UK-based international sales outfit Impronta Films announced October 23 its world rights acquisition of Ehsan Khoshbakht’s feature doc Celluloid Underground.
Produced by Mary Bell and Adam Dawtrey for Bofa Productions, with funding from the National Lottery via Screen Scotland and the BFI Doc Society Fund, the film world-premiered at London FF earlier this month and is described as “a powerful and immersive cinematic journey, offering a riveting portrait of post-revolutionary Iran.” The original score is by German jazz composer Ekkehard Wölk.
The sales deal was signed after the film’s world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival this month, and ahead of regional premieres in the coming weeks at Morelia International Film Festival (International Premiere October 24), Vienna International Film Festival, Jio MAMA Mumbai Film Festival and Lisbon Film Festival. Celluloid Underground will also screen in the UK at the Cambridge Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival.
Impronta describes the film as “a powerful and immersive cinematic journey, offering a riveting portrait of post-revolutionary Iran.” The synopsis reads how, in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, a tenacious movie collector in Tehran becomes an unlikely hero as he undertakes the courageous mission of safeguarding thousands of films from the clutches of the new Islamic regime. Despite facing the grim spectre of arrest and torture, he steadfastly guards his precious secret—a story of resistance and obsession, retold through the eyes of the boy who stood by his side. Recalled years later from exile in London, their extraordinary tale unfolds on the screen.
Impronta Head of Sales and Acquisitions Ana Fernandez commented: “We’re delighted to present Celluloid Underground to a global audience and proud to collaborate with the exceptional creative team behind this extraordinary project.”
Producer Adam Dawtrey added: “Ana delighted us by her emotional response to Ehsan’s story, and her immediate grasp of its timely resonance for many audiences around the world.”
Bofa Productions is a Scottish company based in Bridge of Allan, specializing in cinema documentaries with an international perspective. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, its credits include A Story of Children and Film, Stockholm My Love, The Eyes of Orson Welles and The Story of Looking, all directed by Mark Cousins; Antonia Bird From EastEnders to Hollywood, directed by Susan Kemp; and Iorram (Boat Song), directed by Alastair Cole. Upcoming films include A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things by Mark Cousins and Land of Voices by Alastair Cole.
Impronta Films states that its core strategy is “to promote global cultural fusion, allowing the films we represent to transcend geographical and cultural confines, providing worldwide audiences with compelling, thought-provoking, and compassionate documentaries.”
