IFC Films announced today that they are acquiring North American rights to sci-fi thriller VESPER directed by Lithuania’s Kristina Buozyte and France’s Bruno Samper. The film will premiere next month at the Crystal Globe Competition of the 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Prior to VESPER, Buozyte and Samper collaborated on the 2012 film VANISHING WAVES, which Buozyte directed and co-wrote with Samper.

VESPER is written by Bruno Samper, Brian Clark and Kristina Buozyte. The cast includes Raffiella Chapman (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING), Eddie Marsan (SHERLOCK HOLMES), Rosy McEwen (THE ALIENIST) and Richard Brake (GAME OF THRONES). Produced by Lithuania’s Daiva Varnaitė-Jovaišienė and Asta Liukaitytė and French VFX veteran and producer Alexis Perrin. The European co-production is produced by Lithuanian production company Natrix Natrix, France’s Rumble Fish Productions, Belgium’s 10.80 Films, along with EV.L Prod. IFC Films will release the film in theaters and VOD on September 30, 2022.

Set after the collapse of the Earth’s ecosystem, the film follows Vesper (Chapman), a headstrong 13-year-old girl who uses her survival skills to subsist in the remnants of a strange and dangerous world with her ailing father, Darius (Brake). When Vesper finds a mysterious woman, Camellia (McEwen), alone and disoriented after an aerial crash, she agrees to help find her missing companion in exchange for safe passage to the Citadel – the dark central hub where oligarchs live in comfort thanks to state-of-the-art biotechnology. Vesper soon discovers that her brutal neighbor, Jonas (Marsan), is searching for Camellia, who is harboring a secret which could change all of their lives forever. Forced into a dangerous adventure, Vesper must rely on her wits and bio-hacking abilities to unlock the key to an alternate future.

Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Films, said, “Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper have crafted an immersive and powerful sci-fi survival story with a sweeping palette. Their creative vision of the future positions them as exciting new voices and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this film to audiences in September.”

Filmmakers Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper, said, “IFC Films has released some of the most daring and inventive films of the last twenty years in the US. They are true lovers and active supporters of the theatrical experience, and as we created Vesper to be a singular, immersive experience for the big screen, we could not be more excited to be working with them to bring the film to the largest possible audience.”

The deal for the film was negotiated by Manager of Acquisitions and Productions for IFC Films, Adam Koehler with Anton’s Cecile Gaget, President of International Production and Distribution, who is overseeing global sales on the film. Anton recently announced international theatrical distribution deals on the film in key territories including the UK (Signature Entertainment), Germany (Koch Media), Italy (Leone Film) and Japan (Klockworx).