Maximum sets U.S. and U.K. sales
Sales unit sells two films abroad
Canadian helmer Bruce LaBruce's latest "Otto; Or, Up With Dead People" was sold to Strand Releasing in the U.S. and to Millivres in the U.K., while British pic "The Waiting Room" was nabbed by IFC Films in the U.S. and Lionsgate in the U.K.
"Otto" is about a young zombie who hitches a ride to Berlin where he sets up shop at an amusement park. Pic world-preemed at Sundance and is unspooling in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival this week.
The U.S. deal was brokered by Jon Gerrans from Strand Releasing and Charlotte Mickie from Maximum Films Intl.
The pic is the sixth LaBruce film to be released Stateside by Strand Releasing. Strand also co-produced LaBruce's "Hustler White" and "Super 8½."
"Otto" is produced by Juergen Bruening, Jennifer Jonas, Jorn Hartmann, Michael Huber, Bruce Bailey, Alfredo Ferran Calle, Javier Peres, Terrence Koh, Leonard Farlinger and Claus Matthes.
Writer-director Roger Goldby's feature debut "The Waiting Room" has been picked up for Canadian distribution by Maximum Films, Maximum's Canadian distribution arm. "The Waiting Room" is exec produced by Stephen Evans ("The Mother") and had its preem at the Edinburgh Film Festival last summer.
Pic looks at the entangled love lives of a group of South Londoners and stars Anne-Marie Duff ("The Magdalene Sisters"), Ralf Little ("24- Hour Party People") and Rupert Graves.
Lionsgate will release the pic in the U.K. in the summer and IFC will open the pic Stateside sometime in spring. Maximum will launch the pic in the Great White North during the summer.
