Memento starts sales for Cantet's Foxfire

Memento Films International has announced several deals for Laurent Cantet’s upcoming English-language debut Foxfire. The adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ bestseller has gone to the UK (Artificial Eye), Spain (Golem) and the Middle East (Shooting Stars).

The Film Farm, Foxfire’s Toronto-based co-producer has set a deal with Alliance for Canadian rights.

Palme d’Or winner Cantet starts principal photography on this, his sixth feature, this summer in Canada. Foxfire is a France-Canada co-production from Haut et Court and The Film Farm.

Set in 1950s upstate New York, the story follows a group of headstrong teenage girls who unite to form a secret, female-only society rebelling against the era’s severely male dominant culture.

In other Memento news, the company recently closed a deal with Sony Pictures Classics for North American rights on Asghar Farhadi’s Nader And Simin: A Separation. In Cannes, the company is representing Naomi Kawase’s competition film Hanezu along with three Directors Fortnight titles including Bouli Lanners’ closing night film, The Giants.

Further, Memento has added Nicholas Shumaker to its team to expand the company to the United States.  The former White Buffalo Entertainment production executive is also an independent producer who most recently produced Sundance pic Another Earth, which Fox Searchlight is releasing in the US.