Los Angeles-based Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the worldwide rights, excluding New Zealand and Canada, to Nat Boltt’s (District 9) comedy Holy Days and has launched sales at the American Film Market (AFM).

The film, written and directed by and starring Boltt, is based off New Zealand author Dame Joy Cowley’s novel of the same name. In Holy Days, three older nuns take matters into their own hands when the last of the sisters faces forced retirement.

Holy Days is the South Africa-born, Vancouver-based Boltt’s feature directorial debut.

Also starring is Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives), Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) and Elijah Tamati (Deep Water). The film will be distributed in Canada by Toronto-based Photon Films and in New Zealand and Australia by Kismet Movies.

Producers on the film are Vancouver-based Lily Pictures’ Michelle Morris and Sushant Desai; New Zealand-based Firefly Films’ Emma Slade, Victoria Dabbs and Roxi Bull; and independent Māori producer Tainui Stephens. Associate producers are Firefly Films’ Micah Winiata and Eva Trebilco.

Principal photography for the film begins on Nov. 14 and wraps Dec. 21, with filming taking place in Christchurch, Akaroa and Aoraki (Mt. Cook), New Zealand. Lily Pictures will manage post–production and VFX in Vancouver and is planning to deliver next summer for the fall film festival season, according to Morris.

Holy Days is made with financial support from Telefilm Canada, Creative BC and the Province of B.C., CBC Films, Vancouver’s Elemental Post, the New Zealand Film Commission (Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga) and the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate.

Blue Fox recently acquired worldwide rights to Calgary-based Peterson Polaris Corp.’s coming-of-age comedy This Too Shall Pass.

AFM is taking place in Las Vegas until Nov. 10.

Pictured (L-R): Nat Boltt (photo by Noah Asanias), Judy Davis (photo courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment), Jacki Weaver (photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Lifetime), Miriam Margolyes (photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) and Elijah Tamati (photo by Andi Crown)