Joint Venture has acquired U.S. rights to British director Oscar Hudson’s feature film debut “Straight Circle,” which made a splash in September at the Venice Film Festival.
The offbeat film is an absurdist anti-war satire starring twins Elliott and Luke Tittensor — who both appear in “Game of Thrones” spinoff series “House of the Dragon” — as two soldiers of equal rank in opposing armies.
“Straight Circle” was the winner at the Venice Critics’ Week in September, scooping both the grand prize and the award for most innovative feature.
In “Straight Circle,” the pair of enemy soldiers — who are stationed on a remote desert outpost — descend into madness, forgetting whose side of the border they belong on. Variety critic Siddhant Adlakha noted in his review that “the movie’s fictitious premise gradually transforms, and eventually transcends the shortcomings of its broad political scope the more it leans into abstraction.” Adlakha went on to call the film “a fitting first chapter for Hudson, in what is sure to be an interesting career.”
Joint Venture, which is a recently launched indie film studio, will release “ Straight Circle” in U.S. theaters later this year.
Prior to his feature film bow with “Straight Circle,” Hudson directed videos for bands including Radiohead, Bonobo and James Blake Hudson and made a name for himself with various types of short films, winning multiple awards including a Primetime Emmy and a Cannes Lions Grand Prix.
“Straight Circle” is “a very silly story about very serious stuff,” the director said in a statement. “It asks questions about nations and the lines we draw in the sand. It’s partly set everywhere… but it’s especially set nowhere. It features serious military men in oversized hats, teaches us the proper method for boiling an egg, and stresses the vital importance of your hairstyle. But above everything else ‘Straight Circle’ is a story about our very identities, those which are passed down to us and those that we might forge for ourselves.”
Commented Joint Venture co-founders Vinay Singh and Jess Jacobs: “Oscar’s genius is creating a film that is simultaneously universal and painstakingly specific. Juxtaposing striking visuals with comic absurdity while maintaining a beautiful core of humanity, this is a singular film and impressive debut that brings to mind the masterful work of Jonathan Glazer, Claire Denis and Spike Jonze.”
“Straight Circle” is a Magna, 2AM, Such Content and BBC Film production.
The “Straight Circle” deal was negotiated by Julia Nelson, Christine D’Souza and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers, and Chris Lane and Becca Leckie on behalf of Joint Venture.