Russian sales agent and distributor Intercinema, which is screening a promo reel of Fedor Bondarchuk's two-feature $36.5 million sci-fi opus The Inhabited Island here at the EFM on Thursday, has picked up a package of two of films from French seller Films Distribution.

Intercinema's Raisa Fomina confirmed that she has bought Gael Morel's Apres
Lui, starring Catherine Deneueve, and Laurent De Bartillat's The Vanishing Point, starring Sylvie Testud. Fomina said that both films will be given small theatrical and DVD releases in Russia.

The Inhabited Island and The Inhabited Island 2 are being shot back to back. Each part of the duology is budgeted around $18 million. The films are based on the best-selling novel by Arcadiy and Boris Strugatsky. The producer is Alexander Rodnyansky.

Fomina said that more material from the film, one of the biggest budget Russian projects ever presented in the international market, will be ready for Cannes. It is likely that a western sales agent will take on the project as it moves nearer to completion.

Here at the EFM, Intercinema has been screening Alexey Balabanov's Venice Festival title Cargo 200 and Alexey Mizgirev's Fassbinder prize winner The Hard-Hearted. She is also wrapping up sales on Pavel Lounguine's The Island.

As reported earlier in the market, Balabanov's new project Morfi has been slightly delayed because the unseasonal lack of snow in St Petersburg. Intercinema is likely to handle international sales on the project when it is finally completed.

However, Fomina said she doubted that she would be selling Lounguine's latest project, a new $10 million historical epic about Ivan The Terrible. 'It is too big,' Fomina commented. 'I want to take care of my small gems!'