26/08/2011

Well-known music video director Alexandre Courtès, who has worked with big names including U2, The White Stripes, Kylie Minogue, Jamiroquai, Franz Ferdinand, Daft Punk and Air, will present his debut feature, English-language thriller The Incident, at the Toronto International Film Festival (September 8-18), in the Midnight Madness section. Sold internationally by SND (which sealed deals with numerous territories at Cannes, including Germany and the UK), this French/US/Belgian co-production stars Brit actors Rupert Evans (Agora [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Kenny Doughty and Joseph Kennedy, alongside Dave Legeno, Marcus Garvey, and Richard Brake.

Scripted by S. Craig Zahler, the film centres on rock band members George, Max and Ricky, who take on an unusual job in order to finance the recording of their album: they become cooks in a psychiatric asylum for dangerous criminals.

It’s well-paid and they have no direct contact with the "patients". But one evening, a violent storm causes a failure in the security system, enabling the "mad people" to break free and take over the asylum.

Produced by Wassim Béji for WY Productions, The Incident was co-produced by, among others, Belgium-based Artémis, Direct Cinéma and SND, which will handle French distribution.

At Toronto, SND will also sell another French genre film selected in the Midnight Madness line-up: Livid by directorial duo Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (see news).

Finally, On Air by Pierre Pinaud (César Award 2009 for Best Short Film), starring Karin Viard and Nicolas Duvauchelle, will be sold on the basis of the promo-reel. Produced by Estrella Productions, the film centres on France’s best-known radio presenter, a woman whose face is unknown, whom people imagine to be liberated, funny and people-friendly, whereas actually she is cold, abrupt, can’t stand physical contact and lives alone in a well-to-do district. When she goes off in search of the mother she has never known, she finds her in the outer suburbs, living in modest surroundings with her new family.

(Translated from French)