Wild Bunch signs raft of Cannes deals

Don’t Look Back, which received a midnight-screening in Cannes, and Park Benches, a Wild Bunch market title, went to IFC Films. Both titles also sold in Canada; Don’t Look Back to E1 Entertainment and Benches to Metropole. Competition film Spring Fever was sold to Strand Releasing in the US and also to NCF for the former-Yugoslavia and Leopard for Russia.

Un Certain Regard special prize winner Bahman Ghobadi’s No One Knows About The Persian Catssold to thirteen territories including Mexico (Quality), Argentina (Pacha Mama), Canada (E1), Israel (Shani), Italy (Bim), Romania (Independenta), Greece (Videorama), Portugal (Lusomundo), Columbia (Babilla), Benelux (Cineart) and the Middle East (Front Row Entertainment). A deal with Mars Films for France was concluded just prior to the market. Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval told Screen that the only major territories remaining are Japan and the US, and both have offering pending.

Among the other selection titles to have performed well are closing night film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky which sold to Canada (E1), China (Metro China), Mexico (Cinemas Nueva), Australia (Madman).

Un Certain Regard title Tales From The Golden Age, a collection of Romanian urban legends from the Communist era written by Cristian Mungiu, found deals in the UK (Trinity), Spain (Alta), Brazil (Immovision), Canada (Metropole), Italy (Archibaldo), France (Le Pacte), Scandinavia (Cinema Mondo), Benelux (Imagine) and, as previously announced, the US (IFC). Polytechnique, a Directors’ Fortnight entry from Denis Villeneuve sold to Argentina’s Pacha Mama, Brazil’s Immovision, Teleview in the Middle East, Babilla in Columbia and Norway’s Arthouse.

In the market, Wild Bunch had success with Ken Loach’s upcoming Irish Route. The film was sold based on its script to Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF), Romania (Independenta), Greece (Spentzos), Israel (Shani), Middle East (Teleview), Portugal (Lusomundo), Columbia (Babilla), South Africa (Video Vision), Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines (Sound Space) and Bulgaria (Radio Vision). Discussions are ongoing for France, Italy and the UK.

The next project from Jean-Luc Godard, Socialism, went to Germany (Delphi), Brazil (Immovision), Romania (Independenta), Czech Republic (Artcam), Greece (Videorama), Portugal (Midas), Japan (Open Sesame/Kadokawa), Bulgaria (Radio Vision) and Korea (Sorcerer’s Apprentice).

Nikita Mikhailkov’s $70.5m (€50m) The Exodus – The Fortress (Burnt By The Sun 2), an epic tragedy that picks up five years after the original film ends, was a hot seller with deals completed in France (TFM), China (New Vision), Ex-Yugoslavia (Discovery), Romania (Independenta), Czech Republic (Hollywood Classics), Greece (Videorama), the Middle East (Teleview), Portugal (Lusomundo), Taiwan (CMC), Columbia (Babilla), Turkey (Umut Sanat), Bulgaria (Radiovision), Poland (Kino Swiat) and Benelux (Paradiso).

Shari Springer Bergman and Robert Pulcini’s The Extra Man, starring Kevin Kline, Katie Holmes and Paul Dano, sold to Ex-Yugoslavia (Discovery), Romania (Independenta), Czech Republic (Hollywood Classics), Greece (Videorama), Israel (Orlando), the Middle East (Teleview), Portugal (Lusomundo), Singapore (Festive), Taiwan (Group Power), Turkey (D Productions), South Africa (Video Vision), Italy (Bim) and Poland (Kino Swiat).

Full Treatment, Pierre Salvadori’s sentimental comedy starring Audrey Tautou, found deals in Australia (Transmission), Romania (Independenta), Czech Republic (Hollywood Classics), Greece (Videorama), Hong Kong (Panorama), the Middle East (Teleview), Taiwan (CMC), Bulgaria (Radio Vision), Russia (Leopolis), Scandinavia (Cinema Mondo) and Benelux (Paradiso)

Meanwhile, Australia’s Madman picked up Paul King’s Bunny & The Bull as did Israel’s Orlando and Germany’s Delphi. The UK’s Optimum booked Room In Rome, a sexy tale from Julio Medem. Hong Kong’s First Distributor, Japan’s Comstock and Australia’s Transmission were also signed deals on the film.

Woody Allen’s Whatever Works continued sales with deals in Israel (Nachson), Iceland (Greenlight), Australia (Hopscotch), Korea (Line Tree), Benelux (Paradiso) and the Czech Republic (Artcam). Deals are pending in Germany and Japan.

The Jessica Alba-Casey Affleck thriller The Killer Inside Me, which is currently shooting, went to Hollywood Classics for SlovakiA and the Czech Republic, Umut Sanat in Turkey, Radio Vision in Bulgaria, Top Films of Russia and Paradiso in Benelux.

Petit Nicolas was sold to Spain (Vertigo), Italy (Bim), Israel (Nachson) and Korea (Sorcerer’s Apprentice) while Kim Chapiron’s Dog Pound found buyers in Benelux (Paradiso) and Mexico (Quality). Quality also picked up the animated Yona Yona Penguin for Mexico.

Sebastian Cordero’s follow up to Chronicas, Rabia, which Guillermo del Toro is producing, was sold to Romania (Independenta), Greece (Spentzos), the Middle East (Front Row) and Paradiso in Benelux. Finally, manga adaptation A Distant Neighborhood, was snapped up by Teleview for the Middle East, Babilla in Columbia and Bim in Italy.