Acquiring a cinematic distribution deal in the USA is really tough. Doing this all the way from South Africa is nearly impossible. Leading Lady, the latest title from Dark Matter Studios, achieved exactly that within three weeks, and before its South Africa theatrical release on Friday, 28 November.

Leading Lady producers look back at the challenging road to attain a summer holiday release in “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”; they remember their 24 hour pursuit in motels, hotels and youth hostels around the globe to give this film the opportunities it truly deserves.

After a very successful reception at the Seattle International Film Festival, the producers swiped their credit cards to go kick down doors in Los Angeles. The City of Angels hosts more than 10 million hopefuls, with a tiny percentage that they ever get to see their films on the big screen, yet the South African spirit prevailed.

Leading Lady was represented by Jon Bonnell from Summer Hill Films and the USA rights were sold to Freestyle Releasing – a reputable distribution company in the USA behind mini and major studio films.

Dark Matter Studios are currently unavailable to comment due to producer/director Henk Pretorius being emotionally overwhelmed, while producer Llewelynn Greeff’s mania is reaching new heights.

Leading Lady tells the story of an idealistic British drama school teacher, Jodi Rutherford, who persuades an initial reserved and rather dour South African farmer, Kobus Willemse, to prepare her for the role in a major film as an Afrikaans war heroine. In return, she undertakes to organise and direct the annual concert on the Willemse farm.

Her interaction with the quirky small-town citizens and stubborn Kobus teaches her that there is more to life than “lights, camera … action!” Or is there …?

Leading Lady, starring Jurassic World’s Katie McGrath, Ally McBeal’s Gil Bellows and South African Alpha Boer, Bok van Blerk, will release in South Africa on Friday, 28 November and in the USA summer holiday in 2015.

Other territories are now hot on the Leading Lady trail to syndicate the rights for their respective countries.

To view the trailer of Leading Lady, click here.