18/05/2013 - German sales outfit Beta Cinema has closed several deals on the Golden Bear winner Child’s Pose from Romania and multiple-award winning German film Oh Boy!

Just three days into the market, the Munich-based boutique sales operation Beta Cinema has announced a series of deals closed on two of its most high-profile titles screening at the market: the 2013 Golden Bear winner Child’s Pose [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Calin Peter Netzer
film profile] (photo) and multiple-award winning German film Oh Boy! [+see also:
trailer
interview: Jan Ole Gerster
film profile].

Child’s Pose by Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer was sold to Spain (Golem), Japan (Magic Hour), Israel (Lev Cinemas), Norway (Tour de Force), Denmark (Camera), Poland (Aurora), Czech Republic/Slovakia (Film Europe), Hungary (Cirko), Bulgaria (Bulgaria Film), Brazil (Imovision) and Mexico (Cinemas Nueva). The film will be released in Germany by X-Verleih on May 23.

The tragic-comedy Oh Boy! by Jan Ole Gerster which recently won six German film awards (including Best Film, Best Director) and was a surprise hit at the German BO, went to Japan (Cetera), Russia (P&I Films), Hungary (Cirko), Norway (Fidalgo), Serbia/Montenegro (Discovery) and Mexico (Cinema Nueva Era). ABC-Cinemien will release it in Benelux on May 30 and French Diaphana on June 5.

Beta Cinema’s Exec VP Acquisitions, Sales and Marketing Thorsten Ritter said: “The name of the distributors that have bought Child’s Pose and Oh Bo!y speak for themselves. These are companies that know their audience and create a tailor-made release for each title. Both films also perfectly represent the quality and unique arthouse films we handle at Beta Cinema alongside the bigger budget films such as the €10m The Happy Prince by Rupert Everett (starring Everett, Colin Firth, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson) and €26m epic The Physician by Philipp Stoelzl (starring Tom Payne, Sir Ben Kingsley, Stellan Skarsgård).“

Other titles on Beta Cinema’s slate have found buyers in Cannes. The market screenings The Girl with Nine Wigs by Marc Rothemund was sold to Poland (Aurora) and Taiwan (Swallow Wings), the Norwegian/German thriller Two Lives by Georg Maas went to Poland (Aurora) and the family film Famous Five 1 to South Korea. Meanwhile the Hungarian/German drama Le grand cahier by János Szász was sold to Japan (New Select).

Speaking to Cineuropa about market trends, Ritter said: “Times are tough for territories like Spain, Italy, Greece, but at the end it’s always a matter of having the right films. If you have an eclectic line up for different distributors, with films with a real theatrical appeal, you do find buyers.”