EXCLUSIVE: French film sales powerhouse Wild Bunch International (WBI) has unveiled a slew of deals on key titles on its 15-title Cannes 2022 slate.The extensive roster of sales bucks a trend out of Cannes where the optimistic mood, as the event returned to full strength for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, did not necessarily translate into hard sales for many indie sales companies focused on high-end festival titles.Michel Hazanavicius’s zombie comedy Final Cut, which opened the Official Selection, has clocked up close to 30 deals worldwide and the U.S.
is currently in negotiation.In Europe, the film sold to Germany (Weltkino), Spain (Vertigo), UK (Signature), Italy (BIM), Benelux (O’Brother), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Switzerland (JMH), Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (MCF), Czech Republic (Film Europe), Romania (Independenta), Baltic States (Estinfilm) while Stockholm-based Njuta Films has taken pan-Scandinavian rights.For Asia and Oceania, the film has sold to Australia (Umbrella Entertainment), Japan (Gaga), South Korea and Vietnam (JC Enterworks) and Taiwan (MovieCloud Ltd), China (Times Vision) and Indonesia (Falcon).In Middle East and North Africa, there have been individual territory deals to Israel (Lev Cinemas) and Turkey (Mars Production) while Teleview and Front Row Filmed Entertainment have jointly acquired rights pan-Middle East rights and Tunisia’s Ciné 7ème Art has taken North Africa.The film was released by Pan Distribution in France on May 18, drawing close to 300,000 spectators to date for a gross of roughly $2.9m.Competition Title SalesAmong WBI’s five Palme d’Or contenders, Claire Denis’s joint Grand Jury Prize winner Stars At Noon is on the verge of selling out worldwide, with a number
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