EXCLUSIVE: Vantage Media has acquired North American distribution rights to the romantic period film Prisoners of Paradise — formerly known as Ambleside — from Vaneast Pictures.

Lined up for an August 2026 release, the film is set in 1925 Mauritius and follows Lucy Gladwell, a recently orphaned young woman sent from England to live under the guardianship of her uncle, where she defies expectations and social constraints by falling in love with a local laborer, Krishna.

Directed by Mitch Jenkins and written by Jason Wingard, Alan Govinden, and Jenkins, the movie stars Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals), alongside Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), Rupert Penry-Jones (The Batman), JJ Field (Captain America: The First Avenger), Mehdi Dehbi (Messiah) and Edward Akrout (Rodin).

Producers are Alan Govinden, Maria Govinden and Julia Govinden of AMG International and Paula Crickard of Atelier 11.

It has been something of an epic road to screen for the project, which initially shot in 2020, during the Covid pandemic. At that time it was known as Prisoners Of Paradise but then became known as Ambleside and then changed back to its original name this year.

The film, one of the most high-profile to shoot on the island of Mauritius, is based on the novel Prisoner of Paradise by Romesh Gunesekera, the Booker Prize-nominated author, and inspired by the lives of the producers Alan and Maria Jesus Govinden.

The deal was negotiated by Jessica Russo COO, Productions & Acquisitions at VMI / Vantage Media and Danielle Gasher, CEO of Vaneast Pictures.

The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Boston Film Festival and went on to win seven awards, including Best Film. Vaneast is continuing sales at the Cannes market.

“Prisoners of Paradise is exactly the kind of film we exist to champion, we were immediately drawn to Prisoners of Paradises’ emotional depth and timeless storytelling,” said Kellie Mutch, President of North America Distribution at Vantage Media. “It’s a visually stunning and deeply resonant film that speaks to universal themes of love, identity, and defiance. Ellie Bamber delivers a performance that will define her as a major international star and we’re excited to introduce North American audiences to this rare powerful story.”

Danielle Gasher, CEO of Vaneast Pictures, added: “Prisoners of Paradise is a once-in-a-generation love story, born from a place of deep personal meaning and brought to the screen with extraordinary beauty and care. Vantage Media has embraced this film with the passion and strategic vision it deserves. Together we are going to introduce North American audiences to a story they will not forget, set in a paradise they have never seen on screen before. We’re thrilled to be partnering with a team that has believed in this title from the very beginning.”