FRED Film Radio - English Channel

FRED Film Radio - English Channel

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FRED Film Radio - English Channel episodes

  • “Holy Crowd”, interview with the directors Reza Fahriyansyah and Ananth Subramaniam

    Presented at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the International Critics’ Week initiative, Next Step Studio, “Holy Crowd” transforms a supernatural premise into a sharp reflection on social behaviour and collective hysteria.

    Co-directed by Indonesian filmmaker Reza Fahriyansyah and Malaysian director Ananth Subramaniam, the short film begins with a seemingly impossible event: a woman dies, only to suddenly return to life during her funeral.

    What initially appears to be a miracle rapidly spirals into chaos. The resurrected woman becomes the object of fascination, opportunism, and projection, while those around her attempt to extract meaning, power, or personal gain from the extraordinary situation.

    For the filmmakers, however, the miracle itself was never the true subject of the film.

    “We were very interested in herd mentality,” Ananth Subramaniam explained. Despite coming from different countries and cultural backgrounds, both directors recognised the same instinctive social patterns within Southeast Asian societies: the tendency to follow collective emotion, especially when confronted with religious or mystical phenomena.

    The film uses absurdity and humour to expose how easily communities can transform belief into spectacle.

    Faith, power and the comedy of human behaviour

    One of the most compelling aspects of “Holy Crowd” is the uneasy balance between comedy and discomfort. The reactions surrounding the resurrection are frequently ridiculous, yet they also reveal deeper anxieties about faith, authority, and social pressure.

    For Reza Fahriyansyah, questions of power became central to the project, “People always believe in something bigger than themselves,” he observed.

    Rather than mocking religion directly, the film examines how belief systems can become performative under collective pressure. Crowds gather not only out of faith, but also out of curiosity, fear and opportunism.

    The directors deliberately avoided treating the situation with solemnity. Humour emerged naturally during the writing process, largely because the irrationality of the characters’ behaviour felt simultaneously recognisable and absurd.

    “Sometimes you just don’t understand why people behave this way,” Ananth Subramaniam admitted. “And that becomes funny.”

    The comedy in “Holy Crowd”, therefore, functions less as parody and more as observation. The laughter comes from the unsettling familiarity of mass reactions, particularly in environments where religion, social hierarchy and public performance constantly overlap.

    A powerless protagonist inside collective chaos

    At the centre of the film stands Arif, the husband of the resurrected woman, who becomes an increasingly passive witness to the escalating madness around him.

    The filmmakers intentionally constructed him as a character with almost no control over the situation.

    “In front of the crowd, religion and culture, you are nothing,” Ananth Subramaniam explained.

    Rather than turning Arif into an active hero, the directors were interested in exploring helplessness. His inability to intervene reflects the larger social structures surrounding him, where individual agency becomes insignificant once collective hysteria takes over.

    This perspective also reinforces the film’s emotional realism. Despite the fantastical premise, “Holy Crowd” remains grounded in ordinary human vulnerability. Miracles may occur, but people still respond through confusion, selfishness and fear.

    For Reza Fahriyansyah, maintaining that human scale was essential.

    “Even with a very big situation, we still wonder how people feel about what happened,” he noted.

    Co-directing across cultures

    Although “Holy Crowd” emerged from a collaboration between filmmakers from Indonesia and Malaysia, both directors emphasised how naturally the partnership evolved.

    Their creative relationship began informally, often through conversations over Indonesian food, particularly different regional varieties of soto.

    “We bonded over soto,” Ananth Subramaniam joked.

    Before writing, the directors established a shared principle for the collaboration: protecting each other’s creative freedom while leaving ego aside. They described the project as both an artistic experiment and a playful testing ground where ideas could become increasingly strange and excessive.

    That openness proved particularly valuable during the writing process.

    Ananth Subramaniam, who had never co-directed before, admitted that collaboration unexpectedly liberated him from the isolation that often accompanies screenwriting.

    “Every time I got stuck, I could throw it to Reza,” he explained.

    For Reza Fahriyansyah, the exchange also became a way of expanding visual and cultural perspectives, especially regarding funeral rituals and spiritual symbolism, which differ subtly between Indonesia and Malaysia.

