exclusive: Montreal-based distribution company Ritual has acquired the Canadian rights to Sho Miyake’s Locarno Golden Lion-winning film. Two seasons, two strangers Currently under contract with Japan’s Bitter’s End.
The company plans to release the film in theaters across Canada on June 19, 2026, and will work with the film’s U.S. distributor, Several Futures.
The film, based on a manga by surrealist artist Yoshiharu Tsuge, stars Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung as a writer seeking creative and romantic fulfillment in Japan. The cast also includes Japanese actors Shinichi Tsutsumi and Yuumi Kawai. Following the award-winning A release, Two seasons, two strangers Performances in Japan are scheduled from November 7th until Bitter’s End.
It opened in Japan on November 7th, following festivals that included competitive slots in Locarno, San Sebastian, and Busan.
This marks growth in Asia for previously acquired distribution company Ritual. super happy forever Cannes Film Festival title from Japanese film director Kohei Igarashi only the river flows With Mr. Wei Shujun of China What does nature say to you? From Hong Sang-soo from South Korea. The latter premiered in competition at this year’s Berlinale and is scheduled for theatrical release in Canada on March 20, 2026.
Ritual was founded in January 2024 and has built a reputation as a distribution company specializing in international festival titles, restored modern classics and contemporary works.
William Gagnon, head of sales and acquisitions at Ritual, said: Two seasons, two strangers It points to the company’s growing ambitions to bring international titles to Canadian audiences.
“These acquisitions reflect our ambition to assert Ritual’s leadership in Canada’s foreign language film market,” he said. “for example, super happy forever Despite its worldwide release on Mubi, it was released in theaters, and we believed it deserved that opportunity. We are taking steps to grow audiences, strengthen the ecosystem, and ensure great international films have a meaningful place in Canada’s cultural landscape. ”
Ritual’s creative director Olivia Courchesne added that the distributor plans to move into Japanese titles in the near future.
“We also want to be an early participant in the development of these projects, especially when it comes to Japanese films,” she said. “Our approach of co-distribution, rather than partial distribution, has proven particularly well-suited for a film of this scale and will help us build momentum towards a broader audience in North America.”
Two seasons, two strangers It was previously featured in several regions of Europe and Asia.
This feature is co-produced by Culture Entertainment, Sedic International, and The Fool.
Mr. Miyake is the director. Small and slow but stable and all the long nightselected for the 2022 and 2024 Berlinale respectively. Winner of the Akira Kurosawa Award at the 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival.
(Tag translation) Asia
