BETA CINEMA ANNOUNCES FURTHER SALES FOR ANTONIO BANDERAS-LED TIFF WORLD-PREMIERE "UP AGAINST IT"

Beta Cinema has secured further international sales for Trudie Styler’s star-studded, emotional yet sharp-tongued comedy Up Against It. Ahead of its World Premiere as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026, deals with distribution partners in Spain (Youplanet Pictures/Caramel), Greece (Spentzos Film), Turkey (Mars Production), Bulgaria (Beta Film) and Latin America (A2 Filmes) are revealed. Beta Cinema also has sold worldwide inflight rights to Ricochet Digital Media. With previously announced sales across Europe, the Middle East & North Africa, and Australia & New Zealand, audiences in more than 50 territories will be soon able to see it. 

Up Against It is a fast-paced, unexpectedly tender family comedy about unlikely alliances, second chances and the messy miracle of modern love: Álvaro and Saffron are very divorced. Their marriage was a disaster from which the only good thing to emerge was their beloved daughter Rose. Their mutual abhorrence is such that they can barely endure the minimal communication required to share custody, so they're thrown for a serious loop when it's discovered that, not only does Rose have a rare form of leukemia, but that, given the nature of Rose's genetic disorder, their best bet at keeping the child healthy and alive is for Álvaro and Saffron to produce a second child who could provide a transfusion. The ex-spouses balk at the idea, and their new partners don't fancy it either, but they may have no choice but to bury the hatchet (in bed). 

Produced by Maven Screen Media and Tempo Productions, Up Against It is directed by Trudie Styler (Posso entrare? An ode to Naples). About her new film, she says: “All human beings screw up, in situations both big and small, and the Estrella de la Vega family are ultimately just another group of people who are trying to be better than they were the day before. The audience will delight in seeing them not only connect with each other, but also with new and improved versions of themselves.” 

The cast is led by Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro, Babygirl) alongside Eva Birthistle (Bad Sisters), Úrsula Corberó (Money Heist), Arinzé Kene (The Pass, Lee), Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant (Saltburn) and rising talent Eden Hamilton (The Railway Children Return). The film was edited by Walter Fasano (Call Me By Your Name, I Am Love) and Nathan Nugent (Room), with Academy Award nominee Dante Spinotti (L.A. Confidential) serving as director of photography. Blending sharp comedy with genuine emotional stakes, Up Against It paints a heartfelt and witty portrait of a family finding its way back to one another under extraordinary circumstances. 

The film will have its world Premiere on Thursday, September 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall.

Beta Cinema handles international sales while North American rights are represented by CAA Media Finance.