Rights Round Up Cannes 2010

The buyers have already begun shopping and the market has yet to begin!

The Rights Roundup enables distributors and international sales agents to keep track of current market activities during and for a certain time after the event. The links to the international sales agents' (ISAs) and distributors' own websites enable readers to go deeper into the companies, thus pulling back the curtain on the international film business. Titles are linked to IMDbPro because to date it is the only place a paying public can see at a glance which companies (look under Company Credits) are involved in the international sales and distribution - as well as in the production - of the title. From those Company Credits, one can also see the rest of the company's lineup of films - whether in actual distribution, on offer, in development, or in the library/ catalog - all invaluable information for the business of film. For the real market going film professional however, only Cinando offers the best of market information, from locations to screenings and all the most current and accurate company contact information. And of course, for the known and approved buyers (distributors), the ISA gives further access to the film, its corollary materials, etc.

Getting the jump on the Marche du Film, to date, these international sales agents have licensed rights to the following films to the following distributors. As this is a work in progress, the correct links to contacts will be inserted as we progress:

- Companies link to their own websites.
- Film titles link mostly to IMDbPro. If you don't have a subscription, it might be worth getting one.
- You can also find the titles on the Cannes Market website Cinando.

Readers can let me know which links they prefer. I prefer IMDb as the title link because if you go into the titles' "Company Credits", you can often see and link immediately to the Distributors and you can see if the rights for your territory have been sold (if you are a Distributor) and what other films the designated Distributors have, something which might dovetail in nicely with your own tastes. If you are an International Sales Agent (which IMDb sometimes calls Sales Representative and which I call an ISA), you can see a competitor's title and what Distributors have acquired it. I am sure Cinando will move into this area once the International Sales Agents realize the value such rights information adds even while upping the competitive ante. Given a level playing field, the smart players will prevail. I am in favor of revealing who the buyers / Distributors are...their own websites and publicity needs are in accord with this transparency even if International Sales Agents do not like revealing who their clients are for fear their competitors will steal them away.


Aspect Film has licensed award winning Self Medicated to Lionsgate for UK, 21st Century Pictures for Australia. The North American DVD release is April 20th, following its theatrical release there by the now defunct ThinkFilm who also had the international rights, prior to Aspect’s acquiring it for international sales. Blood Night and Badland went to High Fliers for UK. Blood Night and Food Matters went to Tiberius for Germany in pre-Cannes deals.

On the hush hush, Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies, The 6th Day, the Children of Huang Shi) has signed on to direct Aspect’s biographical feature The Precious One. Mark Ordesky (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Golden Compass) will produce. We’re not making an official announcement yet, but will let you know as soon as possible.

Celluloid Dreams ♀ licensed Margarethe von Trotta’s ♀ Vision to Zeitgeist for US. Brendan and the Secret of the Kells went to GKIDS for US in pre-Cannes deals.

Cinephil♀ licensed Film Unfinished♀ to Oscilloscope for US in a pre-Cannes deal.

Crimson Wolf Productions licensed No. American rights to Eyeborgs to Image in a pre-Cannes deal.

D Street Media Group licensed Rivers Wash Over Me to Strand for US in a pre-Cannes deal.

DeaPlaneta presold Julia’s Eyes aka Los Ojos de Julia to Optimum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Europacorp licensed Luc Besson’s The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Secto Optimum for UK and to TriPictures for Spain in a pre-Cannes deal.

FilmNation licensed Terrence Malick’s latest untitled project, a romantic drama starring Christian Bale, Javier Bardem and Olga Kurylenko to Ascot Elite for Switzerland and to Optimum for UK in pre-Cannes deals.

Films Distribution licensed L’Amour fou to Optimum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Focus Features licensed True Legend to Optimum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Fortissimo licensed The Promised Land, a Second World War drama set in Palestine with Colin Firth and Jim Sturges, to Ascot Elite for Switzerland in a pre-Cannes deal.

Hanway has presold David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method to Universal Pictures International (UPI) for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and South Africa. Picture will start in May. Mars picked it up for France, E1 for Canada, Transmission for Australia and Cineartfor Benelux. It is based on the true-life turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and his patient Sabina and is adapted by screenwriter Christopher Hampton from his play The Talking Cure. Focus has North American rights. UK is still available. Made in Dagenham went to Ascot Elite for Switzerland and Sony Pictures Classics for North America in pre-Cannes deals.

Imagina licensed Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger to Sony Pictures Classics for North America in a pre-Cannes deal.

InTandem licensed Beneath Hill 60 to Momentum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Kinology licensed Hearbreaker (L’Amacouer) to IFC for U.S. after its North American premiere at the City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival (ColCoa) in Los Angeles in a pre-Cannes deal. It will also play Tribeca FF. IFC Films will release Heartbreaker via its IFC in Theaters on demand platform the same day it opens theatrically.

Lakeshore licensed Lincoln Lawyer to Lionsgate for US in a pre-Cannes deal.

Lightning licensed Needle to Telepool for German-speaking Europe in a pre-emptive pre-Cannes deal. Playarte acquired the film for Brazil and Eagle Films for Middle East in pre-Cannes deals. Lighting Entertainment is handling worldwide sales excluding Australia and New Zealand, where the filmmakers are in talks with distributors.

Lionsgate licensed The Dark Fields in a pre-Cannes deal.

Mandate sold Knockout to Ascot Elite for Switzerland and Lionsgate for US. Mandate presold LOL to Tripictures for Spain. CAA is repping US rights to this English language remake of the French film, both directed by Liza Azuelos. The original French version was a huge hit in France last year taking $30m through Pathe. The Dark Fields went to Ascot Elite for Switzerland. It has already gone to Pinema for Turkey, IPA Asia Pacific for Thailand. Rogue and Universal have North America.

Moonstone has licensed 2:22 to Inception Media Group for US in a pre-Cannes deal.

Pathe licensed Sony Pictures Classics all North American rights to Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist. Based on an unproduced screenplay by Jacques Tati, the film won raves when it premiered earlier this year at the Berlin Film Festival as a Berlinale Special Selection. Sony Pictures Classics previously worked with Chomet on his Academy Award-nominated film The Triplets of Bellevile.

QED licensed Walled In to Optimum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Sahamongkolfilm licensed Ong Bak 3 to Optimum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Salt ♀ licensed Killing Bono to Paramount for UK and Ireland in a pre-Cannes deal.

Sony Pictures International will be selling Sony Pictures Classics’s Inside Job which will be screening in the Cannes Film Festival Out of Competition Special Screening slot. SPC became involved in the film more than a year and a half ago and has acquired all English language rights including North America.

Summit has licensed Fair Game, Letters to Juliet, Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and Twilight: Eclipse to Ascot Elite Entertainment for Switzerland ahead of this year’s festival. Summit also acquired North American rights for its own distribution company as well as rights for Italy, Benelux, Scandinavia, Japan and CIS. River Road is the production company and rights holder. The Tree of Life also went to Optimum for UK. It was produced by Bill Pohlad through his River Road Entertainment although his US distribution company Apparition did not take North American rights. River Road Entertainment, Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi financed the project.

The Weinstein Company licensed Wes Craven’s Scream 4 and Piranha 3D to Ascot Elite for Switzerland in a pre-Cannes deal.

TrustNordisk licensed A Somewhat Gentle Man to Strand for US in a pre-Cannes deal.

UTV Motion Pictures has closed multiple movie output deals for some of its recent titles such as historical epic Jodhaa Akbar, Fashion and Race with leading Middle Eastern TV networks MBC, Infinity TV, Kuwait TV and Abu Dhabi TV. Jodhaa Akbar is the first Hindi film to be dubbed in Arabic to air on free-to-air, pan-Arabic network MBC, which estimates its audience at 130 million viewers. The network will also telecast other titles such as Chance Pe Dance, What’s Your Raashee, Wake Up Sid and Main Aurr Mrs Khanna over the next few months. Infinity TV, Abu Dhabi TV and Kuwait TV will air Fashion, Oye Lucky, Jodhaa Akbar, Race and Kismat Konnection and others in pre-Cannes deals.

