Madrid-based Karma Films has closed all Spanish rights on San Sebastian
Competition frontrunner City of Life and Death and Miraz Bezar’s The Children of Diyarbakir, which plays Zabaltegi New Directors.

Lu Chuan’s stirring Nanjing massacre account was sold by Hong Kong’s Media Asia Distribution,Children, a well-received Kurdistan survival tale, is handled by
Cologne’s The Match Factory.

Karma bought City just before San Sebastian, like Karma’s already-announced purchase of Francois Ozon’s The Refuge, from Paris’ Le Pacte. The indie distributor pounced on Children at San Sebastian.

“San Sebastian’s Competition was pretty attractive, the festival’s very fruitful for us”said Karma topper Miguel Angel Perez. Big deals went down just before or during the festival.

In the biggest, during -though not at- San Sebastian, Sony Pictures Classics took North America on Aaron Schneider’s debut Get Low, produced by Dean Zanuck, a Toronto buzz title and San Sebastian Competition contender.

Pyramide Intl. has seen healthy sales on Bruno Dumont’s fundamentalism fable Hadewijch, including U.K. (New Wave), Brazil (Imovision), Argentina and Chile, (both CDI), Mexico (Mantarraya), Russia (Maywing) and Holland (Contact). It’s fielding U.S. offers, said prexy Eric Lagesse.

At San Sebastian, Pyramide clinched Spain with Golem on Yousry Nasrallah’s Scheherazade,Tell Me a Story.

Imagina Intl.Sales closed Poland on Made in Spain entry 25 Carat, Patxi Amezcua’s gritty thriller. Le Pacte also licensed Argentina (Distribution Co) on Refuge.

Pascual Condito’s Primer Plano picked up Latin America on Israel Caetano’s Francia. Paris’Wide Management is currently negotiating Spain and France on Leo’s Room, said Wide’s Anais Clanet.

Valencia-based film and TVcompany TV ON inked European distribution rights on Gustavo Montiel’s Mexico-Argentina coproduction Marea de arena, screened at fest’s Latinos Horizontes section, said Valencian Audiovisual Cluster managing director Amparo Castellano.

Through Friday midday,most-watched titles at the Sales Office videotheque were Me, Too, Norteado,Huacho, Historia de un grupo de rock,and 77 Donship. More Competition title biz looks to be done or announced shortly,such as on Latido- sold Official Section favourite The Secret of Their Eyes.

San Sebastian 2009 underscored two trends: the influx en masse of French sales agents and distributors, which now use San Sebastian to court Spanish distributors; pubcaster TVE’s increasingly vital role in the Spanish film industry.

Spanish producer BocaBoca Producciones closed at San Sebastian with Switzerland’s Zodiac Pics for Swiss remake rights to 2003 B.O. hit Cuarta planta. Swiss version will be handled theatrically by Walt Disney Switzerland.Deal includes Spanish rights to the remake.