Max Irons’ Ukraine-set romance drama “Bitter Harvest” scores sales

PanARMENIAN.Net - Meyers Media Group’s has closed territory deals on romance-drama “Bitter Harvest”, starring Max Irons and Samantha Barks at the American Film Market, Variety has learned exclusively.

Isaan Entertainment has acquired the film for Spain; EnterMode picked up rights for South Korea, and Shaw Organisation will release in Singapore.

George Mendeluk directed from a script he co-wrote with Richard Bachynsky-Hoover, focused on two lovers caught in Joseph Stalin’s effort to starve the Ukrainian people in 1932-33, also known as the Holodomor. Barry Pepper, Tamer Hassan and Terence Stamp also star.

Ian Ihnatowycz financed and produced “Bitter Harvest” alongside Stuart Baird, George Mendeluk, Chad Barager, and Jaye Gazeley. Dennis Davidson, Peter D. Graves and William J. Immerman serve as executive producers.

Roadside Attractions bought the U.S. rights in August and has a Feb. 24 release date set.

Arrow Films bought “Bitter Harvest” earlier for the UK and set an early 2017 release. Other markets were sold to Becker Film for Australia/New Zealand; Pandastorm in Germany; B&H Film Distribution in the Ukraine; D Films in Canads; Tanweer in Turkey; and Eagle Pictures in the Middle East.

“This is an important story lost to history that will get to be seen by movie going audiences in such diverse countries because of both its historical nature as well as the parallels it draws to today’s events,” said Meyers Media’s Lawrence Meyers. “It is a beautiful love story, which like ‘Dr. Zhivago’ in its time, is set against tragic events.”