Westend licensed Tamara Drewe to Sony Pictures Classics for US in a pre-Cannes deal.

Wild Bunch presold Dog Pound and The Revelation of The Pyramids to Optimum for UK in a pre-Cannes deal.

Berlin Rights Roundup

It's a wrap!  The Martin Gropius Bau is empty and the final pickups follow.  This is a work in progress and readers are invited and welcome to contribute. Presales have returned in reaction to the reduced number of finished films on offer over the past two markets.  Presales applies across the board from US to French and even Italian films.  English language films are increasingly coming out of the major non English language territories but local product is impacting sales on US films internationally.  Business was quickly wrapped up but it was done with a healthy number of buys reported.  Lower prices have become accepted but the market must have product as this event proved.

Adriana Chiesa     has licensed Federico Moccia’s teen trilogy to Savor to Spain. The first title, Sorry If I Love You (Scusa Ma Ti Chiamo Amore) grossed $27m when released by Medusa on 600 prints in Italy. The films will be promoted together with the original books, which were also written by Moccia and are bestsellers in Spain.


Affinity (formerly Odd Lot)’s Brian O’Shea has closed major territories on Rabbit Hole. On record thus far are Fox Searchlight Pictures for North American release in 2011, Diamond Pictures for Argentina, CDE Videa for Italy, Paris Filmes for Brazil, Sun Distribution for Latin America.

Arclight sales chief Mark Lindsay presold Bruce Beresford's Zebra to Metropolitan for France.  Red Hill one of the hottest marketing screenings here following its world premiere in Panorama went for UK to Momentum and offers are pending from Germany and Spain.  It also went to Svensk in Scandinavia, Pinema in Turkey and Forum in Israel and Transmission in Australia. North American screenings to continue in Los Angeles and New York. The Loved Ones has gone to Optimum for UK, ARP for France, Koch Media for Germany and Madman for Australia.

Autlook licensed documentary Bananas!* to Oscilloscope for US. About the lawsuit of 12 workers at Dole banana plantation in Nicaragua who used banned pesticides, this and Eyes Wide Open about Latin American democratic movements marks Autlook as the source of politically loaded docs on Latin America.

AV Pictures has sold Shank (UK’s City of God) to Wild Side for France, Moviebank for Benelux, Falcon for the Middle East and Ascot Elite for Germany. Revolver will release in UK march 26 on 80 prints.

Bavaria Film International licensed Henry Of Navarre (Henri IV), based on the novel by Heinrich Mann, about the Huguenot king Henry IV, who led Protestant forces against the Paris-based Catholics in France's religious wars of the 16th century, to CIS and Baltic states (Film Depot), Romania (ProRom) and Colombia (Cine Colombia). There is strong interest from Eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland, Scandinavia and Benelux. Rabbit Without Ears 2 sold to Latin America (HBO), Brazil (Flashstar), Singapore (Festive Films) and Taiwan (Swallow Wings).  How I Ended This Summer went to New Wave for UK.


Celsius licensed Amphibious to Dutch Film Works/ BFD for Benelux and Leopolis for Russia/ CIS. It has also deals with Monolith for Poland, Odeon Cineplex for Romania, Blitz for the ex-Yugoslavia, Odeon for Greece and Cyprus, Ozen for Turkey, J-Bics for Thailand, Queen Films for Indonesia, Golden Screen Cinemas for Malaysia.

Central Partnership licensed Taras Bulba Rio to Korea Telecom for its IPTV service Qook for subscription VOD.

Cinemavault acquired world rights to The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu which was also acquired by MPI Media's Dark Sky Films label for theatrical release in the fall to be followed by DVD and VOD in October.
 
Cinetic International sold the Banksy documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop to Madman in Australia who will release in June. Jean Labadie’s Paris-based Le Pacte has France and Revolver will release in the UK on March 5. Abel went to Wild Bunch Benelux.


Coach 14 is handling two films from new Romanian director Constantin Popescu. His debut feature Portrait Of Fighter As A Young Man, about Romanian resistance to communist rule, is playing in the Forum in Berlin. He is also working on comedy Principles Of Life with Police, Adjective star Vlad Ivanov.

Contentfilm's newest pickup is Every Little Step, sold to US's Sony Pictures Classics and Shochiku in Japan.  A UK deal with Paramount is in place for Extract. Paramount plans to release the film on March 26 in the UK and Ireland. Welcome to the Rileys will likely combine a Sony home video and Apparition theatrical release.

Dea Planeta presold off a three-minute promo and screenplay UK rights to the Focus Features Intl. co-produced horror film Julia’s Eyes, produced by Guillermo del Toro to Optimum Releasing for UK, to Scandinavia (CinemaMondo), Poland (Kino Swiat) and Greece (Rosebud) . More deals are imminent. Universal Pictures has the rights for Spain, France and Latin America. Now in post, it should be ready for the Toronto film festival. Beyond co-producing, Focus Features has taken rights to France, Spain and Latin America, three territories where Spanish-language genre fare or thrillers have substantial grosses at the box office.


Delphis Films of Canada has sold Swedish title The Girl to Olive Films for North America.

Doc & Film has sold La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet which in France has more than 100,000 admissions (Sophie Dulac Distribution) and in US has grossed $500,000 (Zipporah Films) to Folkets Bio for Sweden, Soda for UK, Cinemien for Benelux, Madman for Australia and New Zealand, Xenix for Switzerland and other territories.

Double Edge has licensed The Treasure Hunter, a $15 million actioner, to Splendid Film for Germany and Benelux, E1 Entertainment for the UK and Canada, Noori Pictures for Paramount in Japan, and Lotte in South Korea as well as CP Digital for the CIS and Baltic countries.

E1, soon to open its own label for distribution outlets in Australia and New Zealand through Beyond Home Entertainment, and with distribution already in place in UK, US and Canada, is handling the Panorama Audience Award Winner Waste Land for the rest of the world. They have licensed Animal Kingdom to Sony Pictures Classics for US and Latin America with Rena Ronson of UTA brokering the US deal. Other international territories sold are UK (Optimum Releasing), France (ARP Selection), Italy (Mikado Films), Scandinavia (Scanbox Entertainment), and CIS (Film Depot).

Easternlight Films has sold Chinese revenge tale 14 Blades for UK and Australia (Icon), Japan (Sony), Germany (Koch Media), France (Metropolitan), Turkey (Aqua Pinema), the Middle East (Ballistic Films), South Korea (Noori Pictures), Hong Kong (Golden Harvest), Taiwan (Long Shong), Thailand (Mediafilms), India and the Philippines (Soundspace) and Indonesia (PT Amero). 14 Blades has grossed more than $8.7m in its first four days of release in China, whose cumulative box office, btw, has doubled this year.

Elephant Eye sold Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire to Fandango for Italy after the Academy Awards.  Most territories had been sold previously.  The book will also go on sale in Italy.

Elle Driver licensed In Your Hands to Cineart for Benelux.

Europacorp licensed 22 Bullets (L’Immortel) to Eagle for Italy, Wild Bunch for Germany. Other distributors include Bioscop (http://www.bioscop.cz) for Czech Republic, E1 for Benelux, EuropaCorp for France, Monopole Pathe for Switzerland and Top Films for Russia. It is now sold out in Latin America and Eastern Europe and has sold to South Korea, China, Canada and is in final stages of making a deal with Japan and Spain. Other small territories have also been sold.

Fandango Portobello Sales has sold Italo-Turkish director Ferzan Ozpetek’s Loose Cannons (Mine Vaganti) produced by Fandango’s Domenico Procacci to Spain (Vertigo Films), Benelux (ABC/Cinemien Distribution), Brazil (Imovision), Australia and New Zealand (Transmission Films), Germany and Austria (Prokino), Poland (Vivarto) and Mexico (CTV).

