Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Bhutanese film Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom, recently shortlisted for this year’s best international film Oscar.
Written and directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji, the film tells the story of a young teacher sent to a remote mountain school. Dorji produced with Steven Xiang, Stephane Lai and Honglin Jia.
Lunana premiered at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival and won the audience award for best narrative feature at the 2020 Palm Springs festival.
The Goldwyn deal leaves only one of the 15 films on the international Oscar shortlist – Panamanian entry Plaza Catedral – still to secure a North American distributor.
Goldwyn, which acquired Lunana from sales company Films Boutique, plans to release the film later this month. Last year, Goldwyn distributed international film Oscar winner Another Round and nominee The Man Who Sold His Skin in North America.
Samuel Goldwyn Films president Peter Goldwyn said Lunana is “like a breath of fresh air during these dark and uncertain times. Pawo Choyning Dorji has made a film about what connects us as humans with so much heart that we are certain that it will connect with viewers.”
No comments yet