Game Theory Films has picked up the Canadian distribution rights to Johnny Ma’s To Live to Sing.

Ma wrote and directed the Mandarin-language film, which is produced by Wu Xianjian, Jing Wang and Vincent Wang, as well as Matt Drake and Amanda Verhagen of Vancouver-based prodco Notable Content.

To Live to Sing tells the story of a traditional Chinese opera troupe on the brink of ruin when their theatre in rural China is set for demolition.The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight program and opened Toronto’s Reel Asian Film Festival. It won the Best New Film and Best Actress prizes at the Shanghai International Film Festival’s Asian New Talent Awards.

Game Theory Films is set to release the film in early 2020.

The distributor was founded by William Woods of Woods Entertainment in January 2019, with Hilary Hart serving as the head of acquisitions and distribution. The company has since picked up Canadian Screen Award winners A Colony (“Une colonie”), Genesis (“Genese“) and The Great Darkened Days (“La grande noirceur“).