Beta Cinema clinches over 35 sales at EFM

by Bénédicte Prot

23/02/2011 - This year, Beta Cinema enjoyed one of its best outings at the European Film Market (European Film Market) in Berlin, with over 35 sales finalised.

Two German-language titles presented out of competition won over distributors. Austrian director Wolfgang Murnberger’s My Best Enemy [trailer] (see review) – a fool’s game between a Nazi and a Jew who owns an authentic Michelangelo (Moritz Bleibtreu) – was bought by Neue Visionen for Germany, Future Film for Scandinavia, Cineworx for Switzerland and Gilad for Israel. US rights are under negotiation.

Meanwhile, Yasemin Samdereli’s entertaining and original German/Turkish comedy Almanya - Welcome to Germany [trailer] (see review) managed to entice Teodora Film (Italy), Golem (Spain), Filmcoopi (Switzerland), Medyavizyon (Turkey) and Lev Cinemas (Israel). A deal with France is expected to follow soon.

Catalan director Agustí Villaronga’s Black Bread [trailer], the top winner at last week’s Goya Awards, was sold to French distributor Alfama Films and Lusitania’s Clapfilmes. Negotiations are currently being finalised for Japan.

Florian Cossen’s debut feature, German/Argentinean co-production The Day I Was Not Born [trailer], which has already garnered worldwide acclaim, continues to attract deals: Artfim SA bought it for Brazil and AS Fidalgo for Norway. Distributors from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay are expected to follow suit soon.

Meanwhile, Bavarian director Ralf Huettner’s Vincent Wants To Sea, which was a big hit with German audiences, will get a French release.

For Australia and New Zealand, Palace Films bought Claudio Cupellini’s A Quiet Life [trailer, film focus], starring Toni Servillo; as well as John Turturro’s film about Neapolitan music Passione - A Musical Adventure. The latter was also acquired by Polish company Docreview.

On the pre-sales side, renowned Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness, still in post-production, is already guaranteed distribution in the United States (Sony Picture Classics), Spain (Alta) and Israel (Lev Cinema). Negotiations are about to come to fruition for France, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

(Translated from French)