Vertigo Releasing has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights from Independent to Kieron J. Walsh’s cycling drama The Racer.
It is scheduled for a theatrical and streaming release in the UK on December 18; Vertigo is partnering with Wildcard Distribution on the Irish release, for which a date is not yet set. Cinemas are presently closed in Ireland.
Independent has also closed deals for Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment); German-speaking territories (Ascot Elite); Latin America and Africa (Turner International); Portugal (Nos Lusomundo); Scandinavia (Selmer Media); France (Epicentre and Mondex et Cie); South Korea (Mocushura); and Airlines (Cinesky).
The film was released by Gravitas Ventures in the US and by Kinepolis Film Distribution in Benelux in September. It was due to premiere in the Narrative Spotlight strand at SXSW in March before the event was cancelled in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Screen premiered the first trailer for the title in June.
Set in summer 1998, The Racer follows late-career cyclist Dom Chabol, who has been one of the best support riders on the Tour de France for 20 years, but secretly harbours a desire to wear the yellow jersey once before his career is over.
Louis Talpe stars with Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Iain Glen, and Karel Roden.
Walsh wrote the film with Ciaran Cassidy. Producers are Katie Holly and Yvonne Donohoe for Ireland’s Blinder Films, with Jesus Gonzalez-Elvira of Luxembourg’s Calach Films co-producing alongside Robin Kerremans and Dimitri Verbeeck of Belgium’s Caviar Films.
The film is supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Film Fund Luxembourg, Eurimages, Screen Flanders, the BAI Sound & Vision Fund and RTE.
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