    The post “Holy Crowd”, interview with the directors Reza Fahriyansyah and Ananth Subramaniam appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    10 min
  • “Mothers are Mothering”, interview with the directors Khozy Rizal and Lam Li Shuen

    Presented during the Cannes Film Festival as part of the International Critics’ Week initiative, Next Step Studio: Indonesia,

    “Makers Are Mothering” emerges as one of the most singular short films of the program dedicated to new Indonesian voices in cinema.

    Co-directed by Indonesian filmmaker Khozy Rizal and Singaporean director Lam Li Shuen, the film combines black comedy, queer sensibility and science fiction to tell the story of Nia, a woman trapped within domestic suffocation and emotional displacement.

    For Khozy Rizal, the project’s origin was deeply personal.

    “It came from my mother,” he explained. “She always went out of the house, and when I asked why, she said she didn’t like being at home, and she didn’t like my father.”

    That revelation became the emotional nucleus of the story. Khozy Rizal initially imagined the project as a comedy-drama centred on female friendship and domestic dissatisfaction. The transformation came when he shared the script with Lam Li Shuen, who introduced a radically different perspective.

    “Fantasy and sci-fi can sometimes feel more real than reality,” she observed.

    The addition of alien imagery and speculative elements allowed the filmmakers to externalise feelings of estrangement, especially the sensation of not belonging in one’s own home.

    Motherhood, queerness and chosen solidarity

    The title “Makers Are Mothering” immediately suggests irony and affection at the same time. According to the directors, the phrase originated in queer online culture, where “mothering” is often used to praise someone who performs with confidence or charisma.

    Yet within the film, the expression acquires a more layered meaning.

    The story is populated by multiple maternal figures: Nia herself, the women surrounding her and the mysterious “all-mother” presence that hovers over the narrative. Through these figures, the film explores motherhood not as a fixed biological identity, but as a form of solidarity and mutual survival.

    Female friendship becomes central to the film’s emotional architecture, particularly in contrast to the oppressive domestic environment Nia inhabits.

    The directors deliberately built strong visual oppositions between these spaces. Nia’s home is dark, claustrophobic and emotionally stagnant, while the gatherings between women are vibrant, colourful, and fluid.

    “We wanted to create the feeling of suffocation,” Lam Li Shuen explained, “and then contrast it with moments of freedom.”

    Alienation through fantasy and sensation

    One of the most striking aspects of “Makers Are Mothering” is the way it merges psychological realism with genre elements. Rather than using science fiction as spectacle, the filmmakers employ it as emotional language.

    The alien figure becomes a metaphor for otherness, displacement and desire. To reinforce this sensation, the directors even chose to shoot certain sequences on 16mm film, seeking a warmer, more organic texture that could evoke another universe.

    For Lam Li Shuen, visual language was inseparable from emotional experience.

    “We wanted the audience to feel desire, entrapment and release through the images themselves,” she noted.

    That sensorial approach also shapes the film’s portrayal of violence. Domestic abuse and emotional oppression are rarely shown explicitly. Instead, they emerge through atmosphere, sound and destabilising visual interruptions.

    The recurring earthquake motif, for example, functions simultaneously as a political metaphor for contemporary Indonesia and as an expression of Nia’s unstable emotional reality.

    Khozy Rizal described the house itself as a place that constantly “shakes her up.”

    A collaborative directing process

    Both filmmakers described the collaboration as unusually instinctive and creatively open.

    “We’re both crazy filmmakers,” Khozy Rizal joked. “We were never shy to put everything on the table.”

    Their artistic sensibilities initially appeared very different. Khozy Rizal’s cinema tends toward vibrant colours and emotional immediacy, while Lam Li Shuen’s previous work often explores darker and more restrained atmospheres. Yet the fusion of these approaches ultimately became one of the short film’s defining strengths.

    The production itself was extremely demanding. The entire shoot lasted only two days, despite involving dance choreography, intimacy coordination, practical effects and emotionally complex performances.

