Montréal – February 2nd, 2017 – Seville International is pleased to announce that it has secured international rights to François Girard’s HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS from the producers and will launch sales of the historical drama at the upcoming European Film Market.
Written and directed by Girard (Boychoir, The Red Violin and Silk) and produced by Roger Frappier (Two Lovers and a Bear, Seducing Doctor Lewis, The Decline of the American Empire and Jesus of Montreal) under his MAX Films banner, the film is currently in production in Montreal. The filmmakers have put together a large ensemble cast including Vincent Perez, French Canadian rapper Samian, Naiade Aoun, Raoul Trujillo, Emmanuel Schwartz, David La Haye, Karelle Tremblay, Caroline Dhavernas, Linus Roache, and Sian Phillips among others.
HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS marks the sixth feature from François Girard who has earned critical and public acclaim over his long career as a film, opera and theater director. In 1998, his feature film THE RED VIOLIN, featuring Samuel L. Jackson, received an Academy Award for best original score and enshrined Girard as an important player on the international movie scene. The film also won eight Genie Awards and nine Jutra Awards. For the stage, Girard directed Alessandro Barrico’s NOVECENTO, Kafka’s TRIAL and Yasushi Inoue’s HUNTING GUN. He also directed PARSIFAL for the Opera de Lyon in 2012 and for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2013. In recent years, Cirque du Soleil commissioned Girard to write and direct ZED, their first permanent show in Tokyo; and ZARKANA which opened at Radio City Music Hall, played at the Kremlin Theatre and has become a resident show in Las Vegas.
“I have been following François’s extraordinary career. He’s a fantastic and talented storyteller and director, I’m excited to be working with him on this special project alongside producer Roger Frappier, whose work I also admire greatly. HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS is a sweeping, beautiful and unique story that we’re excited to launch in Berlin and bring to audiences worldwide,” said Anick Poirier, Senior Vice President, International Sales, Seville International.
Seven hundred and fifty years. Five stories. One place. Montreal… HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS traces our history in a single location at the foot of Mount Royal, where Percival Molson Stadium now stands. From an Iroquoian massacre in 1267 to a college football game, from Jacques Cartier’s first voyage in 1535 to the purple fever epidemic in 1687, from the Patriots’ uprising in 1837 to brain surgery at the Montreal Neurological Institute in 1944, five Montreal stories are revealed by an archaeologist’s excavation.
“HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS is more than a movie for me. It is a society project that I share with everyone who worked on this film. My hope is that it will help us reconnect to our roots,” said François Girard.
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About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company’s diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.
Entertainment One’s robust network includes film and television studio The Mark Gordon Company; content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; leading feature film production and global sales company Sierra Pictures; unscripted television production companies Renegade 83; world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning digital agency Secret Location.
The Company’s rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 100,000 hours of film and television content and approximately 40,000 music tracks.
Seville International is the company’s Montréal-based international film distribution arm specializing in strong independent films with crossover potential and arthouse films with award pedigree from Québec, Canada and around the world.
For more information:
Jackie Rubin
Entertainment One
jrubin@entonegroup.com
424.274.4151