News

IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival that the companies are partnering to acquire North American rights to George Ratliff’s ‘Salvation Boulevard’, which premiered this week in the festival’s Premieres section. The film, with a screenplay by Ratliff (whose previous films include Hell House and Joshua) and Doug Max Stone, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart, stars Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Jim Gaffigan and Marisa Tomei.  The film, a Mandalay Vision production of a Mandalay Pictures film, was produced by Cathy Schulman, Celine Rattray and Peter Fruchtman, and will be released theatrically via IFC Films.

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The documentary ‘These Amazing Shadows’ about The National Film Registry, was picked up by IFC under their new banner, “Sundance Selects.”  IFC will make These Amazing Shadows available via VOD beginning January 22 (the date of the World Premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival) for 30 days. It will be available in approximately 40 million homes on most major cable systems including Bright House, Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, and Time Warner Cable. After the 30 day VOD run the doc will be pulled to allow  a festival and theatrical window. After this “window” is over there will be a television broadcast, VOD and DVD release.

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Motion Film Group, Inc., a newly formed independent film venture from entertainment financier Fotis Georgiadis, has acquired the worldwide sales and distribution rights to writer/director Rashaad Ernesto Green’s debut feature Gun Hill Road, which premiered to a sold-out crowd and standing ovation at Sundance on Monday, January 24 in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. The coming-of-age drama set in The Bronx stars Esai Morales (“Caprica,” “NYPD Blue”), Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”), and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Cedar Rapids, “The Wire”). Ronna Wallace of Eastgate Pictures LLC along with Andre Des Rochers, Esq. of Gray Krauss Des Rochers LLP negotiated the seven-figure deal on behalf of Gun Hill Road producers Ron Simons of SimonSays Entertainment and Michelle-anne M. Small of A Small Production Company.

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Atlanta Businessman and Real Estate Investor, Duane Dixon of Imagery Films, will debut Rendezvous, his first of many feature films in Atlanta this spring. After watching the real estate market unravel, Dixon chose to diversify his business interests and pursue a lifelong dream of writing and directing his own film.

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Magnolia Pictures announced they have acquired US theatrical rights to Mark Pellington’s I MELT WITH YOU, an ensemble film starring Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Jeremy Piven, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino and Sasha Grey. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

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Fox Searchlight acquired the dramatic film Martha Marcy May Marlene, starring Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley), playing in the  U.S. Dramatic Competition at 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Sean Durkin, the cast also includes Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes, and Sarah Paulson.

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Sony Pictures Classics has reportedly close the deal to take domestic and Latin American rights to The Guard. The film screened opening night at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and is featured in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition category. Directed by John Michael McDonagh, the cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, and Dominique McElligot.

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Liddell Entertainment has acquired the horror film Silent House, a last minute addition to this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Directed by the Chris Kentis and Laura Lau  ( the duo behind Open Water, which screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival) and starring Elizabeth Olsen (sister to the Olsen twins), Adam Trese, Eric Sheffer Stevens, Julia Taylor Ross, Haley Murphy, and Adam Barnett, the film is screening in the festival’s Park City at Midnight category.

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Fox Searchlight continues its buying spree at Sundance Film Festival picking up Mark Cahil’s debut feature film “Another Earth” for a reported $1.5 million-$2 million. Another Earth which stars William Mapother, Brit Marling, Jordan Baker, Robin Lord Taylor, and Flint Beverage, is currently screening in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category.

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Fox Searchlight continues it buying streak at Sundance Film Festival picking up Gavin Wiesen’s “Homework”and grabbing the remake rights to Philip Cox’s “The Bengali Detective.”

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