Immigration Movie ‘From Nowhere’ Gets 2017 Release
FilmRise has acquired exclusive North American distribution rights to the indie drama “From Nowhere,” which won the Narrative Spotlight audience award at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
“From Nowhere” follows three undocumented teenagers — a Dominican girl, an African boy and a Peruvian girl — who are about to graduate high school in the Bronx. When one of their teachers connects them with a lawyer to help them get their papers, the teens are forced to confront their past while fighting for their future.
The film is directed by Matthew Newton, and co-written by Newton and Kate Ballen. J. Mallory McCree (“Quantico”), Octavia Chavez-Richmond and Raquel Castro (“Empire”) are the leads while Julianne Nicholson plays the teacher and Denis O’Hare portrays the attorney.
“We are thrilled to be announcing our acquisition of ‘From Nowhere,’ a timely narrative on illegal immigration in America,” said Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise. “Adding a human element to a highly discussed political topic, we look forward spreading the film’s message to a broader audience when we release the film in theaters.”
FilmRise is planning on a winter release.
Joe Leydon gave the film a positive review for Variety: “Credible and creditable performances by a fine cast of promising newcomers and familiar veterans enhance the emotional impact of this low-key but compelling indie, which could find a receptive audience beyond the traditional arthouse crowd with the aid of savvy marketing and critical support.”
Newton said, “Immigration is one of the biggest issues facing the U.S. today and the film shines a light on three teenagers struggling to survive and thrive in circumstances that so many families in this country deal with every day — I wanted to give a voice to a group of people who can’t speak up for themselves.”
The deal was negotiated by Fisher and FilmRise’s Max Einhorn with Ryan Kampe of Visit Films. Newton is represented by Varun Monga at Equitable Stewardship for Artist.
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