EXCLUSIVE: Haut et Court has taken French rights from Independent ahead of the thriller’s Sundance premiere.

Haut et Court has taken French rights to Sean Ellis’ Sundance-bound thriller Metro Manila from Independent.

For full production details

The Phillippines-set film tells the story of an impoverished country man who is unwittingly drawn into a dangerous web of crime when he moves to the big city.

Metro Manila gets its world premiere at Sundance in the World Dramatic Competition and will be released in France in May 2013.

The deal was negotiated by Independent’s Andrew Orr and Carole Scotta from Haut et Court.

Ellis co-wrote Metro Manila with Frank E. Flowers. Producers are Ellis and Mathilde Charpentier through Chocolate Frog Films. Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla and Althea Vega star in the film, shot in the local Tagalog dialect.

The director followed his Oscar nominated short Cashback and BAFTA nominated short The Business Trip with a feature version of Cashback and thriller The Broken.

“We are thrilled to be working for the first with Sean Ellis who’s film impressed us in terms of filmmaking and storytelling,” said Scotta of Haut Et Court.

Orr commented: “Metro Manila is a special film, a brilliant piece of filmmaking from Sean Ellis and we are delighted that Haut Et Court will be releasing the Film in France”.

Independent handles international sales with ICM handling North America.