StudioCanal contingent heads to EFM

by Fabien Lemercier

01/02/2011 - With a line-up spearheaded by Michel Ocelot’s 3D animated feature Tales of the Night [trailer, film focus], selected in competition at the 61st Berlinale (February 10-20, 2011), StudioCanal’s international sales arm will arrive at the European Film Market with numerous aces up its sleeve.

Harold van Lier’s team will start sales for four new titles, including two in 3D by Belgium’s Ben Stassen: animated film Sammy 2: Escape from the Paradise (already pre-bought for France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Benelux, Turkey, Korea, Indonesia and Latin America); and African Safari. Also joining the line-up is Eric Valette’s thriller The Prey (see news – to be released in France on April 13); and Sylvain Estibal’s satirical comedy When Pigs Have Wings (aka The Fisherman – see news).

StudioCanal will also continue pre-sales for the highly anticipated Brit production Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (see news) by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In [trailer, film focus]). Adapted from John le Carré’s same-named novel, the film starring Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy has entered post-production. It has so far been pre-sold for France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, ltaly, Scandinavia, Benelux, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Iceland, Turkey, the Middle East, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Canada and Australia.

The line-up includes three other UK films in production: Joe Cornish’s science-fiction title Attack the Block (see news); Nick Murphy’s fantasy thriller The Awakening (see news), starring Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton; and the comedy All In Good Time by Nigel Cole (Made In Dagenham [trailer]), about the Indian community in northern Ireland.

Highlights among ongoing productions also include French action film Special Forces, which is set in Afghanistan and stars Diane Kruger and Benoit Magimel (to be released in France on October 19, 2011); and Enrique Gato’s Spanish 3D animated title Tad Jones.

Finally, in the market screenings at Berlin, StudioCanal will show Jean-Pierre Améris’s Romantics Anonymous [trailer] (over 1m admissions so far in France – see news); Cédric Klapisch’s My Piece of the Pie (to be released in France on March 16 – see news); Rowan Joffe ’s Brit feature Brighton Rock [trailer] (UK release on February 4 – see news); Spanish director Daniel Benmayor’s Bruc [trailer]; and Jérôme Le Gris’s Requiem for a Killer, starring Mélanie Laurent (to be released in France on February 23 – see news).

(Translated from French)