a curtsy to european films at the marché du film – festival de cannes

JEANNE DU BARRY by Maïwenn, France (Goodfellas)

EFP’s Film Sales Support (FSS) is spurring the promotion of 43 exciting new titles from across Europe and Switzerland to buyers in overseas at the upcoming Marché du Film in Cannes (16-24 May 2023). This year’s FSS ‘portfolio’ includes films from 17 female directors, animation films, documentaries as well as films addressing topics of gender balance, equity and inclusion via FSS INCLUSION, a newly launched pilot scheme, specifically highlighting important subject matters that concern our world.

Cannes Film Festival opening film, Jeanne du Barry by Maïwenn, France (Goodfellas) is signed and sealed for support, joined by Competition titles, Four Daughters, an intimate documentary of hope , rebellion, violence and sisterhood by Kaouther Ben Hania (France, Germany / The Party Film Sales), intriguing and alarming Club Zero by Jessica Hausner (Austria, Germany, France, UK, Denmark / Coproduction Office) and Catherine Breillat’s delicate film, Last Summer (France / Pyramide International).

Aside from a great variety of films premiering at the Marché, such as the animation, Rosa and The Stone Troll by Karla Holmbäck (Denmark, France / LevelK), Close Your Eyes by Víctor Erice (Spain / Film Factory), The Belgian Wave by Jérôme Vandewattnye (Belgium / Reel Suspects) and Kung Fu Italian Style by YouNuts! (Italy / True Colours), much more European films in different and parallel sections of the festival are on the receiving end of FSS to boost their promotion to sales outside of Europe.

These are, amongst others, in Un Certain Regard the phantasmagorical Omen by Baloji (Belgium, The Netherlands, Democratic Republic of Congo / Memento International) andThe Buriti Flower by Renée Nader Messora & Joâo Salaviza (Portugal / Films Boutique) - a film about the Krahô indigenous people in heart of the Brazilian forest - as well as the opening film of the Semaine de la Critique, Ama Gloria by Marie Amachoukeli (France / Pyramide International) and It’s Raining in the House by Paloma Sermon-Daï (Belgium, France / Heretic).

Lala by Ludovica Fales (Italy / Slingshot Films) and the documentary,The Many Lives of Edouard Louis by François Caillat (France / Outplay Films) fly under the FSS INCLUSION banner.

Thanks to SWISS FILMS, FSS is also given to sales agents representing films from Switzerland. This time, Let me Go by Maxime Rappaz (Switzerland, France, Belgium / m-appeal), Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry by Elene Naveriani (Switzerland, Georgia /Totem Films) – also FSS INCLUSION - and documentary Dreamers by Stéphanie Barbey & Luc Peter (Switzerland, France / Lightdox/ Sweet Spot Docs) will be financially supported.

FSS for the films was confirmed by Austrian Films, Cinecittà, Flanders Image, German Films, ICAA (Spain), the Icelandic Film Centre, Unifrance and Wallonie Bruxelles Images.

See HERE full list of supported films.

FSS has been in place since 2004, backing promotion and marketing campaigns of European world sales companies with the support of Creative Europe MEDIA, the Nordisk Film & TV Fond, German Films and ICAA (Spain).