Strand Releasing has acquired all US rights to Joao Pedro Rodrigues’ Portuguese drama The Ornithologist from Films Boutique.

The film – a reimagining of the myth of Saint Anthony of Padua as a modern-day parable of sexual and spiritual transcendence – had its world premiere at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Leopard for best director. It also screened at Toronto and is in the line-up of this week’s New York Film Festival.

Jean Christophe Simon from Films Boutique said: “The Ornithologist is a visionary film and it was important for us to work with a visionary distribution company to share it with the US audience. Strand Releasing is the perfect home for the film.”

Strand’s Marcus Hu added: “We’re thrilled to have this film. We’ve been tracking the film since the script stage and seeing it develop to the final feature is very gratifying.”

Rodrigues commented: “It’s nice to be working with a distributor that has maintained relationships with its filmmakers and to help bring these audacious voices from around the world to the US market.”

Strand previously handled Rodrigues’ Two Drifters and To Die Like a Man.

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