Coproduction Office, founded in 1987, is composed of four production divisions in Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen and London, and an international sales company, all specialised in Auteur Cinema. Coproduction Office’s founder Philippe Bober has produced forty films to date with twelve of these having been selected to screen in Competition in Cannes, winning two Golden Palms:

Triangle of Sadness ''Triangle of Sadness'' is a 2022 satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ruben Östlund in his English-language feature debut. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean (in her final film role), Dolly ...

and The Square both by

Ruben Östlund Ruben Östlund () (born 13 April 1974) is a Swedish filmmaker best known for his satirical black comedy films '' Force Majeure'' (2014), '' The Square'' (2017) and '' Triangle of Sadness'' (2022). He is the recipient of various accolades, includi ...

. Over the last two decades, it has mainly produced and handled films by

Ulrich Seidl Ulrich Maria Seidl (born 24 November 1952) is an Austrian film director, writer and producer. Among other awards, his film ''Dog Days'' won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice in 2001. His 2012 film '' Paradise: Love'' competed for the Palme d'Or at ...

Jessica Hausner Jessica Hausner (born 6 October 1972) is an Austrian film director and writer, and a professor at Filmacademy Vienna. Early life Jessica Hausner is the daughter of Viennese painter Rudolf Hausner, sister of costume designer Tanja Hausner and ...

Roy Andersson Roy Arne Lennart Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedes, Swedish film director, best known for his distinctive style of absurdism, absurdist humor and Melancholia, melancholic depictions of human life. His personal style is characterized by ...

Michelangelo Frammartino Michelangelo Frammartino (born 1968) is an Italian filmmaker. Biography Michelangelo Frammartino was born in Milan to Calabrian parents in 1968. In 1991 he enrolled in the Architecture Faculty of the Politecnico di Milano. Between 1994 and 19 ...

Kornél Mundruczó Kornél Mundruczó (; born 3 April 1975) is a Hungarian film and theatre director. His 2014 film '' White God'' won the Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. While '' Tender Son: The Frankenstein Project'' (2010) and '' Jupiter's Moon'' (2 ...

Ilya Khrzhanovsky Ilya Andreyevich Khrzhanovsky (; born 11 August 1975) is a Russian-born film director, screenwriter, film producer and member of the European Film Academy. His father Andrei Khrzhanovsky (b. 1939) is one of the top Russian animation directors, a ...

Carlos Reygadas Carlos Reygadas Castillo (; born October 10, 1971) is a Mexicans, Mexican filmmaker. Influenced by existentialist art and philosophy, Reygadas' movies feature spiritual journeys into the inner worlds of his main characters, through which themes ...

, and has also sold films by, among others, Gust Van den Berghe,

Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...

, Antonio Campos,

Cristi Puiu Cristi Puiu (; born 3 April 1967) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. With Anca Puiu and Alex Munteanu, in 2004 he founded a cinema production company, naming it Mandragora. Early life, education and career Cristian Emilian Puiu was ...

Corneliu Porumboiu Corneliu Porumboiu (; born 14 September 1975) is a Romanian film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Life and education Corneliu Porumboiu was born in Vaslui, Vaslui County, Romania. He is the son of a former Romanian language teacher ...

and Thomas Clay. As one of Europe’s leading international sales agents, Coproduction Office handles the international distribution of its films as well as a selection of other exceptional films, such as the meticulously restored masterpieces of

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such a ...

History

Founded in 1987 by Philippe Bober, the company was named after its efforts to raise funds for ''Europa'' by

Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (né Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late-1960s as a child actor working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decad ...

(winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1991). ''Europa'' was a four-country coproduction supported by

Eurimages Eurimages is a cultural support fund of the Council of Europe, established in . Eurimages promotes independent filmmaking by providing financial support to feature-length fiction, animation, and documentary films. In doing so, it encourages co-op ...

during its very first session in 1989 for which Bober acted as associate producer for Germany and France. For von Trier's following project, '' The Kingdom'', Coproduction Office was involved both as German co-producer and international sales agent, closing deals in territories where the four-hour-long television series was distributed theatrically (by

October Films October Films, Inc. was a major U.S. independent film production company and distributor founded in 1991 by Bingham Ray and Jeff Lipsky as a means of distributing the 1990 film '' Life Is Sweet''. A series of mergers and acquisitions began wh ...

