25/07/2007

Films by Claude Chabrol, Céline Sciamma, Jorge Sanchez-Cabezudo, Javier Rebollo, Alex von Wamerdam and Nadine Labaki are among the European productions and co-productions to be released in French cinemas from July 25 to August 15. Although up against a horde of US titles, European releases are expected to do well this summer.

On July 25, ID Distribution will release Angosto [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alina Sigaro
interview: Belén Bernuy
interview: Jorge Sánchez-Cabezudo
film profile] by Spanish helmer Sanchez-Cabezudo (see Focus). The title screened in Venice Days last year and was nominated at the 2006 Goyas for Best Young Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Male Newcomer.

A second Spanish production is also hitting screens, Milos Forman’s Goya’s Ghosts [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (dist. Studio Canal), starring Javier Bardemet and Stellan Skarsgard, while Romanian cinema will be on show with Tudor Giurgiu’s Love Sick (dist. We & Co), Dutch production with Wamerdam’s Waiter! (Bac Films) and French with Cheyenne Caron’s Twisted Souls (Alexart Films, Emylia-Wysisos).

On August 1, Pierre Grise will distribute Rebollo’s Spanish/French co-production What I Know About Lola [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news), a competition entry at San Sebastian 2006 and nominated at the 2007 Goyas in the Best Director category.

Meanwhile, SND will release Teen Spirit by Olivier de Plas, adapted from Virginie Despentes’ novel of the same name and starring Vincent Elbaz and Elodie Bouchez (a Les Films du Kiosque production).

On August 8, Wild Bunch Distribution will be in the spotlight with its release of Chabrol’s La fille coupée en deux [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news). The €7.45m Alicéleo production – funded by France 2 Cinéma (€1.5m), as well as pre-sales from Canal+ and CinéCinéma – stars Ludivine Sagnier, Benoît Magimel, François Berléand and Mathilda May.

Other new arrivals are Medhi Charef’s Cartouches gauloises [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Pathé Distribution) and Argentinean/Spanish co-production A Wandering Bride by Ana Katz (dist. Bodega Films).

On August 15, Haut et Court will release Sciamma’s Water Lilies [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], acclaimed at Cannes earlier this year in the Un Certain Regard sidebar (see article).

Produced by Les Productions Balthazar, the €2m feature debut was backed by CNC advances on receipts (€470,000), the Ile-de-France region (€383,000) and pre-sales from Canal+.

Another film to open this summer is Nadine Labaki’s feature debut Caramel [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a joint Lebanese/French production (dist. Bac Films), which sold like hot cakes at the Cannes Film Market after its Directors’ Fortnight screening.

Lastly, Les Films du Losange is releasing Eric Guirado’s Le fils de l’épicier (“The Grocer’s Son”), while ASC Distribution has high hopes for Ognjen Svilicic’s multi-awardwinning Croatian/German/Bosnian co-production Armin [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

(Translated from French)