Acquisitions: Herzog-Produced Act Of Killing, Alexander Payne’s Nebraska And Laurence Anyways Find Homes

With Werner Herzog firmly behind this project as Executive Producer along with fellow documentary icon Errol Morris, it’s no wonder the documentary The Act Of Killing has become something of a hot button documentary.

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, the film follows the story of ‘former Indonesian death squad leaders who are challenged to reenact their real-life mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.’

Herzog himself has deemed the film ‘frightening,’ so to call this picture dark is putting it lightly. And apparently Drafthouse Films has also been caught up by this picture. They will distribute the film with a 30-market theatrical run and an awards push planned for the film in 2013. Personally, this is a documentary that not only sounds deeply troubling, but also intensely intriguing. Knowing the likes of Herzog and Morris are behind the film makes it sound even more interesting, as their stamp of approval means so very much within the world of documentary filmmaking.

In other acquisition news, Alexander Payne and Xavier Dolan have found distribution for their newest films. FilmNation has nabbed up the international rights to Payne’s Nebraska (a film arriving domestically via Paramount) and Dolan’s latest, Laurence Anyways, will be hitting this side of the world via Breaking Glass Pictures. The latter arrives next month in the UK, so a domestic release shouldn’t be too far off, while the former does feel a ways off, as the Bruce Dern and Will Forte-starrer still needs to get in front of cameras. Expect it to be an awards contender come 2013.

Source IndieWire / THR / Variety