1-2 Special Acquires Venice Winner 'A Day In The Life Of Jo' — SkimNews
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- 1-2 Special acquired all North American rights to Jacqueline Lentzou's "A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra," with the company planning a theatrical release next year
- The film won the Best Director Prize in the Orizzonti section at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, where it had its world premiere
- The deal is among the first domestic acquisitions to come out of this year's festival and was negotiated by Ola Byszuk of Lucky Number on behalf of the filmmakers
- "A Day in the Life of Jo" recently had its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival, with upcoming screenings set for BFI London, Chicago International, and Busan International Film Festivals
- The Greek drama is inspired by true events from 2008 and follows 15-year-old Jo (Evita Andriopoulou), whose ordinary day culminates in a shocking incident that triggers an ethereal transformation
- Lentzou's second feature follows "Moon, 66 Questions," which played at the 2021 Berlinale and New Directors/New Films and earned a New York Times Critic's Pick
Why it matters: For distributor 1-2 Special, the acquisition locks in a Venice Best Director winner ahead of next year's theatrical rollout, giving the company a prestige title among the earliest domestic deals of the 2026 festival cycle. With five major festival appearances already lined up (Venice, NYFF, BFI London, Chicago, Busan), the film carries the kind of platform momentum that typically drives awards-season positioning for art-house releases.
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