Exclusive: Alpha Violet has acquired world sales rights for Uruguayan filmmaking duo Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge’s new drama Don’t You Let Me Go, exploring themes of friendship and death.
The Paris-based company previously worked with the filmmakers on their debut film So Much Water (Tanta Agua), which world premiered in the Berlinale’s Panorama section in 2013 and was acquired by Arte for Europe and HBO for the U.S.
The new movie, which is in post-production, sees follows a woman’s journey through time to see her best friend after one of them dies.
They reconnect in a past that may not be perfect but seems more real than the unintelligible present in which death has come to soon.
The cast features Eva Dans, Chiara Hourcade and Victoria Jorge.
“Don’t You Let Me Go is totally a movie for us,” said Virginie Devesa, Alpha Violet co-founding head with Keiko Funato.
The Paris-based company previously worked with the filmmakers on their debut film So Much Water (Tanta Agua), which world premiered in the Berlinale’s Panorama section in 2013 and was acquired by Arte for Europe and HBO for the U.S.
The new movie, which is in post-production, sees follows a woman’s journey through time to see her best friend after one of them dies.
They reconnect in a past that may not be perfect but seems more real than the unintelligible present in which death has come to soon.
The cast features Eva Dans, Chiara Hourcade and Victoria Jorge.
“Don’t You Let Me Go is totally a movie for us,” said Virginie Devesa, Alpha Violet co-founding head with Keiko Funato.
- 2/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Alpha Violet founding co-heads Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato are at the Venice Film Festival this year with Indonesian filmmaker Makbul Mubarak’s first film Autobiography, which plays in Horizons ahead of trips to Toronto and London among other festivals.
The coming-of-age drama, exploring the legacy of Indonesia’s 30-year military dictatorship, revolves around a young boy working as a housekeeper in the empty mansion of a retired general.
Venice Film Festival: Memorable Moments 1945-1984 Gallery
Devesa and Funato, who fete the 10th anniversary of their Paris-based sales boutique Alpha Violet in October, have a strong record of launching debut features on the Lido having previously handled Japanese filmmaker Kei Ishikawa’s 2016 feature Gukoroku, Traces of Sin and Greek director Christos Nikou’s 2020 breakout Apples, which both played in Horizons.
Neither title won the top prize, but both works put the directors on the international festival and industry map. Ishikawa...
The coming-of-age drama, exploring the legacy of Indonesia’s 30-year military dictatorship, revolves around a young boy working as a housekeeper in the empty mansion of a retired general.
Venice Film Festival: Memorable Moments 1945-1984 Gallery
Devesa and Funato, who fete the 10th anniversary of their Paris-based sales boutique Alpha Violet in October, have a strong record of launching debut features on the Lido having previously handled Japanese filmmaker Kei Ishikawa’s 2016 feature Gukoroku, Traces of Sin and Greek director Christos Nikou’s 2020 breakout Apples, which both played in Horizons.
Neither title won the top prize, but both works put the directors on the international festival and industry map. Ishikawa...
- 9/2/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Christos Nikou’s feature is Greece’s Oscar submission.
Paris-based sales company Alpha Violet has secured Japanese distribution for Greek director Christos Nikou’s dry comedy-drama Apples following its screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival earlier in November.
It has sold to distributor Bitters End, which previously handled the Japanese release of Oscar-winning arthouse hit Parasite as well as Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s historical drama Wife Of A Spy.
The deal was sealed after its TIFF screening in the Tokyo Premiere section by Alpha Violet co-head Keiko Funato, who attended the festival in person and met several distributors onsite.
The feature,...
Paris-based sales company Alpha Violet has secured Japanese distribution for Greek director Christos Nikou’s dry comedy-drama Apples following its screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival earlier in November.
It has sold to distributor Bitters End, which previously handled the Japanese release of Oscar-winning arthouse hit Parasite as well as Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s historical drama Wife Of A Spy.
The deal was sealed after its TIFF screening in the Tokyo Premiere section by Alpha Violet co-head Keiko Funato, who attended the festival in person and met several distributors onsite.
The feature,...
- 11/19/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Parisian outfit has notably closed sales on Uncle and Motherland, and is now preparing the ground for Apples, The Cemil Show and Abu Omar. Somewhat uncertain before embarking upon the unprecedented experience of the Cannes Film Festival’s Online Marché du Film, the French international sales agency Alpha Violet - a dedicated discoverer of young, international and high-potential film auteurs - has swiftly found its feet in this virtual environment and has already struck a number of high notes, closing sales in the opening days of the Market. Indeed, the team led by Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato has sold Uncle by Danish director Frelle Petersen (an 88 Miles production) to HBO Eastern Europe, and to Alfhaville Cinema for Mexico; Motherland by the American of Lithuanian origin Tomas Vengris, for Japan (Uzumasa); Identifying Features by Fernanda Valadez (awarded Sundance’s Audience Award with its screenplay scooping a Special Prize from the.
Buenos Aires — Paris-based Alpha Violet has acquired international rights to Fernanda Valadez’s feature debut, “Identifying Features,” which world premieres in World Dramatic Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Announced this week, the Sundance selection comes on top of a Films in Progress Prize at this September’s San Sebastian Festival.
Studying at Mexico’s Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica, (Ccc), Valadez directed the short film “400 Maletas,” that earned nominations for the Student Academy Awards and Mexico’s Ariel Awards.
