17/11/2005

An AFM strategy which will be consolidated at Berlin and Cannes: that’s the judgement returning from Los Angeles for the international sales team at UGC, headed by Saïd Ben Saïd. With numerous strong features in project stage and in post-production in its line-up, UGC International put a lot of work in to their American trip, in particular on Le Concile de Pierre [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Guillaume Nicloux with Monica Bellucci, Catherine Deneuve and Moritz Bleibtreu (read news Shooting). The promo reel for the feature will be available at Berlin and the film will probably be ready for Venice and Toronto 2006 and has already been sold to Spain (DeA Planeta), Benelux (Les Films de l'Elysée), Switzerland (JMH Distribution), Greece (Spentzos Film), all of eastern Europe (SPI), Russia, Turkey and will be released in Italy via 01 Distribuzione thanks to a co-production with Rai Cinema.

With a first screening expected at Berlin or at the Unifrance Rendez-vous, Cactus by Gérard Bitton and Michel Munz (directors of Ah! Si j'étais riche and writers of La vérité si je mens 1 and 2) with Clovis Cornillac was acquired at AFM by, among others, Brazil, Poland (Polset), Czech republic (Hollywood Classic) joining Switzerland (JMH), Russia and Benelux (Les Films de l'Elysée). As for projects, Les Témoins (The witnesses) by André Téchiné was sold to Bénélux and Portugal, and negotiations are underway for Switzerland and Italy. Work in progress too for Un secret [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Claude Miller (see article) and Le héros de la famille (Hero of the family) by Thierry Klifa with Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Lanvin and Emmanuelle Béart.

According to Eva Diederix, director of international sales, "It is amazing to hear that the AFM is only a good market for the likes of Americans such Miramax, Summit or the Weinstein’s new company. There is always business to be done, line-ups to be finessed, preparation for Berlin and the presentation of projects to be consolidated at future markets. However, for European films, we can rue the Mifed at Milan because even at Sundance, European production was a bit lost in the masse".

(Translated from French)