Italian international sales agent The Open Reel has announced a new acquisition for its line-up and a raft of sales for the titles that were showcased during the Marché du Film of the 72^nd Cannes Film Festival.

Starting with the latest acquisition, Variações – Guardian Angel [+leggi anche:
recensione
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scheda film] is the debut feature by Portuguese director João Maia, which was selected for Les Arcs’ Works in Progress slate last December (see the news). It’s a biopic that portrays the life of António Ribeiro, a prominent figure in the Lisbon music scene in the late 1970s, who is pursuing his dream of becoming a singer and composer, despite the fact that he doesn’t know how to read music. The film focuses on the transformation process as he adopts the persona of Antonio Variações, an eccentric and popular singer whose career was cut short by his sudden and premature death in 1984. Produced by Lisbon-based David & Golias, written by Maia and Karen Sztajnberg, and with Sérgio Praia in the lead role, Variações – Guardian Angel will be released in Portugal on 22 August.

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Regarding sales, the Berlinale Forum-premiered Homing [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Brazilian director Helvécio Marins Jr has secured a theatrical release for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, distributed by Arsenal. Another Brazilian title, Mr. Leather, directed by Daniel Nolascor, has had all of its rights sold to German distributor Pro Fun Media for Germany and German-speaking territories. In addition, the VoD and pay-TV rights have been sold to Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe and Israel, while Taiwan International Media and Education will handle its VoD rights in Taiwan.

OUTTV has acquired two Mexican films for the same territories as Mr. Leather: Peyote by Omar Flores Sarabia and I Am Happiness on Earth by Julián Hernández. Furthermore, Tattoo of Revenge, the latest movie by Hernández, has had all of its rights for North America sold to Breaking Glass Pictures.

Padre, the latest film by Giada Colagrande, starring Willem Dafoe, Franco Battiato and Marina Abramovic, among others, has had its home-video rights sold to Italian distributor Home Movies for Italy, France and Spain. The same distributor has also acquired the video rights for Figures [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Eugenio Canevari and Don't Accept Dreams from Strangers by Roberto Cuzzillo (for Italy only).

Finally, Germany’s Pro Fun Media has also acquired all the rights for the following short films: Enter by Manuel Billi and Benjamin Bodi, Twice by Domenico Onorato, The Storm by Ricky Mastro, and Free Fall by Tiago Henao Vélez.