“My Notes on Mars,” Lili Horvát’s first English-language feature, which stars Mackenzie Davis and Rupert Friend, has secured a raft of pre-sales ahead of the Cannes Film Market kickoff.
Now in post, the film is repped internationally by Paradise City Sales. UTA Independent Film Group is handling North America.
Blending romance and science fiction, “My Notes on Mars” follows Margot, a scientist with a troubled marriage who disappears while hiking with her husband, Sam. Weeks later she miraculously reappears on the day of her own memorial service. She remembers nothing about her life — except her Mars research, which she is desperate to find and destroy. Clearly she is not the same as before, yet Sam accepts Margot’s return as a second chance at their love.
The movie has pre-sold to Germany (Plaion), Austria (Filmladen), Spain (Filmin), Benelux (September), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Greece (Cinobo), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), Airlines (Anuvu distribution), Hungary (Mozinet) and Ex-Yugoslavia (Art Servis).
“My Notes on Mars” shot in Budapest and the Hungarian countryside, as well as in Salzburg, Austria.
Horvát is critically acclaimed Hungarian filmmaker whose last film “Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time” debuted at Venice and Toronto in 2020, earned a nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards and went on to be Hungary’s Oscar entry for best international feature. Her debut, “The Wednesday Child,” won a prize at Karlovy Vary.
The film is produced by Horvát and Dóra Csernátony under their Poste Restante banner, together with Oscar nominee Emilie Georges and Naima Abed (“Call Me By Your Name,” “Atropia”) for Paradise City, Anne Carey (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu and Bady Minck of Amour Fou (“The Blood Countess”), Mirsad Purivatra and Jovan Marjanovic of Obala Art Centar (“Triangle of Sadness”), Maja Kecojevic of Parangal Film, Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dornbach, Maren Ade for Komplizen Film (“Sentimental Value”) and Evan Moore of AmorFortuna (“Late Fame”).
The film received support from the National Film Institute of Hungary, the Austrian Film Institute, TRT Cinema and the Film Centre of Montenegro and is produced in collaboration with ZDF/Arte and Fondacija za kinematografiju.
“Notes of Mars” reunites Horvát with cinematographer Róbert Maly, who worked on “Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time.”
Davis was seen recently in “Speak No Evil” by James Watkins, which grossed more than $75 million worldwide.
Friend, a regular actor from Wes Anderson’s movies, was recently seen in “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” Davis is represented by UTA, Entertainment 360, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Friend is represented by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and HJTH. Horvát is represented by UTA.
