13/05/2008

French films are well represented in the Un Certain Regard section at the 61st Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25) with six majority productions by established directors and new talents.

Major names include Léos Carax and Michel Gondry who have joined forces with Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho on Tokyo. Produced by Comme des Cinémas with backing from Arte France Cinéma, this three-part feature was made on a budget of €3.3m. The title is being sold internationally by Wild Bunch.

Acclaimed director Raymond Depardon also returns to Cannes (where he was in competition in 1990) with the documentary La Vie moderne [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“Modern Life”). Produced by Palmeraie et Désert, the film is being sold internationally by Films Distribution.

Emerging talents include screenwriter Pierre Schoeller with his directorial debut Versailles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Geraldine Michelot
interview: Pierre Schoeller
film profile].

Starring Judith Chemla, Guillaume Depardieu, Patrick Descamps and Aure Atika, the title was produced by Films Pelléas on a budget of €2.6m. This included an advance on receipts from the National Film Centre (CNC), €418,000 in backing from the Ile-de-France region, €200,000 from Centre Images and pre-sales from Canal +. Domestic distribution and international sales will be handled by Les Films du Losange.

Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s Johnny Mad Dog [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – about child soldiers in Liberia – will be sure to attract attention in the Un Certain Regard section. This is the second feature by the director of the documentary Carlitos Medellin (2004).

The film was produced by Mathieu Kassovitz for MNP Entreprise and co-produced by Belgian companies Scope Picture and Explicit Films (22% investment). The overall budget of €2.3m included pre-sales from Canal +. Sales are being handled by TF1 International.

Paris-based company Mille et Une Productions will present I Want To See [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the new title by Lebanese duo Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. Starring Catherine Deneuve, this road movie is set in Lebanon after the bombings.

Co-produced by Abbout Productions, the film is being sold internationally by newly-founded German company Films Boutique.

Finally, Salt of This Sea – the debut feature by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir – was delegate produced by French company JBA, and co-produced by Switzerland’s Thelma Film, Spain’s Mediapro and Belgium’s Tarantula. Sales are being handled by Pyramide.

(Translated from French)