Cinema Guild has bought North American distribution rights to “Dry Leaf,” Georgian filmmaker Alexandre Koberidze’s follow up to “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” which competed at the Berlinale in 2021.
“Dry Leaf,” meanwhile, had its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in August, where it
competed for the Golden Leopard.
The film will have its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will go on to play at the New York Film Festival. Cinema Guild will open the film theatrically in 2026,
followed by a national theatrical rollout.
Set against the quiet landscapes of rural Georgia, “Dry Leaf” follows Irakli (David Koberidze), a
father searching for his missing daughter, Lisa, a young sports photographer who vanished while documenting football fields in remote villages. Joined by Lisa’s enigmatic friend Levani
Otar Nijaradze), he embarks on a journey across the countryside, encountering strangers,
children, and fragments of Lisa’s presence. Their fruitless search gradually becomes a
meditative odyssey until a mysterious event offers one final clue, drawing Irakli and Levani into
the unknown and rekindling a faint glimmer of hope.
“Alexandre Koberidze is a filmmaker of rare vision and with a distinct voice that we are honored
to help bring to audiences”, said Peter Kelly, Cinema Guild President, who negotiated the deal with Ioanna Stais of Heretic, which handles international sales on the film.
Stais said The Cinema Guild is a “partner we deeply trust to bring Alexandre Koberidze’s singular vision to audiences with the care and commitment it deserves.” The sales executive said the film is “bound to connect with viewers in a memorable way” with its “distinctive style and deeply human storytelling.”
“Dry Leaf” was produced by Mariam Shatberashvili and Luise Hauschild at New Matter Films,
alongside Koberidze whose previous feature “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlinale. His feature debut, “Let the Summer Never Come Again” won the Grand Prix at FID Marseille.