Positive results for Films Distribution

by Fabien Lemercier

23/05/2009 - French international seller Films Distribution was feeling satisfied at the close of the Film Market at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.

Head of sales Didar Domehri commented: "Even though business got going later on and was more sluggish than usual, all the key buyers were there and we did well". He added: "But some distribution companies are in great difficulty, including in Europe, not to mention Russia, which is undergoing a monetary shock".

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Films Distribution sold French director Denis Dercourt’s Tomorrow at Dawn [trailer, film focus] (presented in Un Certain Regard - see review) for Canada, Russia, Greece (Word of Mouth), Benelux (Lumière) and Switzerland (Agora), with negotiations well underway for numerous other territories.

Successful deals were also struck with Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher’s Gallic horror film The Horde (see news). On the basis of the promo-reel, the feature was bought for the UK (Momentum), Germany (Square One), Italy (Fandango), Switzerland (Agora), Brazil and Australia, with several other countries about to sign agreements.

The team headed by Nicolas Brigaud-Robert also completed sales for Coco Before Chanel [trailer] with the Middle East, Turkey, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Anne Fontaine’s film has now found distributors the world over.

The best sold titles also include Stephen Burke’s Irish production Happy Ever Afters, which was bought for France (Haut et Court), Switzerland (Frenetic), Benelux (Cinéart), Australia and South Africa, with advanced negotiations underway for several other territories, in particular Germany.

Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel’s Austrian/Italian co-production La Pivellina [trailer], presented in the Directors' Fortnight, found buyers for France (Zootrope), Italy (Officine Ubu), Benelux (Imagine), Switzerland (Xenix) and Iran. Another Directors’ Fortnight contender, Yuki and Nina [trailer] by Hippolyte Girardot and Nobuhiro Suwa, was acquired for Portugal and Korea.

Meanwhile, Haim Tabakman’s Israeli/French/German co-production Eyes Wide Open (Un Certain Regard, was sold for France (Haut et Court), the US, South Africa and Switzerland, while the UK and Benelux are close to signing acquisition agreements.

Finally, Pierre Thoretton’s documentary project L’amour fou (“Mad Love”), about Yves Saint-Laurent, was pre-bought for Benelux, Switzerland and Australia.

(Translated from French)