California-based Essential Entertainment has picked up Middle Men ahead of Cannes.

The California-based sales, distribution and financing outfit will be handling international sales of the film.

Directed by George Gallo, Middle Men is based on a true story and follows a straight laced businessman who builds the first online billing company dealing exclusively with adult entertainment. He finds himself caught between the Russian mob, a 23-year-old porn star and the FBI in his bid to make money.

The cast includes Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht and James Caan. 

The film was financed through Christopher Mallick’s Oxymoron Entertainment and is produced by Mallick and Blue Star Entertainment’s William Sherak and Jason Shuman along with Michael Weiss. 

Essential Entertainment will be bringing Love and Other Impossible Pursuits to the Cannes market for its debut. It stars Natalie Portman, Lisa Kudrow and Scott Cohen and tells the story of a woman who finds the key to recovering her marriage in her relationship with her step son.

Other titles on the company’s Cannes slate include Big Fat Important Movie, Clive Barker’s Book Of Blood and Clive Barker’s Dread.