Sundance 2012 no longer has a corner on the acquisitions news market as it’s being reported out of the Miami International Film Festival that director Alejandro Brugues’ (Personal Belongings) Cuban zombie flick, Juan of the Dead has been picked up by Outsider Pictures. The festival, which runs March 2^nd to the 11^th, will be the first theatrical screening under the banner. Outsider is planning a theatrical release in Miami soon after the festival with Focus World releasing the picture later in 2012 on VOD, DVD and other formats.

From Sundance, THR reports that IFC Films has picked up the domestic rights to director Antonio Campos’ Simon Killer, a dark drama starring Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Michael Abiteboul, Constance Rousseau and Lila Salet. The sexually explicit film about an American man falling for a Parisian prostitute may earn itself an NC-17 rating. Hit the jump for the press release for Juan of the Dead.

The Cuban zombie comedy Juan of the Dead played at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and now it has been picked up for a North American release by Focus Features’ new digital distribution arm, Focus World.  The eponymous character is 40-year-old slacker who makes zombie lemonade out of zombie lemons when a zombie outbreak hits Cuba and he’s able to make some scratch by slaying families’ fresh undead.  Some critics have seen it as a political allegory, but director Alejandro Brugues says its commentary on Cuba is how its citizens manage to find a way to deal with poverty.

According to Variety, Focus World plans to release premieres titles across video-on-demand and electronic sell-thru platforms, including cable/satellite providers, iTunes, Xbox 360, Playstation and YouTube.  However, Juan won’t go directly to digital distribution.  The movie will play U.S. festivals, and begin a theatrical run in April from a separate distributor.  I’ve heard it’s a fun, interesting flick, and I look forward to see it in the near future.