Moland Epic: Global Sales
Norway’s Oscar contender has secured distribution rights across 16 international territories following strong festival reception.
By Lorenzo Marshall ·
Beta Cinema has finalized distribution agreements for 16 international territories for “Growth of the Soil,” the Norwegian entry for best international feature at the 99th Academy Awards. The film, an epic love story directed by Hans Petter Moland, has found buyers in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and other regions following its recent festival screenings.
The sales package includes Greenwich Entertainment for North America, Conic for the U.K. and Ireland, and Neue Visionen for Germany and Austria. Other partners include Teodora Film in Italy, A Contracorriente Films in Spain, and Cherry Pickers in Benelux. The film will also release in Switzerland through Frenetic Films, Greece via Weird Wave, and the Baltics with Scanorama. Hungary is covered by Vertigo Media, Bulgaria by Beta Film, India by Big Tree Entertainment, Indonesia by Falcon Pictures, Brazil by Imovision, and Australia and New Zealand by Palace Films.
The commercial push follows the film’s world premiere in Toronto and its European debut at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. At San Sebastián, the movie received two major honors: the Silver Shell for best leading performance and the jury prize for best cinematography. It subsequently screened at the Warsaw, Rio, and Denver film festivals, as well as Mar del Plata, and opened the Bergen Film Festival.
In its domestic market, the film was released across Scandinavia by Scanbox Entertainment. It opened at No. 1 at the Norwegian box office during its first weekend. The film is also on the shortlist for the best feature film category at the European Film Awards.
Adapted from a Nobel Prize-winning novel, the story follows Isak, a man seeking a place to build a life in a harsh, high-altitude landscape. He eventually meets Inger, and the pair build a home and family together until changing times alter their dynamic. Herbert Nordrum and Asta Kamma August star in the lead roles, joined by Gard B. Eidsvold, Anders Baasmo, Oddgeir Thune, and Sjur Vatne Brean.
Moland, who previously directed “Out Stealing Horses” and “In Order of Disappearance,” co-wrote the screenplay with Eidsvold. Oskar Dahlsbakken shot the film, and Danish composer Kaspar Kaae created the original score. The production is by 4 ½ Fiction in co-production with Scanbox, produced by Håkon Øverås.
