New York, NY – September 19, 2007 – IFC Entertainment announced today it has acquired North American rights to Tom Kalin’s drama Savage Grace starring Julianne Moore. The announcement was made today by IFC Entertainment President Jonathan Sehring.
“We are thrilled to have acquired Tom Kalin’s Savage Grace. Like his past work, Swoon, Savage Grace does not disappoint. It is beautifully directed film that perfectly captures an era and remains timeless,” said Jonathan Sehring, president of IFC Entertainment. “The filmmaking is impeccable and Julianne Moore is brilliant in a role of amazing depth. Eddie Redmayne is also a major new talent.”
Savage Grace is based on the award winning book by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L Aronson, and tells the incredible true story of Barbara Daly, who married above her class to Brooks Baekeland, the dashing heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune. Beautiful, red-headed and charismatic, Barbara is still no match for her well-bred husband. The birth of the couple’s only child, Tony, rocks the uneasy balance in this marriage of extremes. Tony is a failure in his father’s eyes. As he matures and becomes increasingly close to his lonely mother, the seeds for a tragedy of spectacular decadence are sown. The Baekelands’ pursuit of social distinction and the glittering “good life” propels them across the globe. We follow their heady rise and tragic fall against the backdrop of New York, Paris, Cadaques, Mallorca and London.
Savage Grace stars Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actress Julianne Moore in the lead role as Barbara Baekeland. Also starring in the film are Stephen Dillane as Brooks Baekeland; Eddie Redmayne as Tony Baekeland; Barney Clark as the young Tony Baekeland and Hugh Dancy as Sam Green. The film is directed by Tom Kalin who also directed Swoon and produced Go Fish, and I Shot Andy Warhol. Savage Grace was written by Howard A. Rodman and produced by Monfort Producciones, Killer Films and Celluloid Dreams, in association with ATO Pictures, 120 dB Films, A Contraluz Films and Videntia Frames. Savage Grace screened as part of the Director’s Fortnight at this past Cannes Film Festival.
The acquisition was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, VP of Acquistions and Betsy Rodgers, Counsel for IFC Entertainment with Charlotte Mickie from Celluloid Dreams Sales Company.
The film will be released theatrically and on local cable’s On Demand platform.
About IFC Entertainment
IFC Entertainment consists of IFC Films, a leading theatrical film distribution company bringing the best of independent and specialized films to theaters; IFC First Take and IFC In Theaters, the operations that together make up IFC Entertainment’s theatrical and on-demand day and date initiative; IFC Productions, a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects; the IFC Center, an art house in NYC and IFC Films on Demand, video-on-demand offerings. Recent films included Ken Loach’s The Wind that Shakes the Barley, and Shane Meadows’s This Is England. Upcoming films include Hou Hsiao Hsien’s The Flight of the Red Balloon, and Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world’s most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL, and VOOM HD Networks. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a theatrical feature film distribution company; IFC First Take/IFC in Theaters, a day and date theatrical feature film/VOD initiative; the IFC Center in New York City; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Entertainment, which owns and operates a film library. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division, and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.