Carlotta Films Takes On Artcraft Pictures Catalogue, Led by Restored Clara Bow Classic 'It'

Carlotta Films will represent Artcraft Pictures' catalogue across all rights in France, the French distributor said, bringing silent and early sound Hollywood titles to French theaters and home entertainment. The deal launches with a restored version of Clarence G. Badger's "It" (1927), screening October 17 at Lyon's Auditorium during the Lumière Film Festival, EIN Presswire reported.

Carlotta Films and Artcraft Pictures Launch in Lyon

The restored "It" stars Clara Bow, whose performance as the romantic comedy's lead established her as Hollywood's original "It girl." Italian musician Gabriele Agrimonti accompanies the screening on the organ. Bow also inspired Margot Robbie's character Nellie LaRoy in Damien Chazelle's "Babylon."

Other titles in the agreement include Herbert Brenon's "Beau Geste" (1926), starring Ronald Colman; Cecil B. DeMille's "The Affairs of Anatol" (1921), starring Gloria Swanson; and William C. deMille's "Miss Lulu Bett," adapted from Zona Gale's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The slate extends to early sound films, including Lionel Barrymore's "His Glorious Night" (1929), starring John Gilbert.

Artcraft Pictures was founded by James Mockoski, an archivist and restoration expert who worked with Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope, and Robert A. Harris, whose work with James C. Katz includes restorations of David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia," George Cukor's "My Fair Lady" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo." The company takes its name from the original Artcraft Pictures, a 1916 distribution banner that became part of Paramount Pictures and was associated with silent-era stars including 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. "So many wonderful classics could easily fade away, but together with Carlotta, we're making sure that never happens."

Carlotta, which has distributed classic cinema in France for close to three decades, already holds silent-era works including F.W. Murnau's "Sunrise," films by Frank Borzage and Erich von Stroheim, and G.W. Pabst's "Pandora's Box," starring Louise Brooks.

"We're delighted to represent Artcraft in France and introduce audiences to its restorations of both celebrated and lesser-known American silent films," said Carlotta's Vincent Paul-Boncour. "It's a pleasure to work with James Mockoski and Robert Harris, two seasoned experts in film history and restoration, and to launch this collaboration with the French premiere of the beautifully restored 'It.'"

Carlotta Films' Catalogue and Streaming Reach

According to akta.pro company records, Carlotta Films is a Paris-based distributor of restored heritage and classic cinema with an estimated revenue of $5 million to $10 million and a valuation estimate of $10 million to $50 million. The same records list a catalogue of hundreds of titles across more than 50 countries spanning the 1920s to the present, and a partnership with UniversCiné that provides streaming access to its catalogue through the "Le Vidéo Club" VOD corner.

Artcraft Restorations at San Francisco Silent Film Festival

Artcraft is working with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which began collaborating with Mockoski and Harris in 2025 on restorations from Paramount's silent-era library. The restored "Beau Geste" was presented at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this year. Carlotta plans to release the films in France theatrically and on Blu-ray, with individual release dates yet to be announced.