Newen Connect Bows French Comedy Slate Starring Christian Clavier, Didier Bourdon, Ahmed Sylla (EXCLUSIVE)

Newen Connect, the film and TV distribution arm of the French media group Newen Studios, is launching a raft of comedies at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous event in Paris this week.

New titles include “Mr. Putifar’s Wacky Plan,” based on the popular book “La Troisième Vengeance de Robert Poutifard.” It’s produced by UGC and Romain Rotjman’s Les Films du 24, the team behind “Serial (Bad) Weddings.”

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Directed by Pierre-François Martin-Laval (“Serial Teachers”), the movie stars Christian Clavier and Isabelle Nanty. Clavier stars as a retired school teacher plotting a revenge on the kids who made his life hell twenty years ago and destroyed his one chance at love.

“Open Season,” produced by Starman Films and Curiosa Films (“Stars at Noon”), is directed by Frédéric Forestier and Antonin Fourlon. The film stars Didier Bourdon (“Alibi.com 2”), Camille Lou (“Spoiled Brats”), Hakim Jemili (“A Good Doctor”), Thierry Lhermitte (“Just Retired”) and Chantal Ladesou.

The film follows Adelaide, Simon and their two young kids. Cramped in their one-bedroom flat in the city, they dream of having a peaceful house of their own with a garden. So the day they find a spacious country home, they buy it fast. But once they soon find out the hitch: There’s a legal access in their deed of sale allows the entire village to hunt on their property. It’s not long before beasts start trampling into the house and bullets start flying.

“Our Tiny Little Wedding” is a comedy produced by Mikael Abecassis at UGC-owned banner Les films du 24. Directed by Frédéric Quiring (“Two Much For The Job”), the film stars Camille Lou (“Spoiled Brats”), Ahmed Sylla (“The Climb”). The film tells the story of Lou and Max who plan a very intimate wedding which explodes into a huge crazy party that gets out of control when their mismatched family and wacky friends unexpectedly show up.

Newen Connect has just upped Leona Connell from EVP distribution to the newly-created role of chief commercial officer (CCO). Based between London and Paris, Connell will focus on international and French markets across film and TV. She also develops co-production partnerships and pre-sales.

During the French Rendez-Vous, Newen Connect will also host market screenings for two titles, “Alibi.com 2,” the sequel of Philippe Lacheau’s smash hit comedy with Julien Arruti, Tarek Boudali, Elodie Fontan, Nathalie Baye, Didier Bourdon, Gérard Jugnot, Arielle Dombasle and Lacheau himself; and Denis Imbert’s “On The Wandering Paths” with Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) and Jonathan Zaccaï (“The Bureau”). Produced by Radar Films, “On The Wandering Paths” tells the tale of a famous writer and adventurer who challenges himself on the biggest hike of his life after suffering an accident that left his body shattered.

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