FRED Film Radio - English Channel

Presented as the opening film of the 64th edition of the Semaine de la Critique during the 79th Cannes Film Festival, “In Waves” by Phuong-Mai Nguyen explores love, loss, memory, and artistic legacy through animation grounded in lived experience.

In the film, Will Sharpe voices AJ, a character inspired by the real-life graphic novelist whose personal story became the emotional core of the project.

Sharpe revealed that director Phuong-Mai Nguyen was drawn to what she described as a “slight vulnerability” in his voice, an aspect the actor connects directly to AJ’s emotional trajectory.

According to Will Sharpe, AJ spends much of the film attempting to remain composed while confronting overwhelming experiences and profound grief. “There are moments where he just crumbles slightly under that pressure,” the actor explained, emphasising the emotional fragility embedded within the character.

Because the French-language version had already been recorded and the animation finalised before he joined the production, Sharpe approached the role through an already established physical and emotional framework. Rather than constructing the character from scratch, he focused on finding subtle tonal variations through rhythm, inflexion, and timing.

One of the most meaningful moments for Sharpe came after meeting the real AJ during the Cannes premiere. The actor spoke about the emotional continuity between life, art, and cinema embedded within the project.

He recalled being particularly struck by a scene in which AJ promises Kristen that he will continue telling her story through his art. Watching the completed film screened in Cannes, Will Sharpe saw that promise fulfilled in real time.

“Here we are in Cannes, in a room full of people, and he’s telling her story through this movie,” Sharpe observed. “There’s something incredible about that.”

The actor also noted his immediate personal connection to the narrative, mentioning both the sensitivity of the storytelling and his own mixed heritage as possible reasons the material resonated so deeply with him.

While the film centres on AJ and Kristen, Will Sharpe emphasised the importance of the wider emotional community surrounding them.

For the actor, one of the film’s strengths lies in its portrayal of chosen family and friendship as forms of survival. He described the close-knit group at the centre of the story as essential to helping the characters endure loss and uncertainty.

He also reflected on the metaphorical dimension of the ocean within the narrative. Initially a source of fear for AJ, it gradually becomes something he learns to embrace. Sharpe connected this transformation to the longer process of grieving itself.

“Grief takes time to move through,” he said, while stressing that the film ultimately reaches a place of cautious optimism. Rather than avoiding pain, “In Waves” acknowledges its permanence while suggesting the possibility of emotional growth and resilience afterwards.

Sharpe, who is currently developing an animated project as a director himself, also discussed the collaborative nature of animation performance.

He argued that animators themselves function as performers, shaping facial expressions, gestures, and physicality long before voice actors enter the process. In that sense, his role became one of complementing rather than redefining the character already visible on screen.

“You’re only bringing the aspect of the voice,” he explained, while acknowledging how powerfully voice and image can interact once combined.

For Will Sharpe, the challenge ultimately became understanding AJ’s emotional rhythm without disrupting the delicate balance already created by the animation team and director.

The post “In Waves”, interview with the actor Will Sharpe appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission serves as a vital hub for filmmakers seeking to explore Italy’s northeastern landscapes. With a focus on promoting local locations, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission offers tailored services and financial incentives that attract both national and international productions. Talking with one of its founders Gianluca Novel we delve into the core activities of the commission, its funding initiatives, and the significance of its presence at global film markets.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission is dedicated to providing comprehensive assistance to film crews. By handling location scouting in-house, the commission ensures that productions gain access to an extensive database of over 90,000 images capturing the region’s diverse landscapes. This hands-on approach enables filmmakers to discover unique settings—from seaside views to mountain scenery—within a short distance, saving valuable production time. The commission’s long-standing expertise, spanning 26 years, reinforces its reputation as a reliable partner in the industry.

Established in 2003, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Fund aims to support regional film projects financially. With an annual budget of approximately 2.5 million euros, the fund offers a 30% reimbursement on eligible expenses, with a maximum grant of 350,000 euros per project. Typically, the commission supports around five to six full-length films and a similar number of TV productions each year. Multiple semi-annual calls ensure that projects aligned with filming schedules can benefit from this scheme, encouraging a steady flow of creative works.

