When Away from Her arrives in theaters on May 4, the heavy lifting will be shared by Capri Releasing and Mongrel Media, which have inked an agreement that will see the Toronto companies work together on the Sarah Polley feature and on forthcoming releases, including Laurie Lynd’s Breakfast with Scott and Robert Duvall’s Angelo My Love.

Capri, which was originally to release the film on its own, struck the co-distribution agreement, says president Gabriella Martinelli, so that she and her company can focus on acquiring titles and on creative work with producers, not on ‘backroom’ details such as booking theaters and handling prints. The companies will share box office receipts.

‘It allows me to focus on what I like to do,’ says Martinelli, whose producing credits include Romeo + Juliet and M. Butterfly.

The deal is not, she insists, a reflection on Capri’s financial health, the subject of much speculation following the 2006 flop Tideland by director Terry Gilliam. ‘This has nothing to do with the finances. It has to do with my decision not to get into the real nitty-gritty of having to release a film,’ she says. ‘It’s not about pulling back. It’s about having somebody that can help with the whole release process.’

Away from Her is due in 20 to 30 theaters across Canada on May 4. Other releases on the Capri slate include Come into the Light by Roberto Faenza, Marcelo Gomes’ Cinema, Aspirins & Vultures and The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, exec produced by Gilliam.