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SCREENINGS
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INTERNATIONAL AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION INVESTMENT PROJECT Up to 3 million USD per year for audiovisual production investment Qualifications -A film/television series co-financed or co-produced by a Taiwanese company and a foreign company -The film or television series should feature “Taipei City� people, events, history, places or things or have Taipei as the filming base, or at least 25% of all scenes of the Film/Series are shot in Taipei -The production hires talents locally from Taipei City during filming/production -The film shall be no less than 75 minutes in length -The total length of the television series shall be no less than 300 minutes -The product shall be completed and released within three years upon signing of the contract
WHY TAIPEI > A City with a Multicultural Heritage > Creative Talents > Flexibility of Crews > Great Locations
> Efficient Cost > Hospitality > Amazing Street Food > Easy Transportation System
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Rivkin, Prewitt size up global marketplace Pierre Morel
Voltage dives for Alphas Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale versus sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Aliens Of The Deep co-director Steven Quale. French genre ace Pierre Morel is on board to produce. Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller, which is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks. The locals decide the only way to deal with the threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in solitary confinement after it killed its trainer. Quale, James Cameron’s longtime second-unit director who worked on Avatar and Titanic and whose directing credits include Final Destination 5 and Into The Storm, will direct Alphas from a screenplay by Frank Hannah (The Cooler). Voltage CEO Nicolas Chartier is producing for Voltage Pictures with Morel, who directed Taken and the current US release Peppermint starring Jennifer Garner, and Sentient Entertainment’s Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Voltage Pictures COO and president Jonathan Deckter will serve as executive producer. “Alphas typifies the kind of highly commercial yet sophisticated films that attract buyers to the Voltage slate,” said Chartier. “Steven Quale has a formidable track record. We’re thrilled to be working with him and our producing partners Pierre and the Sentient team.” Voltage is fielding sustained interest at AFM in its Jessica Chastain action thriller Eve. Jeremy Kay
BY TOM GRATER
At AFM’s Global Perspective conference on Friday, Jean M Prewitt, president and CEO of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), urged the indie film industry to stay vigilant in the face of ongoing change in the market. Asked what her message for 2019 would be, Prewitt said: “Hold your breath; change is coming so rapidly. Everyone has to buckle down and stay as flexible and courageous as we can.” Joining Prewitt was Charles H Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), who predicted that further market consolidation in the form of mega-mergers such as the Disney/Fox deal would have
a big impact, adding that “overall it will be positive” for the industry. Rivkin pointed to planned OTT services from Disney and Time Warner and HBO owner AT&T as a likely boon for the business next year and beyond. “From my standpoint, it’s more opportunities, more slots, more programming, more creativity,” he said. Prewitt was more cautious in her optimism about new platforms, suggesting consolidation could squeeze independent content creators. “People who build pipelines and networks want to control risk. Their risk-control mechanism is to try to own content,” she said. “That does not bode particularly well for people outside their system. We have concerns about that consoli-
dation, and whether there will really be slots for people who are working outside the system, as most of our members do.” Another key trend for 2019 will be the ongoing battle against piracy. “You’re going to see a dramatically bigger alliance to fight piracy around the world,” said Rivkin, noting heightened activity from ACE, the global alliance formed by the MPAA with 30 leading content creators including streamers Netflix and Amazon. Prewitt suggested that, while some platforms have practised responsible behaviour to combat copyright infringement, others have not done that despite making vast profits. “We need to force them to take more responsibility,” she said.
MPAA’s Charles H Rivkin and IFTA’s Jean M Prewitt in conversation at Friday’s Global Perspective conference
TODAY
Indonesia focus, page 10
NEWS India romance Radiant Films boards Roland Joffé’s Darjeeling-set epic » Page 4
Scare pair Genre specialist Devilworks inks pair of US deals » Page 6
FEATURE Out of the shadows Is Indonesia the world’s next big growth story? » Page 10
SCREENINGS
» Page 18
Storyboard sells Heilstatten BY JEREMY KAY
Santa Monica-based Storyboard Media has finalised a US deal with Well Go USA on this year’s German found-footage box-office hit Heilstatten. The distributor plans a first-quarter 2019 release on the film from Berlin-based genre production outfit Schmerbeck Entertainment and co-producer 20th Century Fox. It grossed around $1.2m at home, a solid amount for a genre (horror) that is fast-rising in Germany. Heilstatten follows a group of YouTubers who break into an abandoned asylum as part of a 24-hour challenge. Equipped with night-vision and thermal cameras, the plan is to shoot a viral video on the premises, which are rumoured to contain paranormal entities. “We are thrilled to close this new deal with Storyboard Media,” said Well Go USA executive vice president Tony Vandeveerdonk. “Heilstatten is an exciting new horror film and we look forward to bringing it to North American audiences next year.”
Buyers must match material to right platforms Buyers need to juggle the right material that suits theatrical and digital platforms in a fast-changing landscape, a panel heard at Friday’s Global Perspective conference. Paramount’s worldwide acquisitions chief Syrinthia Studer
highlighted the theatrical success of her AFM 2017 pick-up Book Club, while noting OTT platforms afforded filmmakers broader exposure. “We work a lot with OTT platforms,” Sasha Bühler, head of acquisitions at Germany’s
Constantin Film, told the ‘From the Frontlines, The Buyer Perspective’ session. Until windows contract “in a couple of years”, there continued to be opportunities to release in different ways. Jeremy Kay
Heilstatten
NEWS
Hamilton rises at Protagonist
Parkland goes Public
BY TOM GRATER
BY GEOFFREY MACNAB
London-based sales outfit Protagonist Pictures has upped George Hamilton to head of sales. As part of his remit, Hamilton will become an integral part of the company’s work with producers to help structure and find finance for projects. He will continue to report to Vanessa Saal, managing director, sales and distribution. Hamilton joined Protagonist in 2013, rising to the role of international sales director. “We’re thrilled to recognise George’s hard work and achievements through this very well-deserved promotion,” said Saal. Hamilton added: “As we continue to grow, I could not imagine a better group of people to work alongside.” Protagonist’s AFM slate includes Monday, starring Sebastian Stan, and The Education Of Fredrick Fitzell, starring Dylan O’Brien and Maika Monroe. Both films are in production. Upcoming productions include The Cradle starring Jack O’Connell.
New distribution outfit Parkland Entertainment — which announced its UK pick-up of Trautmann at the start of the week — has acquired Emilio Estevez’s The Public for the UK. The film, which is being sold at AFM by the Capstone Group, has an ensemble cast that includes Estevez, Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Taylor Schilling, Christian Slater, Michael K Williams and Jeffrey Wright. The deal was negotiated by Tom Stewart, acquisitions director of Parkland Entertainment, and
The Public
Pia Patatian, vice president, sales at Capstone Group. In The Public, which premiered at Toronto, a sit-in by patrons at a public library escalates into a police standoff and a media sideshow. Estevez’s drama explores
CineTel snags Acceleration
issues surrounding homelessness, mental health and community. Estevez’s previous directing credits include Bobby (2006) and The Way (2010). Parkland Entertainment, the new UK distribution arm of Parkland Pictures, aims to release six to eight films a year. “We’re thrilled to be working with Emilio on this wonderful project and to be collaborating with the team at Capstone. It’s a remarkable film that I’m sure will delight our audiences in the UK and Ireland,” said Stewart.
Los Angeles-based CineTel Films has acquired worldwide rights to the action feature Acceleration to star Dolph Lundgren and Natalie Burn. Lundgren will play a crime lord who is betrayed by someone close to him and kidnaps her son in revenge, only to discover the boy may be his. Michael Merino directs from his screenplay. CineTel principal Paul Hertzberg described the film as “an extraordinarily compelling action film”. Jeremy Kay
Radiant surrenders to Joffé’s Indian romance BY JEREMY KAY
Radiant Films International has boarded The Mission director Roland Joffé’s upcoming India-set romantic epic Sweet Surrender. Mimi Steinbauer represents international rights on the love story set in the Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling as a man
raised by Catholic priests embarks on an affair that forces him to question his faith and traditional beliefs. Andy Khaitan will produce for Opus Cinema, a subsidiary of Mridula Productions that is based in Los Angeles and London. Joffé joins him on the producer roster
alongside Susie Landau Finch and Guy J Louthan. “Sweet Surrender is filled with big emotion, beautiful settings, thrilling intrigue and a moving romance,” said Steinbauer. “It is exactly the type of grand epic that makes for a fantastic theatregoing experience, and Radiant is
delighted to introduce this project to the market.” Steinbauer brokered the deal with Elsa Ramo of Ramo Law on behalf of Mridula Productions. Craig Baumgarten of Zero Gravity Management represented Joffé in his deal with Opus Cinema.
EXECUTIVE FOCUS DAVID BOGI, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION, RAI COM Will you be looking to work on titles that Rai is not producing or co-producing?
The success of Matteo Garrone’s Dogman, which has sold to 60 territories around the world, has validated a strategy Italian sales company Rai Com started pursuing two years ago: boarding projects at the earliest stages of production rather than waiting until they are completed. David Bogi, who leads the international sales arm of Italian broadcaster Rai, has been instrumental in driving that strategy for the company and discusses what’s next for Rai Com.
Our priority now is to be wherever Rai already is. Dealing with other titles is phase two and we will need a good positioning for that, otherwise it’s difficult to be effective. I would like to aim for highprofile independent international films, and sometimes take a shot at a big one. The approach will be the same: being there right at the beginning. The days when sales companies enter a project after it is completed are over.
What’s the strategy behind Rai Com’s new ambitions? We planned and executed a new workflow in collaboration with both Rai Cinema and Rai Fiction, without which it wouldn’t be possible. The idea is to systematically enter talks with all the productions in which Rai is involved at very early stages, offering a minimum guarantee for sales rights when necessary. In these cases, we ask for a first and last look to be able to make our bid.
What is the aim of this strategy? To renew our library. We want to be everywhere Rai is present, with big auteurs like Gabriele Salvatores with
4 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
Rai Com is the only Italian sales company that works across film, TV and documentaries. Is this a burden or an advantage?
Volare or Gabriele Mainetti with Freaks Out [for which Rai Com has sales rights in all territories except China, Spain and Latin America], and with interesting newcomers like Letizia Lamartire with [Venice Critics’ Week premiere] We’ll Be Young And Beautiful.
It’s both. We can approach clients that play in all of these markets with a broad library, but this positioning demands a lot of effort from the team.
How can Rai Com compete with the major international sales companies? With a good budget and good relationships with some key territories. The movies you can sell in the great
‘The days when sales companies enter a project after it is completed are over’ David Bogi
territories are also the ones everybody else wants.
