Cologne-based sales company Media Luna Entertainment has picked up the world sales for Lugano-born Fulvio Bernasconi's feature debut Off The Ropes (Fuori Dalle Corde), which will have its world premiere in official competition at the Locarno International Film Festival next week.

The story of a young Italian boxer from Trieste with Michele Venitucci and Maya Sansa was produced by Switzerland's Ventura Film with Italy's ITC Movie and Bianca Film, and Italian-Swiss broadcaster RTSI.

Off The Ropes will be released theatrically in Switzerland by Frenetic Films.

Meanwhile, Wide Management will handle international distribution for another competition film, Philippe Ramos's second feature Captain Achab (Capitaine Achab), which recounts the life of the hero of Hermann Melville's Moby Dick in five parts.

The French-Swedish co-production between Sesame Films and DKM Fiktion stars Denis Lavant, Dominique Blanc and Jean-Francois Stevenin.