Bruce LaBruce’s queer comedy fantasy “Saint-Narcisse” has been sold by the Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever to the U.S., along with a string of other key territories.
Film Movement has acquired U.S. rights to “Saint-Narcisse,” which was the closing film of Venice’s Giornate Degli Autori (Venice Days) and played as part of Toronto’s Industry Selects.
Best Friend Forever has also scored deals for France (Optimale Distribution), Germany, Austria and Switzerland (OUTtv – Cinemien Germany) and Benelux (OUTtv – Cinemien). Northern Banner and AZ Films will release the film in Canada.
Set in 1972 Canada, “Saint-Narcisse” follows Dominic, a handsome narcissistic young man who discovers the existence of his twin brother, living in a remote monastery led by a depraved priest. Dominic sets out to save him and reunite once and for all. The two beautiful, identical brothers are soon embroiled in a strange web of sex, revenge and redemption.
A Canadian artist-turned-filmmaker, LaBruce said he felt lucky to have been able to premiere “Saint-Narcisse” in person, “on the big screen in front of an appreciative audience,” at the Venice Film Festival like his 2013 film “Gerontophilia.”
LaBruce also praised Best Friend Forever for “getting it out there to international distributors that still believe in independent cinema and that are up to the creative challenge of getting movies out there to audiences during these extraordinary times.”
Martin Gondre and Charles Bin, BFF’s co-founders, said the film “manages to cross-over,” and pointed out that they’ve received “strong interest from new partners who have never worked with Bruce before.”
The film stars Felix-Antoine Duval, Tania Kontoyanni, Alexandra Petrachuck and Andreas Apergis. Co-written by LaBruce and Martin Girard, the film is produced by Nicolas Comeau at 1976 Productions, and Paul Scherzer at Six Island Productions.
“Saint-Narcisse” was financed and supported by SODEC, Société de développement des entreprises culturelles du Québec, Téléfilm Canada and CBC Films.
In Sundance, Best Friend Forever has Lenny and Harpo Guit’s comedy “Mother Schmuckers” playing in the Midnight Section. The company is also repping Pascal Tagnati’s first feature “I Comete – A Corsican Summer,” which is playing in the Tiger main competition at Rotterdam. The company was launched in Cannes 2019 and is a sister company of Paris-based Indie Sales.
Source: Read Full Article