Beta signs more than 35 deals during busy EFM

German sales agent Beta Cinema has had one of its most successful Berlin markets ever with more than 35 deals signed during the European Film Market (EFM).

Austrian Wolfgang Murnberger’s tragicomedy My Best Enemy, which had screened “out of Competition” in the Berlinale’s Competition, was sold to Germany (Neue Visionen), Scandinavia (Future Film), Israel (Gilad) and Switzerland (Cineworx), with a US sale in final negotiations.

Meanwhile, another “out of Competition” title, Almanya by feature debutant Yasemin Samdereli, was sold to Italy (Theodora Film), Spain (Golem), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Turkey (Medyavizyon) and Israel (Lev Cinemas). Talks are in progress with French distributors to pick up this film which was well received by the Berlin audiences.

In addition to the previously reported deal with Sony Picture Classics, Beta Cinema has also pre-sold Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s latest film, the Second World War drama In Darkness, to Spain (Alta) and Israel (Lev Cinema). Moreover, negotiations are on the final straight for deals for France, the UK and Australia/New Zealand to the film which had been shooting in Berlin and Babelsberg just over a year ago.

At the same time, Augusti Villaronga’s multi-Goya winner Black Bread has been picked up by France’s Alfama Films and Portugal’s Clapfilmes, with a contract in the offing with a distributor for Japanese rights. Florian Cossen’s award-winning feature debut The Day I Was Not Born was sold to Brazil (Artfim SA) and Norway (AS Fidalgo), and contracts are being readied for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Finally, John Turturro’s musical homage to Naples Passione was sold to Poland’s Docreview and Australia/New Zealand’s Palace Films which also acquired Claudio Cupellini’s A Quiet Life, starring Toni Servillo and Juliane Köhler.