Named as one of Screen International’s ‘‘Hottest Companies’’, Celluloid Dreams has gone from strength to strength. In 2002 and 2003, the company represented more Competition films than any other sales agent, with 12 films in Cannes 2003 Selection, a record for any sales company.
In Cannes 2004 Celluloid took a more selective approach and represented only movies in Official Selection, four of which were in Competition. The decision paid off and Celluloid movies garnered two Palms, as well as record-breaking sales with THE EDUKATORS, NOBODY KNOWS (Palm for Best Actor), MONDOVINO, and TROPICAL MALADY Prize). Celluloid continued to have an extremely successful 2004 on the festival circuit with 5X2 by Francois Ozon, PALINDROMES by Todd Solondz, THE WORLD by Jia Zhang-ke, the multi prize winning DARWIN’S NIGHTMARE by Hubert Sauper with presence at Venice, Locarno, Deauville, Toronto, and San Sebastian as well as strong sales.
The company had great success at 2005 Berlin festival winning multiple prizes and sales with two Celluloid co-produced / financed films PARADISE NOW by Hany Abu-Assad and THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED by Jacques Audiard. Cannes proved even more successful for the company with 10 films in selection and an impressive double whammy and the Palm D’or for Celluloid with THE CHILD By Jean- Pierre and Luc Dardenne and the Camera D’or with Miranda July’s ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW. This success continued into the summer season with three films in competition in Locarno Film festival and a record 7 films in selection at Venice including the Takeshi Kitano’s surprise film TAKESHIS’, internationally renowned artist Matthew Barney’s DRAWING RESTRAINT 9 and Laurent Cantet’s long awaited HEADING SOUTH. As the 2005 summer season drew to a close, Celluloid ended on a high note with the San Sebastian premiere of Fabian Bielinsky’s THE AURA which garnered lavish critical praise and broke box office records on it’s release in Argentina in September and the Toronto premiere of Deepa Mehta’s crowd pleaser WATER.
2006 was the groundbreaking year which reflected Celluloid Dreams’ drive into English language based production and sales. Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner Quinceanera was a hot US title kicking off the year at the Berlin Film Festival and continuing into Cannes with the Australian box office smash JINDABYNE by LANTANA director Ray Lawrence. It was also at Cannes that Celluloid celebrated record pre-sales on many hotly awaited new English language projects going into production: Todd Haynes’ star studded Bob Dylan biopic I’M NOT THERE starring Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore and Richard Gere among others, Celluloid Dreams Co-Production Michael Hanekes’ US remake of FUNNY GAMES with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, another Celluloid Dreams Co-Production SAVAGE GRACE starring Julianne Moore and Academy Award® winning writer Alan Ball’s first feature TOWELHEAD. Once again that year, Celluloid came away with the Cannes Jury Prize, for Wang Chao’s LUXURY CAR. The summer saw the high profile launch of the English Language adaptation of Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE by Kenneth Branagh in Venice’s La Fenice Opera House, and Toronto simultaneously.
2007 was also a startling success, with the Celluloid produced film SON of RAMBOW sparking off a bidding war in Sundance and beating LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE as the highest price paid for an independent film at the festival so far in its history. A second bidding war at Sundance was also instigated by another Celluloid title; HOW SHE MOVE. The following month saw another Celluloid Dreams Productions hit the headlines again. THE OTHER by Ariel Rotter came away with an unprecedented two Silver Bears at the Berlin Film Festival for Grand Jury Prize and Best Actor. Also presented in Berlin competition with considerable sales behind them was ANGEL, François Ozon’s first English language film and Oscar® winning director Bille Augusts’ GOODBYE BAFANA which won the Berlin Peace Prize.
Cannes 2007 saw Celluloid again at the top of their game with no less than three of its productions in official selection, the much admired PERSEPOLIS in competition in Cannes selling out all territories and in what is becoming a habit for Celluloid, winning the Jury Prize. Success continued for the other Celluloid Dreams Produced films; the critical successes of YOUNG YAKUZA by Jean-Pierre Limosin and SAVAGE GRACE by Tom Kalin and THE MOURING FOREST by Naomi Kawase winning the Grand Jury Prize. 2007’s Fall festival season began with a bang with another round of high profile launches and highlights including; FAR NORTH wowing and surprising audiences and critics alike in Venice, the previously mentioned I’M NOT THERE creating huge international buzz, culminating in winning Best Actress (for Cate Blanchett) Best Director (for Todd Haynes) and Best Film in the Cinema of the Future category at the Venice film festival, ‘Six Feet Under’ creator Alan Ball’s TOWELHEAD opening to explosive press in Toronto, the closing night gala EMOTIONAL ARITHMETIC with the entire cast including Susan Sarandon and Max Von Sydow, Miike Takashi’s SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO lifting the roof in Toronto after its Venice competition bow amongst many, many others.
Both the production and sales slate for 2008 are shaping up to be just as strong with a great number of high profile projects in development. Already the year has seen an unprecedented showering of awards for Sundance Competition entry BALLAST, and THE WACKNESS and continuing the success of I’M NOT THERE into the New Year with two best supporting actress awards for Cate Blanchett. Sundance saw Celluloid with its biggest ever presence and together with Berlin proved a critical springboard for both the aforementioned BALLAST and PATTI SMITH DREAM OF LIFE that picked up the Documentary Best Cinematography award.
