Zeitgeist laps up 'Lunacy'

'Earthquakes' rattle indie label

By IAN MOHR

The Quay brothers' 'The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes' is rumbling over to Zeitgeist for distribution.

Indie label Zeitgeist has picked up "The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes," by the Quay Brothers, and Jan Svankmajer's "Lunacy," which is slated to screen at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival.

"Earthquakes," exec produced by Terry Gilliam and Paul Trijbits, marks the first pic by filmmaking twins Timothy and Stephen Quay in a decade.

Set in an imaginary world, story concerns an opera singer who's murdered onstage before her wedding by a nefarious inventor. Amira Casar, Gottfriend John, Assumpta Serna and Cesar Saracho star.

Keith Griffiths, Alexander Ris and Hengameh Panahi produced.

Distrib is planning a fall rollout for the pic, which was acquired from Gallic banner Celluloid Dreams.

Meanwhile, "Lunacy," by Czech surrealist writer-helmer Svankmajer, is loosely based on two short stories by Edgar Allen Poe and incorporates a main character inspired by the Marquis de Sade.

Pic, starring Pavel Liska, Jan Triska and Anna Geislerova, already played the Rotterdam fest.

Illumination Films repped the pic's rights.

Athanor Films produced.

Zeitgeist is in current release with Oscar nominee "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days."