Fortissimo Films has acquired international rights to US-Cuban production Una Noche, which picked up three major awards at last month’s Tribeca Film Festival.

The feature debut of Lucy Mulloy, the film was awarded best director, best actor and best cinematography in Tribeca.

In a case of life imitating art, the film also hit the headlines last month when two of its Cuban cast members – Anailin De La Rua De La Torre and Javier Nunez Florian – opted to stay in the US instead of returning to Cuba after the film’s premiere in New York. The  cast of non-professional actors also includes Dariel Arrechaga.

Set against the backdrop of the restless youth of Cuba’s capital Havana, the film tells the story of three teenagers who act on their desire to leave Cuba for the forbidden world lying 90 miles across the sea.

Several years in the making, the film was produced by Daniel Mulloy, Maite Artieda, Sandy Perez Aguila, Yunior Santiago and Lucy Mulloy. It was first shown in the Generation section of this year’s Berlin film festival.

Fortisssimo’s New York-based executive vice president of sales and acquisitions Winnie Lau said: “Lucy has  crafted a moving and compelling film which vividly depicts the nature of existence in Havana for this group of young people who yearn for more. Just as the  film captured the hearts and minds of the  judges and audiences at Tribeca, we feel the universality of Una Noche will appeal to filmgoers around the globe.”

Director Lucy Mulloy said: “I am very pleased to be working with Fortissimo on the foreign sales for Una Noche. As a writer-director, working with such a respected voice in the international marketplace, I have immense confidence in their ability to share this film with as many audiences as possible. Their reputation precedes them.”

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