Julia Leigh's provocative and controversial Cannes competition entry "Sleeping Beauty" has been acquired for U.S. distribution by Sundance Selects, the company announced on Sunday.
"Sleeping Beauty," which the Cannes catalog described as "a haunting, erotic fairy tale," deals with a young woman (Emily Browning) drawn into an unusual world of erotic desire. It was the first of the 20 competitive films to screen at this year's festival, and drew both raves and pans for its unsettling nature, slow pace and abundant sex and nudity.
"For the last 5 days, people throughout Cannes have been discussing 'Sleeping Beauty,'" Sundance Selects president Jonathan Sehring said in a statement. "We are thrilled to introduce Julia Leigh and her arresting debut to American audiences, and to continuing the discussion."
Sundance Selects is a sister division of IFC Films and IFC Midnight. The deal was negotiated by Sundance Selects' Arianna Bocco and by UTA on behalf of the filmmakers.
