22/02/2016 - BERLIN 2016: French cinema hit the bull’s eye at Berlin with Things to Come and Death in Sarajevo, as well as minority productions Fire at Sea and Hedi

The winners’ list of the 66th Berlin Film Festival singled out the high quality, the go-getting attitude and the openness of the French film industry, in terms of both production and international sales, with no fewer than five features pocketing an award. Standing proud among them is the Golden Bear winner Fire at Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gianfranco Rosi
film profile] by Italy’s Gianfranco Rosi, co-produced by Les Films d'Ici and Arte France Cinéma, and sold by Doc & Film International. Its distribution in France will be handled by young Paris-based company Météore Films.

With her fifth feature film, Things to Come [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Mia Hansen-Løve
film profile], 35-year-old Mia Hansen-Løve continues her steady rise to power in the pecking order of world cinema by winning the Best Director Award at Berlin. The prize also shines the spotlight on production outfit CG Cinéma (managed by Charles Gillibert), which will also be battling it out for the 2016 Oscar for Best Foreign-language Film next Sunday, with Mustang [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
film profile]. Things to Come was co-produced by Arte France Cinéma, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma and German firm Detail Film. Having been pre-purchased by Canal+, the film toplined by Isabelle Huppert was also supported by the CNC’s advance on receipts, the Procirep, the Hessen Film Fund, and the Cinémage and Cofinova Soficas. It will be distributed in French theatres from 6 April by Les Films du Losange, which is also in charge of its international sales, which proved to be very profitable at the Europen Film Market (read the news).

Another majority French production sparkles on the Berlinale winners’ list, with the Grand Jury Prize bestowed upon Death in Sarajevo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danis Tanovic
film profile] by Danis Tanovic. Produced by François Margolin for Paris-based outfit Margo Cinéma together with Bosnia’s SCCA/pro.ba, the film, which was co-produced by France 3 Cinéma and pre-purchased by Canal+, stars Jacques Weber in the lead role and was adapted from the stage play Hotel Europe by Bernard-Henri Lévy. It is being sold by German sales agent The Match Factory.

France was also involved in the production of Hedi [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia, which pulled off a spectacular double win at Berlin with the Best Actor Award (Majd Mastour) and the Best First Feature Film Award. Co-produced by Tanit Films together with Tunisia and Belgium, the feature was backed by the CNC’s World Cinema Support at the completion stage. Its international sales are handled by young Paris-based company Luxbox, while distribution rights in France have been acquired by Bac Films.

Besides the competition winners’ list, it is also worth pointing out the Special Mention given to Miss Impossible [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Emilie Deleuze in the Generation Kplus section. The film was produced by Agat Films & Cie, co-produced by Ad Vitam (which will also take care of French distribution), pre-purchased by Canal+ and OCS, and supported by the Ile-de-France region, while its international sales are being managed by Doc & Film. Also of note was the Europa Cinemas Label handed to the minority co-production The First, The Last [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile] by Belgian filmmaker Bouli Lanners (co-produced by ADCB Films and sold abroad by Wild Bunch, which released it in France on 27 January).

(Translated from French)