24/05/2008

Despite the generally sluggish and complicated atmosphere reported by the majority of sellers who attended this year’s Cannes Festival Film Market, business was booming for French international sales agent Films Distribution.

Philippe Garrel’s Frontier of Dawn [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – which was selected in official competition (see news) – was bought for Italy by Archibald (new distributor and offshoot of Lady Film), and for Switzerland (Agora), Portugal, Brazil and Japan. Negotiations are also underway with the US.

Successful deals were also struck with Bouli Lanners’ Belgian feature Eldorado [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see news) which was bought for Germany and Austria (Kool Film) as well as Italy (Archibald). Canada is among those territories with whom advanced negotiations are underway.

Joachim Lafosse’s Free Student [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques-Henri Bronckart
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile] – the second Belgian title in the Directors’ Fortnight to feature on Films Distribution’s line-up – sold to Switzerland (Agora) and Canada, and also received offers from the US and the UK, despite its late screening. This excellent start to sales was accompanied by warm critical reviews, which bode well for future deals.

Screened in the Un Certain Regard section, Raymond Depardon’s documentary La vie moderne [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“Modern Life”) has already been snapped up for the Netherlands, Canada and Switzerland. Negotiations are also currently underway with the UK.

Among the films screened at the market, Films Distribution scored successful deals with Vincent Garenq’s comedy Baby Love. The feature sold to Spain (Golem), Benelux (Victory), Switzerland (Agora), Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan, among other countries. Negotiations are also underway with the US.

Films Distribution also presented Anne Fontaine’s unmissable Coco avant Chanel (“Coco Before Chanel”) starring Audrey Tautou (see news), which will start shooting in the autumn and already has all the necessary funding.

The company also unveiled two new titles on their slate: Philippe Lioret’s Welcome (see news) and Cédric Kahn’s Les regrets (“Regrets”, see news), which has already been pre-bought for Benelux (Lumière) and Switzerland (Agora).

Finally, sales got underway for Stephen Burke’s Irish/German co-production Happy Ever Afters, starring UK actress Sally Hawkins (Best Actress Award at the latest Berlinale). The title was bought for Australia and Switzerland and negotiations are underway with Canada and Benelux, among other countries.

(Translated from French)