophies, “Genesis,” the consecration of Quebec’s Philippe Lesage, won Los Cabos Competition Award Saturday night.

“Genesis” scored at a busy Los Cabos Intl. Film Festival, given star gravitas by Spike Lee, Adam Driver and Terry Gilliam and whose hard-driving industry news flow, especially from the robust young Mexican industry belied Los Cabos initial positioning as a post-afm chill out.

Following on Lesage’s debut, “The Demons,” “Genesis” marks “Another rewardingly complex reflection on the emotional trials of youth,” Variety announced in its Locarno review. Superbly acted by Théodore Pellerin and Noe Abita, the chronicle of an ebullient brother and sister’s suffering from machista disdain and aggression was always a frontrunner at Los Cabos.

Otherwise, the other big competition winner – and doing its foreign-language Oscar nomination credentials no harm at all – was Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra’s Colombian thriller...

Latin American cinema is having a moment.

With the rise of highly acclaimed auteurs like Pablo Larrain, the last handful of years has seen a steady increase in awareness amongst the cinephile set with regards to the cinema of Latin America. However, 2017 looks to be a coming out party of sorts for a film scene that’s routinely given cinema some of the most rewarding and exciting pieces of work.’

As Anthology Film Archives continue their premiere series with collaborator and boutique distributor Cinema Tropical, that brand is teaming up with yet another film collective for the second installment of the Neighboring Scenes film series.

Starting Thursday and running through January 31, Neighboring Scenes sees Cinema Tropical team with The Film Society Of Lincoln Center to bring some of the best films from Paraguay, Peru, The Dominican Republic, Chile, Mexico and various other countries to the big screen. Many seeing their...

The Shepherd Photo: Courtesy of Raindance Film Festival Spanish/UK co-production The Shepherd was the big winner as London's Raindance Film Festival announced its awards, taking home three honours.

Jonathan Cenzual Burley was also named Best Director for the film which follows a farmer whose home and livelihood are threatened by a big construction company that will stop at nothing to take his land. Star Miguel Martin was named Best Actor.

Best Screenplay was awarded to Joaquin del Paso and Lucy Pawlak for Panamerican Machinery, a film about a group of employees who discover their dead boss in the back of their office warehouse.

Camila Romagnolo received the Best Actress honour for her role in Hortensia, about a woman whose life takes a turn for the worst, but who is reinvigorated by the discovery of a letter written by herself as a teenager.

Miranda Bowen’s Gozo was awarded Best UK Feature.

Jury including Joanna Lumley and Olivia Colman crowned The Shepherd as Best Film.

Jonathan Cenzual Burley’s drama The Shepherd has won three awards at the 24th Raindance Film Festival in London, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Miguel Martin, who plays a man taking on a ruthless construction company who want to take his land.

The 24-strong jury, which included actors Joanna Lumley, Olivia Colman and Jodie Whittaker alongside critics such as Screen’s Fionnuala Halligan and industry figures like Maria Rukasanov, Vr lead at Samsung Mobile, selected the winners from the 108 features and 85 shorts screened across the event.

Elsewhere, Best Screenplay went to Joaquin del Paso and Lucy Pawlak for Panamerican Machinery, a thriller in which a group of employees discover their dead boss in the back of a warehouse.

Camila Romagnolo was awarded Best Actress for her role in Hortensia, in which she plays a struggling woman who discovers a letter...

Jury including Joanna Lumley and Olivia Colman crowned The Shepherd as Best Film.

Jonathan Cenzual Burley’s drama The Shepherd has won three awards at the 24th Raindance Film Festival in London, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Miguel Martin, who plays a man taking on a ruthless construction company who want to take his land.

The 24-strong jury, which included actors Joanna Lumley, Olivia Colman and Jodie Whittaker alongside critics such as Screen’s Fionnuala Halligan and industry figures like Maria Rukasanov, Vr lead at Samsung Mobile, selected the winners from the 108 features and 85 shorts screened across the event.

Elsewhere, Best Screenplay went to Joaquin del Paso and Lucy Pawlak for Panamerican Machinery, a thriller in which a group of employees discover their dead boss in the back of a warehouse.

