Sideshow, Janus Films Take North American Rights For Cannes 2022 Title ‘The Eight Mountains’

Melanie Goodfellow

Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights to Cannes 2022 Jury Prize winner The Eight Mountains for a theatrical release at the end of the year.

The New York-based distribution partners had a busy Cannes this year also acquiring Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, which shared the Jury Prize with The Eight Mountains; and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Tori And Lokita, which won the 75th Anniversary Prize at Cannes.

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The Eight Mountains is written and directed by Oscar-nominated Belgian director Felix van Groeningen and his long-time collaborator and life partner Charlotte Vandermeersch.

Adapted from Italian writer Paolo Cognetti’s novel of the same name, the work follows the life-long friendship of two men from very different backgrounds against the backdrop of a remote valley in Italy’s mountainous Aosta Valley region. One is a boy from the city, the other the last child of a forgotten mountain village.

In adulthood, the pair go their separate ways but destiny brings them together again in their childhood playground and they discover what it means to be true friends for life.

The Italian-language feature is produced by Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Gangarossa at Rome-based Fremantle subsidiary Wildside in co-production with Belgium’s Rufus and Menuetto, France’s  Pyramide Pictures and Italy’s Vision Distribution, in collaboration with the U.K.’s Elastic and with Sky.

Vision Distribution is handling international sales and the Italian release. Pyramide will release in France.

“We have found the perfect home for our film and know this story will breathe air into the lives of people around the world,” said van Groeningen and Vandermeersch.

Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi star in the film along with Filippo Timi, Elena Lietti, and Elisabetta Mazzullo.

“We fell in love with The Eight Mountains, a sweeping, deeply moving film about friendship filled with heart and featuring tremendous performances by Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi,” said Sideshow and Janus Films in a joint statement.

The deal was negotiated by CAA Media Finance and Vision Distribution on behalf of the filmmakers with Janus Films and Sideshow.

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