With the Toronto International Film Festival entering its last few days, the acquisitions market continues at a pretty steady clip. By mid-week, distributors had had a chance to check out most of what was on display, including all of the world premieres, and had made their plays to pocket what they could. Those negotiations are paying off now.
UPDATE: This article has been brought up-to-date through Monday morning, Sept. 17.
“The Place Beyond the Pines,” which Focus picked up for somewhere in the $3-million range, has thus far been the highest-ticket purchase, and Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions grabbed the most movies. But the indie film landscape has clearly made room for plenty of filmmakers, financiers and distributors to find each other and agree on ways to get these films in front of audiences.
READ MORE: Toronto 2012: Monday Morning Acquisitions Update — What’s Happened, What’s to Come
Below is a comprehensive list of the titles that have found homes through Friday afternoon — more than two-dozen — broken down both by agency and by distributor. Additional deals are on the way, so check back as the list fills out further. Interspersed with the films below, members of the sales agency teams that handled the bargaining describe the tone and intricacies of the market as they saw it this week.
BY AGENCY
CAA
- “Aftershock”— directed by Nicolás López, written by Guillermo Amodeo, Eli Roth and López — Dimension Films, U.S. rights
- “Byzantium” (w/WME) — directed by Neil Jordan, written by Moira Buffini — IFC Films, U.S. rights
- “Emperor”— directed by Peter Webber, written by David Klass and Vera Blasi — Roadside Attractions, U.S. rights
- “Much Ado About Nothing” — directed and written by Joss Whedon — Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, North American rights
- “The Place Beyond the Pines” (w/WME) — directed by Derek Cianfrance, written by Ben Coccio, Darius Marder and Cianfrance — Focus Features, U.S. rights
- “Spring Breakers” (w/Ted Field) — directed and written by Harmony Korine — Annapurna Pictures, U.S. rights
- “To the Wonder”— directed and written by Terrence Malick — Magnolia Pictures, U.S. rights
- “Writers”— directed and written by Josh Boone — Millennium Entertainment, U.S. rights
- “Arthur Newman” (w/UTA) — still available
- “Artifact”— still available
- “Greetings From Tim Buckley” (w/Celluloid Dreams) — still available
- “Twice Born”— still available
“The festival met everyone’s expectations,” says CAA’s Roeg Sutherland and Micah Green. “The market for high-end commercial films is stronger than ever, driven by an abundance of well-capitalized distributors looking for third-party projects. All of our broad-appeal films were sold prior to their premieres in Toronto (‘Looper,’ ‘End of Watch,’ ‘The Master,’ ‘Seven Psychopaths,’ ‘The Company You Keep,’ ‘Spring Breakers’). In Toronto, we experienced a surge in interest in smaller, cast-driven specialty films. The market for these more execution-dependent projects has rebounded in the last year due to the strong performance of films such as ‘Bachelorette’ and ‘Margin Call’ on VOD and iTunes. It feels like we are witnessing a land grab of new and existing distributors positioning themselves to capitalize on the impending revenue spike from emerging digital platforms.”
CINETIC MEDIA
- “Come Out and Play” (“Juego De Niños”)— directed and written by Makinov — Cinedigm Entertainment Group, U.S. rights
- “Ginger and Rosa”— directed and written by Sally Potter — A24, U.S. rights
- “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” — directed by Mira Nair, written by Mohsin Hamid, William Wheeler and Ami Boghani — IFC Films, North American rights
- “Miss Lovely”— still available
- “Venus and Serena”— still available
THE GERSH AGENCY
- “The Brass Teapot”— directed by Ramaa Mosley, written by Tim Macy — Magnolia Pictures, North American rights
- “Inescapable”— directed and written by Ruba Nadda — IFC Films, U.S. rights
“Toronto was productive for buyers and sellers,” says Gersh partner Jay Cohen. “The independent market is strong but films need to be made for a price with the appropriate cast based on the appropriate genre.With the increase in Premium/Ultra VOD deals, buyers are still experimenting and learning how to best monetize the market so the MG’s are still a bit lower than expectations.”
