EFM Roundup: Spotlight Pictures Finds ‘The Playroom’; Grindstone, Recreation In ‘Brooklyn’; Beta Attends To ‘Farewell Party’
Spotlight Pictures has taken all international rights to Julia Dyer’s The Playroom starring Oscar-nominee John Hawkes (The Sessions) and Molly Parker (Dexter, The Firm). Spotlight will handle overseas sales at the EFM. The film is opening this Friday in the States via Freestyle Releasing which is sending it out simultaneously in theaters and on VOD. The film premiered in the Gala/Spotlight section of last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and was produced by Stephen Dyer and Angie Meyer. Set in the 1970s suburbs, pic tells the story of the Cantwell family who are trying to find their way in a world changing too fast for their liking. The deal was negotiated by Scott Bedno, president of international sales at Spotlight Pictures, and producer Stephen Dyer.
Grindstone Entertainment has acquired North American rights in all media to Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn (formerly titled Goat) which will be released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Separately, international rights have been acquired by Ariel Venziano’s sales company, Recreation. Paul Borghese wrote, directs and acts in the gritty thriller alongside Armand Assante, Ice-T, Vincent Pastore, Ja Rule, William DeMeo and Cathy Moriaty. DeMeo and Robyn K Bennett also produce with Borghese. DeMeo plays a career criminal desperate to honor his family and give up his life of crime. Ronna Wallace of Eastgate Pictures negotiated the deals for Recreation and Grindstone on behalf of the producers. Stan Wertlieb negotiated on behalf of Grindstone and Veneziano for Recreation. Recreation has also added two new titles to its international slate for the EFM: Victor Ginzburg‘s Generation P and Rashaad Ernesto Green’s debut feature Gun Hill Road.
Germany’s Beta Cinema has boarded worldwide sales rights to The Farewell Party, an Israeli-German co-production, written and directed by Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit. The just-wrapped dark comedy is about a group of friends at a Jerusalem retirement home who build a machine for self-euthanasia in order to help their terminally ill friend. When rumors of the machine begin to spread, more and more people ask for their help. Maymon’s last film was hit comedy A Matter Of Size; a remake has been in the works at Paramount.
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