UK distributor Revolver and US outfit Peace Arch Entertainment have picked up British director David Whitney’s debut film, Kandahar Break.

Revolver will release the film in UK in early September; Peace Arch will open the film in New York in August. The deals were brokered by UK-based sales company Centre Films Media Sales.

Whitney hopes the film will reach further international markets: “We have already had offers for other territories and we are now also looking to the future by developing new film projects,” he said.

The Afghanistan-set thriller, filmed in the deserts of southern Pakistan, was produced by the director’s UK based company Millhouse Films Ltd, with financial backing from private investors via the UK’s EIS scheme.

During the shoot the joint British and Pakistani crew were attacked by gunmen, requiring the unit to complete the picture in Tunisia.

“This achievement is indicative of the hard work and skill of the crew and cast, as we put this project together with a very small budget and a limited shooting schedule”, added Whitney. “From the outset we strived to make a marketable movie that would entice distributors and also thrill and inform audiences.”

Kandahar Break recently picked up the Best Film Award at The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival.