If trading was not quite frenetic at the EFM on Wednesday, there are several reasons which could explain this. Buyers are a gregarious bunch: when one moves, they all move together. 'There haven't been the titles which galvanise a market,' said one maven. It's early days yet though: as of Wednesday, sellers still have screenings outstanding. Moreover, the EFM isn't the only European film market. The EFM is also the first hump of a double-backed beast: EFM-AFM. As CiBy Sales' Fiona Mitchell said, CiBy will hold off announcing sales until meeting buyers at AFM.
Miramax International appears to be doing business as usual though, moving forward on further film group deals with Kinowelt in Germany, and Spain's Lauren Films. But while Europe's big players have moved up in production ambitions, they are holding off sales at Berlin on these big titles. This, after all, is a speciality market with a clear, if smaller, demo.
TF1 International will be screening the big Witch Way Love, but in Paris not Berlin and Le Studio Canal Plus will concentrate on the AFM, not Berlin, for pre-sales for Wayne Wang's Chinese Box, starring Jeremy Irons, Maggie Cheung and Gong Li.
When buyers really want a film, they move, however. Bruno Barreto's Four Days in September, picked up at Berlin by Miramax, is an example. The real action at the EFM, however, is on niche pic biz for theatrical and above all TV. Some potential standouts, typically for Berlin from Asia and Scandinavia, are now appearing. And sales have kicked in.
Of Asian films, word is good on competition pic He liu (The River), although it's hardly light entertainment, and in the market, Yume no ginga (Labyrinth of Dreams). This could be the year of Korea with a good buzz on the Forum's Daijiga Umule Pajinnal (The Day a Pig Fell into the Well) and Sechinku (Three Friends).
Norwegian Film Institute's sales director Lena Enquist reported three deals for Oscar-nominated Sondagsengler (The Other Side of Sunday). Interest looks strong.
Spanish competition player, Secretos del corazón (Secrets of the Heart), sold by Sogepaq, has had a warm response. Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine, in production, is CiBy's hot project, playing off a strong top cast of Ewan MacGregor and Emily Watson. Word is good on The Sales Co.'s I Went Down, the new film by Paddy Breathnach, and Mojo. Both films are not shown here. Film Four International's Heather added that Mark Hermen's Brassed Off was like last year's Beautiful Thing, a film coming out of nowhere for which she concluded several deals in Milan to finalise almost the rest here with a few to be signed at AFM.
Jane Balfour has sold US docu The Gate of Heavenly Peace for theatrical to Japan's Uplink, following television sales to major worldwide territories over the last year.
Roberto Celestino's Sundance hit, Mr Vincent, which screens today, has been acquired by Arsenal Films in Germany in its first overseas sale.
At Fortissimo Film Sales, Oscar contender Prisoner of the Mountains went to Budapest Film in Hungary and Alex Viany (Brazil). Cannes 1997 Un Certain Regard selection East Palace, West Palace was picked up by Australia's Palace, Thailand's Mongoland and Cathay for Singapore. Elei Suleiman's Chronicle of a Disappearance went to Australia's SBS for TV, Sweden's Triangle and International Film Circuit for the US, which also took Wu Ming's Frozen and Alex van Golden Harvest acquired Alex van Warmerdam's The Dress for Taiwan. John Hopewell and staff reporters
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