Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes Film ‘Parallel Tales’ Sells Widely for Charades

Asghar Farhadi’s star-studded drama “Parallel Tales” has secured a raft of international sales following its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, underscoring strong global demand for the latest feature from the two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker.

The drama, which marks the acclaimed Iranian director’s return to a contemporary Paris setting, boasts a glamorous French cast led by Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney and Adam Bessa.

“Parallel Tales” follows a group of interconnected characters whose lives become entangled through a series of revelations and shifting perspectives, in keeping with Farhadi’s signature exploration of truth, morality and human relationships.

The film was produced by Alexandre Mallet-Guy at Memento Production in France, Lucky Red in Italy and Cineart in Benelux. It’s already been released theatrically in France through Memento Distribution.

Charades has now sold “Parallel Tales” across key territories worldwide, including Canada (Mongrel Media), Latin America (Imovision), Australia and New Zealand (Palace Entertainment), South Korea (Playgram), Singapore (Shaw Organisation) and Japan (The KlockWorx), Germany and Austria (Studiocanal), Spain (Avalon), Greece (Cinobo), Portugal (Alambique), Scandinavia (Edge Entertainment), Bulgaria and the Adriatics (MCF), the CIS (Exponenta Film/MJM Group), the Baltics (Adastra), Poland (Monolith Films), Hungary (Cirko Film), Romania (Good Time Films), Ukraine (Svoe Kino), Israel (Lev Cinema), Switzerland (Frenetic Films), Turkey (Filmarti), Lebanon and the Gulf states (Front Row Entertainment), India (Impact Films), Indonesia (Falcon) and Singapore (Shaw Organisation).

“Parallel Tales” marks Farhadi’s first French-language feature since “The Past,” which won a best actress prize at Cannes for Berenice Bejo. “Parallel Tales” was Farhadi’s fifth film presented at Cannes. He made the film in exile after leaving Iran in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini and the ensuing protests. While his best-known films include “A Separation,” “The Salesman” and “A Hero,” Farhadi also directed “Everybody Knows” starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, which opened Cannes in 2018 and played in competition.