Cannes: Strong Sales for Transgender Coming-of-Age Story 'Darker Than Midnight'

The feature, from first-time director Sebastiano Riso, follows 14-year-old transgender Davide, who struggles to break free of a rough adolescence in Sicily.

Darker Than Midnight, a transgender coming-of-age tale from first-time director Sebastiano Riso, has proved a strong seller for Italy's Rai Trade.

The feature, which premiered in Cannes' Critics Week sidebar, was picked up by Salzgeber for Germany and Palace for Australia. Rai also closed a deal for Poland and said negotiations are underway for the U.S., the U.K., France and Latin America.

'Darker Than Midnight (Piu’ Buio di Mezzanotte)': Cannes Review

Rai reported it also had strong interest in Italian comedy The Mafia Kills Only in Summer, with deals for the U.S. and Japan pending, and for the upcoming feature Latin Lover from director Cristina Comencini, starring Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, which Rai says it is in presales talks for multiple territories, including France and the U.K.