Rai Com has a strong presence in several territories. Where do you need to improve? The English-speaking ones, mainly because of the dubbing problem. But we’ve recently evaluated some new dubbing techniques that could work. That’s a big challenge. And, of course, there’s China. Their formats are very different from ours. For TV shows they ask for, like, 78 episodes per season, and their instruction phase is very long and industrious, while the execution one is very quick and effective, while for us it’s the opposite. But this also is changing. Gabriele Niola
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NEWS
Highland takes to Skylines
BY TOM GRATER
Genre specialist sales agent Devilworks has inked key North American deals on two of the titles on its slate: supernatural horror The Axiom and psychological thriller Restraint. On The Axiom, Vertical Entertainment has taken rights for North America. Directed and written by Nicholas Wood, the film tells the story of a young woman who travels into a forest with her friends in search of her missing sister. They soon discover a terrifying multi-dimensional world of monsters. The cast includes William Kircher and Nicole Dambro. Max Landwirth produced; Alex Gans co-produced and edited the film. Phoenix Down Films executive produced. The film recently played at
The Axiom
Sitges Film Festival in Spain following screenings at Bifan in Korea and Hard:Line in Germany. It also picked up the award for best horror science-fiction film at Feratum Film Festival in Mexico. Elsewhere, Breaking Glass Pictures has struck a deal with
SUMMERSIDE INTERNATIONAL
Highland Film Group has bolstered its AFM slate with international rights to Skylines, the third entry in the Skyline sci-fi franchise that puts the focus on returning cast member and rising Latina star Lindsey Morgan. XYZ Films represents North American and Chinese rights and also serves as executive producer. Skylines centres on Captain Rose Corley, a human with extraterrestrial superpowers. When a virus threatens to turn Earth-dwelling friendly alien hybrids against humans, Corley assembles a team for a mission to the alien world to save the day. Skyline and Beyond Skyline screenwriter Liam O’Donnell returns to writing duties, and Matthew Chausse and O’Donnell will produce alongside franchise creators the Strause brothers. Jeremy Kay
Devilworks doubles down in North America
LOEWS SUITE 617/619
Info: f.manno@summerside-international.com 6 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
Devilworks for North American rights to Restraint. Directed and written by Adam Cushman, the film stars Dana Ashbrook in the tale of a mentally unstable young woman who, having submerged her violent impulses for years, moves in with her new husband and his daughter. When she becomes unexpectedly pregnant, her demons emerge and as she loses control, the family is threatened by her sudden plunge into darkness. Caitlyn Folley and Isabella Celaya also star. Cushman produced alongside Jake Borowski and Julia Taft. Executive producers were Amelia Yokel and CV Herst. The deal with Breaking Glass was negotiated by Galen Christy of High Octane Pictures on behalf of Devilworks.
Moviehouse to tap into music BY TOM GRATER
UK sales and production outfit Moviehouse Entertainment is diversifying its operations with the launch of a distribution arm that will specialise in releasing music documentaries. Moviehouse Music Distribution will work across theatrical, DVD releases and additional merchandise. The first title will be Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me, the story of the R‘n’B singer. The Storyvault Films production is directed by Olivia Lichtenstein. The launch of the new wing by Moviehouse follows the company’s self-release of music doc Here To Be Heard: The Story Of The Slits, which it put into 30 UK cinemas this year. Moviehouse is also now producing a feature documentary, as well as a narrative feature film, about rockers The Small Faces, and is on the lookout for more music docs at AFM.
FAREWELL ELLA BELLA
THE GUEST ALEPPO ISTANBUL
LOVE BY CHANCE
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China’s Rediance picks up Queer Lion winner BY LIZ SHACKLETON
HKTDC celebrates new talent Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) presented a panel on Thursday in the AFM Studio on funding and the new wave of talent in the local industry. The panellists (pictured from left) were Hong Kong filmmaker Jonathan Li and Tim Kwok of the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum. HKTDC’s Los Angeles director Chris Lo moderated.
Altitude takes A Private War to UK spondent Marie Colvin, which Matthew Heineman’s A Private premiered at Toronto. Aviron PicWar has been picked up for the UK tures held UK rights and is distriband Ireland by Altitude Film Dis- uting in the US, opening it in New tribution. Rosamund Pike and York and Los Angeles this week. Jamie Dornan star in the film Altitude will release in the UK and based on the life of war corre- Ireland in February. ScreenDaily - Half Page 218x150 AFM 2018.qxp_Layout 1 12/10/18 BY TOM GRATER
Beijing-based sales outfit Rediance has picked up international rights to documentary Kabul, City In The Wind, directed by Afghan filmmaker Aboozar Amini. The film, which marks Rediance’s first documentary acquisition, will receive its world premiere as the opening film of this year’s International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (November
14-25). Produced by Jia Zhao, a Chinese, Netherlands-based producer, the film follows a bus driver and two brothers through the war-torn streets of Kabul. Rediance will also handle festival sales on Chinese filmmaker Li Cheng’s Josè, a US-Guatemalan production, which won the Queer Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Produced by Li and George F Roberson, the film
follows a 19-year-old living with his mother in Guatemala City as he embarks on an unexpected relationship in a culture defined by strict religious beliefs and macho attitudes. “We will continue working with local filmmakers to bring the finest arthouse Chinese films to the international market,” said Rediance co-founder and CEO Meng Xie.
Fortitude listens out for Boomers BY JEREMY KAY
Los Angeles-based Fortitude International has introduced buyers here to the upcoming drama Echo Boomers to star Nick Robinson (Jurassic World), Michael 13:58 Pagina 1
Shannon, Britt Robertson and Alex Pettyfer. Production is to begin in January on the story of a group of twenty-somethings who break into the homes of the rich. CAA
Media Finance represents US rights. Writer Seth Savoy will make his feature directorial debut. Byron Wetzel, Sean Kaplan, Mike Ware, Jeff Waxman and James Langer are attached to produce.
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Diabolical Dealings
Contact info@devilworks.eu devilworksales Matteo Rolleri Director - Sales & Marketing matteo@devilworks.eu Samantha Richardson President - Sales & Acquisition samantha@devilworks.eu
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November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 7
AFM IN PICTURES PRODUCERS’ RECEPTION
Producers laud a locations bonanza Where When Who Why
Annenberg Community Beach House, Santa Monica November 1, 2018 Panama Film Commission, St Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission and Screen International AFM networking event to promote Panama and St Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commissions
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Essie Mastellari Panama Film Commission
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Julia Verdin Rough Diamond Productions Jonathan Heap director and producer
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Diane Shorthouse, Royd Tolkien, John Adams Evolutionary Films
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Denis Krupnov, Anna Krupnova Reason8 Steve Davey 101 Films Charlie Bloye UK Film Export Tim Grohne Carnaby International
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Alexa Jago Genesis Media Capital Andrew St Clair James actor
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Adrian Carr
GUEST LIST
IN FOCUS INDONESIA
W
ith its huge population of 260 million, a large proportion of which is young and social-media savvy, Indonesia has long threatened to become one of Asia’s biggest film markets. But it’s only in the past few years the territory has started to show signs of real growth. Although s t i l l w o e f u l l y u n d e rscreened, the market has seen the number more than double since 2012 to reach 1,638 screens by mid-2018. As a result, box office is The world’s 15th biggest box office finally starting to take has seen rising screen count and off, reaching $345m in festival success — and investors 2017, making Indonesia the world’s 15th bigare taking note. Is Indonesia the gest market outside world’s next big growth story? North America, according to figures from the Motion Liz Shackleton reports Picture Association. While the US studios are seeing bigger returns — Avengers: Infinity War grossed more than $25m earlier this year and The Nun opened on $7m — local production is also booming. Falcon Pictures’ romantic drama Dilan 1990 grossed an estimated $16.6m this January, while Joko Anwar’s horror Satan’s Slaves, co-produced by Rapi Films and South Korea’s CJ E&M, took around $11m last year. Indonesian arthouse films are also appearing regularly on the festival circuit with Garin Nugroho’s Memories Of My Body premiering at this year’s Venice Film Festival, following the success of Mouly Surya’s Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts and Kamila Andini’s The Seen And Unseen, which premiered at Cannes The changes prompted Korean exhibacquired a minority stake in Cinemaxx, Directors’ Fortnight and Toronto respecitor CJ CGV, already present in the marwhich should help it to achieve its goals. tively last year. ket through a joint venture, to start “We plan to spread out to a lot of As in other emerging markets, the expanding rapidly, competing with a virgin cities and locations, which are still growth in box office is starting to attract monopoly previously held by Indoneunderserved,” says Cinemaxx CEO Germore investors to the industry. “Comsia’s Cinema 21 Group. CJ CGV currently ald Dibbayawan. “Right now, Indonepared to five or six years ago, it’s much has 47 sites with 300 screens in Indonesia’s screen-to-population ratio for the easier to get projects off the ground and sia and will soon be followed by rival major cities and regions is still facing a budgets are increasing,” says Indonesian Korean exhibitor Lotte Cinema, big gap, which means many Indoneproducer and Base Entertainment cowhich is expected to open its sians can’t enjoy the cinemafounder Shanty Harmayn. “There are first site in Jakarta before the going experience. It could take more cinemas for the rising middle class end of the year. them hours to travel to the and more demand for content from the Local conglomerate nearest cinema.” growing numbers of OTT platforms in Lippo Group is also Meanwhile, finance is flowIndonesia.” expanding rapidly through ing into local production its Cinemaxx brand, which through local and internaScreen expansion has 45 locations with 226 tional film studios, broadKickstarting growth was a regulatory screens and is aiming to casters, OTT platforms shake-up in 2016, instigated by Indonequadruple that number and Indonesia’s rapidly sia’s business-friendly president Joko to 1,000 screens within growing technology Widodo, which removed the film indusfive years. Last month, sector. “Around 50 local try from the country’s so-called “negaMexican exhibition movies were released tive list” preventing foreign investment. giant Cinepolis in the first quarter of Foreign investors can now hold 100% announced it had 2018, compared to 18 stakes in companies involved in producin the first quarter of (Right) 20 Forever tion, distribution and exhibition. 2017,” says Dibbayawan.
