News from the Toronto International Film Festival:

Two “big buzz” titles have been acquired for distribution: Steven Soderbergh’s Che, starring Benecio del Toro in the title role, has been nabbed by IFC Films (not Mark Cuban) for North America, and Summit Entertainment has secured US rights to Katheryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, featuring Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes.

IFC will release Che for a one-week awards qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles in December. It will then open in January via the company’s “IFC in Theaters” platform, which means it will be available in select theaters and “on demand” through cable and satellite systems the same day. Ever since Che’s world premiere at Cannes in May, there has been speculation about how the film would be presented. Che is comprised of two stand alone parts — The Argentine and Guerrilla — and the total running time is more than four hours. Now we know some of us will be able to see the whole thing at one time.

source: Cinematical.Com

The first review for ‘Che‘ I’ve come across and it’s very heartening. The Boston Herald had this to say about the film and Catalina (click link to read full review):

Who would have thought a four-hour movie (actually two movies) mostly in Spanish about a dead ‘60s revolutionary communist would be so compelling? So interesting and ultimately so thought-provoking? But that’s exactly what Steven Soderbergh’s ambitious, long-aborning “Che” turns out to be.

Soderbergh’s handling of the final destruction in a jungle ravine is exceptional. In the large cast, Catalina Sandino Moreno of “Maria Full of Grace” and Franka Potente stand out as the only two women in a sea of male revolutionaries.

I’ve added 2 stills that feature Catalina Sandino Moreno as Aleida Guevara. Enjoy!

2 The Argentine & Guerilla > Stills

The 2 parts of Steven Soderbergh’s project about Che – also known as ‘Guerilla’ and ‘The Argentine’ – are to have their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it also features in the official competition. Let’s hope Catalina Sandino Moreno, who plays Che’s wife in the movies, will also attend!

World Premiere: Wednesday, May 21, 6.30 pm
Second screening: Thursday, May 22, 1.15 pm

The film runs for 4 hours 28 minutes! Read an article here to learn what problems this – as well as the Spanish dialogue – might cause when it comes to find a general US release date. Also, apparently the second part (The Argentine) was only just finished in time for the prestigious film festival.

Synopsis:

PART ONE
On November 26, 1956, Fidel Castro sails to Cuba with eighty rebels. One of those rebels is Ernesto “Che” Guevara, an Argentine doctor who shares a common goal with Fidel Castro – to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
Che proves indispensable as a fighter, and quickly grasps the art of guerrilla warfare. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. This film tracks Che’s rise in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to commander to revolutionary hero.

PART TWO
After the Cuban Revolution, Che is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution.
The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice, idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.

Exciting news! Catalina Sandino Moreno has signed for a new project – and it is actually a two film project. Variety has just reported the following:

Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno, Oscar-nommed for “Maria Full of Grace,” has been added to the cast of Steven Soderbergh’s two film project about Latin American revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara, which begins shooting July 25 in Spain.

Entitled “The Argentine” and “Guerrilla,” the two Spanish language-pics have a combined budget of around $70 million. Benicio del Toro toplines as “Che.”

Other thesps attached include Julia Ormond, Germany’s Franka Potente and Cuban Jorge Perugorria, as well as Spanish actors Jordi Molla, Oscar Jaenada, Eduard Fernandez and Ruben Ochandiano.

U.S.-based Guerrilla has teamed with Spanish production houses Telecinco Cinema and Morena Films to co-produce. Wild Bunch handles international sales.

Shooting begins in Spain’s central Castille La Mancha region and will continue in other locations in Madrid and Andalusia for nine weeks.

There is no word yet on who Catalina is going to play. The project has been in the works for quite some time now. Apparently it was first announced back in November 2005 as one film but also starring Benicio del Toro. Before the script was finished (which was originally written by del Toro and Terrence Malick) the team shot some scenes for about a week at the UN in January 2006 in an effort to get in ahead of a planned refurbishment at the buildings. A little later Julia Ormond joined the cast and last October the film was split in two.

Check out the IMDb listings for the films: The Argentine and Guerilla.