Electric to crack market with Hacker

Akan Satayev directed the film from Sanzhar Sultanov and Timur Zhaksylykov’s screenplay about three young coders who fall foul of the authorities and the shadowy operators behind their criminal paymasters.

Hacker shot in New York, Hong Kong, Toronto and Bangkok and stars Callan McAuliffe, Lorraine Nicholson, Daniel Eric Gold and Clifton Collins Jr.

Sultanov’s production company Know Rules Media produced with Satayev’s SataiFilm. Loudon Owen and Jai Khanna from Brillstein Entertainment Partners are the executive producers.

“We were immediately intrigued by Hacker because it is very topical and timely,” said Electric’s head of international distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska. “It deals with a scary situation that could unfortunately become a reality for all of us one day.”

“When we finished the film, we felt confident that we have a good film,” said Satayev. “And now that Electric is on board, it’s even more reassuring that we really do have a great film.”

“From concept to completion, it took us one year in five different countries,” said Sultanov. “We had a great team along the way, assembled by our managers at Brillstein, who helped make our ambitious vision a reality. “Most importantly, we strapped down and put everything we had on the screen. Now, we’re looking forward to sharing it with our audience.”

Kendra Dousette from Dousette Wilson and Jai Khanna from Brillstein Entertainment Partners negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers with Mehandjiyska for Electric.

Mehandjiyska’s AFM sales slate includes black-and-white drama The Better Angels produced by Terrence Malick and set to open in the US through Amplify on November 7; Sundance hit God’s Pocket starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman; and SXSW audience award-winner Before I Disappear, which IFC will distribute in the US on November 28.