The stats are impressive enough: In just three-and-a-half years of existence, Pinky Promise Films have produced a dozen films, grown to six total employees, and debuted one heck of a cute website.
But for founder and CEO Jessamine (Aka “Jesse”) Burgum and president Kara Durrett, there’s another, slightly less quantifiable measurement they really like to see grow: people are calling them to produce their projects.
“We’re just entering into this wonderful era right now with Pinky Promise where people now know about us,” Durrett said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “People would not call us first, I would say, for a little while, because they just didn’t know who we were. We are now entering this magical place where we’re getting cold emails from filmmakers that we are obsessed with being like, ‘Hey, I just was at a dinner and everyone just kept talking about you guys.
But for founder and CEO Jessamine (Aka “Jesse”) Burgum and president Kara Durrett, there’s another, slightly less quantifiable measurement they really like to see grow: people are calling them to produce their projects.
“We’re just entering into this wonderful era right now with Pinky Promise where people now know about us,” Durrett said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “People would not call us first, I would say, for a little while, because they just didn’t know who we were. We are now entering this magical place where we’re getting cold emails from filmmakers that we are obsessed with being like, ‘Hey, I just was at a dinner and everyone just kept talking about you guys.
- 6/28/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
New York University has revealed its 2024 picks for its Black List-inspired Purple List of the best production-ready screenplays from Tisch School of the Arts graduate film students and recent alumni.
The four screenplays, selected via a blind reading process by industry insiders, are Blue Comedy by Vincent Lee Accettola, Little Phnom Penh by Chheangkea, Rubber Hut by Hanna Gray Organschi and Satoshi by Sara Crow and David Rafailedes.
Blue Comedy follows a celebrity comedian who recently came out of the closet who returns to the Boston stand-up scene to mentor a straight comedian for whom he’s developed feelings. Little Phnom Penh explores a Cambodian woman’s personal desires and changing family roles over two decades in a story that spans across the U.S. and Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Rubber Hut centers around a former ex-Pam Am stewardess who opens a drive-thru condom shop...
The four screenplays, selected via a blind reading process by industry insiders, are Blue Comedy by Vincent Lee Accettola, Little Phnom Penh by Chheangkea, Rubber Hut by Hanna Gray Organschi and Satoshi by Sara Crow and David Rafailedes.
Blue Comedy follows a celebrity comedian who recently came out of the closet who returns to the Boston stand-up scene to mentor a straight comedian for whom he’s developed feelings. Little Phnom Penh explores a Cambodian woman’s personal desires and changing family roles over two decades in a story that spans across the U.S. and Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Rubber Hut centers around a former ex-Pam Am stewardess who opens a drive-thru condom shop...
- 4/17/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’ (Photo Credit: Jon Pack / Courtesy of A24)
Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.
On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.
2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...
Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.
On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.
2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Another big award show took place this weekend (in addition to the SAG Awards), the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which celebrates indie film and TV. One thing about this awards show is that their idea of independent sometimes makes me scratch my head a bit, with HBO’s big-budget The Last of Us nominated a whole bunch in the TV category, along with Netflix’s Beef and several other streaming shows, which I’m not sure one could call independent. For films, there’s a $30 million budget cap. For TV, I’m honestly not sure what the benchmark is because Last of Us was notoriously an expensive show to shoot, costing at least $100 million.
Indeed, The Last of Us won some key awards on the TV side, winning Best Supporting Performance (for Nick Offerman) and Best Breakthrough Performance (for Keivonn Montreal Woodard). Over on the film side, American Fiction and...
Indeed, The Last of Us won some key awards on the TV side, winning Best Supporting Performance (for Nick Offerman) and Best Breakthrough Performance (for Keivonn Montreal Woodard). Over on the film side, American Fiction and...
- 2/26/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
The best in independent film and television were honored at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards!
Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.
Head inside to see the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson,...
Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.
Head inside to see the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Exclusive: Management and production company 2Am is bolstering its finance and sales division with the hire of former Sundance Catalyst executive Julia Nelson.
Nelson will report to former WME & Endeavor Content exec Christine D’Souza Gelb who oversees the sales arm of 2Am.
2Am will be launching sales on two titles at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival: Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, and produced by 2Am, ShivHans, and AgX; and Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s Tendaberry, produced by Dweck and Flies Collective. 2Am is co-repping worldwide rights on both projects with WME, where the filmmakers are also represented.
The company, which is a producer on Celine Song’s Golden Globe nominee Past Lives, has previously repped Sing J. Lee’s Accidental Getaway Driver, Andrew Semans’ Resurrection, and Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was A Simple Man.
Nelson joins the company after six years at...
Nelson will report to former WME & Endeavor Content exec Christine D’Souza Gelb who oversees the sales arm of 2Am.
2Am will be launching sales on two titles at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival: Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, and produced by 2Am, ShivHans, and AgX; and Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s Tendaberry, produced by Dweck and Flies Collective. 2Am is co-repping worldwide rights on both projects with WME, where the filmmakers are also represented.
The company, which is a producer on Celine Song’s Golden Globe nominee Past Lives, has previously repped Sing J. Lee’s Accidental Getaway Driver, Andrew Semans’ Resurrection, and Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was A Simple Man.
Nelson joins the company after six years at...
- 12/15/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
While the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Killers of the Moon will likely battle it out at the Oscars, Film Independent Spirit Awards is putting the spotlight on the indie productions of the year, with budget ranges from $10,000 to $28 million. May December, Past Lives, and American Fiction lead the nominations for the 39th ceremony, each taking five nods.
Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.
See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Best...
Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.
See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Best...
- 12/5/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in ‘American Fiction’ (Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC)
American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.
“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...
American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.
“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...
- 12/5/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The full list of nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards has been announced!
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.
Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.
Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
American Fiction, May December and Past Lives lead the nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were were announced Tuesday morning.
Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.
The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.
On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...
Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.
The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.
On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The final month of the year has arrived, and with it an early Festivus bounty of news (very exciting!) about the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which are happening once again on February 25, back on the beach in Santa Monica. Last week brought tell of our incomparable new Spirit Awards host: SNL funnywoman and Emmy-nominated streaming series auteur Aidy Bryant. Now, the nondenominational secular-humanist Holiday Gnomes have brought us something potentially even more exciting… the nominees!
