Jack Reach author Lee Child and Emmy and Grammy-nominated producer Nicole London executive produce.
EXCLUSIVE: Nova Vento Entertainment has acquired theatrical distribution rights to Montana writer, director and actor Rob Grabow’s feature debut year of the dog.
The film features a cast of veteran actors, including two prominent Indigenous actors: Jon Proudstar (veteran of 43 films and Emmy shortlist for his performance as Leon in Reservation dogs) and Lakota actor Michael Spears, a resident of Bozeman (Dances with Wolves, 1887 and Reservation dogs Season 2). Both were submitted for Independent Spirit Award nominations for their work in the film.
“It’s a dream come true,” Grabow said. “A leap of faith for sure. I sold my condo, basically my savings, to fund this project, because I believed in it so much. And to sign a deal with Nova Vento, I don’t know… I may have jumped all over my house after we signed. It changes life.
year of the dog is a poignant film about two strays: an alcoholic man struggling to stay sober and a rescue dog with an unusual athletic gift. Grabow explains: “It’s more than an excellent film about dogs; it’s about repair and connection. For him, the message is that “it is never too late to repair damaged relationships. Sometimes the journey through any type of suffering can be simple or as difficult as finding something a person wants to be for…all wrapped up in an interesting, well-acted movie with great music and a plenty of cool dog moments.
Although this is Grabow’s feature debut, his multi-award-winning short film Method received Best Original Screenplay at the Chelsea Film Festival and was nominated for Best Actor and Best Director at the Beaufort International Film Festival. Grabow is also a lead actor in year of the dog. His other recent credits include Syfy’s Z Nation and feature film mickey and the bear, which premiered at SXSW and Cannes.
EXCLUSIVE: Jeremy Sumter (Peter Pan, Friday Night Lights) stars in Chapela country thriller written and directed by Courtney Paige of Yeehaw Films.
Sumpter plays Cohen Black, a man who becomes a suspect in a serial murder case after waking up from a coma with no memory of who he is. The film also stars Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale), Taryn Manning (Orange is the new black), Kyler Fisher, Nick de Graffenreid, Matt Fahey, Pardis Saremi and Madison Bontempo.
Producers are Nicholas Adam Clark, Paige, Kyler Fisher and Madison Bontempo of Yeehaw Films, Chris Harding and Graffenreid of 2111 Pictures in association with Joanna Clark and Kevin Forrest Clark of Take a Bow Film, Carol Anne Watts of Wildfire Pictures, Poets Road’s Mike Bundlie, Wagner Entertainment CEO Jordan Wagner and Brandon Menchen.
Executive producers include Gil Demeter, Kenn Henman, Chelsea Knipp, Rick Licht, Steven Stavro, Gabe Shapiro, Shalom Aerobach and Jessica Skube, Ryan Hamilton, Kelly Hamilton, Ying Ye and Gary Hamilton of Arclight International.
The co-producers are Matt Oliveira, Michael Mammoliti and Rob Diamond. Associate producers are LA Weekly’s Brian Calle, Rylan Oleksyn, Steven Richmond, James Wilson, Aaron Millar, Laura Jacobs and Kathy Sue Holtorf.
Photography by Mélisse Riahi with additional photography by cinematographer Stirling Bancroft. Buffalo 8 is in post-production. The editor is Jonas Thorhallsson and the composer is Sacha Chaban.
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EXCLUSIVE: Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired the North American VOD rights to the drug recovery-themed drama set The drug addict named Hal. An overnight release on October 11 is planned. The ensemble cast includes Ray A. Roberts II, Natalie L’Amoreaux, Donato De Luca and Daniela Vidaurre.
The drug addict named Hal tells the story of a young woman named Amy who is furious at her mother for sending her to a halfway house for doing what she thinks all college kids do – get drunk at parties. But after he totals two cars and puts her friend’s life in danger, something has to change. Despite her apprehension, Amy quickly bonds with the other residents – especially Hal, a heroin addict returning to the house from prison. Amy decides to try recovery and enjoys her newfound sense of community – from silly fights to heartfelt reconciliations, overdoses and visits from the police. But soon enough, Amy has to face the reality that her drinking isn’t just going to go away and she might have a bigger problem than she thought. But now her addiction isn’t just putting her at risk, it’s putting everyone in the house at risk. A film exploring the daily struggles, joys and horrors of getting clean.
