Lightning picks up Spanish ghost story The Beckoning

Santa Monica-based sales and distribution company Lightning Entertainment has picked up worldwide rights excluding Spain to Elio Quiroga's Spanish ghost story The Beckoning.

Quiroga wrote and directed the story about a traumatised young doctor who moves to the country after her child dies of cot death and is haunted by mysterious apparitions.

Over time the woman discovers the answer may lie in a cache of old government newsreels. Ana Torrent and Francisco Boira star in the story, which is inspired by the actual historical mystery surrounding the secret No-Do's from the Franco era. Margaret Nicoll, Stefan Nicoll, Quiroga, Jerome Debeve and Juan A Ruiz served as executive producers.

Lightning's Richard Guardian brokered the deal with Nicoll. "Spain has produced the terrific ghost stories The Others and The Orphanage and The Beckoning follows this successful mode," Guardian said.

Lightning's AFM slate includes crime drama La Linea starring Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta, Jada Pinket Smith's The Human Contract, sports drama Forever Strong, and thriller The Shortcut from Leomax Entertainment and Adam Sandler's Scary Madison Productions.

Lightning Entertainment focuses on the worldwide distribution and licensing of independent film product. Its core business is representation of quality theatrical films, as well as product that has strong commercial value in ancillary markets.