The latest films on Screenbase include the debut features by France’s Sylvain Fusé and Italy’s Ruggero Dipaola, as well as a Spanish-Cuban co-production helmed by Alejandro Brugués and the new production by Maïwenn Le Besco.

Monday (July 19) saw the start of shooting for Sylvain Fusée’s debut Philibert. Scripted by Jean-François Halin and Karine Angeli, the comedy is set in 1550, centring on the eldest son of an artichoke farmer who is saving his virginity for a woman chosen for him by God. Jérémie Renier, soon to be seen in François Ozon’s Potiche, will head the cast along with Alexandre Astier, Manu Payet and Élodie Navarre. Christophe Riandee and Sidonie Dumas are producing for Gaumont, with Eric and Nicolas Almayer as co-producers for Mandarin Cinema. The $15.4m production also includes co-production support from M6 Films. The majority of its 8 1/2 week shoot will take place in Prague, with a current release date for April 6, 2011. Gaumont will distribute in France and also handle international sales.

Laura Morante will star in Ruggero Dipaola’sAppartamento Ad Atene, which is set in 1940s Athens and focuses on issues of hatred, revenge and freedom. Dipaola co-wrote the screenplay with Heidrun Schleef and Luca De Benedittis. Produced by L’Occhio E La Luna, the drama received backing from the MEDIA Programme, the Italian Culture Ministry (MiBAC), as well as from the Apulia Film Commission. The film is currently in post-production with an as-yet undisclosed release date for later this year.

Forty-years-old Juan is forced to defend Havana after it is invaded by zombies inJuan De Los Muertos, the new horror-thriller by Alejandro Brugués. The $1.3m project is produced by Inti Herrera and Claudia Calvino for La Zanfoña Producciones and Producciones de la 5ta Avenida. The film is scheduled to start shooting in September and will be released next year in Mexico by Latinofusion.

Maïwenn Le Besco wrote and will direct a drama about a journalist who is covering police assigned to a juvenile division and who embarks on an affair with one of the inmates. Polisseis jointly produced by Les Productions Du Tresor and Mars Films and has received financial backing from Arte France Cinéma. Maïwenn will head the cast that also includes Riccardo Scamarcio, Karin Viard, Nicolas Duvauchelle, and Joey Starr.

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