Distributor Film Movement has secured all North American rights to African drama Grigris, which played in Competition at Cannes.

The fifth feature film from director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, who also directed Film Movement’s A Screaming Man, received the Vulcan Award for technical achievement at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

The film, a French-Chad co-production, tells the eponymous story of a 25-year-old Chadian who dreams of being a dancer despite his paralyzed leg and the demands of his family weighing on him.

Grigris will have a New York theatrical opening in the first quarter of 2014, with a limited national roll-out to follow.

The acquisition of was negotiated by Film Movement president Adley Gartenstein and vp of acquisitions and distribution Rebeca Conget, and Agathe Valentin, head of international sales at Les Films du Losange.

Conget  said: “It is an honour to be the distributor now of two films by Haroun-Saleh, who with each of his features establishes himself deeper as not only one of the most respected voices in African cinema today, but also as one of the top international auteurs working in contemporary cinema, period.”

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