27/05/2006

Fortissimo – one of the top world independent sales companies with offices in Amsterdam, Hong Kong and London – sold Hungarian Un Certain Regard title Taxidermia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by György Pálfimade to a handful of territories at Cannes, including Portugal (Lusomundo), the former Yugoslavia (Discovery), Israel (United King), Mexico (Tarantula) and Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm). Memento Films, the film’s French co-producer also holds local distribution rights. According to co-managing director Nelleke Driessen, the film has many other offers, including from the UK.

Waiter, the new film by Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam (Little Tony) currently in post-production, was pre-sold to France (Bac Films), Israel (United King), Canada (Seville Pictures) and Portugal (Lusomundo). The film tells the story of a fictitious 50 year-old waiter who has had enough of his miserable existence and who goes to complain to the man who is “writing/creating” him. It was produced by Graniet Film in co-production with La Parti Production Brussels and will be ready for Venice.

A total of 15 feature films screened at Cannes under Fortissimo’s banner, the most successful of which was by far the steamy US title Shortbus by John Cameron Mitchell, presented in the official selection. This sexy exploration of relationships, as seen through gender, sexuality, art and music, was sold to over 20 territories, including Russia (Central Partnership), Sweden (Triangelfilm), Norway (Oro Film), Denmark (Angel Film), Finland (Future Film), Italy (BIM Distribuzione), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Hungary (Budapest Film) and Spain (Golem). French rights had already been sold to Bac Films.

At Cannes, Fortissimo also announced they would handle world sales on Belgian director Marion Hansel’s upcoming film, Sound of Sand. Set against the backdrop of the African desert, the film tells the story of a group of African villagers driven away from their homes by drought, famine and the threat of war.