Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed drama has been selected as Canada’s foreign language Academy Award submission.

The film won the C$30,000 City Of Toronto Award at the close of Toronto last weekend and is based on Wajdi Mouawad’s stage play about a mother’s last request for her siblings to visit the Middle East and resolve family secrets.

Maxim Gaudette, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Remy Girard and Lubna Azabal star. Luc Dery and Kim McCraw produced for micro_scope in association with TS Productions and Phi Group.

Sony Pictures Classics holds US distribution rights and eOne Films International closed deals in Toronto for France (Happiness), Germany (Arsenal), Benelux (Cineart), Italy (Lucky Red), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Israel (Shani) and Middle East (ECS).

“Obviously this is huge for Incendies,” eOne Films International executive vice-president Charlotte Mickie said. ” Today’s announcement will definitely increase Incendies’ profile and potentially help close deals on the few remaining territories where rights are still available. The film opened strongly in Quebec on September 17.”