Jaume Balagueró: Celebs Rumors

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Founded in 1953, bought by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one of its biggest true-blue independent studios in Spain, involved in film and TV pro- duction, and movie distribution, international film and TV sales and exhibition. Founded in 1953, bought by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one of its biggest true-blue independent studios in Spain, involved in film and TV production, and movie distribution, international film and TV sales and exhibition. How it got there is another question. “At Filmax, we’ve always bet on creative talent. In Spain, there’s always been creative talents that have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax executive producer. “Filmax has known how to find talent in all parts of film production: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and directors.”

Liza Foreman ZDF Studios has signed a deal to distribute the second season of the remake of the iconic Spanish horror series “Stories to Stay Awake” (“Historias Para No Dormir”). The series is a reboot of the classic series created by Spain’s Chicho Ibáñez Serrador in the 1960s which proved a milestone in Spanish horror, introducing Spain to classic tales from Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allen Poe,   The deal sees ZDF Studios taking distribution rights to “Stories” in all territories outside Spain, Portugal, Italy and Latin America, which will be handled by Paramount Global Content Distribution. ZDF operated in the same capacity for the first season.

Wilson Chapman editorGet ready to crank up that polka music. “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” the upcoming Roku original film starring Daniel Radcliffe as the beloved parody musician, will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.The film will screen Sept. 8, TIFF’s opening night, as the first film in the festival’s annual Midnight Madness programming series.

MIDNIGHT MADNESSWeird: The Al Yankovic Story – Eric Appel | USAWorld PremiereThe Blackening – Tim Story | USAWorld PremierePearl – Ti West | USANorth American PremiereThe People’s Joker – Vera Drew | USAWorld PremiereProject Wolf Hunting – Kim Hongsun | South KoreaWorld PremiereSick – John Hyams | USAWorld PremiereSisu – Jalmari Helander | FinlandWorld PremiereVenus – Jaume Balagueró | SpainWorld PremiereV/H/S 99 – Flying Lotus, Johannes Roberts, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Vanessa & Joseph Winter | USAWorld PremiereLeonor Will Never Die – Martika Ramirez Escobar | PhilippinesCanadian PremiereWAVELENGTHSFeaturesConcrete Valley – Antoine Bourges | Canada World PremiereDe Humani Corporis Fabrica – Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor | France, SwitzerlandNorth American PremiereDry Ground Burning (Mato Seco em Chamas) – Joana Pimenta, Adirley Queirós | Portugal, BrazilNorth American PremiereHorse Opera – Moyra Davey | USAFestival PremierePacifiction – Albert Serra | France, Spain, Germany, PortugalNorth American PremiereQueens of the Qing Dynasty – Ashley McKenzie | Canada North American PremiereUnrest (Unrueh) – Cyril Schäublin | SwitzerlandNorth American PremiereWill-o’-the-Wisp (Fogo-Fátuo) – João Pedro Rodrigues | Portugal, FranceNorth American PremiereShortsAfter Work – Céline Condorelli, Ben Rivers | United KingdomNorth American PremiereBigger on the Inside – Angelo Madsen Minax | USAWorld PremiereEVENTIDE – Sharon Lockhart | USAWorld PremiereF1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now – Fox Maxy | Mesa Grande Reservation/USAFestival PremiereFata Morgana – Tacita Dean | United Kingdom, USAFestival PremiereHors-titre – Wiame Haddad | FranceNorth American PremiereI Thought the World of You – Kurt Walker | Canada North

Marta Balaga Things got personal at Cannes Market’s Fantastic 7 showcase this year, highlighting upcoming genre projects selected by seven festivals including Spain’s Sitges, Bucheon in South Korea, Cairo, Guadalajara in Mexico, SXSW and Toronto, as well as Whanau Marama New Zealand Intl. Film Festival.“I think it’s my most personal film ever,” said director Jaume Balagueró, also behind “[REC],” co-directed with Paco Plaza.In his latest film “Venus,” presented by Sitges, he will combine elements of survival drama and modern witchery.

Banijay Iberia is getting into Spanish horror drama after striking a partnership deal with Álex de la Iglesia and Carolina Bang’s scripted producer Pokeepsie Films. Deadline understands Banijay has made an equity investment in the Madrid-based company, which is behind HBO Max mystery horror drama 30 Coins.

Ed Meza @edmezavarSpanish distributors, who have enjoyed a strong track record selling remake rights to local pics, have received a major boost this year with the Malaga Festival Industry Zone’s (MAFIZ) inaugural Remake Day event on Thursday.Leading film sales companies, among them Cinema Republic, Latido Films, Filmax and Feel Content, presented showcases of films considered particularly adaptable to foreign markets. Not surprisingly, comedies and genre pics made up most of the selections.David Castellanos’ Cinema Republic offered one strong example with Borja Cobeaga’s  hit 2009 romantic comedy “Pagafantas,” which has over the years sold to Germany, Italy and Mexico.Cinema Republic also touted Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wedding” (“La Boda de Rosa”), about a woman in her mid-40s who decides to finally take charge of her life and fulfill her dream of starting a business.

Jamie Lang The Fear Collection, a new horror-based joint venture between Sony Pictures International, Amazon Prime Video and Alex de la Iglesia’s Pokeepsie Films, has announced its next feature production, “Venus” from Spanish genre legend Jaume Balagueró (“[Rec]” “Mientras duermes”) and starring one of the country’s most exciting young actors, Ester Expósito (“Élite,” “Someone Has to Die”).Balagueró’s new feature was announced at the genre-specialist Sitges Film Festival, where De la Iglesia was premiering his latest “Veneciafrenia,” the first production undertaken by The Fear Collection.

Emiliano De Pablos Spain’s Borja González Santaolalla, who co-penned Jaume Balagueró’s movie “Way Down,” and Ángel Agudo, a scribe on Atresmedia’s “Luimelia,” have boarded the family TV series project “Harrogate Detective Agency” as its director and co-scribe respectively.Inspired by Agatha Christie novels, the TV series project has been created by C.J. Navas and Juan Galonce at Alicante-based outfit Fuera de Series Producciones.“Harrogate” is a eight-episode, 25- minute series that narrates the summer mystery adventures of three little sisters at their widower grandfather’s house.It features among five TV short-form series projects that will be pitched on Wednesday, Sept.

Dennis Harvey Film CriticRetitled from the even more indistinct “Way Down” for U.S. release, Spanish heist “The Vault” stubbornly remains one of those movies you know you’ll be forgetting almost as soon as you finish watching it.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentSaban Films has acquired rights to the U.S. and Canada on Jaume Balagueró’s “The Vault” (F.K.A.

MADRID — One of Europe’s best-known genre auteurs, Jaume Balagueró (“[REC]” franchise, “Sleep Tight”) is teaming with fellow Spaniard Pau Freixas, writer-director of “The Red Band Society,” and creator of Mediaset España’s “I Know Who You Are,” on a small-screen version of “Los sin nombre” (“The Nameless”).