24/02/2014 - Shooting under way for the third feature film by Alexandre Coffre, a Franco-Belgian co-production led by Quad and sold by Kinology

Since 3 February, Alexandre Coffre has been filming Le Père Noël in Paris and its outskirts. This is his third feature film, following Borderline [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2011) and The Volcano [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (which took 1.78 million admissions in France in 2013), and shooting will continue until 11 April. The cast includes Tahar Rahim (who won the César Award for Best Actor in 2010 for A Prophet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
interview: Jacques Audiard and Tahar R…
film profile], and recently won praise for his roles in The Past [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Grand Central [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rebecca Zlotowski
film profile]), Victor Cabal, Philippe Rebbot, Anne-Lise Hesme, Amélie Glenn and Jean-François Cayrey. The DoP is Pierre Cottereau, and the film will be edited by Hervé de Luze.

The plot begins one evening on 24 December. More than anything else in the world, six-year-old Antoine wants to have a sleigh ride through the sky with Father Christmas… So when, as if by magic, Father Christmas lands on his balcony, the child is too amazed to see through Santa’s disguise and realise that he is actually a burglar who will not let anyone get in the way of his night’s work. Each in search of his own dream, “Father Christmas” and his apprentice team up for one night only to scale the Parisian rooftops and steal the riches contained within the handsome, deserted apartments. The original screenplay was written by Rachel Palmieri and Fabrice Carazzo, who co-wrote the final version, the adaptation and the dialogue together with Laurent Zeitoun, with the added collaboration of Carol Noble and Yoann Gromb.

Produced by Quad Productions and Atitlan Films, Le Père Noël is being co-produced by Mars Films, M6 Films, and Belgian companies Compagnie Cinématographique Européenne and Panache Productions. Pre-purchased by Orange Cinéma Séries, the movie is also being backed by Sofica Manon 5. Mars Distribution will manage the release in French cinemas, and international sales began in Berlin under the guidance of Kinology.

Quad’s post-production line-up includes Samba (see article) by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano (The Intouchables [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), starring Omar Sy, Charlotte Gainsbourg and – once again – Tahar Rahim. The Paris-based firm is also pinning its hopes on the animated film Ballerina by Canadian duo Eric Summer and Eric Warin, which is currently in production.

(Translated from French)