Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan Sundance Winner ‘Josephine’ Lands Indian Subcontinent Rights With Fragrant Nature Film Creations (EXCLUSIVE)

Fragrant Nature Film Creations has acquired exclusive distribution rights to “Josephine” across the Indian subcontinent.

The deal covers India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives.

Directed by Beth de Araújo and starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan – both of whom also serve as producers – “Josephine” follows an eight-year-old girl, played by newcomer Mason Reeves, who witnesses a violent crime on an early morning jog with her father. The film tracks the family’s fracturing and slow reconstitution as her parents navigate trauma and the American legal system.

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The film made its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival – the last Utah edition before the festival’s permanent relocation to Colorado – where it claimed both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award U.S. Dramatic.

“The standout of this year’s Sundance Film Festival competition, in terms of both audacity of subject and maturity of execution, “Josephine” is a movie in which the eponymous child (vulnerably embodied by newcomer Mason Reeves) is prematurely forced to deal with adult situations,” said the Variety review.

The film subsequently had its European premiere in competition at the Berlinale. In the U.S., Sumerian Pictures acquired the film for a seven-figure sum.

For Fragrant Nature Film Creations, the deal is the company’s first Hollywood acquisition. It follows the studio’s earlier pickup of the 2025 French animated feature “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” which went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. The company first established itself with Blessy’s 2011 Malayalam romantic drama “Pranayam,” starring Mohanlal.

The Kochi-based production and distribution house closed the deal during the European Film Market at the Berlin Film Festival. The transaction was negotiated on FNFC’s side by head of film acquisitions Riya Rajiv and sales and acquisitions coordinator Sidharth S. Nair, and by Flavien Eripret of French sales company Goodfellas on the seller’s side.

“‘Josephine’ resonated with us because it is, above all, a deeply human story,” FNFC managing director and producer Anne Sajeev said. “What stayed with me long after watching the film was its emotional honesty, its compassion, and the quiet strength at its core. We were drawn to it not because of where it comes from, but because of the universality of its message. While rooted in a specific experience, its themes of vulnerability, resilience, and hope feel deeply familiar, no matter where in the world you come from. As our first Hollywood acquisition, ‘Josephine’ marks an important milestone for Fragrant Nature Film Creations. It reflects our desire to bring meaningful stories from around the world to audiences in our region and to build lasting creative relationships through the shared language of cinema.”

FNFC plans a theatrical release across the seven territories after the film’s U.S. domestic window closes, and intends to take “Josephine” through a run of major Indian film festivals ahead of the wide rollout. The company is simultaneously in post-production on “Half,” a Malayalam-language vampire-action feature starring Ranjith Sajeev, Aiswarya Raj, and Amala Paul, with a distribution announcement expected soon.