Participation in major film markets, such as the Cannes Film Festival market session, remains crucial for the Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission to promote its offerings. Attending these events allows the commission to showcase its capabilities, attract productions, and build valuable connections with international producers. The commission’s active engagement in markets has led to notable projects filming in the region, including recent Hollywood productions and popular Italian series shot in cities like Trieste. Such exposure underscores the region’s growing prominence as a versatile filming location.

In conclusion, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission plays a pivotal role in fostering regional film development. Its proactive strategies, from location services to financial incentives, and its commitment to marketing, position it as a key player in Italy’s expanding film industry. The work of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission exemplifies how dedicated regional support can unlock major opportunities for filmmakers worldwide.

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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.

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The Sardegna Film Commission plays a vital role in promoting the island as a premier filming destination. With initiatives supporting both local and international productions, the commission highlights Sardinia’s stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Their efforts include providing financial aid, location scouting, and educational programs to attract filmmakers worldwide. We talked with Production Manager Francesca Melis about it.

The Sardegna Film Commission is actively involved in supporting film and television productions through various financial tools. They manage several grants, including the location scouting fund and hospitality fund, to assist filmmakers in offsetting costs. The commission also collaborates with regional authorities to allocate development and production funds, which last year totaled around 2 million euros each. These resources are designed to make Sardinia an appealing choice for shooting, despite the logistical challenges of filming on an island.

Beyond financial support, the Sardegna Film Commission is committed to educational programs like master classes in sound design and festival development. They aim to foster local talent and help regional festivals grow internationally, providing practical assistance in management and organization. Their focus on expanding Sardinia’s film ecosystem includes attracting professional expertise and promoting the island’s cinema potential globally, reinforcing their efforts to position Sardinia as a key location and hub in the film industry.

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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 Francesca Melis, Production Manager of Sardegna Film Commission appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

In this talk with its director Alex Voglino, we discover the Abruzzo Film Commission  is playing a pivotal role in revitalizing the region’s cinematic landscape. Historically known for its scenic locations featured in films by directors like Fellini, Abruzzo has long been a location of interest but lacked institutional support. Now, with the establishment of the Abruzzo Film Commission, the region is actively promoting filmmaking through targeted funding and strategic initiatives. This move aims to attract both international and national productions, fostering a more structured and sustainable film industry within Abruzzo.

One of the main objectives of the Abruzzo Film Commission is to nurture local talent and build a comprehensive professional ecosystem. Recognizing that many industry professionals from Abruzzo have moved elsewhere, the commission is working on training and educational programs designed to retain and develop skills on-site. A long-term training plan will identify gaps in expertise—such as sound and lighting—and create pathways for young professionals to learn and stay within the region. This initiative is essential for turning Abruzzo into a hub for film production, beyond just being a picturesque backdrop.

The Abruzzo Film Commission is managing a significant fund of €4 million, supported by European funds, to finance diverse film and television projects. This funding is open to features, documentaries, and TV series, with plans to allocate specific amounts per project category. The goal is to foster serial productions, which help deepen the connection between viewers and the region’s landscape and culture. With ongoing calls for funding, the commission aims to attract complex, high-quality projects that will leave a lasting impact on Abruzzo’s cinematic profile. The commitment of the Abruzzo Film Commission to strengthening the local film industry underscores its strategic role in the region’s cultural and economic development.

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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 Alex Voglino, Director of Abruzzo Film Commission appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

“Atonement” by Reed van Dyk, presented in the Directors Fortnight in Cannes delves into the intricate aftermath of conflict and personal redemption. This insightful masterpiece offers a compelling portrayal of how individuals confront their past and seek forgiveness amid the chaos of war and personal trauma.

As the director Reed van Dyk points out, the central focus of “Atonement” is on how characters seek reconciliation and peace with their actions and histories. The film explores this theme by highlighting the emotional wounds inflicted by war, even when the physical conflict is not openly depicted. Through nuanced performances and a sensitive script, “Atonement” draws viewers into a story about healing and the human capacity for forgiveness.

One of the most striking aspects of “Atonement” is its approach to depicting the aftermath of war. The narrative emphasizes the internal scars carried by those affected, rather than glorifying combat itself. This perspective allows the audience to reflect on the true cost of conflict—the guilt, shame, and hope for redemption that accompany those left behind. Boyd Holbrook‘s lead character Lou is the film’s emphasis on these emotional terrains underscores its powerful message about the importance of atonement.

