Berlin-based international gross sales firm M-Attraction has closed a sequence of worldwide offers on the Cannes Movie Marketplace for Michiel van Erp’s “Downtown,” Joaquín del Paso’s “The Backyard We Dreamed of” and Muriel d’Ansembourg’s “Really Bare.”
Dutch drama “Downtown,” launched by M-Attraction on the Cannes Movie Market, has been offered to Darkish Star Photos for North America and Salzgeber for Germany and Austria. The movie is anticipated to have its world premiere at Frameline quickly.
Set between the hedonistic homosexual nightlife of Amsterdam within the Eighties and the current day, “Downtown” follows three younger males whose bond is fashioned on the dance flooring of town’s nightclubs, earlier than the disappearance of the regulars begins to change the ambiance of their native paradise and the relationships there.
The movie stars a number of the main Dutch actors together with Yorick van Wageningen, Hans Kesting and Roeland Fernhout. It’s produced by Maarten Swart of Kaap Holland Movie, in addition to Van Erp and Monique Busman of Het Familiedrama.
“‘Downtown’ is the uncommon form of story that feels each deeply private and broadly accessible. Director Michiel van Erp has finished a masterful job creating a movie that may stick with audiences lengthy after the credit roll, and we’re extremely excited to deliver it to North American audiences,” mentioned Michael Repsch of Darkish Star Photos.
Darkish Star Photos has already collaborated with M-Attraction on a number of titles, together with Marcelo Caetano’s “Child”, premiering at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2024.
Salzgeber, one in every of Germany’s main distributors of LGBTQ+ cinema, has additionally onboarded the movie for Germany and Austria. Salzgeber’s theatrical releases embrace “Enzo, Love Me Tender,” which is in theaters now, and the upcoming “Drunken Noodles,” beforehand a collaboration with M-Attraction.
“The Backyard We Dreamed of” by Joaquín del Paso, which had its world premiere on the Berlinale Panorama, was offered to Arsenal for Germany and Austria, to Falcon for Indonesia and to Dexin Movie for Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo.
Set in a distant forest in central Mexico, the movie follows Esther and Junior, a Haitian couple touring north with Esther’s two daughters looking for a greater future. As unlawful logging and arranged crime threaten the land round them, the household carves out a fragile bubble of tenderness and hope in an more and more threatened world.
Falcon Photos has acquired 12 titles from the Cannes Competitors, together with Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner “Fjord,” Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaure,” Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bitter Christmas,” Emmanuel Marre’s “A Man of His Time” and “The Beloved.” by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, amongst others.
“For us, it is a highly effective movie that we imagine will communicate on to German moviegoers, shifting, partaking and really accessible. It combines sturdy storytelling with placing cinematography, creating an expertise that’s each charming and deeply shifting. We have been actually on the sting of our seat, and we hope audiences might be too,” mentioned Stefan Paul, CEO of Arsenal Filmverleih.
On the Arsenal program are “Solely Rebels Win” by Danielle Arbid (premiere Panorama) and “Sweetheart” (Gioia Mia) by Margherita Spampinato (Locarno).
On the Dexin Movie program are “My Salinger Yr” by Philippe Falardeau (Berlinale Particular Gala), “True Historical past of the Kelly Gang” by Justin Kurzel (TIFF) and “First Reformed” by Paul Schrader (Venice Competitors).
“Really Bare” by Muriel d’Ansembourg, which had its world premiere on the Berlinale Views, was offered to Wished Cinema for Italy and to Cinobo for Poland and Greece.
The brand new offers construct on the sturdy worldwide momentum generated by “Really Bare” following its premiere on the Berlinale, the place purchaser buzz translated into gross sales to Nitrato Filmes for Portugal, AX1 for the UK and Eire, Edko Movies Ltd. for Hong Kong, Njuta Movies for Scandinavia – overlaying Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark – Filmin for Spain, Capelight Photos for North America in addition to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Gluon Media for Latin America, Artistic Century Leisure Co. for Taiwan, PictureWorks for India. and EnterMode Corp. for Korea.
The movie, shot within the UK, follows Alec, an introverted teenager raised in his father’s grownup leisure enterprise, whose understanding of intimacy is challenged when he meets Nina. Mixing daring imagery with an emotionally correct, sex-positive method, the movie explores intimacy, masculinity and the way younger individuals study – and unlearn – concepts about need, connection and vulnerability.
“We search for movies that problem the current with braveness and sensitivity. ‘Really Bare’ is precisely that: a daring, deeply modern debut that transforms a controversial situation right into a deeply human and political story,” mentioned Anastasia Plazotta, CEO of Wished Cinema.
Current and upcoming Wished Cinema programming contains Kristen Stewart’s “The Water Timeline,” Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36,” slated for launch in September, Vincent Munier’s César documentary and field workplace hit “The Track of the Forests,” in addition to Berlin Silver Bear winner Emin Alper’s “Salvation,” Grant Gee’s “Everybodys Invoice Evans,” and “Everytime” by Sandra Wollner, winner of Un Sure Regard at Cannes.
Cinobo’s current acquisitions are Lukas Dhont’s “Coward”, Kore-eda’s “Sheep within the Field” and Mysius’ “Birthday Social gathering”.