14/02/2006

Italian sales company Intramovies, headed by Paola Corvino, has just picked up three new Italian films for international sales. Mai piu come prima (lit. "Never Again As Before") was written, directed and produced by the talented director of Like Two Crocodiles, Giacomo Campiotti. The film centres on a group of six youngsters, including a handicapped boy, who go on a vacation together in the mountains. During their adventurous trip, each will develop his or her own skills and make courageous decisions for the future. The film, produced by Prana Film in association with Medusa Film, was released in Italy by Medusa last December. Intramovies will take the film to the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

Forever Blues, directed by and starring celebrated actor Franco Nero, is about a lonely jazz trumpeter (Nero) who develops a strong friendship with an autistic child and his mother (Paola Saluzzi). The film was produced by Macromajora Films.

Sangue, La morte non esiste (lit. "Blood, Death Doesn't Exist"), written and directed by Libero De Rienzo, is an intense drama about the relationship between Stella (Emanuela Barilozzi) and her older brother Luri (Elio Germano). The film was produced by NitroFilm, Illegalfilm and Mikado Film, which holds distribution rights in Italy.

In Berlin, Intramovies has attracted a lot of attention with Finnish title Beauty and the Bastard by Dome Karukosk, which screened in the Kinderfilmfest/14Plus section. Picked up only two weeks ago, the film is, according to Corvino, "very fresh and has real potential for international sales because of the charismatic leading Finnish actor Samuli Vauramo and the story of a shy hip-hop DJ who falls for an attractive wannabe singer". The film, which had eight nominations at Finland’s recent Jussi Awards, is doing very well at the local box office.

Also on Intramovies’ Berlin slate is Italian romantic comedy Mater Natura by Massimo Andrei, presented at the last Venice Critics Week, which is in negotiations for France and Spain, and award-wining Chilean film En la cama, which has so far been sold to Spain (Vertigo Films), with Benelux almost sealed as well.