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BERLINALE 2009 EFM

Tidal wave of French companies hit market

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The Berlinale – which kicked off yesterday – is showing 29 French features in its different sections. Meanwhile, French international sales companies have turned out in force for the European Film Market.

Cineuropa has already presented line-ups for the following sellers: Wild Bunch (see news), Celluloid Dreams (see news), Kinology (see interview), Elle Driver (see news), TF1 International (see news), Films Distribution (see news), Pathé (see news) and Memento Films (see news). Below is an overview of the other companies in attendance.

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StudioCanal has added to its line-up Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, starring Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson (in pre-production) and Emmanuel Schmitt’s Oscar and the Lady in Pink (in post-production).

Market screenings include UK thrillers 1974 by Julian Jarrold and 1983 by Anand Tucker; animated film Friends Forever by Tony Loeser and Jesper Moller; Danièle Thompson’s Le code a changé (“The Code Has Changed”); Gad Elmaleh’s Coco; and Caroline Bottaro’s Queen to Play. There will be pre-sales for Robert Guédiguian’s The Army of Crime (in post-production).

UGC will present André Téchiné’s La fille du RER (“The Girl on the Train”) and handle pre-sales for Saffy Nebbou’s Signé Dumas (“Written by Dumas”), Yasmina Reza’s Introducing Fernand and Barbet Schroeder’s A Very Simple Crime (starring Adrian Brody and Franka Potente).

Pyramide will be hoping for success with its titles in official selection: Manoel de Oliveira’s Eccentricities of a Blond-haired Girl [+see also:
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, which is screening out of competition; Catherine Breillat’s Blue Beard [+see also:
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in the Panorama section; and Sabine El Gemayel’s Niloofar and Aida Beigic’s Snow in the Generation section.

There will also be sales of films in post-production: Bruno Dumont’s Hadewijch, Catherine Corsini’s Leaving, Emmanuel Mouret’s Fais-moi plaisir (“Do Me A Favour”) and Belgian director Bernard Bellefroid’s La régate (“The Regatta”).

Les Films du Losange is pinning its hopes on Sophie FillièresPardon My French in the Forum section. The team will also continue sales for Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon, Jacques Rivette’s 36 vues du Pic Saint-Loup (“36 Views from the Pic Saint-Loup”), Mia Hansen-Love’s Le père de mes enfants (“The Father of My Children”), and Susanne Schneider’s The Day Will Come, which are all in post production; and for Marius Holst’s Norwegian film King of Devil’s Island.

Rezo Films is represented in the Panorama section by Jean-Paul Lilienfeld’s Skirt Day [+see also:
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, starring Isabelle Adjani; and by French/US co-production The Yes Men Fix the World.

The company will present Romanian director Adrian Sitaru’s Hooked [+see also:
film review
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interview: Adrian Sitaru
film profile
]
and handle pre-sales for Stéphane Brizé’s Mademoiselle Chambon, Karen Yedaya’s Jaffa and Antoine Blossier’s horror film Prey.

Le Pacte is bringing François Ozon’s Ricky [+see also:
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and pre-selling Christophe Honoré’s Non, ma fille (“No, My Daughter”), Jérôme Bonnell’s La dame de trèfle (“The Queen of Clubs”), Emmanuel Salinger’s La grande vie (“The High Life”) and Serge Elissalde’s Le jour des corneilles (“The Day of the Crows”).

EuropaCorp is selling Rie Rasmussen’s Human Zoo [+see also:
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(selected in the Panorama section). The company will also screen Benoît Jacquot’s Villa Amalia [+see also:
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and its productions I Love You Phillip Morris (starring Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey) and Staten Island by James DeMonaco (starring Ethan Hawke - world première).

There will also be pre-sales for Xavier Giannoli’s In the Beginning and Bibo Bergeron’s Un monstre à Paris (“A Monster in Paris”).

Also worthy of note are Michel Hazanavicius’ OSS 117, Rio ne répond plus (“OSS 117: No Response from Rio”) and Massy Tadjedin’s Last Night (starring Keira Knightley and Guillaume Canet) in Gaumont’s line-up.

Among the gems on MK2’s slate are Patrice Chéreau’s Persécution, Abdellatif Kechiche’s La Vénus Noire (“Black Venus”) and Abbas Kiarostami’s The Certified Copy.

Meanwhile, SND is presenting in market première Zabou Breitman’s Je l’aimais (“Someone I Loved”, starring Daniel Auteuil and Marie-José Croze), Maïwenn’s The Actress’ Ball [+see also:
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and Vilaine [+see also:
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(“Nasty”) by Alain Mauduit and Jean-Patrick Benes.

Bac Films is showing Romanian director Horatiu Malaele’s Silent Weeding, Eckart Fingberg’s Jasper, Hanelore Cayre’s Commis d’office (“Court Appointed Lawyer”). There will also be promotional reels for animated films Les Lascars (“Rogues”) and Journey To Saturn, and pre-sales for Julie Lopes-Curval’s La Cuisine (“The Kitchen”) and Jean-Christophe Klotz’s Les Zones turquoises (“The Turquoise Zones”).

Umedia is hoping for success with Simone Bitton’s Rachel (selected in the Forum section) and is selling Lyes Salem’s Masquerades.

Wide Management has one title in the Culinary Cinema section: That Should Not Be: Our Children Will Accuse Us. Meanwhile, Roissy Films is showing Martin Provost’s Séraphine.

Other French sales companies in attendance at Berlin include Coach 14, Doc&Film, Funny Balloons, Alfama Films, Futurikon and Other Angle Picture.

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(Translated from French)

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