PARIS — With a diverse sales slate ranging from 3D nature-themed film “Amazonia” to Gallic romcom “Bachelor Days Are Over,” Jean Labadie’s shingle Le Pacte left Cannes with a flurry of major territory deals closed.
Helmed by Thierry Ragobert, “Amazonia” will follow a capuchin monkey born and raised in captivity, which after a plane crash finds himself alone and helpless in the wilderness of the Amazon Rainforest, and has to face all kinds of forest animals, including jaguars and crocodiles.
Film will track the monkey’s journey and struggle for survival in the jungle.
“Amazonia” was acquired by eOne (Canada), Luxor (Russia), Filmcoopi (Switzerland), Imovision (Brazil), Mars Entertainment (South Korea), MCF Megacom (former Yugoslavia) and Hualu Group (China).
The pic is a 15 million euros ($21 million) project co-produced by Gaul’s Bilboa Films, which is owned by Stephane Milliere’s Gedeon Programmes and Brazil’s Gullane Filmes.
At Cannes, Le Pacte’s sales team showed buyers a demo of a high-profile 3D docu feature shot in Madagascar’s Southern Rain Forest, which is produced by Gedeon Programmes.
“The demo was key in giving buyers a sense of what it feels to be immersed in a jungle in a 3D environment,” said Camille Neel, Le Pacte’s head of international sales.
The 25-week shoot kicks off Sept. 5 with multiple camera teams using 3D cameras, which will be dispatched throughout the Amazon rainforest.
Another popular title on Le Pacte’s roaster, Bulgarian helmer Konstantin Bojanov’s Critics’ Week player “Ave,” was snapped up by London-based shingle Network and Switzerland’s Trigon Film.
“Bachelor Days Are Over,” which also screened in Critics’ Week, sparked positive feedback from buyers and was acquired by Praesens Film for Switzerland and Les Films de L’Elysee for Belgium. Neel said he was in talks with German buyers.
John Hopewell contributed to this report.
