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| International Pictures London |
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With two features in the official Berlinale programme and another five scheduled for screenings in the European Film Market, UK sales and production outfit International Pictures London (IPL), newly established by Heather Playford-Denman and Richard Hurst, takes its first market stand at the Cine-Center. "The advantage of Berlin is that it is neither too big nor too small," says Playford-Denman, who, along with Hurst was previously connected to Britain's Channel 4. "It is big enough to provide a film with a launching platform for major international sales, yet it is no bigger than if you put a small film into the market,and it is worth it. It will draw a lot of attention, whereas it would probably go unnoticed in other markets The company will acquire between five-six features, and has most recently signed for Belgian director Dany Deprez's De Bal (The Ball) and Swedish director Tobias Falk's Stjärnsystrar (Star Sisters) - both screening in the Children's Film Fest - as well as Norwegian director Karin Julsrud's 1732 Høtten Marerittet har et postnummer (Bloody Angels). Adding Belgian director Marion Hänsel's The Quarry (showing in this year's International Film Festival, Rotterdam), Swedish director Richard Hober's Ögat (The Eye), Danish director Jørn Faurschou's Albert and US director Dean Silvers' Rock the Boat to its selection for Berlin, IPL will tout a total of seven new features from its stand, which is part of the British In Berlin. "Our priority will be features by mainly European auteur film-makers, with whom we can establish long-term relationships, following up on my work in the past 15 years," adds Playford-Denman, who as sales manager for Film Four International has collaborated with directors such as Ken Loach and Mike Leigh. "In the international marketplace buyers are less interested in the nationality of a film than in the film itself. Be it a film from Norway or a film from Belgium, as long as it has a good script, a good director, a good cast and able to capture your imagination." Joining Channel 4 Television in 1983 to assist in setting up the station's emerging sales arm, Playford-Denman has contributed to the international success of such films as My Beautiful Laundrette, Raining Stones, Trainspotting, Bandit Queen, Brassed Off and Shallow Grave. In 1997 she set up BV International Pictures with Norwegian distributor Bjørg Veland, selling Pål Sletaune's Budbringeren (Junk Mail) to more than 40 countries and launching Karim Traidia's De poolse bruid (The Polish Bride) internationally. With the opening of IPL's London offices, their co-operation has been discontinued. Most recently a director of business affairs with Channel 4 International, Hurst has served as a director of Capital Radio, the UK's premier commercial radio group, and of Rediffusion, a pioneer of British commercial TV. He is also a council member at the Rada. Headed by Davina Stanley, Mogirl (IPL's production arm) will assist producers to develop and finance projects in order to enhance their prospects in the international marketplace. At the British Film Institute Stanley has been organising and programming festivals, including London. "We do not work in the traditional way, making cash advances on projects and decreasing our risk by relying on the package : in particular, talent," Stanley says. "The key notion is flexibility, offering film-makers to initiate the structure that best suits the current status of their projects." "Getting on board projects as early as possible, being part of the creative team, developing and nurturing each individual project before securing finance from external sources ensures that the integrity of each project is maintained. The fact that we do not have financial interest will itself influence the shape of the project." Jørn Rossing Jensen |