The film demonstrates that real enemies are often figures within ourselves or misunderstandings between individuals. It challenges viewers to reconsider the traditional notions of villainy by presenting characters who, despite their actions, are driven by circumstances and human flaws. The message is clear: forgiveness and understanding become vital steps toward healing in a broken world.

“Atonement” offers a compelling narrative that balances the solemnity of war’s aftermath with the resilience of the human spirit. As the story progresses, it stresses how confronting one’s regrets and seeking forgiveness can lead to liberation from past wounds. The concept of atonement is woven throughout, making it a central theme that resonates long after the credits roll.

The post “Atonement”, interview with the director Reed Van Dyk and the actors Boyd Holbrook and Gheed appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

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.

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We talk about “Titanic Ocean”, debut film by Konstantina Kotzamani, which will be presented in Un Certain Regard at the 79° Festival de Cannes, with the producer Maria Drandaki from Homemade Films.

“Titanic Ocean” is a coming of age phantasy, set in a special boarding school in Japan that trains girls into professional mermaids, and where 17-year-old Akame experiences a metamorphosis.

It was born from the imagination of Greek director Konstantina Kotzamani: Homemade Films, the production company of  Maria Drandaki produced two of her shorts and was convinced to embark in this crazy journey of self-discovery and transition from childhood into womanhood.

“Titanic Ocean“ was developed thanks to Onassis Foundation, TorinoFilmLab. It is a co-production between Greece (Homemade Films) -Germany (Wunderlust)-Romania (defilm)-France-Spain (Frida Films)-Japan (Happinet Phantom Studio).

It was entirely shot  in Japan in Japanese, between Tokyo and Okinawa, with the support of several Japanese Film Commission.

The work on “Titanic Ocean” Audience Design began much before starting production, explains Maria Drandaki . Its main targets will be  younger viewers (and their parents!) and mermaid enthusiasts, but also viewers who are sensitive to enviromental topics.  Its captivating visuals and symbolic meaning invite viewers to embark on a journey of imagination and self-reflection and to dive into an immersive world where fantasy intertwines with reality.

The post The Market Insider: “Titanic Ocean”, interview with the producer, Maria Drandaki appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

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 Cannes, 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 Rita Di Santo hosts: Fernando Lima

The post Highlights and film critics from the 79th Cannes Film Festival – episode 16/05 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Presented at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes at Cannes 2026, “Butterfly Jam” is the new film by Kantemir Balagov. Set in Newark, it follows Pyteh (Talha Akdogan) , a sixteen-year-old Circassian wrestler whose life is upended by a single impulsive decision made by his father. The film sees the participation of Barry Keoghan, Harry Melling and Riley Keough and it is Balagov’s first work in english, set in the US and it marks the Russian director’s third time in Cannes, the first two in the Un Certain Regard section with Tesnota (2017) and Beanpole (2019)

Kantemir Balagov himself described Butterfly Jam as a masculine story told in pink as brutality is overcome by its tenderness. It’s a frame that stayed with Harry Melling from the very beginning: “one of the first things Kantemir said when I was talking about this project with him was that he’s thinking about pink”. Rereading the script with that in mind changed everything. Behind the wrestling, the bad decisions, the weight of legacy, Harry Melling found “a tenderness and a love that is laced through the narrative”. Riley Keough confirms the feeling from the other side of the screen: despite the intensity of what unfolds, “you walk out feeling this warm family warmth”, something she describes as quite extraordinary given the events of the film.

Kantemir Balagov built his reputation with female-centred films, most notably “Beanpole“. With “Butterfly Jam” the centre of gravity shifts, but Riley Keough noticed immediately that his gaze on women had not. “Kantemir writes women so beautifully”, she says as this was the first thing that struck her when she read the script. Her character is nuanced, real, and carries a specific weight in the story: “she’s the one in the family who’s trying to keep it together, which is very often the female experience”.

