A flurry of Toronto acquisitions emerged at the weekend as the festival neared its conclusion.

Roadside Attractions pounced on US rights to Peter Webber’s wartime drama following the world premiere on Friday (14) and will release theatrically in 2013.

Lionsgate will handle all other non-theatrical rights per the partner’s ongoing arrangement. “We think it will resonate for history buffs and movie lovers alike, and we’re proud to bring it to the US,” Roadside co-president Howard Cohen said after striking the deal with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.

Matthew Fox, Tommy Lee Jones and Japan’s Eriko Hatsune of Norwegian Wood star.

David Klass and Vera Blasi co-wrote the Emperor screenplay and Yoko Narahashi, Gary Foster, Eugene Nomura and Russ Krasnoff produced the Fellers Film and Krasnoff / Foster Entertainment feature and Sierra/Affinity handled international sales.

  • Sony Pictures Classics has taken North American rights to Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda, which bears the distinction of being both the first feature to shoot entirely in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first feature to emerge from a female Saudi filmmaker. Wadjda premiered in Venice and the SPC team discovered it in Telluride. SPC negotiated the deal with Rena Ronson of UTA Independent Film Group and The Match Factory is handling foreign sales. 

The distributor also moved on US rights to The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi’s Middle Eastern family drama that premiered in Toronto.

Golshifteh Farahani stars in the Studio 37, Corniche Pictures and Razor Films co-production. Head of sales Camille Neel at Le Pacte represented the filmmakers in the deal.

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