Vancouver-based productionand international sales company Horizon Entertainment has picked upinternational rights to John Greyson and Jack Lewis' 18th century, interracialgay, love story Proteus.

The South African-Canadianco-production will receive its first market screening at Cannes and will screenas part of a South African retrospective at the festival to mark the 10thanniversary of the end of Apartheid.

Ronna Wallace of EastgatePictures negotiated on behalf of the producers with Horizon Entertainmentpresident Rob Straight. Strand Releasing will handle the picture's US release.

Based on a true story, Proteus is set in 1725 in South Africa's infamous penalcolony Robben Island and centres on a love affair between a local Khoi herderand a Dutch sailor that lasted nearly two decades, culminating in sodomycharges and a public trial.

South African actors RouxnetBrown, Shaun Smyth and Neil Sandilands star and the picture was shot entirelyon locations in and around Cape Town and Robben Island.

Steven Markovitz, Anita Leeand Platon Trakoshis served as producers. Greyson's credits include Urinal, Zero Patience and Lilies while SouthAfrican-born Lewis, who was forced into exile for five years, has directed Kuyasa:A New Dawn for Housing and LefatsheLe (This Land), among others.