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.
- 12/5/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
After 15 years of curating the best of short films, Vimeo is giving some insight into what makes a coveted Staff Pick.
The streaming platform for rising filmmakers launched a Generation Vimeo campaign to mark the 15th anniversary of the website. Staff Pick Best of the Year winning director Danae Gosset provided the animation for this short film inspired by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman’s “A Brief History of Baldessari” video, and directed and produced by Vimeo’s internal creative team, to share the behind-the-scenes process for selecting Staff Picks. “High Maintenance” co-creator Ben Sinclair provides the voiceover for the video, returning to Vimeo where the HBO series originated. Watch the video below.
Founded in 2008, Vimeo’s Staff Pick program has honored filmmakers like Josh and Benny Safdie and “Aftersun” director Charlotte Wells. Kristoffer Borgli, John Wilson, Daniels, Savannah Leaf, A.V. Rockwell, Hiro Murai, Kogonada, Eliza Hittman, David Lowery, and...
The streaming platform for rising filmmakers launched a Generation Vimeo campaign to mark the 15th anniversary of the website. Staff Pick Best of the Year winning director Danae Gosset provided the animation for this short film inspired by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman’s “A Brief History of Baldessari” video, and directed and produced by Vimeo’s internal creative team, to share the behind-the-scenes process for selecting Staff Picks. “High Maintenance” co-creator Ben Sinclair provides the voiceover for the video, returning to Vimeo where the HBO series originated. Watch the video below.
Founded in 2008, Vimeo’s Staff Pick program has honored filmmakers like Josh and Benny Safdie and “Aftersun” director Charlotte Wells. Kristoffer Borgli, John Wilson, Daniels, Savannah Leaf, A.V. Rockwell, Hiro Murai, Kogonada, Eliza Hittman, David Lowery, and...
- 11/14/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Bleecker Street has acquired the U.S. rights to TIFF standout One Life, the James Hawes-directed drama that stars Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Lena Olin, Romola Garai, Alex Sharp, Marthe Keller, with Jonathan Pryce and Helena Bonham Carter. Scripted by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake, the film is a production of See-Saw Films, which developed it alongside BBC Film. Bleecker Street is planning a 2024 theatrical release.
Based on the Barbara Winton book If It’s Not Impossible…: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton, One Life tells the true story of Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (Flynn), a young London broker who visits Prague in December 1938. In a race against time, Winton convinces Trevor Chadwick (Sharp) and Doreen Warriner (Garai) of the British Committee for Refugees in Czechoslovakia to rescue as many children as possible before the Nazis close the borders. Fifty years later, Nicky (Hopkins) is haunted by the...
Based on the Barbara Winton book If It’s Not Impossible…: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton, One Life tells the true story of Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (Flynn), a young London broker who visits Prague in December 1938. In a race against time, Winton convinces Trevor Chadwick (Sharp) and Doreen Warriner (Garai) of the British Committee for Refugees in Czechoslovakia to rescue as many children as possible before the Nazis close the borders. Fifty years later, Nicky (Hopkins) is haunted by the...
- 10/9/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
After world premiering to critical acclaim at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, Ld Entertainment’s sci-fi thriller I.S.S. starring West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose has been picked up for U.S. release by Bleecker Street. The film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite from Nick Shafir’s script will hit theaters nationwide at a date that has not been disclosed.
I.S.S. marks Bleecker’s second collaboration with Cowperthwaite following 2017’s Megan Leavey, and its fourth with Ld, which in addition to that true-life military drama, produced their films Anthropoid and Teen Spirit from Sean Ellis and Max Minghella, respectively. The film follows two crews of scientists — one group American, the other Russian — aboard the International Space Station, as they conduct research towards the betterment of humanity. Soon, however, international tensions on Earth escalate in unpredictable ways and the teams are commanded to take control...
I.S.S. marks Bleecker’s second collaboration with Cowperthwaite following 2017’s Megan Leavey, and its fourth with Ld, which in addition to that true-life military drama, produced their films Anthropoid and Teen Spirit from Sean Ellis and Max Minghella, respectively. The film follows two crews of scientists — one group American, the other Russian — aboard the International Space Station, as they conduct research towards the betterment of humanity. Soon, however, international tensions on Earth escalate in unpredictable ways and the teams are commanded to take control...
- 8/16/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
Wes Anderson has done it all: India by train, Rhode Island by foot, the Mediterranean by sub, France by bike, faux-Germany by hotel, apple-orchard America by fox, animated Japan by dog, motel Texas by friends, New York City by family. But––despite the feeling that this couldn’t possibly be true––he’s never told a story in western America. In setting he hasn’t gone further west than Houston. Until Asteroid City: Arizona desert by quarantine. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Chile ’76 (Manuela Martelli)
Manuela Martelli’s debut film opens with a sequence that perfectly captures the tone and themes Chile ‘76 will explore. Carmen (played by Aline Kuppenheim) is at a paint shop,...
Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
Wes Anderson has done it all: India by train, Rhode Island by foot, the Mediterranean by sub, France by bike, faux-Germany by hotel, apple-orchard America by fox, animated Japan by dog, motel Texas by friends, New York City by family. But––despite the feeling that this couldn’t possibly be true––he’s never told a story in western America. In setting he hasn’t gone further west than Houston. Until Asteroid City: Arizona desert by quarantine. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Chile ’76 (Manuela Martelli)
Manuela Martelli’s debut film opens with a sequence that perfectly captures the tone and themes Chile ‘76 will explore. Carmen (played by Aline Kuppenheim) is at a paint shop,...
