DEALING WITH IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, Hungerhas been one of the most in-demand films in the market at the Festival de Cannes since its world premiere last Thursday night.
At least five companies made bids for the UK and Ireland distribution rights to the film. Following what was described as "fierce competition" for the rights, it was announced in Cannes yesterday that London-based Pathe Distribution had won the rights.
Pathe enjoyed huge success on the Irish market with Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes The Barley, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes two years ago.
The movie, which featured Cillian Murphy as an IRA volunteer, became one of the three biggest hits of 2006 at the Irish box office.
Prior to its premiere in Cannes, Hungerhad been sold to just one distributor, the Paris-based company MK2, which pre-bought the French rights.
Given the positive critical reaction to the film at Cannes, it has been sold to a number of other countries in the past two days.
The buyers include distributors in Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg.
A number of companies are competing to acquire the US rights, and the film's sales agent, Icon International, anticipates that a US deal will be closed this week.
Hungeris not eligible for the Palme d'Or at the awards ceremony in Cannes next Sunday night because it was screened outside of the main festival competition. However, it is in contention for two prizes on Sunday.
One is the special prize for the best film shown in the official sidebar section, Un Certain Regard, in which Hungerwas chosen as the opening film this year. The other is the prestigious Camera d'Or award given annually to the best film by a first-time director in any section of the festival.
The director of Hungeris British artist Steve McQueen, who won the Turner Prize in 1999.
The film has earned rave reviews for the portrayal of Bobby Sands by its leading actor, Michael Fassbender, who was born in Germany and raised in Killarney.
Pathe has yet to decide its strategy for releasing Hungerin Ireland and Britain.