SUNDANCE SELECTS NABS NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO
JULIA LOKTEV’S THE LONELIEST PLANET

New York, NY (October 11, 2011) – Sundance Selects announced today that the company is acquiring North American rights to director Julia Loktev’s drama THE LONELIEST PLANET. The film, with a screenplay also by Loktev, stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Hani Furstenberg and Bidzina Gujabidze. Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Marie Therese Guirgis, and Helge Albers served as producers on theproject. The film has recently been screened at the Locarno, Toronto, and New York film festivals.

THE LONELIEST PLANET marks the second time the company has teamed up with Loktev; sister division IFC Films previously released her narrative debut film, DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT.

In the film, a young couple backpacking in the Caucasus mountains finds their love tested when the threat of violence enters their idyllic journey.

Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects, said: “It’s a great honor to be able to continue to work with Julia Loktev with THE LONELIEST PLANET. She’s made a phenomenal film that further establishes her as one of the most exciting talents working in world cinema today. We’re also happy to be working with a great team that includes Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, and Marie Therese Guirgis.”

Noted Loktev: “I’m really excited to work with Sundance Selects. I know they’ll put as much heart into distributing the film as we put into making it.”

The deal for THE LONELIEST PLANET was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Productions, and Jeff Deutchman, Director of Acquisitions, for Sundance Selects with Dana O’Keefe at Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers.

Sundance Selects is a sister division to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks, Inc.