Screen Media Films has acquired worldwide rights in all media to the $8m political thriller Formosa Betrayed following its international premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival.

The distributor has set a February 2010 launch in 15-20 North American cities and will commence international sales at AFM.

Formosa Betrayed is the first title to emerge from Will Tiao’s production and finance company Formosa Films.Adam Kane marks his feature directorial debut on the story, which takes place in the 1980s as an FBI agent follows the trail of a murdered Asian professor to Taiwan where he uncovers a massive plot.

James Van Der Beek, Wendy Crewson, John Heard, Tzi Ma, Will Tiao, Leslie Hope and Kenneth Tsang star.

Tiao, a former international economist who served in the Bill Clinton and George W Bush Administrations, raised funds for the filmfrom nearly 300 investors. Investment bank Berthel Fisher Financial Services provided completion funds.

The Paradigm Motion Picture Finance Group brokered the deal with Kevin Mills of Kaye & Mills LLP and Screen Media president Robert Baruc and vice-president of international Michael Dwyer.