AFM: First-Look Clip From Adventure-Drama ‘The Falconer’ (Exclusive)

The deadly claws of a bird of prey are seen being carefully tied up in the exclusive first-look clip from upcoming coming-of-age adventure-drama The Falconer.

The film, written and directed by Seanne Winslow (The Lego Movie) and Adam Sjoberg (Shake the Dust) is taking meetings at the American Film Market and is said to be the first-ever feature to be shot entirely in the Gulf state of Oman.

Inspired by true events, The Falconer follows two best friends, Tariq, an Omani teenager, and Cai, a privileged Westerner, who conspire to steal animals from the zoo and sell them on the black market to raise money for Tariq’s sister’s divorce from an abusive marriage. Along the way, they are forced to wrestle with morally complex choices that reveal the vast distance between their worlds.

Rami Zahar, Rupert Fennessy, Noor Al-Huda and Khamis Al-Rawahi star in the film, while Winslow, Sjoberg and David Jacobson produce.

Worldwide rights are currently available, with Jacobson and Cinema Collet taking meetings at the American Film Market to attach an international sales agent.

Ahead of its launch at AFM, The Falconer has already been building up momentum on the U.S. festival circuit. The film won best narrative feature at BendFilm, best narrative premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival, and it was named a staff pick at the Austin Film Festival prior to the event’s start. It recently picked up the best narrative feature award and best director at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and just yesterday won the jury award for best narrative feature, best screenwriters, and best cinematography at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

See the exclusive clip below.