New Theater to Provide Exclusive Nation-Wide Release
NEW YORK, NY (May 31, 2005) – The IFC Center announced today that it will open it doors on Friday, June 17th with Miranda July’s festival favorite, “Me and You and Everyone We Know.” A 2005 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize winner for Originality of Vision, the film most recently took home a slew of awards at Cannes including: Critics Week Grand Prize, Camera d’or, Prix Regards Jeune and the Young Critics Award.
“We are thrilled to open the IFC Center with ‘Me and You and Everyone We Know.’ The film embodies everything IFC stands for – developing and nurturing talent, and maximizing the value of independent film. As the brick and mortar extension of the brand, this IFC produced and distributed film is the perfect vehicle to open the venue,” stated John Vanco, General Manager and Vice President of the Center.
The IFC Center will serve as a focal point for the independent film community – both to filmgoers and filmmakers alike. Conceived by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring, the IFC Center will be run by Vanco, co-founder of Cowboy Pictures and considered one of the industry’s most respected young executives. IFC has converted the historic Waverly Theater building, which was originally built as a church in the early 1800’s, into an architecturally distinctive, state-of-the-art facility. The new facility will feature three theaters each equipped to screen 35mm and high-definition digital video, digital editing suites, a restaurant, and a meeting area.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the recently announced IFC Center Advisory Board, which includes: Noah Cowan, Alfonso Cuar?n, Richard Linklater, Rebecca Miller, Errol Morris, John Sayles, Kevin Smith, Steven Soderbergh, Cynthia Swartz, Dan Talbot and Gary Winick.
“Me and You and Everyone We Know” is a story about Richard Swersey (John Hawkes), a newly single shoe salesman and father of two boys who is prepared for amazing things to happen. But when the captivating and spontaneous Christine (Miranda July) enters his life, he panics. Christine is an artist and “Eldercab” driver who vacillates between heartbreak and faith as she weaves together reality and the fantastical in her art and life. In July’s modern and singular world (as character and director), people seek togetherness but choose indirect, tortured routes. They speak their innermost thoughts, act on secret impulses, and yield moments that are sad, hilarious and often surreal. Each character arrives at a moment of surprising redemption: an email, a signal, a moment that connects them to someone else on earth.
In addition to Cannes and Sundance, the film has garnered several awards from various other festivals including: the Archie Award, for Best First Feature by a New Director at the Philadelphia Film Festival; both the Skyy Prize for First Narrative Feature and The Virgin Megastore Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival and the Golden Thumb Award at Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film. It was work-shopped at the Sundance Screenwriting and Filmmaking labs in 2003.
“Me and You and Everyone We Know” opens in New York exclusively at the IFC Center on June 17, in Los Angeles on June 24, and nationally in the weeks to follow.
About the IFC Center
The IFC Center will be the bricks and mortar home of IFC, the unique end-to-end media company focused on developing and nurturing talent and maximizing the value to independent film. The Center will serve as a focal point for the independent film community – both to filmgoers and filmmakers alike. Conceived by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring, the IFC Center will be managed by John Vanco, co-founder of the independent label Cowboy Pictures and one of the industry’s most respected young veterans. IFC has converted the historic Waverly Theater building, which was originally built as a church in the early 1800’s, into an architecturally distinctive, state-of-the-art facility featuring three theaters each equipped to screen 35mm and high-definition digital video, digital editing suites, a restaurant, and a meeting area. In addition, the Center will be the home for special screenings, educational programs and television broadcasts.