Ren & Stimpy Docu Lands At Gravitas; Talent Managers Erika Monroe-Williams & Sherry Kayne Launch Moxie Artists; 1091 Nabs ‘Ask No Questions’ Docu – Film Briefs

Amanda N'Duka
·3 min read

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Gravitas Ventures has secured the North American distribution rights to Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story, a feature docu directed by Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood. It premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will release in theaters and on-demand sometime in August. The doc offers a behind-the-scenes look at popular the 90’s cartoon which we to broke cable ratings and amassed an extensive fan base. Creator John Kricfalusi was celebrated as a visionary, but even though his personality suffused the show, dozens of artists and network executives were just as responsible for the show’s meteoric rise. As Kricfalusi’s worst impulses were let loose at the workplace and new allegations about even more disturbing behavior have surfaced, his reputation now threatens to taint the show forever. Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas, negotiated the deal with Matt Burke at Submarine.

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Erika Monroe-Williams and Sherry Kayne (formally of The Green Room) have formed a new management and production company, Moxie Artists. Monroe-Williams is former news anchor turned talent manager and producer. At Green Room, she repped talent on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube including Chase Hudson, Avani Gregg, Hype House, Kouvr Annon, Tayler Holder and Madi Monroe and all will be represented by Moxie. The former television news anchor and host began her career working in public relations for Stephen Huvane, Robin Baum, and Simon Halls’ then company Huvane Baum Halls. She’ll serve as a producer on several upcoming projects for her clients as well. Kayne, a youth and young adult manager, began her career as a lawyer before transitioning to entertainment management. Notable television and film clients include Oscar nominee Quvenzhanè Wallis (Beasts of The Southern Wild, Annie), JD McCrary (The Lion King), Benjamin Stockham (About A Boy), Nickelodeon’s Young Dylan, Julian Hilliard (The Haunting of Hill House), Catherine Mary Stewart (The Last Starfighter).

1091 has acquired rights to Ask No Questions, a journalistic true-crime documentary from Lofty Sky Pictures as well as filmmakers Jason Loftus and Eric Pedicelli. It slated to be released across all digital platforms throughout North America beginning on June 30. The doc, which premiered at the year’s Slamdance, examines the captivating story of a Chinese state TV insider who is held and forced to accept the state line on a fiery public suicide he believes was a government plot. Evidence is credibly presented, shocking, and thorough, and the investigation leads into allegations of nefarious activity at a governmental scale. Amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, Lofty Sky Pictures teamed with San Francisco’s DocFest to screened Ask No Questions, a 2D film, in a 3D virtual theatrical environment dubbed VR Movie House by using BigscreenVR to deliver the screenings via avatars in the virtual world. Loftus produced the pic with executive producer Masha Loftus. Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers with Danny Grant, SVP of Film and Strategic Partnerships, on behalf of 1091.

 

 

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