Gaumont finds homes for The Brats ahead of Paris RDV premiere

Gaumont has been racking up sales on Anthony Marciano’s father and son-in-law comedy The Brats (Les Gamins) ahead of its world premiere at Unifrance’s Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris next week.

The debut picture, produced by Alain Goldman’s Legende, stars Alain Chabat as a future father-in-law, disillusioned with life and marriage, who leads his daughter’s fiancé astray as he tries to recapture his youth.

Territories sold, on the back of the script and promo reel at the AFM, include Benelux (Victory Productions), the Czech Republic (Hollywood Classic Entertainment), Portugal (Lusomundo) and Switzerland (JMH Distributions).

Outside of Europe, it has been picked up by Montreal–based Attraction Media’s new distribution arm Niagara Films for Canada. The fledgling outfit kicked off its activities last year with the Chabat-starrrer Houba! On The Trail Of The Marsupilami and cruise comedy Bienvenue à bord. 

Gaumont’s sales chief Cecile Gaget and deputy Yohann Comte, have high hopes for the film at the Rendez-vous where it will world premiere on January 16.  Its French release is scheduled for April 2013.

“We think it will be one of the nice surprises of the Rendez-vous. It’s exactly the sort of comedy the buyers look for at the meeting — romantic, touching but at the same time very funny… it has the same ingredients as Heartbreaker,” says Comte, referring to the Vanessa Paradis-starring romantic comedy which went onto be one of France’s most successful exports after it was launched at the Rendez-vous in 2010.  

Gaumont will also unveil two new comedies: Paris or Perish (Paris à Tout Prix) — the directorial debut of popular comedienne Reem Kherici, best known internationally for her role alongside Jean Dujardin in 0SS 117: Lost in Rio — and Martin Le Gall’s Pop Redemption, about an amateur heavy metal group.

In Paris or Perish, Kherici stars as Moroccan-born Maya, a Parisian fashionista whose budding career in the French capital’s haute couture scene is cut short when she is deported back to Morocco. The culture shock is too much for the young woman to bear: she will do anything to get back to Paris. Comte describes it as a “glamorous and touching” cross between Sex in the City and The Proposal.

OSS 117 and Potiche producers Mandarin Cinema are behind the film, which also stars Francois-Xavier Demaison, Florence Foresti and Cecile Cassel and Stéphane Rousseau. The picture is currently in post-production.

  Martin Le Gall’s Pop Redemption revolves around a group of old friends who have been touring each summer with their amateur heavy metal band, the Dead MaKabés, since they were teenagers. Now approaching their 30s, the four friends set off on what could be their last tour.

Unifrance’s Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris runs Jan 15-21. Some 40 French companies are set to attend the market component of the event, showcasing the upcoming French productions for the first part of 2013.  More than 400 international film and TV buyers will attend.