Juno Films has acquired North American rights to “Girls Will Be Girls,” a mother-daughter drama that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film will premiere at SXSW next week before hitting theaters this fall.
Shochi Talati directed “Girls Will Be Girls,” set in a strict boarding school in the Himalayas, where 16-year-old Meera’s rebellious sexual awakening is disrupted by her mother, who never comes of age. Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kasruti and Kesav Binoy Kiron star in the film. It was selected for the Sundance Audience Award in the World Motion Picture Drama category.
“I am very excited to work with Juno Films because of their collaborative approach with filmmakers and their extreme dedication to their films,” Talaati said in a statement. “Even though the film is made in India, I always felt that it is a film for a wide audience. I can’t wait for this story to meet its audience. I hope viewers come away on a tense, funny, uncomfortable and poignant journey.”
in miscellaneous In the review, critic Siddhant Adlakha called the film “a thrilling and intimate debut,” writing that Girls Will Be Girls walks a complex tightrope, balancing the contrasting intentions of its characters with the overall narrative as its scattered pieces fall into place. ”
The deal was negotiated between Jennifer Gauthier, head of sales at Paris-based Lux Box Films, and Fonda Elizabeth Sheldon, CEO of Juno Films.
“‘Girls Will Be Girls’ is a rare film that seeks not to exploit female sexuality to excite the viewer, but rather to show how female sexuality is exploited by conservative mores,” Sheldon said in a statement. “Shochi Talati is an exceptional debut film that skillfully explores structures of power, female desire and power.”
Juno Films, a small film distribution company, recently released Lasse Hallstrom’s “Hilma,” the Gaelic comedy “Roise & Frank,” and “What She Say: The Art of Pauline Kael.”