“Identifying Features” follows a mother searching desperately for her son, who has gone missing en route to the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead, she meets the young Miguel, recently deported from the U.S., who is eager to be reunited with his mother in Mexico, a country he hardly recognizes.
The two strike up a sense of companionship as they wander through a desolate, violence-ravaged townships and landscapes of today’s Mexico,...
Announced this week, the Sundance selection comes on top of a Films in Progress Prize at this September’s San Sebastian Festival.
Studying at Mexico’s Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica, (Ccc), Valadez directed the short film “400 Maletas,” that earned nominations for the Student Academy Awards and Mexico’s Ariel Awards.
“Identifying Features” follows a mother searching desperately for her son, who has gone missing en route to the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead, she meets the young Miguel, recently deported from the U.S., who is eager to be reunited with his mother in Mexico, a country he hardly recognizes.
The two strike up a sense of companionship as they wander through a desolate, violence-ravaged townships and landscapes of today’s Mexico,...
- 12/6/2019
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The second film of The Love Trilogy, Chained, premieres in the Berlinale’s Panorama section.
Alpha Violet has taken over sales on Israeli filmmaker Yaron Shani’s The Love Trilogy, the second film of which Chained premieres in Panorama tomorrow (Feb 9).
The film, revolving around an Israeli police officer who is suspended after he is falsely accused of abusing a minor, was previously handled by Celluloid Dreams. Under the deal, the Paris-based company is also handling the third film in the trilogy Reborn. The first film Stripped premiered at Venice.
“It’s generating strong interest and we’re also already...
Alpha Violet has taken over sales on Israeli filmmaker Yaron Shani’s The Love Trilogy, the second film of which Chained premieres in Panorama tomorrow (Feb 9).
The film, revolving around an Israeli police officer who is suspended after he is falsely accused of abusing a minor, was previously handled by Celluloid Dreams. Under the deal, the Paris-based company is also handling the third film in the trilogy Reborn. The first film Stripped premiered at Venice.
“It’s generating strong interest and we’re also already...
- 2/8/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Summer 1993 and My Happy Family also take home prizes from Ukrainian festival.
Peter Brosen and Jessica Woodworth’s fourth feature King Of The Belgians received the Golden Duke Grand Prix - based on voting by festival-goers - at the eighth Odesa International Film Festival (Oiff, July 14 - 22), which came to a close on Saturday evening.
The International Competition jury, headed up by German director Christian Petzold and including actress Sibel Kekilli and Romanian producer-director-festival organiser Tudor Giurgiu, awarded the prize for best international feature film to Catalan director Carla Simón’s autobiographical film Summer 1993.
Handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales, Simón’s film had its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus sidebar where it won the international jury’s grand prix and the Gwff best first feature award.
Meanwhile, My Happy Family by the directorial duo Nana & Simon continued its successful international festival career by picking up the jury’s awards for best director...
Peter Brosen and Jessica Woodworth’s fourth feature King Of The Belgians received the Golden Duke Grand Prix - based on voting by festival-goers - at the eighth Odesa International Film Festival (Oiff, July 14 - 22), which came to a close on Saturday evening.
The International Competition jury, headed up by German director Christian Petzold and including actress Sibel Kekilli and Romanian producer-director-festival organiser Tudor Giurgiu, awarded the prize for best international feature film to Catalan director Carla Simón’s autobiographical film Summer 1993.
Handled internationally by New Europe Film Sales, Simón’s film had its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus sidebar where it won the international jury’s grand prix and the Gwff best first feature award.
Meanwhile, My Happy Family by the directorial duo Nana & Simon continued its successful international festival career by picking up the jury’s awards for best director...
- 7/24/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Shahrbanoo Sadat’s debut feature, set in Afghanistan, will play in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Paris-based sales company Alpha Violet has boarded Shahrbanoo Sadat’s debut feature Wolf And Sheep, which is selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Sadat, who lives in Kabul and Denmark, based the story on the isolated village in Central Afghanistan where she grew up.
The plot follows young boys and girls acting as shepherds in rural Afghanistan, where one 11-year-old girl is an outsider. The folktales of the community add touches of magical realism.
The film is a Denmark-France-Sweden-Afghanistan production produced by Copenhagen-based Katja Adomeit of Adomeit Film, who was a co-producer on Force Majeure and also a former Screen International Future Leader.
Co-producers are La Fabrica Nocturna Productions (France), Wolf Pictures (Afghanistan) and Zentropa Sweden.
Sadat previously showed her 2011 short Vice Versa One at Directors’ Fortnight. She developed Wolf And Sheep at Cannes Cinefondation Residency in 2010.
Virginie Devesa of Alpha Violet said [link=tt...
Paris-based sales company Alpha Violet has boarded Shahrbanoo Sadat’s debut feature Wolf And Sheep, which is selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Sadat, who lives in Kabul and Denmark, based the story on the isolated village in Central Afghanistan where she grew up.
The plot follows young boys and girls acting as shepherds in rural Afghanistan, where one 11-year-old girl is an outsider. The folktales of the community add touches of magical realism.
The film is a Denmark-France-Sweden-Afghanistan production produced by Copenhagen-based Katja Adomeit of Adomeit Film, who was a co-producer on Force Majeure and also a former Screen International Future Leader.
