Rudolf van den Berg’s drama has been selected as the Netherlands’ official Academy Awards submission for best foreign language film.

Tirza is a co-production between Jeroen Koolbergen of Cadenza Films and San Fu Maltha of Fu Works in co-production with Marina Blok of NTR and Antonino Lombardo from Belgium’s Prime Time.

Van den Berg adapted Arnon Grunberg’s novel about a man who enlists the aid of a child prostitute to search for his daughter who has gone missing on holiday in Namibia.

Sylvia Hoeks, Gijs Scholten van Aschat, Johanna ter Steege and Keitumetse Matlabo star in Tirza, which will open the Netherlands Film Festival and is scheduled for release in the Netherlands on September 30.