Cannes Market wrap: The Square, A Ciambra, Beauty and the Dogs and The House that Jack Built were some of the hottest Nordic titles. 

Just two days before the closure of the 70th Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Öslund’s Palme d'or contender The Square was among world critics' top 3 rated films according to Screendaily’s Jury grid, alongside Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck and after the Russian favourite Loveless by Andrey Zvyagintsev.

New sales concluded by Coproduction Office on top of 20+ previously announced deals comprise: Australia (Sharmill), Austria (Filmladen), Brazil (Pandora/Providence), Israel (Lev Cinema), Italy (distributor to be confirmed),  Poland (Gutek), Singapore (Anticipate Pictures), Russia (A-One), Taiwan (Andrew Film), China (DDDream) and Middle-East, with negotiations progressing with Japan, Canada, Hong Kong. 

Coproduction Office's managing director Philippe Bober told nordicfilmandtvnews.com: "Distributors were eager to pre-buy the film before Cannes and we were in the lucky situation that we could often pre-sell at the asking price which is seldom the case. Distributors who pre-bought it were very pleased after seeing it and we could sell during the market almost all territoires. The Square confirms Ruben’s talent and also his capacity to attract an audience. "

Two Scandinavian co-productions selected at Cannes sidebars were other hot titles.

The Directors’ Fortnight entry A Ciambra by Jonas Carpignano (co-produced by Sweden’s Filmgate and Film i Väst) was sold to IFC’s Sundance Select for North America, while Beauty and the Dogs by Kaouther Ben Hania selected at Un Certain Regard was sold by Jour2Fête to the US (Oscilloscope), Benelux (Cinéart), France (Jour2Fête), Switzerland (Trigon), Sweden (Folkets Bio), Middle East (MC Distribution), Greece (Strada), and China (Blueshare /Time-in-Portrait). The film was co-produced by Sweden’s Laika & Television AB, Chimney, Film i Väst and Norway’s Integralfilm.

TrustNordisk’s Head of Sales Susanne Wendt said her company had a ‘good and busy market' and received great responses to its promo-reel, in particular on Harald Zwart's The 12th Man and Lars on Trier’s upcoming thriller. 
The most recent deal on Trier's highly anticipated The House that Jack Built was signed with IFC's Sundance Selects for the US. Wendt said: “IFC did a great job on Antichrist and their enthusiasm for The House That Jack Built is simply overwhelming and will surely be implemented in their work on the film”. 

Previous deals were signed with the UK and Ireland (Curzon Artificial Eye), Germany, Austria (Telemünchen), France (Films Du Losanges), Latin America (California Filmes), Benelux (September film), Greece (Seven Films), Portugal (Leopardo filmes), Israel (Shani Film), Middle East (Falcon Films), China (DD Dream), Hong Kong (Sundream), South Korea (Atnine Film), Russia/CIS (Russian World Vision), Poland (Gutek), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Former Yugoslavia (Cinemania group), Czech Republic (Aero film), Bulgaria (Euro Films), Romania (Independenta Film 97) and Baltic States (Estin Film).
Other deals announced during Cannes include:

  • The 12th Man sold to Constantin Film for all German-speaking rights, and Switzerland. The Norwegian resistance movie about national hero Jan Baalsrud will be release domestically by Nordisk Film on November 10, 2017, 
  • Drib by Norwegian director Kristoffer Bordli, sold to the US (Gravitas Ventures). Previous deals were inked with Latin America (Califoria Filmes). 
  • The Norwegian disaster The Quake from The Wave producer Fantefilm was pre-sold to Spain (Selectavision), Poland (Mówis Serwis Dystrybucja Spólka), former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Groupicon), Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia (CM Holdings). The John Andreas Andersen film will start production in the fall. -
  • 3 Things by Danish debut director Jens Dahl was acquired by California Filmes in a worldwide distribution deal. Scanbox has Scandinavian rights.

LevelK’s PR Manager Niklas Ten said the company which is handling both traditional and digital sales and acts as an aggregator had ‘one of its best Cannes ever’.  

The Danish animated film The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear has now been pre-sold to more than 20 territories, with recent deals closed with France and Benelux (Ninety-Seven Film Production), Hungary and Romania (ADS Service LTD), Iran (Century 21 Visual Media Company), Middle East (Empire Networks LLP), Estonia (Estin Film), Bulgaria (Pro Films), Croatia and Slovenia (Radar), Poland (Vivarto Sp.Zo.o) and Korea (Yejilim Entertainment).

Co-director Philip Einstein Lipski was on hand to introduce the film to world buyers on the Scandinavian Terrace. The film will open in Denmark on October 12, 2017.
The Danish films While We Live by the Avaz brothers screening at the market received positive reactions, as well as the relationship comedy drama Horrible Woman.

Yellow Affair’s Sales Executive Chris Howard reported a good market, especially with Chinese buyers. The Swedish comedy thriller Becker-Small Town Gangster by Martin Larsson was acquired by China’s leading independent distributor Lemon Tree Media, while the German thriller 5 Women was sold to Hualu Publishing. At press time Yellow Affair was negotiating a multi-films/multi-territories deal with Cinema World International Ltd. The company’s CEO Miira Paasilinna pointed out a great buyers’ response on the upcoming family film Kiwi Christmas from New Zealand.

Arri Media International was in Cannes with the first footage of the 3D CGI animated film Ploey-You Never Fly Alone shown exclusively to world buyers. The film directed by Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson, Gunnar Karlsson and Ives Agemans has been pre-sold to 60 territories, with recent deals closed with Finland (Filmkompaniet), Latin America (DCD United) and Vietnam (Green Media). The film is a co-production between Iceland’s GunHil and Belgium’s Cyborn. The Icelandic release via Sena is set for December.

Autlook Film Sales had a good market with two Danish films produced by Sonntag Pictures. Big Time about star architect Bjärke Ingels who designed landmark buildings such as the World Trade Center 2, Kuala Lumpur Signature Towers was snapped by France (MK2) and Australia (Madman) among new deals. The film directed by Kaspar Astrup Schröder is currently on Danish screens via DOXBIO and has sold more than 11,000 tickets. As previously reports, Bobbi Jene was snapped by Oscilloscope for the US.

At press time SF Studios was not available for comments. 

According to the Marché du Film, 12,324 participants from 118 countries attended the annual film trade event. The biggest delegation was from the US (2,113 participants), followed by France (1,801 participants) and the UK (1,186 participants). The biggest increase came from Asia and especially China (+ 21%, 600 attendees), Japan (+13%, 309 attendees), Korea (+9%, 286 attendees) and India (+26%, 204 attendees).