Cairo Time is headed to U.S. theaters via IFC Films, which will unspool the romantic drama from Toronto’s Ruba Nadda in 25 cities this summer following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.

The New York fest selected the film for its Spotlight program, where it will debut alongside seven titles from high-profile filmmakers including Michael Winterbottom (A Mighty Heart) and Neil Jordan (The Crying Game). The program serves as a launch pad for films that have an upcoming theatrical release scheduled through a U.S. distributor.

Tribeca senior programmer Genna Terranova says Cairo Time is a good fit for the festival, which strives to select titles that will appeal to a variety of audiences.

‘The sophistication in the direction and the strength in the acting performances [makes] this a classy film [that] serves an adult audience,’ she tells Playback Daily.

IFC plans to open Cairo Time on Aug. 6, according to Nadda, who says she and the team at Foundry Films are not focused on shopping the film to prospective buyers at Tribeca, but rather to capitalize on the exposure.

‘We’ve sold [the film] quite a bit, so this is primarily a strategic move for our U.S. release,’ she tells Playback Daily.

It’s shaping up to be a busy year for Nadda, who will be promoting Cairo Time alongside its stars Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig in the U.S. over the summer, while prepping her next feature, an as-yet-unnamed political thriller to begin shooting in Jordan in the fall with German coproducer Tat Film (The Last King of Scotland).

Cairo Time nabbed the best Canadian feature trophy at the Toronto International Film Festival and generated just under $500,000 in Canuck theaters following an October release by Mongrel Media.

Also premiering at Tribeca is the musical documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, from Toronto filmmakers Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn (the duo behind Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey), which explores the phenomenon behind one of the biggest cult bands.

Terranova says they expect ‘huge crowds’ for the film, which is aimed at the Rush fan but also those who are curious about the band.

Cairo Time and Rush join Jacob Tierney’s The Trotsky, which will also make its U.S. debut at Tribeca, as previously reported. The fest runs April 21 to May 2.