Joyland

Source: Joyland Film

‘Joyland’

Leading Benelux indie distributors have revealed their latest acquisitions, including Pim Hermeling’s September Film Distribution which has added several films to its release slate.

Among them are Jessica Hausner’s latest Club Zero, starring Mia Wasikowska and sold by Coproduction Office. The film recently finished shooting in the UK. September has also picked up Saim Sadiq’s Joyland, which screened in Un Certain Regard in Cannes and is handled internationally by Film Constellation.

Also new on the September slate is Genki Kawamura’s San Sebastián best director winner Hyakka, sold by Wild Bunch International; Thea Hvistendahl’s horror pic Handling The Undead, starring Renate Reinsve from The Worst Person In The World and sold by Trust Nordisk; Isabella Carbonell’s debut feature Dogborn also sold by TrustNordisk; Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera starring Josh O’Connor and sold by The Match Factory; Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s On Barren Weeds handled by Memento; and Ulrich Seidl’s controversial Sparta, sold by Coproduction Office.

Fellow Benelux buyer Cinéart has also been on an acquisition drive. Its pick-ups from the autumn festivals include Emily (sold by Embankment Films), Allelujah (Pathe) and The Whale (A24). Among more recent pick-ups are Irish drama The Quiet Girl (sold by Bankside), Golden Lion winner All The Beauty And The Bloodshed (Altitude), UK lesbian drama Blue Jean (Film Constellation), I Have Electric Dreams, the debut from director Valentina Maurel, which Heretic is selling; and Les Amandiers from Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (Charades).

Cinéart also has Benelux rights to Justin Anderson’s debut feature Swimming Home (sold by Bankside). This is one of the projects developed through the development fund which the company runs with Curzon and Madman.

“The market is obviously challenging theatrically but for us, with the number of titles we have and the type of titles, there is a strong TV and SVoD market,” Cinéart co-CEO Marc Smit commented. “We are ploughing on with enthusiasm, let’s put it that way.”