Benelux buyers swoop on Cannes titles

Benelux buyers have already snapped up many of the most eye-catching titles in official selection and in the Marché.

Voracious Antwerp-based outfit The Searchers, which was set up in 2015, has pre-bought Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck (pictured) from FilmNation, Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here from IMR International), Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River from Wild Bunch, and Jean-Stephane Sauvaire’s A Prayer Before Dawn from HanWay.

The deals complement the acquisitions the company has made since Berlin. These include Jacques Audiard’s new feature The Sisters Brothers, David Robert Mitchell’s Under The Silver Lake and Anne Fletcher’s Dumplin’ starring Jennifer Aniston, all from IMR, and David Lowery’s The Old Man And The Gun, being sold by Rocket Science.

Leading arthouse distributor Cineart has also picked up several Cannes titles. These include Michael Haneke’s Happy End, sold by Les Films Du Losange, Fatih Akin’s In The Fade from The Match Factory, Jacques Doillon’s Rodin from Wild Bunch, Naomi Kawase’s Radiance from MK2, Good Time starring Robert Pattinson from Memento Film International and 120 BPM (Beats A Minute), being sold by Films Distribution.

Meanwhile, September Films’ Cannes pre-buys include François Ozon’s L’Amant Double, from Films Distribution, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project from Protagonist, Cannes opening film Ismael’s Ghosts from Wild Bunch, Un Certain Regard contender April’s Daughter, which Protagonist and MK2 are jointly selling, and Director’s Fortnight title I Am Not A Witch from Sinology.