Manga nabs 'Bill'
Miramax inks with indie distribber for pic
The agreement looks like the first indie distrib deal in Spain for Miramax after the termination of a long-running preferential distribution accord with Lauren Films.
"Kill Bill Vol. 1" will screen on Saturday at the Sitges Catalonia Intl. Film Festival, Sitges fest director Angel Sala announced Tuesday.
Whether the Miramax-Manga deal for "Kill Bill" leads to a long-term accord is another question, however. Per Spanish distrib sources, Miramax is in conversations with several indie distribbers regarding a multipic deal for Spain.
Manga is one candidate, while other outfits in the running are Aurum Producciones, "Lord of the Rings" distribbers for Spain, as well as Barcelona mini-studio the Filmax Group.
Conversations could be complex. At the Mipcom TV mart in October, Miramax Films inked a deal with Buena Vista Intl. TV for BVITV to handle TV rights in Spain to Miramax movies.
Including "Kill Bill," the multi-year exclusive agreement between BVITV and Miramax and Dimension Films lasts up to and including 2005, giving BVITV Spanish TV rights to some 17 films a year.
The arrangement leaves Miramax with four options for theatrical and video in Spain: to establish its own standalone theatrical distribbery; to create a joint venture with a local distribber along the lines of TFM, Miramax's joint distrib company with Miramax in France; to seal a preferential arrangement with an established distribber or distribbers for theatrical and video; or to sell off films on a film-by-film or group-pic basis.
It could take Miramax and potential partners some time to thrash through these options.
Miramax Films chief operating officer Rick Sands could not be reached for comment.
