26-05-2014

Czechs and Slovaks Pick up Cannes Films

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    White God by Kornel Mundruczo White God by Kornel Mundruczo

    PRAGUE: Distributors in the Czech and Slovak Republics have picked up a number of films that screened in competition at Cannes.

    Film Europe CEO Ivan Hronec told FNE that the company had picked up six films from the main competition, one film from Un Certain Regard, and one film from Critics Week. The films, which will be distributed in the Czech and Slovak Republics, are the Turkish winner of the Palm d’Or and FIPRESCI prize Winter Sleep; Jury Prize co-winner Goodbye to Language by Jean-Luc Godard; best script winner Leviathan; Two Days, One Night by the Dardennes Brothers; Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall and Olivier Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria. They also acquired the Swedish film Force Majeure (Tourist) and the Danish debut thriller When Animals Dream.

    All films were individually purchased for a ten-year period covering all rights and will be released within 12 months in both the Czech and Slovak Republics. Hronec said he is expecting similar results as with similar films he acquired in 2013, which range from The Great Beauty with 40,000 admissions, Palm d’Or winner Adele with 12,000 admissions, and Berlinale winner Child's Pose with 6,000 admissions. Hronec will be looking to book the films into regional festivals, and along with regular distribution and TV sales, the films are assured distribution via the company’s own arthouse cinema Kino Film Europe and on its TV station, Film Europe Channel.

    Czech arthouse distributor ARTCAM was also active at Cannes, picking up Un Certain Regard winner White God by Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó (produced by Proton Cinema in coproduction with Filmpartners) and the Jury Prize co-winner Mommy by 25-year-old Québécois directing wunderkind Xavier Dolan.