News

With a month to go until the 4th annual Fingal Film Festival gets underway in Dublin, organisers have announced the opening night Premiere, Surviving Auschwitz, on September 25th at Movies@Swords. Directed by Jacques Ouaniche, it tells the true story of a Tunisian Jewish boxer and his astonishing fight for survival. "We are delighted that High Fliers Distribution & Picture Tree International have supported us this year by providing us with such a powerful and moving film. This film encompasses everything that we as a film festival are about. Promoting real talent and bringing unique, cultural and inspirational films to cinema goers in the area of Fingal” says Creative Director Dave Byrne. Tickets for the opening night film event are limited so early booking is advised. Tickets can be purchased on tickets.ie with an early bird deal on all screenings for tickets purchased before 8th September 2015. Synopsis: Surviving...

Berlin’s Picture Tree International (Pti) has secured several deals with Us distributors, following its debut as an exhibitor at the European Film Market (Efm).

The Berlin-based production and sales outfit sold North American rights for Christian Schwochow’s West (Westen) to Mainstreet Films.

Schwochow’s East-West drama, which Senator will be releasing theatrically in Germany on March 27, was also sold to the UK (New Wave), France (Sophie Dulac), Spain (Savor Ediciones) and South Korea (Mediasoft), with Encore securing the global in-flight rights.

Pti also sold Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason’s Metalhead to Cinelicious, marking the first acquisition made by the fledgling Us distributor. The heavy metal drama was also sold to Canada (Raven Banner).

Fack Ju goes international

The first sales of Fack Ju Göthe (Suck Me Shakespeer) have been secured with Océan Film (France), Cinemart (Czech Republic/Slovakia) and Sejong (South Korea).

Bora Dagtekin’s screwball romantic comedy is Germany’s latest blockbuster, where it has...

Berlin’s Picture Tree International (Pti) has secured several deals with Us distributors, following its debut as an exhibitor at the European Film Market (Efm).

The Berlin-based production and sales outfit sold North American rights for Christian Schwochow’s West (Westen) to Mainstreet Films.

Schwochow’s East-West drama, which Senator will be releasing theatrically in Germany on March 27, was also sold to the UK (New Wave), France (Sophie Dulac), Spain (Savor Ediciones) and South Korea (Mediasoft), with Encore securing the global in-flight rights.

Pti also sold Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason’s Metalhead to Cinelicious, marking the first acquisition made by the fledgling Us distributor. The heavy metal drama was also sold to Canada (Raven Banner).

Fack Ju goes international

The first sales of Fack Ju Göthe (Suck Me Shakespeer) have been secured with Océan Film (France), Cinemart (Czech Republic/Slovakia) and Sejong (South Korea).

Bora Dagtekin’s screwball romantic comedy is Germany’s latest blockbuster, where it has...

Music Box Films has scooped up Us and Canadian rights to the first two seasons of sumptuous bodice-ripping drama "Maison Close," the French TV series set in a 19th century Parisian bordello, created by Jacques Ouaniche and a hit on Canal Plus. Here's the official synopsis:Jemima West, star of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, leads a cast of gorgeous characters trapped by circumstance and their societies limited options, in this dark, riveting exploration of desire and power. By turns both erotic and political, Maison Close re-imagines age-old themes—and the world’s oldest profession—in revolutionary ways that “would make even a veteran of the 50 Shades of Grey series blush.” (The Times) In late 2012, it was announced that HBO took North American rights to the series, and had an English-language remake in the works. Watch the UK trailer for the second season, below.

North American audiences will soon get a taste of sophisticated (racy) French culture, as Music Box Films has now acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to the full two seasons of Jacques Ouaniche's acclaimed French television drama "Maison Close," produced by Noe Productions International.  "Maison Close," starring Jemima West ("The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"), follows the intriguing goings-on of an infamous brothel in 19th century Paris. Beyond receiving international distribution, the series has been getting rave reviews that praise its political astuteness and bold eroticism that the Times assures "would make even a veteran of the '50 Shades of Grey' series blush." The deal was negotiated by Tamara Misert of France TV Distribution, the worldwide distributor of the series, and William Schopf, President of Music Box Films. Music Box Films, the leading distributor of international, American independent and documentary content in North America, has been delving...

Berlin-based sales and production company Picture Tree International (Pti) has secured distribution rights to four new titles ahead of this year’s European Film Market (Efm).

The fledgling outfit, which will be represented at the Efm with a stand for the first time, has world sales rights for German blockbuster Suck Me Shakespeer (Fack Ju Göthe) which has sold more than six million tickets and made in excess of $60m to become Germany’s most successful box office release of 2013.

