Metis Films, the UK company launched this year by former Altitude and eOne executive Ben Metcalf, has acquired UK-Ireland rights to Antonella Sudasassi’s Memories Of A Burning Body.
The second feature from Costa Rican filmmaker Sudasassi debuted in Panorama at the Berlinale this year, where it won the independent audience award. Metis will release it in UK cinemas at the end of 2024, having acquired it from Bendita Film Sales.
The drama explores how the memories of three women who grew up when sexuality was taboo, are channeled through one 65-year-old protagonist.
Metis has also pre-bought The Resonance, a UK feature in pre-production, that will be the feature debut of Benjamin Lister and produced by Matthew Wilkinson of Stigma Films. A sci-fi set on a London estate, Metcalf describes the film as “Under The Skin meets Attack The Block”.
Metcalf is executive producer on the feature, which is currently casting, aiming to shoot in autumn 2024 ahead of a Q4 2025/Q1 2026 release through Metis.
”World cinema with a genre edge”
Working across development, consultancy and distribution, Metis aims to release six to eight films per year in the UK. It will focus on “world cinema titles with a genre edge” said Metcalf.
Saudi hit Mandoob will be the company’s first release on August 30.
“Theatrical is my bread and butter – that’s what I love, taking a film and finding its audience within cinemas,” Metcalf said.
He is looking to board films from script stage to completed titles. “My experience at Altitude and eOne showed me there are a million and one ways you can board a film,” he says.
He has jumped on The Resonance early because “you have to move fast on these things. Otherwise if you wait until they finish, then other people get involved.”
Through his recent work teaching film students Metcalf said he is optimistic for the theatrical sector in the UK. “It’s been really encouraging to hear a younger generation of cinephiles coming through that are talking about The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Battleship Potemkin, or Nosferatu,” he said. “The UK has been a risk averse market for a number of years, for obvious reasons; a lot of films aren’t coming to the UK as well. I saw a little bit of a gap, and hopefully we can ride an optimistic wave, potentially on the eve of a new government coming in, with brighter times for distribution and cinema.”
Metcalf is currently running the company solo, working with freelancers across marketing and logistics. The name Metis comes from his surname and that of his partner, Lewis; and is also the goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology. “I hope she smiles favourably on me in the next few years,” says Metcalf.
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