Record breaking number of films to be supported by FSS at the Toronto International Film Festival


Creation by Jon Amiel
Photo: Liam Daniel // Copyright: RPC Nature Ltd
As a strong supporter of quality European Cinema and one of the most prestigious festivals worldwide, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, September 10 - 19, 2009) is top of the list for European Film Promotion's (EFP) marketing tool Film Sales Support (FSS). Aiming to help European cinema to be seen outside of Europe, FSS financially supports the promotion and marketing of 55 films from across Europe in Toronto this year. It's the highest number of European films ever supported by FSS on an international film festival since the initiative was launched six years ago. EFP's activities in Toronto are backed by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

This year, Toronto screens about 120 European films out of a total of 335 productions from 64 countries. Almost half of the films are benefiting from Film Sales Support. "The interest in FSS is higher given that times are difficult", FSS project manager Susanne Davis says of Toronto applications. "Looking back at previous years, it is noticeable that less European films have been sold at this time of the year. It is therefore crucial for European films to stand out as competition is growing tougher". Last year, 68 percent of the FSS supported films in Toronto were sold to non-European countries, mainly to North and South America but also to Asia, Russia and the Middle-East.




FSS not only covers half of the promo costs for films selected for Toronto which are unsold to North America but also pays towards the travel costs of some
of the talent. Most of the companies will involve their directors and actors when representing their films.

Among the big range of films supported by FSS is the festival's opening film, Creation by Jon Amiel (UK), the story of Charles Darwin. Actors Paul Bett and
Jennifer Connelly will attend the opening ceremony together with the director.


MAX MANUS by Joachim R¢nning
Photo: Copyright Erik Aavatsma

Five films backed by FSS have been selected for Gala screenings, Max Manus (Norway) by Espen Sandberg and Joachim R¢nning, Dorian Gray (UK) by Oliver Parker, Cracks (UK/ Ireland) by Jordan Scott, I, Don Giovanni (Italy) by Carlos Saura and Phantom Pain (Germany) by Matthias Emcke. Actors attending Toronto with the help of FSS are María Valverde - who stars in both Cracks and I, Don Giovanni - and Til Schweiger who presents Phantom Pain at the festival, to name a few.

Further FSS support goes to Jessica Hausner's Lourdes (Austria), Dagur Kari's The Good Heart (Iceland), Erik Gandini's political documentary Videocracy (Sweden), Mika Kaurismäki's The House of Branching Love (Finland), Corneliu Porumboiu's Police, Adjective (Romania), Ole Bornedal's Deliver us from Evil (Denmark), Dorothée van der Berghe's My Queen Karo (Belgium), Radu Jude's The Happiest Girl in the World
(Romania) and Damjan Kozole's Slovenian Girl (Slovenia).

Additionally, 11 films from France will receive the support this year, including François Ozon's The Refuge with Isabelle Carré and Melvil Poupaud as well as Enter the Void by Gaspar Noé which was in Competition at this yearØs Cannes Film Festival. Actress Paz de la Huerta will present Enter the Void in Toronto.




SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT by Detlev Buck Photo: ¬ Ryan Plummer/Boje Buck Prod.
The UK has a strong presence at Toronto this year, with altogether ten films benefiting from FSS, for example, She, a Chinese by Xiaolu Guo, winner of the Golden Leopard at this year's Locarno Film Festival, Fish Tank by Andrea Amold, The Disappearance of Alice Creed by J. Blakeson as well Nick Stinger's stunning documentary Turtle: The Incredible Journey.

Seven German Films are part of this year's support line-up, including Detlev Buck's Same Same But Different, starring German Shooting Star of 2009, David Kross, and Soul Kitchen by director Fatih Akin, which also is in Competition at Venice. One of the film's leading actors, Moritz Bleibtreu, will be attending Toronto with the help of FSS. Acclaimed director Margarethe von Trotta and main cast Barbara Sukowa are travelling to Toronto for the presentation of Vision, the story of Hildegard von Bingen.

As one of the main international festivals, Toronto firmly remains the hub to promote and market films from Europe in the North American market. Many EFP member organisations operate a stand at the Sales & Industry Office to represent their films.