- 7/14/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
“The Starling Girl” is a heartfelt coming-of-age movie about Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen), a 17-year-old girl raised in a fundamentalist Christian community in Kentucky who falls for her married youth pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman). What follows next is a smart and intriguing drama from writer/director Laurel Parmet. I spoke with both Scanlen and Pullman to
The post “The Starling Girl” Interviews appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
The post “The Starling Girl” Interviews appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
- 6/7/2023
- by manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
On paper, there isn’t really anything I find that appealing about writer-director Laurel Parmet‘s feature film debut: a 17-year-old girl growing up in a deeply conservative Christian community in Kentucky trying to find herself while also engaging in a secret romantic affair with her much older, married youth pastor. As someone who is not religious and has very little experience with religion, this is not a film that I would exactly rush out to see due to its subject matter. Yet in spite of these personal obstacles, while The Starling Girl is by no means a perfect movie, this is a film that I can’t help but admire due to how much talent and passion oozes from the screen.
>Watch Laurel Parmet’s uINTERVIEW Now!
Without a doubt, the best aspect of The Starling Girl is the acting, particularly from Australian-born actress Eliza Scanlen, who plays the main protagonist of the film,...
>Watch Laurel Parmet’s uINTERVIEW Now!
Without a doubt, the best aspect of The Starling Girl is the acting, particularly from Australian-born actress Eliza Scanlen, who plays the main protagonist of the film,...
- 5/23/2023
- by Timothy Lee
- Uinterview
Matt Johnson’s film BlackBerry about the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone passed $1.7 million its second week out with an estimated three-day gross of $525k in 595 theaters.
The Canadian number — $250k from 200 theaters — was only a 13% drop from opening weekend. Stateside, the indie crossed $1 million with a estimated $257k at 375 locations and really popped on Saturday, outperforming the week earlier in a handful of theaters in top markets including New York, LA, and Boston.
It’s being handled by IFC Films in the U.S. and Elevation Pictures in Canada, where BlackBerry was launched and grew to near world dominance before being abruptly unseated by Apple and the touch screen. Starring Jay Baruchel as brainy Mike Lazaridus, who co-founded BlackBerry with his best friend Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who propelled...
The Canadian number — $250k from 200 theaters — was only a 13% drop from opening weekend. Stateside, the indie crossed $1 million with a estimated $257k at 375 locations and really popped on Saturday, outperforming the week earlier in a handful of theaters in top markets including New York, LA, and Boston.
It’s being handled by IFC Films in the U.S. and Elevation Pictures in Canada, where BlackBerry was launched and grew to near world dominance before being abruptly unseated by Apple and the touch screen. Starring Jay Baruchel as brainy Mike Lazaridus, who co-founded BlackBerry with his best friend Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who propelled...
- 5/21/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Bleecker Street has nabbed the North American rights to “Across the River and Into the Trees,” an upcoming movie starring Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”) and Josh Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games”). The film is directed by Paula Ortiz, who is best known for her work on “The Bride,” and is expected to debut in the fall of 2023 for a theatrical release.
An adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s last full-length novel that he published in his lifetime, the movie is set in post-World War II Italy. After American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell (Schreiber) survived the war and emerged as a war hero, he has to grapple with a new battle: his own illness. Determined to find some peace, he enlists a military driver to bring him to his old haunts in Venice. But as his plans unravel, a budding relationships with a young woman teaches him to hope again.
In addition to Schreiber and Hutcherson,...
An adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s last full-length novel that he published in his lifetime, the movie is set in post-World War II Italy. After American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell (Schreiber) survived the war and emerged as a war hero, he has to grapple with a new battle: his own illness. Determined to find some peace, he enlists a military driver to bring him to his old haunts in Venice. But as his plans unravel, a budding relationships with a young woman teaches him to hope again.
In addition to Schreiber and Hutcherson,...
- 5/16/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Bleecker Street has landed North American rights to “Across the River and Into the Trees,” an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s last full-length novel.
Liev Schreiber and Josh Hutcherson will star in the film, which will release exclusively in theaters in the fall. News of the sale was announced at the Cannes Film Festival.
Paula Ortiz (“The Bride”) directed “Across the River and Into the Trees,” which takes place in post-wwii Italy. Schreiber plays American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell, a bona fide hero who remains haunted by the war. As he faces news of illness with stoic disregard, he’s determined to spend a week in quiet solitude and commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell’s plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a remarkable young woman begins to rekindle in him the hope of renewal.
Matilda De Angelis...
Liev Schreiber and Josh Hutcherson will star in the film, which will release exclusively in theaters in the fall. News of the sale was announced at the Cannes Film Festival.
Paula Ortiz (“The Bride”) directed “Across the River and Into the Trees,” which takes place in post-wwii Italy. Schreiber plays American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell, a bona fide hero who remains haunted by the war. As he faces news of illness with stoic disregard, he’s determined to spend a week in quiet solitude and commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell’s plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a remarkable young woman begins to rekindle in him the hope of renewal.
Matilda De Angelis...
- 5/16/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Across The River And Into The Trees, the long-awaited Ernest Hemingway adaptation starring Liev Schreiber (Spotlight), Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) and Danny Huston (The Aviator), has set North American release plans with Bleecker Street. The film based on the last full-length novel published by Hemingway in his lifetime, which award-winner Paula Ortiz (The Bride) directed, will bow exclusively in theaters this fall.
Adapted for the screen by BAFTA Award winner Peter Flannery (The Devil’s Mistress), Across the River follows Richard Cantwell (Schreiber), an American Army Colonel in post-wwii Italy. Haunted by the war, Cantwell is a bona fide hero who faces news of his illness with stoic disregard. Determined to spend a weekend in quiet solitude, he commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell’s plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with...
Adapted for the screen by BAFTA Award winner Peter Flannery (The Devil’s Mistress), Across the River follows Richard Cantwell (Schreiber), an American Army Colonel in post-wwii Italy. Haunted by the war, Cantwell is a bona fide hero who faces news of his illness with stoic disregard. Determined to spend a weekend in quiet solitude, he commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell’s plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with...
- 5/16/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Bleecker Street has nabbed North American rights to first-time feature director Andrew Cumming’s Stone Age-set horror thriller The Origin.
The film from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 had its world premiere at the 2022 BFI London Film Festival and was nominated for five British Independent Film Awards, winning one in the best breakthrough performance category for Safia Oakley-Green (Sherwood, Extraordinary). The script was written by Ruth Greenberg (Run), with Escape Plan Productions’ Oliver Kassman (Saint Maud) producing.
