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CANNES 2020 Marché du Film

Alpha Violet plays its cards right at Cannes Online

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- The Parisian outfit has notably closed sales on Uncle and Motherland, and is now preparing the ground for Apples, The Cemil Show and Abu Omar

Alpha Violet plays its cards right at Cannes Online
Apples by Christos Nikou

Somewhat uncertain before embarking upon the unprecedented experience of the Cannes Film Festival’s Online Marché du Film, the French international sales agency Alpha Violet - a dedicated discoverer of young, international and high-potential film auteurs - has swiftly found its feet in this virtual environment and has already struck a number of high notes, closing sales in the opening days of the Market.

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Indeed, the team led by Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato has sold Uncle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Danish director Frelle Petersen (an 88 Miles production) to HBO Eastern Europe, and to Alfhaville Cinema for Mexico; Motherland [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by the American of Lithuanian origin Tomas Vengris, for Japan (Uzumasa); Identifying Features [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Fernanda Valadez (awarded Sundance’s Audience Award with its screenplay scooping a Special Prize from the World Cinema Dramatic jury) for the Benelux countries; the Love Trilogy (Stripped [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yaron Shani
film profile
]
, Chained [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yaron Shani
film profile
]
and Beloved [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
) by Israel’s Yaron Shani to AMC Sundance and Alekino (Poland), and Monsters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marius Olteanu
film profile
]
by Romania’s Marius Olteanu for Mexico.

Alpha Violet is also pressing ahead with presales, on the basis of a trailer, for two first feature films in post-production. On the one hand, Apples [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christos Nikou
film profile
]
by Greece’s Christos Nikou, is causing quite a favourable buzz (with Yorgos Lanthimos’ former assistant director having just inked a deal with CAA and already in the process of developing his next film, set to unspool in English) and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this production steered by Boo Productions and Polish firm Lava Films (with Slovenian group Perfo Production in co-production) enjoying its world premiere at an upcoming large-scale festival. Curiosity and interest are likewise running high for Turkish director Bariş Sarhan’s The Cemil Show, a black comedy veering towards genre film, and a nod to B movies and cult, black and white cinema.

The Online Marché du Film has also seen Alpha Violet adding to its line-up and kicking off presales in terms of another highly promising first feature film: the Israeli-French co-production Abu Omar by Roy Krispel, starring Kais Nashif in the lead role (crowned Orizzonti’s Best Actor in Venice 2018 for his performance in Tel Aviv on Fire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sameh Zoabi
film profile
]
and stealing similar focus in Paradise Now [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, among other works). Steered by the Israeli firm Laila Films, the title was co-produced by French group Da Prod (Fred Bellaïche and Jérémy Sahel). Described by Virginie Devesa as “a bitter-sweet [film] on a serious subject tackled with subtlety and humour through a story unfolding over three days and telling the tale of a heart-warming encounter”, this film in post-production follows in the footsteps of Salah, a grieving father who takes to the road during a strict military curfew in order to cross the Israeli border, with his dead son in a bag. Miri, a single, pregnant woman, decides to do everything in her power to help him...

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(Translated from French)

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