Exclusive: MADRID — Paris-based Distrib Films has taken French theatrical rights to  »Insensibles, » the debut of Spaniard Juan Carlos Medina.Distrib Films plans to release  »Insensibles » fall 2012.

Wild Bunch will put out  »Insensibles » on DVD via Wild Side Films.

The Distrib Films deal marks one of the last financing pieces on a buzzed-about chiller that went into production this week, shooting in Huesca, Girona and Tarragona.

Produced by Spain’s Roxbury and A Contracorriente, which distributes in Spain, France’s Les Films d’Antoine and Tobina Film, and Portugal’s Fado Filmes,  »Insensibles » also exploits a growing French-Catalonian production axis.

It shoots in Catalan — not only an official Spanish language but also a regional French language. As a France-Catalonia co-prod, mixing French and Catalan crew and cast, this opens a lot of doors in France, improving Gallic TV acquisitions prices, said Roxbury’s Miguel Angel Faura.

Though lead-produced out of Spain,  »Insensibles » draws deep on French resources , one key way forward for a cash-strapped Spanish industry.

Elle Driver has international sales rights; Canal Plus French pay TV rights. Pic is bank-rolled by French bank Natixis Coficine, with financing under-written by French culture industry financier Ifcic via an EU Media Program Production Guarantee Fund.  »Insensibles » taps Cofimage 23 French Sofica tax coin. Paris-based Backup Films brokered the co-production.

Medina’s debut benefits from Spanish psychological thrillers’ cache in France.

Films such as  »The Others » or  »The Orphanage » — which mix drama, story-telling, historical or social elements with shocks — are not as aggressive as French genre, said Tobina’s Francois Cognard.

That makes them immensely attractive, he added.

They can also have more international potential than French-language horror, producer Antoine Simkine said.

Faura stated that Roxbury would like to continue exploring a France-Catalonia production axis after  »Insensibles. »

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