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Exclusive: Vienna-based sales outfit EastWest Filmdistribution has taken world rights on My Favorite War, the animated feature doc that was an award winner at Annecy last year, where it world premiered. The film is eligible for this year’s Oscars and Annies.

Based on director’s Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood memories of creating her own escape route from the totalitarian regime that was Soviet Latvia, the movie aims its pro-democracy message at a global, adult audience using cut-out animation and doc elements.

The story is as such: On discovering the remains of a German soldier in her sandbox, young Ilze wonders what is buried beneath state propaganda, and sets off on a voyage of discovery.

EastWest’s CEO Sasha Wieser said on the acquisition: “Rarely do we even consider acquiring animated feature films, but My Favorite War is unique in so many ways. It is at once moving and informative,...

Exclusive: Menemsha Films has grabbed North American rights to The Sign Painter, the Latvian historical drama which dominated nominations at the country’s national film awards this year.

The film is up for 15 awards at the Lielais Kristaps awards, which take place November 15. It is also set to have its international premiere at Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival on November 19, and its North American premiere at the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival on November 19. Pic is a frontrunner to be Latvia’s submission to the International Oscars this year.

Written and directed by Viestur Kairish, the film follows the talented Ansis as he negotiates a national dictatorship, the Soviets, and the Nazis in his pursuit of an art career and the free-spirited Jewish Sisla, while settling for sign painting and the Christian girl Naiga. Kairish’s last feature, Chronicles Of Melanie, was Latvia’s Oscar entry in 2016.

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Vienna-based sales agent EastWest Distribution has picked up six new titles including Rotterdam premiere Whispers Behind The Wall.

Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily at this week’s When East Meets West in Trieste, EastWest’s Sasha Wieser said that two of these titles will be screening in the festival programmes of Rotterdam and Berlin.

Polish-born Grzegorz Muskala’s dark psychological thriller Whispers Behind The Wall - a young law student falls for the charms of his enigmatic Berlin landlady with terrifying consequences - will have its international premiere in Rotterdam tomorrow in the Bright Future programme.

The feature debut is the first full in-house production of Sol Bondy’s Berlin-based One Two Films and Muskala’s graduation film from the German Film & Television Academy Berlin (dffb). It had its world premiere at the Filmfest Oldenburg last September and won the prize for Best Musical Score at the Kinofest Lünen in November.

Bondy was one...

Vienna-based sales agent EastWest Distribution has picked up six new titles including Rotterdam premiere Whispers Behind The Wall.

Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily at this week’s When East Meets West in Trieste, EastWest’s Sasha Wieser said that two of these titles will be screening in the festival programmes of Rotterdam and Berlin.

Polish-born Grzegorz Muskala’s dark psychological thriller Whispers Behind The Wall - a young law student falls for the charms of his enigmatic Berlin landlady with terrifying consequences - will have its international premiere in Rotterdam tomorrow in the Bright Future programme.

The feature debut is the first full in-house production of Sol Bondy’s Berlin-based One Two Films and Muskala’s graduation film from the German Film & Television Academy Berlin (dffb). It had its world premiere at the Filmfest Oldenburg last September and won the prize for Best Musical Score at the Kinofest Lünen in November.

Bondy was one...