Film Sharks International has closed a two-picture deal with Olive Films for North America for Finland’s Oscar submission Letters To Father Jacob and Argentinean film A Boyfriend For My Wife, which will be remade in the US by Warner Bros. NonStop picked up Scandinavian rights to Untitled as has Ledafilms for Latin American TV and Impacto Cine for Argentina and Chile. Other territories sold include Japan to Alcine Terran, Taiwan to Khan Ent. Co. and Australia to SBS.  Spain's Festival Films has taken all rights for Spain from Letters to Father Jacob. YLE TV1 has Finnish TV and Nordisk has Scandinavian rights. FilmSharks has picked up international rights to Jean-Claude Janer’s French fantasy Sister Welsh’s Nights, in Berlinale’s Generation 14Plus.  Festival already has A Boyfriend for my Wife as does Chris Lee Pictures Intl. for South Korea.



Filmax licensed Agnosia to Momentum for UK, Alliance for Canada, and SquareOne for Germany. English language Exorcismus presold to E1 for UK, Vendetta for Australia and Mediafilm for Italy, Kino Swiat for Poland, Gussi for Mexico, PlayArte in Brazil, LAP TV for Latin American Pay TV, Gulf for the Middle East, Lusomundo for Portugal, CDI for Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. It will be delivered in the fall and is tipped for the Toronto IFF. Spanish Movie went to Japan (AT Entertainment), Germany (Universum), Corazon (Mexico), Swen for Brazil and pay TV Latin America, Paradiso for Benelux, Lusomundo for Portugal, Film Depot for CIS, Kino Swiat for Poland, Eurofilms for Peru/ Bolivia/ Ecuador and Wiesner for Puerto Rico.

Films Boutique has licensed Dancing Dreams to Jour de Fete for France, JinJin for South Korea and Filmcoopi for Switzerland. Here and There went to E1 for US and Canada. To Die Like a Man went to A1 for Russia. Illusiones Opticas went to A1 for Russia and Soda for UK.

Films Distribution licensed Generation Kplus film La Pivellina to Filmgalerie 451 for Germany. L’Amour Fou about Yves Saint Laurent in Berlin presold to Optimum for UK – a rare occurrence for a doc, Benelux, Switzerland and Australia. Optimum previously released Films Distribution’s Coco Before Chanel" in July 2009. Cell 211 went to CCV for Scandinavia, DMC for Czech Republic, Nettai Museum and Shochiku for Japan and Atalanta for Portugal.

Films du Losange licensed Nénette to Switzerland (Agora) and French-speaking Canada (K Film).

Fortissimo’s Reign Of Assassins by John Woo and Terrence Chang has gone to Lionsgate for UK, Film Depot /Volga Films for Russia and the Baltics and United King for Israel, Film & TV House for Portugal, Vision of Poland and Younghwa for So. Korea. Winter’s Bone, picked up for US distribution in Sundance by Road Side, has been acquired by Paradiso for Benelux, Pretty Pictures for France, Look Now for Switzerland, Lusomundo for Portugal, Vivarto for Poland and NonStop for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics. Doris Dörrie’s Berlinale Special title Hairdresser sold to Paradiso for Benelux, United King for Israel and Vivarto for Poland plus multiple offers for Korea. Road, Movie, screening in Generations has been acquired by Senator Film for Germany, Madman for Australia and New Zealand, Paradiso for Benelux, United King for Israel, with a deal for North America close to closing. Shock Labyrinth: Extreme 3D was sold to Cathay for Singapore and Queen Cinema for Indonesia. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child sold to Pretty Pictures for France, Germany and Switzerland and to Portugal (Lusomundo).

Funny Balloons licensed Mammuth to Fandango for Italy.

Gaumont sold OSS 117 – Lost in Rio to Korea Telecom for its IPTV service Qook for subscription VOD. The Round Up went to Wide in Spain, E1 for Canada, Belga for Belgium, Monopole Pathe for Switzerland, Golden Harvest for Hong Kong and Odeon for Greece.

Golden Network licensed Merantau to Magnet for US, E1 for UK, WE for France, Tiberius for Germany, Prorom for Romania, Scorpio East for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

H20 of Andras Hamori and Mark Horowitz sold The Waiting City, The Gate 3D, and Lie Down With Darkness to E1 for Canada.

Hannibal presales for Son of No One meet the requirements of genre and names and so the Nu Image/ Millennium coproduction which starts March 22 in New York is one of the hotter presales titles at the European Film Market. Territories signed within the last few days include the Middle East (Eagle), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Turkey (Horizon) Poland (Monolith), Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia (Grandview Castle) and Latin America (Swen). Deals also were made for the UK and Spain, with a deal with a Canadian distributor expected imminently. Give 'Em Hell went to Canada ( E1), Germany (Splendid), UK, (Momentum), Australia (Horizon), Greece (Spentzos), Portugal (Lusumundo), Spain (Novel Wide Pictures), Turkey (Saran), Latin and South America (Swen), Poland (Monolith), CIS (Soyuz), Hungary (RTL), Yugoslavia (Grandview Castle), Romania (ITV), Israel (5 Star). The Antonio Banderas thriller The Big Bang went to Canada (E1), Poland (Monolith), CIS (Soyuz), Hungary (RTL), Romania (Intermedia), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Hollywood), former Yugoslavia (Grandview Castle), Greece (Spentzos), Turkey (Horizon), Middle East (Eagle), Latin and South America (Swen). Gun starring 50 Cent, sold to Canada (E1), Benelux (Les films Elysees), Turkey (Horizon), Middle East (Eagle), Latin and South America (Swen), Poland (Monolith), Hungary (RTL), Romania (Program 4 Media), former Yugoslavia (Taramount), Czech Republic (Vapet), Thailand (IPA). A UK deal is expected soon.

Hanway licensed Andrea Arnold's adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel and BAFTA-winner Wuthering Heights to Alta Films, Spain's top art house distribution-exhibition company and Cineart for Benelux Hanway has concluded deals in 21 territories including Artificial Eye and Film 4 in the U.K., Diaphana in France, Prokino in Germany, Alta in Spain, Transmission in Australia and Ster Kinekor in South Africa. Other deals have been signed in Portugal, Switzerland, Benelux Greece, Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, the former Yugoslavia, Iceland, Hong Kong / Singapore, Turkey, the Middle East, Russia, Korea and Latin America. David Cronenberg’s The Talking Cure also went to Cineart for Benelux.

Hungaricom licensed Children Of Glory and Made In Hungaria to Visual Factory for France and Benelux. Hungaria already sold to Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam and Canada. AB Groupe picked up all film rights as well as TV series rights to Gabor Csupo's animated feature Immigrants (L.A. Dolce Vita) for French-speaking European territories (e.g., France and Benelux, French speaking Switzerland). HungariCom has already sold the movie to the US, Australia, Germany, Turkey, Russia and former Soviet territories.

Hyde Park licensed Blue Valentine to Wide for Spain, CDI for Italy, Gussi for Latin America, Lusomundo for Portugal, Front Row for the Middle East, Seven Group for Greece, Forum for Israel, Aqua Pimena for Turkey and Pioneer for Philippines.


Icon ‘s presales of How I Spent My Summer Vacation makes it one of the bigger titles at the European Film Market. Icon has closed deals with the Telemunchen for Germany, Eagle for Italy, Metropolitan for France, Paradiso for Benelux, Revolutionary Releasing for Eastern Europe, Svensk for Scandinavia, Odeon for Greece, Ascot Elite for Switzerland, Lusomundo for Portugal, Nu Metro for South Africa, Prime Pictures for the Middle East, Fida for Turkey, Pioneer for Philippines, PT Amero for Indonesia, SSG for Taiwan and Sahamongkolfilm for Thailand. The film starts in March in an actual working Mexican prison which called for the moving of prisoners, causing protests from their families. No deal has been made with a North American distributor yet. Icon will distribute the film in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. 4.3.2.1. has presold to Universal for UK, Australia, Scandinavia, Spain and Italy based on a 10 minute teaser.

IM Global licensed Skyline to Eagle Pictures for Italy. CAA is repping US rights. IM Global and Reliance have allied to share international sales starting with huge Bollywood box office grosser (in India) 3 Idiots up to $64m so far globally (and more than $6.5m in North America through Reliance) with superstar Aamir Khan, Kites, Raavan and others. The Indian diaspora alone in UK, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East guarantees success.

