UNDER THE SHADOW Selected As UK Foreign-Language Academy Award Entry

Babak Anvari's psychological thriller UNDER THE SHADOW has been selected as the United Kingdom's Foreign Language Academy Award entry for 2016. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and which has had an extensive festival run, will be released by Vertigo Releasing in the U.K. on September 23rd and by XYZ Films and Vertical in the U.S. on October 7th. Vertical Entertainment and XYZ Films are releasing the film theatrically in North America and globally on digital platforms.

UNDER THE SHADOW is written and directed by British / Iranian Babak Anvari and stars Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi and Bobby Naderi. The film is produced by Lucan Toh, Oliver Roskill and Emily Leo of Wigwam Films. Set in Tehran in 1988 as the Iran-Iraq war rumbles into its eighth year. The bombing campaigns focused on the city, coupled with the country's bloody revolution, slowly tear a mother and daughter apart. As they struggle to stay together in the midst of these modern terrors, a mysterious evil stalks through their apartment, threatening their grip on reality.

Submissions for the Academy Awards' foreign language section close in early October, with nominations not announced by AMPAS until January.

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ABOUT XYZ FILMS

XYZ Films is an integrated content company whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. As an independent Production Company and worldwide sales agency, the company is uniquely suited to identify talented filmmakers and bring their stories to life. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian.

ABOUT VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT

Vertical Entertainment is a global independent distributor that offers a unique combination of full-service marketing and sales services. Dedicated to providing highly-effective and collaborative solutions, Vertical leverages unparalleled relationships to maximize revenue across all streams. A collective 60 years of distribution, marketing and sales expertise from Vertical's seasoned team gives content partners a wealth of experience minus the studio costs. Recent titles include "Other People" starring Jesse Plemons and Molly Shannon; "Fathers and Daughters" starring Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, AaRon Paul and Diane Kruger; "He Never Died" starring Henry Rollins; and "Playing It Cool" starring Chris Evans and Michelle Monaghan. Upcoming releases include "Trash Fire" starring Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, Fionnula Flanagan, and AnnaLynne McCord; and "The Hollow Point" starring Ian McShane, Lynn Collins, John Leguizamo, Jim Belushi, and Patrick Wilson. For more information, please visit www.vert-ent.com and www.facebook.com/VertEnt.

ABOUT WIGWAM FILMS

Wigwam Films is a London based Production Company with a strong background in development, financing and production. The Company is committed to developing great stories with universal power to move and entertain. Wigwam was founded in 2012 by Lucan Toh, Emily Leo and Oliver Roskill, who were recognized by Screen International as 'Future Leaders' in 2015.