Saturday, January 18

French sales agents are hitting Cannes in force

For the first time since 2019, the Marché du Film – a major event in the global film industry calendar, which is kicking off today as part of the 75th Cannes Film Festival – is returning to its usual May timings and to its full physical form (more than 10,000 badge-holders are expected to attend). Highly active throughout the year and now playing on home territory on the Croisette, French international sales agents are primed and ready for high business volumes, boasting line-ups full-to-bursting with titles selected for the various Cannes showcases.

Having previously detailed the various trump cards brandished by Wild Bunch International (article), Charades (news), mk2 Films (article), Les Films du Losange (news), Memento International (article), Elle Driver (news), Pyramide International (article), The Party Film Sales (article), Luxbox (news), Indie Sales (article – who have added Alain Ughetto’s Interdit aux chiens et aux Italiens to their list, a movie set to world premiere in competition in Annecy), Totem Films (article), Le Pacte (article), SND (news) and Urban Sales (news), an overview of the aces belonging to the remaining armies is as follows.

The trusty companion of Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, Coproduction Office are set to shine with another of the director’s opuses, Triangle of Sadness [+], which will see  Östlund fighting for a second Palme d’Or after his 2017 victory via The Square [+]. His latest movie has already been pre-purchased for thirty or so regions.

Kinology will be staking its bets on Chronique d’une liaison passagère by French director Emmanuel Mouret, which looks set to be unveiled in the Cannes Première line-up, as well as wagering on the French-Portuguese co-production Alma Viva by Cristèle Alves Meira, which is scheduled to compete in Critics’ Week.

Gaumont is offering up Tirailleurs by French helmer Mathieu Vadepied, in the opening slot of the Un Certain Regard section.

Pathé International is selling Mascarade by France’s Nicolas Bedos, which will be screened out of competition in the Official Selection, as well as fellow French director Alice Winocour’s Paris Memories, which will enjoy its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight.

Orange Studio has bagged opening and closing slots within the Directors’ Fortnight for two of its titles, namely Scarlet by Italy’s Pietro Marcello and Le Parfum Vert by French director Nicolas Pariser.

StudioCanal will be negotiating on behalf of Novembre by French filmmaker Cédric Jimenez, which will attract copious attention out of competition in the Official Selection on account of its subject-matter: the terrorist attacks which unfolded in Paris in 2015, revisited here in fiction form.

Celluloid Dreams will be pinning its hopes on Iranian feature film Tasavor by Ali Behrad, which is competing in Critics’ Week.

Last but not least, Alfama will be selling Portuguese director Tiago Guedes’ Restos do vento, which will be treated to a Special Screening within the Official Selection.

Other French sales agents active at the Marché du Film until 25 May notably include Playtime (launching presales on a film by François Ozon), France tv distribution (selling La cour des miracles by Carine May and Hakim Zouhani, among other works, which will be unveiled at the Cinéma de la Plage), Loco Films (notably offering up Woman On the Roof by Polish director Anna Jadowska, set to world premiere in competition in Tribeca) and MPM Premium (hosting a market premiere of Slony Sow’s French-Japanese movie Umami, starring Gérard Depardieu, Pierre Richard, Sandrine Bonnaire, Rod Paradot and Bastien Bouillon, and kicking off presales on Sylvie Gautier’s Brillantes – read our article).

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