“Bosch: The Garden of Dreams” receives 24-territory distribution

PanARMENIAN.Net - Jose Luis Lopez Linares’ “Bosch: The Garden of Dreams” will receive a theatrical release in 24 international territories, thanks to a pioneering agreement between production house LopezLi, Madrid-based sales agent Latido and foreign distributor Version Digital.

Territories in which “Bosch” will open in cinemas include the U.S., U.K., Latin America, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

Based out of Valencia, and positioning itself as Spain’s leading event-cinema distributor, both for Spain and in international markets, Version Digital distributes and programs international ballet, opera (such as re-transmissions from London’s Royal Opera House and the Sydney Royal Opera House), theater performances, concert recordings, HD art exhibitions, docs-features and heritage cinema. In Spain, it works with cinema chains, theaters and cultural centers.

Version Digital has also built up a network of national and international theatrical outlets for event cinema from Spain.

Directed by Jose Luis Lopez Linares, Spain’s foremost docu-feature helmer, “Bosch” will open in the U.S. on Sept. 25 at “six of the most representative art-house cinemas in the U.S.,” said Version Digital’s Miguel Gonzalez, adding that “more than 40 cinema cheaters will be able to book “Bosch” via the Cineconductor platform.

“Bosch” will also be released in major territories in Latin America from Sept. 17. Version Digital will roll it out internationally from September through November.

Produced by LopezLi in co-production with Madrid’s Prado Museum and France’s Mondex Pictures and coinciding with the Prado Museum’s Bosch 5th Centenary Exhibition, “Bosch” sets out to explain Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch and his most famed work, the extraordinary and, for many, mysterious “The Garden of Earthly Delights.”

“Bosch has been seen as an esoteric sect member, a crypto-Cathar, an alchemist, or someone who was so cultured that his paintings include visual word-plays, based on biblical reference and folklore,” said Lopez-Linares.

He added: “These interpretations often reflect more the mindset of the spectator.”

In the documentary, novelist Salman Rushdie, historian John Elliott and musician William Christie help elucidate the painting.

The Latido-Version Digital deal typifies the mixed-sales business model for upscale films that combines traditional distribution and alternative or digital outlet deals.

In traditional distribution pacts, Latido has closed sales to Japan (New Select), Taiwan (Joint), France (Epicentre), Germany (Arsenal), Switzerland (Xenix) and Finnish TV (YLE).

Version Digital world-premiered “Bosch” in Spain on June 9 and has so far had a targeted run of 145 screenings in 80 cinemas, earning €85,000 ($95,500) in box office, the top theatrical result for a documentary in Spain this year. It is still playing in Kinepolis megaplexes.