At the Q&A the previous evening, Kantemir Balagov had said that awkwardness is a form of sincerity and the three actors find different ways into that idea. For Harry Melling, it starts with the way Kantemir Balagov works on set: “he allows those quieter moments where maybe you don’t know what you’re going to do, you don’t really know how you’re going to react”. The less an actor has planned, he suggests, the more honest the result. Akdogan agrees and adds: “conversations in real life are filled with awkwardness when he uses awkwardness it’s just realism”.

The film’s adult characters are haunted by the fear of weakness, a fear that, as Riley Keough observes, is “such a hard thing to watch” from the outside: “how much men struggle with their vulnerability, it’s quite heartbreaking”. For Talha Akdogan, who plays the teenager at the centre of it all, the roots of that fear are clear: “growing up, your dad tells you to be strong, everybody around you tells you to be strong”. When weakness surfaces anyway, the only response available is denial. It is, he says, simply the way you were brought up.

The post “Butterfly Jam”, interview with actors Talha Akdogan, Riley Keough and Harry Melling appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Screening in Un Certain Regard at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, “The Meltdown“ is the new film by Chilean director Manuela Martelli. Set in 1992, it follows nine-year-old Inés during a stay at her grandparents’ remote hotel near an Andean ski resort, where she befriends Hanna, a fifteen-year-old German skier, that suddenly disappear without explanation. Manuela Martelli is back in Cannes after  premiering her first feature film, 1976, at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2022.

The film’s starting point was a short story, something small that grew into a meditation on childhood as a space for questioning. Manuela Martelli was interested in the child’s gaze precisely because it has not yet learned to accept things as fixed such as class hierarchies, social silences, the idea that some things are simply “natural.” The class issue in Chile, she explains, is one of those blind spots: “the idea that it is ‘natural’ to sit at a table while another person stands. Not questioning that is one of the triggers for how I look into things”.

Saskia Rosendahl came to the project with a particular kind of personal resonance. Her family is from the GDR (East Germany),  a country that, like the Chile of Pinochet’s aftermath, belongs to a geography of memory more than to any current map. Preparing for the role, she read a book on GDR history with her grandmother, and found that the two histories kept speaking to each other: “I got to know my own background more through the connection with Chilean history”. Playing a foreign woman stranded in an unfamiliar country, unable to speak the language, abandoned by authorities, it was, for her, less an exercise in distance than a return to something close.

The film’s most quietly devastating passages involve the way institutions dismiss a woman who does not know the language, does not know the rules, and cannot fight what she cannot name. Saskia Rosendahl describes her character as “a victim of silence, facing a wall you cannot fight alone without others helping you” . Manuela Martelli did not set out to make the patriarchal system explicit  but it surfaced on its own, both on the page and on set, where she found herself having to defend her vision with a persistence she recognized as gendered: “I felt how much more you have to defend what you think compared to a man”.

Keeping memory alive

Chile in 1992 is a country just beginning to reckon with what happened under the dictatorship and “The Meltdown” moves through that reckoning carefully, without claiming to remember correctly. For Manuela Martelli, there is no correct memory, only the responsibility not to let it disappear: “we must keep memory alive, society forgets so easily”. The parallel with the present is not incidental.

The post “The Meltdown”, interview with director Manuela Martelli and actress Saskia Rosendahl appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

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.

We talk about “Gentle Monster” with  Darragh Matthews, Investment Manager of IPR.VC, the London and Helsinki based investment fund, active for more than 10 years in the film and audiovisual business, contributing to the making of many successful films

With Darragh Matthews, we explore this European co-production sold by MK2, whose journey from development to festival recognition showcases the importance of strategic collaborations and funding in bringing daring projects to life.

“Gentle Monster” is a provocative film that explores societal taboos through the story of a woman facing an unexpected crisis in her family life. Marie Kreutzer, the director, has crafted an emotionally intense narrative that challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable truths. Its strong cast, including  Lea Seydoux and Catherine Deneuve, and the compelling script are key elements that contributed to its appeal. Moreover, the film’s relevance to current societal issues, and the commercial success of Marie Kreutzer‘s previous film “Corsage”, also sold by MK2.

The film is a European co-production involving Austria, France, and Germany, supported by regional funds and private investment. Its financing structure highlights the value of integrating soft money and international collaboration in today’s film industry.

The post The Market Insider: “Gentle Monster”, interview with IPR.VC Investment Manager Darragh Matthews appeared first on Fred Film Radio.