Five continents for Celluloid Dreams

by Fabien Lemercier

15/05/2006 - Currently experiencing rapid growth, French international sales company Celluloid Dreams will arrive at the Cannes Film Market (May 17-27) with grand ambitions and armed with an impressive line-up that includes productions from the world over.

To kick-start the event, the company, headed by Hengameh Panahi, will present six features in the various sections at the festival: Election 2 by Johnnie To out of competition; Il regista di matrimoni by Italy’s Marco Bellocchio; Luxury Car by China’s Wang Chao and To Get to Heaven First You Have to Die [trailer] by Tadjik Djamshed Usmonov in Un Certain Regard; and Jindabyne by Australia’s Ray Lawrence and Sway by Japan’s Nishikawa Miwa in the Directors’ Fortnight.

Austrian horror film Dead in Three Days by Andreas Prochaska will have its premiere in the market screenings, while the company’s success at Berlin this year will be highlighted with a screening of The Elementary Particles [trailer, film focus] by German director Oskar Roehler. The French outfit also plans to reveal several projects, still secret, at the Market.

Sales will begin on Angel [trailer] by François Ozon and the animated film Persépolis by Marjane Satrapi. Celluloid Dreams can also expect good performances from French/German/Italian co-production Goodbye Bafana by Danish filmmaker Bille August, French animated films U and Peur (s) du noir, I’m not there by Todd Haynes, Mister Lonely by Harmony Korine and UK titles The Magic Flute [trailer] by Kenneth Branagh and Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution by Billie Eltringham.

(Translated from French)