It’s “Christmas” in May for IFC

Well that didn’t take long. The 61^st Festival de
Cannes is just underway and the first major pickup has already been made. IFC Films has ponied up for the domestic rights to Arnaud Desplechin’s A Christmas Tale (Un Conte de Noel). Set to premiere on the Croisette on Friday, Variety
describes the French production as a ”dark drama
about a family coming to terms with the death of a child from a rare genetic
disease.” Certainly not the first thing that would come to mind given the
title! The film features an all-star cast with Catherine Deneuve (is she in
everything right now?), Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Jean-Paul
Roussillon (Kings & Queen), and Chiara Mastroianni (Persepolis).

Having picked up the last two Palm d’Or winners (4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days / The Wind That Shakes the Barley),
IFC has emerged as a major player at the world’s most illustrious cinema
showcase. With 10 acquisitions last year, the company is primed to make some
noise this year. Being the first to secure one of the competing films is a nice
start indeed.

Release plans for A Christmas Tale have yet to be determined, but I’ll take a shot in
the dark and say December? Just a guess.