E1 Films International has acquired the world sales rights to the TIFF documentary Colony, an exploration of the disappearance of massive numbers of bees in the United States.

The film is the directorial debut of cinematographer Ross McDonnell and editor Carter Gunn. Although shot entirely in the U.S., it is produced by Morgan Bushe and Macdara Kelleher of Dublin-based Fastnet Films. The deal was negotiated by Bushe and Charlotte Mickie, EVP of E1 International. Fastnet produced the multi-award-winning 2008 film Kisses.

The insects are a crucial part of the ecosystem because of their role in pollination and hence a lynchpin in agriculture, particularly fruit and nut trees. But Mickie tells Playback Daily that the film is much more than a scientific exploration. The filmmakers follow the lives of a family who have only recently entered the world of beekeeping, and draw parallels between the lives of the apiarists and their insects as both worlds begin to collapse.

The TIFF marketing drive includes a live demonstration with bees at Toronto’s Dundas Square on Saturday.

Mickie could not confirm if honey will be given out as snacks.