Janus Films has acquired the U.S. rights to Sophie Ronvari’s The Blue Heron, starring Eirul Guven and Edik Bedoes. The film is scheduled to be released in 2026.
“Blue Heron” follows Sasha (Gven), the 8-year-old daughter of a Hungarian immigrant family who moved to Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. As the family begins to settle into their new surroundings, eldest son Jeremy (Beddoes) begins to exhibit increasingly antisocial and dangerous behavior problems in his new home.
Additional cast includes Iringo Letty, Adam Tompa, Amy Zimmer, Liam Saag, and Preston Drabble.
“It is no exaggeration to say that Janus Films has brought audiences most of the greatest films of all time,” Ronvalli said in a statement. “Having my debut feature incorporated into this tradition by a team so dedicated to celebrating film and preserving the theatrical experience is beyond a dream come true.”
The film had its world premiere in competition at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival, where it won the Swatch First Feature Award and the Junior Jury Award. In September, The Blue Heron had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Best Canadian Discovery Award.
“Blue Heron” is produced by Nine Behind Productions (Canada) and Boddah (Hungary) in association with Memory, Simbelle Productions, Tinygiant and Ursa Major, with funding from Telefilm Canada and the Hungarian National Film Institute. MoreThan Films will handle international sales.
“Blue Heron” producers include Romvari, Ryan Bobkin, Sara Wylie and Gábor Osváth. Executive producers are Rielle Locke-Dechter, Lauren Melinda, Neil Champagne, Veronica Diaferia, Sarah Eolin, Jasmine Karibzhanova, Sam Sutcliffe, and Leah CL.
The deal was negotiated by Janus Films and the filmmakers.
