IFC Films has nabbed U.S. and Canada rights to Paul Dano’s directorial debut, “Wildlife,” following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film is an adaptation of a Richard Ford short story of the same name. “Wildlife” follows the collapse of a marriage in 1960s Montana. The dissolution of the family is observed by the couple’s 14-year-old son. Oscar nominees Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal star alongside Ed Oxenbould (“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”) and Bill Camp (“The Night Of”). Gyllenhaal also serves as a producer.

In a positive notice, Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman praised the first-time filmmaker.

“Dano, it’s immediately clear, is a natural-born filmmaker, with an eye for elegant spare compositions that refrain from being too showy; they rarely get in the way of the story he’s telling,” he wrote in his review.

“Wildlife” was adapted for the screen by Dano and his girlfriend Zoe Kazan. The film was produced by Alex Saks of June Pictures, Dano, Oren Moverman of Sight Unseen Pictures, Ann Ruark, and Nine Stories’ Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker, with Kazan, Ted Deiker, and Eddie Vaisman serving as executive producers. IFC Films is eyeing a fall theatrical release and awards campaign in 2018.

“For as long as I have wanted to make films, I have known I would make films about family,” Dano said in a statement. “To have brought together a creative family in the making of ‘Wildlife’ has been one of the great joys of my life. And now to extend that family further and collaborate with IFC, whose voice as a distributor has been vital to so many filmmakers I love all over the world, is an honor.”

The deal was handled by Arianna Bocco, IFC Films’ executive vice president of acquisitions and production, with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. Film Nation is handling international sales for the film.