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NEWS Friday 11 May 2018
DAY 4

NEW PLAYER RISE UP CANNES Q&A:
LAUNCHES IN CANNES
WRITER director, and producer Maria
Pulera is launching her production and ELLEN WANDER
distribution company, Rise Up, in Cannes
with partners Eric Banoun and David
Hillary, it was announced today. PRESIDENT, FILM BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL
The company is backed by a Spanish-
Israeli finance fund. The goal is to shoot What was your first Cannes focused on great material as we are
and distribute three to four globally and what were you doing getting more involved in producing our
diverse stories told through a range of there that year? own films as well as solidifying our base
different voices each year. My first Cannes, I was Senior Vice- of distributors. Sales agents have a keen
Its first production, Between Worlds, President of International Distribution understanding of the market, its tastes
starring Nicolas Cage, Franka Potente, for Turner Pictures. I was hired to find and its values. We understand that films
and Penelope Mitchell, centres on a cinema releases for films TNT produced have to be made for a budget that’s
spiritually gifted woman who enlists for broadcast in the US reflective of the market.
Joe (Cage) in an attempt to recover
the lost soul of her comatose daughter, What are you doing there What’s the state of the industry
Billie (Mitchell). this year? from your perspective?
Altogether, the company has seven new We are expanding market opportunities As technology evolves, the industry is
projects greenlit. The first to go into for Film Bridge International. We have shrinking. There are fewer distributors
production is the Spanish neo-noir title, our first major action title: Assassin’s and fewer cinema release opportunities
El Matador, which Pulera penned and will Club which we are very excited about. for features. Studios dominate cinemas. © DR
direct in Spain in July. Also, we have our first faith-based film, In the past, independent distributors
The story follows an assassin who takes An Interview With God starring David often released as many as 10 titles a to which James was attached as a
on his final job and a beautiful singer in Sraithairn and Brenton Thwaites, and an month in DVD and cinema. Now most producer. Ismail cooked a fabulous
a nightclub who is witness to it all. A engaging, smart, musical romance, Mya are releasing eight, if not fewer, a year. Indian dinner
second project, Johnny Thunders, is the to be directed by the brilliant and world Expanding digital platforms certainly
biopic about American punk rock hero renowned choreographer Fatima have an appetite for features offering Best and worst Cannes films?
Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls. Robinson. The film has major market outlets for independent producers. That Best — the Palais screening of Midnight
The feature film will be directed by potential as the film is relatable to any said, the independent market is In Paris was a great moment. The
Swedish director Jonas Akerlund whose culture. Additionally, we are presenting absolutely more competitive now. audience loved the film and adored
recent film, Lords of Chaos, was shown other titles that we will be financing and Lenders are increasingly conservative, Woody Allen. Worst — no worst. It’s
at Sundance this year. producing. We have a new financial which alters the financing plan, making very difficult to make a movie, and it’s
Meanwhile, The Clean Up is a violent partner enabling us to be more aggressive equity more important. More than ever, extraordinarily difficult to make a good
contemporary noir thriller in the vein in the marketplace; as are always hunting success requires really outstanding movie. Every film has merit for the effort
of Pulp Fiction, and is written, for good material. Cannes is an ideal material. Finding that material, is the involved.
to be directed by Alex Turner. place to meet with film-makers that we tough part.
No-No Boy is based on the only novel want to work with and certainly a good Favourite hang out?
published by Japanese-American writer place to learn about international Best and worst Cannes moments? I don’t have time to hang out, but I often
John Okada, and is to be directed by production incentives as they expand As I look back today, I’m not sure if it was enjoy my last day in Cannes at the small
Musashi Alexander. After World War II, around the world. my best or worst Cannes moment: lunch restaurant on the Ile Sainte-Honorat. It’s
Ichiro Yamada, a Japanese American with Harvey Weinstein at the Carlton overpriced but the ambiance is lovely. A
student returns home to a Japanese What is your main focus? Beach. My most memorable moment was glass of rose, tables adjacent to the sea —
enclave in Seattle, Washington after The market is changing, and although we a small dinner party with James Ivory and and rarely any market badges. Ideal spot
spending two years in an American pay attention to trends, we also remain Ismail Merchant. I was involved in a film to unwind after 130 meetings.✦ LF
internment camp and two years in
federal prison for refusing to fight for
the US during World War II. Reluctant director Khabensky grasped very quickly what I had in mind,
In addition to the five feature films, Rise and sometimes shared their ideas. We
Up has two television series in the works. were shooting in Lithuania in autumn
Gaddafi Stories is a limited series based makes his debut with Sobibor when real historical events took place —
on Gaddafi’s inside circle and close family and it’s a very short autumn there.
accounts. Finding the Good has been The professionalism of the actors allowed
created by Dominic Pulera, which takes a USSIAN actor Konstantin Olzanska, Wolfgang Cerny, and Felice us to work at a great pace. I guess
tour of the world to find goodness in Khabensky is in Cannes for Jankell also star. we wouldn’t have managed that
humanity, glamour and positivity. the market screening of his Khabensky had never intended to with another cast,” he said.
“David Hillary and I hit it off instantly directorial debut, Sobibor. become a director. “I was sure that And he believes he wouldn’t have ended
after producing Between Worlds R The film tells the true story I would never even try it, as it is a up as director if it had been any other
together. We have the same ideas about of a rebellion in the Polish death camp completely different profession,” he said. story. “It’s so strong, breathtaking, almost
what makes a good film and the kinds of Sobibor in 1943 and its release “I came to this film as an actor, and then unimaginable. It was one of those big
stories we want told and to be put out commemorates the 75th anniversary I just got involved in the story. I started challenges one just can’t turn down.”
into the world,” Pulera said. “Together of this event — the only successful revolt to offer some ideas and solutions beyond Sobibor is produced by Cinema
with my producing partner Eric Banoun, against the Nazis throughout the whole the scope of my role, and finally I got Production and Fetisoff Illusion,
we knew joining forces to build our own of World War II. The revolt was lead the offer to become the director. I with the support of Alexander Pechersky
company and produce our own films by Soviet prisoner Alexander Pechersky laughed at first, but we talked again Foundation. The producers are Elmira
on our terms was the natural next step and resulted in the setting free of several after a couple of months, I gave it some Aynulova, Gleb Fetisov and Mariya
for us. Cannes is the perfect platform hundred prisoners of different thought and finally accepted. It’s not up Zhuromskaya.
to launch our company on the back of nationalities, languages, cultures to me to decide whether my debut is The film pre-sold to France, Switzerland,
the debut of our very first film, Between and faith. successful or not. But I certainly don’t the UK, Spain, Benelux, Poland, Hungary,
Worlds. I am very proud of this film and The film stars Khabensky (Wanted, Night regret this decision.” Bulgaria, Japan, Australia, Israel and
look forward to many, many more.” ✦ Watch, Trotsky) as Pechersky; Christopher Working with an experienced Germany. All Media is distributing.✦
Liza Foreman Lambert, Maximillian Dirr, Mikhalina international cast helped. “The actors Julian Newby

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