Posted: Sun., Nov. 9, 2003 , 6:00am PT
 
Entera plans pan-Euro distrib op
 
Shingle slates pics, U.S. expansion
 
By JOHN HOPEWELL

 
MADRID -- What difference does a year make? In the case of pan-European distrib Entera unveiled a year ago at Mifed, quite a lot. Created by Washington, D.C.-based media entrepreneur Jeff Simmons, the year-old, U.K.-based shingle has a slate of pics and is advancing plans to bow a U.S. distribution operation.

In the early 1990s, Simmons handled U.S. distribution of the lucrative "Highlander 2" through indie Interstar.

Pan-national distrib ops reflect their times. Polygram established direct distrib ops abroad; Signpost would have mixed them with deals with local operators. For the five territories where it is taking rights -- the U.K. , France, Italy , Germany and Spain -- Entera will, more modestly, strike sub-distribution deals. Spanish newcomer distrib Solida has just taken theatrical rights to Spain , for instance.

For the rest of the world, Entera will work with an international sales agent; a deal is believed to be imminent. Entera sets out to bridge financing and distribution, particularly between the two heartlands of soft Euro coin, the U.K. and Germany , and distribution in Europe and the U.S. It is negotiating with several U.K. and German funding sources for distribution of their pics, and has recruited Andreas Pense, a well-known, Hamburg-based tax fund lawyer, as Entera's European general counsel and an advisory board member.

"Our business plan envisaged a pan-European distribution company and the creation of a pipeline of European movies which could be released in America . The U.S. facility may kick off first, just because of the timing of available product," Simmons says.

Entera's first slate includes:

• "Solea," a U.K.-set teen relationship drama-cum-flamenco "Dirty Dancing," from London-based producer Paul Sarony, directed by Terence Daw and skedded for a spring start;
• Two-pic horror/fantasy diptych "The Ring of the Fallen," from Hollywood f/x vet John Carl Buechler, which may well shoot at a leading German studio;
• "Outside Camelot," a star-driven drama by Agnieszka Holland, with Lisa Bruce producing;
• African-set adventure pic "The Pioneer," from Italy's Settimaluna Films, an Italy/South Africa/U.K. co-production; and
• An island-set caper comedy, "Caribbean Candy," from Fina Torres, produced by L.A.-based Dileep Singh ("Maya").

Pics join the announced "West Texas Kids," from producer Polly Platt, toplining Rory Culkin and Hayden Panettiere. "We've survived the first year, which is always the hardest for any company, and some of the financing on the movies is really advanced right now," Simmons says.

The Entera model is appealing: Nowadays it's relatively easy, for instance, to raise film finance in the U.K. . But it's damnably hard -- and getting tougher -- to secure overseas distribution, especially in the U.S. But a company is made or broken on its projects' strength.

That may begun to be known at Mifed, if a sales agent is on board in time. Entera execs Ricardo Avila and Nicholas Bingham will be attending the Milan mart.