CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Film Department's Gill and Sacker Chat At AmPav, Arthouse Deals With Fortissimo, Jaman Takes Two, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. The Film Department's Mark Gill and Neil Sacker sat down with Mike Goodridge at the American Pavilion to update on the nearly one-year-old company's progress, Arthouse Films signs an exclusive deal with Fortissimo, both First Look Studios and Magnolia Pictures sign with Jaman.com, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Spike Lee's "Miracle," Young Europeans, Cyrte Buy, Fortissimo and John Woo, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. Tuesday saw Spike Lee discussing his latest film, "Miracle at St. Anna," Zentropa announcing their "Young Europeans" project, Holland's Cyrte and their new worldwide label, Fortissmo's plans for a new John Woo film, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Europe Day, Another Pick-Up For IFC, Optimum Takes "Whiteout," Celluloid Options "UBIK," The Hungarian Pavilion, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. Monday afternoon saw the 6th Europe Day program take place, IFC acquired the North American rights to "The Chaser," Optimum Releasing announced plans to release "Whiteout," Celluloid Dreams options the right to Phillip K. Dick's "UBIK," Lightning Media acquires the rights to Amy Redford's "Guitar," a look at the Hungarian Pavilion, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Weinstein Takes "The Alchemist," Reliance Gives Funding To Hollywood, MGM Discusses New Plans, the Korean Pavilion, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. The Weinstein Company buys the rights to best-selling book "The Alchemist," Reliance announced plans to fund Hollywood production companies, IFC Films takes "L'Aventure," MGM heads discuss the company's future at the American Pavilion, a look at the Korean Pavillion, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | IFC Takes Two More, WMA Launches $100M Fund, Celluloid Gets Animated & Scandinavian, Seville Evolves, Unifrance's Pavilion, and More

IFC continued to be among of the busiest dealmakers in Cannes, announcing today deals for both Olivier Assayas' "Summer Hours" and Anna Melikyan's "Mermaid." William Morris joined with Screen Capital International to unveil Incentive Filmed Entertainment, LLC (Incentive), a new production and financing vehicle for films under $15 million, while Celluloid Dreams announced deals for four new prokjcts, two of them animated and two from Scandinavian directors. Also, a closer look at the evolving Canadian-based Seville Pictures and , indieWIRE takes a look at the Unifrance Pavillion as biz coverage in Cannes continues.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Reliance Talks Big Numbers, Weinsteins Acquire "Lake" & Make Asian TV Deal, GreeneStreet Takes "Long Time," The Argentine Pavilion, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. India-based media company Reliance Big Entertainment commits to a $1 billion slate, the Weinsteins acquired "Eden Lake," and inked a pan-Asian deal with TV network STAR, Greenstreet nabs the international rights to "Long Time Gone," Flip Video puts on a shorts competition at Cannes, the Argentina Pavilion celebrates a full slate at the Festival, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Update: Hyde Park Million Dollar Asian Fund; Celluloid Follows "Prophet," MTV Wants Their Elephant Eye, Canadians All Business, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. Hyde Park hypes a multi-million dollar fund for Singapore productions, MTV acquires "Planet B-Boy from Elephant Eye, Celluloid Dreams begins pre-sales of Jacques Audiard's latest, Jada Pinkett- Smith brings her directorial debut to Cannes, Origin Pictures will launch in June, a look at the Canadian pavillion, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | IFC Takes Two, Salt Launches, Fortissimo Busy, Delpy Pre-Sales, Ukranian Pavilion, and More

Continuing coverage of the Marche du Film in Cannes, indieWIRE reports on the latest deals and news from the Croisette. IFC has acquired a pair of Cannes festival entries, Arnaud Desplechin's "A Christmas Tale" and Josh Safdie's "The Pleasure of Being Robbed." Meanwhile, Fortissimo has had a busy round of sales leading up to the festival, while Salt launches for its first market after being re-branded. Finally, Julie Delpy inks pre-sales for her passion project, a look at the Ukranian pavillion, and more.
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CANNES '08 BIZ DAILY | Cannes Market Kickoff, Fortissimo Gets Killer Film, AmPav Turns 20, and More

In the first of a series of daily dispatches focusing on the business side of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival: indieWIRE talks to Marche du Film director Jerome Paillard; Fortissimo acquires the rights to "Gigantic;" TFI is set to show some of Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna," Arthouse Films acquires "Louise Bourgeois, Echo Bridge debuts a new slate, and the American Pavilion celebrates twenty years.
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CANNES '07 | Cuaron, Del Toro, and Inarritu Form 'cha cha cha'; Trio Ink 5 Film Pact With Universal/Focus

Acclaimed filmmakers Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men"), Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"), and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Babel") are forming cha cha cha, a unique production partnership debuting with a Cannes market project. Cha cha cha is partnering with Universal Pictures and its Focus Features International unit for financing, international sales and distribution on an upcoming slate of five films. The new projects include directorial efforts for all three men, as well as new films from writer/directors Carlos Cuaron (Alfonso's brother) and Rodrigo Garcia.
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HanWay + Celluloid Dreams = Dreamachine; New Combined Company Launching in Cannes

A major new sales, production and financing firm with an eye on digital distribution -- dubbed Dreamachine -- has been formed by the merger of HanWay Films and Celluloid Dreams. Hanway's Jeremy Thomas and Celluloid's Hengameh Panahi announced the merger, indicating that the new London, Paris and Toronto based outfit will debut next month at the Marche du Film in Cannes. In an announcement on Tuesday, Dreamachine detailed a high-profile roster of projects and indicated that the combined company's library will include some 500 films. Panahi and Thomas will serve as co-chairs of the new company, with Tim Haslam as CEO.
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"Shortbus" Inks North American Deal With ThinkFilm; UK Rights Go To The Works

ThinkFilm has acquired all North American rights to John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus," perhaps the most talked about film at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and, in a separate pact, The Works U.K. Distribution has secured UK rights to the new movie. A sexually explicit, strikingly artistic and ultimately hopeful new film, "Shortbus" is the story of a group of New Yorkers -- straight and gay, male and female -- coping with life and love in the modern day big city. They come together weekly at a polysexual, bohemian Brooklyn salon that features music, art and yes, sex. The follow-up to Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Shortbus" features an ensemble cast who workshopped the project and engage in graphic on-screen sex scenes.
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Magnolia Strikes Again With Cannes Market Deal for "Severance"

Magnolia Pictures has announced a deal for U.S. rights to Christopher Smith's "Severance," a film the company first saw at the recent Marche du Film in Cannes. Magnolia closed the deal for the horror-comedy with HanWay Films. The pact marks the second Cannes deal closed by the company, following its acquisition of English-language rights to South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "The Host," an acclaimed Directors' Fortnight entry at the festival.
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Strand Releasing Takes U.S. Rights to Cannes '05 Opener "Lemming"

Culver City, CA-based Strand Releasing has acquired U.S. rights to Dominik Moll's psychological thriller, "Lemming," which opened the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in May, the company announced Thursday evening. The film, which stars Laurent Lucas ("Harry, He's Here to Help!"), is in this year's Telluride Film Festival lineup. Charlotte Mickie of Paris-based film sales agency Celluloid Dreams negotiated the deal with Jon Gerrans of Strand.
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