Film Boutique has ended the sale of additional copies of Agnieszka Holland’s Franz Kafka biopic “Franz,” which was Poland’s official Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Idan Weiss, who plays Kafka, was nominated for Best Actor at the European Film Awards on Tuesday.
Recent deals include Australia and New Zealand’s Sharmil Films, Japan’s Medallion Media, Portugal’s No Conboio, and A2 Films/Great Movies, which acquired the Latin American rights to the film.
Previously announced deals include X Verleih in Germany, Bac Films in France, September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, FIlmcoopi in Switzerland, Movies Inspired in Italy, Kino Świat in Poland, Bioscop in the Czech Republic, Triart in Sweden, Filmarti in Turkey, Vertigo in Hungary, Andrews Film in Taiwan, Kino Pavasaris in the Baltics, Another in Denmark and Norway. Includes World and Future Film. Filmladen from Finland, Cinelibri from Bulgaria, Cinobo from Greece, MCF Megacom from the former Yugoslavia, Bio Paradis from Iceland, Independenta from Romania, Arthouse Traffic from Ukraine and Fivia from Slovenia.
Cohen Media Group has acquired the North American rights to the film and is preparing for a one-week theatrical run in December, ahead of a wider U.S. release next year.
Following its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Franz was also shown in San Sebastian, Rio de Janeiro, Busan, Vancouver, Chicago, and Woodstock.
The film won four awards at the 50th Gdynia Polish Film Festival: Best Picture, Idan Weiss for Best Actor, Tomasz Naumiuk for Best Cinematography, and Gabriela Polakova won Best Make-up.
The film traces the influence of Kafka, the author best known for The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle, on the world from his birth in 19th century Prague to his death in post-World War I Vienna.
The film stars Weiss, Peter Cruz, Genovefa Bokova, Ivan Trojan, and Sandra Korzeniak. The screenwriter is Marek Epstein. Produced by Šárka Chimbarova and the Netherlands. Co-producers are Uwe Schott, Giorgo Najes, Marcin Wierszczewski and Alicia Jagodzinska, with Mike Downey and Jeff Field serving as executive producers.
Holland is the director of the Oscar-nominated films Angry Harvest (1985), Europa (1990), and In Darkness (2012), and his other films include Olivier, Olivier (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), Total Eclipse (1995), Julie Walking Home (2001), “Spur” (2017), “Mr. Jones” (2019), “Charlatan” (2020), and the Venice Jury Prize winner “Green Border” (2023).
