Jolie's directing debut gets disributor and release date

(CBS) Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, "In the Land of Blood and Honey" landed a U.S. distributor at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday and will be in theaters in  December.

Pictures: Angelina Jolie
Pictures: Cannes Films Festival 2011

The New York Times reports that the movie is being distributed by FilmDistrict and will debut in U.S. theaters Dec. 23.

Financed by GK Films (founded by Graham King) and partner Tm Headington, the film is set during the Bosnian war in the 1990s.

"The film is specific to the Bosnian War, but it's also universal," Jolie, 35, said in an interview with USA Today. "I wanted to tell a story of how human relationships and behavior are deeply affected by living inside a war."

King promised that it won't disappoint when he told Deadline.com, "Working with Angelina on this film and story has been a great collaboration and I am extremely proud of this film. The filmmaking is impeccable, and signals the arrival of a visceral and compelling storyteller."

The movie stars Bosnian locals, many of whom were children of the Bosnian war in the '90s.

"The former Yugoslavia has a rich history of dramatic arts. The cast was extraordinary," Jolie said. "I was privileged and honored to work with them and I am very excited for everyone to see their immense talent."

The Hollywood Reporter listed the stars of the film, including Zana Marjanovic (known for her performance in "Snow"), Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija ("In the Rain").

Jolie attended the Cannes festival this year to promote "Kung Fu Panda 2" and for Pitt's drama "The Tree of Life," which received a strong mix of reactions from viewers on Monday.