Bleecker Street is planning a fall/winter theatrical release, it unveiled on Tuesday as the Cannes Film Festival market was set to open.
Set more than 45,000 years in the past, the movie tells the story of a gang of early humans who band together in search of a new land. “When they suspect a malevolent, mystical, being is hunting them down, the clan is forced to confront a horrifying danger they never imagined,” according to a plot description.
The film from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 had its world premiere at the 2022 BFI London Film Festival and was nominated for five British Independent Film Awards, winning one in the best breakthrough performance category for Safia Oakley-Green (Sherwood, Extraordinary). The script was written by Ruth Greenberg (Run), with Escape Plan Productions’ Oliver Kassman (Saint Maud) producing.
Bleecker Street is planning a fall/winter theatrical release, it unveiled on Tuesday as the Cannes Film Festival market was set to open.
Set more than 45,000 years in the past, the movie tells the story of a gang of early humans who band together in search of a new land. “When they suspect a malevolent, mystical, being is hunting them down, the clan is forced to confront a horrifying danger they never imagined,” according to a plot description.
- 5/16/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A beloved ballplayer and an iconic consumer device join a Hollywood satire by Charlie Day, an Emanuele Crialese film with Penelope Cruz and debuts from Sundance and Venice in a potentially strong specialty weekend that will test the appetite for indie film with no new franchise wide releases.
Sony Pictures Classics opens Sean Mullin’s Yogi Berra documentary It Ain’t Over on 100 screens in NY and LA with a big regional push for the legendary Yankee, including complimentary plus-one tickets on Thursday and Sunday at Regal, AMC and City Cinemas in the New York Tri-State area. The intimate portrait of a baseball genius, master of aphorism, pitchman and endearing human being, Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, premiered at Tribeca last year (100% Certified Fresh). Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay Berra, with Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Bob Costas, Vin Scully, Billy Crystal and others are loving guides to Berra’s unparalleled accomplishments...
Sony Pictures Classics opens Sean Mullin’s Yogi Berra documentary It Ain’t Over on 100 screens in NY and LA with a big regional push for the legendary Yankee, including complimentary plus-one tickets on Thursday and Sunday at Regal, AMC and City Cinemas in the New York Tri-State area. The intimate portrait of a baseball genius, master of aphorism, pitchman and endearing human being, Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, premiered at Tribeca last year (100% Certified Fresh). Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay Berra, with Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Bob Costas, Vin Scully, Billy Crystal and others are loving guides to Berra’s unparalleled accomplishments...
- 5/12/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
As cultural “discourse” becomes more aligned with scare-quotes than substantive conversations, putting a complicated piece of art into the world can be terrifying. “Sometimes, it’s scary to trust the audience,” said “The Starling Girl” writer and director Laurel Parmet. “It’s also invigorating and thrilling.”
Parmet’s directorial debut is loosely based on her own coming-of-age story, during which she had a relationship with an older man when she was just a teenager. Set against the backdrop of a patriarchal fundamentalist church community, “The Starling Girl” stars Eliza Scanlen as Jem Starling, a curious and clever teen whose world is upended by the return of intriguing young pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman). Drawn to each other despite many constraints that should keep them apart — their age difference, the power dynamic, and much more — their relationship serves as the catalyst for Jem fully coming into herself.
It’s a tricky story...
Parmet’s directorial debut is loosely based on her own coming-of-age story, during which she had a relationship with an older man when she was just a teenager. Set against the backdrop of a patriarchal fundamentalist church community, “The Starling Girl” stars Eliza Scanlen as Jem Starling, a curious and clever teen whose world is upended by the return of intriguing young pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman). Drawn to each other despite many constraints that should keep them apart — their age difference, the power dynamic, and much more — their relationship serves as the catalyst for Jem fully coming into herself.
It’s a tricky story...
- 5/12/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
From “Saved!” to “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” Sundance movies tend to paint fundamentalist Christians as severe, cult-like zealots, hellbent on brainwashing the next generation. While such portrayals can certainly be cathartic for those scarred by conservative upbringings, it’s a refreshing change to see this milieu treated with the level of nuance that Laurel Parmet brings to “The Starling Girl.”
Set in a small Kentucky town where morality is strictly enforced, Parmet’s promising, evenhanded debut focuses on a religious teen (“Little Women” star Eliza Scanlen) who’s never had reason to question her faith, until a crush on her handsome youth pastor (Lewis Pullman) awakens her sexuality and scandalizes the community. For the adults in this repressive rural enclave, organized religion seems to provide the discipline and structure they seek. But for 17-year-old Jem Starling, their values are starting feel like a straitjacket.
Jem dutifully honors her father...
Set in a small Kentucky town where morality is strictly enforced, Parmet’s promising, evenhanded debut focuses on a religious teen (“Little Women” star Eliza Scanlen) who’s never had reason to question her faith, until a crush on her handsome youth pastor (Lewis Pullman) awakens her sexuality and scandalizes the community. For the adults in this repressive rural enclave, organized religion seems to provide the discipline and structure they seek. But for 17-year-old Jem Starling, their values are starting feel like a straitjacket.
Jem dutifully honors her father...
- 5/12/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Despite everyone’s differences in upbringing, growing up is a difficult experience that is universal and nondenominational. While we all know this and have seen countless coming-of-age films that tackle the difficulty of discovering yourself, your wants, and your dreams, Laurel Parmet’s “The Starling Girl” puts a twist on the genre that explores Christianity, crushes, and power dynamics.
From the trailer, you can tell that this is going to be an emotional story following seventeen-year-old Jem Starling as she struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist community in Kentucky.
Continue reading ‘The Starling Girl’ Exclusive Clip: Eliza Scanlen & Lewis Pullman Star In Laurel Parmet’s Coming-Of-Age Drama at The Playlist.
From the trailer, you can tell that this is going to be an emotional story following seventeen-year-old Jem Starling as she struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist community in Kentucky.
Continue reading ‘The Starling Girl’ Exclusive Clip: Eliza Scanlen & Lewis Pullman Star In Laurel Parmet’s Coming-Of-Age Drama at The Playlist.
