International sales agent FiGa Films has sold Kitao Sakurai’s Argentinian-US film Aardvark, a Locarno selection, to Madrid-based distributor Aquelarre.

FiGA Films’ international distribution and sales manager Eduardo Raccah told ScreenDaily exclusively that the distributor had taken all rights for Spain and planned to release the film theatrically early next summer.

Raccah added that “strong interest” in the film was also signalled in Locarno by distributors from the US, South Africa, Argentina and Sweden, among others. Moreover, the film has been invited to screen at this year’s Viennale and in Warsaw International Film Festival’s Free Spirit competition.

The feature debut Aardvark was the opening film of this year’s Filmmakers of the Present competition in Locarno.