Ukraine Doc Series ‘Citizens At War’ Readied; ‘LUST’ Trailer (Exclusive); ‘Shin Ultraman’ U.S. Sale (Exclusive) — Global Briefs

Jesse Whittock
·3 min read
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Blue An, Film.UA & ZDF Team On Zelenskyy Doc ‘Citizens At War’

Canada’s Blue Ant International has struck a distribution and co-production financing deal for six-part doc series Citizens at War: A Year in Ukraine. The doc will include exclusive, personal interviews with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena, and details how the lives of people in Ukraine were turned upside down by the Russian invasion. Stories include intervies with a Ukrainian beauty queen turned sniper, a Russian soldier terrified by unexpected resistance to his convoy and the sole survivor of a mass execution in Bucha. Blue Ant’s Global Head of Acquisitions and Partnerships Lilla Hurst struck the deal for the series with leading Ukrainian studio Film.UA, Australia’s Tilt Media and GTV Docs in London. Germany’s ZDF is attached as the commissioning broadcaster and the show is expected to debut on the one-year anniversary of the invasion’s beginning in late February. “How the people of a free and democratic society in modern-day Europe rallied, in order to defend their country and national identity against a foreign aggressor, is the most important story of our time,” said Kateryna Vyshnevska, Head of Development and Co-productions Film.UA Group. “All the partners agree the documentary needed to be told in a way that showed the lives of people behind the headlines.” Vyshnevska executive produces alongside Chris Hilton, Tilman Remme and Victor Mirsky.

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‘LUST’ Trailer: Segrin Phillips’ Roku Film Goes “Inside The Mind Of A Cheating Wife”

EXCLUSIVE: Watch the trailer for Roku’s upcoming film LUST: Love Under Serious Temptation below. The Segrin Phillips film, shot in Atlanta and currently in production, is set for So Gorilla Streaming Network on Roku and stars Darvinique Hawthorn, R&B singer Amani, Michael Butler, John West Jr. and Deoineta Hightower. It follows a relationship that goes wrong. “The films takes a journey inside the mind of a cheating wife and the devious steps she takes in the pursuit of happiness,” said Phillips, who writes, shoots, directs and edits his films and composes the accompanying music through his So Gorrila Media banner. “This film explores the other side of the infidelity coin,” he added. LUST marks his seventh feature.

Cleopatra Entertainment Takes U.S. Rights To ‘Shin Ultraman’

EXCLUSIVE: LA’s Cleopatra Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to the latest film in the Japanese superhero franchise Ultraman from Tsuburaya Productions. Shin Ultraman was the sixth highest grossing feature of 2022 in Japan and hits U.S. theaters tomorrow via Fathom Events. Hideaki Anno (Shin Godzilla) is the writer and Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan) the director, with stars including Takumi Saitoh, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masami Nagasawa, Saiki Arioka and Akari Hayami. The plot follows how a silver giant descends from the sky to rescue Japan after huge unidentified life forms known as ‘S-Class species (Kaiju)’ become commonplace. Cleopatra founder and CEO Brian Perera, VP and GM of Cleopatra Entertainment Tim Yasui and negotiated the deal with The Exchange’s Brian O’Shea on behalf of the filmmakers. After its theatrical run ends, Shin Ultraman will release on VOD platforms and as a Blue Ray and DVD.

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