- 5/8/2023
- by Jamie Rogers
- The Playlist
Writer-director Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl quickly draws us into the remote Kentucky community at its center, a place small enough that everyone knows everyone else. Wide-open spaces stretch out from it in all directions and keep the rest of the world at bay. Most importantly, it’s a place where all of life revolves around the church.
In this stifling place, every single move a person makes doesn’t escape Old Testament judgment. One early scene even shows us a teenager being forced to confess to the sin of watching pornography in front of the entire congregation so that they might forgive him.
Within this milieu, we meet 17-year-old Jem (Eliza Scanlen). At home, she’s forced to play the role of doting daughter, working tirelessly to care for her younger siblings. Her mother, Heidi (Wrenn Schmidt), watches her every move like a hawk, her face fixed in...
In this stifling place, every single move a person makes doesn’t escape Old Testament judgment. One early scene even shows us a teenager being forced to confess to the sin of watching pornography in front of the entire congregation so that they might forgive him.
Within this milieu, we meet 17-year-old Jem (Eliza Scanlen). At home, she’s forced to play the role of doting daughter, working tirelessly to care for her younger siblings. Her mother, Heidi (Wrenn Schmidt), watches her every move like a hawk, her face fixed in...
- 5/7/2023
- by Ross McIndoe
- Slant Magazine
Filmmaker is happy to share an exclusive clip of writer-director Laurel Parmet’s feature debut The Starling Girl ahead of its limited release next week. In the two-minute long film excerpt, 17-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen) interacts with her father Paul (Jimmi Simpson). As he leaves the room after their chat, he says, “Do not tell your mama,” exiting with an emphatic “Shh.” Jem then checks a mug he was using out of curiosity. As a teenage girl living in a Christian fundamentalist community in rural Kentucky, Jem has never felt that she truly fit in. Through an escalating bond with […]
The post Exclusive Clip: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Exclusive Clip: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/4/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Filmmaker is happy to share an exclusive clip of writer-director Laurel Parmet’s feature debut The Starling Girl ahead of its limited release next week. In the two-minute long film excerpt, 17-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen) interacts with her father Paul (Jimmi Simpson). As he leaves the room after their chat, he says, “Do not tell your mama,” exiting with an emphatic “Shh.” Jem then checks a mug he was using out of curiosity. As a teenage girl living in a Christian fundamentalist community in rural Kentucky, Jem has never felt that she truly fit in. Through an escalating bond with […]
The post Exclusive Clip: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Exclusive Clip: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/4/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
If you’ve perused our summer movie preview you may already have a sense of what films to keep on your radar this month, but it’s time to dig deeper into May. While much of our attention will be on the Cannes Film Festival, plenty of worthwhile offerings arrive stateside.
15. The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet; May 12)
After breaking out in Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen finds an impressive new starring role with The Starling Girl. Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures, raising it above any average trappings.”
14. L’immensita (Emanuele Crialese...
15. The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet; May 12)
After breaking out in Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen finds an impressive new starring role with The Starling Girl. Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures, raising it above any average trappings.”
14. L’immensita (Emanuele Crialese...
- 5/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Bleecker Street has acquired the North American rights to the Ben Kingsley-led sci-fi comedy Jules.
Director Marc Turtletaub’s pic, which debuted and won the Stolman Audience Award for best feature at the Sonoma Film Festival, will get an exclusive release in theaters on Aug. 11.
Jules follows Milton, played by Kingsley, who lives a quiet life but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls Jules, and life become complicated when two neighbors discover Jules and the government quickly closes in.
Jules culminates with the three neighbors finding meaning and connection later in life, thanks to the unlikely stranger they meet. The film also stars Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin.
Written by Gavin Steckler, Jules is produced by Debbie Liebling, Andy Daly and Michael B. Clark.
Director Marc Turtletaub’s pic, which debuted and won the Stolman Audience Award for best feature at the Sonoma Film Festival, will get an exclusive release in theaters on Aug. 11.
Jules follows Milton, played by Kingsley, who lives a quiet life but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls Jules, and life become complicated when two neighbors discover Jules and the government quickly closes in.
Jules culminates with the three neighbors finding meaning and connection later in life, thanks to the unlikely stranger they meet. The film also stars Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin.
Written by Gavin Steckler, Jules is produced by Debbie Liebling, Andy Daly and Michael B. Clark.
- 4/26/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bleecker Street has acquired the North American rights to “Jules” from director Marc Turtletaub (“Puzzle”) and starring Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin.
Written by Gavin Steckler (“Review”), “Jules” made its world premiere at this year’s Sonoma International Film Festival where it was the opening night film and won the Stolman Audience Award for Best Feature. Bleecker Street will release the film in theaters on August 11.
“Jules” follows Milton (Kingsley) who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.”
However, things become complicated when two neighbors (Harris and Curtin) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors...
Written by Gavin Steckler (“Review”), “Jules” made its world premiere at this year’s Sonoma International Film Festival where it was the opening night film and won the Stolman Audience Award for Best Feature. Bleecker Street will release the film in theaters on August 11.
“Jules” follows Milton (Kingsley) who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.”
However, things become complicated when two neighbors (Harris and Curtin) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors...
- 4/26/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive theatrical release set for August 11.
Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Marc Turtletaub’s sci-fi comedy Jules starring Ben Kingsley and has set an August 11 exclusive theatrical release.
The film follows Milton (Kingsley) whose quiet life in a small western Pennsylvania town is upended when a UFO and its alien passenger crashes land in his backyard.
Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial, whom he calls Jules, and things get complicated when two neighbours discover Jules and the government starts to close in. Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon, and Jane Curtin star.
Gavin Steckler...
Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Marc Turtletaub’s sci-fi comedy Jules starring Ben Kingsley and has set an August 11 exclusive theatrical release.
The film follows Milton (Kingsley) whose quiet life in a small western Pennsylvania town is upended when a UFO and its alien passenger crashes land in his backyard.
Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial, whom he calls Jules, and things get complicated when two neighbours discover Jules and the government starts to close in. Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon, and Jane Curtin star.
Gavin Steckler...
