Close

Source: Kris Dewitte

‘Close’

Mubi has won a fierce bidding war for UK-Ireland rights to Lukas Dhont’s Cannes Competition title Close, ahead of the film’s world premiere this evening. It has also taken the film for Turkey, Latin America and India.

The film has been subject to multiple bids over the past week to sales company The Match Factory.

Mubi bought The Match Factory in a major company acquisition earlier this year; the former is still in open competition with other distributors for the titles sold by the latter.

Lumiere Publishing acquired Benelux rights this week; negotiations are well underway for further territories.

Close follows the disruption to an intense friendship between two 13-year-old boys, which leads one to approach the other’s mother in an effort to understand what has happened.

It is Dhont’s second feature after 2018’s Girl, which won the Camera d’Or for best first feature at Cannes.

The acquisition follows Mubi’s purchase of UK feature Aftersun starring Paul Mescal, for multiple territories.