Fortissimo Films announced today that Hark & Company have acquired Japanese distribution rights to Larry Yang’s (SORRY, I LOVE YOU; NANA) critically acclaimed feature, “MOUNTAIN CRY”. The film, which closed the 20th Busan International Film Festival to a sold-out audience at the Busan Film Center on October 10, 2015, will be released theatrically in Japan in Q3, 2016.
MOUNTAIN CRY previously won the prize for ‘Best Commercial Potential’ at last year’s Beijing International Film Festival ‘Pitch & Catch’ event and is the first of the initial slate of five films to be completed pursuant to the recently announced production partnership between Village Roadshow Pictures Asia Limited and China’s powerful production giant, Hairun Pictures Co., Ltd. The companies will jointly release the film in China next year, and Village Roadshow Pictures Asia will retain the rights for Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, where it has its own distribution and exhibition affiliates. The film was produced by Ellen Eliasoph and Victoria Hon, with Yanming Liu and Greg Basser serving as Executive Producers.
Set in a remote, spectacularly scenic mountain village in China in the mid 1980’s, MOUNTAIN CRY weaves a tale that begins with the sudden violent death of a man under unusual circumstances, leaving behind a mysterious widow – a young mute woman (played by Yueting Lang – OFFICE) with two young children. The now-broken family, strangers from a distant province, upends the village’s tight-knit traditional community structure. As the local village leaders struggle with how to handle the matter, the widow forms a bond with the hardworking young man (Ziyi Wang – CHONGQING BLUES) who is tasked with providing for her and her children, and both he and the villagers discover that she has a dark story to tell, and the power to tell it wordlessly.
The deal was negotiated by long-time industry stalwart Mr. Satoru Iseki, Director of Hark & Company with Michael J. Werner, Chairman of Fortissimo Films, acting on behalf of the film’s Producers, Ellen Eliasoph, CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Victoria Hon, Vice President of Hairun Pictures. Mr. Iseki has been a long-time backer of quality cinema, particularly from China, assuming various roles such as producer, financier, executive producer and distributor. Hark stepped in pre-emptively to close the deal ahead of its World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival.
Upon confirming the deal, Mr. Iseki noted, "This modest film from Director Larry Yang has a very powerful moving story and a message that I am confident will resonate with our audiences in Japan. The two leads are very appealing with fresh faces and great acting talent. I am happy to work with our long-time friends at Fortissimo to bring this fine film to Japan."
Larry Yang, who both wrote and directed MOUNTAIN CRY, remarked, “It's thrilling that Japanese audiences will have the opportunity to see MOUNTAIN CRY and experience its universal story of loss, healing and young love; a powerful love that transcends all boundaries; a love beyond words. I am grateful that Iseki-San and his team at Hark have embraced our film and committed to it with such warmth and passion."
Fortissimo Films have since received multiple offers for Korea and other Asian territories. Several European territories have also indicated strong interest, and Fortissimo will continue sales in the lead-up to and during the upcoming American Film Market.
will continue sales in the lead-up to and during the upcoming American Film Market.