Fox Searchlight announced it had purchased U.S. distribution rights to "Beasts of the Southern Wild," director Benh Zeitlin's debut film, a mystical, folkloric tale about a 6-year-old girl, Hushpuppy, who lives with her tough-love father, Wink, in a forgotten Southern bayou community.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, most of the major indie film distributors were in a bidding war for "Beasts." In a statement announcing the sale, Fox Searchlight officials called the film "visually stunning and deeply poetic," while praising the performances of newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry. The company plans to release the film later this year.