Imagina has presold Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger to Sun Distribution (Latin America), Central Partnership (CIS region), Scanbox (Scandinavia), Paradiso (Benelux), Frenetic (Switzerland), Zon-Lusomundo (Portugal), Shapira (Israel), Gulf Films (Middle East), Kino Swiat (Poland), Blitz (Ex-Yugoslavia), AQS (Czech Republic), Pro-Rom (Romania), Videovision (South Africa), Golden Scene (Hong Kong) and Queen Imperial (Indonesia).  Also deals were made for the US with Sony Pictures Classics, France (Warner Bros), Italy (Medusa), Germany (Concorde), and is in talks for deals in the UK, Japan, Korea and Australia.



The film is currently in post-production and is being backed by Gravier Productions in the US and Spain’s MediaPro.


Independent licensed Exam to IFC for US, SY Comad for South Korea, Klockworx for Japan, Lark for Hong Kong, CP Digital for CIS, Seven Group for Greece, Shooting Stars for the Middle East and Film Pop Filmclik for Turkey.

Inferno Entertainment is close to selling out its marquee survival title The Grey which has gone to Entertainment in the UK, Metropolitan in France, Universum/RTL in Germany, Icon in Australia and New Zealand, and Swen in Latin America, Central Partnership (CIS), Dutch Film Works (Benelux), Ascot Elite (Switzerland), Myndform (Iceland), and Blue Sky (Eastern Europe). More announcements are imminent. Deals made between Sundance and Berlin for The Kids Are All Right include Lucky Red in Italy, Hopscotch in Australia and New Zealand, and Scanbox in Scandinavia, Swen in Latin America, Seven Films in Greece, A-Film in Benelux, Castelo Lopes in Portugal, and Lev Films in Israel. Spain and Switzerland are also expected to close. Focus Features paid approximately $4.5m in Sundance for North America, the UK, South Africa and Germany. A private screening for existing buyers and open territories of The Experiment, Paul Scheuring’s remake of the Oliver Hirschbiegel German thriller Das Experiment will close soon for France. Dutch Film Works has taken Benelux rights. Deals are already in place with Constantin in Germany, Swen in Latin America, Sungwon I Com in South Korea, Lusomundo in Portugal, and Seven in Greece, E1 in Canada, Jaguar in the Middle East, Medyavision in Turkey, Five Stars in Israel, Ablo/Freeman in Eastern Europe, and Myndform in Iceland.

Infinity licensed Operation: Endgame to Anchor Bay Films for US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,

Inner City Films has licensed Beat the World to Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group (Spwag) for all Us rights and E1 Entertainment for all UK, Canada and Scandinavia rights

Jinga Films has closed sales on horror film Salvage for France with Opening and Thailand with Sahamongkol Film which has also acquired Finale, The Disappeared and Outlanders. Timer went to Israel (Shapira) and Middle East (Italia). Italia also picked up Shadow. Finale went to Image Entertainment for North America. Five UK horror films including The Disappeared, Salvage, The Scar Crow and Scars went to HBO Central Europe.

Kevin Williams Associates licensed Between Sheets to Sonamu for South Korea. The Hanged Man went to Sonamu for South Korea, AK for Japan and Venevision for the US. Tirant Lo Blanc also went to Sonamu for South Korea and to MIG Films for Germany.

Kinology licensed HeartBreaker to Revolver for UK. Buried went to Lionsgate for North America and to Warner Bros. for Spain.

Koktebel licensed Alexei Popogrebsky’s How I Ended This Summer (Kak Ya Provel Etim Letom) to Sergei Yershov’s Film Depot, which specializes in distribution in Russia and the CIS countries.

Latido will be losing Max Saidel who is moving back to Rome to become the Cultural Attache for France. The New German distributor Camino Filmverleih has acquired all rights for Germany and Switzerland to the Oscar-nominated The Secret In Their Eyes as has Filmware for Taiwan and Wild Bunch for Benelux. Negotiations continue for Japan. It has now sold in 30 territories including UK to Metrodome, France to Pretty Pictures, Australia to Rialto and US to Sony Pictures Classics. Of Love and Other Demons has gone to Only Hearts for Japan.

Le Pacte licensed all US rights to Strand Releasing for Francois Ozon’s Le Refuge. Alta has also closed with Jean Labadie's Le Pacte on Spanish rights to The Solitude of Prime Numbers now in production, based on Italian writer Paolo Giordano's best-selling book of same title.

Left Film Sales sold Colin to Eden for Japan, MIG for German speaking territories. High Fliers will release Slaughtered in UK.

LevelK, Tine Klint’s new Danish sales company has sold The Temptation of St. Tony to Olive for US.

Lionsgate’s Riddick, the third entry in the sci-fi series that began with 2000's Vin Diesel starrer Pitch Black and one of the most sought-after titles at EFM, has been presold to Central Partnership for Russia. The asking price for Russia was $2.2 million but in a bidding war among Russia's major distributors, the final price was $2.5 million a market which is big on hard core action and sci-fi epics. Lionsgate Mandate presold I’m With Cancer (working title) to Summit for North America. While Lionsgate narrowed its fiscal 3rd quarter loss to $65.3 million from $97.8 million a year ago and revenue from Mandate jumped 55% to $12.9 million, the overall motion picture revenue during the 3rd quarter fell 2% to $251 million and minority share holder Carl Icahn continues to hover over the company. Helen Lee Kim, head of sales licensed Kick Ass to Metropolitan for France, A-Film for Benelux, Nordisk for Scandinavia, Leopolis for CIS and Baltics, and Revolutionary for Eastern Europe. Universal will distribute in UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and Switzerland. Lionsgate will release in North America in April. The Next Three Days went to Kinowelt for Germany, Lionsgate for UK, Medusa for Italy, Metropolitan for France, Tripictures for Spain, Top for CIS, Imagem for Latin America, S & M for South Korea, Svensk for Scandinavia and Belga for Benelux.

Little Film Company has sold Cherrybomb for UK and Australia to Universal, Capelight in Germany, Front Row in the Middle East, and Go Crazy in the Czech Republic. Optimum has taken UK rights to The Last Station. Other deals have closed with Becker (Australia), Applause (Taiwan), Ster Kinekor (South Africa), E1 Entertainment (Benelux), Shaw (Singapore), Edko (Hong Kong), Front Row (Middle East), United Films (Israel), and Calinos (Turkey). Warner Bros. has German rights where it has grossed some $740,000 in two weeks of release. It has grossed more than $1.5m in its North American limited release through Sony Pictures Classics, which is also releasing in Japan, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. Sony has Latin America. Oscar nominations for best actress for Helen Mirren and best supporting actor for Christopher Plummer are building suspense and anticipation for the film.

M-appeal has picked up Rosa von Praunheim’s New York Memories ahead of its world premiere in Berline’s Panorama. They have also picked up worldwide rights to Colombian drama Crab Trap premiering in the Forum, and premiered The Last Summer Of The Boyita  which sold to Carmen Film for territories of the CIS and Cineplex for Taiwan. The sensitively told story of an intersexual child will have its US premiere at the Miami International Film Festival this month.  Slovenian Girl sold US to Film Movement, Amstelfilm/Brunbro (Benelux), Cineplex (Taiwan) and Solaris (France).

Media Films, Bigas Luna's company has sold Di Di  Hollywood to Warner Bros. for Spain. Cana lPlus has French pay TV rights.

Media Luna has sold Panorama film Amphetamine to Greece (Clip Arte) and Pro-Fun Media for German speaking territories.

Memento licensed Argentinean Rompecabezas (Puzzle) to IFC for North America, New Wave for UK, Golem for Spain, Joint Entertainment to Taiwan, Cinemien/ ABC for Benelux, JinJin for South Korea, Primer Plano for Argentina, Lev Cinema for Israel. Cineart has Benelux and Golem has Spain for Julie Bertuccelli's Charlotte Gainsbourg starrer The Tree which also went to, Primer Plano for Argentina, Golden Scene for Hong Kong, Catchplay for Taiwan, Shooting Stars for the Middle East, Nutopia for Greece and Shapira for Israel. The Woman in the Fifth went to Artificial Eye for UK, Nutopia for Greece, Shooting Stars for the Middle East, United King for Israel, Catchplay for Taiwan, Worldwide Entertainment for Singapore, PT Parket for Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia. Shahada (Faith) went to Memento for France and Imagine for Benelux.

