Montreal: Distributor Seville Pictures is distinguishing itself from its competitors by signing ‘selective and personalized projects,’ as opposed to subdistribution agreements and building volume business, says its executive vp Pierre Brousseau.

‘It becomes an extension of one’s personality,’ he continues. ‘If it’s done correctly, with an economy of means, if it’s sharply budgeted and you know what you’re doing, it makes sense. And that is how we expect to make our mark in the next couple of years.’

Seville anticipates a minimum of 15 theatrical releases beginning this September – staying clear of the summer blockbuster period – through to fall 2001.

In fiscal 2000, Seville recorded $6 million in gross sales, which includes catalogue sales and the opening of Eye of the Beholder, which pulled in about $800,000 in theatrical plus another $1 million or more from cassettes and dvd sales. Brousseau says Seville turned a small profit during the period.

With additional financing, the distributor has plans to enter the more lucrative international sales market within the next year.

Canuck fare

New Canadian movies signed by Seville Pictures include Lea Pool’s Lost and Delirious, Thom Fitzgerald’s Wild Mustard, Emile Gaudreault’s first feature Nuit de Noces (working title) and the b.c. feature The Burial Society from director Nicolas Racz.

Pool’s Lost and Delirious will go in fall 2001, likely following its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The $4.5-million movie has attracted lots of media attention and is a coproduction between Lorraine Richard of Montreal’s Cite-Amerique, and Greg Dummett of Toronto’s Dummett Films.

‘Robert Lapointe on behalf of TMN-The Movie Network and Super Ecran has come in in a big way with both a [pay-tv] rights acquisition and an equity investment in the film,’ says Brousseau. As a result of the support, the distrib says a special screening program in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto will be organized prior to the movie’s theatrical release.

Telefilm Canada has greenlit Fitzgerald’s Wild Mustard, produced by Gretha Rose and Lawrie Rotenberg of Cellar Door Productions in Charlottetown, p.e.i. ‘I bought the whole picture worldwide for $1 million. I have applied [a minimum 25-year gaurantee of] $300,000 for Canada, which is standard, and $700,000, which is half a million u.s. for the rest of the world,’ says Brousseau. ‘But I still have a caveat. They have to deliver two international stars so I can make my sales. Until we get to that point, they do not have a foreign sales agent.’

The film is a generational story of conflict and guilt, and a young man’s struggle to embrace his art. Brousseau says the Wild Mustard shoot is certain to become a ‘magical’ moment on p.e.i. this August. ‘I think it will look absolutely great. The story is there, and if they have the right cast we’ve got a show.’

Seville has also signed to distribute Gaudreault’s (Louis 19) Nuit de Noces, coscripted by Marc Brunet and produced by Denise Robert of Montreal’s Cinemaginaire. ‘We’ve got money from absolutely everyone in the country,’ says the distrib.

The film is a $2.8-million ensemble comedy with an edge on themes such as relationships and marriage. It’s in pre-prep for a mid-August shoot on location in Montreal and Niagara Falls. ‘I think the minimum box office on this one is $1 million and we’ll most probably release it on 50 screens,’ says Brousseau.

The Burial Society, a dramatic comedy from b.c. producers Richard Baumgartel of The Little Big Film Company and Howard Danciger, is from first-time director/writer Nicolas Racz. Brousseau says a spring 2001 shoot is anticipated.

Seville’s latest Canadian acquisition is producer Peter Simpson’s $20-million u.k. coproduction The Fourth Angel, a revenge-inspired suspense from director John Irvin, starring Jeremy Irons, Forrest Whitaker and Jason Priestley.

Seville’s Telefilm Canada Distribution Fund line in 2000/01 is $1.5 million, partly reduced as a result of past commitments made by Behaviour Distribution and also because of the upgrading of Vancouver’s Red Sky Entertainment. Brousseau says there’s not much room for adjustment at either the high or lower ends of the fund.

And although the distributor expects more consolidation in the Canadian market, he says market forces will be tempered by policy and the determination to support distributors in various regions.

International sales

‘We believe in owning our own content and then making deals, whether it’s in the States or in Europe, being involved in coproduction and distributing, and then eventually being [active] in foreign sales, which we should be in shape to do a year from now,’ he says.

A serious foreign sales initiative, even as ‘a minority co-owner of rights because we have to deal with England, Germany and France and so on,’ will require a credit facility and/or an injection of new capital, says the distrib.

‘The other avenue that is complementary, which we’ll attempt to achieve in the coming year, is to develop production with Replica.’

Replica is being developed under Seville co-president John Hamilton as an international tv series. The property is described as a youth sci-fi concept. Columbia TriStar previously held the rights.

Foreign acquisitions

Seville’s top European hope for this fall is the social comedy Le Gout des Autres, which did an amazing $40 million at the French box office.

Cannes 2000 was a first for the new Seville partnership (Brousseau, co-president David Reckziegel and Hamilton) and the trio returned with three Palmes-winning pictures: Wong Kar-wai’s The Mood for Love, Pavel Lounguine’s La Noce and Caroline Vignal’s Les autres filles.

New Seville acquisitions slated for release in 2001 include Olivier Assayas’ Destinees sentimentalees and Michael Davis’ teen sex comedy 100 Girls, picked up from Dream Entertainment in l.a. and slated for release during spring break 2001.

Another prebuy from the States is Brad Anderson’s time-travel comedy Happy Accidents, starring Oscar winner Marisa Tomei and Vincent D’Onofrio. The distrib has also picked up the French-track title Thomas In Love by Belgian filmmaker Pierre Paul Renders, as well as the follow-up to Laurent Cantet’s critically acclaimed Ressources Humaine, Emploi du temps, based on the true-life best-seller.

Deal for The Tattooed Map

Brousseau and top French producer Philippe Carcassonne (Ridicule, La Veuve de St-Pierre) are discussing Patrice Leconte’s new film as well as a plan to develop a $10-million movie based on The Tattooed Map, a travelogue/mystery from b.c. author Barbara Hodgson.

Brousseau says the Hodgson project may be developed as a coproduction with Carcassonne (Cine b) and the u.k., with writer Christopher Hampton considering the adaptation.

‘David, John and I keep seeing Cate Blanchett and Josh Fiennes in the key roles. We are a long way from announcing that The Tattooed Map is in production, but you have to start somewhere, so we bought the rights and have interest from both Philippe and Pathe International in London,’ he says.

Also new on the Seville slate is Clara Law’s The Goddess of 67, a Hong-Kong/Australia coproduction likely headed to this fall’s Venice film festival, and the u.k. social comedy There is Only One Jimmy Grimble, which Brousseau says producer Alexis Lloyd and lead Robert Carlyle are expected to promote across Canada next winter or spring.