HBO Europe’s Czech spy drama The Sleepers (Bez vědomi) will have its International Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with the first two episodes screening in the Primetime section at the 44th annual edition (September 5 - 15).

Set at the end of the 80’s in Czechoslovakia and London, the six-part series is directed by Ivan Zacharias (Wasteland) and written by debut TV screenwriter Ondrej Gabriel. Tatiana Pauhofová (Burning Bush) leads an international cast which includes Hattie Morahan (Beauty and the Beast), David Nykl (Stargate), alongside Martin Myšička, Martin Hofmann, Jan Vlasák, Kristýna Podzimková, Lenka Vlasáková, Petr Lněnička and Martin Huba.

“We’re hugely proud that the international quality and appeal of The Sleepers has been recognized by the team at Toronto, and are excited to be returning to the festival with another Czech series,” said Antony Root, EVP of Original Programming and Production, HBO Europe. “There’s a current buzz around stories and storytelling from Central Europe, and for good reason. Told from the Central European perspective, through the eyes of an ordinary woman who finds herself extraordinarily tangled in the web of the secret services, The Sleepers is a wholly fresh take on the spy story. We can’t wait for audiences outside of the region to discover it.”