Wim Wenders-Produced Drama ‘I’ll Be Gone in June’ Acquired by KimStim for North American Release
Independent film distributor KimStim has officially acquired all North American distribution rights to Katharina Rivilis’ acclaimed directorial debut feature, I’ll Be Gone in June. The announcement follows the coming-of-age drama’s successful world premiere in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. Backed by legendary German filmmaker Wim Wenders through his Road Movies banner, the bilingual feature is currently slated for a wide North American theatrical rollout in spring 2027.
Set in the desert landscapes of Las Cruces, New Mexico, during the volatile months surrounding the September 11 attacks, the story centers on a 16-year-old German exchange student named Franny. Her romanticized expectations of an idyllic American adventure quickly dissolve into intense homesickness, high school alienation, and oppressive desert heat. Her deep sense of isolation gradually begins to shift after she forms an unexpected emotional bond with Elliott, a local boy quietly carrying his own grief.
Personal Semi-Autobiographical Roots and Masterful Collaborative Production
Rivilis drew extensively upon her own adolescent memories as an international exchange student in New Mexico to write and direct the nuanced 125-minute screenplay. An accomplished alumna of both the Konrad Wolf Film University and the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, she previously earned widespread acclaim for award-winning short films like the Student Academy Award-nominated Day X. The new feature stars breakout talent Naomi Cosma in the lead role alongside David Flores, Bianca Dumais, and Rebecca Schulz.
The international production unites creative talent across Germany, Switzerland, and the United States, bringing together Road Movies, Wolfskind Films, and 8horses in association with DCM and filmscience. Co-produced alongside Léa Germain and Clemens Köstlin, the project showcases Rivilis’ assured visual direction and tender character development. Industry leaders praised the collaboration for grounding large-scale historical trauma within an intimate, tender adolescent framework.
Strong Global Distribution Momentum Following Cannes Debut
KimStim co-president Ian Stimler praised the feature for capturing post-9/11 America through a lens that feels simultaneously lonely, seductive, and full of emotional discovery. He highlighted Cosma’s remarkably vulnerable performance and commended Rivilis for crafting a deeply empathetic portrait of cross-cultural adolescence. The North American acquisition was finalized between Stimler and Jean-Benoit Henry, head of international sales at Paris-based sales agency Luxbox.
Beyond the North American market, Luxbox has successfully closed key theatrical distribution deals across multiple major international territories. The film has been acquired by Nour Films in France, Weirdwave in Greece, A-One in the Baltics, Lev Cinemas in Israel, and Bad Unicorn in Romania. Additional rights were secured by Kisff Films in Ukraine, Megacom in the former Yugoslavia, and PT Falcon in Indonesia, cementing the film’s broad global reach.
