NENT Sets Icelandic Crime Drama; Tony Todd Sci-Fi Gets Domestic Deal; Venice Fest Ceremonies Host; 200,000 Free UK Cinema Tickets — Global Briefs

Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
·2 min read

NENT Orders Icelandic Crime Drama

Nordic streamer Nordic Entertainment Group has ordered psychological crime drama Sisterhood. The six-episode series stars Lilja Nótt Þórarinsdóttir (The Midnight Sky), Jóhanna Friðrika Sæmundsdóttir (Happily Never After) and Eddan Award winners Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir (Trapped) and Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir (Woman at War). The drama will premiere on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in 2022. The series will ask who was really responsible for a young girl’s disappearance in Iceland 25 years ago. Ambitious police detective Vera (Geirharðsdóttir), dissatisfied with the original investigation, investigates an unlikely trio of successful and respectable women.

Tony Todd Thriller Gets Domestic Deal

EXCLUSIVE: SP Releasing has acquired domestic rights to Andy Stapp’s directorial debut Destination Marfa starring Candy Man actor Tony Todd and Stelio Savante. ​​The film follows four lifelong friends who decide to veer off the road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa, where they encounter mysterious lights as the line between reality and fantasy become increasingly blurred​. Producers are Stelio Savante​ and​ Starla Christian​ with Stapp serving as executive produce​r​. Release date has been set for August 3, 2021. Marty Poole and Kirk Harris from Fairway Film Alliance negotiated the deal with Lara Minassian of SP Releasing on behalf of the filmmakers. Fairway continues to handle world sales​. You can see a clip of the film here.

Venice Film Festival Picks Ceremonies Host
Actress Serena Rossi will host the opening and closing nights of the 2021 Venice International Film Festival. The Naples-born performer is recognized for her roles across film and TV including the Manetti brothers’ Ammore E Malavita, which played in competition at the 75th Venice Film Festival, winning her a variety of awards. She is also known for doing voice work in the Italian dubs of films including Frozen and The Return of Mary Poppins, and she is a noted recording artist and TV host. Rossi will host the opening ceremony on September 1 before hosting the closing on September 11, when the awards will be handed out.

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UK Audiences To Receive 200,000 Free Cinema Tickets
UK cinemagoers will be able to access 200,000 free tickets when the National Lottery Cinema Weekend returns this year, June 19-20. More than 500 cinemas across the country will participate, with the initiative a welcome boost for venues that have been badly hit by the pandemic. Theaters are set to re-open next month have been closed for close to six months. The event last took place in 2019, when 60,000 tickets were given out across 250 venues. To receive a pair of free tickets, people need to buy a National Lottery ticket. Films on show will range from classics to latest releases.

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