Focus Features Makes Term Deal With Canana Films, New Production Company of Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz

Focus Features Makes Term Deal With Canana Films, New Production Company of Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz

NEW YORK, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Focus Features has pacted with Mexico City-based Canana Films, the new production company of actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna and producer Pablo Cruz, in a term deal. Focus president of production John Lyons made the announcement today.

The deal, which is for two years with an option for a third, will give Focus worldwide rights to Canana's planned slate of features. The three partners plan to make both modestly budgeted Spanish-language films in Mexico and higher-budget English-language films.

The pact also continues Focus co-presidents David Linde and James Schamus' working relationships with Mr. Luna and Mr. Garcia Bernal. The two lifelong friends starred together in the Academy Award-nominated "Y Tu Mama Tambien", to which Focus predecessor company Good Machine International held overseas rights. Mr. Garcia Bernal subsequently starred in Focus' Academy Award-winning "The Motorcycle Diaries", and Focus International handled his last feature, "Bad Education".

Mr. Lyons said, "Our partnership with Canana promises to be a fruitful one, as Gael, Diego, and Pablo identify promising and fresh talent. There are so many filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors in Mexico -- both up-and-coming and established - that they can bring to our attention."

Current and upcoming Focus Features releases include Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener", starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz; Jim Jarmusch's "Broken Flowers" (winner of the Grand Prix at the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival), starring Bill Murray; Joe Wright's "Pride & Prejudice", starring Keira Knightley; Harold Ramis' "The Ice Harvest", starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Connie Nielsen; Sanaa Hamri's "Something New", starring Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker; Rian Johnson's "Brick", starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (winner of a Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival); Gaby Dellal's "On a Clear Day", starring Peter Mullan and Brenda Blethyn; Peter Cattaneo's family film "Opal Dream"; Phillip Noyce's "Hotstuff", starring Tim Robbins and Derek Luke; Allen Coulter's "Truth, Justice and the American Way", starring Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, and Diane Lane; Shane Acker's animated fantasy epic "9", produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley & Dana Ginsburg; and Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" (winner of the Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the 2005 Venice International Film Festival), starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Focus Features (www.focusfeatures.com) is a motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company committed to bringing moviegoers the most original stories from the world's most innovative filmmakers.

Focus Features is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.

Source: Focus Features

CONTACT: Harlan Gulko of Focus Features, +1-818-777-7346, or Dee Poku of Focus International, +1-212-539-4084

Web site: http://www.focusfeatures.com/

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