    The directors repeatedly emphasised the importance of trust within the cast and crew. Actress Happy Salma, in particular, impressed them with her ability to navigate the film’s constantly shifting emotional tones.

    The challenge was not simply dramatic performance, but sustaining contradictory emotions simultaneously.

    “We wanted scenes that were sad but also funny at once,” Khozy Rizal explained.

    The post “Mothers are Mothering”, interview with the directors Khozy Rizal and Lam Li Shuen appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    12 min
  • “Viva”, interview with the director and protagonist Aina Clotet

    Presented in competition at the Cannes Film Festival within the International Critics’ Week, “Viva” marks the feature directorial debut of Aina Clotet, who also co-wrote and stars in the film.

    The story follows Nora, a forty-year-old woman attempting to reconstruct her emotional life after surviving cancer. Rather than focusing on the illness itself, “Viva” examines what remains afterwards: the emotional scars, the altered perception of the body and the urgent need to feel alive again.

    “We didn’t want to talk about the illness,” Aina Clotet explained. “We wanted to talk about the scar.”

    For the director, the scar functions on multiple levels. It is physical, emotional and existential at once, shaping Nora’s relationship with desire, intimacy and mortality. The protagonist enters a passionate relationship with a younger man while still deeply attached to her husband, becoming trapped between emotional dependence and the desire for liberation.

    Aina Clotet describes the film as the journey of a woman trying to recover her own centre, independently of the men around her.

    Fear of death and fear of abandonment

    At the emotional core of “Viva” lies a tension between two forms of fear: the fear of dying and the fear of being abandoned.

    According to Aina Clotet, Nora’s emotional instability initially appears connected to loneliness and emotional emptiness, but those anxieties ultimately reveal something deeper.

    “Deep down inside, she has fear of dying,” the filmmaker said. “She has to face that in order to free herself and understand that life is impermanent.”

    The film approaches mortality not through tragedy, but through intensity. Nora constantly searches for emotional, romantic, and physical experiences that can make her feel fully present. That hunger for sensation becomes both a celebration of life and a symptom of vulnerability.

    Aina Clotet was particularly interested in the connection between emotional dependence and the fear of death, exploring how romantic relationships can sometimes become attempts to escape existential anxiety.

    At the same time, “Viva” avoids moral judgment. Nora is portrayed as contradictory, impulsive and occasionally self-destructive, yet always deeply human.

    A luminous film about desire

    espite dealing with illness, anxiety and emotional fragility, “Viva” maintains an unexpectedly bright tone. Aina Clotet repeatedly described her intention to make “a luminous movie” centred on the joy and necessity of desire.

    The director explained that the film’s sensuality was never conceived as provocation, but rather as part of Nora’s gradual reappropriation of her own body after illness.

    The body in “Viva” is neither idealised nor hidden. Instead, it is presented truthfully, carrying scars while remaining capable of pleasure, intimacy and transformation.

    “It was important to show a body that had gone through this disease in a very natural and accepted way,” Aina Clotet noted.

    That perspective extends beyond the protagonist’s physical experience and becomes a broader reflection on emotional acceptance. Nora’s journey is not about perfection or healing in a conventional sense, but about learning to inhabit uncertainty without shame.

    Heat, dryness and emotional imbalance

    One of the film’s strongest sensory dimensions is the constant presence of heat. Throughout “Viva”, the characters appear surrounded by oppressive warmth and dryness, creating an atmosphere of emotional exhaustion and urgency.

    For Aina Clotet, this environmental choice mirrors Nora’s inner condition.

    She described the protagonist as “thirsty for life and thirsty for desire,” while the recurring imagery of water becomes associated with emotional balance, sensuality and relief.

    The film also subtly connects personal crisis to collective instability. Aina Clotet pointed to ecological anxiety, emotional burnout and social alienation as symptoms of a contemporary world increasingly detached from authentic human connection.

    “We live in a very individualistic system,” she observed. “What moves me most in life are the bonds we create with people.”

    That critique of contemporary life remains understated throughout the film, emerging through atmosphere and emotional behaviour rather than explicit political discourse.

