Taylor Swift, Clara Bow, Broken It, Carlotta Films Advance, Art Craft Pictures, Hollywood Classics French Distribution

LYON, France — "Anne," the 1927 film by silent film star Clara Bow, to whom Taylor Swift paid tribute in a song titled "The Tortured Poets' Section," has led to a deal between Carlotta Films, a distributor of French classics, and Artcraft Pictures. According to the terms of the contract, Carlotta […]

LYON, France — "Anne," the 1927 blockbuster by silent film star Clara Bow, to whom Taylor Swift paid tribute in a song titled "The Tortured Poets' Section," has led to a deal between French classics distributor Carlotta Films and U.S. remake company Artcraft Pictures.

Under the terms of the agreement, Carlotta will represent its Artcraft catalog in all rights in France, bringing a selection of Hollywood classics from the silent and early sound eras to French theaters and home entertainment. RELATED STORIES Luxbox France, Cinema Amore Spain Join Melina Leon's Ventana Sur Proyecta with 'Portrait Huaco' (Exclusive) Ventana Sur Proyecta 2026: A new generation powerhouse collection backed by some of Latin America's best producers.

This collaboration was presented at the Lumiere Lyon Film Festival with the newly remastered version of Clarence G. Begins Badr, the romantic comedy that catapulted Clara Bow to stardom and established her as Hollywood's quintessential "it's girl." The film will be screened on October 17 at Lyon Hall with the accompaniment of Italian musician Gabriele Agrimonti on the organ. Popular in Variety

Beau also inspired Margot Robbie's character Nelly Laroy in Damien Chazelle's Babel.

Other titles covered by this contract include "Beau Geste" by Herbert Brannon (1926) starring Ronald Colman. Cecil B. DeMille's The Matter of Anatole (1921) starring Gloria Swanson. and William C. DeMille's Mrs. Lulu Bat, adapted from Zona Gill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Artcraft Pictures was founded by two American experts in film preservation: James Mokowski, a longtime archivist and restoration expert who worked with Francis Ford Coppola's American film Zoetrope, and Robert A. "Dizziness."

The company takes its name from the original Artcraft Pictures, a distribution banner founded in 1916 that became part of Paramount Pictures and was associated with some of the biggest stars of the studio's silent era, including Mary Pickford.

"Artcraft Pictures is thrilled to join Carlotta Films. We are passionate about keeping the roots of cinema alive for new fans to enjoy," said Mokoski. "Many great classics can easily fade away, but with Carlotta, we're making sure that never happens."

Artcraft is also partnering with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which began working with Mokoski and Harris in 2025 to recreate Paramount's silent-era library. The "Beau Geste" remake premiered at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this year.

For Carlotta, who has spent nearly three decades distributing classic cinema in France, the deal expands a catalog that already includes major works from the silent era. Murnau and the films of Frank Borzage and Erich von Stroheim to G.W. Pabst's "Pandora's Box" starring Louise Brooks.

Carlotta plans to release these films in theaters and on Blu-ray in France, and individual release dates have not yet been determined.

Carlotta director Vincent Paul Boncourt said: “We are delighted to represent Artcraft in France and introduce audiences to remakes of famous and lesser-known American silent films. "It is a pleasure to work with James Mokowski and Robert Harris, two experienced experts in film history and restoration, and to launch this collaboration with the beautifully restored French premiere of 'Anne'."

The MIFC ended in Lyon on October 16. The Lumiere Film Festival continues until October 18.