07/09/2012 - "We received very positive feedback from the distributors and sales agents," says Pascal Diot, director of the event

"We received very positive feedback from the distributors and sales agents," said Venice Film Market Director Pascal Diot (photo). The market ran from August 30 to September 3 during the 69th International Venice Film Festival. "For the first time they had a meeting place here and the organization and the service was very much appreciated. Everyone was very relaxed in an informal casual atmosphere and several deals have been signed."

One of the top titles at the Venice Film Market was the Saudi Arabian-German co-production Wadjda [+see also:
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film profile], for which The Match Factory could close a bunch of deals. "This film was much in demand," confirmed The Match Factory Managing Director Michael Weber. Several buyers, such as Praesens Film AG in Switzerland, acquired this first feature film to ever be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia.

Among the films in the Venice line-up to generate a lot of interest from European arthouse distributors were the Israeli drama Fill the Void, the Belgian tragi-comedy Tango Libre [+see also:
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interview: Frédéric Fonteyne
film profile] and the US independent production At Any Price, which deals with a classic father-son conflict. Tango Libre was immediately picked up by Hans Koenig, CEO of Polyfilm Verleih in Austria, who also has the Venice competition entry Something In The Air [+see also:
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interview: Olivier Assayas
film profile] in his line up.

In total, there were 114 films presented at the Venice Film market, which attracted 193 distributors and 66 sales agents. "In addition, we had 1,100 film professionals from 62 countries," Diot added. Among the industry representatives were producers, exhibitors, film commissions, funding organizations and film festival representatives.

"They managed to bring distributors to Venice who had never come before, or not for a long time," said Hengameh Panahi who acquired for the French Celluloid Dreams Distribution the international rights to Japanese cult movie The Millennial Rapture, which premiered in Venice Horizons.

Most of the bigger movies, such as Terrence Malick's To the Wonder, The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson or Love Is All You Need [+see also:
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film profile] by Susanne Bier have already been pre-sales closed in the key territories. "There is a lack between the big independent productions, which have already been pre-sold, and the kind of films that are too small to find an audience," said Cyril Thurston, CEO of Xenix Filmdistribution Gmbh in Switzerland. "We were missing compelling arthouse films that appeal to cinemagoers."

"It was a nice gentle Venice," concluded Munich-based distributor Prokino Licensing & Acquisition Managing Director Ira von Gienanth. "The Venice Film Market has offered the best possible conditions. But most of the sales companies came to Venice because they had a film in the programme. The number of partners with whom I could discuss new projects was quite manageable."

"One of the goals which I have for next year is to bring back more American distributors," said Pascal Diot, who launched the Venice Film Market at the beginning of the festival. "Five days are enough for a market. A lot of distributors that came here flew to Toronto. Several deals that have been initiated here will be closed in Toronto. My aim is to bring more distributors to Venice next year so that the sales agents will have the possibility to conclude the sales here."

In 2013, the market director also plans to improve the infrastructure by establishing three or four screening rooms for market participants. "This yea,r we had been able to build only one private screening room which has been booked by sales agents so that they could show their films to the distributors before the official screening."

In addition, he wants to expand the Industry Club, which is dedicated to distributors, sales agents and producers, because all the tables have been occupied during the most busy days. "As the market has been quite well received, the word of mouth will work," Diot underlined. "A lot of people who were hesitating to come to the first edition will come to the second one."