Heretic has acquired world sales rights to Georgian filmmaker Alexandre Koberidze’s “Dry Leaf” ahead of its world premiere in the International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival.

The director’s latest tells the story of sports photographer Lisa, who suddenly vanishes without a trace while photographing rural soccer stadiums in villages across Georgia. Setting out with the woman’s mysterious best friend, her father, Irakli, embarks on a journey to find her.

Koberidze, who won the Grand Prix at FID Marseille in 2017 for his feature debut “Let the Summer Never Come Again,” broke out with his sophomore feature “What Do We See When We Look At the Sky?,” which premiered to widespread acclaim in the Berlinale’s main competition in 2021.