Pacts poppin' at Madrid pic mart

Spanish Film Screenings bring big buys

By EMILIANO DE PABLOS, JOHN HOPEWELL

'Method' was among a slew of pics sold at the Madrid mart.

With six fiestas packed into four nights, it was remarkable that buyers at Madrid's first Spanish Film Screenings had the energy to screen and buy films -- but they did so with gusto.

Many companies will finalize sales in the next few weeks, but those announced before the three-day mart closed Tuesday night included a trio of U.S. niche sales, plus sizable territory deals with classic distributors whose caliber reflected the strong turnout of distributors at the event.

Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures has taken U.S. rights to Marcelo Pinyero's "The Gronholm Method," while HBO Latino picked up U.S. pay TV rights on Miguel Bardem's "Swindled."

Both pics were licensed by Spanish sales consortium Latido, which, among a swath of deals, also sold "Justine: A Woman for Sale" to the U.K.'s Maiden Voyage; "Hidden," "Method" and "Blessed by Fire" to Israel's Orlando; and "Unconscious," "Galindez" and "The Longest Penalty in the World" to Hungary's Cinetel.

Venevision Intl. has taken DVD and TV rights for the U.S. Hispanic market to Santiago Garcia de Leaniz's psychological thriller "Night of the Brother," sold by Bulbeck & Mas.

Filmax Intl. closed Scandinavia on Daniel Monzon's "The Kovak Box" and toon pic "The Hairy Tooth Fairy" with NonStop Entertainment, and inked Benelux with Paradiso Filmed Entertainment on "Fairy."

The minimart for Spanish films looks destined to become a fixture on the packed market calendar.