in the U.S.; ICA Projects in the United Kingdom; Haut et Cour in France;

Shochiku is a Japanese entertainment company. Founded in 1895, it initially managed '' kabuki'' theaters in Kyoto; in 1914, it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo. In 1920, Shochiku entered the film production industry and establis ...

in Japan, Key Films in Italy; Essential Films in Germany - the then newly created, Berlin-based production arm of Coproduction Office). Coproduction Office then went on to produce

Breaking The Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...

for the joint production venture Libérator Productions with

Zentropa Zentropa, or Zentropa Entertainments, is a Danish film company started in 1992 by director Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. Zentropa is named after the train company Zentropa in the film '' Europa'' (1991), which started the co ...

in 1999, and has established ongoing relationships with Scandinavian directors; Roy Andersson,

Dagur Kári Dagur Kári (born Dagur Kári Pétursson; 12 December 1973) is an Icelandic film director. Early life He was born in Paris, France, to Icelandic parents. The family returned to Iceland when he was 3 years old. After attending local schools as a ...

, producing the film '' Nói Albinói''together with Iceland's Zik Zak Filmworks, as well as

. Coproduction Office expanded its production activities adding production divisions in Paris in 2000, in Copenhagen in 2007, and in London in 2020. Coproduction Office and the Sarajevo Film Festival have cooperated since 1995 with Philippe Bober being artistic director and thereafter programmer of the new currents section. "Having freedom of choice has always been an obsession of mine," notes Bober, highlighting that he "also spent three months per year for over 15 years viewing films, going to festivals, looking for information about directors: focusing on a few films is a deliberate choice and the result of this work." It is thanks to his role at the Sarajevo Festival that Philippe Bober invited Roy Andersson’s short films ''Something Happened'' (1987) and '' World of Glory'' (1991), as well as Jessica Hausner’s graduation film Inter-View (1999), Ulrich Seidl’s film Models (1999) and Ruben Östlund’s short film Autobiographical Scene Number 6882 (2005), subsequently establishing long working relationships with all four directors. “In the end, I’m loyal to auteurs” comments Philippe Bober, “I’ve been working with Michelangelo Frammartino since 2003, with Jessica Hausner and Ulrich Seidl since 1999, and with Roy Andersson since 1996. The auteurs and the company grow together."

Film Library

The films produced or sold by Coproduction Office mostly premiered in Cannes (with 12 nominations in the official Competition, 8 first features and 13 awards across sections), Venice (with 6 nominations in the official Competition, 5 first features and 8 awards across sections) and Berlin (4 nominations in Competition). 21 of these Competition titles were produced or co-produced by Philippe Bober.

Awards

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

** 2022: Palme d'Or for

**2019: Prix d'interprétation féminine – Best Actress for '' Little Joe'' by

** 2017: Palme d'Or for ''The Square'' by

** 2014: Jury Prize Un Certain Regard for ''Force Majeure'' by Ruben Östlund ** 2008: Fipresci Award for ''Delta'' by

** 2006: Camera d'Or and Prix Europa Cinema for '' 12:08 East of Bucharest'' by

** 2005: Prize Un Certain Regard Award for '' The Death of Mr. Lazarescu'' by

** 2002: Camera d'Or Special Mention for '' Japón'' by

** 2000: Jury Prize for ''

Songs from the Second Floor ''Songs from the Second Floor'' () is a Swedish black comedy-drama film which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 6 October 2000, written and directed by Roy Andersson. It presents a series of disconnected vignettes that together interrogate as ...

'' by

** 1999: Cinéfondation Award - Special Mention for ''Inter-view'' by

** 1996: Grand Prix for ''

Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...

'' by

Lars Von Trier Lars von Trier (né Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late-1960s as a child actor working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decad ...

** 1992: Jury Prize for ''Europa'' by

* Mostra Internazionale del Cinema di Venezia ** 2019: Silver Lion for '' About Endlessness'' by

**2014: Golden Lion for '' A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence'' by

** 2012: Jury Prize for '' Paradise: Faith'' by

** 2009: Fipresci Award, Signis Award, Premio La Navicella and

Brian Award The Brian Award (in Italian language, Italian: ''Premio Brian'') is the award given since 2006 to “a film that highlights and enhances the values of rationality, respect for human rights, democracy, pluralism, promotion of individuality, freedo ...

for ''Lourdes'' by

** 2009: Silver Lion for ''Women Without Men'' by

Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat (; born March 26, 1957) is an Iranian photographer and visual artist who lives in New York City, known primarily for her work in film, video and photography. Her artwork centers on the contrasts between Islam and the West, femininit ...

