Newen Connect has signed a pact with international sales company The Yellow Affair to have the company handle global distribution for independent films produced by Newen Studios.
Newen Studios and Yellow Affair are already related though Anagram, which is label of Newen and a shareholder Yellow Affair, along withVisiorex,Helsinki-filmi and Marianna Films. Newen, meanwhile, is owned by France’s leading commercial network group. The European banner handles co-production, co-financing and international sales through its commercial arm, Newen Connect.
Unveiled during the Goteborg Film Festival, the three-year deal will see Newen Connect continue handling mainstream titles and French movies, while The Yellow Affair will focus on indie pics produced by Newen Studios’ international labels under the new brand The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect.
The inaugural roster of the new label include Constanze Klaue’s “Punching the World,” produced by Denmark’s Nimbus and Germany’s Flare Films, based on the Lukas Rietzschel’s novel of the same name.
“We are delighted to be working with colleagues at The Yellow Affair on our film distribution strategy,” said Rodolphe Buet, Newen Connect CEO. “Meeting Karoliina Dwyer, discovering her passion for films, and her relationships with both talent and the film festivals, convinced us The Yellow Affair was the right partner to take our indie movies into the spotlight of the markets,” Buet continued.
Karoliina Dwyer, The Yellow AffairCEO, said the company looked forward to “broadening the scopeand scale of (their) relationshipwith Newenand their talented producers and lookforwardto bringing their strong arthouse films to buyers and audiences worldwide.”
Anagram Sweden managing director and producer Miira Paasilinna also praised the new collaboration. “The Yellow Affair has been working diligently for years now as a boutique sales agent concentrating on art house films and this brings new possibilities for the company,” she said.
In addition to “Punching the World,” the lineup also includes “Kontra” (working Title), a youth drama starring Danish talent Jonas Risvig, produced by Newen’s Danish subsidiary Nimbus Film, and set to premiere in Denmark later this year.
Along with handling Newen’s titles, The Yellow Affair will also pursue its core business of selling movies from its catalogue and third-party titles through its offices in Helsinki, New York and London. The outfit’s current slate includes “Reinas” which played at Sundance and will screen at the Berlinale, as well as “Unmoored” which played at the BFI London Film Festival. The company’s lineup also includes Czech Republic’s Oscar entry “Brothers” and Toronto title “Chuck Chuck Baby.”
Newen Connect’s theatrical library comprises over 800 feature films, including “High & Low – John Galliano,” “Alibi” and classic titles such as “The Piano,” “Muriel’s Wedding” and “The Wages of Fear.”
