XYZ Films Hires Former Film Factory Executive To Oversee New Global Film Slate Including Cannes Title ‘In Flames’

Zac Ntim
·2 min read

XYZ Films has hired Manon Barat, a former executive at the Spanish sales company Film Factory, to head a slate of titles that will fall under the company’s newly-launched global film initiative, New Visions.

Barat will work alongside XYZ Head of International Acquisitions Todd Brown to oversee the new slate, which the company has described as a “highly curated collection of films.”

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XYZ will launch the new slate in Cannes with In Flames, a Pakistani-Canadian horror film directed by Zarrar Kahn and executive produced by Shant Joshi. The pic will screen as part of the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar. Check out a first-look image from the film below.

Other titles from the initial New Visions slate include the Czech sci-fi pic Restore Point, directed by Robert Hloz and produced by Jan Kallista, which will have footage screened at the Marché du Film as part of the Fantastic 7 lineup. Paul Duane’s upcoming Irish folk horror All You Need Is Death is also part of the slate.

XYZ today said the New Visions slate will “support the next generation of great filmmakers at the inception of their career” and enable “established talents room to do something smaller, more intimate, or challenging outside of the usual box of independent filmmaking.”

“I’ve always considered XYZ to have one of the most creative and bold slates, and it is an honor to join the team,” said Barat. “I am thrilled to be on board for this specialized slate which will be talent-driven and actively looking for bold filmmakers who I believe will be the leaders of their generation.”

During her time at Film Factory, Barat worked on titles such as Jayro Bustamante’s Volcano (Ixcanul), Tremors, and La Llorona, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. Other highlights include Fernando Trueba’s Forgotten We’ll Be, which was selected for Cannes in 2020. In 2022, she worked on Carlos Vermut’s Manticore, and the San Sebastian Golden Shell winning The Kings Of The World by Laura Mora.

“What we’re saying with the New Visions Slate is that no matter how XYZ may continue to grow and change we are never going to allow ourselves to lose our roots,” said Brown.

“With this new initiative, we are very proactively creating a space for our next generation of talent to shine, a space for both new talent and established voices looking to challenge and redefine themselves. We couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds and thrilled to have Manon joining us on the journey.”

‘In Flames’ — XYZ Films
‘In Flames’ — XYZ Films

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