23/02/2006

Diversity pays: that was the verdict for international sales outfit Films Distribution on their return from the European Film Market, where they had their own stand for the first time, having come out from under the Unifrance umbrella.

With a dozen features, the French company pulled off some good deals in Berlin. Among the principal causes for the company’s satisfaction was the Israeli production Close to Home, which screened in the Forum and won the CICAE prize. Films Distribution only added the film to its slate at the festival and, in the mad rush of the market, managed to sell it to numerous territories (France, Benelux, Italy, Brazil, Switzerland, Austria, Canada and Finland, with negotiations ongoing for the US).

Excellent pre-sales were made for Pascale Ferran’s Lady Chatterley [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see news), which was acquired by SPI International (all of Eastern Europe), Future Film (Scandinavia), Atalanta Filmes (Portugal), Rosebud (Greece), as well as for Russia, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

According to Didar Domehri, head of international sales at Films Distribution, the depth of its line-up produced good results for, among others Back to Normandie [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Nicolas Philibert (see article), pre-sold to Italy (BIM Distribuzione), Spain (Karma Films) and Canada (Seville); Days of Glory [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile] by Rachid Bouchareb, which is hoping to be selected for Cannes and which was acquired for China and Poland, two territories also tied up for Bruno Dumont’s Flanders [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see news).

Furthermore, La tourneuse de page (lit. "The Page Turner") by Denis Dercourt was pre-sold to Benelux (Lumière) and Canada, while April in Love by Gérald Hustache-Mathieu was sold to Japan, Canada and Benelux (Cinéart-Cinélibre) and Olivier Meyrou’s Beyond Hatred [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (winner of the Teddy Award at Berlin) found a US distributor.

Finally, Films Distribution’s Venice hits completed their sales tally, with remaining territories wrapped up for the Canadian phenomenon C.R.A.Z.Y. by Jean-Marc Vallée, while Regular Lovers [+see also:
trailer
interview: Philippe Garrel
film profile] by Philippe Garrel was pre-sold to the UK (Artificial Eye), Portugal (Atalanta), Austria, Greece, Quebec and Japan.

(Translated from French)