Out of the
SHADOWS
10 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
‘There are more cinemas for the rising middle class and more demand for content from OTT platforms’ Shanty Harmayn, Base Entertainment
“Their gross box office was up by 170% compared to the previous year.” Local productions enjoy a 30% market share, with action films, comedies and romances, sometimes with Islamic themes, driving admissions. However, arthouse films are also starting to gain access to cinemas — last year Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts scored a respectable 150,000 admissions. Not surprisingly, international studios have started to take notice. While Korea’s
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Satan’s Slaves
INDONESIA HOT PROJECTS
Dreadout: Tower Of Hell Dir Kimo Stamboel Stamboel, one half of hot Indonesian filmmaking duo the Mo Brothers (Headshot) is directing this teen zombie horror, based on a hit online videogame. Co-produced by South Korea’s CJ E&M and Stamboel’s production outfit goodhous.id, the film is scheduled for release in January. Contact Emico Kawai, Nikkatsu Corp kawai@nikkatsu.co.jp
Dreadout: Tower Of Hell
Gundala Dir Joko Anwar One of the biggest projects to date from leading Indonesian filmmaker Anwar (Satan’s Slaves), Gundala is an action film based on a much-loved Indonesian superhero character, featured in a series of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. Produced by Indonesia’s Screenplay Productions, Legacy Pictures and Bumilangit Studio, the film is in production for release in summer 2019. Contact Wicky Olindo, Screenplay Productions wicky@screenplayproductions.com
Impetigore Dir Joko Anwar
CJ E&M has been producing Indonesian-language films since 2014, this year has seen both 20th Century Fox and Ivanhoe Pictures enter the fray. Fox released its first Indonesian-language production, action film Wiro Sableng: 212 Warrior, in late August, while Ivanhoe recently announced a deal to co-produce three films directed by Anwar with CJ and Indonesian production houses Base Entertainment and Rapi Films. Based on the 212 Warrior series of martial-arts fantasy novels, Wiro Sableng has racked up more than 1.55 million admissions in its home market and will also be rolled out by Fox in Singapore and Malaysia. “We were drawn to Wiro given the depth of the underlying IP and the possibility of creating a franchise versus a oneoff film,” says Kurt Rieder, Fox’s executive vice president of theatrical, Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, CJ has already produced five Indonesian-language films, including Satan’s Slaves, Ifa Isfansyah’s Cado Cado: Doctor 101 and 20 Forever, a remake of Korean comedy hit Miss Granny. The »
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Scheduled to start shooting in February, Impetigore is the first title in a slate of three films to be directed by Anwar and produced by Ivanhoe Pictures, Korea’s CJ E&M and Indonesia’s Base Entertainment and Rapi Films. The story follows a girl who returns to her home village after being told she may inherit a fortune only to find the entire village is trying to kill her in order to lift a curse. Contact Yoonhee Choi, CJ E&M yoonhee.choi@cj.net
A Man Called Ahok
Memories Of My Body
Memories Of My Body
Science Of Fictions
Dir Garin Nugroho
Dir Yosep Anggi Noen
Directed by Indonesian master Nugroho, Memories Of My Body follows a dancer in Indonesia’s sensual and overtly feminine Lengger tradition from his teens to his late twenties. The film, currently on the festival circuit after premiering at Venice, is produced by Ifa Isfansyah’s Fourcolors Films, which also produced Kamila Andini’s The Seen And Unseen and Eddie Cahyono’s Siti.
Noen (Solo, Solitude) is directing this 1960s-set story about a mute man who witnesses a fake moon landing and attempts to alert his fellow villagers to the deception, although they assume he is insane. Currently in post-production, the film is produced by Indonesia’s Angka Fortuna Sinema, France’s Andolfi Production and Malaysia’s Astro Shaw.
Contact Isabelle Glachant, Asian Shadows chineseshadows@ gmail.com
Contact Edwin Nazir, Angka Fortuna Sinema edwin@angkasinema.com
Wiro Sableng: 212 Warrior
A Road With No End
Dir Angga Dwimas Sasongko
Dir Mouly Surya
Tuta, whose credits include 2011 hit Catatan Harian Si Boy, has written and directed this biopic of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (nicknamed Ahok), an Indonesian politician of Chinese Christian heritage, who fought against corruption but is currently in prison for allegedly insulting Islam. The film is scheduled for release in Indonesia on November 8.
Following her Cannes 2017 Directors’ Fortnight title Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts, Surya is directing an adaptation of Mochtar Lubis’s novel A Road With No End, about a teacher who joins a guerilla movement following Indonesian independence in the mid-1940s. Scripted by Surya and her Marlina co-writer Rama Adi, the film will be produced by Cinesurya with backing from Go Studios.
Co-produced by 20th Century Fox and Sheila Timothy’s LifeLike Pictures, Wiro Sableng is based on the 212 Warrior series of martial-arts fantasy novels written by Bastian Tito, whose son Vino G Bastian heads the cast. Following its summer 2018 release in Indonesia, the film will go out through Fox in Singapore and Malaysia, while Fox consultant Michael J Werner is handling sales in the rest of the world.
Contact Emir Hakim, The United Team of Art emir@studioe.co
Contact Fauzan Zidni, Cinesurya fauzan@cinesurya.com
Contact Michael J Werner mjwhkconsulting@gmail.com
Dir Putrama Tuta
November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 11
IN FOCUS INDONESIA
‘It’s one of our more profitable territories. We’ve held the line on our ad budget as the market grows’ Kurt Rieder, 20th Century Fox
Korean giant is also working on zombie horror Dreadout: Tower Of Hell, directed by Kimo Stamboel, and a remake of hit Korean comedy drama Sunny. “Dynamic changes in the Indonesian economy and society looked attractive to us — we felt we could leverage our experiences in Korea to penetrate this market,” says Jerry Ko, head of CJ E&M’s International Division. “Also, the modest average budget [around $1m per film] means we can expand our creative and business know-how with considerably low risk. Our goal is to collaborate with local talents and production houses to introduce high-quality local content to the market, which in turn will successfully expand our business in Southeast Asia.” Digital dreams As in mainland China, Indonesia’s film industry is also seeing an influx of investment from tech companies. Among the most aggressive is Go-Jek, Indonesia’s leading platform for everything from ride-hailing and food delivery to digital payments, which is investing in production through new subsidiary Go Studios and planning to launch an SVoD service Go Play early next year. Launched in April, Go Studios has already invested in several Indonesian films, including Memories Of My Body and Mouly Surya’s upcoming A Road With No End, and is also partnering with Vice Media on a slate of features and documentaries. Go Play is aggressively acquiring local content and has already snapped up online rights to Wiro Sableng. In addition, Indonesian media and telecoms giant Emtek is increasing investment in film through its Screenplay Productions banner, with a slate including Timo Tjahjanto’s The Night Comes For Us, which was recently acquired by Netflix, and Anwar’s upcoming superhero movie Gundala. At the same time, regional streaming platforms such as HOOQ, Iflix and Viu are all investing in Indonesian film and TV content as they jostle for market share. Indonesian films are also starting to make inroads into overseas markets. International buyers have long been
The Night Comes For Us
Wiro Sableng: 212 Warrior
‘Our goal is to collaborate with local talents to introduce high-quality local content to the market’ Jerry Ko, CJ E&M
familiar with the country’s action films — starting with global hits such as The Raid, Headshot and Killers — but horror and arthouse titles are also starting to travel. CJ sold Satan’s Slaves to more than 20 territories, around half of which gave the film a theatrical release. Handled internationally by Asian Shadows, Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts, has been sold to 40 territories and had theatrical releases in the US, Canada and the UK.
12 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
Asian Shadows founder Isabelle Glachant explains while buyers tend to track filmmakers rather than territories, they are slowly becoming more familiar with Indonesian cinema. “Marlina didn’t sell because it was Indonesian — it was the Cannes selection and the combination of being a western and having a feminist theme,” says Glachant. “But since the success of this title, we’ve found there’s definitely more interest in Indonesian films.” Looking at the market in terms of imports rather than exports, Indonesia still has restrictions that could hinder expansion as Cinema 21 Group effectively monopolises the distribution of foreign films. The independent titles it acquires are usually only released in its own cinemas and are not offered to rival exhibitors. Likewise, although CJ CGV and Cinemaxx both buy foreign indie titles, they are not usually given access to Cinema 21 theatres, which still have a more than 80% market share.
The lack of competition — a hangover from the Suharto era when many Indonesian industries were monopolised by the former president’s family — is a bigger issue for international sellers than censorship or quotas for local films. Although Indonesia is a majority Muslim country, censorship is regarded as less strict than in neighbouring Malaysia, and while the country does have some provisions to protect local movies, they are rarely enforced. However, it’s unlikely Cinema 21 can hold on to its monopoly forever with both CJ CGV and Cinemaxx expanding their screen count and starting to offer a real alternative for foreign films. Cinema 21 Group is also the sole importer for Hollywood movies, through its PT Omega Film affiliate, although the US studios seem happier with this arrangement, as their titles are fairly distributed to all the country’s cinema chains. “It’s one of our more profitable territories, because we don’t have huge overheads and we’ve held the line on our ad budget as the market grows,” Fox’s Rieder explains. And with the Indonesian government looking to the creative industries to expand the country’s economy, the studios expect this growth to continue, whatever happens in next year’s general election. “There’s no reason why Indonesia can’t become a 500 million admissions market. We’re not even a fifth of the way there yet,” says Cinemaxx’s Dibbayawan. Although it may not be growing at the breakneck pace of China — and no territory is growing at the same rate as China — it’s still a market with huge potential that could be lucras tive to explore. n
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Mathilde Henrot, Locarno Festival | Zsuzsi Bankuti, The Match Factory | Nelleke Driessen, Nine Film
Frederic Boyer, Les Arcs Film Festival | Tribeca Film Festival
Moritz Hemminger, Arri Media Int’l
THEY WERE IN GHENT, DISCOVERING CONTENT AND TALENT
Wendy Mitchell, Screen Int’l | Kerri Craddock, Toronto International Film Festival | Jules Debrock, Flow | Koen Mortier (Angel)
Fabien Riggall, Secret Cinema
Wendy Mitchell, Screen International | Matt Mueller, Screen International | Mark Adams, Edinburgh Int’l Film Festival | Grainne Humphreys, Dublin Int’l Film Festival
Geneviève Pons-Cailloux, Festival de Cannes | Barbara Van Lombeek, The PR Factory | Gudrun Burie, The PR Factory
Michael Albright, Santa Barbara Int’l Film Festival
CONNeXT Award winners: Eric Wirix, Skyline (Six Days) | Katleen Goossens, Bulletproof Cupid (Binti) | Bart Van Langendonck, Savage Film (Patrick)
Marit Van den Elshout, IFFR/Cinemart | Laurence Petit, Haut et Court | Laure Caillol, Haut et Court
Pamela Leu, BE For Films
Sean Egan, MoMA New York
Jêrome Rougier, Wild Bunch | Richard Pommerat, Wild Bunch
Meredith Shea, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Walter Iuzzolino, Global Series Network | Malin-Sarah Gozin (Tabula rasa, Clan)
Xavier Henry-Rashid, Film Republic | Jean Heyl, Just Film
FILMS | SERIES | TALENTS | TALKS William Guentzler, Cleveland Int’l Film Festival | Michael Rabehl, Cinequest Film & VR Festival
Ulrike Schroeder, Global Screen
Sebastian Markt, Berlinale
Johanna Koljonen, Nostradamus Project
Emmanuel Eckert, Lagardère Studios Dist.
