Rodolphe Buet on Newen Connect Cinema Push and his constant passion for films: “I watch ‘Apocalypse Now’ at least twice a year to refresh my mind”

Rodolphe Buet, CEO of Newen Connect, is delighted to be back in person at the Berlinale’s European Film Market after the three-year Covid-19 hiatus.

“It’s nice to be in Berlin. When I started in the industry in 2005, my first market was Berlin with Studiocanal,” he says.

Meanwhile, Buet rose through the ranks at Studiocanal and became president of sales and marketing from 2015-2017, where he oversaw the rollout strategies for Paddington And Craft tailor soldier spy including big movies.

He was appointed CEO of Newen Connect in Paris in 2020 and led its creation following TF1’s 100% acquisition of Newen Studios from the merger of their TF1 Studio, Newen Distribution and Reel One International distribution arm.

He has worked continuously for the past three years to set up a structure to meet the convergence between the audiovisual world and the film world and last September appointed Leona Connell Chief Commercial Officer in charge of the international and French film and television markets which be kept under supervision. .

Ahead of EFM, the company also announced the promotion of Alice Damiani to SVP International Film Sales, replacing Sabine Chemaly, who has held the position since 2012.

TV dramas and shows make up the bulk of Newen Connect’s slate, but Buet has made it his mission to grow the film side, and the company comes to the EFM with its strongest film slate in years.

Highlights include Italian director Piero Messina’s dystopian fantasy about love and loss Another ending, with Gael García Bernal, Renate Reinsve and Bérénice Bejo; Live animal drama directed by Guillaume Maidatchevsky China and Yuk and Marco La Via and Hannah Ladoul’s comedy-drama funny birdswith Andrea Riseborough, Catherine Deneuve and Morgan Saylor.

French titles are included Mr. Putifar’s crazy planwith Christian Clavier as a retired teacher who plans revenge on former wayward students and on Frédéric Forestier and Antonin Fourlons Open sessionabout a couple who discover their newly acquired dream home in the countryside comes with ancient hunting rights on their land for local villagers.

Newen Connect will also release Philippe Lacheau’s new hit comedy Alibicom 2; Dennis Imberts on the trail, with Jean Dujardin as writer and adventurer who embarks on a challenging trek while recovering from a serious accident; and that of Frédéric Quiring Our little weddingwith Camille Lou and Ahmed Sylla.

Buet says the series reflects Newen Connect’s strategy and vision and focuses on three core types of films.

First French mainstream films produced by TF1 Studios and TF1 Films Production (Alibi.com 2) as well as the long-standing French distribution partner of TF1 Studio UGC ( Potiphar’s crazy plan)which is well received at the local box office and is also of international value.

Second, feature films produced by production labels under the Newen Studios umbrella, overseen by former Studiocanal colleague Romain Bessi.

“Most companies are focused on audiovisual media, but more and more companies are also fully or partially involved in film,” says Buet.

These include British Fiction House (On Chesil Beach, The courier) and Joi Productions (blue story), in which Newen-owned Ringside Studios took a minority stake last year; Danish Nimbus film (Party, A happy man) and moonshaker (Le Briogames) in France

“With Romain Bessi and Nathalie Toulza Madar (TF1 Studio Deputy CEO), we want to focus our efforts on films to which we have the most rights,” says Buet.

“Our mission is to guide Newen’s producers to finance and realize their projects, then connect them with the widest possible audience, while increasing our theatrical exposure.”

The third axis is English-language projects initiated by external producers, such as Kevin Macdonald’s documentary John Galliano, for which Newen Connect shows the first footage on the EFM, and funny birds And Another endingsaid Butt.

funny birds is directed and produced by Melita Toscan du Plantier, the driving force behind the Marrakech International Film Festival, under her new banner Tosca, starring Julien Madon at Federation-owned Cheyenne Productions.

Another ending is the latest production from Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima and Carlotta Caloris from the award-winning Rome-based film and television company Indigo Film.

“We caught up with Carlotta and the team to talk about a separate TV project and they talked about it Another ending.

“It’s an incredible story set in a dystopian world where it’s possible to meet deceased loved ones for the last time to share one last thing. I immediately said I wanted to be there. They managed to create a great cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Bérénice Bejo and Renate Reinsve. It’s a fantastic package to bring to market,” he explains.

Buet acknowledges that it is a difficult time for feature films as the theater market continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, but remains optimistic that audiences will return to theaters in the long term.

“When a film has real added value, the audience comes back and films find their audience. avatar is a good example. Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is a good example. I think audiences will come back little by little, but when people come back to theaters they want to feel that the journey was worth it,” he says.

He also sees the changes in the market as an opportunity and explains that at Newen Connect he has driven a creative, cross-platform approach, where films and series can be funded and distributed through a mix of different partners and release windows.

“Our job as producers and distributors is to find audiences, whether in the theater or on stage, so that our directors can make up their stories and tell what they want to tell. A film that works well in the cinema at home can then be streamed somewhere else,” he said.

He cites French comedy as an example spoiled nests, co-produced by TF1 Studio and TF1 Film Productions. The film grossed $3.9 million domestically and reached the top ten on Netflix at the end of 2021.

Asked for his opinion on rival French content giant Mediawan’s recent move to the US with the acquisition of Brad Pitt’s Plan B, Buet said it was unlikely Newen Studios and Newen Connect would ever attempt to cross the Atlantic in a similar way to cover to cross.

“I can’t imagine for a second that Newen Connect is taking on Film Nation or AGC. They are very good, they know their business and they are already doing a good job of leading American manufacturers,” he says.

“Newen Studios is a European studio. My job is to support European producers and talent in Europe to develop and grow Newen Studios and Newen Connect in practice. We have enough talent and stories in Europe for that.”

That doesn’t prevent producers under the Newen umbrella from operating in the US, he adds.

“If we have a fantastic talent based on our experience at Studiocanal who wants to work in the US, Romain and I have the connections,” he says.

Most of Newen Connect’s wider range is related to television and Buet will be one of the program speakers at this year’s Berlinale series.

However, he openly reveals that he still has a special passion for cinema.

“I love going to the theater and discovering new talent and new faces. About 80% of my business is television and 20% film. But I will tell you a secret. I am looking for apocalypse now at least twice a year to refresh and clear my mind so that I still know what it means to create great images and images,” he says.

“I think it helps me with project selection, because for me it’s mainly about passion projects versus business projects, projects that are distinctive and bring something outside the mainstream, although delivery remains essential.”