** 2001: Grand Prix for ''Dog Days'' by

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

** 2020: Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for '' DAU.Natasha'' by ''

'' and Jekaterina Oertel * Other main prizes: ** 2015: Special Jury Award at

South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

for ''Creative Control'' by Benjamin Dickinson ** 2010: Label Europa Cinemas for '' Le Quattro Volte'' by Michelangelo Frammartino ** 2005: Tiger Award for ''4'' by

** 2002: Silver Leopard for ''Pleasant Days'' by

** 2000: Tiger Award for ''Suzhou River'' by Lou Ye ** 1999: Sarajevo Audience Award for ''Models'' by Ulrich Seidl ** 1996: 6

Robert Awards The Robert Award () is a Danish film prize awarded each year by the Danish Film Academy since 1984. Description The Robert-Prisen (Robert Award) is an annual award given by the Danish Film Academy, launched in 1984. It is the Danish equivalent ...

for ''The Kingdom'' by

** 1990: Wiener Film Prize for ''Good News'' by Ulrich Seidl

The Rossellini Project

In collaboration with

Istituto Luce The Istituto Luce ("Light Institute", with ''Luce'' being the acronym for ''L'Unione Cinematografica Educativa'', i.e. "The Educational Film Union") was Italy’s public film agency corporation, created in 1924 during the Fascist era. The institu ...

Cineteca di Bologna The Cineteca di Bologna is a film archive in Bologna, Italy. It was founded on 18 May 1962. Since 1989, it has been a member of the Fédération internationale des archives du film (FIAF). It has been a member of the Association des ciném ...

and CSC

Cineteca Nazionale Cineteca Nazionale is a film archive located in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1949. By law it manages the so-called legal deposit, with the task of collecting, preserving and disseminating the productions of Italian cinema. It is the only Italian ...

, Coproduction Office undertakes the restoration and promotion of ten key films of Roberto Rossellini’s filmography: * ''

Rome, Open City ''Rome, Open City'' (), also released as ''Open City'', is a 1945 Italian Italian neorealism, neorealist war film, war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rom ...

'' (1945) * '' Paisan'' (1946) * ''Amore'' (1948) * ''

Germany, Year Zero ''Germany, Year Zero'' () is a 1948 film directed by Roberto Rossellini, and is the final film in Rossellini's unofficial war film trilogy, following ''Rome, Open City'' and '' Paisà''. ''Germany Year Zero'' takes place in Allied-occupied Germa ...

'' (1948) * ''Stromboli'' (1950) * ''

Machine to Kill Bad People ''The Machine to Kill Bad People'' (Italian: ''La Macchina ammazzacattivi'') is a 1952 Italian fantasy comedy film directed by Roberto Rossellini and featuring Marilyn Buferd, William Tubbs and Clara Bindi. It is part of the tradition of neoreal ...

'' (1952) * ''

Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...

'' (1954) * ''

Journey to Italy ''Journey to Italy'', also known as ''Voyage to Italy'', is a 1954 drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini. Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders play Katherine and Alex Joyce, a childless English married couple on a trip to Italy whose marriage i ...

'' (1954) * '' India: Matri Bhumi'' (1959) * '' Intervista a Salvador Allende: La forza e la ragione'' (1971) * Anno Uno (1974)

Coproduction Office Classics and Restoration

Coproduction Office is active in restoring its films, and whenever possible, working closely with the directors. In 2021, director Lou Ye supervised the Coproduction Office restoration of his film Suzhou River (2000), working from the original 16mm A-B negative of the image. The restored classic has been presented at Berlinale Classics 2022

Carlos Reygadas’ Battle in Heaven has been newly restored from the original negative, in full 4K resolution and with Dolby Atmos sound, this process was entirely supervised by the director. Of Reygadas’ titles Japòn, has been restored in 2K, as well as Post Tenebras Lux. Coproduction Office’s restoration efforts also extend to the Rossellini Collection. Restoration of Dagur Kari and Jessica Hausner’s films is in process.

Filmography

References

External links

*{{official, http://coproductionoffice.eu/ Film production companies of France International sales agents