Ad Vitam spreads its wings
- The French distributor, which takes a keen interest in young French talents and the best of the world’s arthouse cinema, is paving the way for the future by getting involved in production and sales
Springing into action today with the release of Right Here Right Now [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Pascal Bonitzer across 200 French screens, independent distribution company Ad Vitam (managed by Alexandra Henochsberg, who is backed up by the outfit’s two other co-founders: Grégory Gajos in acquisitions and Arthur Hallereau in marketing) has begun a brand-new phase this year by adding two more strings to its bow: production (with two Italian films, Sweet Dreams [+see also:
film review
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Q&A: Marco Bellocchio
film profile] by Marco Bellocchio, which opened the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2016 and will be out on 14 December in France, and Les Dernières Choses [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] by Irene Dionisio, which is currently in post-production) and international sales (with the creation of Alma Cinéma in partnership with producers Charles Gillibert, of CG Cinéma, and Frédéric Jouve, of Les Films Velvet).
It instigated this diversification strategy in order to strengthen its core business, distribution, so that it would be able to get involved in its movies even further upstream. This will undoubtedly allow Ad Vitam to continue its steady growth, marked by an editorial policy that focuses on extremely high-quality works, including such titles as Mustang [+see also:
film review
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interview: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
film profile] by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Foreign-language Film), the Oscar-winning Son of Saul [+see also:
film review
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Q&A: László Nemes
interview: László Rajk
film profile] by Hungarian director László Nemes, The Wonders [+see also:
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interview: Alice Rohrwacher
interview: Tiziana Soudani
film profile] by Italy’s Alice Rohrwacher (Grand Prix at Cannes in 2014), 45 Years [+see also:
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Q&A: Andrew Haigh
film profile] by British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (which won Best Actor and Best Actress at Berlin last year), ‘71 [+see also:
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Q&A: Yann Demange
film profile] by Yann Demange, Take Shelter and Mud by US director Jeff Nichols, Whiplash by his fellow countryman Damien Chazelle, Farewell My Queen [+see also:
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interview: Benoît Jacquot
film profile] by Benoît Jacquot, Mammuth [+see also:
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interview: Gustave Kervern, Benoî…
film profile] by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, Gloria [+see also:
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film profile] by Chile’s Sebastián Lelio, The Assassin by Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Bullhead [+see also:
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interview: Bart Van Langendonck
interview: Michaël R. Roskam
film profile] by Belgium’s Michaël R Roskam, and A Hijacking [+see also:
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interview: Tobias Lindholm
film profile] by Denmark’s Tobias Lindholm, not to mention all of Chinese director Jia Zhangke’s films.
But this splendid array of international auteurs does not stop Ad Vitam from also preparing the ground for young French film talents. For example, this year, it has been involved in releasing Dark Inclusion [+see also:
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interview: Arthur Harari
film profile] by Arthur Harari (in theatres since 8 June), the feel-good movie Good Luck Sam [+see also:
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film profile] by Farid Bentoumi and Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) [+see also:
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interview: Eva Husson
film profile] by Eva Husson, as well as earlier titles like May Allah Bless France [+see also:
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film profile] by Abd Al Malik and Being 14 [+see also:
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film profile] by Hélène Zimmer. In addition to this, the company has a fondness for filmmakers who are a little more experienced and original, such as Danielle Arbid, Samuel Collardey and Isabelle Czajka, to name just a few.
On its current line-up we find Miss Impossible [+see also:
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film profile] by Emilie Deleuze (EFA Young Audience Award 2016 and a Special Mention at Berlin, in Generation Kplus – set to be released on 12 October 2016), the very eagerly awaited Planetarium [+see also:
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interview: Rebecca Zlotowski
film profile] by Rebecca Zlotowski (starring Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp – released on 16 November, likely after a world premiere at a major festival) and two feature debuts that were popular at Cannes: Mercenary [+see also:
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interview: Sacha Wolff
film profile] by Sacha Wolff (25 January 2017 - Europa Cinemas Label in the Directors’ Fortnight) and Tramontane [+see also:
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film profile] by Vatche Boulghourjian (15 February 2017 – unveiled in the Critics’ Week). Another of its titles is Pris de court [+see also:
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film profile] by Emmanuelle Cuau (read the article), which has no release date as yet.
And the future looks even rosier, since Ad Vitam has already pre-purchased the French distribution rights for Kings [+see also:
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film profile] by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (which will be shot in Los Angeles, in English, toplined by Halle Berry), Razzia [+see also:
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interview: Nabil Ayouch
film profile] by Nabil Ayouch (Much Loved [+see also:
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film profile]) and Lean on Pete [+see also:
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film profile] by Andrew Haigh.
(Translated from French)
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