Lionsgate has picked up USrights to Cristina Comencini's Italian Oscar submission and local hit Don'tTell (La Bestia Nel Cuore).

The Cattleya and Rai Cinema production premiered at Venice last autumn andearned Giovanna Mezzogiorno the Coppa Volpi for Best actress. It has grossedmore than $7m since opening in Italian theatres last September.

The Rome-set tale traces the desperate plight of a woman traumatised by heryouth who discovers her older brother is plagued by a similar past. Lugio LoCascio, Alessio Boni and Stefania Rocca also star.

Comencini adapted the screenplay from her bestselling novel La Bestia NelCuore along with Francesca Marcianoand Giulia Calenda.

Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Stabilini and Marco Chimenz produced and TF1International brokered the sale.