12/02/2009

Specialised French sales company Memento Films registered brisk business at the European Film Market with Norwegian Panorama Special opener North [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rune Denstad Langlo
film profile] and competition entry Katalin Varga [+see also:
film review
trailer
Interview Peter Strickland - Director …
film profile]. Both have sold to key European territories.

Unlike at many sales stands at the Martin Gropius Bau, a joyful atmosphere and the sound of a popping champagne cork were obvious signs that Memento had a very good market. Two of its flagship titles, Rune Denstad Langlo’s debut feature North and Romanian film Katalin Varga, by British expat Peter Strickland, were very well received by buyers and critics alike.

“There were real bidding wars between European buyers on North,” said Memento’s Nicholas Kaiser. The film has sold to Germany (Alamode), Italy (Sacher), France (Bodega), Benelux (Amstelfilm), Switzerland (Xenix), Greece (Rosebud) and Portugal (Mides), with great interest from Spain, Turkey and Russia. It was recently released in Norway by Sandrew Metronome, coming in eighth in the local top ten.

The Romanian/UK/Hungarian co-production Katalin Varga closed for France (MFD), Greece (Rosebud) and the former Yugoslavia (Megacom) just before its screening yesterday in Official Competition.

The upcoming Larrieu brothers movie, This is the End, shown as a promo-reel, was another hot title with buyers, in particular from French-speaking territories, Eastern Europe and Asia. “The script is absolutely excellent,” said Kaiser. “Mathieu Amalric plays a man who travels from France to Spain to find the woman of his dreams before the end of the world. The film will be ready for Cannes.”