EXCLUSIVE: Bulgarian drama has sold to more than 20 territories since premiering at Locarno.
Paris-based sales house Wide Management has unveiled a slew of sales on gritty Bulgarian drama Glory, sealed since its premiere at Locarno last summer, on the eve of the EFM.
The second film by Bulgarian directorial duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, the modern morality tale revolves around a railway worker who finds a large stash of cash on a railway tracks and dutifully hands it in to the authorities.
Wide has announced deals to France (Urban Distribution), the UK (New Wave), Germany (Mouna), Ireland (Access Cinema), Benelux (Arti Film), Austria (FilmLaden), Sweden (Starlet Media), Norway (Tour de Force), Iceland (Bioparadis), Spain (La Aventura) and Portugal (Leopardo filmes).
In Central and Eastern Europe it has sold to Poland (Bomba Film), Romania (Transilvania Film), Hungary (Vertigo),), Czech Republic (Film Europe), ex-Yugoslavia (Fivia), Lithuania (Kino Pavasaris), Latvia (Kinobiz), Macedonia and Albania (KT Film) and Estonia (Estonia – Menufilmid)
Outside of Europe it has been acquired for China (Hugoeast), Australia (Bounty), Turkey (Film Art), Argentina (Mirada), Brazil (Providence filmes) an Japan (ReallyLikeFilms).
Wide Management head of sales Diane Ferrandez commented: “This shows that there is still a strong network of independent distributors committed to following emerging talents to offer quality yet demanding arthouse cinema to audiences around the world.”
Previously announced deals include a pre-sale to Italy’s I Wonder Pictures and Film Movement for the US and English-speaking Canada immediately after its Locarno screening.
Aside from a world premiere at Locarno in August, Glory won best film at Les Arcs European Film Festival in December where it played alongside titles such as Home, Layla M and Lady Macbeth.
Wide Management first rolled out the film at the EFM last year.
EFM Slate
This year’s EFM slate also includes a strong selection of films from central and eastern Europe including Macedonian black comedy Secret Ingredient, about a man who falls foul of a marijuana smuggling ring when he steals their dope to give his cancer-sick father some relief.
Further titles from the region include drama Daybreak, about a woman who takes on a live-in job looking after an elderly lady after she and her son are left homeless, and the Lithuanian-Bulgarian comedy drama revolving around an ailing pig farm.
Other new films include A Winter To Remember following a young woman’s path to coming out about her homosexuality; racy Italian drama Sex Cowboys, revolving around an unemployed couple who start streaming their love-making sessions live to earn some cash, and Croatian dark comedy thriller Goran following a farcical chain of events set in motion when a woman announces she is pregnant. The latter will get its US premiere at SXSW in March.
The company will also continue selling the IFFR pick-ups Elon Doesn’t Believe In Death and The Last Painting.
Works In Progress
Wide will also kick-off sales on a number of works in post-production including Andrzej Jakimowski’s Once Upon A Time In November, exploring the rise of national extremism in his native Poland through the plight of a homeless mother and son, and Ludwig and Paul Shammasian’s Romans, starring Orlando Bloom as man struggling to come to terms with abuse the hands of a priest.
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