From Cannes, Sony Pictures Classics announced it has acquired all rights to distribute They Shot the Piano Player — the new animated feature docudrama from Fernando Trueba and artist Javier Mariscal, the creative duo behind Oscar-nominated Chico & Rita (2010) — in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Scandinavia, India, Middle East, Turkey, Southeast Asia (excluding South Korea and Taiwan) and airlines in these territories.
Having picked up the pic from London-based Film Constellation, SPC is planning a year-end awards qualifying run.
Synopsis: A New York music journalist goes on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr. A celebratory origin story of the world-renowned Latino musical movement Bossa Nova.
They Shot The Piano Player captures a fleeting time bursting with creative freedom at a turning point in Latin American history in the ’60s and ’70s, just before the continent was engulfed by totalitarian regimes.
“This film has been a 15-year investigation of mine into the life of a musical genius, whose life was unjustly taken by the military coup back in the ’70s,” said Trueba.
The 2D-animated film voice stars Jeff Goldblum. Trueba and Mariscal direct, with Cristina Huete (Trueba PC), Serge Lalou (Prima Linea) and Portuguese filmmaker Humberto Santana (Something I Said, Octopus) serving as producers.
They Shot the Piano Player is produced by Fernando Trueba Productions (Chico & Rita, Spain); Prima Línea (The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily), Les Films d’Ici (Josep, France); and Submarine (Buñuel in the Labyrinth of Turtles, Netherlands). Executive producers are Nano Arrieta of Atlantika and Fabien Westerhoff of Film Constellation.
Film Constellation co-financed the production and is handling worldwide sales. The company is seeking buyers in the available territories at the Cannes Film Market.