Co-producers are La Fabrica Nocturna Productions (France), Wolf Pictures (Afghanistan) and Zentropa Sweden.
Sadat previously showed her 2011 short Vice Versa One at Directors’ Fortnight. She developed Wolf And Sheep at Cannes Cinefondation Residency in 2010.
Virginie Devesa of Alpha Violet said [link=tt...
- 5/4/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Noaz Deshe’s feature debut White Shadow was the big winner at this year’s T-Mobile New Horizons in Poland’s Wroclaw.
The International Jury - including Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski, the Austrian Film Commission’s managing director Martin Schweighofer and Cannes Film Festival’s Christian Jeune - presented the €20,000 ($27,000) Grand Prix to the Tanzanian-German-Italian co-production, which was also voted by New Horizons’ festival-goers as the recipient of the Audience Award.
Berlin-based Deshe’s tale of albinos in Tanzania was premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival, where it received the Luigi de Laurentis Award for the best debut.
It has since won the best director award at the Tarkovsky ¨Zerkalo¨ festival and the best feature film at London’s East End Film Festival as well as a special mention at the Transilvania International Film Festival.
White Shadow is handled internationally by Premium Films.
The Fipresci International Critics Prize went to another feature debut by Argentinian...
The International Jury - including Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski, the Austrian Film Commission’s managing director Martin Schweighofer and Cannes Film Festival’s Christian Jeune - presented the €20,000 ($27,000) Grand Prix to the Tanzanian-German-Italian co-production, which was also voted by New Horizons’ festival-goers as the recipient of the Audience Award.
Berlin-based Deshe’s tale of albinos in Tanzania was premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival, where it received the Luigi de Laurentis Award for the best debut.
It has since won the best director award at the Tarkovsky ¨Zerkalo¨ festival and the best feature film at London’s East End Film Festival as well as a special mention at the Transilvania International Film Festival.
White Shadow is handled internationally by Premium Films.
The Fipresci International Critics Prize went to another feature debut by Argentinian...
- 8/4/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Talya Lavie’s Zero Motivation won the Grand Prix at this year’s Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), overshadowed in its final days by the shooting down of a Malaysian Airways plane.
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
- 7/21/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Talya Lavie’s Zero Motivation won the Grand Prix at this year’s Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), overshadowed in its final days by the shooting down of a Malaysian Airways plane.
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
- 7/21/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The Battle of Sevastopol among ten projects being presented next week.
Sergei Mokritsky’s biopic-war drama The Battle of Sevastopol (working title) is among ten projects being presented as ‘works in progress’ at next week’s Film Industry Office programme (July 14-17), taking place during the fifth Odessa International Film Festival (July 11-19).
The €3.6m Ukrainian-Russian co-production between Kiev-based Kinorob and Russia’s New People had been pitched during last year’s Industry Office programme in Odessa, and has been shooting in Kiev and Odessa after an initial shoot on the Crimea at the end of the last year.
The historical drama centres on the life of Lyudmila Pavlichenko who killed over 300 Nazis during the Second World War as a highly decorated sniper.
Yulia Peresild has been cast as Pavlichenko, who enjoyed a 16-year friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt (played here by UK actress Joan Blackham) and inspired a song written by the legendary folk singer [link=nm...
Sergei Mokritsky’s biopic-war drama The Battle of Sevastopol (working title) is among ten projects being presented as ‘works in progress’ at next week’s Film Industry Office programme (July 14-17), taking place during the fifth Odessa International Film Festival (July 11-19).
The €3.6m Ukrainian-Russian co-production between Kiev-based Kinorob and Russia’s New People had been pitched during last year’s Industry Office programme in Odessa, and has been shooting in Kiev and Odessa after an initial shoot on the Crimea at the end of the last year.
The historical drama centres on the life of Lyudmila Pavlichenko who killed over 300 Nazis during the Second World War as a highly decorated sniper.
Yulia Peresild has been cast as Pavlichenko, who enjoyed a 16-year friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt (played here by UK actress Joan Blackham) and inspired a song written by the legendary folk singer [link=nm...
- 7/8/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Drafthouse Films has acquired North American rights to recent Cannes premiere The Tribe, winner of three sidebar prizes in Critics’ Week.
Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy’s story takes place at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf and unfolds purely through sign language.
Paris-based Alpha Violet scored a number of key sales on the Croisette including UFO for France, Mimosa Films for Japan and Ost For Paradis for Denmark.
“When working with a film like The Tribe, we immediately became more sensitive to signs and language: passion speaks first,” said Alpha Violet co-CEOs Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato.
“We received an amazing response after our first market screening in Cannes and Drafthouse Films showed from the very beginning all the right signs – and the strongest passion – to distribute our film in North America,” noted
The Tribe will screen in select theatres across North America and will be released on a variety of VOD platforms and digital, DVD and Blu-ray...
Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy’s story takes place at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf and unfolds purely through sign language.
Paris-based Alpha Violet scored a number of key sales on the Croisette including UFO for France, Mimosa Films for Japan and Ost For Paradis for Denmark.
“When working with a film like The Tribe, we immediately became more sensitive to signs and language: passion speaks first,” said Alpha Violet co-CEOs Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato.
“We received an amazing response after our first market screening in Cannes and Drafthouse Films showed from the very beginning all the right signs – and the strongest passion – to distribute our film in North America,” noted
The Tribe will screen in select theatres across North America and will be released on a variety of VOD platforms and digital, DVD and Blu-ray...
