Countryside-set English thriller stars Kierston Wareing.

AV Pictures has sold UK rights for suspense thriller The Holding to Lionsgate UK.

The film is currently in post-production and will start screening at Berlin’s EFM in 2011.

The cast is led by Kierston Wareing with Vincent Regan and young talents Skye Lourie and Georgia Groome.

Set in the isolated English countryside, the film is “a heart-pounding story of a curious and dark obsession.”

Director Susan Jacobson makes her feature debut.

Alex Boden (Pistachio Pictures) produces with George Mizen (Notorious) and Terry Stone (Gateway). The co-producers are Leopardrama (James Burstall and Joey Attawia) and Northcroft Films.

Mizen said: “We are delighted that Lionsgate have decided to join us on this exciting project and we very much look forward to working with them. The Holding is an intelligent genre movie with a universal story that has great international appeal and which inspires confidence in the British film industry.”

AV’s AFM slate also includes Stormhouse, Best Laid Plans and urban gangster spoof Anuvahood.