1-2 Special has taken all North American rights to Jacqueline Lentzou’s A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra, the Greek drama that won the Best Director Prize in the Orizzonti section at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. The film is one of the first titles to land a domestic US deal out of this year’s Venice slate.
The deal
1-2 Special plans a theatrical release in North America next year. Ola Byszuk of Lucky Number negotiated the sale on behalf of the filmmakers. No financial terms were disclosed, so the value is strategic: a distributor is committing to a theatrical window for a festival-awarded title before the awards season ends. No streaming window has been announced.
Festival runway
The film had its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival after Venice, and the festival run continues through London, Chicago and Busan. For a specialty release, this circuit is not just prestige; it is the marketing engine that builds press, word of mouth and audience data before tickets go on sale.
- World premiere: Venice Film Festival, Orizzonti – Best Director Prize
- North American premiere: New York Film Festival
- Coming up: BFI London Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival
- Theatrical release: North America, next year
Why it matters for film-business readers
Early Venice-to-US deals are a temperature check on the specialty market. A Best Director win in Orizzonti – Venice’s discovery-focused strand – signals a filmmaker to watch, and Lentzou’s track record supports the bet. Her previous feature, Moon, 66 Questions, played the 2021 Berlinale and New Directors/New Films, and was a New York Times Critic’s Pick. That earlier run gives 1-2 Special a known quantity to market: a director with critical credibility and a style that travels.
The new film is described as inspired by true events from 2008, following a 15-year-old whose ordinary day is altered by a shocking incident and an ethereal transformation. It is a contained, character-driven logline – the kind that can travel well for an art-house release.
The 1-2 Special bet
For 1-2 Special, the acquisition is a vote on Lentzou’s voice rather than on an existing audience. A Best Director award in Orizzonti is a strong signal from Venice’s programming and jury, but it is not a box-office guarantee. The distributor is effectively using the festival run as an awareness engine, then converting that heat into a theatrical release next year.
What to watch next
The next data points are the BFI London, Chicago and Busan screenings. Strong notices or audience awards at those stops could firm up the film’s release timing and positioning. For media planners and buyers tracking specialty titles, this deal is an early but concrete signal: a US theatrical window is confirmed, even if the date and scale are still to come.
The film was produced by Avion Films (Annabelle Aronis), Atalante Productions (Ioanna Bolomyti), Kelek Film (Arda Çiltepe, Steffen Goldkamp), 4A4 Productions (Andrea Queralt), Haris & Co (Elli Papadiamanti) and Jacqueline Lentzou.
Source: Deadline
