Fortissimo Films takes rights to Richie Mehta’s second feature, which will receive its world premiere at Venice.

Siddharth

Fortissimo Films has acquired worldwide rights, excluding Canada and India, to Siddharth, Canadian director Richie Mehta’s follow-up to Amal.

The Canadian-Indian co-production will receive its world premiere at the 70th Venice International Film Festival  in Venice Days, followed by its North American premiere in Toronto at TIFF in the Contemporary World Cinema section.

Written and directed by Mehta, Siddharth centres on an itinerant labourer who embarks on a journey across India in search of his 12-year-old son, who disappeared without a trace after working at a factory.

The film was produced by Steven N. Bray, David Miller and Mehta under their A Poor Man’s Productions label. 

Siddharth stars Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Anurag Arora, Geeta Agrawal Sharma and Naseeruddin Shah.

The deal was handled by Fortissimo managing director Nelleke Driessen and the film’s producers Bray and Miller, with Fortissimo to commence sales at all upcoming markets. The director and cast will be in Venice and Toronto to present the film. 

Mehta’s first feature film, Amal, won more than 30 international awards. The director recently completed sci-fi feature I’ll Follow You Down starring Haley Joel Osment, Gillian Anderson, Rufus Sewell, and Victor Garber for release in 2014.