- 7/2/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Drafthouse Films has acquired North American rights to recent Cannes premiere The Tribe, winner of three sidebar prizes in Critics’ Week.
Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy’s story takes place at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf and unfolds purely through sign language.
Paris-based Alpha Violet scored a number of key sales on the Croisette including UFO for France, Mimosa Films for Japan and Ost For Paradis for Denmark.
“When working with a film like The Tribe, we immediately became more sensitive to signs and language: passion speaks first,” said Alpha Violet co-CEOs Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato.
“We received an amazing response after our first market screening in Cannes and Drafthouse Films showed from the very beginning all the right signs – and the strongest passion – to distribute our film in North America,” noted
The Tribe will screen in select theatres across North America and will be released on a variety of VOD platforms and digital, DVD and Blu-ray...
Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy’s story takes place at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf and unfolds purely through sign language.
Paris-based Alpha Violet scored a number of key sales on the Croisette including UFO for France, Mimosa Films for Japan and Ost For Paradis for Denmark.
“When working with a film like The Tribe, we immediately became more sensitive to signs and language: passion speaks first,” said Alpha Violet co-CEOs Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato.
“We received an amazing response after our first market screening in Cannes and Drafthouse Films showed from the very beginning all the right signs – and the strongest passion – to distribute our film in North America,” noted
The Tribe will screen in select theatres across North America and will be released on a variety of VOD platforms and digital, DVD and Blu-ray...
- 7/2/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Alpha Violet is a unique sales company based in Paris and was started by Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato. These experienced and passionate women focus on refined films--stories that are works of art that they are inspired to share.
There's something to be said about the power and magic of good working relationships; the two have worked incredibly well together for years and the first film they ever brought to Cannes (2012), Here and There, won the Grand Prix of Critics' Week. They started at Celluloid Dreams and then joined Urban Distribution International where Devesa setup the company's international arm and where Funato used her legal expertise. Beyond the marriage of their legal and sales strengths, it was their strong connection, teamwork and passion for sharing the films they love on screens around the world that ignited the creation of Alpha Violet three years ago.
Devesa explains more about their success and background:
We have very intense communications with all of our producers. I want them to feel comfortable with every move we make. This is the way we work. Sharing these films is our life. We're totally passionate and this is why we started our company.
We've got a few titles that were distributed in the United States. We have a French film called 2 Autumns 3 Winters, which will be distributed by Film Movement in the USA in June of this year. The main actor is Vincent Macaigne, and he totally cracks us up. He was the only actor on the Croisette with three films in selection last year.
We have a total 18 films. The first film we launched was in Berlin called Off White Lies (from Israel), which was also distributed by Film Movement. Then we were lucky with one film shot entirely in Mexico called Here and There by Spanish filmmaker Antonio Mendez who won many awards internationally.
Titles at Cannes
Last year, we had a first feature film directed by Marcela Said called The Summer of Flying Fish that screened at Directors' Fortnight, (also a part of the official selection of Cannes). Every year since we've started, we've always had a first feature in Cannes. We love first features because the director is really driven to get his energy out there.
We're very excited about our film in competition. It's called The Tribe, a Ukrainian feature film by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy. It's his first feature. It's actually a very special film because it's only in sign language. There is no translation, no voiceover, but it was shot entirely with deaf people in a school. It's a love/hate revenge story. It's very strange, because it's very easy to understand what's happening. There's no need for translation or dialog. The idea started with a short film called Deafness; this is when he realized that sign language has nice choreography.
Who are your buyers?
We have a wide range of buyers. We worked with many good distributors through Celluloid Dreams back in 2000, and we've grown with them throughout the years. Many were buying lots of art house feature films, and now they're with the more established companies.
What are your backgrounds?
I studied foreign languages in France and business communications in the United States. My business partner is 100% Japanese. She worked in distribution for an art house company called Uplink in Japan, and she decided to come to France and work in cinema. She always wanted to have her own company to be able to represent the films that she chooses.
What types of films are you looking for?
We have many films directed by women, because we are women and we feel like we have different perspectives--especially about intimacy, love, and the father daughter relationship. We have six women directors, and we're always looking for more. I guess films with emotions...films that make us understand, dream, and share.
See Alpha Violet's Cannes lineup here
More About Alpha Violet:
Alpha Violet is a new independent sales company based in Paris. Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato met together while working for Celluloid Dreams.
They share the same passion for working with filmmakers and producers. They have also worked together for UMedia (Urban Media) and their combined experiences have led them to work together again today with the creation of their sales company, Alpha Violet.
They wish to offer with their new label a transparent way to promote their films worldwide thanks to a special database. They have received the support of the French Chamber of Commerce of Paris for their project and they have established their offices in one of the prestigious “pépinière” in Ménilmontant, Paris.
There's something to be said about the power and magic of good working relationships; the two have worked incredibly well together for years and the first film they ever brought to Cannes (2012), Here and There, won the Grand Prix of Critics' Week. They started at Celluloid Dreams and then joined Urban Distribution International where Devesa setup the company's international arm and where Funato used her legal expertise. Beyond the marriage of their legal and sales strengths, it was their strong connection, teamwork and passion for sharing the films they love on screens around the world that ignited the creation of Alpha Violet three years ago.
