Berlin's blog

With a record number of sales companies participating at this year's European Film Market (along with an obvious drop in the number of buyers), it is heartening to hear that there are new companies coming into the fold, attempting to re-energize the sales sector and infuse it with new blood and new energy.

A company that is coming on strong at the Market is CINESAVVY, a new sales and production company based in Toronto. The buzz surrounding this new kid on the block is the high-profile casting of their feature film FRANKIE & ALICE. A psychological drama set in 1970s Los Angeles, the film stars Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry as a young woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder. The role gives Berry her most controversial and meaty part since winning the Best Actress Oscar for MONSTER'S BALL.

The film, directed by Geoffrey Sax, also stars Stellan Skarsgard as a psychologist who is helping Berry understand the nature of her psychosis and uncover the hidden psychological puzzle that offers a pathway to her mental recovery. The completed film, which has had two sold-out screening at the European Film Market, is written by Mary King, Marko King and Jonathan Watters. CINESAVVY is also repping the thriller CELL 213 directed by Stephen Kay with a cast that includes Eric Balfour, Michael Rooker and Bruce Greenwood.

"We aim to be a boutique company that will only pick up high quality films for the international market", CINESAVVY Managing Director Abhi Rastogi shared with me at his offices at the Marriott Hotel Berlin. The company is the sales arm of production company Access Motion Pictures, a leading Canadian film outfit. "One of the things that we bring to the table is a considerable P+A financing budget, provided by our partners Checkmark Films". Rastogi continued. "This puts us in a strong position to hand pick the right territory distributors and back up the films with the kind of budget needed to achieve maximum success." The company is also in Berlin to explore co-production financing with a number of international partners and will be attending the Tribeca Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival to acquire films for their expanding slate. They sponsored a launch party last evening at the Canadian Consulate in Berlin to further introduce themselves to the international film community.

Rastogi, who worked for several years at Canadian sales company CINEMAVAULT, expressed an intimate understanding of how best to get films released in what has become a challenging market. "The most important thing is that we stand behind our films", Rastogi emphasized. Welcome news to the cadre of independent producers worldwide looking for a sales team willing to do the work necessary to ensure success.

For more information on the company and to get more information on their films, visit: www.cinesavvyinc.com.

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlinale Dailies Editor

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