New York, NY – August 15, 2007 – IFC Entertainment announced today that it has acquired all North American rights to Catherine Breillat's seductive drama The Last Mistress (Une Vieille Maitresse). The film will be released theatrically and on local cable's On Demand platform. The announcement was made today by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring.
IFC Entertainment remains the first and only film distribution label fully dedicated to the day and date concept. Maximizing the use of theaters and video on demand technology, IFC has created the first centralized destination for independent films, providing a strong voice to the many critically acclaimed independent films that are shown in New York, Los Angeles and various Film Festivals, but lost within the marketplace each year. Since January of 2006, IFC Entertainment has made films available theatrically and on demand reaching over 40 million homes nationally through Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner, Cox, Insight and on PPV through DirecTV.
"Pairing Catherine Breillat with Asia Argento has produced one of the most entertaining, witty and electrically charged films in recent memory," said Sehring. "Not only is this Catherine Breillat's most accessible film, it's also one of her best. We're thrilled to bring it to American audiences and look for it to be one of her most successful."
The Last Mistress will be part of the 45th New York Film Festival running from September 28th – October 14th. Other notable IFC Entertainment titles in this year's festival include Cristian Mungui's Romanian film 4 Months, 3Weeks & 2 Days, the recipient of the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival; Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park, the winner of this year's Cannes Golden Palm Award and Hou Hsiao Hsien's Flight of the Red Balloon.
Based on a novel by Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly, The Last Mistress was produced by Jean-Francois Lepetit and directed by the critically acclaimed Paris based filmmaker Catherine Breillat, whose other work includes art house hits such as Fat Girl, Sex Is Comedy and 36 fillette. The film, which was in competition at this year's 2007 Cannes Film Festival, stars Asia Argento, considered by many to be one of international art cinema's greatest rising stars. Argento was featured in four films at Cannes this past May, but received the most attention for her turn as Vellini in The Last Mistress. The film also stars newcomer Fu'ad Ait Aatou as Ryno de Marigny.
Set in 19th century France, The Last Mistress chronicles the love affair between tempestuous Spanish mistress Vellini and distinguished well-bred Ryno de Marigny. Ryno's attempt to remain faithful to his wife Hermangarde, a highly regarded woman of the French aristocracy, incessantly fails as Vellini reappears in Ryno's life, offering him the passion and emotional connection he lacks in his marriage. His reluctant obsession with Vellini eventually overtakes his conscious, as he succumbs to the deceitful path of infidelity.
Arianna Bocco, Vice President of Acquisitions and Production, and Liz Nastro, Director of Acquisitions and Production, negotiated the acquisition of The Last Mistress with Eric Lagesse and Valentina Merli from Pyramide International who represented the filmmakers.
About IFC First Take and IFC Entertainment
IFC First Take is the day and date distribution arm of IFC Entertainment. First Take releases twenty-four films a year, theatrically across the country and simultaneously on IFC In Theaters on VOD. IFC Entertainment also consists of IFC Films, a traditional distribution company, and the new IFC Center in Greenwich Village. IFCE is a Rainbow Media company. Recent and upcoming IFC in Theatres films include: Ken Loach's The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Shane Meadow's This Is England, Hou Hsiao Hsien's The Flight of the Red Balloon, and Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, Rainbow Sports Networks managed FSN Bay Area and FSN New England, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a theatrical feature film distribution company; IFC First Take/IFC in Theaters, a day and date theatrical feature film/VOD initiative; the IFC Center in New York City; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Entertainment, which owns and operates a film library. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.