Devesa explains more about their success and background:
We have very intense communications with all of our producers. I want them to feel comfortable with every move we make. This is the way we work. Sharing these films is our life. We're totally passionate and this is why we started our company.
We've got a few titles that were distributed in the United States. We have a French film called 2 Autumns 3 Winters, which will be distributed by Film Movement in the USA in June of this year. The main actor is Vincent Macaigne, and he totally cracks us up. He was the only actor on the Croisette with three films in selection last year.
We have a total 18 films. The first film we launched was in Berlin called Off White Lies (from Israel), which was also distributed by Film Movement. Then we were lucky with one film shot entirely in Mexico called Here and There by Spanish filmmaker Antonio Mendez who won many awards internationally.
Titles at Cannes
Last year, we had a first feature film directed by Marcela Said called The Summer of Flying Fish that screened at Directors' Fortnight, (also a part of the official selection of Cannes). Every year since we've started, we've always had a first feature in Cannes. We love first features because the director is really driven to get his energy out there.
We're very excited about our film in competition. It's called The Tribe, a Ukrainian feature film by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy. It's his first feature. It's actually a very special film because it's only in sign language. There is no translation, no voiceover, but it was shot entirely with deaf people in a school. It's a love/hate revenge story. It's very strange, because it's very easy to understand what's happening. There's no need for translation or dialog. The idea started with a short film called Deafness; this is when he realized that sign language has nice choreography.
Who are your buyers?
We have a wide range of buyers. We worked with many good distributors through Celluloid Dreams back in 2000, and we've grown with them throughout the years. Many were buying lots of art house feature films, and now they're with the more established companies.
What are your backgrounds?
I studied foreign languages in France and business communications in the United States. My business partner is 100% Japanese. She worked in distribution for an art house company called Uplink in Japan, and she decided to come to France and work in cinema. She always wanted to have her own company to be able to represent the films that she chooses.
What types of films are you looking for?
We have many films directed by women, because we are women and we feel like we have different perspectives--especially about intimacy, love, and the father daughter relationship. We have six women directors, and we're always looking for more. I guess films with emotions...films that make us understand, dream, and share.
See Alpha Violet's Cannes lineup here
More About Alpha Violet:
Alpha Violet is a new independent sales company based in Paris. Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato met together while working for Celluloid Dreams.
They share the same passion for working with filmmakers and producers. They have also worked together for UMedia (Urban Media) and their combined experiences have led them to work together again today with the creation of their sales company, Alpha Violet.
They wish to offer with their new label a transparent way to promote their films worldwide thanks to a special database. They have received the support of the French Chamber of Commerce of Paris for their project and they have established their offices in one of the prestigious “pépinière” in Ménilmontant, Paris.
- 5/14/2014
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
I love Paris! Serving on the jury of U.S. in Progress to judge five American independent films in post production, bonding with filmmakers, organizers and the beautiful city itself, being part of a larger festival which featured films I particularly enjoyed like Nina Simone, Love Sorceress… Forever, It Felt Like Love by Eliza Hittman, Umbrellas of Cherbourg, what’s not to love?
The friendly openness of everyone at the festival made the event special. Sophie Dulac, the festival’s founder (and distributor, producer and exhibitor) whom I interviewed last year and again, almost as old friends again this year (see upcoming blog!), the publicist and programmer, Maxine Leonard, the staff, the Us in Progress organizers – Adeline Monzier (now also Us representative for Unifrance), Ula Śniegowska, Artistic Director of Wroclaw, Poland’s American Film Festival and Mobile New Horizons, my fellow jury members for USinP, and of course, the filmmakers themselves created a fun and inspiring event. What a great international film business we are in!
As I write this, the mailman just delivered a book, entitled Titra Film, A Cinematographic and Family Chronicle, sent to me by my fellow jury-member, Isabelle Frilley, who now, along with her children, owns and operates Titra, now called TitraTVS, the sub-titling company founded by her grandparents in 1933 shortly after talkies made subtitling de riguer . Very involved in the world of cinema, and inspired by her literary tastes, Isabelle has also helped develop multi-lingual subtitling for cinema, subtitling for the hearing impaired, and audio-description for the visually impaired. For many years, Isabelle Frilley has been a member of the juries of “Ciné en Construction” (for Latin-American cinema, in Toulouse), of “Cinéma en Mouvement” (for Mediterranean cinema, in San Sebastian), and of the Caméra d’Or in Cannes. She is only one of the illustrious jury among whom I was honored to count myself. Others included Julie Bergeron who runs Cannes Marche’s Producer Network among other things, Europa Distribution Eve Gabereau of Soda Pictures, a London-based indie distributor, Ciné Cinéma’s Bruno Deloye, Firefly’s Philippe Reinaudo, Commune Image’s Michael Werner, Eaux Vives Production’s Xénia Maingot, and Matthias Lavaux, the cofounder of touscoprod, the French crowdfunding website dedicated to movies, launched in January 2009.
1982 by Tommy Oliver
USinP’s winner, Tommy Oliver, whose previous film Kinyarwanda was a favorite of mine at Sundance a couple of years ago which Roger Ebert ranked 6 on his top ten films of 2011, is now in post on 1982 and won Us$60,000 worth of post production services.
