Italian writer-turned-director Ludovica Rampoldi’s clandestine romance “A Brief Affair” — which features a stellar local cast including Pilar Fogliati (“Madly”), Adriano Giannini (“Supersex”) and Valeria Golino (“The Morning Show”) — has scored a North American distribution deal with Philadelphia–based indie outfit Breaking Glass Pictures.
Breaking Glass, which is run by industry veterans Richard Wolff and Richard Ross, inked the deal with True Colours’ head of sales Francesca Tiberi.
Blending thriller, drama and romance tropes with an overall ironic tone, “A Brief Affair” marks the directorial debut of Rampoldi, who is a prominent Italian screenwriter. She is known for her work on Sky’s “Gomorra” series, Amazon’s “The Bad Guy” show and films such as Marco Bellochio’s “The Traitor,” Oscar winner Gabriele Salvatores’s “The Invisible Boy” and on Andrea Pallaoro’s upcoming “The Echo Chamber.”
“A Brief Affair” is the story of Lea (played by Fogliati) and Rocco (Giannini), who meet by chance in a bar and are struck by an instant attraction. A secret affair ensues, consisting of fleeting, clandestine meetings in a hotel room. However, as time passes, Lea becomes obsessed with Rocco, leading her to increasingly intrude into his life and taking the story in an unexpected and unsettling direction.
“I am truly happy to be working again with True Colours on such a witty and clever film, which I am sure will impress U.S. audiences for its brilliant and sensible approach to storytelling about love and relationships,” Breaking Glass CEO Richard Wolff said in a statement.
“A Brief Affair” is produced by Indigo Film, HT Film and RAI Cinema.
Since its market premiere at Cannes 2025, the film — which debuted at the 2025 Rome Film Festival and subsequently won several prizes in Italy — has now sold to a slew of territories including Brazil (Pandora); Greece (Rosebud.21); Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Busch Media Group); Spain (Karma); South Korea (Scene & Sound); Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden (Another World and Feture Film); Poland (Aurora Film); New Zealand and Australia (Palace Films); Taiwan (AvJet); Portugal (Risi Film); the Baltic countries (Estin Film); Benelux (J&J Film); Mexico and Argentina (Mirada); India and South Asia; former Yugoslavia (Zillion); and Bulgaria (Beta Film).
“I am delighted to see ‘A Brief Affair’ continue its international journey and reach audiences across so many territories, and I am particularly pleased that this journey will now include the United States,” Rampoldi said in a statement. “To see a story that is so personal connect with viewers around the world, and discover that its themes resonate across cultural and geographic boundaries, is perhaps the greatest reward I could hope for. I am sincerely grateful to our distribution partner, True Colours, for their commitment and support, and look forward to sharing ‘A Brief Affair’ with audiences in all these new markets.”
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