Hou Xin’s ‘Bound in Heaven’ Picked up by Rediance, Drops Trailer Ahead of Toronto, San Sebastian Premieres (EXCLUSIVE)

Specialty sales and finance firm Rediance has picked up international sales rights to “Bound in Heaven,” the directorial debut feature of experienced Chinese screenwriter Hou Xin.

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The tragic love story will have its world premiere this week in the Centerpiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival. It will subsequently travel to San Sebastian for its European debut.

Adapted from the novel of the same title by Liu Xiuwen, the drama centers around a successful young woman who lives in the city with her abusive fiance and a lonely terminally ill man running a noodle shop in Wuhan. A chance encounter sparks an immediate attraction and their connection provides light and lightness in their emotional and dark journeys.

The film stars Ni Ni, who appeared in Zhang Yimou’s “The Flowers of War” and 2022 smash hit “Lost in the Stars.” Zhou You, who also appeared in Jia Zhangke’s Cannes and Toronto-selected “Caught by the Tides,” and Liao Fan (“Black Coal, Thin Ice,” “Ash Is Purest White”) round up the cast.

Hou has a wealth of credits on her filmography. Top titles include Chen Daming-directed “Shower” Stephen Chow’s “Kung fu Hustle” and Zhang Yang’s “Sunflower.”

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The film is produced by Such A Good Film and Ling Light, which also holds distribution rights in mainland China. Gao Nan executive produced the picture. An Anjin and Justine O. are producers.

Rediance is one of the very few specialist film sales companies from China with an enduring international presence. In Cannes this year it handled rights to handling Chinese-speaking territories for acclaimed main competition film “Grand Tour,” by Miguel Gomes, and multi-territory rights for Brazilian Directors’ Fortnight title “The Falling Sky.”

The company is continuing to do business on its recent Berlin titles: Nele Wohlatz’ “Sleep With Your Eyes Open” and Qu Youjia’s “She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones.” Last year, it also handled Anthony Chen’s “The Breaking Ice.”

Watch the trailer for “Bound in Heaven” here.

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