Ruba Nadda’s romance Cairo Time has sold to Sydney-based Transmission Films for Australia and New Zealand. The all-rights deal was announced by Charlotte Mickie of Maximum Films International on the first day of the American Film Market in L.A. Mongrel Media has the film for Canada.

The story follows Juliette (Patricia Clarkson), the wife of a Canadian diplomat (Tom McCamus) assigned to the Canadian embassy in Cairo. While in the Egyptian capital she meets and, much to their mutual surprise, falls for a retired local policeman (Alexander Siddig, a feature player in Syriana and Kingdom of Heaven). Written and directed by Nadda (Sabah), the film shot on location in Egypt in June.

Cairo Time is coproduction between Daniel Iron of Toronto-based Foundry Films, coproducer of Sarah Polley’s Away from Her, and David Collins of Ireland’s Samson Films, producer of the Oscar-winning, music-themed feature Once. The film is executive produced by Christine Vachon and Charles Pugliese of New York indie production house Killer Films, whose most recent title was the Bob Dylan-themed I’m Not There.

Speaking from L.A., Mickie told Playback Daily that Maximum and Killer will cohost a party for buyers at the home of Mickie’s longtime friend (and fellow buyer) Mark Horowitz. Nadda is flying in for the occasion. Transmission partners Andrew Mackie and Richard Payten saw the film at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Transmission is a relatively new player on the Australian scene. Launched last January by Payten and Mackie, two former executives of Australian distributor Dendy Films, the company has signed a co-venture deal with Paramount Australia to distribute its films in both Australia and New Zealand.