28/05/2008

UK buyers have been amongst the most aggressive at this year’s Cannes market as is reflected in the sheer number of deals struck. Curzon Artificial Eye has acquired Palm D’Or winner The Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile], Jury Prize winner Il Divo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicola Giuliano
interview: Paolo Sorrentino
interview: Philippe Desandre
film profile], Bent Hamer’s O’Horten [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes Of Time Redux for the UK.

Optimum have taken UK rights to Radu Mihaileanu’s drama The Concert, and have also snapped up Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke, Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo on the Cliff and the Un Certain Regard triptych Tokyo! directed by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Joon-ho Bong.

Entertainment Film Distributors has secured UK rights for American comedy The Women, while new player Delanic has struck a deal for Hachiko: A Dog’s Story, Lasse Hallstrom’s remake of the 1987 Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari starring Richard Gere.

Metrodome has picked up Danish WW2 drama Flame & Citron, starring Mads Mikkelsen, which has already grossed more than £4.4 million in Denmark.

New Wave Films, started by Artificial Eye alumni Pam Engel and Robert Beeson, have acquired Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zeynep Ozbatur
film profile] and the Dardenne Brothers' Lorna [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne
interview: Olivier Bronckart
film profile], on the eve of the festival. The Best Director and Best Screenplay awards respectively for the films vindicate the distributor’s faith in the films.

Network have bought UK rights to Antonio Campos’s Un Certain Regard entry Afterschool, Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordan and Bruno Romy's Rumba [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charles Gillibert
interview: Dominique Abel and Fiona Go…
film profile], Thomas Clay’s Soi Cowboy [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Pablo Larrain’s Tony Manero.

Meanwhile UK Camera D’Or winner The Hunger [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Hastings-Smith Rob…
interview: Steve McQueen
film profile] has been picked up for the US by IFC Films.