Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Worldwide Rights to Cannes Hit ‘The President’s Cake’
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, South East Asia and India to Directors’ Fortnight People’s Choice Award and Caméra d’Or winner, The President’s Cake. The feature debut from Hasan Hadi has been praised by audiences and critics alike at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
The President’s Cake, written and directed by Hadi, is produced by Leah Chen Baker with executive producers including award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump) and director Marielle Heller (Nightbitch, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood). The film is made in association with Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Pictures and Spark Features.
While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive the war and food shortages, the President requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen among her classmates. The young girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients and prepare the mandatory cake in The President’s Cake.
“Winning the Camera d’Or in a year with so many formidable directorial debuts and winning the Audience Award in the Directors’ Fortnight, Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake is the surprise hit of this year’s festival. In the tradition of major Cannes discoveries, these ovations and critical acclaim mark the beginning of a fresh voice destined to thrill audiences everywhere,” stated Sony Pictures Classics.
“Since childhood, Sony Pictures Classics has been the go-to name for quality cinema and original storytelling. It’s a dream come true—and a true honor—to now be part of that legacy. Their incredible history of championing international films and commitment to theatrical releases makes them the perfect home for The President’s Cake,” added Hadi.
The film was negotiated between UTA Independent Film Group, WME Independent and Sony Pictures Classics. Films Boutique represents international sales. Hadi is repped by UTA and Jonathan Gardner.
The Sundance Film Institute and Doha Film Institute are among the many supporters of the film.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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