Tribeca Film Picks Up U.S. Rights to Africa-Set Drama 'War Witch'

Courtesy of Berlin International Film Festival

"War Witch"

Tribeca Film has acquired U.S. rights to Kim Nguyen’s War Witch (Rebelle), a drama about a young, African girl kidnapped by rebels and forced to fight at gunpoint. The distributor is planning a release across multiple platforms in the first quarter of 2013.

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The film, for which Nguyen also wrote the screenplay, stars Rachel Mwanza in her first acting role, for which she won Silver Bear -- best actress award at the Berlin Film Festival as well as the best actress in a narrative feature film award at the Tribeca Film Festival.

It was produced by Pierre Even and Marie-Claude Poulin of Montreal-based Item 7.

“This film has spectacular resonance at a time when the world has been awakened to the situation of children being conditioned to wage war in Africa,” Geoff Gilmore, chief creative officer of Tribeca Enterprises, said. “Director Kim Nguyen balances heartbreakingly emphatic scenes of conflict, romantic yearning, and lyrical and dreamlike storytelling.”

The deal was negotiated by Nick Savva, Tribeca Film director of acquisitions, and, repping the filmmakers, Nicolas Brigaud-Robert of Paris’ Films Distribution.