Exclusive: Grasshopper Film has acquired the debut feature "Chronovisor" from Kevin Walker and Jack Auen.

      One of the standout debut features of the year has secured distribution. We are excited to announce that Grasshopper Film has obtained North American distribution rights for Chronovisor, the first feature by directors Kevin Walker and Jack Auen, produced by Jason Zuriff, and filmed by Leo Zhang. This clever armchair mystery, shot on location in New York City, follows a reclusive academic whose life intersects with a secret technology capable of capturing images from the past. Anne-Laure Sellier, a professor of behavioral sciences at HEC Paris, makes her screen acting debut as the lead in Chronovisor.

      Chronovisor made its debut at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it received recognition as a Critic’s Pick from Leonardo Goi, who remarked, “In a film that exists along the vague line between reality and fiction, the most enchanting aspect of Chronovisor is the reverence Auen and Walker show for books, and the thrill evoked by the belief that this film instills in those open to its unusual, hypnotic rhythms—that secrets and mysteries are all around you. It’s simply a matter of knowing where to look and what to inquire about.”

      The film will have its North American premiere at the 2026 New Directors/New Films festival on April 10, 2026, where we highlight it as a must-see. Chronovisor is set for theatrical release in North America in early Fall 2026, followed by availability on streaming platforms.

      Ryan Krivoshey, Founder and President of Grasshopper Film, negotiated the deal with Cosmic Salon.

      Here’s the synopsis: “While composing a monograph on historical theories of memory, Beatrice, a diligent and respected academic, becomes captivated by the tale of the ‘Chronovisor,’ an occult device claimed to project images from any historical moment onto a television screen. Her fixation on the device pulls her from her Upper East Side home into the depths of New York City's obscure libraries, leading her to the brink of a breakthrough and a breakdown.”

      “CHRONOVISOR is one of the most thrilling and bold American independent films I've encountered in years,” expressed Ryan Krivoshey. “Jack and Kevin have created a haunting, richly inventive work that intertwines literary exploration, hidden histories, and extensive conspiracies, drawing viewers deeply into its enigmas and remaining with them long after the film ends. We are proud to introduce this unique film to audiences nationwide.”

      “We have long admired the efforts of Ryan and the Grasshopper Film team to support innovative, independent cinema over the past decade and are extremely thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with them to present CHRONOVISOR to audiences in North America,” said Kevin Walker and Jack Auen.

      Jack Auen and Kevin Walker, a directing team originally from Baltimore, MD, are currently based in New York City. They are members of the filmmaking collective and production company COSMIC SALON. Their films have been showcased at multiple festivals globally, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films (co-presented by the Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center), the Sarajevo Film Festival, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, and the Gijón Film Festival, among others.

      Grasshopper Film, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, is a distribution company committed to releasing celebrated and award-winning independent cinema, featuring a catalogue of over 500 titles, including Academy Award winners and nominees, festival prize-winners, and works from prominent US and international filmmakers. Recent releases include the 4K restoration of Michael Almereyda’s NADJA, executive produced by David Lynch, Albert Serra’s AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE, Jem Cohen’s LITTLE, BIG, AND FAR, and Roberto Minervini’s THE DAMNED. Previous releases feature Kleber Mendonca Filho’s PICTURES OF GHOSTS, Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan’s NOCTURNES, Albert Serra’s PACIFICTION, Alain Gomis’ REWIND AND PLAY, Verena Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor’s DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA, Pedro Costa’s VITALINA VARELA, Oliver Laxe’s MIMOSAS, and Bi Gan’s KAILI BLUES, among others.