Tracking the festival circuit can sometimes be a frustrating venture as distribution deals (or lack thereof) can negate anticipation and excitement. For smaller-name films, foreign ones in particular, it's sometimes a matter of years before a far away festival hit is released locally. American fans of South Korean helmer Hong Sang-soo and Scotsman Ken Loach can rejoice, however, as the duo's latest films from Cannes have now secured stateside distribution deals.
Hong's "In Another Country," an English-language feature that sees him team with French vet Isabelle Huppert, was one pic we thought might crack the States, and that's definitely the case with arthouse veterans Kino Lorber acquiring rights. The film follows the story of three different characters named Anne (all played by Huppert) who visit the same seaside town and run into the same bunch of people, but with different results each time. Sounds very much in the Hong wheelhouse. Kino Lorber plans to unveil the pic at late summer/early fall festivals before a release later this year. Our review from Cannes described the movie as "light, charming and funny by equal turns, with a pretty terrific performance by Huppert who seems to be having a lot of fun with the part(s)."
Loach's films have had a little more success with U.S. distribution, but for the most part have consistently played to the same, limited fanbase. His latest, "The Angels' Share," has now been picked up by Sundance Selects, though it looks like the deal has only been freshly signed with little detail available about the plans for release. Re-teaming with scribe Paul Laverty (who Loach has worked with on every film since "The Wind That Shakes The Barley"), the story follows a new father who narrowly escapes a prison sentence and concocts a plan to carve out a new future that involves a whiskey distillery. Our Cannes review noted that "some good laughs and a passable air of bonhomie do nothing to cover up the fact that 'The Angels’ Share' is totally lightweight and distractingly underdone." [TheWrap/ScreenDaily]