Shellac branches out into international sales

by Fabien Lemercier

23/08/2017 - The distributor is selling the Venice-selected The Night I Swam as well as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, in competition at San Sebastián

Shellac branches out into international sales

The Night I Swam by Damien Manivel and Kohei Igarashi

Having so far specialised in the French distribution, and even co-production, of bold, high-quality arthouse films (helmed by directors of the likes of Miguel Gomes, Léonor Serraille, Valeska Grisebach, Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, Leyla Bouzid, Alessandro Comodin, Elise Girard, and Maryam Goormaghtigh, among others), Marseille-based company Shellac, managed by Thomas Ordonneau, has now added a new string to its bow by branching out into the field of international sales. The firm will begin this new business activity, which has been entrusted to Félicie Roger, at the 74th Venice Film Festival with an initial line-up comprising three titles, including The Night I Swam [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Damien Manivel, Kohei Igara…
film profile] by duo Damien Manivel and Kohei Igarashi, set to have its world premiere on 5 September in the competitive Orizzonti section.

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Having won a Special Mention in Filmmakers of the Present at Locarno in 2014 with A Young Poet [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and been selected for the ACID programme at Cannes in 2016 with The Park [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], for his third feature, young French filmmaker Damien Manivel has chosen to team up with Japan’s Kohei Igarashi (popular at Locarno in 2014 with Hold Your Breath Like a Lover) on directing duties. Written by the pair of directors, the story is set in the snow-covered mountains in Japan. Every night, a fisherman makes his way to the market in town. His six-year-old son is awoken by his departure and finds it impossible to go back to sleep. In the sleeping household, the young boy draws a picture that he then slips into his satchel. On his way to school, still drowsy, he strays off the path and wanders into the snow… Produced by Martin Bertier and Damien Manivel for MLD Films, The Night I Swam, which was co-produced by Shellac (also tasked with handling the French theatrical release) and Japanese outfit Nobo, will also be screened at the 65th San Sebastián Film Festival (22-30 September), in the Zabaltegi section.

Shellac will also be selling another French-Japanese co-production set to be showcased at San Sebastián, but this time in the official competition: The Lion Sleeps Tonight [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Nobuhiro Suwa (M/Other, A Perfect Couple [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Yuki & Nina [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). The cast includes Jean-Pierre Léaud, Pauline Etienne, Arthur Harari, Isabelle Weingarten and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing. The story is set in the present day in the South of France. Jean, an actor caught up in the past, learns that his current film shoot is unexpectedly suspended for an indefinite period. He takes this opportunity to visit an old friend and settles, clandestinely, into an abandoned house where it happened that Juliette, the great love of his life, once lived. A group of young friends, novice filmmakers, stumble upon the same house and decide it’s the perfect location for their next homemade horror movie. Jean and the kids are bound to run into each other sooner or later… Produced by Film-In-Evolution and Les Productions Balthazar, the feature was co-produced by Bitters End (Japan) and will be distributed in France by Shellac from 27 December.

The third film on Shellac’s slate (which it will also distribute in France) is The Wild Frontier by Nicolas Klotz and Elisabeth Perceval (Pariah, The Wound [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Heartbeat Detector [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), which had its world premiere in competition at the FID - Marseille and revolves around the clearing of the Calais Jungle.