Menemsha was going to handle sales on Panorama entry Kawasaki’s Rose but Ariel Veneziano has taken all Menemsha titles for his new international sales agency to sell.  So now look down for his new company, Recreation.

Meridiana sold Altiplano to First Run for US.  It also sold to Australia.  Other distributors include Contact Film Cinematheek for The Netherlands, Imagine Films Distribution for Belgium, Meridiana for UK, Ama for Greece, Cineworx for Switzerland, Farbfilm for Austria and Germany. Magaly Solier is also starring foreign-language Oscar hopeful The Milk of Sorrow.

MK2 licensed Alemar to Film Movement for North America. MK2 has signed a distribution output deal with Orlando for Israel which will kick off with The Misfortunates and The Answer Man. Orlando will release through all platforms including its own new VOD site as well as Israel’s existing platforms from theatrical to pay TV, VOD on TV, free TV and DVD. (Variety.com 2/15/10). Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae sold to Blue Dolphin for UK, Films We Like for Canada, Delphi for Germany and Aztec for Australia as it departed Slamdance. Alamar went to Mongrel for Canada, Lumier for Belgium, Eye Film Institute for the Netherlands. Going South went to Salzgeber for Germany. The Mouth of the Wolf, an Italian film showing in the Forum is being premiered on the internet before its theatrical release by BIM Distribuzione. Free streaming to the first 300 requests will take place via the My-movies.it website. It will show to all on February 15 at 9:10 creating a virtual movie theater experience – whatever that is. The theatrical release will be February 19 in major Italian theaters with the hope that the buzz created by the VOD showing will pay off. The story is a true tale of romance behind bars between a convicted murderer and a junkie who becomes a transsexual. More bizarre, the Fondazione San Marcellino, a Jesuit foundation which works with outcasts and the homeless partly financed the film which won for best picture in the Turin Film Festival.

Moviehouse licensed Sid and Nancy death doc Who Killed Nancy? to Peace Arch for North America.

Myriad closed several territories on Sundance movie "Happythankyoumoreplease," including Greece (Spentzos), Middle East (Eagle) Portugal (VCM), Switzerland (Praesens), Spain (Filmax), South Korea (Daisy Entertainment), Israel (Forum), Switzerland (Praesenes) and Jaguar for airlines.  Horton Foote authored Main Streat which went to Spentzos for Greece, Myndform for Iceland, Minerva for Italy, VC Films for Portugal, D-Prods. for Turkey, Eagle Films for the Middle East outside Israel, Golden Village for Singapore, Leda Films for Latin America, Paris Films for Brazil and Cinesky for the airlines. Salvation Boulevard pre-sold in multiple territories, as did Every Day.

Nikkatsu presold Alien Vs Ninja and Mutant Girls Squad to Germany’s 8 Films for Germany, Benelux and Scandinavia. Cold Fish presold to French buyer Wild Side. Deals for Alien Vs Ninja with the UK and Thailand were closed earlier at AFM.

NonStop licensed David’s Birthday (Il Compleannno) to Wolfe Releasing for North America.

Other Angle has picked up worldwide rights to Emir Kustrica starrer Greek Summer which Walt Disney France is producing and distributing in France. To start April 2010, it has sold to Cinema Mondo in Scandinavia.  Bus Palladium has gone to Brave Films for Italy, Canada (Remstar), Benelux (Elysee) and Italy (Brave) and will soon go to Germany, Spain and UK. Thelma Louise Et Chantal sold for Italy to Nomad and in Poland to Vivarto.  Tete De Turc went to Benelux (Elysee) and Switzerland (JHM). Bambou and surprise summer hit Neuilly Sa Mere both sold to Russia’s Film Depot.

Paramount Vantage's Ondine sold to Magnolia for US through the offices of CAA.


Participant sold North American rights to Magnolia Pictures for Countdown To Zero.


Pathe Intl. presold Danny Boon’s Nothing to Declare to Prokino in Germany, and to Benelux's Paradiso, Canada's E1 and Wanda in Spain, the three of which had distributed Boon's blockbuster comedy Welcome to the Sticks to great box-office numbers. Sticks grossed $9.1 million in Belgium and $4.7 million in Spain. Africa United closed for Australia with Hopscotch, Scandinavia with Svensk, Benelux (RCV) and CIS (Central Partnership), Village in Greece and Teleview for the Middle East. The Illusionist, a Berlinale Special, sold to Japan's Klockworx, Italy's Cinema 11, Nutopia of Greece, Phars Film for the Middle East and Benelux's Paradiso. A US deal is expected to close soon. Australia's Hopscotch and the Middle East’s Phars Film also closed on Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud's big-budget docu Oceans which had a record-breaking opening day in France grossing $14.7 million by Feb. 16, definitely a selling point. Spain's Wanda acquired Loup. Tormented sold to Germany's Planet Media. Tout Ce Qui Brille (All That Glitters) sold to Investissement et Commerce for Reunion and Madagascar and Phars for the Middle East; Claude Berri and Francois Dupeyron’s Tresor sold to Phars for the Middle East; Tormented sold to Planet Media in Germany and To Protect And Serve (Proteger Et Servir) sold to Maure Films for Reunion and Phars for the Middle.  Centurion went to Magnolia for US.

Pyramide licensed The Mission of the Human Resources Manager to Golem for Spain. What More Do I Want (Cosa Voglio Di Piu) sold to ABC/ Cinemien for Benelux, PCV for Greece, CDI for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is distributing it itself in France and is in advanced negotiations for Ex-Yugoslavia, Germany/ Austria, Scandinavia, Australia, US, Canada and Korea. Warner Bros. has Italy.

Recreation Media, Ariel Veneziano's new company will take over sales duties on Menemsha's slate starting at the European Film Market in Berlin. The deal includes Kawasaki's Rose Panorama's Special Section's Opening Night film and Ludi Boeken's Saviors in the Night which premiered in Locarno, as well as Michael Verhoeven's documentary Human Failure and Czech comedy Shameless. are included in the deal.

Rezo made 55 deals at or just after Berlin.  Further proof that presales were strong in the market (and not just for English language American films, it presold Julie Delphy’s 2 Days in New York to Alta for Spain, as well as Germany (Senator), Australia (Hopscotch), Spain (Alta), Korea (AUD), Switzerland (Xenix) and Scandinavia (NonStop),and  Hong Kong, Middle East, Taiwan, Turkey and Portugal. Deals with Benelux, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Israel and Singapore are pending.  Other top sellers include Prey, Love, Imagined and Mademoiselle Chambon.  U.S. deals included a Kino Lorber pick up of Chambon and Film Movement's acquisition of Jaffa. Romanctic drama Chambon grossed $3.6 millin in first four weeks' release in France and added 13 deals to pre-Berlin  sales to 25 territories, incluiding to Germany (Arsenal), Spain (Sagrera), Australia (Sharmill), Argentina (CDI) and Brazil (Imovision).  More pre-sales with Prey and Love, Imagined sellng off promo reels, Prey went to E1 for U.K. and Canada, plus other deals with Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia, Love, Imagined presold to Benelux's ABC/Cinemien, plus Taiwan and Greece.  Now in post, Magic Valley presold to Greece, Middle East and Taiwan.  Rezo retains French rights on 2 Days in New York and Love, Imagined.  How I Killed My Mother sold in Berlin to Spain (Sagrera) and Brazil (Seven Arts).  Genre film The Game of Death sold to Wild Bunch Germany, Canada's Metropole and Spain's Sagrera. Interesting note on the tough territories like Japan:  New ways of distribution are under discussion, such as Frozen River which in Japan was released almost day and date in theatrical and VOD.

Sahamongkolfilm International ‘s Gilbert Lim who is selling Ong Bak 3 confirmed that, despite the EFM's European label, Berlin's market for Asian cinema is booming."Each year has just been getting better for us," he said, without divulging sales figures.


