Berlin film sales agent M-Appeal has struck deals with leading German distributors for rock music drama “The Night of the Beast” and family adventure film “Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers.”
Alamode, the distributor of specialty titles such as “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and “Les Misérables,” has acquired “The Night of the Beast,” which centers on two fans of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Alamode is planning to release the title in June, when Iron Maiden plan to start their next European tour.
The Colombian-Mexican film’s title refers to the band’s 1982 album, “The Number of the Beast,” which has sold more than 14 million copies, and its subsequent tour, “The Beast on the Road.” The film, directed by Mauricio Leiva Cock, revolves around the band’s first concert in Colombia, and includes some of Iron Maiden’s tracks, such as “Aces High” and “The Trooper.”
It tells the story of two young metal-heads coasting aimlessly through Bogota’s streets, whose day is wrecked and their friendship tested when hoodlums steal their tickets to see their favorite band perform live.
The film has screened at festivals in Guanajuato, Gijón, Schlingel and Guadalajara, and plays at TIFF Next Wave this month.
Leiva Cock said: “This is a story inspired by my ‘metalhead’ friends from my adolescence and their experiences at the first Iron Maiden concert. This was the first big tour to come to Colombia in over a decade, and not only metal fans, but general music fans went to the concert to have a chance to get a big music tour experience. This show opened the door to hundreds of other bands to consider touring in Colombia.”
Fabien Arséguel, managing director at Alamode, said: “We’re happy to bring on board a title that unites great music, an iconic, still active and relevant band like Iron Maiden, great companionship and a heartfelt story.”
Leiva Cock is the creator of Movistar’s “Ruido Capital,” which premiered at Berlinale Series Market Screenings, and is co-creator of Netflix’s “Green Frontier.” He is head writer on Amazon’s International Emmy Awards winning show “Falco,” story editor and writer of Netflix’s “Wild District,” and is currently developing “We Are Monsters” for Gaumont.
Koch Films, which has distributed arthouse titles like “Parasite” and “Lady Macbeth,” has picked up “Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers.”
The Norwegian film follows a nature-loving family as they go camping in a beautiful forest. The protagonists, five-year-old Billie and nine-year-old Vega, are played by real-life siblings, the daughters of directors Silje Salomonsen and Arild Østin Ommundsen.
When their father has an accident on a hike, the sisters must seek help. “In contrast to the traditional image of a vulnerable princess who waits for her savior, Vega and Billie learn to overcome obstacles on their own and take their strengths from the sisterhood,” M-Appeal said.
The film had a successful cinema release in Norway in August 2020 and attracted 57,000 admissions, having secured the number one spot at the local box office for three consecutive weeks.
On the festival circuit, the title had its international premiere at Cinekid, followed by screenings at Thessaloniki, Gijón, Mill Valley, Schlingel and Giffoni.
Other deals, as previously reported by PvNew, include South Korea (AK Entertainment), Sweden (Folkets Bio AB), and Benelux (JEF).
