Paris-based international sales agent Indie Sales is expanding its professional activities by opening a new company in Brussels, Best Friend Forever, which intends to offer a wide array of services, ranging from international sales, of course, to guidance on negotiating contracts, and even financing. Best Friend Forever is about to spring into action at the Marché du Film of the 72^nd Cannes Film Festival (14-25 May) touting Oleg [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Juris Kursietis
scheda film], the second feature by Juris Kursietis (Modris [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]), which has been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight.

The film unfolds in Brussels and Ghent, and follows the story of a young Latvian butcher who goes into exile in order to work in a factory, in the hope that he will receive a higher salary there. But his adventure comes to a sudden end when a colleague betrays him. Soon, he finds himself under the thumb of Andzejs, a Polish mafioso…

The company will also be overseeing sales for the Ukrainian dystopian drama Atlantis [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Valentyn Vasyanovych
scheda film], the third feature by Valentyn Vasyanovych (Black Level [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]), and the Canadian title A Colony by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (winner of the Crystal Bear at Berlin) as well as Valley of Souls [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], the feature-length fiction debut by Belgian-Colombian director Nicolas Rinçon Gille, best known for his trilogy of documentaries on oral tradition in Colombia.

Best Friend Forever will be managed by Martin Gondre (head of marketing and festivals at Indie Sales) and former lawyer Charles Bin, together with Nicolas Eschbach and Eric Névé, the founders of Indie Sales. The new company aims to distance itself from the traditional sales agent operating model by offering additional, complementary services to producers, related to negotiating their contracts as well as setting up co-productions or finding financing solutions. In a nutshell, it’s an excellent partner that will contribute to nurturing the international scope of a project.

The choice of Brussels as a location has proven to be an incredibly strategic decision, as not only is it practically a virgin territory in this field (not counting Be For Films, which was founded five years ago), but in addition, Belgium is a strong co-producing country, boasting myriad producers who are extremely proactive in this domain, as well as substantial funding opportunities.