Former Bond Girl, Bérénice Marlohe, cast in Dennis Bartok’s Horror P.O.V

FORTISSIMO HANDLING PRE-SALES AT THE CANNES MARCHÉ
Former Bond girl, Bérénice Marlohe (SKYFALL, 5 TO 7, Terrence Malick’s upcoming WEIGHTLESS) has been cast to star in Dennis Bartok’s (TRAPPED ASHES) English-language horror P.O.V.. Pre-sales are currently underway at the Cannes Marche, with a number of deals under negotiation by Fortissimo Films. Fortissimo holds worldwide rights to the film (except Dutch-speaking Benelux).
P.O.V. follows the story of Dana Milgrom (Marlohe), a track coach who, having survived a near-death car accident, finds herself completely paralysed and trapped inside her own body. While recovering she becomes convinced that an evil presence exists inside her hospital room and is intent on killing her. Believing her to be experiencing a mental breakdown, Dana’s family brush away her concerns. Becoming increasingly terrified, Dana soon realises that she may not be the only target. Unable to leave her bed, she risks losing the ones she cares for most.
A well-established French television and film actress, Bérénice is best known for her role as Bond girl, Sévérine, in the twenty-third James Bond film, SKYFALL. She recently starred in Victor Levin’s romantic comedy 5 TO 7 and is set to appear in Joe Miale’s REVOLT and Terrence Malick’s WEIGHTLESS alongside Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender.
Principal photography for P.O.V. will begin later this year with filming taking place in Ireland and various locations around the UK. Bartok will direct from his own script, which was co-written with Tom Abrams. With the support of the Irish Film Board, Brendan McCarthy and John McDonnell will produce through their Ireland-based, horror production outfit Fantastic Films, along with Jan Doense and Herman Slagter of The Netherlands-based, genre-specific, House of Netherhorror.
A copy of the screenplay is available for consumption at Fortissimo’s Cannes office, along with a sizzle reel for the film.
About Fortissimo Films
Fortissimo Films is an international film, television and home entertainment sales organisation specialising in the production, presentation, promotion and distribution of unique, award winning and innovative feature films from independent film makers from all over the world. For more information, please visit.
About Dennis Bartok
Dennis Bartok is a graduate of the Film/TV Production Department at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. At NYU he directed & wrote the short film “Quarter ‘Til” for Home Box Office starring Sean Young (BLADE RUNNER) and John Heard (HOME ALONE). After working as an assistant at Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Productions in New York, he relocated to Los Angeles in 1992.
He sold his first screenplay, the sci-fi/creature spec “Jenny Hanniver” to 20th Century Fox with producer Arnold Kopelson (PLATOON). Following that he sold the romantic adventure script “The American Princess” to New Line with Team Todd (ALICE IN WONDERLAND, AUSTIN POWERS) producing. He also sold the historical adventure pitch “The Captain’s Wife” to Fox 2000.
In 2001 Bartok formed Five Windows Productions and in 2008 the company released through Lions Gate the anthology horror film TRAPPED ASHES which Bartok produced and wrote, with episodes directed by Joe Dante (GREMLINS), Ken Russell (ALTERED STATES), Sean Cunningham (FRIDAY THE 13th), Monte Hellman (TWO LANE BLACKTOP) and John Gaeta (Oscar-winner, Visual F/X – THE MATRIX). The “Stanley’s Girlfriend” episode was invited to screen at the Cannes Film Festival. The entire film had its World Premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
For 13 years, Bartok served as head of film programming for the American Cinematheque, a non-profit film group which restored and operates the historic 1922 Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. While there he organized landmark retrospectives on such filmmakers as Jean-Pierre Melville, Mario Bava, Kinji Fukasaku, Anthony Mann, Samuel Fuller, the Monty Python group and many others. Bartok has appeared on numerous TV programs as an expert on film history including American Movie Classic’s “Behind The Screen” series. He’s also worked as a film journalist for Daily Variety and has been a guest lecturer on film for Irish Screen in Dublin, Ireland and at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA.
He’s currently EVP for Acquisitions & Distribution for newly-launched theatrical/VOD/ Home Video distribution company Cinelicious Pics based in Hollywood. He’s been praised by film critic Leonard Maltin as “knowing as much about movies and Hollywood lore as anyone I know.”
About Fantastic Films
Taking its name from the great tradition of European Cinema Fantastique, Fantastic Films is an OSCAR™ winning film production company based in Dublin, Ireland. Focusing on high quality genre and niche films, the company directors, John McDonnell and Brendan McCarthy are at the forefront of producing varied and groundbreaking films of the highest quality.
Current titles - the highly anticipated CHERRY TREE, directed by David Keating, the festival hit THE HALLOW, directed by Corin Hardy, which screened at Sundance (2015) and the multi award-winning LET US PREY, directed by Brian O’Malley and starring Liam Cunningham and Pollyanna McIntosh, all due for release in 2015.
Previous productions -THE LAST DAYS ON MARS, the debut feature film from Oscar-nominated Irish director Ruairí Robinson, which screened at Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival, 2013; the award-winning comedy-horror STITCHES (2012) directed by Conor McMahon and starring Ross Noble, the Bollywood hit EK THA TIGER (2012) directed by Kabir Khan and starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif; the critically acclaimed and multi award-winning HAMMER horror WAKE WOOD (2011) directed by David Keating and starring Timothy Spall, Aidan Gillen and Eva Birthistle and OUTCAST (2010) directed by Colm McCarthy and starring James Nesbitt, Kate Dickie and fellow Scottish actress Hannah Stanbridge, who received a Scottish BAFTA for her role in the film.
About House of Netherhorror
Producers Jan Doense (aka Mr. Horror, founder of the Imagine: Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival) and Herman Slagter (producer of Fighting Fish, the first ever Dutch martial arts movie) joined forces in House of Netherhorror, an Amsterdam and Rotterdam based production company devoted solely to the creation of low to medium budget Dutch horror films.
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