- 4/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Bleecker Street has picked up North American rights to the sci-fi comedy Jules, starring Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Emmy nominee Harriet Sansom Harris (Licorice Pizza) and two-time Emmy winner Jane Curtin (3rd Rock from the Sun), slating it for an exclusive theatrical release on August 11th.
The film will contend on its opening weekend with Sony’s Gran Turismo, the Uni horror Last Voyage of the Demeter and Luca Guadagnino’s Uar tennis drama Challengers with Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, with Paramount, Nickelodeon and Point Grey’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem to be among the likely holdovers following its launch the weekend prior.
Directed by Marc Turtletaub (Puzzle) from a script by Gavin Steckler (Review), Jules tells the story of Milton (Kingsley), who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and...
The film will contend on its opening weekend with Sony’s Gran Turismo, the Uni horror Last Voyage of the Demeter and Luca Guadagnino’s Uar tennis drama Challengers with Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, with Paramount, Nickelodeon and Point Grey’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem to be among the likely holdovers following its launch the weekend prior.
Directed by Marc Turtletaub (Puzzle) from a script by Gavin Steckler (Review), Jules tells the story of Milton (Kingsley), who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and...
- 4/26/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The summer season is upon us and, per each year, we’ve dug beyond studio offerings (though a few potential highlights remain) to present an in-depth look at what should be on your radar. From festival winners of the past year to selections coming straight from Cannes to genre delights to, yes, a few blockbuster spectacles, there’s more than enough to anticipate.
Check out our picks below and return for monthly updates as more is sure to be added to the calendar.
Riceboy Sleeps (Anthony Shim; May 2)
So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) didn’t want to leave South Korea. She had no choice. The father of her newborn son committed suicide and, as an orphan who was never adopted, she had no other family. So, with nowhere to turn and a boy who couldn’t legally become a citizen due to being born out of wedlock, she immigrated to Canada to start anew.
Check out our picks below and return for monthly updates as more is sure to be added to the calendar.
Riceboy Sleeps (Anthony Shim; May 2)
So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) didn’t want to leave South Korea. She had no choice. The father of her newborn son committed suicide and, as an orphan who was never adopted, she had no other family. So, with nowhere to turn and a boy who couldn’t legally become a citizen due to being born out of wedlock, she immigrated to Canada to start anew.
- 4/25/2023
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
New York University has revealed its 2023 picks for its Black List-inspired Purple List of the best production-ready screenplays from Tisch School of the Arts graduate film students and recent alumni.
The four screenplays, selected via a blind reading process by industry leaders, are Burnout by Swetha Regunathan, Fate Moreland’s Widow by Joshua Foster, Haazer by Pepi Ginsberg and May You Outlive Us by Isabelle Mecattaf.
Burnout is a family drama set on an illegal cannibis farm. Fate Moreland’s Widow is based on a 2015 novel of the same name and explores a drama set in a Blue Ridge Mountain mill town. Haazer is a campus psychological thriller involving a student athlete and a fraternity. And May You Outlive Us follows four women as they recover from the 2020 Beirut explosion.
Prominent filmmakers whose work was included on past editions of the Purple List, now in its 12th year, include Chloé Zhao (Nomadland,...
The four screenplays, selected via a blind reading process by industry leaders, are Burnout by Swetha Regunathan, Fate Moreland’s Widow by Joshua Foster, Haazer by Pepi Ginsberg and May You Outlive Us by Isabelle Mecattaf.
Burnout is a family drama set on an illegal cannibis farm. Fate Moreland’s Widow is based on a 2015 novel of the same name and explores a drama set in a Blue Ridge Mountain mill town. Haazer is a campus psychological thriller involving a student athlete and a fraternity. And May You Outlive Us follows four women as they recover from the 2020 Beirut explosion.
Prominent filmmakers whose work was included on past editions of the Purple List, now in its 12th year, include Chloé Zhao (Nomadland,...
- 4/19/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Everything Everywhere All At Once and Venom star Jenny Slate will lead cast in and executive-produce horror movie Mindful, about a possessed meditation app that begins to kill its followers.
Actress, author and stand-up Slate is in the limelight having recently co-created, co-written, co-produced and voiced the titular character of Marcel in A24’s Oscar-nominated film Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, and for having co-starred in Oscar and box office breakout Everything Everywhere All At Once. The SNL alum is also well known for voicing animated series such as Big Mouth and Bob’s Burgers.
In Mindful, when her husband shockingly dies while meditating on the Mindful app, Angela (Slate), deeply suspicious of the new wellness craze, uncovers supernatural forces that have fused with the technology. As the app’s popularity spreads like wildfire, she is forced to confront her own demons and dive into a terrifying ‘out of...
Actress, author and stand-up Slate is in the limelight having recently co-created, co-written, co-produced and voiced the titular character of Marcel in A24’s Oscar-nominated film Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, and for having co-starred in Oscar and box office breakout Everything Everywhere All At Once. The SNL alum is also well known for voicing animated series such as Big Mouth and Bob’s Burgers.
In Mindful, when her husband shockingly dies while meditating on the Mindful app, Angela (Slate), deeply suspicious of the new wellness craze, uncovers supernatural forces that have fused with the technology. As the app’s popularity spreads like wildfire, she is forced to confront her own demons and dive into a terrifying ‘out of...
- 4/19/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Where to begin with this year’s summer preview?
The “big” titles, including new superhero films, another zippy entry into the “Fast and Furious” franchise, the continuing adventures of Tom Cruise running against “Impossible” odds, or even a kicky new Indiana Jones film? What about the latest picks from some of our favorite filmmakers, Wes Anderson to Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan to Nicole Holofcener, Paul Schrader to Niki Caro, Christian Petzold to Rachel Sennott?
Or what about the rising filmmaking stars we’ve already fallen for, like Celine Song, Laurel Parmet, Adele Lim, Charlotte Regan, and Savanah Leaf? Should we bet even bigger, noting that this summer includes at least two films we’ve already crowned some of the best of the year?
Or, better yet, how about we let the films speak for themselves? As another summer movie season beckons, we’ve dug into the calendar to pull out...
