EXCLUSIVE: Global buyers are giving Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid’s post-October 7 satire Yes a thumbs up following the film’s world premiere at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Losange Films, the international sales arm of Paris-based Les Films du Losange, has sold the film to Sister Distribution in Switzerland, Leopardo in Portugal, Weird Wave in Greece, Njuta Films for Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden), MCF for the former Yugoslavia (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia), Bad Unicorn in Romania, Taip Toliau for Estonia and Lithuania, Impact Films in India, PT Falcon in Indonesia, and Imovision in Brazil.
Kino Lorber has picked up for North America and is planning a theatrical release in early 2026. GrandFilm will release the film in Germany, FilmGarten in Austria and Les Films du Losange in France.
Set in Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Yes is about a jazz musician tasked with composing a new Israeli national anthem, who alongside his dancer wife sell their art, souls and bodies to the elite and resolve to say ‘yes’ to everything. It stars Ariel Bronz, Efrat Dor, Naama Preis, and Alexey Serebryakov.
The France-Israel-Cyprus-Germany co-production is produced by Judith Lou Lévy of France’s Les Films du Bal and Hugo Sélignac and Antoine Lafon at Mediawan-owned Chi-Fou-Mi Productions. Co-producers are Israel’s Bustan Films, Cyprus’ AMP Filmworks, Germany’s Komplizen Film and Arte France cinema.
It is Lapid’s fifth feature and follows Berlin Golden Bear winner Synonyms and Cannes jury prize-winning Ahed’s Knee.
Yes, a late entry to the Directors’ Fortnight line-up, has also stopped at Munich, Karlovy Vary, Jerusalem, Sarajevo, New Horizons festivals so far.
It was nominated for seven Ophir awards, Israel’s equivalent of the Oscars, and is in contention to be Israel’s entry in the best international feature category at the 98th Academy Awards.
Alice Lesort, head of international sales at Losange Films, said: “Following its Cannes premiere, Yes quickly attracted strong interest from distributors eager to come on board. Since then, other territories have joined in this widespread excitement. With the French release coming on Sept 17 and upcoming awards campaign, Yes is set to be one of this Fall’s biggest cinematographic events.”
Losange Films will continue sales for the film at Venice and Toronto film festivals among a slate that also includes Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology Of Water in competition at Deauville, Bi Gan’s Resurrection in New York, and Joachim Lafosse’s Six Days In Spring in competition at San Sebastian.
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