Kino Lorber Acquires ‘A Fox Under A Pink Moon,’ Oscar-Contending Doc That’s “A Diary, A Survival Story, An Artistic Manifesto”

EXCLUSIVE: Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to A Fox Under a Pink Moon, one of the most acclaimed documentaries of the year. The film directed by Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi won the top prize at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) last year and has gone on to claim awards at ZagrebDox in Croatia, Docville in Leuven, Belgium, Tempo Documentary Festival in Stockholm, Sweden, Full Frame in Durham, NC and more. It follows the journey of Soraya (the co-director), a talented young sculptor and artist of Afghan descent who was born in Iran but is essentially stateless. Kino Lorber plans a theatrical release later this year followed by a digital, educational, and home video release. Watch on Deadline ‘A Fox Under a Pink Moon’ Kino Lorber/Oskouei Film Production Soraya “has been trying for five years to find a way out of Iran and join her mother in Europe,” notes a description of the film. “Trapped in a marriage to a violent man, Soraya escapes the brutality and isolation of her daily life through art, putting all her worries, joys, and fears into stunning drawings and sculptures that are as beautiful as they are dark. Many of her creations feature recurring figures: a clown who never laughs, a pink moon that always watches over her, and a fox who is her loyal traveling companion.” The description continues, “Crafted from years of Soraya’s own cell phone footage and video calls with filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei, this subtly textured self-portrait interweaves Soraya’s illustrations with chilling scenes of her escape attempts, political news from Afghanistan, and videos where she sings, dances, or defiantly shows her bruises. A diary, a survival story, and an artistic manifesto, A Fox Under a Pink Moon is an unforgettable testament to the creative resilience of a 16-year-old girl who refuses to be reduced to her circumstances.” Director Mehrdad Oskouei at the Zurich Film Festival on September 25, 2020. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for ZFF Director Mehrdad Oskouei said in a statement, “By collaborating on our film with Soraya – an Afghan refugee, young woman, and artist – I sought to confront a disturbing silence: why are the personal and often painful stories of Afghan refugee women absent from the lens of mainstream documentaries? This film is an act of revitalization. Through Soraya’s eyes, her dreams, and her art. My goal was to help her bring her voice to the forefront of the world’s consciousness.” Soraya Akhlaghi, her faced bruised from a beating by her husband. Kino Lorber/Oskouei Film Production Soraya Akhlaghi commented, “I’m proud that through our film, I’ve been able to give voice to Afghan girls whose courage, creativity, and strength shine far beyond the hardships they face. Despite every limitation, they find a way to bloom—like flowers breaking through stone.” As Deadline reported in early July, filmmaker David Borenstein, who won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for Mr. Nobody Against Putin, has joined A Fox Under a Pink Moon as an executive producer. He calls Oskouei and Akhlaghi’s film “electric.” Kino Lorber Kino Lorber has proven a major player in the Oscar race, serving as the North American distributor of Mr. Nobody Against Putin (co-directed Pavel Talankin, who like Soraya, is both filmmaker and protagonist). In 2025, Kino Lorber’s documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat earned an Academy Award nomination. The acquisition deal for A Fox Under a Pink Moon was negotiated by Kino Lorber VP of Acquisitions Karoliina Dwyer and Catherine Leclef of CAT&Docs. “We were captivated and deeply moved by the story of Soraya, a fiercely talented young artist facing unimaginable obstacles in her attempts to flee an abusive marriage and reunite with her mother in Europe,” said Kino Lorber’s Dwyer. “With hope, fear, and unwavering determination, Soraya brings the audience on her journey to freedom, blending footage from her phone with striking animation of her own artwork. We’re so proud to partner with Mehrdad and Soraya to bring this exceptional documentary to North American audiences.” A Fox Under a Pink Moon is an Oskouei Films production. The film is produced by Mehrdad Oskouei and Siavash Jamali and executive produced by Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld for InMaat, Tony Tabatznik, Jenny Warburg, David Borenstein, James Costa and Trevor Burgess for Bird Street Productions, and Radovan Síbrt.