FilmNation sold ‘Sing Street’ to Studiocanal in Germany at the market. Set to begin shooting in Dublin this summer, the 1980s set film follows a teenager who struggles to express himself through music and who desires to escape from his conflict-ridden family (read more here).
It will be directed by John Carney, who is the Irish writer-director behind ‘Once’ and the upcoming ‘Can a Song Save Your Life’. Bono and The Edge will be involved in the music of ‘Sing Street’ and in other capacities which have yet to be confirmed.
Other successes for Irish film at the EFM this year include the sale of ‘A Thousand Times Goodnight’, for which Film Movement bought the US rights while Pacific Northwest Pictures bought for Canada (read the full story here). ‘A Thousand Times Goodnight’ was shot partly in Ireland with the participation of Newgrange Pictures, and co-stars Lauryn Canny, Maria Doyle Kennedy and U2’s Larry Mullen Jr.
German group Global Screen closed a number of deals for the film at the EFM, including sales for Japan with Kadokawa Corporation, with Regency Film in Australia, with HBO in Latin America and with Yeni Bir Film in Turkey among others. ‘A Thousand Times Goodnight’ was recently screened in Dublin at JDIFF.
Another significant achievement at this year’s EFM was New York-based GKids acquiring the North American rights to Tomm Moore’s ‘Song of the Sea’. The animated film is Cartoon Saloon’s second feature following the IFTA winning ‘The Secret of Kells’.
Based on Irish folklore, ‘Song of the Sea’ sees Ben and his little sister Saoirse, the last ‘seal-child’, go on a journey to return to their home by the sea. It features the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Shortt, Lisa Hannigan and David Rawle and it received backing from the IFB, BAI and TG4 among other sources.