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Asia Insider

Malaysian art horror ‘Tiger Stripes’ scoops top Cannes Critics’ Week prize

Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu’s art horrorTiger Stripeswon the top €10,000 grand prize of the 62ndedition of Cannes’ Critics Week sidebar.Nell Eu’s debut feature explores themes of metamorphosis and rebellion in her film about a teenage girl whose body begins to morph at an alarming rate as she learns to embrace her true self. The film is a multiterritory coproduction between Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Indonesia and Qatar.Screen’sreview said the film“truly growls in its depiction of the brutal nature of girl friendship and the shock of the menstrual metamorphosis.”Not only isTiger Stripesthe first film from Malaysia in Cannes for several years, but Eu is the first female director from the country in selection at the festival. Films Boutique is handling international sales and Jour2Fete will release the film in France.“Irreverent and uncompromising,Tiger Stripesdoes not try to please, it is content to fully assume its seductive singularity. It was the first film of the selection that we saw. It has passed the test of time,” Critics’ Week’s 2023 jury president Audrey Diwan told Screen.Other prizesIn its second year, the €8,000 French Touch jury prize went to Belgian filmmaker Paloma SermonDaï’sIt’s Raining in the House(Il Pleut Dans la Maison),about a brother and sister struggling to survive as their home floods and their bank accounts dry up.Jovan Ginic scooped the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for Best Actor for Vladimir Perisic’sLost Country.Nans LabordeJourdàa’sBolérotook both the Leitz Ciné Discovery Prize for best short film and the Canal+ short film award.The Gan Foundation award for Distribution went to French distributor Pyramide Films for Amjad Al Rasheed’sInshallah A Boy,a debut feature about a home care worker, widow and mother (Palestinian actress Mouna Hawa) who fights for her independence.Iris Kaltenback won the SACD prize for screenwriting forThe Rapture(Le Ravissement)that she also directs. The psychological thriller tackles themes of female friendship and motherhood and stars Hafsia Herzi, Nina Meurisse, Alexis Manenti and Younes Boucif.Led by artistic director Ava Cahen, now in her second year at the helm, this year’s Critics Week featured 11 films and seven in competition, all of which were world premieres and six of which were directed by women, including four in competition.Diwan was joined on her jury by journalist, curator and advisor to the programming of the Berlin Film Festival Meenakshi Shedde as well as Sundance’s Film Festival programming director Kim Yutani.Last year’s grand prize went to Andrés Ramírez Pulido’sThe Pack (La Jauria),while UK director Charlotte Wells’s fatherdaughter dramaAftersunwon the inaugural French Touch Prize before heading off to its prizewinning run on the international festival and awards circuit.The prizes were announced in a closing ceremony in the Critics’ Week Espace Miramar, followed by closing night film Erwan Le Duc’s tragicomedy and second featureNo Love Lost.The competition is not over for the first features in the selection. They are still eligible for Cannes’ Caméra d’Or aimed at debut features in the parallel sections as well as Official Selection.Article by REBECCA LEFFLER25 MAY 2023 SCREENDAILY Picture Source by Films Boutique

05.25.2023

Japan greenlights first official production incentives

Japan is launching a highly anticipated production incentive programme to attract films, highend TV and streaming projects to shoot in the country.The incentive will be open to largescale international film and TV projects that spend at least JPY500m ($3.6m) on production costs in Japan or whose total production costs exceed JPY1bn ($7.2m) and direct production costs in Japan exceed JPY200m ($1.4m).The amount of funding made available for overseas productions has yet to be revealed but details are expected before the end of July, when applications will first be invited.Screenunderstands it will exceed the amount offered during a fouryear pilot programme, which offered a rebate up to 20%, with an initial budget of JPY180m ($1.3m) and benefited features including US action filmGI Joe: Snake Eyesand China’sDetective Chinatown 3.It more recently supported Sony Pictures’ upcoming video game adaptationGran Turismo, two seasons of HBO Max crime dramaTokyo Viceand upcoming Apple TV+Sunny, a dark comedy starring Rashida Jones from A24.The programme will also be available to projects that are scheduled for release in more than 10 countries, whose direct production costs in Japan exceed JPY200m ($1.4m).Direct expenses related to film production in Japan such as payments to Japanese corporations, individuals, local governments and public organisations are eligible for funding. However, only expenses incurred after the eligibility date will be funded.The incentive scheme was confirmed by Japan’s Visual Industry Promotion Organisation (VIPO) in cooperation with the Japan Film Commission (JFC), on behalf of the government’s ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI), which is speaking to production companies about the programme at the ongoing Cannes market.Interest in filming in Japan has skyrocketed over the past decade, drawn by its iconic locations and highly skilled crew. However, while there are incentives from regional film commissions, Japan had not offered a national incentive programme like many of its neighbouring countries in Asia.The industry had been awaiting an update after the pilot scheme was not renewed after its final deadline for applications passed last June. Now confirmed, the new programme will enable Japan to remain competitive in the region.Ruriko Sekine, secretary general and film commissioner at the JFC, toldScreen: “The pilot programme proved that attracting international projects had a significant positive impact on the economy and domestic film industry. We have finally obtained an incentive to get Japanthemed works filmed in Japan, promoting the country.”Article by Michael Rosser 19 MAY 2023 SCREENDAILY Picture source by James Lisle/HBO Max Tokyo Vice

05.22.2023