French classic-film distributor Carlotta Films will represent the Hollywood catalogue of U.S. restoration house Artcraft Pictures across all rights in France, the companies announced at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon. The first title out is a restored version of Clarence G. Badger’s 1927 romantic comedy It, the film that made Clara Bow the original “It girl.”
Why a 1927 title is the anchor
It is a deliberate choice for a catalogue launch. Bow’s performance still supplies a cultural reference point: Taylor Swift name-checked the star in a song on The Tortured Poets Department, and Margot Robbie’s character in Babylon draws on the same legacy. A near-century-old silent film arrives with two ready-made audience entry points that require no archive degree.
The restored print screens Oct. 17 at Lyon’s Auditorium with organ accompaniment by Gabriele Agrimonti—an event-cinema presentation that gives the catalogue an immediate theatrical moment before conventional release dates are set.
What the deal includes
Artcraft’s slate spans silent and early sound Hollywood titles. Among the initial works:
- Beau Geste (1926), directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Ronald Colman
- The Affairs of Anatol (1921), Cecil B. DeMille’s film with Gloria Swanson
- Miss Lulu Bett, adapted from Zona Gale’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play
- His Glorious Night (1929), Lionel Barrymore’s film with John Gilbert
Carlotta plans theatrical and Blu-ray releases in France, with individual dates still to be announced.
The restore-and-license model
Artcraft was founded by James Mockoski, who worked with Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope, and Robert A. Harris, whose restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, My Fair Lady and Vertigo. The company borrows its name from the original Artcraft Pictures banner, established in 1916 and later part of Paramount, where it was associated with Mary Pickford.
“Artcraft Pictures is thrilled to join Carlotta Films. We share a passion for keeping cinema’s roots alive so new fans can enjoy them,” Mockoski said. Carlotta’s Vincent Paul-Boncour called the two founders “seasoned experts in film history and restoration.”
Artcraft is also working with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival on Paramount’s silent-era library, and its restored Beau Geste was presented at Telluride earlier this year.
The takeaway for screen businesses
The deal is a reminder that library content does not have to be a passive asset. A single iconic title can open a territory pitch; a festival premiere with live accompaniment can turn a restoration into an event; and a well-timed pop-culture connection can lower the age barrier for older IP. Carlotta already distributes silent-era works such as Murnau’s Sunrise and Pabst’s Pandora’s Box, so the Artcraft slate adds more depth to a specialist catalogue rather than starting from zero.
Source: Variety
