French Dramas Released Theatrically and On Demand
Through Groundbreaking Day and Date Initiative
March 20, 2007 – New York, New York – IFC Entertainment announced today that it has acquired US distribution rights to acclaimed French-language dramas Private Fears in Public Places and Dans Paris. Both films will join the groundbreaking day date distribution banner, IFC IN THEATRES, where the film will simultaneously premiere theatrically and on local cable's On Demand platform. The announcement was made by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring.
To date, IFC IN THEATRES has released over 50 films day and date. IFC is eyeing an April 13 release date for Private Fears and late summer for Dans Paris.
Commented Sehring, "We're excited to reload our day and date slate with two specialized films that will further substantiate IFC IN THEATRES as the premiere distribution platform for acclaimed foreign language films in the U.S. French cinema maintains a large following in America and we are proud to have two of the finest recent productions in next quarter's slate."
Established in January of 2006, IFC IN THEATRES remains the first and only initiative to fully embrace the day and date concept and execute a broad multi-picture strategy. Maximizing the use of Video On Demand technology, IFC has created the first centralized destination for critically acclaimed independent films, providing a strong voice to the many critically acclaimed independent films that are shown in New York, Los Angeles, and various Film Festivals, but lost within the marketplace each year. IFC IN THEATRES reaches over 40 million homes and is available on demand nationally with Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner, Cox, insight and on PPV through Directv.
Directed by master filmmaker Alain Resnais (Last Year at Marienbad, Hiroshima Mon Amor, Providence), Private Fears in Public Places stars Laura Morante, Lambert Wilson, Pierre Arditi, Isabelle Carre, Andre Dussollier and Sabine Azema. The film is produced by Bruno Pesery and executive produced by Julie Salvador. The film won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2006 Venice Film Festival and was recently nominated for 8 Cesars. It was also an official selection of the Toronto and New York Film Festivals.
The screenplay was written by Resnais, Jean-Michel Ribes and master playwright Alan Ayckbourn, from Ayckbourn's play "Private Fears in Public Places." This is the second collaboration between Resnais and Ayckbourn who previously worked together on Smoking/No Smoking. The film is a Soudaine Compagnie, Arena Films, France 2 Cinema (France)/BIM Films (Italy) co-production, in association with Banque Populaire Images 6.
Private Fears in Public Places is a warm-hearted comedy about six characters longing for love in wintry Paris. Thierry (Andr&eaqute; Dussollier) is a real estate agent smitten with his pious assistant, Charlotte (Sabine Az&eaqute;ma). She moonlights as a home-care attendant for the hell-raising father of widowed bartender, Lionel (Pierre Arditi). Lionel works at a stylish hotel bar that is frequented by an embittered army veteran, Dan (Lambert Wilson). Dan, who's on the rocks with his frustrated fianc&eaqute;e Nicole (Laura Morante), meets Gaelle (Isabelle Carr&eaqute;), a shy young woman who lives with her brother, Thierry, the real estate agent.
Dans Paris is a Gemini Films production, produced by Paulo Branco. Written and directed by Christophe Honore (Ma Mere), the film stars two of France's most promising young actors, Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Russian Dolls) and Louis Garrel (The Dreamers). Co-stars include Guy Marchand (who received a Cesar nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and Joana Preiss. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival in Director's Fortnight and most recently screened at the Rendez-vous with French Cinema in New York City.
In Dans Paris, after splitting up with his girlfriend, a depressed Paul (Duris) has moved back into the Paris flat that his brother Jonathan (Garrel) shares with their over-protective, divorced father (a dryly comic scene-stealing turn by veteran Marchand). Jonathan (Garrel) – a devil-may-care womanizer, and the story's narrator – tries to coax Paul into a morale-boosting shopping trip, but ends up making a solo dash across town, interrupted by several impromptu trysts. The emotional interplay heightens with the arrival of the boys' glamorous mother (Marie-France Pisier).
Private Fears was negotiated with Saya Huddleston and Muriel Sauzay at Studio Canal, which handled international sales for the film while rights to Dans Paris were negotiated by Elisabeth Perlie at Gemini Films.
ABOUT IFC IN THEATRES AND IFC ENTERTAINMENT
IFC IN THEATRES is the day and date distribution arm of IFC Entertainment. IN THEATRES releases twenty-four films a year, theatrically across the country and simultaneously on VOD. It reaches over 40 million homes and is available on demand nationally with Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner, Cox, insight and on PPV through Directv. IFC Entertainment also consists of IFC Films, a traditional distribution company, and the new IFC Center in Greenwich Village. IFCE is a Rainbow Media company. Recent and upcoming IFC In Theatres films include: The Aura, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Family Law, An Unreasonable Man and Close to Home.
ABOUT RAINBOW MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform programming for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, fuse, IFC, WE tv, Rainbow Sports Networks managed FSN Bay Area and FSN New England, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. The company also manages Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.