MEDIA RELEASE: Cineflix Rights acquires Song of the Sun God
Cineflix Rights has struck a development deal with Synchronicity Films and Dragonet Films on the hotly anticipated international drama series Song of the Sun God, adapted from Shankari Chandran’s acclaimed debut novel. Cineflix Rights has joined the project as a creative and financing partner, with first option on exclusive worldwide distribution.
Song of the Sun God (6×60’, Synchronicity Films and Dragonet Films), is a contemporary emotional thriller that explores the loves, lies, and misdemeanours spanning three generations of a close-knit Sri Lankan family, whose story is inextricably entangled in their country’s three-decade-long civil war. Taking place in the UK, Australia, and Sri Lanka, the series unfolds from the perspective of Leela, a young woman living her life in London, largely disconnected from her own culture and unaware of long-held family secrets. An intensely personal and dangerous journey takes her across three continents to find her lost aunt and uncover the shocking reason for her disappearance.
Set against the present day fallout of 70 years of political turmoil and bloody conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities along with the legacy of the island’s British colonial history, Song of the Sun God is ultimately about the wisdom, mistakes, and sacrifices of our past that enable us to live more freely in the future. The deeply moving saga is about finding home and forgiving family.
Song of the Sun God is being adapted for television by multi award-winning screenwriter Olivia Hetreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring, Wuthering Heights). The Executive Producers are Claire Mundell for Synchronicity Films and Karen Radzyner for Dragonet Films.
James Durie, Head of Scripted, Cineflix Rights said: “Song of the Sun God is an immensely powerful novel exploring universal themes of familial love, tension, and redemption arising from previously-hidden dark secrets. What makes it special is how the story unfolds from a diverse, female perspective across three continents and three generations. We were incredibly impressed with Olivia’s vision to turn this critically-acclaimed novel into a stunning series with global appeal, and we’re thrilled to be working with Synchronicity and Dragonet who have such a great track record of producing high quality, global successes.”
Karen Radzyner, Executive Producer, Dragonet Films said: “Author Shankari Chandran and screenwriter Olivia Hetreed are an explosive combination conjuring a riveting, emotional, high-stakes series. Centred on the present-day repercussions of decisions made by women navigating a family through a decades-long clash, it brings to light an untold story of a little known 21st Century war, whose ripples continue to generate global impact. Synchronicity Films and now Cineflix Rights are ideal partners to give this adaptation life.”
Claire Mundell, Executive Producer, MD, Synchronicity Films, added: “From the moment I read Shankari’s breathtaking novel I was immediately hooked on this deeply affecting story about the generational human cost of conflict on one family. Olivia is the perfect writer to bring this story to the screen and will do so with compassion, insight, and humanity. We are thrilled to be a part of this prestige project with Karen at Dragonet.”
Shankari Chandran commented: “What happened in Sri Lanka has happened all over the world. Sometimes we see the injustices and sometimes we care about them. Often, we don’t. Story-telling through television has never had more power to elevate the lives of others than it does right now. All I’ve ever wanted for this novel, was for people to see that the tragedy of war is as universal as the love of family, but that love is much stronger. I am really excited to be a part of the team as Synchronicity, Dragonet, and Cineflix Rights bring this novel to the screen.”
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For more information, contact Mark Ogle at OH Communications (for Cineflix Rights):
mark@ohcommunications.co.uk / +44 (0) 7789 981561
About Cineflix Rights
Cineflix Rights is the UK’s largest independent TV content distributor, providing premium factual and scripted programming from some of the world’s most creative producers to more than 500 broadcasters and platforms.
Our growing scripted slate includes the riveting espionage Apple TV+ series Tehran; cozy crime procedural Whitstable Pearl; the award-winning Israeli police corruption drama Manayek; supernatural cult sensation Wynonna Earp; multi-award-winning, Berlinale Series 2020 official selection Happily Married; and Icelandic political drama The Minister. These sit alongside multiple seasons of the highly rated hit Coroner, International Emmy®-winning Marcella that has been adapted for TF1 France as Rebecca, and the Séries Mania-winning An Ordinary Woman.
Established in 2002, Cineflix Rights is based in London, and is part of the Cineflix Media group of companies.
About Dragonet Films
Dragonet Films is an independent Sydney-based production company producing quality Scripted content for international screens, working with visionary creative minds. Their series, documentaries and feature films have won awards and nominations including Logies and Australian Academy Awards (AACTAs) for ABC’s Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo; Writers Guild, Directors Guild and Screen Composers Guild Awards for Nine’s Two Twisted; festival acclaim for feature film Being Venice; and the ATOM Award for Best Documentary for ABC’s The Man Who Saved A Million Brains. Alongside the boutique Film and TV slate, Dragonet is committed to using all the emerging pathways to audience with a narrative VR project in development with Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and production underway with Screen Australia, on a vertical scripted action/adventure The Disposables.
About Synchronicity Films
Synchronicity Films is an award-winning independent production company, founded and headed by Claire Mundell, headquartered in Glasgow and run with co-directors Mark Young (Chairman) and Adrian Burns (Operations Director), with an office in Melbourne led by Ruth Underwood. Synchronicity develops and produces feature films and television drama which showcases original voices and brings stories to life with energy, passion and dynamism. The company has a growing reputation for finding and developing quality IP. Notable current books Synchronicity is adapting include the Sunday Times / New York Times Bestseller ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’; Booker shortlisted ‘His Bloody Project’; Craig Russel’s popular ‘Lennox’ series of books; a Hanif Kureishi novella ‘The Body’ and several Helen FitzGerald novels. Key credits include double BIFA winning ‘Only You’, BIFA winning ‘Weekend’, Karen Gillan’s BAFTA Film nominated ‘The Party’s Just Beginning’ and BAFTA winning series ‘The Cry’ which also received a Best Actress nomination at the International Emmys for Jenna Coleman. Synchronicity is currently financing its next feature film – KILL – starring Ralph Inneson, Lorne MacDonald and Brian Vernel.