14/05/2008

With the aim of international distribution for its films, art and business will both be present in the official competition of the 61st Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off this evening with Fernando Meirelles’ Blindness. Sixteen of the 22 titles to benefit from this exceptional showcase are being sold this year by European companies.

In a position of strength as hosts but also due to their increasingly dynamic presence internationally, French sales companies will get business underway for 11 of the competition titles.

Wild Bunch steal the show with four Palme d’Or contenders on their line-up: Un conte de Noël [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“A Christmas Story”) by French director Arnaud Desplechin, the two-part biopic on Che Guevara [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by US directorSteven Soderbergh, Two Lovers by fellow US filmmaker James Gray and My Magic by Indonesia’s Eric Khoo.

Seven other French companies will promote Palme d’Or contenders at the Film Market. The Silence of Lorna [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne
interview: Olivier Bronckart
film profile] by Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne is being sold by Celluloid Dreams; La frontière de l’aube [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“The Edge of Dawn”) by France’s Philippe Garrel is on Films Distribution’s line-up; and fellow French director Laurent Cantet’s Entre les Murs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile] (“Between the Walls”) is being sold by Memento Films.

The Coproduction Office will get sales underway for Delta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kornél Mundruczó
interview: Orsi Tóth
film profile] by Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó; Three Monkeys by Turkey’s Nuri Bilge Ceylan is on Pyramide’s slate; Linha de Passe by Brazil’s Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas is being sold by Pathé; and MK2 are selling 24 City by Chinese director Jia Zhangke.

UK sellers are not outdone, with two competition titles between them. HanWay Films will sell German director Wim Wenders’ The Palermo Shooting [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Fandango Portobello Sales will get to work on Gomorra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] by Italian director Matteo Garrone.

German sellers will also make a splash with two films. Beta Cinema will start sales on Il Divo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicola Giuliano
interview: Paolo Sorrentino
interview: Philippe Desandre
film profile] (“The Deity”) by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino and The Match Factory’s line-up includes Israeli/French/German co-production Waltz with Bashir [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Ari Folman.

Brillante Mendoza’s Philippine feature Serbis will be sold by Dutch company Fortissimo.

Of the six Palme d’Or contenders that are not being sold by European sales companies, five are being handled by US sellers. These include Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York and Adoration by Canadian director Atom Egoyan.

Focus are hoping for success with Latin American titles, including Blindness by Brazilian director Meirelles and La femme sans tête [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (“The Headless Woman”) by Argentinean director Lucrecia Martel (co-produced by Spanish company El Deseo, France’s Slot Machine and Italian companies R&C Produzioni and Teodora Film).

Finally, the internationalisation of sales is highlighted by the fact that Cineclick Asia’s slate includes Leonera by Argentinean filmmaker Pablo Trapero.

(Translated from French)