The Criterion Collection already corners the home-video market for prestige releases of classic and contemporary foreign films. Now the company adds a new line of releases alongside its central line-up. What’s the new brand? Criterion will work with Janus Films on Janus Contemporaries, a home-video line for first-run international releases. The DVD/Blu-Ray editions of these films will also coincide with their premieres on the Criterion Channel, Criterion’s streaming service.
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And Janus and Criterion have a strong batch of films to start things off this Fall. Jerzy Skolimowski‘s “EO,” which won the Cannes Jury Prize last year, leads the 2023 slate for the new line. Other releases for Janus Contemporaries this year include Jafar Panahi‘s “No Bears,” Louis Garrel‘s “The Innocent,” Hlynur Pálmason‘s “Godland,” and The Dardennes‘ “Tori And Lokita.” Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch‘s “The Eight Mountains,” in theaters now, rounds out the opening release list.
The Janus Contemporary Blu-Ray and DVD editions will feature interviews with filmmakers similar to those found on regular Criterion releases and the Criterion Channel. And the new line will retail for a littles less than Criterion’s standard home-video releases: Blu-Rays will be $29.95, while DVDs will cost $24.95.
“It’s an exciting moment for Janus Films,” said Peter Becker, president of Criterion and a partner in Janus Films, in a press statement. “With a more robust first-run line-up than it has had since the 1960s and powerful partnerships with theatrical specialists Sideshow and the Criterion Channel streaming service, Janus is uniquely well positioned to bring the best films from around the world to theaters and homes across North America. The launch of Janus Contemporaries completes that picture.”
Janus Films has been the premiere distributor of arthouse cinema for the United States for nearly seven decades. And while they’ve culled an impressive starting line-up for their new line with Criterion, expect them to be busy at Cannes later this month finding more future releases. Some early candidates from the Croisette? Aki Kaurismaki and Hirokazu Kore-eda‘s latest films may fit the bill. But there are always a few sleeper films in the Cannes line-up, like “EO” last year, that will garner critical attention.
Janus Contemporaries will debut later this year.