Tommy’s directorial debut, 1982, starring Hill Harper, Sharon Leal, La La Anthony, Bokeem Woodbine, Wayne Brady and Ruby Dee, tells the story of a black father whose wife succumbs to a crack cocaine addiction and his efforts to shield their 10-year old daughter from the ill effects of having a drug addicted mother while trying to wean her off of her addiction. It's set in 1982 in Philadelphia at the very onset of the crack cocaine epidemic and ultimately, it's a story about a father doing whatever he can to protect his family. It's semi- autobiographical story and inspired by true events.
He also wrote and produced 1982 which also received a prestigious San Francisco Film Society Krf grant .
Tommy himself is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, a Microsoft alum and founder of Seattle-based interactive media firm Viliv Studios as well as La- based production company Confluential Films, which he started with actor/ author/ speaker Hill Harper.
I can confidently predict that this film will be seen on the festival circuit as it brings a humanity to the issue we’ve seen dozens of time – crack in communities – but never like this. We don’t see the ugly community violated by violence. We see a loving family coping with a personal and private disaster. Hill Harper plays a loving, compassionate good man. Comparisons will be made with Fruitvale Station, another African American “issue” film (police brutally killing an innocent family man) which will be released July 12 by The Weinstein Company. We need more such films to create a consistent pipeline for audiences who will pay to see these films. AFor his film 1982, he has devised a super-sophisticated, break-the-record domestic marketing plan. I am eager to watch the trajectory of this one.
The runner-up film, Bfe was supported with great gusto by its director and producer, Shawn Telford and producer, Mark Carr who brought a special energy to the entire event and were full of fun throughout. Shawn charmed his French hosts with his French. Watch for the film and with it, watch for Shawn!
I Believe In Unicorns is the feature debut of director Leah Meyerhoff. It was nominated for a Calvin Klein grant at the 2012 Gotham Independent Film Awards and stars Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack, Toni Meyerhoff, Julia Garner, Joshua Leonard and Amy Seimetz.
As noteworthy as the film is and as talented as Leah is, the producers themselves are also notable and prolific! Allison Anders, Katie Mustard and Heather Rae who also produced the Academy Award nominated film Frozen River, starring Melissa Leo, which won the 2008 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, opened the New York Film Society’s New Directors/New Film series and was acquired by Sony PicturesClassics. She won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for her production work on Frozen River. Heather also produced Mosquita Y Mari (Sundance 2012), Backroads (Sundance 2000), Trudell (2005 Sundance Film Festival), Ibid (2008 SXSW), The Dry Land (Sundance 2010), Magic Valley (Tribeca 2011), and is currently in post-production on Five Thirteen (with Tom Sizemore), Ass Backwards (with Alicia Silverstone and Vincent D’Onofrio) and Plastic Jesus (with Paul Schneider and Mackenzie Foy). For six years she was a programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and ran the Native Program at the Sundance Institute and recently joined the Sundance Board of Trustees.
Ping Pong Summer
Michael Tully made his directorial debut, Cocaine Angel, world premiered at the 2006 International Film Festival Rotterdam, Michael Tully (Director) was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. His follow-up, Silver Jew, world premiered at the 2007 South By Southwest Film Festival. In 2011, he wrote, directed, and acted in Septien, which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by Sundance Selects. He’s currently in post-production on his newest feature, Ping Pong Summer, which he wrote and directed. Since 2008, he has been the head writer/editor of HammerToNail.com, a website devoted to championing ambitious cinema.
Producers: George Rush, Brooke Bernard, Ryan Zacarias, Michael Gottwald, Billy Peterson, Jeff Allard
Main Cast : Susan Sarandon, John Hannah, Leah Thompson, Judah Friedlander, Amy Sedaris
Children
Director : Jaffe Zinn Producer : Jaffe Zinn and Sterling Hoch
Aside from the jury, the films were seen by members of Europa Distribution:
Alpha Violet - Keiko Funato & Virgine Devesa - France - Sales agent Bac Films - Crasset Véronique - France - Sales agent & Distributor Bankside - Alice Ramsey - UK Sales Agent Chrysalis - Camille Lopato - France – Distributor Content - Toby Melling - UK - Sales Agent Coproduction Office - Marina Perales & Philippe Bober - France - Sales Agent Distrib Films - François Scippa-Kohn - France - Distributor Equation - Didier Costet - France - Distributor Eurozoom - Manon Galibert - France - Distributor Film Republic Rashid Xavier UK sales agent Films Boutique - Jean-Christophe Simon - Germany - Sales Agent Hanway - Fabien Westerhoff - UK - Sales Agent Happiness - Isabelle Dubar - France - Distributor Heliotrope - Laurent Aléonard & Goldfain Philippe - France - Distributor Imagine - Bral Tinne - Benelux - Distributor Jour 2 Fête - Sarah Chazelle - France - Distributor K5 Intl - Oda Schäfer - Germany - Sales Agent Kmbo - Grégoire Marchal - France - Distributor Le Pacte - Nathalie Jeung - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Level K - Freja Johanne - Denmark - Sales agent Locarno Film Festival - Aurélie Godet - France - Festival Memento Film - Tanja Meissner & Ram Murali - France - Sales Agent & Distributor MK2 - Emmanuelle de Couesbouc / Juliette Shramek - France - Sales Agent Premium Films - Karwan Kasia - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Reel Suspects - Frederic Gentet - France - Sales Agent Rezo - Sebastien Chesneau - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Sacrebleu - Louise Bellicaud - France - Producer Soda Pictures - Eve Gabereau - UK - Distributor Sophie Dulac Distribution - Eric Vicente - France - Distributor The Works - Steve Bestwick - UK - Sales Agent Tribeca Film Festival - Frédéric Boyer - USA - Festival Trust Nordisk - Silje Glimsdal - Denmark - Sales Agent Urban - Claire Charles-Gervais - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Versatile - Violaine Pichon & Pape Boye - France - Sales Agent Wide Management - Loïc Magneron - France – Sales Agent Wild Bunch - Emmanuelle Fellous - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Zed - Martine Scoupe - France - Distributor...
