LevelK has boarded international sales rights to UK feature Sebastian ahead of its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival this month.
The film is the second feature from UK-Finnish director Mikko Makela. It follows a freelance writer rising through London’s cultural world who finds exhilaration at night as a sex worker under the pseudonym Sebastian.
Ruaridh Mollica leads the cast, alongside Screen Rising Stars Scotland talent Hiftu Quasem and Jonathan Hyde.
September Films will distribute the film in the Netherlands, with Aurora handling distribution for Finland.
Written and directed by Makela, the film is produced by James Watson for the pair’s UK company Betes Sauvages. It is co-produced by Aleksi Bardy, Severi Koivusalo, Ciara Barry, Rosie Crerar, Erik Glijnis, Leontine Petit and Dries Phlypo.
Sebastian received production support from the BFI and Screen Scotland, as well as the Finnish Film Foundation, Finnish Impact Film Fund, Great Point Media, BNP Film Finance and the Belgian Tax Shelter. It is the Finnish Film Foundation’s first co-production with the UK.
Executive producers are Good Chaos’ Mike Goodridge; and Lizzie Francke for the BFI.
“Sebastian is a film which I hope will provoke questions as well encourage self-reflection in the audience,” said Makela, who said he admired Sundance “for its emphasis on artistic independence.”
Sebastian is Makela’s second feature, after A Moment In The Reeds, which debuted at the 2017 BFI London Film Festival.
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