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

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.

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At the 66th Venice Film Festival (September 2-12), Wild Bunch will be hoping for success with two Golden Lion contenders (White Material [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by France’s Claire Denis and Mr Nobody [+see also:
film review
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interview: Jaco Van Dormael
interview: Jaco Van Dormael
film profile] by Belgium’s Jaco Van Dormael) and three films out of competition: Valhalla Rising [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicolas Winding Refn
film profile] 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 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] 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 [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] will have a Gala screening.

The Contemporary World Cinema section includes collective Romanian film Tales From The Golden Age [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Elia Suleiman’s The Time That Remains [+see also:
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film profile] 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 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and the final versions of Gaspard Noé’s Enter The Void [+see also:
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film profile] and Lou Ye’s Spring Fever [+see also:
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film profile] (Best Screenplay at Cannes). There will also be a private screening of Laurent Tirard’s Le Petit Nicolas [+see also:
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film profile] (“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 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (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.