Drafthouse Films Picks Up LA FRENCH Starring Jean Dujardin

Drafthouse Films has acquired the US distribution rights to Cédric Jimenez’s period crime thriller LA FRENCH starring Jean Dujardin. A dazzling eight minute promo reel debuted at this week’s Cannes Film Festival, resulting in a prebuy bidding war for distribution rights in multiple territories. This deal marks the first collaboration between Gaumont and Drafthouse Films.

Marseille. 1975. Pierre Michel, a young magistrate with a wife and children, has just been transferred to help in the crackdown on organized crime. He decides to take on the French Connection, a mafia-run operation that exports heroin the world over. Paying heed to no one’s warnings, he leads a one-man campaign against mafia kingpin Gaetan Zampa, the most untouchable godfather of them all. The European flipside to William Friedkin’s The French Connection, Cédric Jimenez’s La French is also based on a true story.

LA FRENCH was produced by Alain Goldman and Legende Films, was directed by Cédric Jimenez and stars Jean Dujardin as Pierre Michel opposite Gilles Lellouche as mob boss Gaetan Zempa.

While in Cannes to promote the movie, Dujardin told Variety LA FRENCH was the first film he decided to do after winning an Oscar for “The Artist.”

“One of our goals is to get young audiences excited about foreign language film,” says Drafthouse Films founder and CEO Tim League. “We combed the market and devoured the official selections. Nothing excited us more than LA FRENCH.”

“I am proud that La French is going to be released by Drafthouse,” said director Cédric Jimenez. “They defend “cinema de qualité” with passion and talent. We are extremely excited to work with them.”

The movie was shot on 35mm and will be screened theatrically in select venues in 35mm along with a collection of vintage 35mm classic crime trailers curated by Cédric Jimenez (DCPs will also be available). Drafthouse Films also plans a limited edition VHS release for the film in addition to traditional DVD, Bluray and digital formats.

The deal was negotiated by Cecile Gaget and Yohann Comte from Gaumont International and James Shapiro and Tim League from Drafthouse Films.