Pork Pie remake triumphs at Cannes Film Festival

Pork Pie is set to go on a road trip around the world after being picked up by several international markets at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

The remake of 1981 Kiwi cult classic Goodbye Pork Pie has been sold to China, Japan and parts of eastern Europe, as well as securing an international deal with multiple airlines, since it screened at the world's most famous film festival in May.

And the success doesn't end there. The film-makers are now working on offers from distributors in Germany, the United States and Turkey.

"We did pretty darn good considering this year's Cannes' market was actually quite a slow market," said producer Tom Hern who travelled to Cannes.

"There are so, so many films made each year and limited space on each distributor's plate, which is contributing to a challenging climate. So, to walk away with some sales into major territories is even more of an achievement.

"I'm really stoked and so is the team. Especially to get those sales into Asia, which has a huge audience base."

Hern said he met with various distributors and sales agents in Cannes who were "blown away" by Pork Pie and raved about lead actor Dean O'Gorman's performance and the work of Kiwi director Matt Murphy, son of the original director Geoff.

"We made the film primarily for the local market but it was always part of the plan for it to play wider than that as well. So it's good to see that coming to fruition," said Hern.

Pork Pie, which follows a group of accidental outlaws who go on the run from police in a car chase across the country, received mixed reviews after it was released in New Zealand early this year.

The Herald gave the remake two and a half stars, labelling it "a largely spiritless imitation" of the original film.

Some agreed, while others said despite the film's weaknesses, it was easy to like.

"It was disappointing at the time. It kind of looks like the trend is that internationally, the film is viewed a lot more positively than at home, potentially without the cultural baggage that comes with remaking such an iconic film in our market," Hern said.

"So that's rewarding and a nice kind of balance to some of that negativity. International audiences seem to be loving the film, which is so gratifying."

Pork Pie is set to show at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal this weekend.