Italian Director Lamberto Sanfelice’s Standout Debut ‘Chlorine’ Lands U.S. Distribution Deal (EXCLUSIVE)

After standout screenings at Sundance and Berlin, first-time Italian director Lamberto Sanfelice’s synchronised swimming coming-of-ager “Chlorine” has been sold by RAI Com to Uncork’d Entertainment for the U.S. and Canada.

Founded in 2012 by DVD vet Keith Leopard, Uncork’d operates across theatrical, physical home entertainment, VOD and TV platforms.

“Chlorine” is about a teenage girl whose dreams of becoming a synchronized swimming champ are sidelined by a family tragedy. Produced by Ang Film and Ginevra Elkann’s Asmara Films, it marks the debut of Italian NYU Film school graduate Lamberto Sanfelice.

At the Cannes market RAI Com also presold Gabriele Muccino’s road movie “Summertime,” currenty shooting, to Cineart for Benelux.

U.K. rights to bittersweet Mafia-themed “The Mafia Kills Only in Summer” by Italo TV satirist Pierfrancesco Diliberto, known as Pif, went to London-based Cinefile; Cristina Comencini’s “Latin Lover” went to CDI for Argentina; and Riccardo Milani’s transgender comedy “Do You See Me” went to Synca for Japan and Swallow Wings for Taiwan.

Cannes, where three new films by Italian directors are competing – Matteo Garrone’s “The Tale of Tales,” Nanni Moretti’s “My Mother,” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth” – is proving to be “a good environment to sell Italian films” this year enthused RAI Com’s Head of International Sales Mattia Odone.

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