CANNES – Confirming the title as one of the big breakouts from Scandinavia in recent years, Music Box has acquired North American rights to Benedikt Erlingsson’s multi-prized debut feature “Of Horses and Men.”
“Of Horses” is sold by Guido Rud’s Buenos Aires-based FimSharks Intl.
Set in the horse-riding community in Iceland, and described by Erlingsson as a country romance linking the human streak in horses and the horse-like streak in humans, “Of Horses and Men” was produced by Iceland’s Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, a reputed director in his own right (“White Whales,” “Devil’s Island”).
“Of Horses” was Iceland’s Academy Awards entry, and won Spain’s San Sebastian Kutxa-New Directors Award in September, best director at Tokyo, best film, cinematography (Bergsteinn Bjorgulfsson) and a Fipresci Prize at Finland’s Tallinn Black Nights Festival and best actress (Charlotte Boving) at France’s Amiens Fest.
“Of Horses” has closed a raft of international sales deals including Magic Hour for Japan, Maywin Films for CIS and Baltics, Alfaville for Mexico, Little Big for Sweden, Angel for Denmark, and Europa Film for Norway. Demiurg has bought ex-Yugoslavia, Film Europe the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
First deals on “Of Horses” took in the U.K. with Axiom, France with Carlotta Films/Bodega Films, Filmcoopi for Switzerland and Spain with Cameo, the DVD/VOD distribution label co-wned by Wanda Films, Pedro and Agustin Almodovar’s El Deseo and Golem Distribucion.
“It’s an honor to have such a masterpiece sold worldwide with a home with one of the best U.S. distribution labels by far,” said Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, commenting the North America deal with Music Box.
