Ad Vitam has acquired French rights to Filipino director Brillante 'Dante' Mendoza's Foster Child, which will play in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar at Cannes.

In addition to France, the deal also covers French-speaking territories including Monaco, Andorra and French-speaking Switzerland and Benelux. Gregory Gajos of Ad Vitam and Philippines-based Ferdinand Lapuz of Ignatius Films Canada brokered the deal.

Mendoza will attend the world premiere of his film in Cannes along with producer Robbie Tan of Seiko Films, writer Ralston Joel Jover and actress Cherry Pie Picache who plays a foster mother in the slums who receives a monthly subsidy from the government for every child placed under her care.

The picture about foster care is the fourth feature by Mendoza. His debut The Masseur won a Golden Leopard in the video section at Locarno in 2005. Ignatius Films has sold it to over a dozen territories including North America (Picture This Entertainment), Germany (Salzgeber), France (Swift Distribution), UK and Ireland (Peccadillo Pictures), Taiwan (Joint Entertainment) as well as Spain and Portugal (Eurocine Films).

In Cannes, Ignatius Films expects to close a French deal for another Filipino film, Mel Chionglo's Twilight Dancers, which was recently sold to Water Bearer Films for North America.

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