Cannes Market News
May 16 th, 2005
“Chatting with Philippe Martinez”
The Chairman and CEO of Bauer Martinez Studios announced the creation of BMD, a brand new distribution company that employs 25 people and plans to release twelve films a year.
What is Bauer Martinez’s reason for launching its own distribution company (BMD) in America?
Philippe Martinez:
When we created Bauer Martinez as a production company 15 years ago we already wanted to be distributors. When I produced Modigliani with Andy Garcia, it was impossible to distribute it in America. Thanks to BMD, the film will open on May 14 th on nine screens in Los Angeles before expanding into the top ten US markets. The distribution of films is in the hands of “pop corn” analysts, who only care about marketing parameters. We are aiming to become the number 1 independent distributor in the world.
What is your strategy?
Philippe Martinez:
For the next three years we will release 12 films per year. 5 large productions with budgets between 25 and 40 million dollars, and 7 films with smaller budgets of 4 to 10 million dollars. The 5 biggest productions will be printed on 1500 or 2000 copies. At the start we will have to take upon ourselves all financial risk. We hope that in time other distribution companies will get involved. We have already acquired the Groomsmen by Edward Burns and we will distribute Irish Jam, a comedy, in November. Land of the Blind with Ralph Fiennes et Donald Sutherland should come out at the beginning of 2006. We want to buy 7 films in Cannes this year. We have also signed a co-production agreement with Eli Samaha and Robert Levy of Gibraltar Films regarding 2 new productions, The Flock, a thriller of 30 million dollars directed by par Andy Lau, and Riders of the Storm, a 40 million dollar action film directed by John McTiernan.
What are your projects concerning Europe regarding DVD distribution?
Philippe Martinez:
I created a company called Lucky 7 in the UK 5 years ago and it has already produced 15 films. We signed an agreement with Alan Latham, President of Templar Film Investment Fund to produce even more films. Our next European project is called Bathory and will be a co-production between Lucky 7 (UK) and Media Pro (Roumania) for a budget close to 8 million dollars. It will be written and directed by Julie Delpy who will star in it with Ethan Hawke. The film takes place during Dracula’s time. What concerns Home Video/DVD, our 17 films will be distributed on video by a big American company. Negotiations are in progress.