HANWAY FILMS
- “Great Expectations”— directed by Mike Newell, written by David Nicholls — Outsource Media Group, North American rights
- “Kon-Tiki”— still available
- “Me & You” (w/ICM Partners) — still available
ICM PARTNERS
- “How to Make Money Selling Drugs” (w/Larry Kopeikin) — directed and written by Matthew Cooke — Tribeca Film, U.S. rights
- “Passion” (w/SBS Productions) — directed and written by Brian De Palma — Entertainment One, N.A. rights
- “Detroit Unleaded”— still available
- “Me & You” (w/HanWay Films) — still available
- “Yellow”— still available
“This year’s festival hosted many of the usual players, along with several newcomers,” says ICM Partners head of international and independent film Jessica Lacy. “Even though sales were active, a lot of deals will close after the festival. Since they have become more complex, there are a number of factors to consider and it’s about making the right deal for our clients. We are set to close several over the course of the next few weeks.”
NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA
- “The End of Time”— directed and written by Peter Mettler — First Run Features, U.S. rights
- “Stories We Tell”— directed and written by Sarah Polley — Roadside Attractions, U.S. rights
PARADIGM
- “Still”— directed and written by Michael McGowan — Samuel Goldwyn Films, U.S. rights
- “Reincarnated”— still available
“It was a very healthy market for both traditional theatrical releases and newer VOD-driven models,” says Paradigm agent Ben Weiss. “Goldwyn saw the opportunity for the James Cromwell drama ‘Still’ to find its audience with a traditional awards-style release. ‘Reincarnated,’ on the other hand, as a more youth-driven film, is an example of a film that will be most successful with an innovative plan that combines VOD, theatrical and digital distribution. Distributors are recognizing the need to be specific and analytical with their acquisitions; as sales agents, it is critical to be able to deliver the content and negotiate the most effective deals for our films.”
PYRAMIDE INTERNATIONAL
- “Three Worlds”— directed by Catherine Corsini, written by Benoît Graffin and Corsini — Film Movement, U.S. and Canadian rights
- “Children of Sarajevo”— still available
- “Gebo and the Shadow”— still available
- “A Lady in Paris”— still available
SUBMARINE ENTERTAINMENT
- “Casting By”— directed by Tom Donahue — HBO, TV rights
- “Here Comes the Devil” — directed and written by Adrian Garcia Bogliano — Magnet Releasing, N.A. rights
- “The Lords of Salem” (w/Automatik) — directed and written by Rob Zombie — Anchor Bay Films, U.S. rights
- “Love, Marilyn”— directed and written by Liz Garbus — HBO, U.S. TV rights; Cinedigm Entertainment Group, DVD/VOD/digital rights
- “No Place on Earth”— directed by Janet Tobias, written by Paul Laikin and Tobias — Magnolia Pictures, U.S. rights
- “Janeane From Des Moines”— still available
- “State 194”— still available
“The pace and rhythm of Toronto this year was slow and steady with less irrational exuberance and more measured business-like deal making,” says Submarine co-president Josh Braun. “The two closed deals (“Casting By” and “No Place on Earth”) played out methodically, and we reached agreements where both sides were very happy without late-night bidding wars. The two deals that are nearly finalized (“The Lords of Salem” and “Love, Marilyn”) each had a bit more drama but more or less played out in a similar fashion.”
UTA INDEPENDENT FILM GROUP
- “Frances Ha”— directed by Noah Baumbach, written by Greta Gerwig and Baumbach — IFC Films, North and Latin American rights
- “Imogene”— directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, written by Michelle Morgan — Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, U.S. rights
- “Thanks for Sharing” (w/WME) — directed by Stuart Blumberg, written by Matt Winston and Blumberg — Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, U.S. rights
- “Wadjda” — directed and written by Haifaa Al-Mansour — Sony Pictures Classics, North American rights
- “Arthur Newman” (w/CAA) — still available
- “Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp”— still available
- “Mr. Pip”— still available
“Toronto proved to be dynamic this year both as a festival and as a market, with significant sales spread out across a real diversity of films and distributors,” said Rena Ronson, co-head of UTA Independent Film Group. “What was most interesting was seeing the balance between traditional theatrical deals and the day-and-date deals. There is more innovation required than ever in getting films in front of audiences, and it was reassuring to come to Toronto and see the industry embrace the range of possibilities that exist for so many titles.”
