FEATURE
complex territories, multi-lingual and address- ing very specifi c numbers of people.” It is telling, too, that Paris-based Quinta
Communications’ Tarak Ben Ammar has now tweaked his plans for a pan-European distribu- tion network. “I still believe there is room for multi-territory distribution but I have discov- ered it can be a partnership with majors,” Ben Ammar recently commented after Quinta’s $55m epic Black Gold was backed by two majors. Universal took Germany and Spain, while Warner Bros pre-bought the film for France, the UK, Latin America and the Middle East. Quinta’s Eagle Pictures is to handle Italy. Independent distributors had passed on the project due to the price. Enter Warner Bros and Universal. “It’s a big-
scale adventure fi lm in the vein of classics like Lawrence Of Arabia. We loved it,” says Christian Grass, president of international production and acquisitions at Universal Pictures Interna- tional (UPI). “It felt totally unique.” The US majors, with big overheads in Euro-
pean countries and a strong demand for prod- uct, are still in the market for independent movies — and they do not have to be rivals. Grass says UPI is not just interested in big
projects but would consider buying territories on smaller fi lms, even without the guarantee of US distribution. “If these fi lms are made at a certain budget, you can recoup also out of the international marketplace.” UPI is also fi nanc- ing Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s Intruders out of Spain with Antena 3 and will distribute interna- tionally.
Pay-TV The challenges are not just down to the econ- omy, however. When the Icon Group decided not to pursue the strategy for a pan-European net- work advocated by its former CEO and now chairman, Stewart Till, one key problem cited by insiders was the punishing nature of pay-TV in the UK. With broadcaster Sky holding a mono- poly and favouring US studio fare, it is tough for the UK independents to get their movies onto the Sky platform. Others remain keen to grow. In the short term,
Alliance/Momentum has also struck an informal alliance with Italy’s Medusa to “co-buy and look at movies”, says Momentum’s Marchand. The company is already at a size where, between its three territories (Canada, UK and Spain), it can green-light movies if it works with a fi nancial partner. However, he suggests the company would like to expand into “one other” major ter- ritory, whether France, Germany or Italy. “That would make us even more of a stop for
anyone who wants to finance movies. If you have Italy, the UK, Spain and Canada, and you approach a producer, you bring a big chunk of the fi nancing straight away.” E1 likewise aims to increase its global reach.
“We keep looking at Europe. We would love to do more expansion in Europe or English-speak- ing territories,” says Theroux, who explains the company is also on the prowl for libraries. For its part, StudioCanal is cultivating rela-
tionships with new technology partners such as Apple, Sony, Google and Microsoft. “Controlling worldwide rights on the library allows us to set up deals that I hope are at the same level as the studios,” Buet explains. “The deals are much bet- ter than if we were just operating at a local level.” The company is also building relationships with
■ 32 Screen International at the Cannes Film Festival May 15, 2011 US studios such as UPI have taken off the market indie movies such as Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s Intruders
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‘We keep looking at Europe. We would love to do more expansion in Europe or English-speaking
territories’ Patrice Theroux, E1
Black Gold
Amazon and LoveFilm. “In the UK, these compa- nies are becoming real competitors to Sky,” says Buet. “They are very keen to invest substantial money in the pay windows.” StudioCanal’s strength, says Buet simply, is
that it is a European company. “We’re fully immersed in the local territories. We’re able to travel easily between them. I’m able to meet with the major exhibitors and broadcasters, and dis- cuss directly with the teams. We looked at poten- tial opportunities in Australia. Then we thought that operating a company [there] or in another
part of the world with nine-hour jet lag and not really knowing the market, not being directly connected, was not the right decision or way to operate.” Releasing locally produced, often culturally
specific films in multiple territories is not straightforward at any time. Momentum’s Marchand is sanguine about this. “Look, if today you’re talking to me about The King’s Speech, I’d say we should have fully fi nanced it,” he says wryly of Aurum’s pass. “But it doesn’t work like that.”
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