John David Washington & Alicia Vikander Pic Opening Locarno; Saban Inks Distribution Pacts; Secret Cinema ‘Bridgerton’ Experience – Global Briefs

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Locarno Sets ‘Beckett’ As Opening Film
Ferdinando Cito Filomarino’s Beckett, starring John David Washington, Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps and Alicia Vikander, will open the 74th edition of Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival on August 4. Produced by Luca Guadagnino, the film follows an American tourist vacationing in Greece who becomes the target of a manhunt after a devastating accident. The pic will screen at the iconic Piazza Grande before debuting on Netflix from August 13. “There’s a piece of Locarno in the success story of Ferdinando Cito Filomarino. From the Pardi di domani to the Piazza Grande. The Locarno Film Festival as an incubator for talent, a training ground and finally as a launch pad for the most exciting filmmakers of the future,” said Locarno Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro. “Beckett is a thriller that gives an original and contemporary reboot to the lessons learned from directors such as Sydney Pollack and Alan J. Pakula. An action film with a humanist dimension and intense civil engagement, here underpinned by a magisterial performance from John David Washington. Political commitment and great entertainment are the two main ingredients for a Piazza Grande that aims to surprise audiences and reassert the centrality of film in all its forms.”

Saban Inks Global Distribution Partnerships
Saban Films has struck a host of new distribution deals with a variety of partners. They are: Splendid in Austria and Germany; ACE Entertainment in France; Mis.Label in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland; Key2Media in Spain; and Defiant Screen Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand. The new pacts follow the one made back in September with Altitude for the UK and Ireland. Saban’s recent releases include Wrong Turn starring Charlotte Vega and Matthew Modine, Josh Duhamel’s Buddy Games, Brad Furman’s City of Lies starring Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker, and Eshom Nelms’ Fatman with Mel Gibson. “We have been carefully watching and studying the international marketplace for independent film and know that we’ve found the right partners for what feels like a natural expansion. We’re very excited to broaden our business,” said Bill Bromiley, President of Saban Films.

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Secret Cinema Sets ‘Bridgerton’ Experience
Secret Cinema has set its latest experience based on a Netflix property: an event based on the steamy series Bridgerton will open in November 2021 in London. The experience promises to emerge attendees in Regency-era London, acquainting them with the characters from the show. It will feature dance classes, choir practice, as well as food and drink.

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