Head of acquisitions and co-productions, Indie Sales
- Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Bath
- Graduated with a masters from the NFTS producing programme in 2022
“Getting into acquisitions was a happy accident,” says Deragne. “I was looking for any way to get in this industry with almost no idea what sales or distribution were.”
Alexis Hofmann, head of acquisitions at Bac Films, hired Deragne as his assistant in 2017, where he stayed for a year “learning about the French and international market and how to read a script”, plus working on the release of films including Ruben Östlund’s The Square. He cites Mathieu Robinet, founder of distributor Tandem and his former boss at Bac Films, as “an especially constant benevolent figure throughout my career”.
After moving to the UK to study, and producing short films, the French British acquisitions executive was looking to return to sales and met Indie Sales founder Nicolas Eschbach, who hired him to head up acquisitions and
international co-productions in 2022. “It’s scouting the project, hyping the team up because we never buy anything we’re not excited by, negotiating with the producers and following the development of the project,” says Deragne of his role.
Recent acquisitions include Cannes Critics’ Week opener Adam’s Sake and Directors’ Fortnight selection Peak Everything, while on the co-production side Jasmila Zbanić’s Quo Vadis, Aida? sequel The Missing Part is among several projects in development. (Deragne also scouts for sister company Best Friend Forever.)
While he attends most major markets, Deragne says: “The work in between is just as important. Acquiring a film can be a long and non-linear process.” As for the future: “Further involvement in international co-productions is a natural evolution for the company and for myself. But mainly, I want to keep working with nice people.”
Contact: Alfred Deragne
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