Hasan Hadi’s ‘The President’s Cake’ Sells to France and Benelux Ahead of World Premiere in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)

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The sales agency, Films Boutique, has secured deals for two significant markets for “The President’s Cake,” directed by Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi, prior to its debut at the Director’s Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival.

The film has been acquired in France by Tandem and Benelux by September Film.

In the strife-ridden 1990s Iraq, where citizens were grappling with widespread food scarcity, a peculiar event unfolded: Each school was mandated by Saddam Hussein to bake a cake as part of festivities marking his birthday.

Even though Lamia tried hard not to be selected, she ended up being chosen from among her classmates. Now, this 9-year-old girl has to rely on her cleverness and creativity to find the necessary ingredients for the compulsory cake, or else she’ll face the penalties.

Or:

Lamia, who had been trying to keep herself from being chosen, was selected among her classmates. This 9-year-old now needs to use her smarts and imagination to collect the essential components for the required cake, or else she’ll have to deal with the repercussions.

Or:

Lamia had been attempting to stay out of the spotlight, but she was chosen from among her classmates anyway. As a 9-year-old, she now has to come up with ideas and use her quick thinking to find the needed ingredients for the cake they’re supposed to make, or else there will be trouble.

Or:

Lamia had been working hard to avoid being selected, but her efforts were in vain as she was chosen among her classmates. Now, this 9-year-old girl must utilize her intelligence and creativity to find the required ingredients for the mandatory cake, or else she will face some sort of punishment.

The film titled ‘The President’s Cake’ was shot entirely within Iraq, featuring a cast comprised of local non-professionals such as Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, and Rahim AlHaj.

Hadi spent his childhood in southern Iraq amidst warfare, subsequently delving into various roles such as journalism, production work, and teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate Film Program at New York University (NYU).

He has been recognized as a 2022 Fellow at the Sundance Institute for Feature Films, and is also the recipient of several prestigious grants for his debut film, “The President’s Cake”. These awards include the 2022 Sundance Institute/NHK Award, SFFILM Rainin Grant, and Doha Film Institute Production Grant.

The movie’s creator is Leah Chen Baker, a recognized producer in the Independent Spirit Awards and filmmaking industry. She was behind Jamie Dack’s first full-length film, “Palm Trees and Power Lines,” which made its debut at Sundance 2022 and received the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award.

Notable executive producers are Eric Roth, a winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (“Forrest Gump”), and Marielle Heller. This production is a collaborative effort between Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Films, and Spark Features.

In the roles of Director of Photography for the films “Bacalaureat” and “RMN,” we have Tudor Vladimir Panduru, who worked alongside Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu. Meanwhile, Andu Radu takes on the role of editor for these productions.

Films Boutique’s selection encompasses “Peter Hujar’s Day” directed by Ira Sachs, a film that debuted at Sundance; “DJ Ahmet,” Georgi M. Unkovski’s Audience Award winner from the same festival; and “Tarika,” a movie by Milko Lazarov that will be screened in the Cannes Ecrans Junior section. Market showings will be provided for “Girls on Wire” by Vivian Qu, a title that competed at this year’s Berlinale, as well as “Where the Wind Comes From,” Amel Guellaty’s film which also had its premiere in Sundance earlier this year.

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2025-05-06 17:57