6
9 OCTOBER 2019
Michel J. Vandewalle, Atlas Int’l Film | Alice Buquoy, Global Screen
Abbie Algar, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
connext.flandersimage.com
photos : ©beaborgers
PARTENAIRE DU CINÉMA BELGE FLAMAND
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30/10/18 16:24
TERRITORY FOCUS MALTA
On the Valletta harbour set of Murder On The Orient Express
Malta delivers the goods The island republic’s water tanks and financial incentives are the biggest draws for international production shoots, including Das Boot and American Assassin. Nick Goundry reports
T
he Mediterranean island republic of Malta is an established international production hub, specialising in exterior filming. Among its primary assets is Malta Film Studios, which has two large exterior water tanks and is on the shortlist of any major international shoot looking to film water-based scenes in a controlled environment. The country’s major production in 2018 has been the Sky Germany series Das Boot, a TV sequel to Wolfgang Petersen’s iconic 1981 Second World War story of the same name that (Right) John Krasinski in 13 Hours
14 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
Dylan O’Brien in American Assassin
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is closed to the general public but is frequently used as a multipurpose film set. Malta Film Commission is the first point of contact for filming on location in the country. Film commissioner Johann Grech (no relation to his predecessor, Engelbert Grech) was appointed to lead the organisation in late 2017. As a former head of government marketing for the
office of Malta’s prime minister, the commissioner now has the opportunity to forge even closer ties with the government. This means there is every likelihood the country will become more available to filmmakers than ever before. Malta is widely known as a suitable double for Middle Eastern locations, with the region’s classic architecture in
the historic city of Valletta and former capital Mdina, as well as in the surrounding countryside. To the north, St Julian’s is more modern and a centre for tourism. Plans are under consideration for studio development on Malta to provide sound-stage facilities and boost the s island’s all-round and versatile appeal. ■
MALTA THE LOWDOWN Malta’s water tanks use the ocean as a backdrop
Plans are under consideration for studio development on the island to provide sound-stage facilities production used various locations across the island nation to stand in for Libya. 20th Century Fox’s Assassin’s Creed also used Maltese capital Valletta and various other locations to double for 15th-century Spain, also in 2015. That shoot featured tightly choreographed stunt work across city rooftops to recreate the distinctive action of the popular videogame franchise. Valletta’s historic labyrinth of highsided narrow streets was a major draw for the film’s producers, who needed to mount heavy wire rigs on the city’s rooftops to capture the parkour-style chase sequences demanded by the script. Scenes for Assassin’s Creed were also shot at the historic Fort Ricasoli next to Malta Film Studios. The structure
(Right) Tina Desai stars in Sense8, which filmed in Malta
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Financial incentives Malta has
a base filming incentive as a rebate worth 25% of eligible local spending for films and high-end TV productions, miniseries, animation and documentary. An additional 2% is available for productions that specifically showcase Maltese cultural elements. The minimum spend is $115,000 (€100,000). Post-production is also an eligible cost, capped at $172,000 (€150,000). The incentive takes the form of a cash grant once filming is complete. Full details maltafilmcommission.com/ malta-film-fund/financialincentives/ Infrastructure and crew
It may have a population of just 400,000, but Malta has a skilled English-speaking crew base that can
comfortably handle two large-scale productions at any one time. The country’s water tanks are internationally renowned and are situated on the coastline to offer filmmakers a natural horizon. Producers have access to associated resources to create the necessary ocean weather conditions, such as wave and wind machines, tip tanks and rain towers. The country is known to be especially strong when it comes to set construction. It is also easy to find crew and local heads of department across the board, with labour and facilities typically costing around 30% less than mainland Europe. Post-production is also a growing sector on the island, with several local companies becoming established over the last year, including its main post facility Stargate Studios. When it comes to road closures and locations clearance, decisions are made quickly, thanks to Malta Film Commission’s
strong relationship with the country’s government authorities. Size matters Malta is only 17 miles long and 8.5 miles wide. It takes 45 minutes to drive from one end of the island to the other, allowing crews to shoot at multiple locations in a single day. The capital, Valletta, is a 20-minute taxi ride from the airport and all the major hotels are within a short drive of each other, the airport and the island’s restaurants and nightspots. The country is well connected to mainland Europe by air and to the US via stopovers in mainland Europe. Malta’s compact size means all parts of the island are easily accessible by road. Past productions have also ferried equipment to beaches and coves from nearby unit bases. First person to email Johann Grech, Malta film commissioner johann.grech@mfc.com.mt
November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 15
Nicola Dove
followed the crew of a German U-boat waging war against the Allied forces in the Atlantic. Like Captain Phillips before it, Das Boot filmed scenes in Malta’s water tanks and out on the open ocean. Directed by Andreas Prochaska, the international cast was led by James D’Arcy, Lizzy Caplan, Vincent Kartheiser and Tom Wlaschiha. In 2017, Malta hosted productions including 20th Century Fox’s Murder On The Orient Express, directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Daisy Ridley, and Lionsgate and CBS Films’ American Assassin, directed by Michael Cuesta. Recent TV productions to shoot partly in Malta include Netflix’s Sense8 and Italian broadcaster Rai’s I Fantasmi Di Portopalo. Paramount’s Libya-set war movie 13 Hours, directed by Michael Bay and starring John Krasinski and Pablo Schreiber, shot in Malta in 2015. The
SPOTLIGHT CINELYTIC
Data’s revolution A new data platform aims to digitise the workflow required to greenlight a project and inject some certainty into a market in constant flux. Jeremy Kay meets the founders of Cinelytic
A
s the global industry congregates at this year’s AFM, attendees will find themselves in a familiar predicament. New projects and packages will spark interest, yet beyond the market hype lies a challenging independent landscape that makes it hard to accurately assign value to a project, let alone predict boxoffice performance months or years down the line. US-based analytics platform Cinelytic launched this year with a suite of tools that uses millions of data points and proprietary algorithms that the company says puts the power of swift decision-making in the hands of the user.
‘I was astonished by the risk people took without a methodical approach’ Tobias Queisser, Cinelytic
Cinelytic has developed a cloud-based project management platform that claims to enable a more systematic approach to greenlighting, investing in and distributing films. The service uses AI-powered analytics based on existing industry data (some proprietary, some licensed from third parties) that lets users evaluate project value and risk through proprietary predictive analytics and comps (data about comparable projects). Providing comps is nothing new. However, once a professional obtains comps, they typically engage in a timeconsuming process of consulting colleagues in finance or sales to predict revenue and return on investment (ROI) projections. Cinelytic claims it speeds up the process through its industry-first cloud-based content development plat-
form that enables multiple partners on a project with different areas of expertise to share intelligence from anywhere in the world, all in real time. The machine learning-based predictive analytics tools can forecast revenue scenarios for all media windows with almost immediate results. Starting from scratch Backed by private equity investment, Cinelytic is led by co-founder and CEO Tobias Queisser, co-founder, CTO and former NASA rocket scientist Dev Sen, and COO and ex-Warner Bros Pictures International executive Christian Monti. Los Angeles resident Queisser studied finance in London and spent 10 years in banking and a hedge fund, before producing films. He launched Arctic Pictures in 2013 and co-produced a $4m thriller project. Keen to run numbers on the project, he was unable to find any tools and resorted to inserting “bits and pieces” of data into an Excel spreadsheet. “I was astonished by the level of risk people took without a methodical evaluation approach,” he says. “These days content consumption is recorded electronically so the data exists, but often does not get shared, and there is a lack of understanding of how best to use data.” Queisser saw room for improvement. “I didn’t understand why film needs to be such a risky asset class. I’ve been involved with venture capital where you finance start-ups and you know it’s risky, but there is a more standardised approach to assessing value and risk.” The initial idea for Cinelytic was based on an analogous system Sen developed for NASA to assess the risk of failure of NASA rockets and spaceflight systems, and work that he had done developing predictive revenue models for films. The partners claim that by combining the best practices from the fields of science, finance and the entertainment industry, the Cinelytic system,
16 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
TOP 10 ACTRESSES IN KEY MARKETS According to Cinelytic’s TalentScore definition
UK 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Emma Watson Judi Dench Helena Bonham Carter Cate Blanchett Scarlett Johansson Jennifer Lawrence Anne Hathaway Daisy Ridley Naomie Harris Amy Adams
Emma Watson
Fan Bingbing
CHINA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Michelle Rodriguez Celina Jade Scarlett Johansson Lin Yun Zhang Yuqi Fan Bingbing Shu Qi Liu Yan Ma Li Jennifer Lawrence
SOUTH KOREA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Scarlett Johansson Jeon Ji-hyeon Anne Hathaway Kim Hae-sook Han Hyo-joo Kim Hyang-ki Yunjin Kim Kim Hye-soo Gwyneth Paltrow Emma Watson
Han Hyo-joo
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DEFINITION This reflects the economic bankability of a talent according to theatrical box office, taking into consideration a person’s filmography and weighting their position/role in the cast. It discounts older films and animation/cameo appearances
US 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Audrey Tautou
FRANCE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Emma Watson Scarlett Johansson Cate Blanchett Marion Cotillard Helena Bonham Carter Michelle Rodriguez Jennifer Lawrence Audrey Tautou Valérie Lemercier Sigourney Weaver
Priyanka Chopra
INDIA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Kareena Kapoor Katrina Kaif Deepika Padukone Priyanka Chopra Sonakshi Sinha Vidya Balan Anushka Sharma Asin Kangana Ranaut Lara Dutta
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Scarlett Johansson Jennifer Lawrence Emma Watson Cate Blanchett Amy Adams Helena Bonham Carter Anne Hathaway Michelle Rodriguez Elizabeth Banks Daisy Ridley
‘It’s very hard as an indie producer to give a financier credible data’ Tom Butterfield, Culmination Productions
approach and methodology is fundamentally different from what other companies are doing in the space. The company has been in beta testing this year with several early adopters, including Tom Butterfield, the Los Angeles-based founder of Culmination Productions and former head of production at Content Media. His credits include London Town and An Actor Prepares. “With the death of the old sales model internationally, it’s very hard as an indie producer to give a financier, particularly an equity financier, credible data,” says Butterfield. Producer Rob Feng of Dream Factory Group, currently in post for Luce with Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts, describes Cinelytic as “a paradigm shift”. “It allows you to take information and have it all blend together and give you a quick macro view,” explains Feng. “I feel more informed talking to foreign sales agents now.” Queisser himself has become a regular face at conferences, delivering keynotes on data analysis. “Technology is changing the film industry, starting with consumer behaviour,” he says. “We see that from piracy data that we assess. A lot of people pirate because they can’t access content they’ve become used to
Data provided by Cinelytic
Scarlett Johansson
CINELYTIC THE LOWDOWN There are other data analytics tools out there, so what makes Cinelytic different?
How much does it cost?
Cinelytic says its comprehensive AI-driven analytics embedded in a project management system is currently unique in the film industry, and enables a more methodical approach to greenlighting, investing in and distributing films. The platform features project and talent analytics tools, and the company says the cloudbased content development platform that enables multiple users to work on a project at the same time is also an industry first. Predictive analytics tools forecast revenue scenarios for all media windows in real time with “unparalleled accuracy”. An integrated financial model allows users to calculate financing and ROI scenarios. Cinelytic says the integrated nature of the system means users do not constantly have to go to different data sources and tools to get their information and insights.
Cinelytic is a subscription service currently targeting studios and independents, and a full subscription costs thousands of dollars. The company plans to offer what it calls a “cost-effective” version for individual film professionals next year.
What tools do studios get access to that I won’t get access to if I pay the lower-tier subscription? Cinelytic offers custom-made enterprise tools that incorporate a studio’s own data. The main subscription includes all the base components. Lower tiers will not include predictive forecasting.
Can I keep my identity and movie project data anonymous? Yes. Project data is protected by a firewall so only a user can see their projects, and choose to whom they grant view or edit permissions.
