Wild Bunch’s 13-strong line-up at Venice and Toronto

by Fabien Lemercier

31/08/2009 - Two days before the start of the series of festivals which will bring film professionals from all over the world to the Lido, then to Ontario, French international seller Wild Bunch has unveiled a line-up reflecting its dynamism and ambitions, including 13 features selected at Venice and Toronto (four of which will screen at both events).

The team headed by Vincent Maraval will also start pre-sales for Italian director Nanni Moretti’s Habemus Papam (see news) and Christopher Morris’ UK terrorism-themed comedy Four Lions.

At the 66th Venice Film Festival (September 2-12), Wild Bunch will be hoping for success with two Golden Lion contenders (White Material [trailer] by France’s Claire Denis and Mr Nobody [trailer, film focus] by Belgium’s Jaco Van Dormael) and three films out of competition: Valhalla Rising [trailer, film focus] by Denmark’s Nicolas Winding Refn, Japanese animated film Yona Yona Penguin and Green Days by Iran’s Hana Makhmalbaf.

The 34th Toronto Film Festival (September 10-19) will host the world première of The Good Heart [trailer] by Iceland’s Dagur Kari in the Special Presentations section (which will also show Mr Nobody, Valhalla Rising and Green Days), while Jan Kounen’s Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky [trailer] will have a Gala screening.

The Contemporary World Cinema section includes collective Romanian film Tales From The Golden Age [trailer], Elia Suleiman’s The Time That Remains [trailer] and the world première of Sebastian Cordero’s Spanish co-production Rabia (“Rage”).

Denis’ White Material will be presented in the Masters section, while the Vanguard line-up features Paul King’s Bunny and the Bull [trailer] and the final versions of Gaspard Noé’s Enter The Void [trailer] and Lou Ye’s Spring Fever [trailer] (Best Screenplay at Cannes). There will also be a private screening of Laurent Tirard’s Le Petit Nicolas [trailer] (“Little Nicholas”).

Wild Bunch’s rich slate also includes Ken Loach’s Route Irish (in pre-production). Currently shooting are Jean-Luc Godard’s Socialisme, Momcilo Mrdakovic’s Mamarosh (co-produced by Germany, France, Hungary and Serbia-Montenegro) and UK director Peter Mullan’s Neds.

Titles in post-production include Sam Gabarski’s Belgian/French film Quartier Lointain (“Faraway Neighbourhood”, adapted from a cult Japanese comic book); UK director Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me; Nikita Mikhalkov’s The Exodus: The Fortress; The Extra Man by US duo Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini; Room In Rome by Spain’s Julio Medem; Sound of Noise by Swedish duo Ola Simonsson and Stjärne Nilsson; and several features by French directors: Pierre Salvadori’s Soins Complets (“Complete Care”), Grégoire Vigneron’s Indélébile (“Indelible”), Kim Chapiron’s Dog Pound, Manuel Pradal’s La Blonde Aux Seins Nus (“The Blonde With Bare Breasts”), and The Concert by Romanian-born filmmaker Radu Mihaileanu.

(Translated from French)