Page 3 - LFF
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S DAY 4
19 May 2023

THE BUZZ OF THE DAY MBC’s Raya Abirached (left), actors Mila Al X FACTOR GETS
Zahrani and Katie Holmes, model and actor Eva ANIMATED IN
Herzigová and Film AlUla’s Charlene Deleon-Jones FEATURE FROM
GSM, SYCO AND
THRESHOLD

GFM ANIMATION, Threshold

Entertainment and Syco Entertainment

have announced new animated feature

film, X Factor In The Jungle.

The film is based on British producer-

presenter Simon Cowell’s TV singing

competition phenomenon. The X Factor

has run for 20 years, with 178

international adaptations — with artists

HERZEGOVA AND HOLMES discovered on the show, including One

Direction, Fifth Harmony, Little Mix, Olly

Murs, Leona Lewis and James Arthur,

PRESENT ALULA CREATES having sold more than 500 million

© GETTY IMAGES records worldwide.

PHASE TWO IN CANNES When a karaoke machine is thrown

overboard from a sinking boat it lands in

a jungle and is seized by a mouse who is

WHEN a publicist quickly confronted by both a jaguar and
first mentioned the
Saudis were turning stopped at the Israel/Jordan border in theatres, it has ambitiously grown a rhino, who each want it. A sing-off takes
a remote desert city Eilat overnight. tourism and film industry.
Crossing through Jordan for less than an On Thursday in Cannes, Film AlUla and place to determine who gets the machine
hour to reach the Durra Border Crossing Katie Holmes announced the second
and this attracts a huge audience of

animals and creatures who demand a

AlUla into a filming into Saudi Arabia the next morning, I phase of a platform to engage future song contest open to all.

and major tourism hub, it was hard to waited as a solo female traveler in the generations in film, the arts and fashion. Written by Emmy Award-winning writer

place it on the world map in my head. Its ladies waiting room, driven that far by The second phase of AlUla Creates is a Sean Catherine Derek (Batman animated

only claim to fame were some ancient the company Tourist Journey that filmmaking mentoring programme for series, Smurfs, Pac-Man) and directed by

tombs at a nearby UNESCO World smoothed issues along the way and Saudi female filmmakers. long-time Disney director Kirk Wise

Heritage site at Hegra. passed me across the border. Women clad Holmes will spearhead the programme (Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of
Untouched for 2000 years, the site was from top to toe in black jalabiya, posed and identify three emerging female Saudi
the second most populated city for the for a selfie with me. Then began the six- filmmakers, who she will mentor Notre Dame) and produced by Larry

Nabataean kingdom, which used Petra hour drive with a belly-dancing driver throughout the year. Kasanoff (Dirty Dancing, Platoon).

(Jordan) as its base. Now AlUla has some through the pristine Saudi desert to reach The first phase of AlUla Creates launched Record producer Jimmy Lenner will

new residents and celebrity ambassadors the untouched beauty of AlUla, and a in March with a focus on fashion. manage the music collaboration together

singing its song to the global community stay in a designer resort nestled beneath Founding Ambassadors Helena with Simon Cowell.

in Cannes. the rocks at the Shaden Resort. There Christensen and Eva Herzigová partnered Cowell said: “I have loved this idea since I

Getting a sneak preview, I flew after the was a set visit to homegrown film Norah, with Saudi fashion designers, Alia and first was approached by Larry and the

festival last year from Nice to Tel Aviv, shooting in the surrounding area, cool Abeer Olaif of Atelier Hekayat and Arwa team at Threshold. We all share the same

and embarked on a 10-hour road trip to restaurants, museums and shopping for Al Ammari of ArAm, to design two looks vision for this fun, positive, family-

AlUla, so I could connect the dots amber perfume before a return through for The Oscars Vanity Fair red carpet in friendly movie and of course I’m equally

between places I had visited in the region. over-run Petra. Get to AlUla while you LA. Both models continue their role as really excited for the soundtrack too. I’ve

It’s not so far after all. can to experience desert peace and ambassadors to the programme, it was always wanted to make animated movies

Following the four-hour flight, and five- untouched starlit beauty. In the five years announced on Thursday. ✦ and I plan for this to be the first of

hour drive through the Negev desert, I since Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on movie Liza Foreman many.” ✦ Julian Newby

JEROME PAILLARD ON LIFE AFTER THE MARCHÉ, NEW ROLE
AT CNC, ARTINII AND THE UNOFFICIAL CANNES MARKET
IT’S Jérôme Paillard’s first year taking
part in the Marché du Film without CNC, president of the ACM Distribution “My goal is to offer that to Monday say that, among
being the big boss in 27 years. commission to help European sales the film industry and to others, there were promo
BUT the outgoing topper has been agents to support distribution strategies avoid people going to reels from Anton,
in different countries. court. The court is too StudioCanal, HanWay,

keeping busy since hanging up his “IT’S a way to stay connected with the busy, especially in France. Goodfellas. WME, they

hat, with the exception of working on industry which I like,” he said. “There To have success, you have say, had a party, and

the Ventana Sur market in December are a lot of festivals I couldn’t go to to have two parties that possibly even Lionsgate.

for the Marché. before but have now been to Reykjavik, want to fix the problem.” “IT’S been going on for a

“I’VE been doing a little bit of Malaga, Santo Domingo and San CANNES Market News also while,” Paillard said.

consulting for projects, for festivals and Sebastián. It’s a wonderful time and thought he was the man Jerôme Paillard © DR “Sometimes they rent
to ask about rumors that screening rooms for
a digital company helping films reach opportunity to help a little bit.”

cinemas, called Artinii,” he said. “It’s STILL an avid captain, he’s also teaching there’s an unofficial market of sorts that private screenings. Many execs get in

nice sharing my experience, and it flying to amateurs and future pilots. takes place in Cannes the Monday early to set up and recover from jet lag,

seems that finally I know something.” MEANWHILE, he’s “starting a new before the market begins on Tuesdays. and they like to get an early start before

PAILLARD has also been named by the training to do mediation”, he adds. THIS year, execs on the Croisette on it becomes too busy.”✦ Liza Foreman

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