EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment announced today the acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to Ali & Ava written & directed by BAFTA nominee Clio Barnard (Dark River, The Selfish Giant, The Arbor). The film recently won two British Independent Film Awards, and was nominated for five additional awards. Greenwich will release the film theatrically this summer.
Starring Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions) and Claire Rushbrook (Ammonite), as Ali & Ava. Ali (Akhtar) is an exuberant music enthusiast struggling to keep his recent separation from his wife a secret from his family. Ava (Rushbrook) is a pragmatic middle-aged teaching assistant and matriarch to a large and close-knit family. When a chance encounter unites them, Ali and Ava begin a tentative friendship formed around their shared love of music that quickly blossoms into an unexpected romance.
“Ali & Ava is an intimate narrative, anchored by the powerful and tender performances of Adeel and Claire,” said Barnard. “It is a naturalistic story that I hope many can relate to in different ways and we look forward to partnering with Greenwich Entertainment to bring this special film to audiences.”
Ali & Ava was produced by Barnard’s long-term producer, Tracy O’Riordan (Dream Horse) with executive producers Lizzie Francke (The Souvenir), Rose Garnett (The Power of the Dog), and Claudia Yusef (Creeling). Greenwich’s Andy Bohn negotiated the acquisition with Altitude’s Mike Runagall and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.