WILD BUNCH
- “White Elephant”— directed by Pablo Trapero, written by Alejandro Fadel, Martín Mauregui, Santiago Mitre and Trapero — Strand Releasing, U.S. rights
- “Dead Europe”— still available
- “The Last Supper”— still available
- “Rhino Season”— still available
- “The Suicide Shop” — still available
WME GLOBAL
- “Byzantium” (w/CAA) — directed by Neil Jordan, written by Moira Buffini — IFC Films, U.S. rights
- “Jayne Mansfield’s Car”— directed by Billy Bob Thornton, written by Tom Epperson and Thornton — Anchor Bay Films, North American and UK rights
- “The Place Beyond the Pines”(w/CAA)— directed by Derek Cianfrance, written by Ben Coccio, Darius Marder and Cianfrance — Focus Features, U.S. rights
- “Thanks for Sharing”(w/UTA) — directed by Stuart Blumberg, written by Matt Winston and Blumberg — Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, U.S. rights
- “The We and the I”— directed by Michel Gondry, written by Jeffrey Grimshaw, Paul Proch and Gondry — Paladin and 108 Media, North American rights
- “What Maisie Knew” — directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, written by Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne — Millennium Entertainment, U.S. rights
- “The Deep” — still available
“Toronto delivered on every level,” says head of WME Global Graham Taylor. “From the discovery of new talent and auteurs returning with new offerings to the licensing of distribution rights of films both big and small, it was dynamic and exciting — and good for the movie business.”
XYZ FILMS
- “Thale”— directed and written by Aleksander L. Nordaas — XLrator Media, U.S. rights
- “Sleeper’s Wake”— still available
- “Storm Surfers 3D”— still available
“Buyers were a little more guarded, but there was still business going on, and as usual a lot of deals will close after the festival once everyone’s priority titles are bought and sold,” says XYZ partner Nate Bolotin. “In the aggregate, it would be great to know how many films that sold are actually profitable movies and if the budgets for indie films are justifiable given the North American deals conducted. Festival-driven genre films generally don’t have much difficulty finding a buyer and a good deal, as long as the finance plan was smart and budgets were reverse engineered.”
Click through to the next page to see the acquisitions listed by distributor…
BY DISTRIBUTOR
A24
- “Ginger and Rosa” — directed and written by Sally Potter — U.S. rights (Cinetic Media)
Anchor Bay Films
- “Jayne Mansfield’s Car”— directed by Billy Bob Thornton, written by Tom Epperson and Thornton — North American and UK rights (WME Global)
- “The Lords of Salem”— directed and written by Rob Zombie — U.S. rights (Submarine Entertainment, Alliance Films)
Cinedigm Entertainment Group
- “Come Out and Play” (“Juego De Niños”)— directed and written by Makinov — U.S. rights (Cinetic Media)
- “Love, Marilyn”— directed and written by Liz Garbus — DVD/VOD/digital rights (Submarine Entertainment)
The Cinema Guild
- “Leviathan”— directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel — U.S. rights
Dimension Films
- “Aftershock”— directed by Nicolás López, written by Guillermo Amodeo, Eli Roth and López — U.S. rights (CAA)
Entertainment One
- “Passion” — directed and written by Brian De Palma — N.A. rights (ICM Partners / SBS Productions)
Film Movement
- “Three Worlds”— directed by Catherine Corsini, written by Benoît Graffin and Corsini — U.S. and Canadian rights (Pyramide International)
First Run Features
- “The End of Time”— directed and written by Peter Mettler — U.S. rights (National Film Board of Canada)
Focus Features
