Film Movement Takes North America For Palestinian Director Scandar Copti’s ‘Happy Holidays’

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Film Movement have acquired North American rights for Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Scandar Copti’s timely movie Happy Holidays, which has been enjoying a prize-winning run on the festival circuit following its Venice debut last year.The portrait of a contemporary Palestinian family and the complexities of its life in Israel premiered in Venice’s Orizzonti sidebar last September, clinching its Best Screenplay award.

Since then, it has played at a dozen festivals, clinching top awards at the Thessaloniki and Marrakech film festivals among others along the way.

The acquisition announcement was made by Film Movement President Michael Rosenberg and Nicolas Eschbach, CEO of French company Indie Sales. “Though he’s just at the beginning of his filmmaking career, Scandar has shown an ability to create characters that portray Israeli and Palestinian life in an authentic and unforgettable manner,” says Rosenberg.  “At a time when all eyes are on the region, Happy Holidays opens a window into a world audiences that rarely have the opportunity to see.” Film Movement is planning a theatrical release n 2025, followed by a launch on leading digital platforms and in the home entertainment marketplace.

Contemporary Haifa-set drama Happy Holidays is sparked by minor car accident that sets off a chain of events, unravelling lies and unspoken truths that sow division within a multifaceted patriarchal society.