Lionsgate to bring Polley's Away From Her to theatres
Last Updated: Thursday, September 14, 2006 | 9:59 AM ET
CBC Arts
Already established as one of Canada's most accomplished young actresses, Sarah Polley appears poised for further success as a director, with her film Away From Her set to hit theatres across North America.
Entertainment studio Lionsgate, which maintains offices in Vancouver, Los Angeles and New York, announced on Thursday that it has acquired the rights to Polley's critically acclaimed film, which made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday night.
"It is an honour to be working with Sarah on her wonderfully accomplished feature writing and directing debut," Tom Ortenberg, Lionsgate's president of theatrical films, said in a statement.
In Sarah Polley's Away From Her, Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent star as a longtime married couple Fiona and Grant, who must come to terms with Fiona's worsening illness.
(Capri)
Ortenberg praised Away From Her as "a great, universal love story."
The movie is tentatively set for a spring 2007 release date.
Polley's sensitive and moving film has won over both audiences and critics at the festival, with its story of a man who must place his beloved wife of nearly 50 years in a nursing home after she develops Alzheimer's disease. Canadian icon Gordon Pinsent and internationally renowned actress Julie Christie star.
More than two dozen other territories have also picked up distribution rights for Away From Her, which is based on the Alice Munro short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain.
Polley rose to fame as a child actress for her starring role in the series Road to Avonlea and grew into more sophisticated film roles, turning in critically acclaimed performances in films such as Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter.
However, in recent years, the 27-year old Polley has been spending more time behind the camera. She has directed several short films — including The Best Day of My Life, Don't Think Twice and I Shout Love — that have played at both the Toronto and the Sundance film festivals.