The friendly openness of everyone at the festival made the event special. Sophie Dulac, the festival’s founder (and distributor, producer and exhibitor) whom I interviewed last year and again, almost as old friends again this year (see upcoming blog!), the publicist and programmer, Maxine Leonard, the staff, the Us in Progress organizers – Adeline Monzier (now also Us representative for Unifrance), Ula Śniegowska, Artistic Director of Wroclaw, Poland’s American Film Festival and Mobile New Horizons, my fellow jury members for USinP, and of course, the filmmakers themselves created a fun and inspiring event. What a great international film business we are in!
As I write this, the mailman just delivered a book, entitled Titra Film, A Cinematographic and Family Chronicle, sent to me by my fellow jury-member, Isabelle Frilley, who now, along with her children, owns and operates Titra, now called TitraTVS, the sub-titling company founded by her grandparents in 1933 shortly after talkies made subtitling de riguer . Very involved in the world of cinema, and inspired by her literary tastes, Isabelle has also helped develop multi-lingual subtitling for cinema, subtitling for the hearing impaired, and audio-description for the visually impaired. For many years, Isabelle Frilley has been a member of the juries of “Ciné en Construction” (for Latin-American cinema, in Toulouse), of “Cinéma en Mouvement” (for Mediterranean cinema, in San Sebastian), and of the Caméra d’Or in Cannes. She is only one of the illustrious jury among whom I was honored to count myself. Others included Julie Bergeron who runs Cannes Marche’s Producer Network among other things, Europa Distribution Eve Gabereau of Soda Pictures, a London-based indie distributor, Ciné Cinéma’s Bruno Deloye, Firefly’s Philippe Reinaudo, Commune Image’s Michael Werner, Eaux Vives Production’s Xénia Maingot, and Matthias Lavaux, the cofounder of touscoprod, the French crowdfunding website dedicated to movies, launched in January 2009.
1982 by Tommy Oliver
USinP’s winner, Tommy Oliver, whose previous film Kinyarwanda was a favorite of mine at Sundance a couple of years ago which Roger Ebert ranked 6 on his top ten films of 2011, is now in post on 1982 and won Us$60,000 worth of post production services.
Tommy’s directorial debut, 1982, starring Hill Harper, Sharon Leal, La La Anthony, Bokeem Woodbine, Wayne Brady and Ruby Dee, tells the story of a black father whose wife succumbs to a crack cocaine addiction and his efforts to shield their 10-year old daughter from the ill effects of having a drug addicted mother while trying to wean her off of her addiction. It's set in 1982 in Philadelphia at the very onset of the crack cocaine epidemic and ultimately, it's a story about a father doing whatever he can to protect his family. It's semi- autobiographical story and inspired by true events.
He also wrote and produced 1982 which also received a prestigious San Francisco Film Society Krf grant .
Tommy himself is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, a Microsoft alum and founder of Seattle-based interactive media firm Viliv Studios as well as La- based production company Confluential Films, which he started with actor/ author/ speaker Hill Harper.
I can confidently predict that this film will be seen on the festival circuit as it brings a humanity to the issue we’ve seen dozens of time – crack in communities – but never like this. We don’t see the ugly community violated by violence. We see a loving family coping with a personal and private disaster. Hill Harper plays a loving, compassionate good man. Comparisons will be made with Fruitvale Station, another African American “issue” film (police brutally killing an innocent family man) which will be released July 12 by The Weinstein Company. We need more such films to create a consistent pipeline for audiences who will pay to see these films. AFor his film 1982, he has devised a super-sophisticated, break-the-record domestic marketing plan. I am eager to watch the trajectory of this one.
The runner-up film, Bfe was supported with great gusto by its director and producer, Shawn Telford and producer, Mark Carr who brought a special energy to the entire event and were full of fun throughout. Shawn charmed his French hosts with his French. Watch for the film and with it, watch for Shawn!
I Believe In Unicorns is the feature debut of director Leah Meyerhoff. It was nominated for a Calvin Klein grant at the 2012 Gotham Independent Film Awards and stars Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack, Toni Meyerhoff, Julia Garner, Joshua Leonard and Amy Seimetz.
As noteworthy as the film is and as talented as Leah is, the producers themselves are also notable and prolific! Allison Anders, Katie Mustard and Heather Rae who also produced the Academy Award nominated film Frozen River, starring Melissa Leo, which won the 2008 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, opened the New York Film Society’s New Directors/New Film series and was acquired by Sony PicturesClassics. She won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for her production work on Frozen River. Heather also produced Mosquita Y Mari (Sundance 2012), Backroads (Sundance 2000), Trudell (2005 Sundance Film Festival), Ibid (2008 SXSW), The Dry Land (Sundance 2010), Magic Valley (Tribeca 2011), and is currently in post-production on Five Thirteen (with Tom Sizemore), Ass Backwards (with Alicia Silverstone and Vincent D’Onofrio) and Plastic Jesus (with Paul Schneider and Mackenzie Foy). For six years she was a programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and ran the Native Program at the Sundance Institute and recently joined the Sundance Board of Trustees.