    Humour as emotional access

    One of the most striking aspects of “Viva” is its tonal fluidity. The film moves naturally between vulnerability, sensuality and humour, often allowing comedy to emerge in emotionally exposed moments.

    For Aina Clotet, humour was essential.

    “Humour helps to talk about the deepest things,” she explained. “With humour, you can go to places that otherwise would not be easy.”

    Rather than reducing emotional intensity, humour becomes a way of making fragility more accessible and truthful. The director emphasised her interest in lightness, not as avoidance, but as a means of confronting painful experiences without turning them into pure suffering.

    That balance gives “Viva” a distinctive emotional rhythm, where moments of insecurity and confusion coexist with tenderness and irony.

    The post “Viva”, interview with the director and protagonist Aina Clotet appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    12 min
  • “Nagi Notes”, interview with the director Koji Fukada

    At the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Koji Fukada presented “Nagi Notes”, a film in Competition that moves away from the theatrical origins of Oriza Hirata’s celebrated play “Tokyo Notes” while preserving some of its emotional and thematic echoes.

    Fukada explained that the project initially emerged through Hirata himself, who suggested adapting “Tokyo Notes” into a film set inside the contemporary art museum in Nagi. In this rural Japanese town, the playwright had been involved in cultural initiatives.

    Yet, after visiting the location, Fukada felt that simply transplanting the original play into another setting would not be enough.

    “I thought it would be a waste to go all that way and make a story based in Tokyo,” the director explained. “So I decided to move away from the story of Tokyo Notes and come up with a completely new story.”

    The resulting film keeps the contrast between city and countryside that defined Hirata’s work, but reverses the perspective. Instead of observing rural Japan through an urban lens, “Nagi Notes” looks at Tokyo from the countryside, examining the emotional and cultural distance between the capital and peripheral communities.

    Loneliness as the central human condition

    lthough “Nagi Notes” addresses social themes such as patriarchy, gender expectations and the invisibility experienced by sexual minorities in Japanese society, Fukada insists that loneliness remains the true core of the film.

    “We are all born alone and die alone,” he said during the interview. “More than any social issue, loneliness is the problem that interests me most.”

    For Fukada, this condition extends beyond Japan and reflects a broader existential fragility. He described contemporary society as increasingly detached from the structures that traditionally offered emotional comfort, including religion, family and romantic relationships.

    The director openly acknowledged his own distance from religious belief, connecting that absence to a deeper sense of isolation. In his view, modern life continuously weakens the communal bonds that once helped individuals confront solitude.

    That recurring concern has shaped much of Fukada’s cinema, in which intimate relationships often reveal emotional gaps that cannot be fully resolved. In “Nagi Notes”, companionship exists, but always alongside the awareness that human connection remains temporary and fragile.

    Art as observation rather than completion

    Art and artistic practice occupy a central place within the film, particularly through the relationship between an artist and their model. Rather than focusing on completed works, Fukada chose to emphasise the act of creation itself.

    “The process of creating art is a way of observing the world in higher definition,” he explained.

    The director considers the act of making art less important than production and more as a form of attention. Drawing, observing and representing another person become ways of understanding both others and oneself.

    Fukada also noted that cinema rarely explores the relationship between artist and model without ultimately prioritising the finished artwork. In “Nagi Notes”, the unfinished process becomes the emotional destination. What matters is not the final painting, but the gradual attempt to see another human being clearly.

    That approach mirrors the film’s broader structure, in which quiet gestures and everyday interactions slowly accumulate meaning rather than culminating in dramatic revelation.

    Rural peace under the shadow of war

    One of the film’s most striking elements is the intrusion of military sounds and radio announcements into Nagi’s peaceful atmosphere. Fukada revealed that these details were drawn directly from his own experience living in the town for nearly a year.

    The radio broadcasts heard throughout the film are based on the real disaster-prevention systems installed in local homes. At the same time, the sounds of military exercises come from nearby Self-Defence Force activities.

    For the director, these sounds function both as realistic details and as reminders that even isolated rural communities remain connected to global conflict.

    While writing the screenplay, the Russia-Ukraine war had just begun, reinforcing his desire to juxtapose distant violence with the apparent calm of daily life in Nagi.