Salt licensed Cherry Tree Lane to Haut et Court for France and French speaking Europe. Metrodome has UK.

Shoreline licensed its horror film Sympathy to Vicious Circle Films, the horror label of Breaking Glass Pictures for North America and will release it theatrically April 27. Fat Belly – Chopper (Unchopped) went to WVG for Germany and it will be handled theatrically by Splendid.

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, whose international sales are now being handled by Nick Meyer’s Sierra Pictures is at EFM presenting Michele Ohayon’s S*O*S/ State of Security which SKE co financed.

SND has entered an exclusive agreement with telecoms operator Orange to premiere the distributor’s films on its Orange cinema series TV channels in France. It will include Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker and The Twilight Saga: New Moon in 2010.

Sony Pictures Entertainment licensed the Michael Jackson doc This Is It to Gianluca Chacra’s Front Row Entertainment for home entertainment in the Middle East and North Africa.

Studio Canal licensed The Last Exorcism to Film Depot for Russia and the CIS states. Lionsgate has North American rights. It has also gone to Australia (Hopscotch), Russia (Film Depot), Korea (Daisy), Canada (Alliance). By the same team, Eli Roth and Strike Entertainment still collaborating with Studio Canal, The Other Woman has gone to Italy (Eagle) and Mexico (Gussi). These deals were negotiated on the pitch alone. Sony has Chloe for North America. The EFM was the first market at which footage of Brighton Rock was shown. Further deals on the Graham Greene adaptation have been closed with Greece (Village), Latin America (Imagem), Portugal (Lusomundo) and the Middle East (Front Row.) US offers are also in the works. Olivier Assayas’, which is being made as a three-part mini-series and a feature film, has gone to Madman in Australia, Mongrel in Canada and Gulf in the Middle East. Carlos was already pre-sold to the US to IFC and the Sundance Channel.

And Soon The Darkness has gone to Brazil (PlayArte.) Jean Becker’s My Afternoons with Marguerite has gone to Spain (Golem).There is also strong buyer and festival interest in Bertrand Tavernier’s The Princess of Montpensier and Rachid Bouchareb’s Outside The Law.

“We had a very good Berlin. We did overall roughly 40% more sales than we did last year,” international sales director at StudioCanal, Harold van Lier, commented of the EFM.

Submarine licensed US rights to The Freebie to Phase 4. Launched last year and headed by CEO Berry Meyerowitz, and Larry Greenberg Phase 4 handled the Canadian theatrical and US DVD release of "Valentino: The Last Emperor" last year and will distribute "Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel" Stateside in late spring.

Summit presold Larry Crown to SND for France, Medusa for Italy, Tri Pictures for Spain, Svensk for Scandinavia, Belga for Benelux, Sun for Latin America, Alliance for Canada and Universal for US, thus proving the presale market has been regenerated. The Gardener has gone to E1 for UK, Svensk for Scandinavia, TriPictures for Spain, PanCinema for South Korea. Both Larry Crown and The Gardener went to Lusomundo for Portugal, Fida for Turkey, Jaguar for the Middle East, ACME for the Baltics and Blitz for Croatia and Slovenia.

Svensk licensed Upperdog to ITI for Poland.

T & C, David Jourdan’s new company licensed Teenage Paparazzo to HBO for US TV. Madman for Australia, and Klockworx for Japan.

Telepool licensed When We Leave (Die Fremde) to Ozen Film for Turkey. The Panorama Special title is being released theatrically in Germany by Majestic Filmverleih in March. Thor, the upcoming CGI-animated take on the Norse god of thunder went to Swen for Latin America and Mein Kampf an adaptation of Hungarian playwright George Tabori's farcical work about a young Adolf Hitler, sold to AQS for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Panorama Special and Europe Cinemas Award winner When We Leave sold to ABC Distribution/Cinemien in the Benelux as well as Ozen Film in Turkey. The Door went to Ozen and Company L in South Korea, while Volcano sold to New Select in Japan. Sony Pictures in Germany signed on for Yoko, the new live action/animated feature from Blue Eyes Fiction, the makers of hit German children's film Lilly the Witch. Sony has experience releasing German product locally with Friendship! a German comedy set just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, has already grossed some $15 million in four weeks. Lilly, a Walt Disney release in Germany, grossed about $8.5 million in that territory alone. Telepool has sold the title to some 46 countries worldwide. Disney will bow the second Lily film in Germany in January 2011.

TFI licensed The Rabbi’s Cat to Cineart for Benelux. Jud Suss: Rise and Fall went to UGC for France, E1 for Canada and Vendetta for Australia.


The Match Factory added Panorama film Bad Family to their Berlin slate just before the festival began.They have licensed Submarino to MK2 for France, ABC Cinemien for Benelux, Mikado for Italy, Golem for Spain, Bitters End for Japan, Atom Cinema for Taiwan and Babilla Cine for Colombia and also to ex-Yugo. Berlin Festival's Golden Bear winner Honey has sold quickly throughout Europe, including France (Bodega), Spain (Golem), Austria (Stadtkino Wien), Switzerland (Trigon), Poland (AP Manana), former Yugoslavia (Discovery), Greece (Ama Films), Portugal (Atalanta) and Iran (Farabi). Filmmuseum picked up rights to Kaplanoglu's entire Turkish trilogy -- which also includes Egg (2007) and Milk (2008) for Benelux. The Match Factory is currently in talks for a US deal on Honey and major territories including Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and Brazil are also under negotiation. A US deal for Milk of Sorrow is expected to be announced soon. The Milk of Sorrow sold to Orlando for Israel.

The Works licensed my Toronto favorite I Am Love (Io Sono L'Amore) to my favorite Belgian distributor Cineart for Benelux and to MFA for Germany. Boogie Woogie went to IFC for North America. The Cove was acquired by Japanese distributor Medallion Media who is planning a tentative release date of April 2010 in Japan.

TrustNordisk presold Lars von Trier’s Melancholia for Benelux (Wild Bunch Benelux), Russia (Central Partnership), the former Yugoslavia (MCF MegaCom) and Poland (Gutek). Revenge, directed by Susanne Bier has gone to Spain (Golem), Benelux (Cineart) and Poland (Vivarto). Balls has gone to Israel (New Cinema). Competition title A Somewhat Gentle Man has gone to Poland (Vivarto), CIS/Baltics (Maywin Media) and Benelux (Wild Bunch). Danish competition entry A Family by Pernille Fischer Christensen went to Benelux (Wildbunch) and Poland (Vivarto). Faces in the Crowd presold to Wild Bunch for Germany, ShowTime for South Korea, Gulf for the Middle East, SSG for Taiwan, Leopolis for CIS, MediaPro for Romania and Hungary and Pa-Dora for ex-Yugoslavia. Brotherhood went to Wild Bunch for Benelux. The Candidate went to Lens Media for China and more than 20 other territories.


UTV Motion Pictures has licensed the political satire Peepli Live to Vivarto SP ZOO in Poland. Rapid Eye picked up all German rights ahead of its screening in Special section and plans to release the film in the third quarter of this year. Fashion went to Korea Telecom IPTV service Qook for subscription VOD.

Visit licensed Picture Me to Strand Releasing for US.

Voltage presold Faces in the Crowd to Wild Bunch for Germany and to Showtime for So. Korea, Gulf for the Middle East, SSG for Taiwan, Leopolis in CIS, MediaPro for Romania and Hungary, and Pa-Dora for ex-Yugoslavia. Sundance hit Tucker & Dale Vs Evil went to Film Depot for Russia and CIS countries, Icon Film Distribution in Australia and New Zealand, KSA in Brazil, RCV-E1 in Benelux, and Gulf in the Middle East, Wild Bunch for France and Germany, Svensk in Scandinavia, and Maple in Canada. Sony UK pre-bought UK rights and Andre Boissier’s Revolutionary Media has acquired Eastern Europe and Central Europe rights. A domestic deal is close to be announced.

