Now that Pretty Pictures has acquired Josef Kubota Wladyka’s Manos Sucias at Cannes, the movie will be distributed in Germany, Benelux, and Switzerland, Variety noted. The film won an award for Best New Narrative Director, when it screened at the 2014 Tribeca festival.

In Kubota Wladyka’s directorial debut, Manos Sucias is the journey of two Afro-Columbian teen fishermen. They travel from Buenaventura, to tow a “narco-torpedo” packed with 100 kilos of cocaine underwater to Panama.

The president of Pretty Pictures, James Velaise explained:

“What is fascinating is that the filmmaker spent five years in Buenaventura learning what was going on there and building up the trust of people. The average filmmaker would never take the time to do that. You feel that in the film: There is a sense of genuineness which you don’t get in 99% of indie films today.”

Kubota Wladyka spent time researching the natural environment he would authentically replicate, and used local Columbian non-actors in the starring roles. Spike Lee, who taught Wladyka at NYU, is the film’s executive producer.

6 Sales, a Madrid-based production company also acquired distribution rights for Manos Sucias. As for U.S. distribution, WME Global’s Christine D’Souza and Mark Anker are in control of this sale.

As Manos Sucias gets more international exposure, we await a U.S. release for the Spanish thriller.