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INDUSTRY France

The rebirth of Sagittaire Films.

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Following their January 2002 reorganization, the distribution company Sagittaire Films, has finally emerged from their crisis to start business again, focussing on the acquisition of foreign films to sell to French distributors.

Sagittaire Films’ tribulations are symptomatic of the wave of recession that hit the independent French distributors in 2002 and lead to the reorganization of companies like Magouric, Mondo, Mercure and Cipa. Canal+’s lethargic acquisition policy on “small films”, screen saturation, the reduced lifespan of the theatrical film release and the increase in the price of advertising space, not to mention the development of the networks’ own distribution arms (Canal Plus, M6 and TF1) and the increasingly incomplete support offered by the banks: the independent distributors have had to deal with numerous hard knocks while watching their sphere of business diminish.

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In trouble for having failed to sell the rights to numerous films to Canal Plus, Sagittaire Films followed up the reorganization of their finances which took place during the year with the decision to close their distribution activity. The company, set up by Yves Chevalier, will now specialise in looking for new foreign talent and in reselling distribution rights.

The company’s new positioning will be inaugurated on 30 July with the release of Dead End, a French film by French directors Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa, co-produced by Sagittaire Films and Captain Movie. The feature film will be distributed in France by Bac Distribution and has already been sold to 25 countries.

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(Translated from French)

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