Lucky Red's new acquisitions include Sex and Zen

Italian independent distributor Lucky Red confirmed a series of upcoming, previously unannounced pick-ups for their 2011 slate top-lined by the release their first 3D title, Hong Kong producer Stephen Shiu’s 3D Sex And Zen: Extreme Ecstasy, a sequel to1991’s Sex And Zen, head of acquisitions Stefano Massenzi told ScreenDaily.

The deal was made during the latest American Film Market and Lucky Red plans for a summer release of the Chinese film, which revolves around a wealthy business man with a penchant for young girls. The film has also been widely billed as the first erotic film to be made in 3D.

The distributor will also be releasing the French hit Little White Lies (Les Petites Mouchoirs) this April, off a deal sealed after the close of International Rome Film Festival’s Business Street last October.

Additionally, Lucky Red added two local titles to their slate. Those are a romance Almeno Tu Nell’Universo, directed by Luca and Andrea Biglione and the horror title Closed Circuit (Circuito Chiuso), by Giorgio Amato, both will most likely see release late 2011.

While Italian films have gotten off to an incredible start this January, mostly due to two titles from Medusa (Che Bella Giornata) and 01 Distribution (Qualunquemente) which led Italian films to take 67% of the box office last weekend, Massenzi says the pick ups of the two local titles was not as a follow up to the current trend, which has been focused on Italian comedies. 

Other titles on Lucky Red’s slate, which have been previously announced, include Roberto Rodriguez’s Machete, bought during the last Venice Film Festival where it had a midnight screening on Venice’s opening day. The film will be released over Easter, says Massenzi.

Lucky Red is also releasing Abdellatif Kechiche’s Venice competition title Black Venus in late spring that the company, which is owned by Andrea Occhipinti, also co-produced.