Vertical has acquired U.S. distribution rights to "Sanctuary," an English-language, post-apocalyptic thriller from Serbia starring Nina Kiri of "The Handmaid's Tale." The deal marks a significant step for Serbian genre filmmaking, with backers hoping the project demonstrates that ambitious, internationally marketable science-fiction cinema can originate from smaller European production markets rather than just serve as a filming location for others.

Directed by Filip Kovačević, the film follows a young warrior and a mysteriously discovered cryogenically suspended woman as they search for a lost city on a devastated future Earth. It also stars Dutch actor Jonas Smulders and Serbia's Darko Perić ("Money Heist"), and is produced by Void Pictures alongside TS Media, the production arm of telecoms giant Telekom Srbija, with Sublimity handling world sales. Producers described the shoot as an ambitious undertaking blending international and domestic talent, while Telekom Srbija said the project reflects a wider push to establish Serbia as a source of original, globally marketable IP.