Cleopatra Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights outside Russian territories to Act & Punishment, the music documentary about Russian activists and punk rockers Pussy Riot. The company plans a November theatrical bow in the U.S., in conjunction with a soundtrack release and a U.S. tour by the band to promote the film.
The feature-length pic written and directed by Evgeny Mitta features Pussy Riot bandmembers Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Mariya Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, who were jailed in Russia in 2011 after protesting the country’s human rights oppression — specifically targeting the election of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church’s ties to him.
Mitta and Alyona Gorlanova produced the pic from Russia-based 2Plan2 and Paperworks. The distribution deal was brokered by Cleopatra founder and CEO Brian Perera, VP and GM Tim Yasui, and by An!ipode International Sales’ Olga Ulybysheva on behalf of the filmmakers.