B&E HIT CANNES

Working La Croisette from East to West...

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It was great to be back beneath the blue skies of the Riviera, to meet old friends and new, to review old strategies and seek new opportunities... It's chaotic, but chaos with a purpose, and in such a beautiful setting!

My company, B&E, actually had five films at the market with five different sales companies.  Our debut feature, 'Shadowguard', is now being sold by Shoreline Entertainment. They have proved to be great partners, and especially experienced in handling this kind of project.

My 'home studio', The Weinstein Company, is handling worldwide sales on the 3D animation 'Little Gobie', which we co-produced with T-Films. It was great to see Harvey (albeit briefly) and the rest of the TWC Team. They have the office with the best view in Cannes (see above). We were also delighted to be able to introduce TWC to an amazing new documentary, 'Plastic Ocean', which should be the new "Inconvenient Truth'.

Arclight are selling our sports action comedy 'Beach Spike!' (also co-produced with T-Films) and you can see me above discussing the film with Tang Wei, who, as you'll all know from the internet reports, I discovered playing her erhu on the streets of London.

We also have the martial arts thriller 'Red Dawn Rising' in development at Fortissimo, and will soon have some major news to break on this title.

I was especially happy to be able to close the deal for my old friend Ko Mori's Eleven Arts to handle international sales on my sexy swordplay actioner 'Snowblade'. We were delighted to close pre-sales on this title during Cannes.

I was also at the festival to support my long-time friend Donnie Yen on the release of his latest period epic 'Wu Xia'. 

That's me and E above with Donnie and his lovely wife Cici at the party before the film's Cannes premiere.

It was also a great pleasure to finally meet the legendary JImmy Wang Yu (The One-Armed Boxer himself!), who is still fighting fit, as he proves as the villain in 'Wu Xia'. That's me and him and the great Wai Yin-hung above.

As ever, it was great to catch up with some old friends. We're all too busy to meet in Hong Kong! Johnnie To was on the Cannes jury this year, but still had time to share a cigar and a tale.

It was also a blast, as ever, to meet kickboxing champ turned B movie maven Don Wilson. Don was en route to a seminar in Bath, and also touting his new clothing line.  And I got a free t-shirt! (see above).

I also got to see the great Tsui Hark at the party for his latest epic 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate'. His better half, Nansun, is on the Cannes jury this year, so they are one busy couple.

It's been a good market for me and B&E, meetings all day and parties all night, but I'm kind of glad it's only once a year!