We Distribution’s Bodyguards and Assassins has closed sales with Metropolitan in France and TMC in Turkey and is close to closing on Japan. The $23 million action film just picked up 18 nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards. The title has already been released across much of Asia where it has grossed more than $50 million. Releases in the UK, Canada, Eastern Europe and Latin America are set for the second quarter of the year. We is hoping to close other major European territories in Berlin, including Germany, Scandinavia, Russia and Portugal.


Wide concluded an all rights deal with Optimale for France on From Beginning To End (Do Comeco Ao Fim, and with Pro-Fun Media for Germany and TLA for US and UK. Leo’s Room went to Optimale for France, TLA Releasing for UK, and Filmklik for Hungary. Gigola went to World Cinema in South Korea and Cineplex for Taiwan. The restored version of Lola Montes went to Russia via Cinéma Prestige. The Children Of Severn presold to Uplink for Japan. Alain Resnais’ documentaries collection went to Imovision for Brazil. The documentary Two In The Wave, about the friendship and rivalry between French New Wave directors Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard went to the US (Lorber Films), Canada (FunFilm), UK (New Wave), France (Les Films du Paradoxe, Brazil (Imovision) and Japan (Cetera). All That I Love went to Switzerland (Cineworx). House of Branching Love went to Canada’s Union Pictures. Jung and Laurent Boileau’s animation feature Approved For Adoption was selected as one of the projects for this year’s Cartoon Movie co-production market in Lyon with shooting scheduled for this August, with Cineart already onboard for Benelux. Gay themed Vilromance was picked up by UK’s TLA Releasing.

Wild Bunch licensed Ken Loach's Route Irish and Francois Ozon's Potiche to Cineart for Benelux. No One Knows About Persian Cats went to IFC for North America. Zhang Yimou’s A Woman A Gun And A Noodle Shop sold in 16 territories including France (Metropolitan), the UK (Momentum), Scandinavia (Cinema Mondo), Spain (Golem), Israel (Shani) and the Middle East (Teleview). Sony Pictures Classics has US, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. Discussions with distributors in Italy and Germany are ongoing. Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me, which was pre-sold nearly everywhere and which recently went to IFC Films for the US, is under discussion in Germany. Wild Bunch has chosen to hold off on Japan and Hong Kong for the Hong Kong International Film Festival, where the film is screening. This is also due to the limited number of Japanese buyers, just eight this year, who attended Berlin. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s The Extra Man further sold to Benelux (Imagine), Hungary (Cinetel) and CIS (Russian Report), among others. Kim Chapiron’s Dog Pound was sold to the UK’s Optimum Releasing, Scanbox Entertainment in Scandinavia, MultiVision in Indonesia and Paradisio Entertainment in Benelux. Irish Route and Potiche went to Cineart for Benelux.


Documentary The Revelation Of The Pyramids went to 16 countries including Canada (Remstar), Spain (Vertigo), the UK (Optimum), Mexico (Quality), Columbia (Babilla), Korea (Thomas Entertainment), Taiwan (CMC) and China (Champs Lis) and Russia and CIS (Film Depot) among others.

Alta has acquired Four Lions which premiered in last month's Sundance World Cinema Competition. It sold in 16 territories including Canada (E1 Entertainment), Spain (Alta Films), Italy (Videa-CDE), Iceland (Greenlight), Yugoslavia (MCF), Israel (Shani), India (WEG), Singapore (Cathay) and South Africa (Video Vision).

Pre-sales on The Burma Conspiracy were strong with the film going to Romania (Independenta), the Middle East (Teleview), Indonesia (Multivision), China (Champs Lis), Bulgaria (Pro Films), Ukraine (Aurora), Portugal (Lusomondo), Germany (Wild Bunch) and Benelux (Cineart). Of Gods And Men had pre-sales in Benelux (Imagine), Spain (Golem), Portugal (Lusomondo), Romania (Independenta) and the Middle East (Teleview). Happy Few sold in nine territories including Germany (Atlas), Spain (Festival Films), Israel (Shapira) and Singapore (Festive).

Leila, from director Audrey Estrougo, sold in Bulgaria (Pro Films), Hungary (DMC), Czech Republic (Hollywood Classics), South Africa (Video Vision) and Korea (Mars), among several others. Pierre Salvadori’s Full Treatment sold in Switzerland (Frenetic), Spain (Golem), Portugal (Lusomondo), the Baltic States (Acme) and China (Champs Lis). Finally A Distant Neighborhood went to Spain (Golem), Italy (Bim), Australia (Transmission) and China (Champs Lis).


Zodiak Entertainment Distribution founded in the UK by Lorenzo Pellicioli and handling the Millenium trilogy The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and of course The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, has sold the trilogy to to more than 40 countries worldwide including Lumiere for Benelux, Frenetic for Switzerland, Alliance for Canada along with Italy, Spain and Germany.


The Swedish group is also negotiating with Sony Pictures for an English-language adaptation of the trilogy, which Scott Rudin will produce along with Yellow Bird's Ole Sondberg and Soren Staermose.

Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" crime trilogy continues to push the box-office limits of what a European title can deliver. Taken together, the three titles from Sweden's Yellow Bird -- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest -- are closing in on a $150 million worldwide box-office take. That's with the first film still to bow in the US, UK and Australia, and the second just starting its box-office run outside Scandinavia. The Girl Who Played With Fire opened to an impressive $2 million in Germany this weekend, actually topping the bow of the first feature in the series. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (aka Men Who Hate Women) sold to Edko for Hong Kong, Encore for Singapore, Conquest for Brazil, Independenta for Romania, AS Tallinnfilm for Estonia, Ablo for Hungary, Czech and Slovak Republics bringing the total to more than 50 countries and more than $84m gross so far.

Coproduction Market

UK distributor Artificial Eye has boarded Barnaby Southcombe’s debut feature I, Anna. The $4m film, presented at the Co-Production Market earlier this week, will star Charlotte Rampling, who is Southcombe’s mother. The noir thriller is the first title from London-based production and financing outfit Embargo Films, headed by Southcombe and producer Felix Vossen. Ilann Girard’s Arsam is co-producing.

Other news

Paladin, formed last fall by distribution veteran Mark Urman, will release Angela Ismailos’ doc Great Directors, celebrating films and filmmaking in ten interviews with the world’s most acclaimed living directors. The documentary had its world premiere at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. Paladin will open the film in New York, Los Angeles, and other top markets in late Spring, 2010.

Cheryl Dunye’s Panorama entry The Owls has gone to the recently launched non-profit distribution platform The Film Collaborative of Orly Ravid and Jeffrey Winter. It has also sold to Peccadillo for UK.

First Independent acquired Holy Rollers, a Sundance title, for US.

US rights to writer/director Marc Forby’s Hawaiian biopic Princess Kaiulani has been picked up by Roadside Attractions. Roadside will release the film theatrically in late spring of 2010 and Lionsgate will release the film on DVD and other US ancillary markets through Roadside’s output deal. The film had its world premiere last fall at the Hawaii International Film Festival, where it won an Audience Award.    

Sundance Rights RoundUp - More Activity Internationally Than Domestically

At Sundance this year, more than usual activity immediately kicked in among the international buyers and the international sales agents bulking up in preparation for the Berlinale's EFM even as the US distributors were slow to show much energy in acquisitions.  First out of the gate for the Americans was Lionsgate's acquisition of Buried .  Next came extended discussions with CAA and Apparition and its ancillary distributor partner Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquistions for Splice for what is rumored $2.5 million while an independent source supplies $20 million P & A.  Next came Newmarket's $1 million acquisition of Hesher.  The Oprah Winfrey Network acquired Family Affair.  OWN's documentary film club is being done in partnership with doc film distributor Ro*co Films International.  OWN, a co-venture between Winfrey's Harpo Prods. and Discovery Communications slated for a January 2011 launch, is planning to create communities nationwide that can screen the films together and participate in a live, moderated panel discussion. Closing the festival, IFC took US rights to Wild Bunch's The Killer Inside Me, and North American rights to Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work. Phase 4 acquired North American rights to The Freebie in a mid six figure deal.  And somewhere along the way, Roadside Attractions picked up US rights to Winter's Bones.  Focus acquired The Kids are All Right.  And finally The Weinstein Company, back in the fray to such a degree that rumor has it they have been approached by 2 hedge funds about buying back their Miramax name, has acquired two films in Sundance, Blue Valentine and The Tillman Story for North America and all English language territories from A&E IndieFilms (via Submarine and CAA). Catfish went finally to Rogue for US.  First Independent acquired Holy Rollers for US February 21.