The “big” titles, including new superhero films, another zippy entry into the “Fast and Furious” franchise, the continuing adventures of Tom Cruise running against “Impossible” odds, or even a kicky new Indiana Jones film? What about the latest picks from some of our favorite filmmakers, Wes Anderson to Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan to Nicole Holofcener, Paul Schrader to Niki Caro, Christian Petzold to Rachel Sennott?
Or what about the rising filmmaking stars we’ve already fallen for, like Celine Song, Laurel Parmet, Adele Lim, Charlotte Regan, and Savanah Leaf? Should we bet even bigger, noting that this summer includes at least two films we’ve already crowned some of the best of the year?
Or, better yet, how about we let the films speak for themselves? As another summer movie season beckons, we’ve dug into the calendar to pull out...
- 4/18/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
"I want a heart full of love. I want it to fill me to the brim." Bleecker Street Films has revealed an official US trailer for The Starling Girl, an acclaimed indie film that first premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film marks the feature debut of the talented filmmaker Laurel Parmet, also featuring the first original film score by Ben Schneider of the band Lord Huron. 17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church. Starring Eliza Scanlen as Jem Starling, Lewis Pullman, Wrenn Schmidt, Austin Abrams, and Jimmi Simpson. Reviews describe the film as "authentic and subtle; troubling and triumphant", in an "examination of the hypocritical fundamentalist Christian institution" and a teen girl's "intense journey of self-discovery." Even if this doesn't sound like something you'd be into, this...
- 4/17/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The trailer has arrived for writer-director Laurel Parmet’s debut feature, The Starling Girl, which will have its limited theatrical release this spring. A favorite from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film follows 17-year-old Jem (Eliza Scanlen) as she tries to find her place within a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. In an intro ahead of his interview with Parmet and producer Kara Durrett out of Sundance, Erik Luers summed up the plot quite nicely: Parmet first began writing the screenplay in 2017, soon after the premiere of one of her shorts and the wrap of another. Like her previous work, The […]
The post Trailer Watch: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/17/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The trailer has arrived for writer-director Laurel Parmet’s debut feature, The Starling Girl, which will have its limited theatrical release this spring. A favorite from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film follows 17-year-old Jem (Eliza Scanlen) as she tries to find her place within a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. In an intro ahead of his interview with Parmet and producer Kara Durrett out of Sundance, Erik Luers summed up the plot quite nicely: Parmet first began writing the screenplay in 2017, soon after the premiere of one of her shorts and the wrap of another. Like her previous work, The […]
The post Trailer Watch: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Laurel Parmet’s The Starling Girl first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/17/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Sexuality and sin are closely aligned in writer-director Laurel Parmet’s coming-of-age drama “The Starling Girl,” set in a fundamentalist Christian community.
Eliza Scanlen stars as 17-year-old Jem Starling who develops a crush, and subsequently inappropriate relationship, with a new youth pastor. Per the official synopsis, 17-year-old Jem Starling (Scanlen) struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of Owen (Lewis Pullman), an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.
Wrenn Schmidt, Austin Abrams, and Jimmi Simpson also star.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for...
Eliza Scanlen stars as 17-year-old Jem Starling who develops a crush, and subsequently inappropriate relationship, with a new youth pastor. Per the official synopsis, 17-year-old Jem Starling (Scanlen) struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of Owen (Lewis Pullman), an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.
Wrenn Schmidt, Austin Abrams, and Jimmi Simpson also star.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for...
- 4/17/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
After breaking out in Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen finds an impressive new starring role with The Starling Girl. The directorial debut of Laurel Parmet, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and opens on May 12 from Bleecker Street, finds Scanlen in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. She starts to become attracted to the group’s youth pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman) and so begins a journey that finds her looking to break free. Ahead of the release, the first trailer has now arrived.
Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures,...
Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Every year at the Sundance Film Festival, there are always dozens of films to anticipate, but then there’s the elite dozen or so, the ones that really get you excited for what they might offer. And arguably, the new indie drama “The Starling Girl,” starring rising star Eliza Scanlen was one of them.
Scanlen is a real rising star and broke out in a big way in 2018’s “Sharp Objects,” where she played a troubled teen and the younger version of Amy Adams in an HBO series directed by the late Jean-Marc Vallée.
Continue reading ‘The Starling Girl’ Trailer: Eliza Scanlen Stars In Laurel Parmet’s Coming-Of-Age Story at The Playlist.
Scanlen is a real rising star and broke out in a big way in 2018’s “Sharp Objects,” where she played a troubled teen and the younger version of Amy Adams in an HBO series directed by the late Jean-Marc Vallée.
Continue reading ‘The Starling Girl’ Trailer: Eliza Scanlen Stars In Laurel Parmet’s Coming-Of-Age Story at The Playlist.
- 4/17/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Bleecker Street Partners With New York Women in Film & Television on Scholarship Program (Exclusive)
Bleecker Street, the Oscar-nominated studio behind “Captain Fantastic” and “Trumbo,” has partnered with New York Women in Film & Television (Nywift) to award three scholarships to women attending film schools in the New York City area.
The grants are part of Nywift’s scholarship fund and will assist with educational costs associated with film production, living expenses, books, travel and tuition needs. Bleecker Street’s contribution will be officially acknowledged at Nywift’s upcoming Muse Awards on March 28, which recently announced a mix of film executives, actors and filmmakers — including Arianna Bocco, Danielle Brooks, Deborah Chow, Maria Hinojosa, Sandra Lee, Freida Pinto, Lauren Ridloff, Sharon Stone, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president Janet Yang — as this year’s honorees.
Scholarship recipients will be announced in the fall and will meet with the Bleecker Street team at their New York headquarters.
“Supporting and highlighting female filmmakers and their work is our priority,...
The grants are part of Nywift’s scholarship fund and will assist with educational costs associated with film production, living expenses, books, travel and tuition needs. Bleecker Street’s contribution will be officially acknowledged at Nywift’s upcoming Muse Awards on March 28, which recently announced a mix of film executives, actors and filmmakers — including Arianna Bocco, Danielle Brooks, Deborah Chow, Maria Hinojosa, Sandra Lee, Freida Pinto, Lauren Ridloff, Sharon Stone, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president Janet Yang — as this year’s honorees.
