The UK's Portman Film has picked up Francesca Joseph's Un Certain Regard film Tomorrow La Scala! for international sales.

The low budget comedy - made for around£500,000 - is about an ambitious young director staging a musical of Sweeney Todd in a maximum security prison. Joseph, who makes her feature debut, made her mark with the BBC's documentary series Driving School, a humorous account of various hapless learner drivers.

The first film from a co-production venture between BBC Films and the Film Council's New Cinema Fund, La Scala stars Jessica Stevenson, Shaun Dingwall and Samantha Spiro. Joseph wrote and directed in consultation with Paul Abbot, with Ruth Caleb and Christopher Collins producing.

Portman this year handled acclaimed UK-Irish film Bloody Sunday. Previous titles include Saving Grace.