Oscar contenders and Berlin prize-winners shall be among the many European movies being represented by visiting firms to FilMart which are making use of the European Movie Promotion umbrella stand throughout the annual Hong Kong market.

In complete 29 European movie gross sales firms are making the journey, together with greater than a dozen from France below the Unifrance banner. Outstanding rights brokers embrace Charades, Goodfellas, Fandango and Filmax.

“EFP has constructed up the European model at Hong Kong for a few years via establishing a outstanding umbrella. The intention was at all times to prominently flag our mission as being the one-stop-shop for the European trade and European movies,” mentioned EFP government Susanne Davis. “And we’re fortunately stunned that so a lot of them are taking benefit.

The 29 firms are collectively representing over 140 new European titles. Amongst them, Oscar contender “Anatomy of a Fall” is represented by MK2 Movies, whereas “4 Daughters” is dealt with by The Celebration Movie Gross sales.  

Three of the taking part gross sales firms are bringing titles which picked up prizes in Berlin final month. The Silver Bear Jury Prize winner, “The Empire” by Bruno Dumont is dealt with by Memento Worldwide. The triple award-winning Norwegian Panorama movie, “Intercourse” by Dag Johan Haugerud (CICAE Artwork Cinema Award, Label Europe Cinemas, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, is represented by m-appeal. And the German debut function movie “Ivo” by Eva Trobisch from Encounters (Heiner Carow Prize) is being offered by Loco Movies.

FilMart, it appears, performs a major position for the European rights sellers and the Asian distributors who’re the licensees. That’s each a perform of the market’s timing (between Berlin and Cannes) and its geographical location.

“Despite the fact that negotiations and gross sales to mainland China – the principle attraction of Hong Kong – have grow to be unpredictable, the sensation among the many gross sales brokers appears to be to not miss out on this spring market and to check the waters if the FilMart is ready to open doorways to additional Asian territories, equivalent to Southeast Asia. And, having mentioned that, there really appears to be a slight return when it comes to acquisitions from China,” mentioned Susanne Davis, EFP government.

“Additionally, now we have seen that some Asian patrons, from Japan and South Korea, particularly, are economizing on journey to the large worldwide markets, [European] gross sales brokers anticipate to satisfy up at Hong Kong, as an alternative.”

Little is left to probability. The EFP now supplies funding to assist key European titles attain their targets in worldwide markets. This 12 months ten movies obtain the Movie Gross sales Assist subsidy.

France’s Kinology is utilizing it for advertising and marketing of two titles in post-production, French-German coproduction “Disappearance,” by Kirill Serebrennikov, and “Our Wildest Days,” by Vassilis Kekatos (France, Greece). Germany-based Image Tree Worldwide is utilizing it to current the Danish movie “Unsinkable,” by Christian Andersen and “Grand Finale,” by Sigurjón Kjartansson from Iceland. WTFilms is campaigning for “Schlitter” by Pierre Mouchet (France). Denmark’s TrustNordisk is leveraging the funds for 5 movies, together with “The Artic Convoy,” by Henrik M. Dahlsbakken from Norway.