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Pursuing its strategy of partnering with key European film players, Argentine sales agency FilmSharks Intl. has inked international sales rights to a trio of upcoming features from Spain, led by Atresmedia Cine’s comedy “Lord, Give Me Patience.”
FilmSharks has also picked up Nicolás Gil Lavedra’s thriller “Dark Buildings (A Crack in The Wall),” a Spain-Argentina co-production by Santiago Segura’s Amiguetes Ent., starring Oscar Martínez (“Distinguished Citizen”), which Disney pre-bought for Latin America.
In addition, it is handling Inés de León’s “Ajedrez para tres” (“Chess for Three”) a production from Telefonica Studios, paybox Movistar + and Bowfinger, scheduled to launch in Spanish theaters by this year’s third quarter, distributed by Adolfo Blanco’s A Contracorriente.
Written by Astrid Gil-Casares, Rafa Russo, Pablo Alén and Breixo Corral, “Chess” has been described as “a classic ‘My Fair Lady’-style romantic comedy,” by Telefonica’s film production head, Gabriel Arias-Salgado.
Teaming Atresmedia Cine, the film production arm of TV network Atresmedia Group, with Banijay’s DLO and Suroeste Films, Alvaro Díaz Lorenzo’s “Lord, Give Me Patience” is set for a June 16 theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures in Spain.
In “Lord,” according to Guido Rud, “Welcome to the Sticks” meets the ’80s TV show “Diff’rent Strokes.”
“This kind of high-concept films are the ones that not only get sold for distribution but for remake as well,” he added.
Recently, FilmSharks also took Atresmedia Cine’s Spanish B.O. hit “A Stroke of Luck,” by “No Manches Frida”-helmer Nacho Velilla. The comedy, already acquired by Palace Cinemas for Australia and New Zealand, and Global Eagle for inflight rights, is under negotiations for U.S. Latin America, Greece and France.
In February, FilmSharks started to sell Alessandro Siani’s comedy “Mr. Happiness,” produced by Italian powerhouse film and TV company Cattleya.
“For us it is key to have this kind of partners to be able to bet on large scale projects and deals,” Rud said.
