Dogwoof has acquired international sales rights for “The Tale of Silyan” by the director of 2019’s double Oscar-nominated “Honeyland.” The film will receive its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, followed by its North American premiere at Toronto Film Festival.
The film marks Dogwoof’s second collaboration with director Tamara Kotevska following the success of “Honeyland,” on which Kotevska served as co-director. “Honeyland” won three awards at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival (Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary, Impact Award and Cinematography Award) and two Academy Award nominations in 2020 for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature.
“The Tale of Silyan” follows a white stork, Silyan, and a Macedonian farmer, Nikola. Their lives intertwine when Nikola, abandoned by his family, saves the injured bird from a landfill site. As Nikola and Silyan form a bond, they find solace and companionship in each other’s solitude.
Popular on Variety
“With the tone of a real-life fairytale, the story we have captured shows the white storks as a perfect mirror of humanity,” Kotevska said. Events in the film, she continued, will “offer a stark warning about the direction we are heading.”
UTA Independent Film Group is repping the film for North American and worldwide sales, with Dogwoof supporting international sales. Concordia Studio has fully financed the film, since joining as producers in early 2024.
Dogwoof’s chief content officer Oli Harbottle said: “After the success of ‘Honeyland,’ which heralded her as a unique voice in cinematic storytelling, it’s great to be reunited with Tamara, who has once again delivered a stunning piece of cinema, a magical docu-fable which is sure to enchant audiences wherever it plays.”
Executive producer Casey Meurer added, “From our first conversation with Tamara, Concordia was all-in. Tamara is an exceptional talent. Her bold vision, passion, and meticulous dedication to storytelling shine through every frame of ‘The Tale of Silyan,’ and we are thrilled that Dogwoof has joined this team.”
The editor is Martin Ivanov; the cinematographer is Jean Dakar; and the music is composed by Joe Wilson and Davies Hun Oukpark.
The producers are Kotevska, Dakar, Anna Hashmi and Jordanco Petkovski; the executive producers are Davis Guggenheim, Laurene Powell Jobs, Meurer and Lizzie Fox.
