EXCLUSIVE: Alexander, the independent media company founded by film producer Cameron Lamb, has acquired all rights in English-speaking territories (North America, the UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) to Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo’s debut feature Ben’imana.
The title will be the company’s first film acquisition as it officially launches its dedicated film arm. A of senior industry figures have joined the company as who will steer its upcoming film slate
Ex-Mubi acquisitions executive Kevin Chan will lead the company’s overall film strategy and acquisitions; ex-Netflix distribution head Hamish Moseley will oversee theatrical distribution, and industry vet Karina Gechtman will oversee marketing and publicity. Austin Kennedy will work closely with Moseley and Gechtman, with a primary focus on the US market.
Before cinema, Alexander was initially launched as an independent platform for audio storytelling. The company has a lengthy catalog of audio productions, with high-profile narrators such as John Malkovich, Chloë Sevigny, Helena Bonham Carter, and Bill Nighy.
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The company has said its film arm will aim to “acquire and support a select number of films from filmmakers around the world, with a focus on stories that can engage audiences both theatrically and streaming via the Alexander platform.”
Ben’imana debuted in the Un Certain Regard competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it became the first Rwandan title to screen in the festival’s official selection. Dusabejambo won the Camera d’Or for best first feature as well as the FIPRESCI Prize. Following Cannes, the film will have its North American Premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
The film opens in 2012, almost 20 years after the Rwandan genocide. The Rwandan government has established community courts to enforce justice and reconciliation. Veneranda, a genocide survivor, believes in the process. But when she learns of her daughter’s unexpected pregnancy, she is forced to confront her own contradictions and the dark parts of her past.
Alexander will release Ben’imana in theaters in early 2027. The film will stream exclusively on Alexander thereafter.
The deal was negotiated by Kevin Chan at Alexander with Fionnuala Jamison, managing director of mk2 Films, on behalf of the filmmakers.
“I’m profoundly grateful to Alexander for seeing this story’s soul and giving it the chance to touch the world,” Dusabejambo said in a statement. “This can’t pass without me expressing my endless gratitude and honoring everyone who believed in this story long before it became the film Ben’imana.”
