Wild Bunch may have broken off official relations with the Berlinale and set up shop in a jerry-built cabin, but the French sales powerhouse has had its best EFM ever, including three US deals.

Morgan Spurlock's untitled documentary has been an especially hot seller. UK rights have now gone to Optimum, Australia to Dendy, France to Diaphana, Germany to Kinowelt and Scandinavia to Scanbox.

These deals follow on from the North American deal with The Weinstein Co which closed on Saturday night. Japan and Spain are the only major territories left unsold.

Speaking yesterday, Wild Bunch's Vincent Maraval explained the non-disclosure agreement that all buyers have been required to sign.

'The shooting is dangerous and we don't want the people near where he (Spurlock) is shooting to know what he is doing. It is more to protect him than any other reason.'

Meanwhile Picturehouse has taken US rights to the Spanish-language horror tale The Orphanage (El Ofanato). The deal reunites Picturehouse with Pan's Labyrinth film-maker Guillermo Del Toro who is a producer on The Orphanage.

Other deals closed on the title here include CIS (Luxor) and Scandinavia (Triangle).

Meanwhile Wild Bunch closed two further US deals: Magnolia on Barbet Schroeder's documentary Terror's Advocate and with The Samuel Goldwyn Company on French comedy hit Priceless, starring Audrey Tautou and directed by Pierre Salvadori.

Les Films Du Losange bought France on Terror's Advocate and Icon (UK) and Non-Stop (Scandinavia) took Priceless.

Other Wild Bunch Berlin deals include:

  • Just prior to the EFM, deals were done on Moliere with Pathe (UK), Bim (Italy) and Hopscotch (Australia.)
  • Les Films de L'Elysee took Benelux on Claude Chabrol's A Girl Cut In Two and Damien Odoul's L'Histoire De Richard O and Belgium on Samuel Benchetrit's I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster
  • Pathe took France on Im Kwon-Taek's Beyond The Years
  • Victory took Belgium on Wicked Weekend
  • Telepool has picked up German rights on L'Histoire De Richard O
  • Style King has taken Japan on Eric Barbier's The Snake.

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