Release Will Contain Both The Extended Television & Theatrical Cuts
Yesterday, we spoke with Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment, where he shared with us plans for the new Sundance Selects distribution arm and SundanceNow online rental service. We took the opportunity of our conversation with Sehring to ask about the company’s current relationship with with The Criterion Collection which has seen them license a number of titles to the boutique label including “Hunger,” “Che,” “Gomorrah,” and “Fish Tank.” Sehring said IFC will continue to work with Criterion Collection saying, “Our relationship with Criterion has been a very good one. It is something that I know they’re pleased with as are we. We work very closely with them.” Sehring, then revealed some very exciting news about a future Criterion title that also happens to be one of IFC’s most highly regarded and acclaimed films of the year.
Olivier Assayas‘ explosive and electric epic “Carlos” will be released on The Criterion Collection in 2011. The film was originally made as a three part mini-series for French television, and premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in its full five-and-a-half-hour butt-numbing glory. While we didn’t love the film completely, it’s still an utterly compelling piece of work anchored by one of the year’s best, breakthrough performances by Edgar Ramirez in the lead role as Carlos The Jackal. The film ranked high on many year lists and came in first place in the Film Comment poll of the best films of the year.
The release will contain both the extended television cut of the film as well as the shorter theatrical edit, but we definitely suggest you give the uncut version a first viewing. No exactly release dates were confirmed but we’d wager a first half of 2011 release is a safe bet. The film will mark the second entry by Assayas into The Criterion Collection, following “Summer Hours,” the excellent, tender drama that also arrived courtesy of IFC.
We weren’t able to find out what other titles might arrive courtesy of IFC and The Criterion Collection’s ongoing collaboration, we can tell one that won’t. The Criterion Collection apparently turned down Gaspar Noé‘s Tokyo mindfuck “Enter The Void.” So, sorry Noé fans, the auteur’s latest will eventually arrive but not with a wacky C in the upper left corner.