08/05/2009

French seller UGC International will present new projects and a flurry of promo-reels at the Film Market of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off next Wednesday.

The team headed by Saïd Ben Saïd will get sales underway for Alain Corneau’s thriller Une Femme Parfaite (“A Perfect Woman”, working title), starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier. Produced by SBS Films, the film will start shooting in August.

Other new titles set to shoot this summer include Jean-Marie Poiré’s Le Grimoire d’Arkandias (“Arkandias’ Book of Magic Spells”), adapted from writer Éric Boisset’s trilogy and starring Gérard Depardieu. Combining adventure and fantasy, the film centres on two young teenagers who discover a book of magic and try to make a ring with invisible powers.

Further projects are singer Louis Chedid’s 3D animated feature Le Soldat Rose (“The Pink Soldier”), which is produced by Bonne Pioche and set for completion at the end of 2010; and Edouard Niermans’ The Birth of a Man, retracing the adventures of an unruly teenager who is sent to his father’s house during the summer. He gets lost in northern Kenya before being taken in by a tribe who introduce him to the way of the Warrior.

Besides the market première of Amanda Sthers’ romantic comedy You’ll Miss Me (featuring Carole Bouquet, Pierre Arditi and Michael Lonsdale), UGC International will show several promo-reels for films in production. These include James Huth’s Lucky Luke (starring Jean Dujardin, Alexandra Lamy, Sylvie Testud and Melvil Poupaud); Jacques Malaterre’s Ao The Last Neanderthal (see news); and Alfred Lot’s bittersweet comedy A Spot of Bother (featuring Michel Blanc, Miou Miou, Mélanie Doutey and Gilles Lellouche).

The line-up also includes Patric Jean’s documentary Male Domination (in post-production) and titles currently shooting: Saffy Nebou’s Dumas (whose cast features Depardieu, Benoît Poelvoorde, Mélanie Thierry and Dominique Blanc - see news); Yasmina Reza’s Chicas (starring Carmen Maura, Emmanuel Seigner, André Dussollier and Bouli Lanners - see news); and Alexandre Charlot and Franck Magnier’s spy comedy Imogène (featuring Catherine Frot and Lambert Wilson).

(Translated from French)