Nearly 40 Films Make Deals at 2012 Toronto International Film Festival

The Toronto International Film Festival has released congratulations to all the filmmakers whose films were sold to distributors around the world. To date, nearly 40 films have been sold to territories in North America, Europe, The Middle East, Asia, South America, and Australia. That includes 29 major sales to U.S. distributors, with more agreements expected to be announced in the coming days. Key acquisitions include: The Place Beyond the Pines, What Maisie Knew, Still, Thanks for Sharing, Much Ado About Nothing, Dangerous Liaisons, Stories We Tell, The End of Time, Spring Breakers, Byzantium, Something in the Air, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Writers, Imogene, The Brass Teapot, Emperor, John Dies at the End, Thérèse Desqueyroux and Love, Marilyn.

The Festival’s Sales and Industry Office accredited 4,280 industry delegates this year – a 9% growth over 2011 – and worked closely with delegates to facilitate information sharing and foster relationships between accredited buyers, sales agents, producers and filmmakers. Industry delegates represented 2,563 companies and came to Toronto from 81 countries (up from 77 in 2011). Notably, attendance from Asia increased by 40% across the following countries: Japan, China, India and South Korea.

“With the Festival’s inaugural Asian Film Summit and Mumbai as the focus of the City to City programme, our goal was to attract more interest from delegates in Asia this year and we’re very happy with the results,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival.

“We’re pleased that the Festival continues to provide opportunities for buyers to see films in a strong environment which facilitates film sales. It’s been a particularly robust year for sales and we’re happy that the Festival’s official selection will reach film lovers across the world,” said Justin Cutler, Senior Manager of TIFF’s Sales and Industry Office.

Film sales to the U.S. confirmed to date include: The Brass Teapot, Byzantium, Casting By, Come Out and Play, Dangerous Liaisons, Emperor, The End of Time, Great Expectations, Imogene, How to Make Money Selling Drugs, John Dies at the End, Love, Marilyn, Motorway, Much Ado About Nothing, No Place On Earth, Paradise: Love, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Something in the Air, Spring Breakers Still,Thale, Thanks for Sharing, Thérèse Desqueyroux, Three Worlds, The We and The I, What Maisie Knew, White Elephant and Writers.

Sales of Canadian films include: The End of Time, Still and Stories We Tell. Film sales confirmed to other territories include: 7 Boxes, Come Out and Play, The Deep, The Deflowering of Eva Van End, The Fifth Season, A Hijacking, Lore, Out of the Dark, Reality, Something in the Air and Stories We Tell.

The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival runs until September 16.