Interview with Lebanese French Producer Financier Carlos Bedran for ENTRE NOUS (2023) at the 76th Cannes Film Festival

French Lebanese producer and financier began his professional career with a degree in engineering from Ecole Centrale de Paris in 1982 and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at MIT (Boston, USA) in 1983. After years working as a venture capitalist and founding multiple startup finance and investment consulting companies, Carlos moved into the arena of entertainment and film.

Carlos acted as shareholder and Chairman of the board of Artemis Productions in Belgium since December 2008, the most important movie production company in the Benelux area. Leader in film production in French-speaking Belgium, Artemis Productions has produced more than 100 movies. Carlos is also a shareholder of Alfama Films in France since July 2019, a production company led by Paulo BRANCO and active in France and Portugal. Alfama Films has produced more than 300 movies.

Carlos has most recently produced the French film "Entre Nous" (2023), which screened in the Cannes market. It has sold to ten Countries worldwide and will be released in theaters in France on July 12. 

You have a Master’s in science and a background in engineering. How has your background in science and engineering helped your career in film finance and production?

CARLOS: It has not really. There is no direct link between my scientific and engineering background and my activity as a movie producer, which comes out of a passion I have had since my childhood. In fact, I shifted rapidly from engineering to management and financial operations like (i.e. M&A, fundraising, listing on the stock market) as that is more useful for a producer; it allows to better handle the budgets of the movies and optimize the expenses in order not to derail from what is planned.

You are President and founder of YXELIA and of ALYOTECH and worked with multiple tech consulting companies. Can you tell us about your background in consulting?

CARLOS: After five years as a mechanical engineer, I had the opportunity to launch three buildup operations in the field of technological consulting, with private equity funds. The first one was BRIME TECHNOLOGIES, a group that I developed that reached up to €150M in sales in eight countries, and was listed on the Stock Market, which later merged with a competitor. The second one was ALYOTECH, which raised up to €130 M sales in three years in five countries; it was sold in 2012. The third one is still active, YXELIA, a telecom Networks consulting group, present in France and Holland, representing 300 specialized consultants in radio networks deployment and quality of service, and infrastructure management (LAN & WAN networks).

You have been a shareholder in various film companies as well, including Alfama Films, Artemis Productions, and CB Partners. Can you tell us about those?

CARLOS: I am still a shareholder in these companies. I took a stake in Artemis Productions in Belgium in 2009. The company was in financial trouble, so I invested to take a stake of 20% and since then the company is performing remarkably with ten feature movies, series and documentaries produced every year. In 2019, I took a stake of 40% in Alfama Films, the French production company of the famous Paulo BRANCO, a well-known Portuguese producer. Since 2020, I have been trying to produce my own movies as an executive producer, in my own company CB PARTNERS (www.cbpartners.fr). After many co-production operations in various movies, I finished my first own movie, ENTRE NOUS (2023), that has been sold in ten Countries worldwide and will be released in theaters in France on July 12. 

You have worked on many films and TV series. Do you have a project/s that you are most proud of?

CARLOS: Yes. I co-produced a movie that I particularly admire, A HERDADE, a Portuguese movie by Tiago GUEDES, that I consider to be a masterpiece, along with another movie: LA FOLIE ALMAYER directed by Chantal Akerman, that is a reference for all movie directors. And of course, I am particularly proud of my first movie ENTRE NOUS, as an executive producer. 

What are the most important elements you look for in a story in order to decide to produce it?

CARLOS: Firstly, the script, which for me is essential. I can spend three to six months working on the script with the writer to improve it as much as possible. For me, a movie is about telling a story that will captivate the audience and this story must be compelling, innovative, original, and breathtaking.

Your latest film is called “Entre Nous”. Can you tell us about that without spoiling too much of it?

CARLOS: It is a drama talking about how life can sometimes be violent and unexpected events can lead to disaster in a couple. The pitch is the following: Elodie and Laetitia live together. They are in love and dream of having a child through MAP (medically assisted procreation). As Elodie discovers that she cannot get pregnant because of a health problem, and financial troubles come to thwart their projects, they decide to take a roommate. Things then spin out of control with this tricky intruder.

How did you go about casting the film and what was your biggest challenge in making this film?

CARLOS: We organized a casting in Paris and chose the actors that seemed the most adapted to the roles, and we had the pleasure to be able to convince Jean-François Stevenin to play a role in it.

Is getting an independent film in France difficult to find international distribution these days? How can people see the film?

CARLOS: It is terribly difficult to find a distributor for an auteur movie in France with actors who are not famous. But we succeeded in finding a international seller, WIDE, who has done a great job in 2022 selling the movie to ten countries (CANADA, USA, LATAM, AUSTRIA, GERMANY, JAPAN, TAIWAN, POLAND, South KOREA, ITALY, etc..). We found Kap Films for the French theaters who will release the movie in all France on July 12, and Film Pictures who will ensure the TV sales DVD, VOD, etc. I think the movie seduced them by the originality of its story, the link to current headlines themes like LGBT, PMA, Violence against women, Love, treason, etc.

In your opinion, why is it so important for industry professionals to attend markets like Cannes every year? 

CARLOS: Cannes is without any possible discussion the most famous and prestigious film festival in the world, and it is a real pleasure to attend and experience it. It is a great honor to have a movie selected and this will boost the movie for its commercial exploitation and its recognition worldwide. I loved spending two weeks watching the selected movies and meeting people we cannot meet anywhere else during the year.

What will you be working on next?

CARLOS: I am developing three movies currently: MARIANNE, an adaptation of a novel by George Sand, that will be shot at the end of this year in France. AGAINST ME, an adaptation of a novel by Claire Norton, that I hope to shoot next year. THE ROCK OF TANIOS, an adaptation of a novel by Amin Maalouf, that I hope to shoot in 2025. 

Interview by Vanessa McMahon