In this episode of the Film Ireland Podcast, we are delighted to once again partner with the Dinard British and Irish Film Festival, which held its 37th edition the weekend before last in the picturesque seaside town of Dinard, Brittany.
At the festival, Film Ireland's Associate Editor Gemma Creagh caught up caught up with Eric Lagesse, CEO of Pyramide Films, to discuss Eric's passion for storytelling, the French film industry and the opportunities and challenges of bringing Irish films to international audiences.
With decades of experience in independent film distribution and international sales, Lagesse shares his insights into the art of selling films across markets, the complexities of film financing, and the role of independent distributors in supporting filmmakers and bringing distinctive stories to audiences around the world.
Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch the original recording here:
About Pyramide Films
Pyramide was founded in 1989. Eric Lagesse became President of the company in May 2008, buying Pyramide from its founder, Fabienne Vonier, who decided to focus on production with Pyramide Productions. As a French distributor, Pyramide releases approximately 12 to 15 films per year and is one of the biggest independent French distributors. From the very beginning, Pyramide also focused on new directors such as Jim Jarmusch (Mystery Train), Sean Penn (The Crossing Guard), Claire Denis (Beau Travail), Catherine Breillat (Sale comme un ange) and Aki Kaurismäki (all his films were released in France by Pyramide, including Le Havre).
Other directors whose films have been distributed by Pyramide include Youssef Chahine (Destiny), Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun, Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film), Wayne Wang and Paul Auster (Smoke and Blue in the Face), Alain Resnais (Smoking/No Smoking), Patrice Chéreau (Un frère – Best Director, Berlin 2003), Shohei Imamura (Warm Water Under a Red Bridge), Claude Miller (La Petite Lili), Tony Gatlif (Exiles – Best Director, Cannes 2004), Denys Arcand (The Barbarian Invasions, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film), Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention – Jury Prize, Cannes 2002), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Uzak – Grand Prize, Cannes 2003; Climates; Three Monkeys – Best Director, Cannes 2008), Fatih Akin (The Edge of Heaven – Best Screenplay, Cannes 2007; Soul Kitchen – Jury Prize, Venice 2009), Hirokazu Kore-eda (Still Walking), Stephan Elliott (Easy Virtue), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives – Palme d’Or, Cannes 2010), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (A Screaming Man – Jury Prize, Cannes 2010), Michael Rowe (Leap Year – Caméra d’Or, Cannes 2010) and, more recently, Gianni Di Gregorio (The Salt of Life) and Céline Sciamma (Tomboy).
As a world sales agent, Pyramide International (formerly FPI) has deliberately focused on film d’auteur, promoting films by emerging directors internationally. These include Sandrine Veysset (Will It Snow for Christmas?), Diego Lerman (Suddenly – Silver Leopard, Locarno 2002), Wang Xiao-Shuai (Beijing Bicycle – Silver Bear, Berlin 2001), Naomi Kawase (Shara), Éléonore Faucher (The Embroiderers – Grand Prize, Critics’ Week, Cannes 2004), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Daratt – Grand Prize, Venice 2006), Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen (Jellyfish – Caméra d’Or, Cannes 2007), Lucía Puenzo (XXY – Grand Prize, Critics’ Week, Cannes 2007), Sam Garbarski (Irina Palm), Catherine Corsini (Leaving) and, more recently, Andrey Zvyagintsev (Elena) and Alix Delaporte (Angèle and Tony).
Pyramide now manages a library of nearly 250 titles for domestic and international distribution.
Dinard British and Irish Film Festival
The Dinard British and Irish Film Festival is an annual celebration of cinema that takes place in the coastal town of Dinard, Brittany. Now in its 37th year, the festival showcases the best of contemporary British and Irish filmmaking, highlighting emerging talent alongside established voices. Known for its warm hospitality and discerning audiences, Dinard provides a unique platform for filmmakers to connect with international industry figures and audiences in France.
