Richard Short and Nick Afoa in Mysterious Ways

Source: Courtesy of Ariztical Entertainment

Richard Short and Nick Afoa in ‘Mysterious Ways’

Specialty distributor Ariztical Entertainment has acquired international sales for Cannes on Paul Oremland’s LGBTQ+ drama Mysterious Ways excluding the UK and Germany.

British actor Richard Short from The Tragedy Of Macbeth and New Zealand’s Nick Afoa star in the story of the media storm that ensues when a vicar and his Samoan boyfriend announced plans to get married in a traditional church wedding.

The feature was shot in New Zealand with Ngaire Fuata, founding director of SunPix in Auckland, serving as producer. Executive producers include Taualeo’o Stephen Stehlin, Brian Holland, Tracey Gardiner and Jonathan Unger of Unger Media in Los Angeles.

Peccadillo Pictures and Salzgeber will distribute in the UK and Germany, respectively.

Michael Jack Shoel and Dre Sleipnes of Ariztical Entertainment recently brokered an exclusive SVoD rights deal with Dekkoo in the US.

“Just as Ariztical created a cultural touchstone with the Eating Out franchise and served a niche market, we expect Mysterious Ways to perform similarly for the gays and god audience,” said Shoel.

The deal closed after last year’s AFM.