    “When you live in a city, it is easy to forget that wars are happening,” Fukada observed. “But we are all connected.”

    Relationships that survive beyond family

    Another emotional thread in “Nagi Notes” concerns the bond between two women who continue seeing each other even after divorce has formally ended their family connection.

    Fukada traced this idea back to a secondary element in “Tokyo Notes”, in which a character fears losing contact with her sister-in-law after a separation. He became interested in imagining what might happen if such a relationship survived beyond legal and familial structures.

    That question eventually became one of the foundations of “Nagi Notes”, transforming a brief dramatic detail written thirty years ago into a meditation on chosen emotional ties.

    In Fukada’s cinema, family is rarely defined by blood alone. Instead, relationships persist through memory, care and emotional recognition, even after official bonds disappear.

    The post “Nagi Notes”, interview with the director Koji Fukada appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    8 min
  • Interview with Emma Barboni of Emilia Romagna Film Commission

    With this talk with Emma Barboni, we discover how Emilia Romagna Film Commission plays a vital role in supporting the region’s film industry by providing funds for production, festivals, and market initiatives. The commission evaluates numerous calls for regional and international co-productions, ensuring sustainable growth and visibility for Emilia Romagna’s filmmakers. Their commitment goes beyond financing; they actively promote the entire ecosystem of audiovisual production, from development to promotion. This integrated approach has contributed to a vibrant creative community that attracts both emerging and established talents.

    Supporting Festivals and Market Activities

    The Emilia Romagna Film Commission is instrumental in financing over 30 festivals within the region, ranging from small local events to major industry gatherings. These festivals, supported annually, serve as crucial platforms for emerging filmmakers, offering master classes, screenings, and networking opportunities. By consistently funding these events, the commission ensures their long-term sustainability and enhances their appeal to international audiences and industry professionals. This strategy enriches the regional cultural landscape and boosts Emilia Romagna’s reputation as a dynamic hub for cinema.

    Enhancing Distribution and International Presence

    The Emilia Romagna Film Commission also focuses on increasing the international reach of its regional productions. Support for distribution initiatives and participation in global events like film markets or presentations in major festivals is a priority. The commission actively collaborates with industry partners to facilitate co-productions and promote local projects worldwide. Such efforts help to position Emilia Romagna as a key player in the global film industry, ensuring regional filmmakers gain the recognition and opportunities they deserve. The Emilia Romagna Film Commission’s comprehensive approach continues to strengthen the region’s film identity and fosters a thriving creative environment.

    This interview was recorded during Cannes International Film Festival 2026, in partnership with the Italian Film Commissions Association and with the support of the Italian Trade Agency.

    The post Interview with Emma Barboni of Emilia Romagna Film Commission appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    9 min
  • Highlights and film critics from the 79th Cannes Film Festival – episode 18/05

    Global Critics Cannes Voice, hosted by internationally renowned film critic Rita Di Santo, is the daily podcast of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, produced by FRED Film Radio directly from Cannes.

    Each episode takes listeners inside the Festival with exclusive and thoughtful conversations with leading international film critics, and in-depth analysis of the year’s most anticipated films.Rita Di Santo and her guests bring to life the unique atmosphere of Venice, offering a rare insider’s view of the stories, talent, and cinematic moments that make the Cannes Film Festival one of the world’s most celebrated cultural events.

    In this episode of Global Critics Cannes Voice

    In this episode of Global Critics Cannes Voice Rita Di Santo hosts: Chafic Tabbara(Film critic from Lebanon) and Al-Akhbar (newspaper-Beirut).

    Chafic Tabbara and Rita Di Santo

    The post Highlights and film critics from the 79th Cannes Film Festival – episode 18/05 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    20 min
  • Highlights and film critics from the 79th Cannes Film Festival – episode 19/05

    Global Critics Cannes Voice, hosted by internationally renowned film critic Rita Di Santo, is the daily podcast of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, produced by FRED Film Radio directly from Cannes.

