New York-based Janus Films has acquired all U.S. rights for Sophy Romvari’s feature debut Blue Heron (pictured).

The film from the Hungarian-Canadian writer-director follows a Hungarian family that settles on Vancouver Island in the 1990s, only to have their fresh start disturbed by the increasingly dangerous behaviour of the family’s eldest son. It stars Eylul Guven, Iringó Réti, Ádám Tompa, Edik Beddoes and Amy Zimmer.

Janus Films, which negotiated the acquisition with the filmmakers, plans to release the feature in U.S. theatres in 2026. Discussions for Canadian distribution are ongoing, producer Ryan Bobkin told Playback Daily.

The acquisition follows Blue Heron‘s prize-laden tour of the international festival circuit since making its debut at the Locarno Film Festival in August. Among the accolades the film has collected are Locarno’s Swatch First Feature Award, the Best Canadian Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and two prizes at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Blue Heron is a Canada/Hungary coproduction from Nine Behind Productions (Canada) and Boddah (Hungary), in association with Memory, Simbelle Productions, Tinygiant and Ursa Major. The film’s producers are Romvari, Bobkin, Sara Wylie and Gábor Osváth.

Executive producers are Riel Roch-Decter, Lauren Melinda, Neil Champagne, Veronica Diaferia, Sara Eolin, Jasmin Karibzhanova, Sam Sutcliffe and Leah CL. The film was supported by Telefilm Canada and the National Film Institute Hungary. MoreThan Films is handling international sales.

“It is without exaggeration to say that Janus has brought the majority of the greatest films of all time to audiences,” said Romvari in a statement. “For my debut feature to be brought into this legacy, by a team so dedicated to celebrating cinema and protecting the theatrical experience, is far beyond a dream come true.”

Image courtesy of the Vancouver International Film Festival