GermanFilmsSCREENCannesWed21May_Screen_107x304 28.04.14 15:34 Seite 1
Hairun and Village scale Mountain By Liz Shackleton
China’s Hairun Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures Asia (VRPA) are coproducing Mountain Cry, written by Yang Zi, who will also direct. US-based Story Mining & Supply Co, through its strategic development alliance with VRPA, and Ivanhoe Pictures, through its recently launched Asia production arm, are also boarding the project to contribute in the areas of development, finance and international marketing strategy. The film is based on a Chinese novel of the same name by Ge Shuiping. The script won the prize for best artistic potential at last month’s Beijing International Film Festival’s ‘Pitch and Catch’ event. Set in a remote mountain village, the story begins
Ellen Eliasoph
with the sudden death of a husband and father, whose family is new to the tightknit local community. Following his death, the villagers come to know the man’s widow, a beautiful mute with the power to tell her story without words. Ya n g s a i d h e w a s inspired to make the film after spending years abroad and how he felt he lacked the language to express his feelings when he returned to a changed China. “While China now has the second-largest film market in the world, there is still rich potential for the devel-
opment of the industry and the quality of its films,” said Hairun Media Group chairman Liu Yanming. “Yang Zi’s Mountain Cry script captivated me with its power.” Ellen Eliasoph, president and CEO of VRPA, was on the three-member jury panel that chose Mountain Cry as one of the winners. She found the project so comp elling that VRPA quickly entered into a coproduction agreement with Hairun. Eliasoph said: “What makes the script so outstanding is the powerful drama of its story, and the fact it feels authentically local in its setting, characters and dialogue — but still resonates with universal themes of forgiveness, compassion and redemption.” Production is expected to begin in early 2015.
news briefs Harlin and Chan skip
Creative England rallies the Angels By wendy mitchell
Creative England and the UK Business Angels Association, which works with more than 15,000 angel investors, held an event in Cannes to bring together the film industry and investors. Creative England is pushing for more private investment in the creative industries, and in July will launch a national programme to build a commu-
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Pictured: Creative England’s Caroline Norbury, Money&Co/ Rockpool Investments’ Nicola Horlick and UK Business Angels Association’s Jenny Tooth
nity of angel investors to invest in film companies and creative SMEs. Creative England CEO Caroline Norbury said: “There are huge opportunities for investment, not just in individual film projects but in small creative film businesses.”
Director Renny Harlin has boarded buddy action comedy Skiptrace, to star Jackie Chan, Seann William Scott and Fan Bingbing. Alex Walton’s Bloom is selling here. Production is set to start in August on the story of a detective whose niece gets into trouble.
Affair feeds Lion The Yellow Affair has sold Dome Karukoski’s neo-Nazi drama Heart Of A Lion to Benelux (Jupiter), Italy (Ripley’s Film), Sweden (Starlet Media), Australia/ New Zealand (Vendetta/ Gamewizz Interactive), Bulgaria (A Plus), Czech Republic (Film Europe), Hungary (Vertigo Media) and Estonia (Estinfilm).
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NEW GERMAN FILMS IN CANNES 2014 WEDNESDAY, 21 MAY …………………………………………………… 09:30 h RIVIERA 4
ZURICH
Frederik Steiner 103 min Sales: ARRI Worldsales
…………………………………………………… 11:30 h RIVIERA 4
BANKLADY
Christian Alvart 117 min Sales: Global Screen
…………………………………………………… 13:30 h RIVIERA 4
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER Maximilian Leo 88 min Sales: Media Luna New Films
…………………………………………………… 15:30 h RIVIERA 4
ILLUSION
Roland Reber 93 min Sales: wtp international
…………………………………………………… 18:00 h RIVIERA 1
THE GREEN PRINCE
Nadav Schirman 101 min Sales: Global Screen
INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE · GERMAN PAVILION · #125 phone +33-(0)4-92 59 01 80 · www.german-films.de
May 21, 2014 Screen International at Cannes 3