IFC Films has acquired US rights to Steve McQueen's Maze Prison drama Hunger starring Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham.

The film, whichopened Un Certain Regard at Cannes, interprets events during the 1981 hunger strike by incarcerated IRA terrorists led by Bobby Sands. Enda Walsh wrote the screenplay.

Laura Hastings-Smith and Robin Gutch of Blast! Films produced for Film4 in association with Northern Ireland Screen, the Broadcasting Commission Of Ireland and the Wales Creative IP Fund.

Jan Younghusband, Peter Carlton, Linda James, Edmund Coulthard and Iain Canning served as executive producers.

IFC Films will release Hunger through its theatrical and VOD day-and-date channel IFC In Theaters. The film will also go through IFC Entertainment's exclusive deal with Blockbuster Video.

Vice president of acquisitions and production Arianna Bocco and senior counsel Betsy Rogers negotiated the deal with Jonathan Page and Ariel Veneziano of Icon Entertainment International and Cassian Elwes of William Morris Independent.