Norwegian directors Tommy Wirkola and Stig Frode Henriksen's $163,700 (Eu112,600) project Kill Buljo-The Movie has sold to 26 territories following the AFM, including the US, the UK, Australia (The Weinstein Company).
The US-based sales agent Imagination Worldwide has also licensed the film to Brazil (Europa Filmes), Japan (New Select), Germany Splendid Film), France (Seven Sept), Spain (TOT Media and Russia (West Company), and several deals are pending, according to distribution associate Sheri Rickman.
The film's concept started as a joke: 'Wouldn't it be fun to make a Scandinavian spoof of Tarantino's Kill Bill''
'The response at the AFM was surprising,' said CEO Willy Johansen, of Norwegian distributor CCV Oro Film, the merged operation of CCV Entertainment (video) and Oro, which catered for the Norwegian 24-print theatrical release. Domestically it reached more than 90,000 admissions.
'Considering the size of the production, and how it started, it is almost incredible that it will now be shown worldwide, and dubbed into such languages as Japanese and Russian. With the Weinsteins among the buyers there is even a chance that Tarantino will get to see it himself,' he added.
Wirkola and Henriksen came upon the idea at the local videoshop in Kautokeino. They shot the first version in a day, adding half an hour for editing. Kill Buljo-The Movie 1 was premiered at Alta Kino, and was distributed on the web, to register 10,000 downloads The sequel reached 300,000.
Then came the feature. Wirkola, Henriksen and Magne Ek instigated Yellow Bastard Production, which began shooting in April 2006 - then they had completed half of the budget. Wirkola had met most of the 12 crew members when he went to film school in Australia.
Kill Buljo-The Movie is the story of a Sami, Jompa Torman, celebrating his upcoming marriage, as the Deadly Sami Assassination Squad storms in and kills everybody. However, Torman survives, and he wants revenge; police wants Torman, whom they think planned the massacre.
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