- “The Place Beyond the Pines”— directed by Derek Cianfrance, written by Ben Coccio, Darius Marder and Cianfrance — U.S. rights (WME Global, CAA)
HBO
- “Casting By”— directed by Tom Donahue — U.S. TV rights (Submarine Entertainment)
- “Love, Marilyn”— directed and written by Liz Garbus — U.S. TV rights (Submarine Entertainment)
IFC Films
- “Byzantium” — directed by Neil Jordan, written by Moira Buffini — U.S. rights (WME Global, CAA)
- “Frances Ha”— directed by Noah Baumbach, written by Greta Gerwig and Baumbach — North and Latin American rights (UTA Independent Film Group)
- “Inescapable” — directed and written by Ruba Nadda — U.S. rights (The Gersh Agency)
- “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” — directed by Mira Nair, written by Mohsin Hamid, William Wheeler and Ami Boghani — North American rights (Cinetic Media)
Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions
- “Imogene”— directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, written by Michelle Morgan — U.S. rights (UTA Independent Film Group)
- “Much Ado About Nothing” — directed and written by Joss Whedon — North American rights (CAA)
- “Thanks for Sharing”— directed by Stuart Blumberg, written by Matt Winston and Blumberg — U.S. rights (WME Global, UTA Independent Film Group)
Magnolia Pictures / Magnet Releasing
- “The Brass Teapot”— directed by Ramaa Mosley, written by Tim Macy — North American rights (The Gersh Agency)
- “Here Comes the Devil” — directed and written by Adrian Garcia Bogliano — N.A. rights (Submarine Entertainment)
- “No Place on Earth” — directed by Janet Tobias, written by Paul Laikin and Tobias — U.S. rights (Submarine Entertainment)
- “To the Wonder”— directed and written by Terrence Malick — U.S. rights (CAA)
Millennium Entertainment
- “What Maisie Knew” — directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, written by Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne —U.S. rights (WME Global)
- “Writers”— directed and written by Josh Boone — U.S. rights (CAA)
MPI Pictures
- “Therese Desqueyroux”— directed by Claude Miller, written by Natalie Carter and Miller — U.S. rights
Outsource Media Group
- “Great Expectations”— directed by Mike Newell, written by David Nicholls — North American rights (HanWay Films)
Paladin and 108 Media
- “The We and the I”— directed by Michel Gondry, written by Jeffrey Grimshaw, Paul Proch and Gondry — North American rights (WME Global)
Roadside Attractions (see also Lionsgate)
- “Emperor” — directed by Peter Webber, written by David Klass and Vera Blasi —U.S. rights (CAA)
- “Stories We Tell”— directed and written by Sarah Polley — U.S. rights (National Film Board of Canada)
Samuel Goldwyn Films
- “Still”— directed and written by Michael McGowan — U.S. rights (Paradigm)
Sony Pictures Classics
- “The Patience Stone” — directed by Atiq Rahimi, written by Jean-Claude Carrière and Rahimi —U.S. rights (Le Pacte)
- “Wadjda”— directed and written by Haifaa Al-Mansour —North American rights (UTA Independent Film Group)
Strand Releasing
- “Paradise: Love,” plus the other two films in the trilogy — directed by Ulrich Seidl, written by Veronika Franzand Seidl — U.S. rights
- “White Elephant”— directed by Pablo Trapero, written by Alejandro Fadel, Martín Mauregui, Santiago Mitre and Trapero — U.S. rights (Wild Bunch)
Tribeca Film
- “How to Make Money Selling Drugs” — directed and written by Matthew Cooke —U.S. rights (ICM partners, Larry Kopeikin)
Well Go USA
- “Dangerous Liaisons”— directed by Hur Jin-Ho, written by Geling Yan — North American rights
XLrator Media
- “Thale”— directed and written by Aleksander L. Nordaas — U.S. rights (XYZ Films)
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