IFC Entertainment Acquires North American Distribution Rights to French Comedy "My Best Friend"
New York, NY – October 27, 2006 – Continuing an impressive expansion of its 2007 theatrical release slate, IFC Films announced today that it has acquired US distribution rights for all media to the off-beat comedy My Best Friend, which will be released through IFC Films in the Spring. Heart-warming and hugely entertaining, My Best Friend was a 2006 Toronto Gala Presentation where it generated much fanfare among filmgoers as well as critics' praise. The announcement was made by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring.
Directed by legendary French filmmaker Patrice Leconte (Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine, Monsieur Hire, Tango, Le Parfum d'Yvonne, Ridicule, Une Chance sur deux, La Fille sur le pont, La Veuve de Saint-Pierre, L'Homme du train) from a screenplay by Leconte, Olivier Dazat and Jerome Tonnerre, the film's cast includes French mega-star Daniel Auteuil, Pierre Aussedat, Dany Boon, Cyril Couton and Julie Gayet.
My Best Friend is produced by Olivier Delbose and Marc Missonnier through their Fidélité Productions banner ("Swimming Pool," "8 Femmes"). Co-producers are TF1 Film Productions, Wild Bunch and Lucky Red.
In this charming comedy, Francois (played by Daniel Auteuil) is an arrogant antique dealer who is forces to the realization that his closest acquaintances don't like him and don't believe he has one friend. His business partner bets him a Greek vase that he can't produce a single person that calls him a friend. When calls to unlikely contacts turn fruitless, Francois meets and implores Bruno, a truly likable cabbie, to teach him the secrets of lovability.
Commented Sehring, "My Best Friend is a terrific comedy that will appeal to the masses and be supported with an impressive level of marketing and distribution expertise. This acquisition further exemplifies our commitment to aggressively growing our theatrical release slate for 2007 with larger, commercial films."
The deal was negotiated by Sehring, Elizabeth Nastro and Ryan Werner for IFC with Wild Bunch's Carole Baraton for the film.
About Ifc Entertainment / IFC Films
IFC Films is the theatrical distribution company of IFC Entertainment, which also consists of the new IFC Center in Greenwich Village and the day and date label, IFC First Take. IFCE is a Rainbow Media company.
Recent IFC films include Patrick Creadon's Wordplay, Lou Pepe and Keith Fulton's Brothers of the Head, Bent Hamer's Factotum (with Matt Dillon and Lili Taylor) and Sherrybaby, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. IFC Films executive produced The Night Listener with Hart Sharp.
Notable IFC Films include Me And You And Everyone We Know, the Academy Award winning Boys Don't Cry, Touching the Void which broke box office records to become among the top ten grossing documentaries of all time, 2003 Oscar-nominated My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien. IFC Films co-distributed Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and the award winning Transamerica.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including popular national and regional television channels AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE tv, and two FSN affiliated regional sports networks managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. The company also manages Mag Rack and sportskool, two original on-demand networks; VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere; IFC Entertainment, its film distribution, production and exhibition division; Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division; and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.