Hunting on familiar ground under the aegis of Vincent Maraval, French firm Wild Bunch International (WBI) are arriving at the 74th Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film (running 6 – 15 July) ready and raring to go, and wielding their usual XXL line-up which notably includes 11 titles set to be showcased on the Croisette (10 of which within the Official Selection).

Shining bright on their film slate are four candidates in the running for the 2021 Palme d’Or: Titane [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Julia Ducournau, Vincent L…
scheda film] by French director Julia Ducournau (a Kazak production in league with Belgium’s Frakas, which is co-produced by Arte France Cinéma and set for release in French cinemas on 14 July via Diaphana), which made a killing in terms of pre-sales at the Pré-Cannes Screenings, Casablanca Beats [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by French-Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch (produced by Films du Nouveau Monde and Morocco’s Ali n’Productions, in co-production with Unité – due to be released in France on 21 November via Ad Vitam), Flag Day by US director Sean Penn and Nitram by Australia’s Justin Kurzel. In the case of the former two, it will be their first ever appearance in Cannes’ official competition showcase.

For the record, since its inception, Wild Bunch has always boasted at least one film in the running for the Palme d'Or: seven in 2006, six in 2013, five in 2015, 2016 and 2019, four in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2017 and 2018, three in 2000, 2011 and 2012, two in 2004 and 2010, and one in 2007.

Wild Bunch International are also selling the animated film screening in the Official Selection Where is Anne Frank ? [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ari Folman
scheda film] by Ari Folman, which will enjoy its world premiere out of competition (a production uniting the likes of Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and Israel, which Le Pacte will release in French cinemas on 24 November), alongside two feature films offered up by renowned directors and gracing the new Cannes Premiere section: Deception [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Arnaud Desplechin
scheda film] by Arnaud Desplechin (produced by Why Not and set for distribution in France by Le Pacte as of 8 December) and Vortex [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Gaspar Noé (which stars Dario Argento, Florence Lebrun and Axel Lutz, to name a few, and carries a stinging logline: life is a short party which will soon be forgotten – produced by Rectangle and Wild Bunch Production).

Other films jostling in the line-up include Unclenching the Fists [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Russia’s Kira Kovalenko (to be unveiled in the Un Certain Regard section), Are You Lonesome Tonight? by China’s Wen Shipei, to be treated to a Special Screening, and The Crusade [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], which is directed by and stars Louis Garrel (flanked by Laetitia Casta and Joseph Engel – a Why Not production to be distributed in France on 22 December courtesy of Ad Vitam) and has been selected for the pop-up Cinema for the Climate section.

The sales agent will likewise be negotiating on behalf of a first French feature film which is scheduled for presentation with the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar: A Brighter Tomorrow [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Souheila Yacoub
scheda film], which is directed by Yassine Qnia, which stars Soufiane Guerrab alongside Swiss actress Souheila Yacoub and which revolves around thirty-something, small-time safe-breaker Mehdi. He and his mates are trying to get by but their robberies on the industrial estate aren’t as lucrative as they used to be, and the few professional routes open to him just don’t appeal. Questioning his life choices, he tries to win back Sarah, the mother of his one-year-old son whom he adores… A Why Not production which Le Pacte are releasing in French cinemas on 4 August.

Besides these 11 feature films selected to showcase on the Croisette, Wild Bunch International will also be kept busy by the other works in its expansive line-up, which includes the movie in pre-production Brother And Sister [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Arnaud Desplechin, Tori and Lokita [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Joely Mbundu
intervista: Luc e Jean-Pierre Dardenne
scheda film] by Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (also in pre-production), and the collective film Shining Sex, which will be directed by French helmers Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Bertrand Mandico, Hélene Cattet and Bruno Forzani, alongside Japan’s Sion Sono and Brazil’s Kleber Mendonça Filho.

Stealing focus in production, we find the movie Dark Glasses [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the Italian master of spine-tinglers Dario Argento, alongside the horror film The Nightmare by Norway’s Kjertsi Helen Rasmussen, while the firm’s post-production film slate boasts some especially attractive titles, including Final Cut [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Michel Hazanavicius
scheda film] by Michel Hazanavicius, Happening [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Anamaria Vartolomei
scheda film] by Audrey Diwan (based on Annie Ernaux’s novel of the same name and starring Anamaria Vartolomei, Sandrine Bonnaire and Pio Marmaï in its cast), Earwig [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lucile Hadzihalilovic
scheda film] by Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Both Sides of the Blade [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Claire Denis (starring Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon and Grégoire Colin – sales jointly managed by French-British firm Anton), The Little Gang by Pierre Salvadori (article), Incredible But True [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Quentin Dupieux
scheda film] by Quentin Dupieux and, last but not least, The New Toy [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by James Huth (a remake of The Toy by Francis Veber – starring Daniel Auteuil and Jamel Debbouze).