Vorteks Boards Sales for the Psychological Thriller ‘Rain Catcher’ Featuring Dudley O’Shaughnessy at Cannes Market
EXCLUSIVE: Vorteks, the genre label of the Dubai-based sales agency Cercamon, has secured worldwide distribution rights for Michele Fiascaris’ psychological thriller Rain Catcher. The film features UK actor Dudley O’Shaughnessy in his first leading role and is set for a sales launch at Cannes.
Currently in post-production, Rain Catcher builds on Fiascaris’ Silver Méliès-winning short film of the same name, which premiered at the Sitges Film Festival. The short was distributed by HBO Europe and is now available on Disney+ in Europe.
During its development phase, the feature was recognized as a finalist for the Netflix + Creative UK Breakout program and won the NAFF Award at the 2022 Sitges FanPitch.
Set against the rainy backdrop of nocturnal London, O’Shaughnessy reprises his role as photographer Miles, who obsessively captures haunting portraits of strangers unaware of his lens. Pseudonymously sharing these images online under the name “Rain Catcher,” Miles’ world begins to unravel when he discovers a mysterious woman watching and photographing him. As her scrutiny intensifies, Miles confronts sabotage, defamation, and threats to his loved ones, spiraling into paranoia as he seeks to uncover her motives.
Filippo Polesel produces the film for Yellow Pill Films, alongside Julien Loeffler and James Kermack of Featuristic Films. Executive producers include Henrik Källsson from Yellow Pill, Keith Kehoe, David Gendron, and Ali Jazayeri for TPC, with associate producer Alba Moyano co-creating the story.
Commenting on the project, Polesel said, “We are an international filmmaking team that came together and made a British film. We come from all over Europe, but London is our home, and we always felt that our multiple perspectives would deliver a film that has universal appeal. It is a story inspired by, as well as an homage to London, and now, with our dedicated partners at Vorteks, we are ready to share our passion project with global viewers.”
O’Shaughnessy, known for his roles in Netflix shows Top Boy and Mary, Mother of Jesus, gained recognition for appearing opposite Rihanna in the music video for ‘We Found Love,’ which garnered 1.1 billion views on YouTube.
The cast also features Jessie Mei Li (Shadow and Bone, Havoc), Iris Law (Pistol), two-time BAFTA Scotland winner Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones), Youssef Kerkour, and Lorenzo Richelmy (Marco Polo).
David Kwok, Partner in Acquisitions & Sales at Vorteks, expressed enthusiasm for the film: “We’re excited to have such a unique and visually stunning film like Rain Catcher as part of our line-up. I’m confident that audiences around the globe will discover an exciting new voice in Michele. The stellar creative team and cast have constructed a cinematic world that promises a mysterious and thrilling experience.”
Vorteks’ Cannes slate also includes the previously announced SXSW hit Grind, directed by Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty, the Taiwanese thriller The Evil Inside starring Joan Chen, and the Canadian psychological horror film Ancestral Beasts from Tim Riedel, both in post-production.
In addition, Cercamon will present the Croatian drama Petty Thieves by Mate Ugrin, currently in post-production, while continuing sales on the Chinese animation Light Pillar from Xu Zao, which is featured in Berlinale Perspectives, as well as Hold Onto Me, a Sundance World Dramatic Cinema Audience Award-winner directed by Myrsini Aristidou.
