Sundance Selects Grabs U.S. Rights to 'Habemus Papam'

Cannes Film Festival

Sundance Selects has acquired U.S. rights to director Nanni Moretti’s Habemus Papam, which had its world premiere in competition at the Festival de Cannes in May.

Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr and Moretti star in the story of a newly elected Pope who suffers a panic attack and seeks help from a psychoanalyst and atheist. Moretti co-wrote the film with Francesco Piccolo and Federica Pontremoli and produced it with Domenico Procacci.

REVIEW: We Have a Pope (Habemus Papam)

It will next screen at the Toronto film festival in September.

"Habemus Papam is masterfully directed by Nanni Moretti with equal measures of poignancy and comedy," said Sundance Selects/IFC Films president Jonathan Sehring. "The always fantastic Michel Piccoli gives one of his finest performances in this film."

STORY: 'We Have a Pope' Strikes Up Several U.K. Deals

Sundance Selects/IFC Films exec Arianna Bocco negotiated the deal with Janine Gold of Fandango Portobello on behalf of the filmmakers.

A sister division to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects has recently released Certified Copy, Buck, Tabloid and Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The indie distributor also picked up rights to The Kid With a Bike and Poliss out of Cannes.