The UK’s Curzon Artificial Eye and Germany’s Prokino are among the latest distributors to snap up Iranian feature movie ‘The Salesman’ which picked up awards for best screenplay for Asghar Farhadias well as best actor for Shahab Hosseini at the Cannes Film Festival less than two weeks ago.
Paris-based Memento Films International (MFI) has also unveiled new deals to Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, Screendaily.com reported
The title sold well in Latin America during Cannes, securing distribution in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Bogota-based Cineplex took rights for Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Central America as well as pan-Latin American satellite TV rights.
There were also Asia deals in Thailand and Japan. Asian pre-sales included Hong Kong and Macao and Taiwan.
In other fresh deals, the film secured distribution in Australia and New Zealand.
As announced at Cannes, the film has been co-acquired by Amazon and the Cohen Media Group for North America.
Previously announced European deals includedSpain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus.
The film sold to Turkey and the Middle East ahead of Cannes. Russia is under negotiation.
Profitable Productions
The French company has produced and distributed Farhadi’s previous two films ‘The Past’ and ‘A Separation’.
Released in 2011, ‘A Separation’, which won the Academy Awards and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film among many others, generated $20 million worldwide. ‘The Past’ was released in 2013 and took in $10 million; it won the best actress award for Berenice Bejo in Cannes as well as many others.
Farhadi said at a press conference in Tehran on Monday that the French producer has made a considerable profit by showing his films in France and selling their distribution rights to the world, “so this is probably the reason it still wants to produce my films”.
Memento Films Distribution is planning to release ‘The Salesman’ in France in November.
