IFC Films nabs Sundance pic 'In the Loop'

With typical patience and frugality, IFC Films added another Sundance Film Festival acquisition to its roster Thursday afternoon when it picked up the political farce "In the Loop."

On Wednesday, IFC purchased U.S. rights to the Park City at Midnight selection "Dead Snow," a Norwegian horror comedy about zombie Nazis. These late-in-the-fest pickups are not unusual for the indie distributor, necessarily more budget-conscious than some of the bigger specialty outfits.

WMA repped the sale of "In the Loop," which stars James Gandolfini, Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander and Anna Chlumsky in a comedy about what happens when politicians, military officials and other bureaucrats clash with war on the table. The screenplay was written by Jesse Armstrong and Armando Iannucci, who also directed.

The out-of-competition film had been garnering positive word-of-mouth among potential buyers for days despite the fact that its first public screening is not until Thursday night. A press-and-industry screening sparked interest earlier in the week.