27/05/2006

Artificial Eye’s Pam Engel and Robert Beeson, who are often lucky when it comes to picking Palme d’Or winners films ahead of the official awards ceremony, have bought two new competition titles this year: one of the critics’ favourites, Climates [+see also:
trailer
interview: Zeynep Ozbatur
film profile] (Iklimer) by Turkey’s Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Italian film L’amico di famiglia by Paolo Sorrentino. Both filmmakers’ previous works, respectively Uzak and The Consequences of Love (a hit for Artifical Eye in 2004), were already under the UK distribution company’s banner.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The independent distribution outfit recently acquired by UK film investors Act Entertainment Group and Knatchbull Communications Group, also picked up from Films Distribution the French Un Certain Regard sleeper La tourneuse de pages [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Denis Dercourt
interview: Michel Saint-Jean
film profile] by Denis Dercourt. With Aki Kaurismäki’s Lights In The Dusk [+see also:
trailer
film profile], pre-bought before Cannes, Artificial Eye had a total of four films in various sections of the festival this year, as opposed to six last year. "The general feeling is that Cannes 2006 was not a great year", commented Robert Beeson. "But there was nothing terrible either", he added.