Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has acquired U.S. rights to Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer” after it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury prize in Venice along with the Luigi De Laurentiis Lion of the Future award.

“Saint Omer” was recently shortlisted for France’s submission to the Academy Awards and will premiere at the New York Film Festival and play the BFI London Festival. Neon plans a theatrical release.

“Saint Omer” is Diop’s debut fiction feature, which she co-wrote with Amrita David and Marie NDiaye, and it stars Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville and Aurélia Petit. Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral of Srab Films produced alongside Arte France Cinéma and Pictanovo Hauts-de-France.

Inspired by a true story, “Saint Omer” revolves around Rama, a young novelist who attends the trial of a women who is accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her on a beach. As the trial continues, the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama’s convictions.

Diop made her directing debut with the documentary “Nous” (We), which won the Berlin Film Festival Encounters award.

Mason Speta negotiated the deal on behalf of Super with CAA Media Finance and Wild Bunch International on behalf of the filmmakers.

“Super” principals Darcy Heusel and Dan O’Meara were behind Oscar-nommed docu “Honeyland,” the first non-fiction film to land nominations for both best documentary and international feature film in the same year, and were also behind Victor Kossakovsky’s “Gunda,” which was shortlisted for documentary feature. Super earned its first Oscar nom for “Quo Vadis, Aida?,” which also won the Independent Spirit Award for international feature.

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