Los Angeles-basedindependent distributor Indican Pictures will release Andrew Molina's EmeraldCowboy - Esmeraldero, the firstAmerican film to shoot in the Colombian capital of Bogota in 26 years and thefirst time cameras had entered the region's emerald mines.

Emerald Cowboy -Esmeraldero chronicles the truestory of the famed adventurer and emerald trader Eishy Hayat, who was born inJapan and moved to Colombia in the early 1970s to become one of the leadingplayers on the international emerald circuit.

Indican plans a majormarketing campaign ahead of the film's nationwide release in lateSeptember-early October

"[Emerald Cowboy] was as unique a story as we've ever come across," commented Indican's chief executive officer Randolph Kret. "Frankly, it isa story that has never been told before set in a world about which very littleis known."

Molina produced and adaptedthe story from the biography Emerald Cowboy. Eva Hayata also produced the as-yet-unrated film.

Kret and Sylvia Esquivelnegotiated on behalf of Indican, whose previous releases include Troy Duffy'scrime caper The Boondock Saintsand Veit Helmer's comedy drama Tuvalu.

Upcoming releases from theoutfit include John Henderson's Second World War comedy Two Men Went To War and Kevin Mukherji's film-making documentary AmericanStorytellers.