Ping Pong Summer
Michael Tully made his directorial debut, Cocaine Angel, world premiered at the 2006 International Film Festival Rotterdam, Michael Tully (Director) was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. His follow-up, Silver Jew, world premiered at the 2007 South By Southwest Film Festival. In 2011, he wrote, directed, and acted in Septien, which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by Sundance Selects. He’s currently in post-production on his newest feature, Ping Pong Summer, which he wrote and directed. Since 2008, he has been the head writer/editor of HammerToNail.com, a website devoted to championing ambitious cinema.
Producers: George Rush, Brooke Bernard, Ryan Zacarias, Michael Gottwald, Billy Peterson, Jeff Allard
Main Cast : Susan Sarandon, John Hannah, Leah Thompson, Judah Friedlander, Amy Sedaris
Children
Director : Jaffe Zinn Producer : Jaffe Zinn and Sterling Hoch
Aside from the jury, the films were seen by members of Europa Distribution:
Alpha Violet - Keiko Funato & Virgine Devesa - France - Sales agent Bac Films - Crasset Véronique - France - Sales agent & Distributor Bankside - Alice Ramsey - UK Sales Agent Chrysalis - Camille Lopato - France – Distributor Content - Toby Melling - UK - Sales Agent Coproduction Office - Marina Perales & Philippe Bober - France - Sales Agent Distrib Films - François Scippa-Kohn - France - Distributor Equation - Didier Costet - France - Distributor Eurozoom - Manon Galibert - France - Distributor Film Republic Rashid Xavier UK sales agent Films Boutique - Jean-Christophe Simon - Germany - Sales Agent Hanway - Fabien Westerhoff - UK - Sales Agent Happiness - Isabelle Dubar - France - Distributor Heliotrope - Laurent Aléonard & Goldfain Philippe - France - Distributor Imagine - Bral Tinne - Benelux - Distributor Jour 2 Fête - Sarah Chazelle - France - Distributor K5 Intl - Oda Schäfer - Germany - Sales Agent Kmbo - Grégoire Marchal - France - Distributor Le Pacte - Nathalie Jeung - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Level K - Freja Johanne - Denmark - Sales agent Locarno Film Festival - Aurélie Godet - France - Festival Memento Film - Tanja Meissner & Ram Murali - France - Sales Agent & Distributor MK2 - Emmanuelle de Couesbouc / Juliette Shramek - France - Sales Agent Premium Films - Karwan Kasia - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Reel Suspects - Frederic Gentet - France - Sales Agent Rezo - Sebastien Chesneau - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Sacrebleu - Louise Bellicaud - France - Producer Soda Pictures - Eve Gabereau - UK - Distributor Sophie Dulac Distribution - Eric Vicente - France - Distributor The Works - Steve Bestwick - UK - Sales Agent Tribeca Film Festival - Frédéric Boyer - USA - Festival Trust Nordisk - Silje Glimsdal - Denmark - Sales Agent Urban - Claire Charles-Gervais - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Versatile - Violaine Pichon & Pape Boye - France - Sales Agent Wide Management - Loïc Magneron - France – Sales Agent Wild Bunch - Emmanuelle Fellous - France - Sales Agent & Distributor Zed - Martine Scoupe - France - Distributor...
- 7/12/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Central and Eastern European filmmakers presented 19 projects at various stages of production at Karlovy Vary’s annual Works in Progress initiative.
The popular industry programme at Kviff is in its ninth year, and past films shown as Works In Progress include I Am, Lunacy, Katyn, Tricks, Alois Nebel and My Dog Killer, among many others.
This year’s selection included a standout pitch for The Disobedient [pictured], a Serbian coming-of-age road movie about two 24-year-olds from Tilva Ros producers Mina Djukic (who will direct) and Nikola Lezaic.The film is now in post for autumn delivery after wrapping its shoot in September 2012.
Another promising Serbian title, of a very different flavour, was the crowdpleasing dark comedy Monument to Michael Jackson (working title). The film will be ready to launch this autumn and the footage shown got the day’s only laughs out of the industry-heavy crowd. The film is a co-production with Macedonia and Germany.
Among the Czech...
The popular industry programme at Kviff is in its ninth year, and past films shown as Works In Progress include I Am, Lunacy, Katyn, Tricks, Alois Nebel and My Dog Killer, among many others.
This year’s selection included a standout pitch for The Disobedient [pictured], a Serbian coming-of-age road movie about two 24-year-olds from Tilva Ros producers Mina Djukic (who will direct) and Nikola Lezaic.The film is now in post for autumn delivery after wrapping its shoot in September 2012.
Another promising Serbian title, of a very different flavour, was the crowdpleasing dark comedy Monument to Michael Jackson (working title). The film will be ready to launch this autumn and the footage shown got the day’s only laughs out of the industry-heavy crowd. The film is a co-production with Macedonia and Germany.
Among the Czech...
- 7/1/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.