Scholarship recipients will be announced in the fall and will meet with the Bleecker Street team at their New York headquarters.
“Supporting and highlighting female filmmakers and their work is our priority,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
When, at the Sundance Film Festival two years ago, Apple bought worldwide rights to Sian Heder’s Coda for a reported 25 million, it triggered panic across the independent film industry.
International distributors who had pre-bought the movie — Heder’s remake of 2014 French hit La Famille Bélier was a top seller for Pathé at Cannes’ Marché du Film a year earlier — thought the Apple deal might signal the end of their business model. Why bother taking the up-front risk by investing in movie scripts and talent packages — the core activity at most international film markets — if a deep-pocketed tech company can come in after the fact and buy up the movie when it is finished? In the wake of the Coda deal, there was talk of sales companies and Hollywood talent agencies wanting to insert mandatory buyback clauses into indie distribution contracts, treating independent buyers, from their perspective, as little more...
International distributors who had pre-bought the movie — Heder’s remake of 2014 French hit La Famille Bélier was a top seller for Pathé at Cannes’ Marché du Film a year earlier — thought the Apple deal might signal the end of their business model. Why bother taking the up-front risk by investing in movie scripts and talent packages — the core activity at most international film markets — if a deep-pocketed tech company can come in after the fact and buy up the movie when it is finished? In the wake of the Coda deal, there was talk of sales companies and Hollywood talent agencies wanting to insert mandatory buyback clauses into indie distribution contracts, treating independent buyers, from their perspective, as little more...
- 2/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New sales agent and financier Architect has come on board to represent international sales on writer-director Laurel Parmet’s Sundance-premiering “The Starling Girl.”
The film was acquired for North America by Bleecker Street in a deal negotiated by UTA and WME, and will release in cinemas later this year. Architect will launch international sales at this week’s European Film Market, which runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival.
“The Starling Girl” premiered at Sundance to strong reviews, and will screen in the Festival Favourites section at SXSW next month. It stars Eliza Scanlen (“Sharp Objects”), Lewis Pullman (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”), Wrenn Schmidt (“Nope)” and Austin Abrams (“Paper Towns|). The film is produced by Kevin Rowe and Kara Durrett.
The drama follows 17-year-old Jem Starling (Scanlen), who struggles to find her place in the fundamentalist Christian community that raised her. According to the film’s official synopsis, “even...
The film was acquired for North America by Bleecker Street in a deal negotiated by UTA and WME, and will release in cinemas later this year. Architect will launch international sales at this week’s European Film Market, which runs alongside the Berlin Film Festival.
“The Starling Girl” premiered at Sundance to strong reviews, and will screen in the Festival Favourites section at SXSW next month. It stars Eliza Scanlen (“Sharp Objects”), Lewis Pullman (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”), Wrenn Schmidt (“Nope)” and Austin Abrams (“Paper Towns|). The film is produced by Kevin Rowe and Kara Durrett.
The drama follows 17-year-old Jem Starling (Scanlen), who struggles to find her place in the fundamentalist Christian community that raised her. According to the film’s official synopsis, “even...
- 2/16/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
In The Starling Girl, we follow 17-year-old Jem Starling, played by Eliza Scanlen, as she battles with her budding sexuality and growing curiosity for boys while trying to stay true to her religious upbringing in the fundamentalist Christian church.
In an exclusive interview with uInterview during the Sundance Film Festival, director Laurel Parmet talked about female sexuality.
“I think female sexuality is omnipresent and should be celebrated and we shouldn’t feel guilty about it,” she said with a smile. “I want people to see it in films, the more that we normalize it the more that we won’t feel guilty when we experience it.”
Parmet then discussed her personal connection to the film.
“When I was a teenager, I had a similar relationship with a man and I didn’t feel like a victim and didn’t feel guilty about it, at first,” she revealed. “But then years...
In an exclusive interview with uInterview during the Sundance Film Festival, director Laurel Parmet talked about female sexuality.
“I think female sexuality is omnipresent and should be celebrated and we shouldn’t feel guilty about it,” she said with a smile. “I want people to see it in films, the more that we normalize it the more that we won’t feel guilty when we experience it.”
Parmet then discussed her personal connection to the film.
“When I was a teenager, I had a similar relationship with a man and I didn’t feel like a victim and didn’t feel guilty about it, at first,” she revealed. “But then years...
- 2/9/2023
- by Hailey Schipper
- Uinterview
Drama joins 2023 slate featuring female filmmaker voices.
In the latest deal from Sundance Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Laurel Parmet’s feature debut The Starling Girl.
Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson, Wrenn Schmidt and Austin Abrams star in the story about the sexual awakening of a teenager girl in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. It premiered in US Dramatic Competition.
Bleecker Street plans a theatrical release this year and negotiated the deal with and UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.
Kevin Rowe and Kara Durrett served as producers,...
In the latest deal from Sundance Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Laurel Parmet’s feature debut The Starling Girl.
Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson, Wrenn Schmidt and Austin Abrams star in the story about the sexual awakening of a teenager girl in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. It premiered in US Dramatic Competition.
Bleecker Street plans a theatrical release this year and negotiated the deal with and UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.
Kevin Rowe and Kara Durrett served as producers,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Bleecker Street has picked up North American rights to Laurel Parmet’s feature directorial debut The Starling Girl following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, slating it for release in theaters later this year. Financials weren’t disclosed.
The film written and directed by Parmet follows 17-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen), who struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy — the church dance group — is tempered by worry that her love of dance is actually sinful, and she’s caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and an instinctive resistance to her mom’s urging that the time has come to begin courting. She finds respite from her confusion in the encouragement of her youth pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman), who is likewise drawn to the blossoming Jem’s attention.
Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Wrenn Schmidt (For All Mankind...
The film written and directed by Parmet follows 17-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen), who struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy — the church dance group — is tempered by worry that her love of dance is actually sinful, and she’s caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and an instinctive resistance to her mom’s urging that the time has come to begin courting. She finds respite from her confusion in the encouragement of her youth pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman), who is likewise drawn to the blossoming Jem’s attention.
Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Wrenn Schmidt (For All Mankind...
- 2/3/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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