The distributor has acquired North American rights to Singaporean writer-director Kirsten Tan’s debut feature.

Pop Aye

Pop Aye takes place in Thailand and centres on an architect’s efforts to bring his long-lost elephant back to their rural hometown.

The film opened the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section when it premiered on Thursday and screens again on Wednesday and Friday.

Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber brokered the deal with Sébastien Chesneau, senior partner at the film’s sales agent Cercamon.

The distributor plans a summer theatrical release before VOD and home entertainment later in the year.
 
“My producers and I have long admired the library of Kino Lorber,” said Tan. “We are very excited for Pop Aye to be in the company of wonderful films such as DogtoothDays Of Being Wild, and Jafar Panahi’s Taxi. We look forward to sharing the film with US audiences.”

Pop Aye is currently charming Park City,” said Chesneau. “It’s a pleasure to see such warm reactions from distributors all over the world. We look forward to be working with our friends at Kino Lorber on the North American release of the film.”
 
Lorber added: “Pop Aye is poetically profound but the elephant in the room is really its warm heart. We’re immensely pleased to be working with such an original talent in Kirsten Tan on this audience charmer. No one can resist falling in love with her screen star, the two-ton Pop Aye.”