02/04/2003

Penny Wolf and Rosa Bosch, two high-profile UK film executives have been hired by US cable HBO’s film production arm, HBO Films, to manage their new UK international sales division.
Commenting on the new appointments, Colin Callender, the president of HBO Films said: “The international marketplace is changing rapidly and we wanted to do business overseas in a completely different way. The HBO Films movie slate is broad and eclectic and we are increasingly attracting filmmakers who have a real profile internationally.”

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Among HBO Films’ latest international hits is Real Women Have Curves which grossed over $6m in the US and was bought by Bim Distribution in Italy, Optimum Releasing in the UK, , ABC Distribution in Benelux and Monopole Pathe in Switzerland.
HBO Film Sales’ new line-up for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival (14-25 May 2003) will probably include American Splendor directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Puccini and starring Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis (Grand Jury prize winner at the last Sundance Film Festival); Richard Loncraine’s UK-Italian co-production My House in Umbria, with Maggie Smith and Chris Cooper; Bruce Beresford’s And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself with Antonio Banderas and Kirk Douglas, and Katja von Garnier’s Iron-Jawed Angels with Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston.

Veteran sales executive Penny Wolf most recently worked as Head of Sales for Granada Films, before occupying various sales positions at Capitol Films, Senator Film International and IAC Film Sales.
Rosa Bosch was for many years Deputy Head of Programming at London’s National Film Theatre and Deputy Director of the London Film Festival before teaming up with Guillermo del Toro, Laura Esquivel, Bertha Navarro and Alejandra Moreno’s production and sales outfit Tequila Gang.