Other Angle’s Olivier Albou Announces New Cannes Listing and Outlines How The Company Has Become a Key Player in French Independent Comedy

Special: As international delegates call the cruise the first “true” Cannes market after the pandemic, Olivier Albu is gearing up to compete right away. The senior executive, who runs a corner production and sales house with his wife, Lawrence Schoenberg, has four new films in his catalog this year, which he is presenting to international buyers.

Company shows photos of Mélanie Auffret sweet little things (small victories), played by Julia Piaton and Michelle Blanc, is about a busy young teacher challenged by a new student in her class: an explosive 60-year-old man who finally decides to learn to read and write. Next up is Jennifer Devolder’s male midwife feature midwife (wise man) starring Karin Viard and Melvin Boomer, as well as Jonathan Barre serial controller (good channel) in the lead role call my agencyLor Pen, Nicolas Marie and Gregor Ludig is about a psychologist waiting to get a driver out of jail who killed her husband and take revenge on him.

Other actors include Beren Bejo, Elodie Bouches and Emily Cain. HawaiiDirected by Melissa Dragard, Market. The story is told by nine friends during their annual trip to Hawaii, who, after a nuclear attack alert, feel their final moments are near. Hidden truths and grievances resurface, and their annual friendly meeting soon turns into a shouting match.

What each of these projects have in common is that they’re all French comedy, and this is the genre that other corners have quietly distinguished themselves from since its inception in 2008.

“We are a small family business and when we started we knew we couldn’t compete with established French sales agents, festivals and award winners like Wild Bunch, Memento or Celluloid Dreams, and no one was playing us at the time. “French comedies, so we decided to take this place,” Albu told Deadline. “People thought that French comedies would not travel and the international community would not be interested in French humor. But luckily we were right in our decision to stick with the genre, because for the past 15 years we’ve been on stage at least once or twice a year and traveling the world with original films or remakes. So this is definitely our brand right now. ”

Albu has been in this business for over 25 years. After leaving the renowned French business school HEC to pursue his passion for film, the CEO has worked for numerous large companies in the industry. She worked for French broadcaster M6 and sold for five years at UGC International, where she sold the role of Audrey Toto. ameliebecame a worldwide sensation. Also in Burbank, California, Warner Bros. He worked in international film distribution for

Gaining this wealth of knowledge from the sales and acquisitions of big companies, he and his wife set up an independent label in another corner to use French titles that would have a strong local influence. The company reached an agreement with Orange Films and Mars Films to buy and sell them. First title of another column, italian premiereThe comedy about a father taking his children on a ski vacation, received more than one million views in the first weeks of its release in France through Mars Films. Shortly after, the company sold the two-day title to the Directors of Cannes. french kisses (Les Beaux Gosses) also became a local hit.

“The first year really established us as experts in French indie comedy and it helped,” said Albu.

Since then, the company has grown from strength to strength in commercial comedy, where only Albus and Schoenberg held the reins. He was also behind in the 2012 championship. along the tracks With Omar Sai playing a new role untouchables Title spawned a Netflix sequel, duplicated landingIt entered service on 6 May.

“This has been our biggest sale,” Albu recalls, an action comedy in which Sai, a smart street cop, and a hard-hitting officer (Laurent Lafitte) team up to solve the murder of a businessman’s wife. “We’ve sold it worldwide and to the Weinstein company in the United States and distributors like Senator and Medusa. It really took us to the next level.”

along the tracks More than two million accepted in France, which strengthened the other corner’s position in the field of French comedy. Then, in 2014, Another Corner sold Philip Lashow’s hit comedy. babysitters Before selling the remake rights to Universal in Germany.

In addition to sales, the company made many films, starting with the first Italian dramatic production. It was misunderstood In 2014, in last year’s action comedy by Jean-Claude Van Damme Last Rentalhas been sold to Netflix. This title adds to the comedy. spoiled bratsIt was one of the most successful non-English streaming services with over 50 million views worldwide.

“We try to make two or three serious films each year as themes,” says Albu, pointing to this year’s title. Simone, woman of the century A biographical film about Simon Weil, a prominent French figure who also sells leather. “But I also think comedy is something serious. We also try to shoot one or two English-language films a year.”

Relationships are important to Albus, and he and Schoenberg are careful who they work with. They did business again with Marvelous Productions – behind the scenes Simon Y Hawaii – They had a long relationship with Mars Films since the company was founded and before they went into distribution. Additionally, Other Angle has worked with production company Les Films Du Cap multiple times, most recently on subtitles. butcher’s daughter Y men’s hearts.

“Making movies is a long process, and if you’re going to share that journey, you want good people around you,” says Albu.

As it becomes increasingly prominent in the international sales arena, the other corner has the power to intervene early and put finances on the table, despite being an independent label with only two members or full-time staff. . Albu says the company is equipped to provide manufacturers with minimal guarantees to close the financing, as well as facilitate co-production and pre-sale in France.

Another column recently hosted a showcase of French comedies called The French Comedy Club at the Beverly Hills Fine Arts Theatre. The idea for the venture was to create a French comedy business, including remakes and acquisitions, and raise awareness of French genre titles for the industry and the general public.

Albu says the event was a huge success and a second one is planned for next year. “There are audiences here who enjoy these movies but don’t get a chance to see them in theaters,” he says.

In addition to selling books in the Cannes market this year, Albu will actively seek to exercise the rights to a new version of the company’s commercially successful genre library and is cautiously optimistic about progress.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next year,” he says. “Our company is fragile and small and a family business, so there’s always uncertainty about the future, but that’s the nature of the indie film business. You have a movie that can kill you. You have a movie that can save you. We try to be careful and calculated. We face stiff competition from people who have far more money and resources than we do, so we have to be smart and good in our relationships. ”