Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Ofir Raul Graizer’s melodrama “The Cakemaker,” which world premiered in competition at Karlovy Vary.
Sold by Berlin-based sales company Films Boutique, “The Cakemaker” marks the feature debut of Graizer and follows a young German baker who sets out to meet the widow of his lover, an Israeli man who just died in a car crash.
“The Cakemaker,” which was produced by Itai Tamir at Laila Films (“Policeman”) and Mathias Schwerbrock at Film Base Berlin (“The Interrogation”), was one of the six work-in-progress titles presented at the Jerusalem Film Festival’s Pitch Point industry sidebar, where it won the Cinelab award.
The deal was done between Jon Gerrans and Marcus Hu of Strand Releasing and Jean-Christophe Simon and Valeska Neu of Films Boutique at this year’s German Films Previews.
“We’re thrilled to have this amazing film and hope that it has crossover potential in the American marketplace,” said Hu.
Simon said that “Strand Releasing showed an immediate and strong enthusiasm for the film….Knowing well the quality of their work, we think it’s the perfect home for ‘The Cakemaker.'”
“The Cakemaker” has been acquired in Japan (Shin Nippon), Spain (Karma), Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay (Mirada) and Hungary (Cirko Films). Since the movie premiered at Karlovy Vary, Film Boutique has also been in talks with buyers from France, the U.K., Germany, the Czech Republic and South Korea.
The movie will next play in competition at the Jerusalem Film Festival, which opens July 13.
Strand Releasing, whose slate includes Amat Escalante’s “The Untamed” and Tarik Saleh’s Sundance prize winner “The Nile Hilton Incident,” plans to release “The Cakemaker” in early 2018.
