Two women-helmed festival favorites have scored U.S. distribution. Film Movement acquired North American rights to “Rafiki,” Wanuri Kahiu’s LGBTQ Cannes offering, and The Orchard nabbed U.S. rights to Carly Stone’s SXSW winner “The New Romantic.”
“Rafiki” sparked international headlines last month: the film made history as the first Kenyan feature to premiere at Cannes, but in the weeks leading up to its unveiling, the lesbian love story was banned in Kenya, where homosexuality is illegal. The pic centers on two teens (Sheila Munyiva and Samantha Mugatsia) who face backlash from their families and communities when they fall in love.
Asked what the international community could do to help in the wake of “Rafiki’s” ban, Kahiu said that she’d like people “to support the voices of artists. Art is art, and everybody has the right to freedom of expression, especially in countries that have a constitution that ensures it,” she emphasized. “Any support is good support, and any person within the filmmaking community who feels that this is an important struggle should just even tweet. Any social media support to say we have the right to freedom of expression really helps the government see that this is a larger issue.” Kahiu observed, “It’s not about banning a single film. It’s about repressing ideas and stories, and I feel like that in itself goes against the human spirit. Because humans are stories.”
“We’ve long championed first-time directors, releasing the first films by such notable filmmakers as Maren Ade (‘The Forest for the Trees’) and Alice Rohrwacher (‘Corpo Celeste’), among others. And we continue to champion important new voices in cinema, such as Naji Abu-Nowar (‘Theeb’), Atsuko Hirayanagi (‘Oh Lucy!’), Maysaloun Hamoud (‘In Between’), and Rungano Nyoni (‘I Am Not a Witch’),” said Film Movement president Michael Rosenberg. “We believe that Wanuri Kahiu is another important voice, and look forward to bringing ‘Rafiki’ to North American audiences.”
It’s worth noting that “Rafiki” is not Kahiu’s first feature. She previously helmed 2009’s “From a Whisper,” a drama about the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. The pic won five African Movie Academy Awards.
Variety broke the news about “Rafiki’s” acquisition. A theatrical release is planned for later this year in New York, LA, and five other cities.
The film screened in Canne’s Un Certain Regard program and received a six-minute standing ovation. Jury President Cate Blanchett described the crowdpleaser as “incredibly powerful and moving,” and emphasized that it’s “a very important film to see.”
“The New Romantic” also made a mark at a prominent fest. The comedy about modern romance took home the Best First Feature jury award at SXSW in March. Jessica Barden (“The End of the F****** World”) stars as a college senior and aspiring writer who takes a gig as a sugar baby in the hopes of winning a journalism award and paying off her student debt.
“I love telling stories about women who are unapologetically making bold choices,” Stone has said. “That’s kind of how the story took off, from that jumping point.”
“The New Romantic’ is a refreshingly bold and complex romantic comedy, helmed by talented writer-director Carly Stone who gives a nod to Nora Ephron with a voice and vision that is truly her own,” commented Danielle DiGiacomo, VP of Acquisitions, The Orchard. “We are excited to partner with Carly and her amazing team to bring her debut film to audiences who will surely be entertained and delighted.”
Stone added, “The Orchard is the perfect home for our film. They’re passionate, cool, and understand how to connect to our target audience.”
No word on when to expect “The New Romantic’s” release.
Deadline reported on the deal in an exclusive.
Stone helmed the 2016 short “Girl Woman” and served as a writer on “Kim’s Convenience,” a Canadian sitcom.