Camila Romagnolo was awarded Best Actress for her role in Hortensia, in which she plays a struggling woman who discovers a letter...

Exclusive: Raindance chief picks five films to look out for at the forthcoming festival.Scroll down for picks

Raindance founder Elliot Grove has selected his five must-see films of this year’s edition (Sept 21 - Oct 2), which was unveiled yesterday.

Grove told Screen about this year’s selection: “This year, we received a record-breaking number of submissions from 98 countries. This has given our programmers the heart-breaking job of deciding which of the many films submitted should be shown. This has become a huge responsibility. Programmers know that a Raindance screening is a launch pad to Europe and America.

“The Raindance mission is to discover new talent from wherever it comes – and it does arrive from the most unexpected quarters. We also look for deeply passionate and personal stories told in an entertaining manner. We favour extreme topics told in extreme ways – the types of films that don’t get made inside the industry system. And of course...

This year’s festival will include an inaugural virtual reality strand and a co-production forum focused on UK-Ibero-American relations.Scroll down for line-up

The 24th Raindance Film Festival has revealed its line-up, with 90 feature films set to be screened in London September 21 – October 2.

This year’s jury will be comprised of Stephen Fry (V For Vendetta), Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies), Jack Davenport (Pirates Of The Caribbean), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy) and American artist David Datuna.

They will preside over awards for a competition line-up that features the international premiere of Stephen Elliott’s After Adderall, a semi-autobiographical story about the production of the film adaptation of Elliott’s memoirs. Receiving its European premiere will be Japanese director Yoshiyuki Kishi’s A Double Life, about a young woman who is assigned to follow a stranger.

Among the seven UK premieres playing in competition are Indian drama [link=tt...

Exclusive: First Arabic-language Golden Bear contender since 2005 finds French buyer.

New Paris-based sales company Luxbox Films has sold French rights to Mohamed Ben Attia’s Golden Bear contender Hedi to Bac Films Distribution.

The first Arabic-language film to compete at the Berlinale since Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now in 2005, it revolves around a young man, under the thumb of an authoritarian mother, who falls for a free-spirited young girl on the eve of his arranged marriage.

“We are delighted to be working with Luxbox on this tender and powerful film. It is an art-house movie with mainstream appeal, thanks to its modernism and subtle way of describing Tunisian’s society through the journey of one sweet and moving character,” said Mathieu Robinet, general manager of Paris-based Bac.

Dora Bouchoucha of Tunis-based Nomadis Images produced the film with Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes’s Les Films du Fleuve on board as a co-producer.

“We’re very...

Exclusive: New company to make first official market outing at Efm.

New Paris-based sales and co-production company Luxbox has acquired world rights to Hedi and Maquinaria Panamericana ahead of their premieres at the Berlinale.

Tunisian director and scriptwriter Mohamed Ben Attia’s Hedi is the first Arab-language film to play in competition at the Berlinale since Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now in 2005.

It follows an unassuming, young man who is controlled by an authoritarian mother. On the eve of his arranged marriage to a local girl chosen by his mother, he meets an adventurous, free-spirited young girl who changes his view of life.

Dora Bouchoucha of Tunis-based Nomadis Images — who has strong ties with the European film industry through her work with France’s National Cinema Centre (Cnc) and Rotterdam’s CineMart — produced the film with the Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes’s Les Films du Fleuve on board as a co-producer.

“Hedi means ‘calm...

Lukasz Palkowski’s Gods was the big winner at this year’s annual showcase of Polish cinema at the Gdynia Film Festival which ended with a gala awards ceremony at the weekend.

Gods (Bogowie), based on the life of Zbigniew Religa who performed the first successful heart transplant in Poland in the 1980s, received the Grand Prix Golden Lions for best film as well as individual awards in the categories of screenplay, make-up, production design and actor in a leading role for Tomasz Kot.

In addition, Gods received the award of the Polish Film Festivals and Reviews Abroad as well as the Journalists’ Award, Elle magazine’s Star of the Stars award for lead actor Kot and Radio Gdansk’s Golden Claquer Award for the longest applauded film at a screening in the Musical Theatre for the Main Competition.

Palkowski made his feature directorial debut in 2007 with Reserve, which won three prize at the festival in Gdynia...