Kino Lorber's acquisition of the U.S. rights to Jim Sheridan and David Merriman's "Re-Creation" tops Madrid-based Latido Films' Cannes Film Festival sales list last month, which also includes deals in major cities across more than half the world for the drama about a pregnant transgender man, "9 Moons.".
Other notable deals include the launch of Gael García Bernal and Natalia Oreiro's romantic drama "Nothing Between Us." Latido's big-budget genre films "Awakening" and "Whispers" have entered new markets, and two new genre films—the war action film "Carte Blanche" and the historical serial killer thriller "Reaper"—have begun pre-sales.
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Taken together, Latido's Cannes deals highlight the kinds of films that continue to sell well in a very cautious market: critically successful works from star directors (Remaking), breakthroughs from emerging talent (9 Moons), and genre films, especially if they have arthouse content and/or a certain scale.
Sheridan and Merriam's "Re-Creation" concludes its U.S. run.
In "Remaking," Sidney Lumet's classic "12 Angry Men" concept is applied to a fictional trial in which real-life evidence against the prime suspect in the murder of French producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier is reexamined.
Remaking, also by Sheridan and Merriman, has received rave reviews: «A rich portrait of all shades of humanity: our beliefs, prejudices, and, at our best, deep reserves of logic and compassion,» writes Variety .
Singularity as a competitive advantage
"9 Moons" is directed by Patricia Ortega, the creator of the Sundance-acclaimed "Mamacrus." The film's distribution rights were acquired by Latido from Encripta for all of Latin America, and by Cinemien for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, the UK and Ireland, Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, Portugal, Italy, and Israel. Most of the deals include theatrical release. In the film, Jack Gomez-Rolls ("Eridas") plays Ángel, a transgender man who unexpectedly becomes pregnant. The film stands out not only for its original concept but also for its positive tone: the pregnancy forces Ángel to rethink the meaning of masculinity, identity, and family, and for the better. "We must rethink what is natural and diverse, what others consider unusual and problematic," Ortega said.
The stars matter: "There's nothing between us"«
Starring García Bernal and Oreiro, "Nothing Between Us," which premiered at the Berlin European Film Market, has already been sold to Poland (Gutek), Spain (Yoda Films), Australia (Palace), Slovenia (TV Slovenjia), and airlines worldwide (Avunju). Directed by Juan Taratuto ("Reconstruction"), the producers are Cimarrón (part of The Mediapro Studio), Concreto Films, and Particular Crowd. "Nothing Between Us" is one of the most commercially successful films from Latin America in a world where stars still matter. "It's one of those films that, thanks to its strong cast, will continue to sell well over time until it's released in a significant number of territories," said Antonio Saura, head of Latido Films.
Latido Films has expanded the distribution of two of its flagship, high-quality auteur films: "Whisper," by Uruguayan director Gustavo Hernández ("Virus: 32," "Silent House"), which completed its theatrical run in Vietnam with Sunrise Media Global and in Italy with Movies Inspired, and "Awakening," based on the work of the late Colombian director Jaime Osorio Márquez ("The Detachment"). Both films were hits at December's Ventana Sur Film Festival.
«"Mixing genres works really, really well. So don't make a crime show, don't make a show about the royal family, make a crime show about the royal family," said Jonathan Broughton of Plum Research at the Conecta Fiction conference in late May. The same can be said for films. "Whispers" is "part folk horror, part supernatural fantasy, and part gender-violence nightmare, while "Awakening" is a supernatural action film.".
New large-scale genre plays
Among upcoming films, Gerardo Herrero's South Korean "Santa Claus" has secured its first major market deal. Italian company Movies Inspired also achieved similar success with David Pérez Sanjudo's "The Reaper.".
Both films highlight the emergence of large-scale genre cinema in Spain, one of the country's hallmarks as an export power. Carte Blanche begins and ends in the style of the Western High Noon, set during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. Faura, a former Spanish legionnaire fighting for the Republicans, is left alone behind a blockade as his former comrades, backed by tanks, approach him down the street. The film then flashes back to the Rif War of 1921, transforming into a horror thriller, where Faura joins a squad of eight legionnaires whose revenge raid on a Berber village turns into a suicide mission.
Inspired by Spain's first documented serial killer and featuring a meticulous recreation of its 1870s setting, as well as a budget of €10 million ($11.6 million) – a notably high figure for Spain – The Reaper, produced by La Claqueta and Amania Films, marks a step up in the ambitious work of director Pérez Sanyudo, whose debut film, Ané Propaganda, already featured a seamless use of genre tropes.
In other deals, Latido sold Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat's comedy anthology "Homo Sapiens" (Official Competition) to Australia (Palace) and Hungary (Cirko). Pedro Aguilera's contemporary drama "Ladies' Hunting Party," inspired by Carlos Saura's "The Hunt," concluded its Australian run at Palace.
«"Over time, buyers realize that there are films that, outside of the Cannes Film Festival, are different and interesting to watch in other countries, unlike films that participated in France," said Antonio Saura.
Remakes
Sales opportunities also include significant remake deals. For example, several offers have been received for the remake of "The Platform," which Latido sold to Netflix in one of the most impressive deals at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival. Interested buyers include companies from Latin America and Europe. Other potential remake deals will be announced soon, Saura added.
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