Artificial Eye on 'Trishna' rights

LONDON -- Brit indie distrib Artificial Eye has snapped up U.K. and Irish rights for Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna." Pic, starring Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed, is a contempo re-imagining of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Ubervilles" set in India, that tells the story of the son of a wealthy property developer who begins a troubled relationship with the daughter of an autorickshaw owner. Acquisition comes ahead of the pic's U.K. preem at the London Film Festival next week. Deal was negotiated by Bankside Films' head of marketing and sales Stephen Kelliher and Artificial Eye CEO Louisa Dent. Winterbottom and Melissa Parmenter produced the pic, which was financed by Bankside and the now shuttered U.K. Film Council in conjunction with VTR Media Investments, Bob Film Sweden and Film i Vast with the support of the Swedish Film Institute. Pic preemed at the Toronto Film Festival last month. Artificial Eye is planning a spring release for the pic in Blighty. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com