Rai Trade, the film sales arm of Italian state broadcast-production and distribution group Rai, has had a successful time this year at Cannes.

It has signed a string of sales on competition film The Heart Elsewhere (Il Cuore Al Trove) which is directed by celebrated auteur Pupi Avati, who nowadays doubles up as the head of the Cinecitta studios.

The film was sold to Art Film for Brazil, Cine Video Y TV for Mexico, to Edko for Hong Kong, Palace for Australia, Shoval for Israel and Castello Lopes for Portugal.

Rai Trade is in advanced negotiations for sales to Turkey, Benelux, Russia, Japan, the US and Spain. The Pupi Avati-directed film was previously sold to Ocean Films of France.

The group is also handling Un Certain Regard title The Best Of Youth (La Meglio Gioventu).