EFM deals round-up: Java boards Emptying The Skies

Java flies with Emptying The Skies

Java Films has acquired world rights to Emptying The Skies, Douglass Kass’s feature documentary about migratory song birds. The deal was negotiated by David Koh of Submarine Entertainment and Roger Kass of RingTheJing Entertainment on behalf of the filmmakers and Kathryn Bonnici, Head of Acquisitions for Java Films. Submarine has also sold all rights in Canada to Films We Like and Worldwide Airline rights to Jaguar Distribution.

Music Box acquires Watcher Of The Sky

Music Box Films has struck a deal with CAA and Submarine for US rights to Propeller Films’ Watchers Of The Sky. Submarine licensed Canadian rights to Films We Like, Australia and New Zealand to Madman, pan-Scandinavia to NonStop Entertainment and worldwide airline rights to Jaguar Distribution. Edet Belzberg directed the story about Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term ‘genocide’ and established the world court system.

RADiUS-TWC takes North America on Paradise Lost

Benicio Del Toro stars as Pablo Escobar and Josh Hutcherson as a young man who finds himself unexpectedly pulled into the family business after marrying Escobar’s niece. Andrea Di Stefano makes his feature debut on Paradise Lost. Dimitri Rassam produced. RADiUS-TCW brokered the deal with Pathe and Orange Studio.

Raven Banner is Hooked Up

Raven Banner has acquired world sales rights to Pablo Larcuen’s feature debut Hooked Up, the world’s first feature film totally shot with an iPhone. Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unknown) and Juan Sola are executive producing through their Ombra Films banner. The story is about Americans on a wild trip to Barcelona, where they encounter an evil force.

Zodiak scores with Legend

Zodiak Rights, the distribution wing of Zodiak Media, has boarded international distribution rights to Legend 17, the Russian hit directed by Nikolay Lebedev.  The film, already smashing $30m at its local box office, is a biopic of ‘70s hockey legend Valeri Kharlamov.

Swords strikes for Spitfire

Silver Sword International has acquired US, Canada & UK theatrical distribution rights for Spitfire Liberator - The Alex Herbst Story (You are Always a Pilot) from Slawomir Ciok, director of Icebreaker Films. The feature documentary, now in post production, is about a WWII heroic pilot.

m-appeal’s Storms rumble, Boys to North America

m-appeal has sold Ádam Császi’s Land Of Storms to Cinemien for Benelux and Caramel Films for Spain and Andorra. The Panorama world premiere had previously been sold to TLA Releasing and Salzgeber Medien.

Also,m-appeal has sold Mischa Kamp’s teenage gay love story Boys to Wolfe Releasing for North America. Wolfe’s President Maria Lynn said that the company had had ¨tremendous success with recent foreign language releases of Free Fall and Kiss Me. The beautiful story telling and cinematography in Boys will surely bring wide audiences again.” Boys is the second project m-appeal has handled from Dutch company Pupkin after Michiel ten Horn’s The Deflowering Of Eva Van End.

Zoran finds more buyers for Slingshot Films

Manuela Buono of the fledgling, Trieste-based sales company Slingshot Films revealed that she has made more deals on the Venice award-winner Zoran, My Nephew The Idiot. After licensing to Germany, Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Buono has made sales to Portugal (8 1/2), Spain (Xavier G. Puerto), Macedonia (KT Film and Video), Croatia (ZFF), and Hungary (CirkoFilm).

Rise and Shine sells trio

Documentary sales company Rise and Shine has signed an all-rights deal for Journey To Jah with Poland’s Against Gravity with a cinema release planned for late summer 2014. In addition, Japan’s Pandora picked up all-rights for Petri Luukkainnen’s My Stuff for theatrical release in the second half of 2014, and Germany’s W-Film acquired theatrical rights to Everyday Rebellion.

Seamonsters head to US

Corinth Films has boarded North American rights to Julian Kerridge’s British drama Seamonsters starring Rita Tushingham. LA-based House of Film handles sales.