Good news from the Cannes Film Festival today from Protagonist Pictures and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) concerning Amma Asante’s next film, “Where Hands Touch.”
According to the press release, SPWA has made a multi territory deal for BAFTA Award winner Amma Asante’s (Belle, A United Kingdom) WWII drama Where Hands Touch, it was announced today by Protagonist Pictures CEO Mike Goodridge.
Starring Amandla Stenberg (Everything, Everything, The Hunger Games), George Mackay (Captain Fantastic, the upcoming Ophelia) and Abbie Cornish (Limitless, Bright Star, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri), the highly-anticipated film is currently in post-production.
SPWA has picked up most of international excluding select European territories and Australia. The deal was negotiated by Protagonist CEO Mike Goodridge and Head of Worldwide Sales Vanessa Saal with Joe Matukewicz, EVP Acquisitions and Michael Helfand EVP Business and Strategic Operations from SPWA.
The world’s most prestigious film fest has been under fire for years now for under-representing female directors so any news on that front is exciting, especially when it’s a project by a director as talented as Asante.
“Where Hands Touch” is a coming of age story, which is currently in post-production, is set in 1944 Germany where 15-year old Leyna (Amandla Stenberg), daughter of a white German mother and a black father, lives in fear due to the color of her skin. When she meets Lutz (George MacKay), the son of a prominent SS officer, the two fall helplessly in love, putting both their lives at risk.
“Amma Asante is a skillful storyteller whose films reach a wide audience”, said Goodridge. “We couldn’t be happier that our friends at SPWA have embraced her bold vision of a young biracial girl struggling to survive in Nazi Germany.”
The feature is produced by Charlie Hanson (David Brent: A Life on the Road, “Extras”) with Tantrum Films, Pinewood Pictures, UMedia, the BFI, Isle of Man Film, British Film Company, Head Gear Films and Metrol Technology. the highly-anticipated film is currently in post-production.
Also from the press release, Protagonist Pictures is currently selling the remaining rights to the film in Cannes where they are also handling three of the titles in Official Selection; the 2017 Directors’ Fortnight selections The Rider from Chloé Zhao and The Florida Project from Sean Baker and the 2017 Un Certain Regard Official Selection April’s Daughter from writer, director, producer Michel Franco.
SPWA has picked up most of international excluding select European territories and Australia. The deal was negotiated by Protagonist CEO Mike Goodridge and Head of Worldwide Sales Vanessa Saal with Joe Matukewicz, EVP Acquisitions and Michael Helfand EVP Business and Strategic Operations from SPWA.
(Photo of Ms. Asante by Paula Schwartz)
Leave a Reply