Is there evidence Cinelytic works? I’m an independent producer, how do I use Cinelytic? Users can engage with the platform to quickly and efficiently compare and contrast talent and their relative value in the US and international markets by media and genre. The predictive analytics tool lets users determine revenue based on inputting key assumptions about the project. The result is financial outputs including a budget based on sales, tax credits, subsidies, grants, loans and equity. The system also has a module to take into consideration ask/take prices that then power a domestic output, international output and a detailed ROI waterfall.
consuming anytime, anywhere. Obviously we’re against piracy, but we like the piracy data because it’s a data set that’s not restricted to distribution deals. The piracy data doesn’t depend on whether there’s a release or it’s censored — it’s pure demand.” Queisser, Sen, Monti and their team are building out the platform to cover TV projects, and have been approached by companies from the music and videogame sectors. Next year they plan to take Cinelytic a step further with the launch of Audience Analytics. “You’ll be able to put your film package in the system and it will predict audience size and key demographics,” says Queisser, “and which geographical areas we should focus on in the release.”
Cinelytic says the platform has helped users secure project financing, saving them time and money. Collaboration with partners on a project has been sped up through the multi-user functionality. Cinelytic has back-tested its predictive forecasting models and claims 80% accuracy (depending on film budget) prior to greenlight decisions, which are often two to three years prior to a film’s release.
What’s the timetable for international expansion? While the core focus at time of writing is the US, the system can be used from anywhere in the world. Clients include companies in the US, Europe and Asia.
The new tool aims to enable subscribers to tailor P&A campaigns, and possibly even bring in brands that speak to target audiences and encourage them to invest. But Queisser is quick to reassure potential customers Cinelytic will not take all the fun out of the film business. “We don’t touch the creative part,” he says. “That has to stay human. We only help with the business case. Greenlighting a film is always a creative decision. But we want to bring the ‘gut’ part of the decision down to 60%. The creative part should probably still override, but in order to create a better product, execute and market it better, and find a more financially satisfying outcome, it helps to use a more methodical approach to pros ject evaluation and risk assessment.” ■
November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 17
SCREENINGS Edited by Paul Lindsell
paullindsell@gmail.com
AFM THEATRES AMC SANTA MONICA 1310 3rd Street Promenade, at Arizona Avenue ARCLIGHT SANTA MONICA Santa Monica Place, level 3 BROADWAY CINEPLEX 1441 3rd Street Promenade, just north of Broadway
the decades as precarious teenage years morph into perilous adulthoods. Laemmle Monica Film Center 4
THE MATCHMAKER See box, left MICHELANGELO — ENDLESS
MARKET 09:00 ALL OR NOTHIN’
Drama, historical, suspense, true story. 88mins. Dir: Charles K Campbell. Scr: Charles K Campbell. Cast: Ursaline Bryant. Michigan Pride. In 1853, 28 slaves escaped from Boone County, Kentucky. Unwilling to accept their departure, wealthy plantation owners set out to find them. Laemmle Monica Film Center 3
BOI
Drama, thriller. 107mins. Dir: Jorge M Fontana. Scr: Jorge M Fontana. Cast: Bernat Quintana, Adrian Pang, Andrew Lua. Filmax. Boi is a young man starting out in a new job as a chauffeur. While anxiously waiting for news from his girlfriend regarding a decision that could change both their lives, he must accompany his first clients, Michael and Gordon, two Asian businessmen who have come to Barcelona in order to close a multimilliondollar deal. ArcLight 5
BUY ME A GUN
Drama. 84mins. Dir: Julio Hernandez Cordon. Scr: Julio Hernandez Cordon.
Cast: Matilde Hernandez Guinea, Rogelio Sosa, Sostenes Rojas. Playtime. Mexico, sometime in a near future: women are disappearing. A girl called Huck wears a mask to hide her gender. She helps her dad, a tormented addict, to take care of an abandoned baseball camp where the narcos gather to play. The father tries to protect her as he can. With the help of her friends — a group of lost boys who have the power of camouflaging themselves in the windy desert — Huck has to fight to overcome her reality and to defeat the local capo. Broadway Cineplex 3
09:00 THE MATCHMAKER
Romantic comedy. 92mins. Dir: Jeroen Houben. Scr: Jeroen Houben, Lotte Tabbers. Cast: Benja Bruijning, Ariane Schluter, Eva Vvan de Wijdeven. Dutch Features
AMC Santa Monica 1
18 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
Laemmle Monica Film Center 5
Biography. 95mins. Dir: Emanuele Imbucci. Scr: Sara Mosetti, Tommaso Strinati, Emanuele Imbucci. Cast: Enrico Lo Verso, Ivano Marescotti. True Colours Glorious Films. The life of the genius of Italian Renaissance. Broadway Cineplex 1
SAY MY NAME
To prove his innocence, he makes a deal with the police: in exchange for his freedom, he will hunt down all the thieves and murderers on the streets of Paris. From convict to sheriff — Vidocq becomes the ‘Emperor of Paris’.
THE EMPEROR OF PARIS
Action/adventure, historical. 115mins. Dir: Jean-Francois Richet. Scr: Eric Besnard. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Olga Kurylenko, Freya Mavor, August Diehl, Fabrice Luchini, James Thierree. Gaumont. At the height of Napoleon’s reign, Vidocq — the only man who successfully broke out of prison 27 times — is a legend. Left for dead after his latest, dazzling escape, the ex-con is lying low as a modest cloth merchant. When his past catches up with him, he is framed by former cellmates for a murder he did not commit.
Global Entertainment. Chris is about to become a dating coach for his mother, thanks to the video he secretly put online, but will they ever find her perfect match?
GOD’S NOT DEAD: A LIGHT IN DARKNESS
Drama. 105mins. Dir: Michael Mason. Scr: Michael Mason. Cast: John Corbett, David AR White. Pure Flix/Quality Flix. When a tragic accident rocks the entire community and threatens the future of Pastor Dave’s church, his faith is put to the test. AMC Santa Monica 3
THE HOLE IN THE GROUND
Horror. 90mins. Dir: Lee Cronin. Scr: Lee Cronin, Stephen Shields. Cast: Seana Kerslake. Bankside Films.
Trying to escape her broken past, Sarah O’Neill is building a new life on the fringes of a backwood rural town with her young son. A terrifying encounter with a mysterious neighbour shatters her fragile security, throwing Sarah into a spiralling nightmare of paranoia and mistrust, as she tries to uncover if the disturbing changes in her little boy are connected to an ominous sinkhole buried deep in the forest that borders their home. ArcLight 9
LET ME FALL
Thriller. 137mins. Dir: Baldvin Zophoniasson. Scr: Baldvin Zophoniasson. Cast: Elin Sif Halldorsdottir. Raven Banner Entertainment. Drawing on true stories and interviews with the families of addicts, this harrowing portrait of addiction follows Stella and Magnea through
Romantic comedy. 84mins. Dir: Jay Stern. Scr: Deborah FrancesWhite. Cast: Lisa Brenner, Nick Blood, Celyn Jones, Mark Bonnar, Peter Davison. Electric Entertainment. When a one-night stand gets interrupted by a robbery, two complete strangers are forced to navigate the seedy underbelly of a sleepy Welsh isle in order to get back their stolen property. Along the way, their opposite personalities and differing outlooks on life bring them to boiling point. ArcLight 3
WHAT DOESN’T KILL
Drama. 129mins. Dir: Sandra Nettelbeck. Scr: Sandra Nettelbeck. Cast: August Zirner, Johanna Ter Steege, Barbara Auer, Mark Waschke, Deborah Kaufmann, Christian Berkel, Peter Lohmeyer. Beta Cinema.
LAEMMLE’S MONICA FILM CENTER 1332 2nd Street AFM SCREENINGS ON DEMAND Loews Hotel, Room 334 » Screening times and venues are correct at time of press but subject to alteration. For late changes visit thefilmcatalogue.com
As a divorced father of two teenage daughters, with a head-strong ex-wife for a best friend, too many peculiar patients to keep up with and a new dog, psychotherapist Max certainly doesn’t need another challenge. But when Sophie, a compulsive gambler with a boyfriend problem, regularly shows up late for her appointments, she rocks his world in ways he’s not ready for. ArcLight 6 09:30 BLOOD FEST
Horror. 90mins. Dir: Owen Egerton. Scr: Owen Egerton. Cast: Zachary Levy, Robbie Kay, Seychelle Gabrielle, Tate Donovan. Minerva Pictures. Fans flock to a festival celebrating the most iconic horror movies, only to discover that the charismatic showman behind the event has a diabolical agenda. As festival attendees start dying off, three teenagers must band together and battle through various madmen and monstrosities to survive. Laemmle Monica Film Center 6
THE BRAND NEW ADVENTURES OF ALADIN
Comedy. 98mins. Dir: Lionel Steketee. Scr: Daive Cohen. Cast: Kev Adams, Jamel Debbouze. Pathe International. After ridding Baghdad of its evil vizier, Aladin is bored at the palace and has still not made up his mind to propose to the www.screendaily.com
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princess. But a horrible dictator, Shah Zaman, invites himself to the palace and announces that he has come to capture the city and marry the princess. Aladin has no other choice but to flee. He will try to find his old genie and return to free the city and win back his betrothed. AMC Santa Monica 4
I LOVE MY MUM See box, below
THE IDEAL PALACE
Drama, historical, true story. 104mins. Dir: Nils Tavernier. Scr: Fanny Desmares, Nils Tavernier, Laurent Bertoni. Cast: Jacques Gamblin, Laetitia Casta. SND Groupe M6. South of France, 1879: Ferdinand Cheval is a reserved and quiet man. After the birth of his daughter, Alice, he has a revelation: building a castle to make her a princess. Cheval dedicated 33 years to build his unique masterpiece. ArcLight 2
THE PANAMA PAPERS
Documentary. 100mins. Dir: Alex Winter. Scr: Alex Winter. Great Point. An explosive documentary about the Pulitzer Prizewinning journalists who uncovered the largest global corruption scandal in history. Laemmle Monica Film Center 2
SCHOOL’S OUT
Suspense, thriller. 103mins. Dir: Sebastien Marnier. Scr: Elise Griffon, Sebastien Marnier. Cast: Laurent Lafitte, Emmanuelle Bercot, Luana Bajrami, Victor Bonnel, Pascal Greggory, Veronique Ruggia Saura. Celluloid Dreams. A high-school teacher throws himself from the classroom window before the eyes of his terrified students. Despite the tragedy, six of them remain oddly cool and unemotional. Pierre, the new substitute teacher, notices the hostile behaviour of this close-knit clique. Smart and precocious, the six teenagers seem to be preparing a mysterious plan after school. Pierre becomes obsessed with them and is quickly sucked into their sinister game. AMC Santa Monica 2 11:00 AILO’S JOURNEY
Children’s, documentary. 80mins. Dir: Guillaume Maidatchevsky. Gaumont. Follow the incredible odyssey of a newborn reindeer in Lapland. AMC Santa Monica 5 BOONIE BEARS: THE BIG SHRINK
Action/adventure, animation, children’s, comedy, family. 90mins. Dir: Leon Ding. Scr: Yun
Xu. Cast: Beth Behrs. Fantawild Animation. Vick receives a mysterious machine — a shrink ray — from an old friend. Accompanied by Briar and Bramble, the two bear brothers always getting in his way, Vick goes on a wild chase through a magnificent world just underneath our feet to not only restore their size but restore family. Broadway Cineplex 3
IN SAFE HANDS
Drama. 115mins. Dir: Jeanne Herry. Scr: Jeanne Herry. Cast: Gilles Lellouche, Sandrine Kiberlain, Miou Miou, Elodie Bouchez. Studiocanal. Abandoned at birth, baby Theo’s uncertain future lies in the hands of the child welfare services. Jean, no stranger to the foster system, is given the responsibility of temporarily looking after him. Alice, unable to have children of her own, has never stopped fighting to be a mother. After many setbacks, she is finally ready to welcome a child. Broadway Cineplex 1
AFM 2018 SCREENING
LIFE WITH DOG
Family. 103mins. Dir: Corbin Bernsen. Scr: Corbin Bernsen. Cast: Corbin Bernsen, Marilu Henner, Brandon Beemer. Pure Flix/Quality Flix.
