By MCN Editor editor@moviecitynews.com
SUNDANCE SELECTS TAKES TWO AT CANNES: BONELLO, HANSEN-LøVE
COMPANY PICKS UP COMPETITION FILM HOUSE OF TOLERANCE & PRE-BUYS GOODBYE FIRST LOVE
Cannes, FRANCE (May 18, 2011) – Sundance Selects announced today from the 2011 Cannes Film Festival that the company is acquiring all North American rights to writer/director Bertrand Bonello’s HOUSE OF TOLERANCE (which made its world premiere in Competition at this week’s festival) and pre-bought all U.S. rights to writer/director Mia Hansen-Løve’s GOODBYE FIRST LOVE. The films were both acquired by Sundance Selects from Films Distribution.
Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects, said: “We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Nicolas Brigaud Robert and Francois Yon at Films Distribution with these two beautiful films. Bertrand Bonello has made a stunning movie with HOUSE OF TOLERANCE and we are looking forward to bringing him his largest American audience. We are also very happy to follow-up Father of My Children with Mia Hansen-Løve’s new film GOODBYE FIRST LOVE. She’s one of the most exciting and talented new filmmakers.”
HOUSE OF TOLERANCE follows a group of sex workers at a Paris brothel at the beginning of the 20th Century. In telling the story of twelve women treated like prisoners by their brothel keeper, Bonello takes the audience into a secret world that is at times seductive and erotic, and at other times violent and disturbing.
GOODBYE FIRST LOVE chronicles the passionate romance and love affair between Cammile and Sullivan, which begins in their adolescence.
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Productions for Sundance Selects with Nicolas Brigaud-Robert at Films Distribution on behalf of the filmmakers.
Earlier this week, Sundance Selects picked up U.S. rights to Julia Leigh’s SLEEPING BEAUTY, another title that made its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Sundance Selects is a sister division to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by Rainbow Media.
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About SUNDANCE SELECTS:
Established in 2009 and based in New York City, Sundance Selects is a leading U.S. distributor of prestige films focusing on American independents, documentaries and world cinema. Its unique distribution model makes independent prestige films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on cable’s Video On Demand (VOD) platform, reaching nearly 50 million homes. Some of the company’s successes include Spike Lee’s PASSING STRANGE: THE MOVIE, Gregg Araki’s KABOOM, Aaron Katz’s COLD WEATHER, famed Iranian auteur Abbas Kiarostami’s CERTIFIED COPY, and Werner Herzog’s 3D documentary CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS. Upcoming Sundance Selects releases include master director Errol Morris’ documentary TABLOID and the 2011 Sundance Audience Award winner BUCK, directed by Cindy Meehl. Sundance Selects is a sister division to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by Rainbow Media.
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