TORONTO -- Strand Releasing has nabbed all North American rights to Julian Goldberger's "The Hawk Is Dying," starring Paul Giamatti, Michelle Williams and Michael Pitt. The film, which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival and was a selection for the Directors' Fortnight sidebar at May's Festival de Cannes, is slated for a platform release in the spring.

In the quirky drama from Antidote Films, Oscar nominee Giamatti ("Sideways") stars as a Florida auto upholsterer who attempts to liven up his humdrum life by taming a wild hawk. He lives with an overweight sister (Ann Wedgeworth) and an autistic nephew (Pitt) and gets involved with an on-again/off-again girlfriend (Williams) who might be involved in the death of one of the characters.

The film is based on a 1973 novel by Harry Crews.

"Hawk" was produced by Antidote's Jeff Levy-Hinte and Mary Jane Skalski. Ted Hope, Corbin Day and Jeanne Levy-Hinte served as exec producers.

The deal was conducted by Strand's Jon Gerrans with UTA, Jeff Levy-Hinte and Sue Bodine of Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz and Weinstein Llp. negotiating on behalf of the filmmakers.