In one of Toronto's most-anticipated deals, IFC Films has taken North American rights to Steven Soderbergh's epic Che starring Benicio Del Toro.

IFC plans a one-week Oscar qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles, followed by a release in January through multi-platform initiative IFC In Theatres.

IFC president Jonathan Sehring, VP of Acquisitions and Production Arianna Bocco and Senior Counsel Betsy Rodgers with Wild Bunch's Vincent Maraval, Agnes Mentre, Laurent Baudens and Pierre Selinger.

The two-part project comprised of The Argentine and Guerrilla was produced by Laura Bickford and Benicio Del Toro and written by Peter Buchman.

Del Toro won the best actor prize when the film premiered at Cannes. After TIFF, it will next screen at the New York Film Festival.

Jonathan Sehring, president of IFC Films said: 'Che is nothing less than the film event of the year. By giving us the rise and fall of one of the great icons of history, Steven Soderbergh and Benicio Del Toro, who gives an incredible soulful performance, have humanized him and given audiences around the world something that will be discussed for years to come. We are uniquely positioned through our day-and-date program and our Blockbuster deal to get this film to the widest possible audience, and we are thrilled.'

Wild Bunch head Vincent Maraval added: 'This project is so important to us and we wanted to partner with someone sharing our same idea of distribution. This is a unique distribution challenge and we needed someone with creative passion and marketing skill to work with. IFC Films came with the same ambition and energy that we had during the whole process of that exceptional adventure. We are pleased and relieved to give them our dearest baby to take care of.'

IFC's other TIFF titles include A Christmas Tale, Flame &
Citron, Gomorrah, The Good, The Bad & The Weird, Hunger, Medicine For Melancholy, Summer Hours and another new acquisition, Everlasting Moments.

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