Due to the coronavirus, Haifaa Al Mansour’s “The Perfect Candidate” will not be hitting UK theaters on March 27. Instead, on that day, Modern Films will be releasing the drama on VOD via the Curzon Home Cinema platform, Deadline reports. “The Perfect Candidate” will also be available on the BFI Player and Modern’s website.
The move, which is being supported by BFI Lottery Funds, comes as COVID-19 forces more and more theaters and other social spaces to close. Marketing for “The Perfect Candidate” has been ongoing for some time, so Modern Films thought the best decision would be to release the film in some capacity next Friday.
”As the campaign is already in progress, the feeling is to keep moving with it,” said Eve Gabereau, Modern Films MD. The distributor hopes to release “The Perfect Candidate” theatrically when the virus has slowed down and public activities pick back up.
“In line with the spirit of the film as a timely story and of Al Mansour as a brave director who is fighting for socio-political change through art and expression, we are committed to offering ‘The Perfect Candidate’ as readily as possible without compromising the current wider health concerns and code of conduct around social distancing,” Gabereau explained.
The portrait of a young Saudi doctor who decides to run for municipal council, “The Perfect Candidate” has screened at numerous festivals, such as Venice, TIFF, London, Sundance, and Athena.
