The Frenchies in force at the AFM

02/11/2005 - Twenty French international sales companies have set off across the Atlantic to take part in the 2005 American Film Market which starts today in Los Angeles. Considered as the last big rendez-vous of the market season, the AFM is considered by the majority of French specialists as an obligatory opportunity to conclude negotiations begun at Cannes, Venice and Toronto and to sell territories still available in their line-ups. At the head of the French delegation are the usual suspects Celluloïd Dreams, Wild Bunch, UGC International, Studio Canal, Pathé International, Gaumont, TF1 International, Europa Corp. et Pyramide International. There too are Gémini Films, Roissy Films, Rezo Films International, MK2, Onoma International, Funny Balloons, Bac Films, M6 DA, Limelight Distribution and Eurocine.

Among the films worth following, UGC have Le Concile de Pierre [trailer] (The Stone Council) by Guillaume Nicloux (in production), Les Témoins (The Witnesses) by André Téchiné (in pre-production), Un secret [trailer] by Claude Miller and Le héros de la famille (Hero of the family) by Thierry Klifa. Gaumont is betting in particular on The Science of sleep by Michel Gondry, Palais Royal by Valérie Lemercier and La doublure (The Stand-in) by Francis Veber, as well as Celluloid Dreams who are putting forward The Aura by Fabian Bielinsky and Vers le Sud [trailer, film focus] (Towards the south) by Laurent Cantet. Angel A by Luc Besson will no doubt be the spearhead for EuropaCorp while Pyramide is counting on Toi et moi by Julie Lopes-Curval (in post-production) and Transylvania by Tony Gatlif (in pre-production), Roissy Films sur L’Entente cordiale de Vincent de Brus, and Films Distribution on Flandres [trailer] by Bruno Dumont and Indigènes [trailer, film focus] (The Natives) by Rachid Bouchareb. Finally, TF1 International continues its work on Romanzo criminale by Michele Placido, La bestia nel cuore [trailer] by Cristina Comencini, Capitaine Alatriste by Agustin Diaz Yanes and Les Brigades du Tigre by Jérôme Cornuau.