India’s Alliance Media & Entertainment is in the process of acquiring a library of works by late Iranian auteur Abbas Kiarostami for distribution in the Indian subcontinent from France’s MK2 Films.
The deal covers 33 features, documentaries and shorts from Kiarostami’s oeuvre, including “Taste of Cherry,” “The Wind Will Carry Us” and “Where Is My Friend’s Home.” Negotiations took place at the European Film Market, and the Berlin Film Festival. They are at an “advanced state of closure” and the signing is expected to take place imminently, Alliance’s Sunil Doshi told Variety. Kiarostami died in 2016.
Alliance previously acquired the Pedro Almodovar catalogue from France’s TF1 and Pathe Films and Jafar Panahi’s films from France’s Celluloid Dreams. It struck a deal with Disney’s Indian OTT platform Hotstar, where the works of both masters are streaming now.
Alliance also acquired the Indian distribution and adaptation rights for Veit Helmer’s dialogue-free 2018 German-Azerbaijani comedy “The Bra” from Germany’s Pluto Film Distribution Network. Discussions are ongoing with key talent for an Indian adaptation that will go into production by the end of this year. It will be produced by Manzar Studios and financed by a new IP fund from Rainshine Entertainment. Manzar will also produce Alliance’s Indian adaptation of Martin De Salvo’s 2018 Argentinian comedy “El Padre de mis Hijos,” acquired from Italy’s TVCO.
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Alliance bought Indian distribution rights for the films of Ruben Ostlund from France’s Coproduction Office, Asghar Farhadi’s “The Salesman” from France’s Memento Films and “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” and “Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema” from the U.K.’s Dogwoof.