Films and Sales Companies backed by FSS at the Toronto International Film Festival
Bavaria Media (Germany)

Deliver us from Evil (Fri os fra det onde) by Ole Bornedal, Denmark, Sweden 2009
Phantom Pain (Phantomschmerz) by Matthias Emcke, Germany 2009

Celluloid Dreams (France)

Vincere by Marco Bellochio, Italy 2009
Vision (Vision - Aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen) by Margarethe von Trotta Germany, France 2009

Coach 14 (France)

Police, Adjective (Politist, Adjective) by Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania 2009

ContentFilm International (UK)

Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, UK, The Netherlands 2009

Coproduction Office (France)

Lourdes by Jessica Hausner, Austria, Germany, France 2009
Women Without Men by Shirin Neshat, Germany, Austria, France 2009

Corazón International (Germany)

Once Upon a Time Proletarian by Xiaolu Guo, UK, Germany 2009

Doc & Film International (France)

My Queen Karo by Dorothée van der Berghe, Belgium, The Netherlands 2009
The Danse - The Paris Opera Ballet (La Danse) by Frederick Wiseman, France, USA 2009

Ealing Studios (UK)

Dorian Grey by Oliver Parker, UK 2009

Filmax International, Sogedasa (Spain)

REC 2 by Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza, Spain 2008
V.O.S. by Cesc Gay, Spain 2009

Films Boutique (Germany)

She, a Chinese by Xiaolu Guo, UK, France, Germany 2009
The Happiest Girl in the World (Cea mai fericita fata oin lume) by Radu Jude, Romania, The Netherlands 2009
To Die Like a Man (Morrer como un homem) by Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Portugal, France 2009

Films Distribution (France)

Cell 211 (Celda 211) by Daniel Monzon, Spain 2009
La Pivellina by Rainer Frimmel & Tizza Covi, Austria, Italy 2009
Same Same But Different by Detlev Buck, Germany 2009

Fortissimo Films (The Netherlands)

The Last Days of Emma Blank (De laatste dagen van Emma Blank) by Alex van Warmerdam The Netherlands, Belgium 2009
Handmade Films (UK)

Cracks by Jordan Scott, UK, Ireland 2009

HanWay Films (UK)

Creation by Jon Amiel, UK 2009
Perrier's Bounty by Ian FitzGibbon, Ireland, UK 2009
Triage by Danis Tanovic, Ireland, Spain, France 2009

Intramovies (Italy)

Giulia Doesn't Date at Night (Giulia non esce la sera) by Giuseppe Piccioni, Italy 2009
Le Pacte (France)

The Refuge (The Refuge) by François Ozon, France 2009

Les Films du Losange (France)

The Day Will Come (Es kommt der Tag) by Susanne Schneider, Germany, France 2009
m-appeal (Germany)

Slovenian Girl (Slovenka) by Damjan Kozole, Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Serbia 2009

Mirmar Film Production (Norway)

Together (Sammen) by Matias Armand Jordal, Norway 2009
MK2 (France)

Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno (L'enfer de Henri-Georges Clouzot) by Serge Bromberg & Ruxandra Medrea, France 2009
The Day God Walked Away (Le jour ou dieu est parti en voyage) by Philippe van Leeuw, Belgium, France 2009
The Misfortunates (De Helaasheid Der Dingen) by Felix van Groeningen, Belgium, The Netherlands 2009

Protagonist Pictures (UK)

The Unloved by Samantha Morton, UK 2009

Pyramide (France)

Hadewijch by Bruno Dumont, France, Germany 2009
Irene by Alain Cavalier, France 2009
Leaving (Partir) by Catherine Corsini, France 2009

Roissy Films (France)

I, Don Giovanni ( Io, Don Giovanni) by Carlos Saura, Italy, Spain 2009
Sola Media (Germany)

Turtle: The Incredible Journey by Nick Stringer, UK, Germany, Austria 2008

The Match Factory (Germany)

Soul Kitchen by Fatih Akin, Germany 2009
The Works International (UK)

The Front Line (La Prima Linea) by Renato de Maria, Italy, Belgium, France, UK 2009
Glorious 39 by Stephen Poliakoff, UK 2009
TrustNordisk (Denmark)

Applause (Applaus) by Martin Pieter Zandvliet, Denmark 2009
Max Manus by Espen Sandberg & Joachim R¢nning, Norway 2008
Videocracy by Erik Gandini, Sweden 2009

Umedia (France)

Bassidji by Mehran Tamadon, France, Switzerland, Iran 2009
Every Day is a Holiday (Chaque jour est une fête) by Dima El-Horr, France, Germany, Lebanon 2009

Velvet Film (France)

Moloch Tropical by Raoul Peck, France, 2009

Westend Films (UK)

The Disappearance of Alice Creed by J. Blakeson, UK 2009

Wide Management (France)

Eamon by Margaret Corkery, Ireland 2009
Men on the Bridge (Köprüdekiler) by Asli Özge, Germany, The Netherlands, Turkey 2009
The House of Branching Love (Haarautuvan rakkauden talo) by Mika Kaurismäki, Finland 2009

Wild Bunch (France)

Enter The Void (Soudain le vide) by Gaspar Noé, France, Italy 2009
The Good Heart by Dagur Kari, Island, Denmark, France 2009



.