iW NEWS | "$9.99" For Regent

The North American rights to Tatia Rosenthal's stop motion animated "$9.99" have been acquired by Regent Releasing. Regent acquired the film from international sales agent Fortissimo Films and will distribute it in select U.S. cities in the Spring of 2009. "$9.99" is the third film Regent Releasing picked up from Fortissimo at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. The other previously announced deals were for "Serbis" and "Tokyo Sonata." "We are thrilled to bring Tatia Rosenthal's brilliantly innovative first feature to U.S. audiences," said Regent's Mark Reinhart in a statement. "Regent is committed to showcasing innovative filmmaking while nurturing promising, emerging talent. Tatia and her delightful film could not be a finer opportunity to fulfill this mission." The deal was negotiated by Reinhart, West Coast General Manager and EVP, Distribution and Acquisitions for Regent, and Fortissimo's Winnie Lau, SVP, Sales & Acquisitions. [Peter Knegt]