News

Newen Connect has boarded Pascal Elbé’s Lucky Star, one of four newcomedies the company will launch at Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris later this month.

Actor/filmmaker Elbé’s fourth feature as a director is set in 1940 France and stars Benoit Poelvoorde as an army deserter who hatches a plan to escape Nazi punishment and protect his wife and sonby pretending his family is Jewish, but ends up being swept into the Resistance.

Elbé also stars in the film with Audrey Lamy, Zabou Breitman and Hugo Becker. It is produced by Yze’s Yann Zanou and Adnp/Quad’s Nicolas Adassovsky.

“Flo,” a biopic of popular French sailor Florence Arthaud slated to world premiere at Cannes’ Cinema de la Plage, has been boarded by Other Angle. The French sales company will introduce the film to buyers at Cannes.

Set to unspool on May 19, “Flo” charts Arthaud’s unique achievement in the male-dominated world of sailing, notably her victory of the Route du Rhum, a transatlantic sailing race, in 1990. The movie also portrays Arthaud as a fiercely independent woman who chose to live her dreams to the fullest rather than follow her pre-determined path.

The film is directed by Geraldine Danon and is produced by Manuel Munz, in association with Metropolitan which will release the film in French theaters on Nov. 25.

“Flo” stars Stephane Caillard, Alison Wheeler, Pierre Deladonchamps, Charles Berling, Alexis Michalik and Marlyne Canto.

”It’s a real pleasure to work with Metropolitan again after our collaboration on ‘The Best Years of a Life...

Brussels-based sales company Be For Films has closed a raft of pre-sales on Julien Carpentier’s feature debut “La vie de ma mère,” a mother-and-son dramedy, starring Agnès Jaoui and William Lebghil.

Now in post, the heartwarming film follows Julien, a successful 33-year-old florist whose life is turned upside down when his mother Judith, whom he hasn’t seen for two years, reappears. Mercurial and extravagant, she suffers from bipolar disorder and has recently escaped from a clinic. Pierre has only one idea in mind: Send her back as quickly as possible so his life can get back on track. But nothing happens as he hoped for. Their unexpected reunion, as funny and explosive as it is heart-wrenching, will transform Pierre and Judith forever. Alison Wheeler and Salif Cissé complete the cast. Kmbo will distribute the film in France.

“La vie de ma mere” is produced by Silex Films, the banner behind “Rose,...

Arnaud Ducret, Géraldine Pailhas, Stéphane de Groodt and Alison Wheeler star in the cast of this Les Films du Cap and Mm Films production, sold by Other Angle. Filming came to an end on 23 December for Tendre et saignant, Christopher Thompson’s second feature film as a director following his initial Bus Palladium (which earned two César nominations in the categories of Male Newcomer and Musical Score in 2011). Standing tall in lead roles are Arnaud Ducret and Géraldine Pailhas, among others, as well as the series Marseille), who are flanked by Belgium’s Stéphane de...