Saturday 3rd November ArcLight - 4 3:30pm start Please email Eoghan@101-films.com to RSVP or for more information
MARKET 09:30 I LOVE MY MUM
Comedy. 86mins. Dir: Alberto Sciamma. Scr: Alberto Sciamma. Cast: Kierston Wareing, Tommy French, Aida Folch. Film Seekers. Following a car crash, Ron and Olga are
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transported from the safety of their living room in England, into an alien world in North Africa and across Europe. Without money or documents and still in their pyjamas, they will need to put aside their mutual animosity and find a way back.
AFM Location: Uk Film Centre, Topanga Suite, 7Th Floor Atrium, Loews Hotel.
Broadway Cineplex 4
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November 3, 2018 Screen International24/10/2018 at AFM 19 15:46
SCREENINGS
After his wife dies, Joe is left with more questions than he can handle and quickly finds himself spiralling into a dark abyss. His rescue comes in the form of a dog who wanders into his rose garden and refuses to leave.
A neighbourhood militia is shocked to discover that a recent mass shooting was apparently carried out by one of its own members.
AMC Santa Monica 3
Comedy. 89mins. Dir: Robert Schwartzman. Scr: Nick Rutherford. Cast: Lauren Lapkus, Nick Rutherford, Lucy Hale. WTFilms. An indecisive couple are thrust into the most uncomfortable night of their lives by involving a third party in their relationship.
MY FOOLISH HEART
Drama. 83mins. Dir: Rolf van Eijk. Scr: Rolf van Eijk. Cast: Steve Wall, Gijs Naber, Raymond Thiry. Media Luna New Films. Amsterdam, 1988. Detective Lucas is charged with investigating the mysterious death of jazz legend Chet Baker. Laemmle Monica Film Center 3
THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK
Thriller. 90mins. Dir: Henry Dunham. Scr: Henry Dunham. Cast: Brian Geraghty, James Badge Dale, Patrick Fischler. XYZ Films.
ArcLight 5
THE UNICORN
AMC Santa Monica 1
WE ARE BOATS
Drama. 108mins. Dir: James Bird. Scr: James Bird. Cast: Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth, Amanda Plummer. CineTel Films. Lives interwine and connect when Francesa navigates through the living world
20 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
by encountering strangers at the exact moment she needs to, sending their lives on either a better course towards happiness or setting the wheels in motion towards a tragic end — all while she secretly searches for a loved one who she never had the chance to say goodbye to. Laemmle Monica Film Center 5
11:30 ANGELS NEVER CRY
Thriller. 88mins. Dir: Lok Kwan Woo. Scr: John Cunningham. Cast: Eva Oskarsdottir, Jonathan Stoddard, Toni Hudson. Princ Films. Running from a marriage in trouble, Theresa meets James. He is an artist, he understands her, he sweeps her of her feet. But Theresa does not know that James carefully planned their every encounter. Laemmle Monica Film Center 6
CHARLIE SAYS
Drama. 104mins. Dir: Mary Harron. Scr: Guinevere Turner. Cast: Matt Smith, Suki Waterhouse. Fortitude International. Leslie Van Houten’s downward spiral — from the start of her time in Charles Manson’s infamous ‘Family’, to her ultimate imprisonment for the murders she helped him commit. AMC Santa Monica 2
THE FESTIVAL
Comedy. 98mins. Dir: Iain Morris. Scr: Keith Akushie, Joe Parham. Cast: Joe Thomas, Hannah Tointon. Protagonist Pictures. After Nick’s girlfriend dumps him, his best mate Shane has the perfect antidote to his break-up blues: three days at an epic music festival. Laemmle Monica Film Center 2
GOGOL. A TERRIBLE VENGEANCE
Horror, mystery. 105mins. Dir: Egor Baranov. Scr: Natasha Merkulova. Cast: Alexander Petrov, Oleg Menshikov. Central Partnership Sales House. Unravelling his talent to the fullest, the young writer Nikolai Gogol stands against unruly evil spirits and tries to catch the mysterious Horseman, who has already slaughtered 11 girls in the village. However, the people of Dikanka, led by the local chief of police, start to suspect that Gogol is actually the Horseman. Broadway Cineplex 4
LITTLE MISS DOLITTLE
Family. 100mins. Dir: Joachim Masannek. Scr: Katrin Milhahn, Antonia Rothe-Liermann, Matthias Dinter, Beate Fraunholz, Betty Platz. Cast: Malu Leicher, Christoph Maria Herbst,
Tom Beck. ARRI Media International. Liliane ‘Lilli’ Susewind can talk to animals. Nobody knows this except for her parents, but her talent has caused enough trouble in the past and now forced her family to move again. Lilli vows to keep her secret to herself at their new home — until she learns that a mean animal thief has kidnapped the baby elephant Ronni from the local zoo. Together with her new friend Jess, Lilli sets off to save Ronni and the other animals. ArcLight 6
MARNIE’S WORLD
Family. 92mins. Dir: Christoph Lauenstein, Wolfgang Lauenstein. Scr: Christopgh Lauenstein, Wolfgang Lauenstein. Cast: Karoline Mask van Oppen. Global Screen. Four crazy antiheroes on the run. Their leader is the unworldly innocent,
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MARKET 11:30 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUPLE
Drama. 95mins. Dir: Sven Taddicken. Scr: Sven Taddicken. Cast: Maximilian Bruckner, Luise Heyer, Leonard Kunz, naive Marnie, a house cat who is not allowed to leave the house and only knows about real life from TV. AMC Santa Monica 6
MEGA TIME SQUAD
Comedy. 81mins. Dir: Tim dan Dammen. Scr: Tim van Dammen. Cast: Anton Tennet, Jonny Brugh, Hetty Gaskel-Hahn. MPI Media Group. A low-level criminal steals an ancient Chinese timetravel device that helps him pull off a heist and start a new life. But he may not survive the consequences of tampering with time. ArcLight 4
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUPLE See box, above
13:00 BIGGER
Biography, drama. 107mins. Dir: George Gallo. Scr: Andy Weiss, George Gallo, Brad Furman, Ellen Furman. Cast: Tyler Hoechlin, Victoria Justice, Aneurin Barnard, Colton Haynes, Kevin Durand, Tom Arnold. 13 Films. A powerful rags-to-riches story about international icons Joe and Ben Weider, who created the sport of modern bodybuilding. Laemmle Monica Film Center 3 By confirmed RSVP only BIKES
Animation. 86mins.
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Jasna Fritzi Bauer. Beta Cinema. Liv and Malte are forced to revisit their past when Malte spots the man who sexually assaulted Liv two years earlier. ArcLight 2
Dir: Manuel J Garcia. Scr: Michael Maurer, Joel Jessup, Henrique Vera. Filmax. Nestled among beautiful mountains, forests and streams, Spokesville is a very special little town, mainly because it is inhabited entirely by adorable bikes. Life for the bike citizens is idyllic, until one day a new and surprising gizmo, the gas engine, comes to town. Broadway Cineplex 1
LEGEND OF HALLOWAIIAN
Action/adventure, animation, children’s, family, fantasy. 95mins. Dir: Sean Patrick O’Reilly. Scr: David Swift, Stephen Meier, Scott Owen. Cast: Tia Carerre, Noah Schnapp, Mark Hamill. SC Films International. An island paradise is all fun and games until someone awakens the man-eating Pineapplehead. ArcLight 1
RIVER RUNS RED
Thriller. 94 minutes. Dir: Wes Miller. Scr: Wes Mille. Cast: Briana Evigan, Luke Hemsworth, John Cusack. VMI Worldwide. When the son of a judge is killed by two police officers and the system sets them free, the judge teams up with another mourning father to take the law into his own hands. Laemmle Monica Film Center 5
WELCOME TO MERCY
Supernatural thriller. 104mins. Dir: Tommy Bertelsen. Scr: Kristen Ruhlin. Cast: Lily Newmark, Kristen Ruhlin. Pure Flix/Quality Flix. When an American woman returns to Latvia for the first time in years to say goodbye to her dying father, she is afflicted with visions and wounds that appear to be signs of the gift of Holy Stigmata. After being transported to an isolated island convent to seek the help of a mysterious religious order, she discovers her affliction may not be a gift from God but something far more sinister. AMC Santa Monica 5 13:30 THE ACCUSED
Drama, thriller. 113mins. Dir: Gonzalo Tobal. Scr: Gonzalo Tobal, Ulises Porra Guardiola. Cast: Lali Esposito, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Ines Estevez. Film Factory Entertainment. Young Dolores is the only person indicted for the murder of her best friend. Her loved ones are fighting to prove her innocence. But when the time comes to go to trial, Dolores puts their entire strategy in jeopardy. ArcLight 4
BEST INTENTIONS
Comedy. 104mins. Dir: Gilles Legrand. Scr: Gilles Legrand. Cast: Agnes Jaoui. Charades.
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November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 21
SCREENINGS
Isabelle uses her philanthropism as a way to guilt trip her family and friends. The arrival of a charismatic benevolent at the social centre where Isabelle works threatens her position. As a way to restore her reputation, she decides to open up a driving school for refugees.
Metro International Entertainment. When two sisters come together to spend Christmas with their families in their recently deceased parents’ country house, ancient sibling rivalries flare up.
Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, Chin Ka-lok. Golden Dragon Pictures. Globe-trotting mercenaries stage the ultimate heist.
Laemmle Monica Film Center 1
AMC Santa Monica 2
TROLL: A TALE OF A TAIL
Action/adventure, animation. 88mins. Dir: Kevin Munroe. Scr: Daxing Zhang, Suzanne Bolch, John May. Cast: Sonja Ball. Global Genesis Group. The troll prince Trym has only two days to save his father, King Grom, who has turned to stone and had his tail stolen by an evil presence in the forest.
