Mediawan Rights, the gross sales arm of European content material group Mediawan, has boarded Simone Scafidi’s documentary Dario Argento Panico forward of the movie’s Venice Classics premiere because it continues to ramp up its documentary slate.
The movie follows the legendary Italian filmmaker as he finishes the script for his ultimate movie in a lodge alongside a crew taking pictures a film about him.
It has already been offered to horror streamer Shudder for the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Australia and to distributor Non-Cease for Scandinavia. It will likely be launched in Italy by way of Plaion.
Arianna Castoldi, head of documentary gross sales for all codecs for Mediawan rights, informed Display screen: “It’s not only a story informed with archives – it’s a direct eyewitness account from the filmmaker himself.”
It options unique interviews with Argento and perception from different administrators like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his influence on the horror style.
Dario Argento Panico is produced by UK-based Paguro Movie in affiliation with Italy-based 341Production. The movie is Scafidi’s eighth function and follow-up to 2019’s Fulci For Pretend about Italian director Lucio Fulci, additionally a Venice Classics title; 2015 fiction function Eva Braun impressed by Italian parliament intercourse scandals; and 2013 sports activities doc Zanetti Story that he co-wrote and co-directed.
Gross sales explode for Nuclear Now and Godard Cinema
Mediawan Rights has additionally unveiled key offers for Godard Cinema, which explores the life and work of the long-lasting French-Swiss director and premiered in Venice Classics in 2022.
The movie has offered to Kino Lorber for the US, BFI Participant for the UK, Zero em Comportamento in Portugal, Filmin in Spain, Needed in Italy, Play Suisse for French-speaking Switzerland, Movie Europe for the Czech Republic, YLE in Finland, MayFly in Poland, Joint Leisure in Taiwan and Mimosa in Japan. Godard Cinema is produced by Paris-based 10.7 productions in collaboration with broadcaster Arte who’ve French broadcasting rights.
Mediawan Rights has additionally secured offers for Oliver Stone’s doc Nuclear Now that premiered out of competitors in Venice final yr. The movie has offered to Moviestar in Spain, I Surprise Footage in Italy, Zero em Comprtamento in Portugal, Amstel Movies in Benelux, Non-Cease Leisure for Scandinavia, Madman in Australia, Transilvania Distribution in Romania, Korea Telecom in South Korea and Joint Leisure in Taiwan.
Stone wrote the movie with professor Joshua Goldstein which is predicated on the latter’s e book A Brilliant Future that makes the case that atomic vitality generally is a answer for local weather change. Mediawan is repping gross sales outdoors of North America for the movie that offered to Abramorama and Large Footage and was launched within the US in April.
Full pace forward
Spearheaded by Castoldi, Mediawan Rights’ documentary arm is aiming for a slate of round 4 movies per yr. For now it’s targeted on movies with “robust ties to the world of cinema”. “The concept is to place ourselves principally round documentaries by main auteurs, however we’re additionally looking out to find youthful and new abilities,” Castoldi informed Display screen.
Her staff continues to observe world co-production markets in the hunt for up-and-coming filmmakers within the documentary style. “The benefit of being a part of a bunch like Mediawan is that we will come on to a undertaking at any stage,” stated Castoldi, whether or not which means serving to a younger filmmaker with financing and manufacturing by way of the group’s personal manufacturing homes or distributing a accomplished movie. “We’re very selective as a result of 4 titles per yr isn’t very a lot.”
Mediawan’s documentary division continues to be a powerful part of the group’s general technique, even when, says Castoldi, the marketplace for documentary options is “nonetheless recovering from the pandemic and stays difficult though we will see an uptick previously years.”
Whereas there’ll at all times be a spot in Europe for docs, the US and UK markets proceed to be a problem, in accordance with Castoldi, who provides that advertising and marketing is extra vital than ever with regards to distributing documentaries on the worldwide stage. “You actually need to work the area of interest and assist every title with robust advertising and marketing instruments. Our savoir-faire lies in the truth that we come from the world of TV so we will pinpoint streamers or channels in international locations the place theatrical releases are extra difficult.” Plus, she provides, “a status premiere at a pageant like Venice is vital.”