Miramax International closed a six-picture deal with Taewon Entertainment in Korea at the end of last week, kicking off a Cannes market which worldwide distribution chairman Rick Sands is anticipating as a busy one.

Sands's sales drive is focused around a new package of pictures including Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things, Sundance favourite Tadpole and Ben Stiller/Drew Barrymore comedy The Duplex and, separate from that, territory-by-territory sales of Quentin Tarantino's new movie Kill Bill which stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu and David Carradine as Bill.

Sands says he is taking no nonsense from buyers who will try and use "the short-term TV situation to bring prices down. "There's a limit to how low you go. Theatrical and video are very strong and TV will come back. We are spending a lot on production, marketing and distribution. We bring a lot to the table."

The new Taewon deal included Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal, comedy On The Line, Walter Salles' Behind The Sun and Ashton Kutcher-starrer The Guest.

Meanwhile, at AFM, Gaga Communications bought Kill Bill for Japan aside from another four pictures from Miramax including Chicago and Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. BVI is close to taking the film in the UK.

Sands also closed a five-picture deal with Eagle Pictures in Italy including Four Feathers and Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind and a three picture deal with Amuse in Japan including Full Frontal and Dirty Pretty Things.

As for France, where Miramax's partner Bac Films is in financial trouble, Sands would only say that the company was reviewing its options.