Agnieszka Holland’s Kafka Biopic ‘Franz,’ Poland’s Oscar Entry, Closes Further Deals (EXCLUSIVE)

Films Boutique has closed further sales on Agnieszka Holland‘s Franz Kafka biopic “Franz,” Poland’s official Oscar entry for best international feature film at the 98th Academy Awards. Idan Weiss, who plays Kafka, picked up a European Film Awards nomination for best actor on Tuesday.

Recently closed deals include Sharmill Films in Australia and New Zealand, Medallion Media in Japan, No Comboio in Portugal, and A2 Filmes/Great Movies, which took the Latin American rights to the film.

Previously announced deals include X Verleih in Germany, Bac Films in France, September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, FIlmcoopi in Switzerland, Movies Inspired in Italy, Kino Świat in Poland, Bioscop in Czech Republic, Triart in Sweden, Filmarti in Turkey, Vertigo in Hungary, Andrews Film in Taiwan, Kino Pavasaris for the Baltic countries, Another World for Denmark and Norway, Future Film in Finland, Filmladen in Austria, Cinelibri in Bulgaria, Cinobo in Greece, MCF Megacom for the former Yugoslavia, Bio Paradis in Iceland, Independenta in Romania, Arthouse Traffic in Ukraine, and Fivia in Slovenia.

Cohen Media Group has acquired the North American rights to the film and is preparing for a one-week qualifying theatrical run in December, ahead of a wider U.S. release next year.

Following its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, “Franz” played at San Sebastian, Rio de Janeiro, Busan, Vancouver, Chicago and Woodstock.

The film won four awards at the 50th Gdynia Polish Film Festival: best film, best actor for Idan Weiss, outstanding cinematography for Tomasz Naumiuk and Gabriela Poláková received the award for best make-up.

The film follows the impact of Kafka, the author best known for “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial” and “The Castle,” made on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post-World War I Vienna.

The film stars with Weiss, Peter Kurth, Jenovéfa Boková, Ivan Trojan and Sandra Korzeniak. The scriptwriter is Marek Epstein. The producers are Šárka Cimbalová and Holland. The co-producers are Uwe Schott, Jorgo Narjes, Marcin Wierzchosławski and Alicja Jagodzińska, with Mike Downey and Jeff Field serving as executive producers.

Holland is the director of Oscar nominated films “Angry Harvest” (1985), “Europa Europa” (1990), and “In Darkness” (2012), with other features including “Olivier, Olivier” (1992), “The Secret Garden” (1993), “Total Eclipse” (1995), “Julie Walking Home” (2001), “Spoor” (2017), “Mr. Jones” (2019), “Charlatan” (2020), and the Venice Jury Prize winner “Green Border” (2023).