Eric Lagesse has taken a majority stake in French sales and distribution outfit Pyramide Films and will henceforth be the company's president.

Fabienne Vonier, who owns the entirety of production company Pyramide Productions, will maintain a minority share in Pyramide Films.

In mid-2005, Lagesse became managing director of Pyramide Films after having been sales chief at what was then known as Flach Pyramide (now Pyramide International).

At that time, Vonier had shifted her attentions to focus more on production while still running the distribution branch.

As president of Pyramide Productions, Vonier will continue to feed sales mandates into the Pyramide International and/or Distribution pipeline while producing French directors and co-producing foreign directors such as Aki Kaurismaki, Denys Arcand and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Vonier will also continue to consult on acquisitions with Lagesse.

The company is coming off of a strong Cannes where it handled such titles as Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Three Monkeys in competition, Annemarie Jacir's Salt Of This Sea in Un Certain Regard, Daniel Leconte's official out-of-competition title It's Tough Being Loved By Jerks and Aida Begic's Snow in Critics' Week.

Three Monkeys, co-produced by Pyramide Productions, earned the best director prize for Ceylan while Snow took the top Critics' Week award.

Films on Pyramide's upcoming sales slate include Hadewijch from former Cannes two-time Grand Jury Prize winner, Bruno Dumont.

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