The Constantin Film release will receive the Audience Award at the Bavarian Film Awards in Munich tonight (Friday). Pti will market the film’s TV rights in cooperation with Red Arrow, the international sales arm of ProSiebenSat.1.

Pti will also bring Damian John Harper’s feature debut Los Ángeles, which will have its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Forum. Inspired by the Us-born director’s experiences spent during a year in a small Southern Mexican village...

Sneak Peek a Nsfw trailer supporting the French-language dramatic series "Maison Close"( "Whorehouse"), set in an 1879 Parisian brothel, that Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson have acquired for a Us adaptation with broadcast partner HBO.

The pilot script is being written by Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Deadwood").

"Maison Close" currently airs over France's Canal Plus. Creator Jacques Ouaniche will co-executive produce the English-language version.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek a Nsfw trailer from "Maison Close"...

Berlin-based sales agent Picture Tree International (Pti) has picked up two Toronto titles – Mary Queen Of Scots and Metalhead – for international distribution.

Swiss director Thomas Imbach’s historical drama Mary Queen Of Scots, which had its world premiere in Competition at Locarno earlier this month, will have its North American premiere as a Special Presentation at Toronto on Sept 9.

Based on Stefan Zweig’s Maria Stuart and starring the young French actress Camille Rutherford as the Scottish queen, Mary Queen Of Scots will be released in Switzerland by Pathé Films on Nov 7, 2013.

Review: Mary Queen of Scots

Icelandic film-maker Ragnar Bragason’s comic drama Metalhead about a teenage girl immersing herself in the world of heavy metal after experiencing a family tragedy will have its world premiere in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema section on Sept 7.

Pti’s Toronto sales lineup will also include two ‘works in progress’: Jacques Ouaniche’s French-Israeli-Bulgarian co-production Victor “Young” Perez...

Sneak Peek "Maison Close"( "Whorehouse"), the French-language dramatic TV series, set in an 1879 Parisian brothel, that Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson have acquired for a Us adaptation with broadcast partner HBO.

The pilot script is being written by Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Deadwood").

"Maison Close" currently airs over France's Canal Plus. Creator Jacques Ouaniche will co-executive produce the English-language version.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Maison Close"...

Sneak Peek "Maison Close"( 'Whorehouse'), the French-language dramatic TV series, set in an 1879 Parisian brothel, that Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson have acquired for a Us adaptation with broadcast partner HBO.

Pilot script will be written by Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Deadwood").

"Maison Close" currently airs over France's Canal Plus. Creator Jacques Ouaniche will co-executive produce the English-language version.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Maison Close"...

HBO has taken North American rights to the 19th century-set French series "Maison Close," with Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson's banner Leverage set to produce the English-language remake, reports Variety. Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Deadwood," "Lost") will pen the pilot script for the show, which follows three Parisian prostitues trying to extricate themselves from a high-end brothel. The French "Maison Close," now in production on its second season, is a hit on Canal Plus, and producer Jacques Ouaniche will serve as an advisor and co-executive producer on the new HBO version. Ouaniche says that the English-language reboot will still be set in Paris, but will star American actors. A teaser trailer for the original series is below. The bodice-ripping drama, which would "make fans of '50 Shades of Grey' blush," looks like it would be right at home on HBO. For a big screen French brothel drama, check out...

Period drama "Maison Close" will be remade by HBO, it was announced today. Inspired by "Deadwood," HBO's western that was centered in a brothel as well, Variety reported today that Elizabeth Sarnoff will write the pilot and Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson's Leverage will produce the pilot. Sarnoff earned Emmy noms for "Deadwood' and "Lost," and wrote and executive produced episodes of "Alcatraz." The premise of "Maison Close" is centered on whores in a brothel set in Paris in 1871, as the women try to extricate themselves from the life. Producer Jacques Ouaniche will serve as co-executive producer and advisor on the remake for HBO, along with Francesca Orsi, VP drama at HBO. "HBO and Leverage have produced...

French TV series "Maison Close" is getting an HBO remake. The ongoing Canal Plus drama, which premiered in 2010, is set in a Parisian brothel in 1871 and follows three women who work there and are trying to free themselves from prostitution. According to Variety, HBO has picked up remake rights to the series. Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson's production company Leverage Management, also responsible for fellow HBO shows "Entourage," "How to Make It In America" and "Boardwalk Empire,' will produce the English-language pilot. "Alcatraz" co-creator Elizabeth Sarnoff, who wrote multiple episodes of "Lost" and "Deadwood" (among others), will pen the pilot. The HBO remake will be co-executive produced by Jacques Ouaniche ("Games of Love and Chance"), who's the creator of and a producer on the original series, and will star American actors despite being set in Paris. Ouaniche...