21/01/2016 - News from Planet Mars and Saint amour will screen out of competition, while two more minority French co-productions will be vying for the Bear

Two majority French productions (which will be presented out of competition) and two minority ones (which will have their world premieres in competition) have been added to the official selection of the 66th Berlin Film Festival (11-21 February 2016).

Dominik Moll (With a Friend Like Harry, Lemming [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) will unveil his fifth feature film, News from Planet Mars [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (read the article), out of competition. Starring François Damiens, Vincent Macaigne and Veerle Baetens, the movie (the screenplay for which was penned by the director together with Gilles Marchand) was produced by Diaphana (which will be in charge of distributing it in France from 9 March), co-produced by France 3 Cinéma and Belgian outfit Artémis, and pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+. International sales are being handled by Memento Films International.

Another Franco-Belgian co-production will also be taking part out of competition: Saint amour [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern. With a cast including Gérard Depardieu, Benoît Poelvoorde and Vincent Lacoste, the new opus by the iconoclastic directors of Aaltra, Avida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Louise-Michel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benoît Delépine and Gustav…
interview: Benoît Jaubert
film profile], Mammuth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustave Kervern, Benoî…
film profile], Le Grand Soir [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and NDE (Near Death Experience) [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] recounts the misfortunes of a father and son, both farmers, on the wine route. Produced by Jean-Pierre Guérin for JPG Films, the feature was co-produced by No Money Productions, DD Productions, France 2 Cinéma, Nexus Factory and Umedia, and pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+. The 2 March French release will be managed by Le Pacte, which is also selling the film overseas.

Two additional minority French co-productions have been added to the list of the hopefuls for the Golden Bear 2016: Soy Nero [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rafi Pitts
film profile] by Iranian director Rafi Pitts (co-produced by Paris-based outfit Senorita Films together with Germany and Mexico, and which has been bought for French distribution by Sophie Dulac Distribution) and Hedi [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Inhebbek Hedi) by Mohamed Ben Attia (a feature debut co-produced by France with Tunisia and Belgium, and which benefited from the CNC’s world cinema support at the completion stage). These two movies join the three majority French productions and two minority ones already accepted into the competition (read the article): Things to Come [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Mia Hansen-Løve
film profile] by Mia Hansen-Love, Being 17 [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: André Téchiné
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] by André Téchiné, Death in Sarajevo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danis Tanovic
film profile] by Bosnian director Danis Tanovic, the documentary Fire at Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gianfranco Rosi
film profile] by Italy’s Gianfranco Rosi and Alone in Berlin [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Vincent Perez.

(Translated from French)