Film School Rejects » Sundance Sales

Brett Ratner, Relativity Catch Sundance’s Big ‘Catfish’

Neil Miller — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:13:43 +0000

Relativity, Rogue Pictures and Universal have finally won the race for Sundance’s hottest ticket, the social media-centric mystery doc Catfish. During the festival, the Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman directed documentary was by far the hardest film to see for members of the press. I was among those who kept missing it, and missing it, and missing it.

Unlike me, it would appear that director Brett Ratner did get in to see it (I knew there was a reason I didn’t like that guy). According to THR, Ratner championed the film at Relativity and played a big role in getting the deal done. He is said to be staying involved for the film’s release, which is yet to be determined. Though early word is that it will be released later this year through Universal’s edgier arm, Rogue Pictures.

Per THR, the film “follows Ariel’s brother Yaniv, a New York photographer who becomes involved with a Michigan family composed of a mother and father, older sister and an 8-year-old girl named Abby.” Without giving away too much, you should know that the film explores some of the ways that 21st century humans communicate, and some of the inherent dangers of the digital age.

“Catfish is a film that could never have been made even just a few years ago,” said producer Andrew Jarecki. “It is a product of our generation, of miniature flip cameras, ‘sexting’ and social networking. Rogue Pictures has the attitude, irreverence and wide distribution to get this film seen by the masses. Moviegoers will be charmed by it, but more importantly, they will see themselves in it.”

I dare not say anything more, as I’ve heard that Catfish is the kind of movie best seen with minimal prior knowledge. I myself, am trying to stay clear of advanced details as well, as I do plan to see it.

A Quick and Dirty Look at the Sundance Sales So Far

Dr. Cole Abaius — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:07:06 +0000

Instead of getting all wordy on you (considering the massive hangover I got from playing 13 chess games, 4 games of scrabble, 2 Risk rounds, and one epic match of Calvin Ball simultaneously last night), I figure you’d rather just get a snapshot of who bought what and for what amount and who slept with who to make it happen.

Here you go:

Focus Features bought The Kids Are All Right (the Julianne Moore/Mark Ruffalo flick about a sperm donor to a lesbian couple becoming a member of the family) for $4.8 million.
Hannover House bought Twelve (the drug/murder drama version of “Gossip Girl” featuring a cast member from “Gossip Girl”) for $2 million.
Newmarket bought Hesher (the much-lauded Joseph Gordon-Levitt anarchist/home-made tattoos movie) for $1 million.
Lionsgate bought Buried (that movie where Ryan Reynolds is in a box the whole time and I owe Neil ten bucks because I didn’t think it would get distribution) for $3.2 million.

I’ll add more to the list as they come in.

Now, I leave it to you simply to argue over whether you want to see those films.

What do you think?

Sundance Sales So Far: Now with Nazi Zombies!

Dr. Cole Abaius — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:24:47 +0000

Skiing isn’t the only thing that goes down at Sundance. In fact, from what I hear, practically no one actually skis. They’re too busy making deals, selling their films in bathrooms and doing too much peyote to actually write reviews of the films they’ve seen there. Here’s some of the movies that have already sold.

If you’re a filmmaker, and you aren’t on the list, you might want to wait around in the bathroom until you run into an important executive-type. Just sit in the stall and tap your foot twice to let them know you have something hot for sale.

Brooklyn’s Finest

Sold to: Senator Distribution for under $5 million

Synopsis: Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), the story of three Brooklyn cops whose lives become intertwined after definitively different career paths. Stars Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, and Ethan Hawke. Finest was the first to sell of the festival.

[click here to read review]

Black Dynamite

Sold to: Sony for around $2 million

Synopsis: A blaxploitation lovefest, campy and brilliant. It follows the story of Black Dynamite, a neighborhood hero badass who wants to clean up the heroine-filled, malt-liqour-soaked streets.

[click here to read review]

Humpday

Sold to: Magnolia Pictures

Synopsis: Another entry into the Mumblecore movement – two straight, male friends (one married and stable, the other single and wandering) challenge each other to make a porno together. Directed by Lynn Shelton

[click here to read review]

Adam

Sold to: Fox Searchlight

Synopsis: A romantic comedy about an autistic man who develops a relationship with one of his neighbors. Directed by Max Mayer, it stars Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne.

The Winning Season

Sold to: Lionsgate

Synopsis: A sports film about a high school girls’ basketball team led by a grumpy has-been coach. Stars Sam Rockwell and Emma Roberts. It sounds a lot like A League of Their Own: Inside the Paint.

[click here to read review]

Dead Snow

Sold to: IFC FIlms

Synopsis: Nazi Zombies. Specifically, a horror film focusing on a group of teenagers on a ski trip who have to deal with…ahem…Nazi Zombies.

These movies will probably be headed to a mega-multi-plex or indie art house near you within the next year or so. Be on the lookout.

Stay tuned for more acquisitions as they come in. And be sure to click here for our Full Sundance Coverage.

Film School Rejects » Sundance Sales

Brett Ratner, Relativity Catch Sundance’s Big ‘Catfish’

Related Reading:

A Quick and Dirty Look at the Sundance Sales So Far

Related Reading:

Sundance Sales So Far: Now with Nazi Zombies!

Brooklyn’s Finest

Black Dynamite

Humpday

Adam

The Winning Season

Dead Snow

Related Reading: