Zentropa has pulled the plug on its recently launched Danish distribution outfit, Trust Film Distribution. The division, set up late last year, is now being disbanded. Jimmy Bredow and Maja Giese, who oversaw the distribution arm's activities, will be leaving the company.

'I looked into it (Danish distribution) for the last 15 years and said why don't we try that. It is not as easy as it seems,' Zentropa boss Peter Aalbaek Jensen said of the decision to close the arm down.

However, Jensen has confirmed that Trust Film Sales' activities are now to be bolstered. Rikke Ennis will shortly be returning to the company from maternity leave.

'When she returns, we will have more sellers than ever. The international arm is being strengthened but the national arm we are chopping off,' Jensen said.

The decision to close down Trust Distribution was taken during last month's Cannes Festival. Zentropa is expected shortly to announce an output deal for its films in Denmark with another local partner.

During Cannes, Trust closed a raft of deals on its current slate. Lars Von Trier's next project Antichrist went to many territories, including the Middle East (Phars Film), Brazil (California Filmes) and Bulgaria (Profilms).

There was also strong buyer interest in Lukas Moodysson's first English-language project Mammoth, which was pre-sold to the Middle East (Phars Film) and Greece (7 Video). Other eyecatching deals include Nina Frisk's sale to Japan (Amg Ent).

During Cannes, Zentropa announced details of its plans to concentrate more of its production activities in Sweden and Germany. Trust, though, will remain based in Copenhagen.

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