11/01/2010

French directors Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau andSébastien Lifshitz, who are Berlinale regulars, have had their latest works selected in the Panorama section at the 60th Berlin Film Festival (February 11-21, 2010)<.

After Jeanne and the Perfect Guy (in competition at Berlin in 1998), Funny Felix (Panorama in 2000) and Mariscos Beach (Panorama 2005), Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau will unveil their fifth narrative feature, L'arbre et La Forêt [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“The Tree and the Forest”, see news), in the German capital.

Starring Guy Marchand, Françoise Fabian and Belgian actor Yannick Renier, the film centres on a father’s secret, namely that he was deported by the Nazis for homosexuality during his youth.

L'arbre et La Forêt was produced by Les Films du lendemain in co-production with Maïa Films for around €3.48m. The budget included an advance on receipts from the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC), backing from the Ile de France and Centre regions, and pre-sales from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma. Ad Vitam will release the film in French theatres on March 3 and Films Distribution is managing international sales.

After Wild Side in 2004, Sébastien Lifshitz will return to the Berlinale Panorama with his third feature: the road movie Plein Sud [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“Due South”, see news). The cast once again includes Belgium’s Rénier, alongside French actors Léa Seydoux, Nicole Garcia, Théo Frilet, Pierre Perrier and Micheline Presle.

The film was produced for €1.38m by Ad Vitam, who launched it in theatres on December 30. The budget included a MEDIA development grant, pre-sales from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma, as well as support from the Aquitaine and Haute-Normandie regions. International sales are being handled by MK2.

(Translated from French)