Other US buyers spotted in Anne Thompson's blog thusly:
"...despite reports of pulling back on production at Overture Films, execs Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett are trawling Sundance for good titles to buy. So are SPC, Apparition, Harvey Weinstein, Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, Fox Searchlight, Magnolia and IFC. And also in town checking out movies that will inevitably not land big theatrical sales are so-called 'self-service' distribs Russell Schwartz’s Pandemic Marketing, Mark Urman’s Paladin" whose platform also helps connect producers with ancillary deals. Urman said he can even help a film transition from a service deal to a traditional rights sale to a bigger distributor as it starts attracting attention in the marketplace, Richard Abramowitz's Area23a  whose goal "is to acquire social issue and music films and the idea is to combine event and screening and you can target those subjects’ fans. We create this army who proselytize to an audience and it spreads the word.” per Abramowiz, Larry Greenberg's Phase 4, Andy Reimer's Inception Media Group and Susan Margolin and Steve Savage's New Video which has begun to acquire narrative features beginning with Gil Holland's Bass Ackwards. and Tom Ortenberg's One Way Out Media just contracted for by Hannover House to release Twelve.  Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures, said his company now releases about 300 films a year on-demand at 40 cable TV operators, and the industry already is at a point where a producer can realize a profit via an on-demand deal. For a more complete list of US distributors, see my blog from Toronto.

The Rights RoundUp with its preponderence of international rather than US activity follows here:

Arte's film Fix Me was acquired by Other Angle for France.

CAA licensed Catfish to Relativity for US, Canada and UK. Rogue will release it through Universal in US.

Cat & Docs licensed The Last Train Home to Zeitgeist for U.S.

Cinetic licensed worldwide rights for Holy Rollers to Pyramide International.

Fortissimo acquired worldwide rights, excluding North America, to the Miramax documentary Jean-Micheal Basquiat: The Radiant Child.  Life During Wartime (not a Sundance title) went to IFC for US.  Head of now extinct Miramax, Daniel Battsek has moved on to head National Geographic replacing Adam Leipzig who is moving into production.

Gaumont licensed Twelve to Hannover House for a rumored $2m for North American rights. CAA and Gaumont negotiated the deal. Hannover has hired Tom Ortenberg’s One Way Out Media to oversee domestic distribution sometime in 2010.

Hanway has licensed Nowhere Boy to Alta for Spain.

Hyde Park 's Blue Valentine went to The Weinstein Co. for North America and pan-Asian TV rights for approximately $1m.  Deal was brokered by William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment.

Inferno Entertainment's The Kids Are All Right went to Focus Features for U.S., the U.K., Germany and South Africa.  Bart Walker and John Sloss of Cinetic Media negotiated the North American rights deal on behalf of the filmmakers and collaborated with Inferno Entertainment on the international aspects of the pact.  The deal is said to have been made for between $4,500,000.  It has also gone to Hopscotch in Australia and New Zealand, Swen in Latin America, and Seven Films in Greece.

Kimmel 's Hesher was picked up via WME by Newmarket for North America for what is rumored to be around $1,000,000. Per Screen Daily, Newmarket's high seven-figure p&a commitment will kick off  the theatrical release in select cities later this year, expanding into at least half of the top 75 markets within three weeks of release. Newmarket distributor came in aggressively for Hesher at the eleventh hour after several buyers had been talking to CAA and WME Global, among them Lionsgate.  Kimmel is also selling the Sundance film Sympathy for Delicious starring Orlando Bloom.

Kinology's Buried repped for North America by UTA's Independent Film Group, went to Lionsgate for North America for for what is rumored to be between $3M and $4M.

LevelK, Tine Klint's (former head of sales at Nordisk Film and TrustNordisk) new sales company has picked up Estonian director Veiko Öunpuu’s The Temptation Of St Tony (Püha Tonu Kiusamine). The film is the first Estonian feature to screen at Sundance and is also competing in this year’s VPRO Tiger Awards at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which opens on January 27). It will has also been selected to close the Göteborg Film Festival (Jan 29-Feb 8). Öunpuu picked up the MEDIA European Talent Award in Cannes for the script.  LevelK has also taken rights to Öunpuu’s 2007 feature debut, Autumn Ball (Sügisball), which won the Horizons Award in Venice, and screened at many international festivals, among them Tallinn’s Black Nights, Thessaloniki, Marrakech, Valencia, Brussels and Bratislava.

Myriad Pictures acquired international rights to happythankyoumoreplease.

The Coproduction Office, with Cactus Three has licensed Women Without Men to IndiePix for North America.  Indiepix also has worldwide rights to All My Friends are Funeral Singers.

The Match Factory picked up worldwide rights to Howl Sundance's opening film in the narrative section.

Shoreline acquired worldwide rights to its second Latino film Contracorriente (Undertow) for a low six figure amount. Wolfe acquired North American rights to it.  Shoreline had acquired Zona Sur (Southern District) which is also showing in Sundance at Ventana Sur in November and last year acquired La Nana (The Maid) at Sundance.

Paramount Vantage acquired Davis Guggenheim's new documentary about the crisis in public education in the U.S. Waiting for Superman which was developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media who backed Guggenheim's previous doc An Inconvenient Truth.

Submarine and CAA licensed Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary I’m Pat Tillman to The Weinstein Company for North America and all English language territories. Submarine licensed The Freebie to Phase 4 for North America, Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work to IFC for No. America.

Summit and Bill Pohlad's River Road have licensed The Runaways to E1 for Canada  It has also sold to Long Shong for Taiwan and Planis for South Korea.  Summit and River Road also licensed Terence Malick's The Tree of Life to E1.  Apparition has US rights to both films.

T & C Pictures International (David Jourdan's new international sales company) has acquired international rights from WME Global to Teenage Paparazzo.  WME Global still represents North American rights.

The Film Sales Company sold His & Hers to Madman in Australia and New Zealand. His roster also includes worldwide rights to The Imperialists Are Still Alive! as well as Night Catches Us.  The company also has English-speaking rights to The Man Next Door.

Visit acquired worlwide rights to The Taqwarcores before its Sundance premiere.

Voltage has licensed Tucker & Dale vs Evil to Wild Bunch for France and Germany and to Svensk for Scandinavia and Maple for Canada.  Negotiations are ongoing with Australia and Spain and there are offers from other territories as well as interest shown among North American buyers.

Wide Management picked up worldwide rights to All That I Love while it showed in Pusan.

Wild Bunch licensed U.S. rights to Gaspar Noe’s Sundance 2010 feature Enter the Void to IFC in the first pre-Sundance deal.  The Killer Inside Me also wentto IFC for US in the last Sundance deal before its closing night for $1,500,000.

Variety's Monday edition makes its set of predictions: (the titles stuck out have made deals since last Monday)
"Winter's Bone, one of the sleeper hits at this year's Sundance...At least four buyers are holding discussions with the film's reps, ..The Tillman Story is in play. ...Catfish is a favorite as well, with HBO said to be particularly interested...The Freebie had a promising premiere on Sunday...Splice... is also seeing interest from a number of domestic distributors...Blue Valentine...Distrib vet Mark Urman, as well as Oscilloscope's David Fenkel, were enthusiastic...with both expressing interest in distributing the film. Other buyers were more circumspect...Monday night's preem of Annette Bening-Julianne Moore drama The Kids Are All Right...heavily attended by buyers."

Screen International's list of films soon to sell includes Catfish, The Perfect Host, Winter’s Bone, The Company Men, Lovers Of Hate, The Pat Tillman Story, and 8: The Mormon Proposition, The Extra Man, Diego Luna’s Abel, and Kevin Asch’s Holy Rollers, and Cane Toads: The Conquest.