    Each episode takes listeners inside the Festival with exclusive and thoughtful conversations with leading international film critics, and in-depth analysis of the year’s most anticipated films.Rita Di Santo and her guests bring to life the unique atmosphere of Venice, offering a rare insider’s view of the stories, talent, and cinematic moments that make the Cannes Film Festival one of the world’s most celebrated cultural events.

    In this episode of Global Critics Cannes Voice

    In this episode of Global Critics Cannes Voice Rita Di Santo hosts: Ron Fogel (Israel) Film critic on Israeli public television and radio “KAN”

    Rita Di Santo and Ron Fogel

    The post Highlights and film critics from the 79th Cannes Film Festival – episode 19/05 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    19 min
  • “Marie Madeleine”, an interview with director and actress Géssica Généus

    Five years after presenting her debut feature, “Freda” (a title executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola which was the second Haitian film ever to be submitted for the Oscars), in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, Haitian director Géssica Généus is back on the Croisette, this time in Cannes Premiere sidebar, with her second film, “Marie Madeleine”, where she herself plays the eponymous character – “for convenience”, says Géssica Généus, as she couldn’t have asked of another actress what she undertook to do herself.

    Director Géssica Généus on moving from a realistic film, anchored in a context of political unrest, to a more radiant story about the pure relationship uniting Marie Madeleine and Joseph (Béonard Monteau), with oneiric visuals, and a space for beauty and for different art forms: “I wanted to float, because I’ve been feeling weighed down by everything that’s happening in my country, by traumas that we’ve carried for our whole lives, and I wanted to feel a little bit more power in that fragility, if I can express it that way, and I wanted this film to be exactly how I see my country. In Haiti, everything lives together – the beauty, the complexity of our society, etc. It’s all there, all at once, not one thing after the other, so I wanted to make a film that shows everything at the same time. My DoP and I worked for a year before we got to the production phase of the filmand we knew we wanted each frame to be like a painting, because we are painters. we are artists, we are so full of talent, and I wanted this to be seen so bad, so I put a lot of work and energy into crafting these visuals, this way of existing, into this film.”

    On managing to represent, in her script, many different facets of Haiti

    “It’s heavy to balance, because everything is happening for real, in real time… When you are used to a society where things are kind of in order, it’s hard to imagine that all of those things can happen, and that they do at the same time. You think wow, no one would be able to absorb all this and still stay alive, but we do! We absorb everything that is happening to us on a daily basis, and we still go through it, and this needs to happen, because we don’t function the same way as a nation… Just because you want to make something lighter doesn’t mean you can lie about the fact that we have all this in our world, constantly, so I wanted the film to be the same: I wanted it to be intense, as intense as the way we go through life on a daily basis.”

    On the idea of pitting a brothel and a church against each other by placing them on opposite sides of the same street

    “I thought well, let’s just be upfront and put this church right there… because in Haiti, every step you take, you have a church, like every two or three meters. It’s everywhere! Because of the fact that the State is completely collapsing, or has collapsed already, religion has taken up so much space, comforting the people by saying ‘okay, we’re gonna save you, don’t worry. The State is not taking care of you but we’re gonna take care of you.’ But this begs the question of how they are positioning themselves, saying that they are apolitical when they are influencing the people’s perception and everything that’s happening in the country, so yes, I really wanted to talk about morality and about what happens when a society is not led by a government, but by faith in something that is completely detached from the concrete reality that we are dealing with on a daily basis.”

    On the violence of religion as shown in the film

    “I keep wondering, ‘Where is the love in all this?’, because when you think about it, the First Commandment is to love, it talks about love a lot, but… is there any love left in our interpretation of religion, of the Bible? Where is the love and why is it so far in the back? Why is it only for a specific group of people? (…) I feel like there’s a failure in the church’s mission. They don’t live up to what they promised, and I am extremely mad at that.”