Comedy. 90mins. Dir: Jenna Laurenzo. Scr: Jenna Laurenzo. Cast: Jenna Laurenzo, Bruce Dern, Brandon Michael Hall, Steve Guttenberg. Cinema Management Group (CMG). Not only is Lauren bringing home her sweetheart for Thanksgiving, she is also using this holiday to come out of the closet and drop the ‘Lez Bomb’. Little does she know, that her eccentric extended family have their own stirring surprises.
ArcLight 7
AMC Santa Monica 2
ZOOKS
MISS ARIZONA
Animation. 93mins. Dir: Kristoff Leue, Dimitri Leue. Scr: Kristoff Leue, Dimitri Leue. Cast: Matteo Simoni, Frank Focketyn, Warre Borgmans. Media Luna New Films. In a kingdom where man and nature are segregated, 12-year-old Robin runs off into the forbidden forest where she meets Wolf, the young true heir to the throne.
Comedy, drama. 94mins. Dir: Autumn McAlpin. Scr: Autumn McAlpin. Cast: Missi Pyle, Johanna Braddy, Steve Guttenberg. American Cinema International. Rose Raynes was crowned Miss Arizona 15 years ago. Now a bored housewife, Rose accepts an invitation to teach a class at a women’s shelter. Digging out the relics of her past, Rose attempts to share her story with a room of four disinterested women dodging abusive exes. But when trouble shows up at the shelter, the five embark on an all-night adventure through LA’s darkest streets.
CATS
Action/adventure, animation, comedy, family. 88mins. Dir: Gary Wang. Scr: Gary Wang. All Rights Entertainment. A restless and smart kitten sets off on an adventure to find the wonderful place where cats can live freely. Broadway Cineplex 2
MARKET 15:00 70 BIG ONES
DAISY WINTERS
Drama. 90mins. Dir: Beth LaMure. Scr: Beth LaMure. Cast: Brooke Shields, Sterling Jerins. American Cinema International. An 11-year-old girl’s unconventional, yet deeply loving, relationship with her mother and what happens when this essential mother/daughter bond is harshly broken. Laemmle Monica Film Center 4
Thriller. 100mins. Dir: Koldo Serra. Scr: Javier Echaniz, Asier Guerricaechevarria, Juan Gil Bengoa. Cast: Emma Suarez, Nathalie Poza, Hugo Silva. Filmax. Raquel is a desperate woman. A series of unfortunate events have forced her into debt and
15:00 70 BIG ONES See box, above
THE NINJA FAMILY HATTORI
Comedy, documentary. 48mins. Dir: Tomoki Sano, Toru Mihara. Scr: Rihei Kagiya. Cast: Red Ninja, Yellow Ninja, Blue Ninja, Purple Ninja. Asia Pictures Entertainment. Do you believe ninja still exist? Ladies Ninja Team will show you traditional ninja history, food and skills.
BALLOON
Laemmle Monica Film Center 6
ArcLight 3
Drama, true story. 119mins. Dir: Michael Herbig. Scr: Kit Hopkins, Thilo Roscheisen. Cast: Friedrich Mucke, Karoline Schuch, Thomas Kretschmann. Studiocanal. East Germany at the height of the Cold War: two ordinary families yearning for freedom form an escape plan to get across to the West.
CLARA PROJECT ITHACA
Sci-fi. 90mins. Dir: Nicholas Humphries. Scr: Anthony Artibello, Kevin C. Bjerkness. Cast: James Gallanders, Deragh Campbell, Daniel Fathers. Film Mode Entertainment. Five strangers awaken to find themselves trapped aboard an alien mothership that seems to be harnessing their terror and emotions to power the ship. ArcLight 2
Drama, romance, sci-fi. 105mins. Dir: Akash Sherman. Scr: James Ewasiuk, Akash Sherman. Cast: Troian Bellisario, Patrick J Adams. Myriad Pictures. An obsessive astronomer and a curious artist form an unlikely bond, which leads them to a profound, scientific discovery. AMC Santa Monica 5
CUT OFF
Drama, thriller. 131mins.
22 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
now she needs to come up with ¤35,000 in the next 24 hours. Her last hope is a bank loan. But just as Raquel is about to complete the transaction, two robbers storm the branch, complicating Raquel’s dire situation even further. Her time is running out. ArcLight 1
Dir: Christian Alvart. Scr: Christian Alvart. Cast: Moritz Bleibtreu, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Lars Eidinger. Global Screen. Performing an autopsy, coroner Paul Herzfeld finds a note in the skull of a corpse with a phone number on it. The clue leads him into a life-anddeath game — the life and death of his daughter. ArcLight 5 INTIMATE STRANGERS
Comedy. 116mins. Dir: JQ Lee. Scr: Bae Se-yeong. Cast: Yoo Hai-jin, Cho Jin-woong, Lee Seo-jin. Lotte Entertainment. A group of friends start a game where they leave their cell phones out and share all their messages and calls. As the cell phones ring one by one, their hidden secrets are forced out into the open. AMC Santa Monica 1
Small-time money launderer Moe Diamond is suffering from amnesia after a car accident following a deal gone wrong, with vicious gangsters on his tail and dirty cops not far behind. Broadway Cineplex 3
MILLENNIUM ACTRESS
Animation, drama, fantasy, romance, sci-fi. 87mins. Dir: Satoshi Kon. Scr: Satoshi Kon. Cast: Fumiko Orikasa. GENCO. A documentary filmmaker fulfils his quest to find the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara and learn why she mysteriously vanished at the height of her fame. AMC Santa Monica 3
Laemmle Monica Film Center 3
15:30 GIANT LITTLE ONES
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Drama. 116mins. Dir: Gaopeng Tang. Scr: Xiaojun Yue. Cast: Yili Ma, Xuebing Wang, Gengyou Zhu. CMC Pictures. In the depths of western China’s Gobi Desert, Yon operates a dilapidated ostrich farm. When Yong can’t come up with the money he owes Mr Wu, Wu leaves a little boy behind, telling Yong to look after him. Suspecting his ex-wife might be considering another marriage, Yong takes the boy along as he looks to find her. Laemmle Monica Film Center 5
Drama. 94mins. Dir: Keith Behrman. Scr: Keith Behrman. Cast: Josh Wiggins, Darren Mann, Taylor Hickson, Maria Bello, Kyle MacLachlan. Celluloid Dreams. Franky Winter and Ballas Kohl are high school royalty. They live a perfect teenage life… until the night of Franky’s epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas — both wasted — surprise each other by getting intimate. Soon the story is public and the two friends find themselves dealing with the fall-out. ArcLight 2
KILLERMAN
Action/adventure. 105mins. Dir: Malik Bader. Scr: Malik Bader. Cast: Liam Hemsworth. The Solution Entertainment Group.
SURVIVING CHRISTMAS
GOLDEN JOB
Comedy. 100mins. Dir: James Dearden. Scr: James Dearden. Cast: Joely Richardson, Gemma Whelan, Sally Phillips.
Action/adventure, heist. 99mins. Dir: Chin Ka-lok. Scr: Kim Dong-kyu, Kwok Kin-lok, Li Erica, Mak Heiward. Cast: Ekin
Broadway Cineplex 4
LEZ BOMB
Laemmle Monica Film Center 4
PLAY OR DIE
Horror, thriller. 90mins. Dir: Jacques Kluger. Scr: Jacques Kluger. Cast: Charley Palmer, Roxanne Mesquida. WTFilms. Two gamers decide to participate in a very exclusive escape game. After solving a first riddle, they make it to the location of the finale in an abandoned mental hospital, lost in a frightening forest. There, four other participants are waiting on them. They soon realise only one of them will get out alive. ArcLight 6
SAINT JUDY
Biography. 90mins.
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Dir: Sean Hanish. Scr: Dmitry Portnoy. Cast: Michelle Monaghan, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Common. Blue Fox Entertainment. The true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood. Laemmle Monica Film Center 2
SHEEP AND WOLVES: PIG DEAL
Animation. 80mins. Dir: Vladimir Nikolaev. Scr: Aleksey Tsitsilin, Robert Lence, Vladimir Nikolaev. Cast: Vladimir Nikolaev. Wizart. The united town of sheep and wolves lives a peaceful life… until two unexpected guests turn up — a polar fox and a tiny ewe. AMC Santa Monica 6
STRIKE
Family. 100mins. Dir: Trevor Hardy. Scr: Neil James. Cast: Ken Scott, Lizzie Waterworth, Naomi McDonald. Hollywood Classics International. A young miner mole has to defeat a conniving mobster cat to save the livelihood of his family and realise his ambition to play football for his country in the Wild (World) Cup Soccer Tournament.
AFM SCREENINGS ON DEMAND The following titles are available to view during AFM at Loews Hotel, Room 334
ALL OR NOTHIN’
Drama, historical, suspense, true story. 88mins. Dir: Charles K Campbell. Scr: Charles K Campbell. Cast: Carl G Herrick, Brendan Alpiner. Michigan Pride. In 1853, 28 slaves escaped from Boone County, Kentucky. Unwilling to accept their departure, wealthy plantation owners set out to find them. ANY ONE OF US
Documentary. 86mins. Dir: Fernando Villena. Cast: Paul Basagoitia, Nichole Munk. Red Bull Media House. After a devastating spinal cord injury, a driven champion chronicles his life as he battles body and mind in an inspiring story of resilience. ASESINATO EN LA ISLA
ArcLight 4
Drama, suspense, thriller. 90mins. Dir: Alyn Darnay. Cast: Jordi Vilasuso, Barbie Castro, Brian Gros. Concord Films (US); Reel One Entertainment (international).
WHITE CHAMBER
ASTRAL
Sci-fi. 89mins. Dir: Paul Raschid. Scr: Paul Raschid. Cast: Shauna MacDonald, Oded Fehr, Amrita Acharia. MPI Media Group. In a dystopian Britain torn apart by civil war, a woman with a questionable past finds herself the latest subject of a futuristic prison pod.
Horror, thriller. 84mins. Dir: Chris Mul. Scr: Chris Mul. Cast: Frank Dillane, Vanessa Grasse, Damson Idris. Film Seekers. A student coming to terms with the death of his mother turns to astral projection to reconnect with her.
AMC Santa Monica 4
Action/adventure. 98mins. Dir: Harley Wallen. Scr: Harley Wallen. Cast: John Savage, Richard Tyson, Blanca Blanco. Vision Films. When the Cartel comes to Detroit and tries to push the Russian Mafia out, things don’t go as planned. So now the mayor must do whatever it takes to get his kidnapped daughter back.
Dir: Vonda Harrell, Daniel Camenisch. Scr: Vonda Harrell, Daniel Camenisch. Cast: Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, George Bush. Mission Pictures International. Explores key moments in Billy Graham’s journey from dairy farmer’s son to evangelist.
