New York, NY – May 14, 2008 – IFC Films has acquired the North American rights to writer-director Joshua Safdie's comedy, The Pleasure of Being Robbed. The film marks the feature debut for the 24-year-old director, and will have its international premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival on Friday, May 23rd, the only U.S. feature selected for the 40th Director's Fortnight.
"Talent like Josh Safdie's doesn't come along often," said Jonathan Sehring, President, IFC Entertainment. "We're thrilled to be on board from the beginning with his completely original, thoughtful and often funny debut feature. IFC has a long history of working with creative visionaries in independent film, inspired filmmakers like Harmony Korine and Miranda July, and we look forward to working with Josh to bring his vision to a wide audience and across multiple platforms."
A New York City native, Safdie has written and directed several short films throughout his career including The Back of Her Head (2007); We're Going to the Zoo (2006); If You See Something, Say Something (2006); and The Adventures of Slaters's Friend (2005). His feature debut, The Pleasure of Being Robbed, screened to critical acclaim at this year's SXSW festival.
IFC has been a major presence at the Cannes Film Festival in recent years. The company has acquired back-to-back Palme d'Or winners, including Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days and Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes the Barley. IFC also acquired 10 films at last year's festival including Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park, which won the Prize of the 60th Anniversary, California Dreamin', which won the Un Certain Regard top prize, as well as the upcoming Catherine Breillat's The Last Mistress. The company also released the three-time award-winner Me and You and Everyone We Know and the prize-winner Nobody Knows in recent years.
The Pleasure of Being Robbed follows Eleonore (Eleonore Hendricks), an attractive, free-spirited young woman who is also a fearless, habitual thief, whose behavior at times seems oddly generous. Wandering the streets of New York City, Eleonore nabs a purse while hugging a receptive stranger, removes a mound of cash before stealing a neglected satchel, and fetches a laundry bag off the street only to find inside a litter of kittens, which she then adopts. Intrigued by a set of car keys from one of her takes, she enlists her friend Josh (Safdie) to find the corresponding car. Before long she's happily chauffeuring Josh to his home in Boston in a stolen car that she doesn't know how to drive. Even as her actions grow more brash and reckless Eleonore pushes on, undaunted in her strange, intense curiosity.
Directed by Josh Safdie, The Pleasure of Being Robbed is co-produced by Brett Jutkiewicz, Zachary Treitz, Sam Lisenco, Alex Orlovsky and Josh Safdie; and executive produced by Andy Spade and Casey Neistat. The film is written by and stars Josh Safdie and Eleonore Hendricks. Other cast members include Wayne Chin, Jerry Damons and Jordan Zaldez.
Arianna Bocco, vice president of Acquisitions and Production for IFC Films negotiated the acquisition with Josh Braun from Submarine, who represented the filmmaker.
The Pleasure of Being Robbed is being sold internationally in Cannes by Visit Films, an independent film production and sales company based in New York whose mission is to create, produce, and sell unique and interesting independent American and international films.
About IFC Entertainment
A multi-platform leader in the independent film industry, IFC Entertainment operates a group of companies devoted to bringing the best of specialty films to the largest possible audience. IFC Entertainment consists of IFC Films, IFC Productions and the IFC Center. IFC Films is a leading distribution company for independent film. IFC Entertainment's day and date film distribution model makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters through IFC Films and simultaneously on cable's On Demand platform and PPV through IFC In Theaters, reaching 50 million homes. IFC Productions is a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects. IFC Center is a three screen, state-of-the-art cinema with luxurious seating and HD digital and 35mm projection that shows art-house films in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village. IFC Entertainment's companies are subsidiaries of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.
Recent and upcoming IFC Films releases include: 2007 Palme d'Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days , which also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film; Gus Van Sant's critically-acclaimed and award-winning Paranoid Park; Hou Hsiao Hsien's Flight of the Red Balloon starring Juliette Binoche; and Tom Kalin's Savage Grace starring Julianne Moore. Other acclaimed films include John Dahl's You Kill Me, Susanne Bier's Academy Award-nominated After the Wedding and Ken Loach's 2006 Palme d'Or winner, The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
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 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.