Principal photography has begun in Montreal on Xavier Dolan’s first English-language film, which stars Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon.

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Kathy Bates, Ben Schnetzer, Michael Gambon, Bella Thorne, Thandie Newton, Chris Zylka and Emily Hampshire also star in the film, which will additionally shoot in Prague, the UK and New York.

The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan centres a ill-fated correspondence between an American TV Star and an up-and-comer in England.

Lyse Lafontaine of Lyla Films is producing with Dolan and Nancy Grant of Sons Of Manual. Joe Iacono is the executive producer and Seville International handles international sales outside France, where Mars Films will distribute. Les Films Séville will directly distribute throughout Canada and Québec, while CAA handles US rights.

  • IFP Film Week: Project Forum organisers have selected 120 fiction and documentary projects for help from development through post-production. Titles include Requiem For A Robot, Fishbone and God Is Good. IFP Film Week runs in New York from September 17-22.
  • Osgood Perkins’ horror film The Blackcoats will debut on DIRECTV on August 25 followed by theatrical release via A24 on September 30. The cast includes Emma Roberts, currently starring in Nerve, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, Lauren Holly and James Remar. Rob Paris, Adrienne Biddle, Bryan Bertino, Robert Menzies and Alphonse Ghossein produced.