27/05/2005

Back in Paris from the frenzy of Cannes, the team of the French company Wild Bunch accepted to give cineuropa details on the sales completed there for European films on the Old Continent. According to Vincent Maraval, head of Wild Bunch, sales were generally stimulated by their best catch, Combien tu m’aimes ? by Bertrand Blier, starring Monica Bellucci, Bernard Campan, Gérard Depardieu, and Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Based on the pre-sales concluded in Berlin, the film was bought by Italy (BIM Distribuzione), Germany (Concorde), Spain (DeA Planeta), Belgium (Les Films de L'Elysée), Switzerland (Frenetic Films), the Netherlands (Paradiso), Poland (Monolith), the Czech Republic (Hollywood Classic Entertainment), Russia, and Greece —and Best Hollywood got the rights for both Hungary and ex-Yugoslavia.

British director Thomas Clay's first feature, The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael (presented in Cannes for the International Critics' Week) was sold to Pretty Pictures (France), Paradiso (Benelux), Frenetic (Switzerland), and Lusomundo (Portugal). Another film screened in Cannes (Directors' Fortnight) interested the buyers: Douches Froides [+see also:
trailer
film profile] , by Antony Cordier (France) was bought by Bac Distribution (France), Paradiso (Benelux), Frenetic (Switzerland), Best Hollywood (Hungary), and New age (Portugal).

In terms of uncompleted films (films in post-production), Wild Bunch sold Sheitan by Kim Chapiron, starring Vincent Cassel, to France (Mars Distribution), Belgium (Elysée), Germany (Falcon), Greece (Prooptiki), Portugal (Lusomundo), Switzerland (Frenetic), Hungary (Best Hollywood), Poland (Monolith), the Czech Republic (DMC), Russia, and ex-Yugoslavia. Cargo, by Clive Gordon, starring Peter Mullan, Daniel Brühl, and Luis Tosar, was bought by Abc Distribution (Belgium), Cinemien (Netherlands), and Lusomundo (Portugal). Good results were also registered for Backstage, by Emmanuelle Bercot (France), sold to Benelux (Paradiso), Switzerland (Frenetic), Poland (Monolith), the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal (Lusomundo) —Buena Vista International handles Germany by acting as a co-producer, as does Haut et Court for France.
Mary, by Abel Ferrara, an Italian co-production starring Juliette Binoche, went to Pan Européenne (France), Prooptiki (Greece), Paradiso (Benelux), Lusomundo (Portugal), and Germany. Finally, Nicole Garcia's Selon Charlie, starring Vincent Lindon, Benoît Magimel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Jean-Pierre Bacri, and Mina Haapkyla, was picked by Scandinavia (Triangelfilm), Benelux (Elysée), and Switzerland (Frenetic, a company with which Wild Bunch has an output deal).

As far as unshot or hardly begun films are concerned, La Comédie du pouvoir, by Claude Chabrol, starring Isabelle Huppert, was a great catch for pre-sales —in France (Pan Européenne), Belgium (Elysée), Switzerland (Frenetic), Italy (Bim), Germany (Concorde), and Spain (Wanda Vision.) For The Golden Door, by the Italian director Emmanuele Crialese, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Vincenzo Amato, Wild Bunch decided to wait for the American Film Market next Autumn.

(Translated from French)