Andrea Arnold’s Cannes-Bowing ‘Bird’ Sells Worldwide for Cornerstone
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Andrea Arnold’s drama “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski and a recent contender for the Palme d’Or in Cannes, has been sold around the world by Cornerstone.
With Mubi having snapped up the film before Cannes for the U.K and Ireland and during the fest for North America and Turkey, the new deals include MFA (Germany), Lucky Red (Italy), Avalon (Spain), Benelux (Cineart), Cinobo (Greece), New Cinema (Israel), Front Row (Middle East), Lusomundo (Portugal), Nonstop (Scandinavia), Frenetic (Switzerland), Discovery (Bulgaria, Ex Yugoslavia), Provzglyad (C.I.S), Aerofilm (Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania), Impacto Cine (Latin America), New Select (Japan) and Challan (South Korea). As previously announced, Ad Vitam is the French distributor.
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Written and directed by Arnold, “Bird” sees the director return to the social realist world of her dramas “Red Road” and “Fish Tank” (both of them Cannes jury prize winners). The film sees Keoghan play Bug, a tattoo-covered young father living by the British seaside who’s struggling to devote much time to his two children, including his daughter Bailey (Nykiya Adams), a lonely 12-year-old who’s approaching puberty and seeking adventures elsewhere. Rogowski plays the titular Bird, an eccentric outsider who suddenly come into Bailey’s life. It was produced by House Productions (“The Iron Claw,” “The Wonder”).
The film received a warm welcome at its premiere in Cannes, where it was given a seven-minute standing ovation.
Financiers on “Bird” include BBC Film, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Pinky Promise, FirstGen Content and Access Entertainment. Cornerstone is handling international sales and distribution and co-repped the U.S. sale with CAA Media Finance.
Director of photography on the film is Robbie Ryan (“Poor Things,” “American Honey,” “The Favourite”), editor is Joe Bini (“We Need to Talk About Kevin,” “American Honey”), casting by Lucy Pardee (“Aftersun,” “Rocks,” “Dirty God”), production design is led by Maxine Carlier and costume design by Alex Bovaird (“The White Lotus,” “American Honey”). Additional music was written by Burial.
“Bird” is a House Productions film and is produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge.
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