Rolling off its Cannes Directors’ Fortnight world bow, J.-P. Valkeapää’s BDSM movie “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” has been sold by The Yellow Affair to new U.K. distributor Anti-Worlds for the U.K. and Ireland, as well as to The Klockworx Co for Japan, Ama Films for Greece, HHG for Russia/CIS, Pilot Film for the Czech Republic and Kasi for the Baltics.
Further deals, notably with Australia/New Zealand, are pending, said Steven Bestwick, The Yellow Affair’s head of sales & business development.
“Dogs” is screening this week at Haugesund’s New Nordic Films market, before heading to Toronto’s World Contemporary Cinema program, then segueing to Austin’s Fantastic Fest where it will have its U.S. premiere.
In his Cannes Directors’ Fortnight review, Variety’s Guy Lodge said: “For those who found too much fantasy in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’s’ depiction of S&M and its painful, cathartic pleasures, “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” arrives as a welcome corrective.”
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“Tom of Finland”’s Pekka Strang stars as a grieving widower and single father who turns to Mona (HBO “Beforeigners”’s Krista Kosonen) a dominatrix for unusual therapy. The dark comedy is produced by Finland’s Helsinki filmi in co-production with Latvia’s Tasse Film. The local release is set for Nov. 1st .
Scandi sales shingle The Yellow Affair’s lineup also takes in the Swedish coming of age “My Life as a Comedian,” slated for Toronto’s Discovery strand. Second-time director Rojda Sekersöz (“Beyond Dreams”) has filmed Jonas Gardell’s screen adaptation of his auto-biographical novel “Growing up as a Comedian.” The pic, about exclusion and trying to fit in, toplines Swedish star actor/comedian Johan Rheborg (“Solsidan”). It opens Oct. 11 in Sweden via SF Studios.
Under the spotlight in Sweden is also The Yellow Affair’s TV drama “Sisters 1968,” a triple nominee at the local TV drama awards for best drama, outstanding actress and actor. The Kristallen awards will be handed out on Aug. 30.
“My Life as a Comedian” and “Sisters 1968” are produced by Sweden’s Anagram, co-owner of The Yellow Affair with Visionex, Helsinki-filmi and Mika Kaurismäki’s Marianna Films.