UK-based sales company HanWay Films has hired Sofia Neves as director of worldwide salesand distribution.

Neves starts at HanWay this week after departing her position as sales director at Capitol Films. Before her three years at Capitol, she worked at Renaissance Films and for producer Paulo Branco.

She reports to Thorsten Schumacher, HanWay's director of worldwide salesand distribution and general manager.

She replaces Charlotte Van Weede, who is leaving HanWay to join new sales outfit Protagonist Pictures as of May 1. Neves is the second defection from Capitol to be officially announced this week, as Ed Clarke also moved to Kudos Pictures.

Tim Haslam, CEO of HanWay, said: 'Sofia was trained by one of the best, [Capitol's] Jane Barclay, she joins HanWay at an exciting time of expansion. Sofia is multi-lingual and will initially prioritise her efforts in Italy, Spain and Latin America.'

Neves added: 'HanWay have become one of the most respected companies in the business, this is a great opportunity and I can't wait to start working on their really commercial line-up including Wuthering Heights starring Natalie Portman and Triage starring Colin Farrell.'

HanWay's Cannes sales line-up also includes Christine Jeffs' Sunshine Cleaning, Gerald McMorrow's Franklyn, Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Wim Wenders' The Palermo Shooting and Julian Jarrold's Brideshead Revisited.