Venice Opener ‘Comandante’ Scores U.S. Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)

Italian director Edoardo De Angelis’ anti-war epic “Comandante” – the opener of this year’s Venice Film Festival – has secured North American distribution via Uncork’d Entertainment, which will release the film theatrically in tandem with partner company Dark Star Pictures.

The movie stars Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino as Sicilian World War II naval captain Salvatore Todaro and depicts his act of wartime humanitarianism on Oct. 15, 1940. Todaro, as commander of the submarine Cappellini, sank a Belgian merchant ship called Kabalo that was carrying aircraft parts and operating under British rule. He then disobeyed orders from his own command to rescue the Kabalo’s 26 crew members, at great risk to his own life and the lives of his crew.

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“We believe that the message of the movie is very powerful and contemporary,” said Uncork’d Entertinament’s president Keith Leopard in a statement, adding: “We are thrilled to launch it in North America and to work with talented director Edoardo De Angelis.”

The deal was negotiated by True Colours head of sales Giulia Casavecchia and Leopard during the American Film Market.

“Comandante” is produced by Indigo Film (“The Great Beauty”) with RAI Cinema, and by De Angelis with his regular producers Attilio De Razza and Pierpaolo Verga via their Tramp Limited and O’Groove shingles.

During AFM and the recent Ventana Sur market, True Colours also inked new sales on “Comandante” for Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Plaion); South Korea (Scene & Sound); and Hungary (BP Film).

Following its Oct. 31 release in Italy via 01 Distribution, “Comandante” is still playing in local theaters after seven weeks, having reached more than 500,000 admissions and €3.6 million ($4 million) at the box office. True Colours previously sold the film to Spain (Alfa Pictures); Japan (Aya Pro); Portugal (Outsider Pictures); former Yugoslavia (Stars Media); Australia and New Zealand (Palace Films) and Bulgaria (Beta Film).

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