Cannes’ Official Selection smiles on Urban Sales
- The French sales agent sells the Un Certain Regard entry The Shameless and three animated movies in the Special Screenings for young audiences and Cinéma de la Plage line-ups
The Marché du Film (running 14 – 22 May) scheduled within the 77th Cannes Film Festival is shaping up to be a good one for Urban Sales. The French international sales agent, directed by Frédéric Corvez, will be hedging its bets on four titles which are set to enjoy their world premieres in the Official Selection.
The Shameless [+see also:
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interview: Konstantin Bojanov
film profile] by Bulgaria’s Konstantin Bojanov will be spearheading their line-up, selected for the Un Certain Regard section. This 3rd fiction feature by the director revealed in Critics’ Week 2011 by way of Ave [+see also:
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interview: Konstantin Bojanov
film profile] and who competed in Rotterdam’s Tiger competition in 2017 with Light Thereafter [+see also:
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film profile], unfolds in India. Written by the filmmaker, the story begins in the dead of night when Renuka runs away from a brothel in Delhi after stabbing a police officer to death. She takes refuge in a community of sex workers in northern India where she meets Devika, a young woman condemned to a life of prostitution. Their bond soon turns into a forbidden romance. Together, they embark upon a perilous journey to escape the law and to forge their path to freedom… Production is entrusted to Switzerland’s Akka Films together with French firm Urban Factory, Bulgaria’s Klas Films, Taiwan’s House On Fire and India’s Teamo Productions HQ Limited.
The Urban Sales team steered by Florencia Gil will also be pinning its hopes on three impressive aces representing animated film in the Official Selection. Firstly, Into The Wonderwoods [+see also:
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interview: Vincent Paronnaud and Alexi…
film profile] by Vincent Paronnaud (awarded the Jury Prize in Cannes 2007 and nominated for the 2009 Oscar by way of Persepolis [+see also:
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interview: Marc-Antoine Robert
interview: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Pa…
film profile]) and Alexis Ducord (Zombillenium [+see also:
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film profile]) is set to be unveiled in the Young Audience line-up. Written by the former, based upon his own comic book (penned under his other artist name, Winshluss), the story revolves around 10-year-old Angelo, a budding explorer who sets off with his family to pay a visit to his beloved grandmother. When his distracted parents leave him behind in a rest area, he’s left to his own devices and decides to cut through the forest in search of his family. He then enters a mysterious world inhabited by strange and wonderful creatures, some of which are friendlier than others… Produced by Je Suis Bien Content and Gao Shan Pictures, in co-production with France 3 Cinéma and pre-purchased by Canal+ and Disney+, this feature film will be distributed in France on 23 October, courtesy of Le Pacte.
The other two animated titles steal focus in the Cinéma de la Plage line-up. A Boat in the Garden [+see also:
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film profile] by veteran Jean-François Laguionie (well-received for A Monkey’s Tale, Black Mor’s Island, Le Tableau [+see also:
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film profile] and The Prince’s Voyage [+see also:
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film profile]), which takes us back to the 1940s, close to the Marne River, and revolves around a young solitary dreamer called François who joins forces with his dad in the family garden to build a replica of the sailing boat owned by Joshua Slocum, the first seafarer to have sailed solo around the world. Together, they launch themselves into an adventure at the crossroads between reality and imagination… Produced by Luxembourg’s Mélusine Productions and French firm JPL Productions, the movie will be released in France on 25 January 2025 via Gebeka Films.
Meanwhile, the satire revolving around the prehistoric world of Silex & The City (The Darkwinners) has been transposed to the big screen by Jul and Jean-Paul Guigue, based upon the TV series of the same name (which was itself adapted from Jul’s comic book). Produced by Je Suis Bien Content in co-production with Arte France by Belgium’s Left Field, the film will be released in France on 11 September, courtesy of Haut et Court.
These three movies are also set to be showcased in the Annecy Animated Film Festival (running 9 – 15 June): Into the Wonderwoods and A Boat in the Garden in competition, and Silex & The City in a Special Screening.
Last but not least, the Marché du Film will see Urban Sales negotiating on behalf of In the Name of Blood [+see also:
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interview: Akaki Popkhadze
film profile] by Akaki Popkhadze, Girl for a Day by Jean-Claude Monod (starring Marie Toscan, Thibault de Montalembert, Iris Bry and Yannick Renier – due for release in France on 8 May) and Slump by America’s Alexandre Rockwell (awarded the Crystal Bear in the 2020 Berlinale’s Generation Kplus line-up, thanks to Sweet Things), whilst also rounding off sales on Fox and Hare Save the Forest [+see also:
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interview: Mascha Halberstad
film profile] by the Netherlands' Mascha Halberstad, which was discovered in the most recent Berlinale’s Generation line-up and has already sold in 50 countries.
(Translated from French)