Written and directed by Lane Michael Stanley, The drug addict named Hal was produced by Lowell Blank, Thane Swigart and Stanley.
Freestyle Digital Media brokered the deal with Blank of Secretly Famous Productions and Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films.
“The drug addict named Hal is a love letter to the recovery community that saved my life when I got sober after my fiancé died suddenly of a heart attack,” Stanley said. “I am now six years clean, and I look forward to sharing this urgent story with the public through our wonderful partner, Freestyle Digital Media.”
“I first read Lane Michael Stanley’s play The drug addict named Hal, and I knew it was well suited for the film adaptation,” Blank said. “Making the film was a labor of love and having Freestyle Digital Media behind its release is a dream come true.”
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EXCLUSIVE: Kaczmarek Digital Media Group’s Dark Thriller Find her released an exclusive clip. Directed and written by Nick McCallum, the film hits VOD and digital October 1, with a DVD release to follow in the fall. McCallum is also producing with Stelio Savante and Kelly Knox, with G. Andrews Ahrens serving as executive producer.
Find her stars McCallum (The staircase, the Messiah, 2 broke girls), Stelio Savante (Faithless, the chosen one, running for grace), Anaïs Lilit (The Walking Dead: Red Machete, The Hyperions, Endings, Beginnings) with Richard Gunn (Clemency, Hemlock Grove, Granite Flats), and John James (My Son Hunter, Axcellerator, Dynasty). Ahrens, Rebecca Lines, Sydney Bullock, Brandon Stacy, Randal Gonzalez, Mary Drew Ahrens and John Daniel Gates also star.
Photography is by Emmy-winning cinematographer Evan Zissimopulos.
Best described as Brick meets Gone baby gone, Find her follows an ex-cop who arrives in a small town looking for answers to a murdered rancher and his missing daughter. It slowly becomes clear that he has his own personal agenda for finding the truth.
“Finding a good film noir is rare, and what’s exceedingly rare is finding one that delivers the intrigue, mystery, production aesthetic, and classic acting we’ve come to expect. “said Kyle Kaczmarek, CEO and Managing Director of KDMG.
“This film delivers and is a perfect fit for KDMG’s family of titles. We’re thrilled to release it and bring it to the public. “Nick’s film is a classic neo-noir that we’re very proud of,” said Savante. “We are delighted that KDMG is bringing Find her thriller fans and moviegoers around the world.
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EXCLUSIVE: An exclusive clip is available for the documentary Wonderfully made – LGBTQ+R (eligion). The film gets to the root of anti-LGBTQ attitudes by exploring the challenges and aspirations of LGBTQ+ Catholics.
wonderfully done focuses on the Catholic Church, as one of the largest religious organizations in the world with its anti-LGBTQ+ stance, has been a source of pain for so many of its followers. The film sheds penetrating light on the ostracizing teaching of the Churches, while remaining respectful of believers. It features interviews with leading advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, including a pioneering nun, two prominent priests (one of whom is openly gay), and a former US ambassador to the Vatican. The film’s narrative is shaped through the process of an art project creating unprecedented photographic iconography depicting Jesus as a member/ally of the LGBTQ+ community, portrayed by multiple LGBTQ+ models of ethnicity, gender, race, diverse sexualities and identities.
Wonderfully made – LGBTQ+R (religion), was shaped and designed by husbands, director and Emmy winner Yuval David and executive producer Mark McDermott (whose story as a person of faith opened the door to this larger conversation). Producers of the avocado include a number of notables including Lance Bass, Bishop Gene Robinson, Reverend Mel White, former Irish President Mary McAleese, Andrew Tobias, Mitchell Gold and Jane Clementi. The film features a photograph by Nicco Quinto, edited by Hugo Perez, with original music composed by Ariel Blumenthal.
wonderfully done offers revealing interviews with Father James Martin, SJ, Father Bryan Massingale, Sister Jeannine Grammick, SL, Stanley JR Zerkowski, Marianne Duddy-Burke, Cathy Renna, Natalia Imperatori-Lee, fmr. Ambassador Miguel Diaz, Xorje Olivares and Jason Steidl.
