NEWS
Finecut closes Leafie, Athena deals
Seoul-based Finecut has sold hit animation Leafie to Mediterranea Productions for Italian-speaking territories, with a plan for a 50-screen Italian release. The deal was done during the Rome International Film Festival’s Business Street. Finecut expects to close
French and German deals here at the AFM. Leafie has already been sold to ex-USSR excluding the Baltic states (CP Digital), Portugal (Lanterna De Pedra Filmes), Turkey (Horizon), the Middle East (TDH) and Indonesia (Pratama). Finecut has also sold Athena:
The Movie, which screens at the AFM, to France (Opening), Hong Kong (Sundream), Malaysia and Brunei (Hwa Yea), and Indonesia (DCU). Finecut’s AFM slate also
includes Korean titles Love Fiction and The Grand Heist. Wendy Mitchell
Village Roadshow kicks off China plans with Chow, Zhang
BY LIZ SHACKLETON Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG) has unveiled details of its new China operation, including a slew of partnerships and projects with talent including Zhang Ziyi and Stephen Chow. Headed by former Warner Bros
China executive Ellen Eliasoph, the new venture Village Road- show Entertainment Group Asia will be involved in production and
a range of infrastructure-building activities in the fast-developing Chinese film market. Projects include pan-Asian
rom-com My Lucky Star, starring and produced by Zhang, and directed by Dennie Gordon (30 Rock). VREG Asia will co-produce with Beijing-based Dadi Media. The new outfit is also co-pro-
ducing Journey To The West, co- directed by Stephen Chow and
Derek Kwok, with Bill Kong’s Edko Films and Chow’s Bingo Group. It has also formed a part- nership with Chen Daming, who recently directed the Chinese ver- sion of What Women Want. As previously reported by
Screen, the company is also co- financing Keanu Reeves’ directo- rial debut Man Of Tai Chi with China Film Group and Chinese exhibition group Wanda.
Beta adds Süskind, offers six market premieres
BY GEOFFREY MACNAB & MARTIN BLANEY On the eve of the AFM, German sales powerhouse Beta Cinema has taken on world sales rights to Rudolf Van Den Berg’s Süskind. Billed by some as a Dutch
Schindler’s List, the film is pro- duced through San Fu Maltha’s Fu Works and Van Den Berg and Pierre Spengler’s Cadenza Films,
with a reported budget of $5.5m. It is now in post. At the AFM, the Munich-based
sales company is premiering Ger- man hit Men In The City II, com- edy Summer In Orange, family animation Princess Lillifee And The Little Unicorn, Robert Thalheim’s Westwind, Hermine Huntge- burth’s Tom Sawyer and documen- tary Francesco And The Pope.
Stealth sees Blind Bastard Club, Locked In
BY WENDY MITCHELL Stealth Media Group has taken on The Blind Bastard Club, directed by Ash Baron Cohen. The film, about a group of blind people liv- ing on the edge, starts shooting in February 2012 in Brazil. The cast will be announced soon. Stealth has also taken on Suri
Krishnamma’s Locked In, starring Ben Barnes and Eliza Dushku. Chris Ball’s Wrekin Hill Enter- tainment has taken all North American rights to the film, which is in the final stages of post. Seven Sept has taken France and Falcon the Middle East. Also, Stealth is screening the
first 20 minutes of Nazis-in-space film Iron Sky here at the AFM on November 3 and 4. Iron Sky has already been sold
Süskind
to territories including Australia/ New Zealand (Hoyts), UK (Revolver), Germany/Benelux (Splendid), Taiwan (Sky), China (E Stars), Thailand (Media Film) and Scandinavia (Buena Vista).
n 6 Screen International at the AFM November 2, 2011
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