    The post “Marie Madeleine”, an interview with director and actress Géssica Généus appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

    14 min
  • The Market Insider: “Atonement”, interview with Dallas Film Commissioner, Katie Schuck

    The Market Insider is an industry-focused podcast by FRED Film Radio in collaboration with Cinema & Video International, recorded during the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

    The series explores the business and strategic dynamics of the international film and audiovisual sector through in-depth conversations with producers, distributors, sales agents, film commissioners, and industry experts. Each episode provides valuable insights into market trends, challenges, and innovations, offering professionals and enthusiasts a comprehensive understanding of today’s global film industry

    FRED The Makret Insider met Katie Schuck, Dallas Film Commissioner, during the Cannes Film Festival – Marché Du Film 2026 ahead of the premiere of the film “Atonement” by Reed Van Dyk.

    “Atonement” was one of the few American titles selected this year. The film premieres in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs on May 15th. Reed Van Dyk is a Los Angeles-based director whose previous short film received an Academy Award nomination. Atonement was shot in Dallas, Texas, with additional filming in Jordan.

    • “Atonement” in the Cannes 2026 selection
    • Dallas as a production destination
    • The shooting locations involved in the film
    • What does the city offers to independent filmmakers in terms of locations, facilities, and creative ecosystem
    • What kind of productions are currently looking at Dallas as a shooting destination
    • How Texas incentive system evolved in recent years and its global competiteveness 
    • How can film commissions help foster the growth of the independent industry today
    • Does festival exposure directly influence future productions
    • FRED – The Market Insider is a podcast created in collaboration with Cinema & Video International.

      Atonement (L’Apaisement) By Reed VAN DYK

      Quinzaine 2026 | Feature film | 118 min

      Film in competition for the Caméra d’Or Award | World premiere

      In the early days of the Iraq War, a U.S. Marine’s split-second decision during a firefight devastates an Iraqi family. Years later, aided by a New Yorker journalist, he seeks to reconcile with the woman and her family who survived.

      “Atonement” is inspired by true events.

      ATONEMENT by Reed VAN DYCK ©GuillaumeLutz-SD

      The post The Market Insider: “Atonement”, interview with Dallas Film Commissioner, Katie Schuck appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

      15 min
    • The Market Insider: “The End of it”, interview with the producer, Adrià Monés

      The Market Insider is an industry-focused podcast by FRED Film Radio in collaboration with Cinema & Video International, recorded during the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

      The series explores the business and strategic dynamics of the international film and audiovisual sector through in-depth conversations with producers, distributors, sales agents, film commissioners, and industry experts. Each episode provides valuable insights into market trends, challenges, and innovations, offering professionals and enthusiasts a comprehensive understanding of today’s global film industry.

      Unveiling the Significance of “The end of It” in Contemporary Cinema

      Adrià Monés, CEO and founder of the Spanish production house Fasten Films, talks about the co-production of “The End of It“, debut film by Maria Bayona, in Cannes Premiere Selection, co-produced with Elation Pictures (UK), Eye Eye Pictures (Norway), Fasten subsidiary company Cobalt Films, the BBC, the BFI and Creative England. Starring Rebecca Hall, Noomi Rapace, Gael García Bernal.

      The film’s premise, which revolves around a society where people can live forever unless they choose to die, is both provocative and relevant to current debates on medical and technological advancements.

      The narrative centers on a woman who, after reaching her 250th birthday, grows tired of her endless life and seeks to end it. The film prompts audiences to consider how future societies might grapple with similar ethical dilemmas, all while infused with black humor and dark satire. “The end of It” serves as a thought-provoking mirror to our own world and its potential future.

      How The end of It was developed and financed

      The development of “The end of It” underscores the importance of nurturing talent and building collaborative international projects. Fasten Films aimed to bring Maria Bayona’s ambitious vision to life, despite the high budget and sci-fi genre’s challenges. Financing involved a strategic mix of public and private sources, including UK-based BBC, Canary Island tax credits, key European subsidies, and American equity. This complex funding structure highlights the film’s significance as a first feature for a director, demonstrating how perseverance and diverse partnerships can make such projects feasible.

      Production took place mainly in Tenerife, Canary Islands, due to its versatile locations and supportive film commission.  Additionally, a small studio in London was used for the film’s concluding scenes.

      Adriá Monés, The End of It, Cannes Film Festival

      The post The Market Insider: “The End of it”, interview with the producer, Adrià Monés appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

      15 min

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