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BUCKSHOT
Road movie. 80mins. Dir: Joshua J Smith. Scr: Joshua J Smith. Cast: Frank Collison, Tim DeZarn, Allan Wasserman. Princ Films. A struggling country singer journeys to Nashville in his father’s footsteps. DEAD ON ARRIVAL
Thriller. 97mins. Dir: Stephen C Sepher. Scr: Stephen C Sepher. Cast: Billy Flynn, Christa B Allen, Scottie Thompson, Lillo Brancato, DB Sweeney, Chris Mulkey. Vision Films. A sales rep visits a small town in Louisiana on business and finds himself caught up a dark world of corruption and murder with 24 hours to live, running from the police, the mob and a sheriff who wants him dead. DIRTY DEAD CON MEN
WRAITH
Supernatural Thriller. 100mins. Dir: Michael O Sajbel. Scr: Michael O Sajbel. Cast: Lance Henriksen, Jackson Hurst, Ali Hillis. Princ Films. After living in an old mansion for almost 10 years, a family suddenly discover a ghost-like presence trying to communicate with them. Laemmle Monica Film Center 6
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BETRAYED
BILLY GRAHAM: AN EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY
Documentary. 72mins.
Action/adventure. 85mins. Dir: MarieGrete Heinemann. Scr: Kevin Interdonato. Cast: Claudia Christian, Louis Mandylor, Peter Dobson, Kristen Dalton. Princ Films. Mickey Rady, a rogue undercover cop, and Kook Packard, a smooth and charismatic con man, together rip off those operating outside of the law for their own gain. But things go awry when a heist sucks them deep into a city-wide conspiracy. DORMITORYO: ENDLESS ROOM
Comedy, drama. 80mins. Dir: Emerson Reyes. Scr: Emerson Reyes. Cast: Ces Quesada, Charles Aaron Salazar, Vandolph Quizon. TBA Studios. Set one rainy evening in a dorm where the varied
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November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 23
SCREENINGS
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AFM SCREENINGS ON DEMAND KILLER ISLAND
Drama, suspense, thriller. 90mins. Dir: Alyn Darnay. Scr: Christine Conradt. Cast: Barbie Castro, Jordi Vilasuso, Jackie Moore, occupants are at some pivotal point in their lives, all tucked away in solitary rooms, talking about collective experiences, sharing a similar fate.
Jacy King. Concord Films. While on a dream vacation, a woman becomes a target when she suspects one of the locals may have committed multiple murders. Loews Hotel, Room 334
Nero. Vedado Films. A lost man finds passion again in Cuba, aided by music and the son he never met. HEAVY WATER
DREAM KILLER
Drama, musical, suspense, thriller. 90mins. Dir: Barbie Castro. Scr: David Chester, Doug Campbell. Cast: Christy Carlson Romano, Taylor Castro, Jacy King. Concord Films. When a rising teen singer is accused of murdering her producer, her supportive mother must save her.
Documentary. 85mins. Dir: Michael Oblowitz. Scr: Michael Oblowitz. Cast: Nathan Fletcher, Makua Rothman, Danny Fuller, Herbie Fletcher. Red Bull Media House. A close look at Nathan Fletcher’s relationship with big-wave surfing. I’LL BE NEXT DOOR FOR CHRISTMAS
Romance. 90mins. Dir: Terry Cunningham. Scr: Rick Garman, Catherine Fridey. Cast: Alexa PenaVega, Carlos PenaVega. Mission Pictures International. Returning to her hometown in Utah to restore a derelict hotel in time for Christmas, Laura Trudeau discovers old passions and true love can never be fully forgotten.
Comedy, family. 100mins. Dir: David Jay Willis. Jenna Park. Cast: Juliette Angelo, Atticus Shaffer, Nicole Sullivan. Vision Films. When 16-year-old Nickey’s long-distance boyfriend decides to visit for the holidays, she’s determined to spare him her family’s over-the-top Christmas obsession by staging a fake Christmas.
FIDEL UP CLOSE
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE
Documentary, historical. 90mins. Dir: Gabriel Beristain, Roberto Chile, Eduardo ‘Tato’ Flores. Scr: Hubert Barrero. Vedado Films. Reveals the man behind the myth.
Drama, family. 150mins. Dir: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin. Scr: Alex Cramer, Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle. Cast: Dennis Quaid, Cloris Leachman, J Michael Finley. Mission Pictures International. The true story of Bart Millard, lead singer of the band MercyMe.
ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS
HAVANA KYRIE
Drama, family, musical. 105mins. Dir: Paolo Confsorti. Scr: Alfredo Mazzara. Cast: Franco www.screendaily.com
KILLER ISLAND Se box, above
LIVING AMONG US
Horror. 82mins. Dir: Brian A Metcalf. Scr: Brian A Metcalf. Cast: Esme Bianco, John Heard, Thomas Ian Nicholas, William Sadler, Andrew Keegan. Vision Films. When vampires make themselves public, a group of documentarians granted access soon realise they are in for more than they bargained. MAKING BABIES
Romantic comedy. 88mins. Dir: Josh F Huber. Scr: Josh F Huber. Cast: Eliza Coupe, Steve Howey, Ed Begley Jr. Vision Films. A couple put their bodies, wallet and marriage through the ringer of modern infertility treatments. MARRIAGE KILLER
Drama, suspense, thriller. 90mins. Dir: Bernard Salzman. Scr: Doug Campbell, David Chester. Cast: Jason London, Barbie Castro, Kristen Renton. Concord Films. A married couple decide to explore a “member’s only night club” but soon realise the deadly consequences.
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MY FOOLISH HEART
Drama. 83mins. Dir: Rolf van Eijk. Scr: Rolf van Eijk. Cast: Steve Wall, Gijs Naber, Raymond Thiry. Media Luna New Films. The last days of legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker.
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November 3, 2018 Screen International at AFM 25
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SCREENINGS
at AFM
screening TODAY Nov. 3rd • 11:00 AM Laemmle 3
NEOMANILA
RISE OF THE SUPERHEROES
Drama, suspense, thriller. 101mins. Dir: Mikhail Red. Scr: Mikhail Red, Rae Red, Zig Madamba Dulay. Cast: Eula Valdez, Timothy Castillo, Rocky Salumbides. TBA Studios. An orphan teenager is recruited by a notorious death squad. The group’s leader becomes a maternal figure to the young boy but their loyalties will be tested.
Documentary. 115mins. Dir: Tom O’Dell. Scr: Tom O’Dell. Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Hugh Jackman, Chris Claremont. Vision Films. Story of how superheroes have conquered the world.
OCTAV
MY FOOLISH HEART by Rolf van Eijk
Nov. 3rd • 3:00 PM Laemmle 3
Drama, romance. 102mins. Dir: Serge Ioan Celebidachi. Scr: James Olivier, Serge Loan Celebidachi. Cast: Marcel Iures, Victor Rebengiuc. Little Film Company. Octav returns home to sell his childhood house. As he wanders through the estate, he relives his childhood, finding answers to the questions that have cast a shadow over his adult life. THE OTHER STORY
Drama. 112mins. Dir: Avi Nesher. Scr: Avi Nesher, Noam Schpancer. Cast: Joy Rieger, Sasson Gabai. Foresight Unlimited. Two rebellious young women cross paths unexpectedly in Jerusalem. THE OVAL
ZOOKS by Kristoff and Dimitri Leue
screening TOMORROW Nov. 4th • 11:30 AM Laemmle 4
Thriller. 85mins. Dir: John Safyurtlu. Scr: John Safyurtlu. Cast: Michael Shaffrey. Aegean Entertainment. An unstable president orders a nuclear strike in an attempt to retain power. PERSECUTED
Thriller. 100mins. Dir: Yesid Leone. Scr: Yesid Leone. Cast: Maria Gaviria, Roberto Escobar. Media Luna New Films. A journey through crime, corruption and the psychology of the human being. POINT MAN
THE CAKE GENERAL
by Filip Hammar and Frederik Wikingsson
Visit us!
www.medialuna.biz 26 Screen International at AFM November 3, 2018
@ Loews 630 Ida Martins • +49 170 966 7900
Action/adventure, drama. 97mins. Dir: Phil Blattenberger. Scr: Phil Blattenberger. Cast: Christopher Long, Jacob Keohane, Chase Gutzmore. Vision Films. A trio of soldiers vow revenge on their platoon when they are left behind enemy lines.
THE STOP HIT
Action/adventure, martial arts, thriller. 100mins. Dir: Dr Z. Scr: Dr Z. Cast: Dr Z, Carter Wong, John Ng-Long Cheung. Reel Asian Films. Story of an international drug ring between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. THE UNWILLING
Horror, thriller. 84mins. Dir: Jonathan Heap. Cast: Dina Meyer, Lance Henriksen. Vision Films. After the death of a much-despised patriarch, a mysterious box shows up during the reading of the will.
THE DAILY AT AFM Suite 333, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, 1700 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, California, 90401 Tel +1 310 458 6700 (ext 333) Editorial Editor Matt Mueller, matt.mueller@screendaily.com, +44 7880 526 547 US editor Jeremy Kay, jeremykay67@gmail.com, +1 310 922 5908 Senior reporter Tom Grater, tom.grater@screendaily.com, +44 7436 096 420 Group head of production & art Mark Mowbray, mark.mowbray@screendaily.com, +44 7710 124 065 Group art director Peter Gingell Sub editors Willemijn Barker-Benfield, Paul Lindsell, Adam Richmond Advertising and publishing Publishing director Nadia Romdhani, nadia. romdhani@screendaily.com, +44 7540 100 315
THE WAY WE WEREN’T
Commercial director
Romantic comedy. 93mins. Dir: Rick Hays. Cast: Fiona Gubelmann, Ben Lawson, Tobin Bell. Vision Films. Two people who meet after their previous relationships have imploded, exaggerate, fib and outright lie to make themselves more appealing.
Scott Benfold,
WE DIE YOUNG
Action/adventure. 96mins. Dir: Lior Geller. Scr: Lior Geller. Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme. Foresight Unlimited. A 14-year-old boy inducted into gang life is determined his 10-year-old brother won’t follow the same path. WHAT LIES AHEAD
Thriller. 88mins. Dir: Rob Gardner. Scr: William J Viglione. Cast: Rumer Willis, Emma Dumont, Kelly Blatz. Vision Films. When two young women embark on a road trip, an unseen peril emerges.
scott.benfold@screendaily.com, +44 7765 257 260 President, North America Nigel Daly, nigeldalymail@gmail. com, +1 213 447 5120 US sales executives Danny De Lillo, danny.delillo@ screendaily.com, +1 917 818 8701 Nikki Tilmouth, nikki. screeninternational@gmail.com, +1 323 868 7633 International account managers Hettie Halden, hettie.halden@screendaily.com, +44 7900 500 799 Ingrid Hammond, ingridhammond@mac.com Gunter Zerbich, gunter.zerbich@screendaily.com, +44 7540 100 254 Production manager Jonathon Cooke, jonathon.cooke@mb-insight.com, +44 7584 335 148 Chief executive, MBI Conor Dignam Printer Sinclair Printing, Los Angeles Screen International, London MBI, Zetland House, 5-25 Scrutton Street, London EC2A
ZOOKS
Animation. 93mins. Dir: Kristoff Leue, Dimitri Leue. Scr: Kristoff Leue, Dimitri Leue. Media Luna New Films. A contemporary fairy tale about people and nature.
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